Introducing Sumba, Hotel Jen, and British Airways' New Booking Option
Ask an Expert
James McBride, former president of YTL Hotels group and co-owner of Nihiwatu resort in Indonesia, makes the case for visiting the oft-overlooked isle of Sumba in lieu of nearby Bali.
HK Magazine: So, Sumba vs. Bali. What’s your take?
James McBride: The choice is easy. I hate to say, but more and more people are coming to Sumba because Bali, quite frankly, is tacky. Of course, there are still extraordinary things in Bali—Ubud and the northern beaches are incredible. But Sumba is life-changing. Sumba is like Bali 50 years ago, where there’s just one resort and you’re sharing the place with buffalo and the Sumbanese. Yes, they wear swords and its tribal, but they are so friendly—it’s a key cultural experience. We have deep-sea fishing, yoga, free-diving, and extraordinary hiking. You’ll see bikes, horses and the odd car, but you’ll never see an airplane in the sky.
Psst... Sumba is about an hour-long flight southeast of Bali. Don’t worry, I had to look it up too! Thinking about going? Check out pristine, beach-lux Nihiwatu resort.
Rooms from US$450 ($3,836) per night, all-inclusive. www.nihiwatu.com.
The view from Nihiwatu resort
The Trade Off
Say goodbye to one of the most iconic business hotel brands: the Shangri-La hotel group is re-vamping its Traders Hotel brand in favor of a younger, more contemporary identity. Enter Hotel Jen: meant to appeal to a “new jeneration” of travelers, the fresh personality will start its roll out with the Hotel Jen Orchardgateway opening in Singapore this month, followed by 10 more properties in Asia by March 2015—including Hong Kong, Brisbane, Penang, and Beijing. So what can you expect from Hotel Jen? Aimed at tech-savvy, app-happy millennial travelers, it’s all about contemporary designs, casual yet efficient service, and lots of perks like free coffee and snacks. And obviously free Wi-Fi.