https://www.scmp.com/rss/297888/feed Travel writer Lee Cobaj was raised in Hong Kong and specialises in writing about Asia. She is a regular contributor to a variety of top titles including National Geographic Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Comprising 1,192 coral islands sprinkled along 822km of Indian Ocean, stretching from off the western flank of Sri Lanka to south of the equator, the Maldives has long captured the imagination of travellers. With Hong Kong Airlines having resumed direct flights to the capital, Malé, this month, travelling there will be easier than making the previous schlep through Singapore or the Middle East. Now: where to stay? The country has 172 resorts to choose from, catering to just about every taste... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3270102/maldives-best-resort-raffles-meradhoo-vs-waldorf-astoria-rated-vibe-location-and-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3270102/maldives-best-resort-raffles-meradhoo-vs-waldorf-astoria-rated-vibe-location-and-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jul 2024 00:45:09 +0000 The first emerges through the misty water like an apparition, as round and delicate as a smoke ring. A moment later, a second comes into view, the size of dinner plate, its ghostly white frame pulsing in and out. Then another, as small as a button mushroom, floats right past my face – and another, perhaps 50cm (20 inches) in diameter, contracts eerily below. Dozens of moon jellyfish and larger golden jellyfish, with frilly crowns and ruffled tentacles that make them look like Victorian... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3256577/luxury-palau-boat-trip-coral-reefs-white-sand-beaches-jellyfish-lake-and-wwii-relics-us3000-night?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3256577/luxury-palau-boat-trip-coral-reefs-white-sand-beaches-jellyfish-lake-and-wwii-relics-us3000-night?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Mar 2024 10:16:47 +0000 As Covid-19 disruptions slip ever further into the past, Macau is coming alive again – and not all the action is happening on the casino floor. We look at some of the new permanent attractions, as well as one-off shows and events, that should brighten up a trip to Hong Kong’s sister city. 1. Red parasols, flower beds and wooden tables and chairs await visitors at the new rooftop sitting-out area atop the revamped Iao Hon Market. Located inside a 1970s housing estate, the roof terrace has... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3240890/whats-new-macau-beyond-casinos-revived-neighbourhoods-roof-garden-and-one-shows-and-festivals-look?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3240890/whats-new-macau-beyond-casinos-revived-neighbourhoods-roof-garden-and-one-shows-and-festivals-look?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2023 23:15:18 +0000 Macau has seen several new hotels and resorts open recently, from high-rolling invitation-only escapes, to fashion house properties, to designer digs. We see how they measure up – and because everyone wants to know the actual price they’ll be paying, all of the rates below include tax and service charges. The trendy one: W Macau Wonderful (that’s an accommodation type, not an adjective) rooms start at 1,472 patacas (US$183). During the current soft opening, just eight patacas gets breakfast for... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3240866/whats-new-macau-5-hotel-openings-2023-first-versace-hotel-asia-invite-only-raffles-galaxy-macau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3240866/whats-new-macau-5-hotel-openings-2023-first-versace-hotel-asia-invite-only-raffles-galaxy-macau?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Nov 2023 23:15:15 +0000 “Today’s rain is tomorrow’s whisky,” exclaims Colin Graham, a theatrical guide at the Johnnie Walker Experience, putting a golden lining on the dreary weather encircling Edinburgh. As the tour progresses from room to room, lights flash from orange to electric blue to shocking pink to psychedelic purple. Mad-scientist-style jars filled with hot wax, honeycomb and hunks of peat glow in the dark. Pulsating maps of Scotland light up the ceiling. Robotic bars dispense ribbons of amber liquid. This... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3232262/luxury-scottish-tour-edinburgh-gleneagles-golfing-resort-glenmorangie-boutique-hotels-whisky-seafood?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3232262/luxury-scottish-tour-edinburgh-gleneagles-golfing-resort-glenmorangie-boutique-hotels-whisky-seafood?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Aug 2023 06:15:12 +0000 As well as providing a safe and functional space for the community, landscape design can evoke a sense of place and help people understand their history better. But how? That was the challenge that architect Marisa Yiu Kar-san and her team of professional mentors and mentees at the Design Trust set out to answer with a thought-provoking new “pocket park” in Shek Tong Tsui at the western end of Hong Kong Island that will officially open in February. The third of four Design Trust micro-parks,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3204953/history-and-needs-elderly-inspire-hong-kong-urban-micro-park-designed-enliven-community-bring-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3204953/history-and-needs-elderly-inspire-hong-kong-urban-micro-park-designed-enliven-community-bring-them?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jan 2023 03:15:09 +0000 For the younger generation, Instagram is not just a place to boast post, it is a source of inspiration for everything from fashion and food to art and interior design. It was through the photo-sharing app that a newly married couple who had just bought their first home found Clarence Lam Chun-ho, co-founder of INHK Interior Design. In Tai Wai in the New Territories, with spacious green views across Lion Rock Park, the newlyweds’ three-bedroom, 1,542 sq ft (143 square metre) apartment was only 12... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3191512/classic-contemporary-hong-kong-flat-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3191512/classic-contemporary-hong-kong-flat-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Sep 2022 04:45:21 +0000 The quarantine period in Hong Kong might have dropped to three nights, but with limited flights at extortionate prices, jacked-up room rates at the city’s designated quarantine hotels – if you can find a vacancy – plus the stomach-churning fear of detention at the Penny’s Bay holding facility, staycations won’t become a thing of the past any time soon. In a Stockholm syndrome kind of way, it’s a delight, then, to have a new hotel in the city to discover this summer, especially one as pretty as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3189974/perfect-hong-kong-buffet-vast-infinity-pool-luxury-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3189974/perfect-hong-kong-buffet-vast-infinity-pool-luxury-hotel?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Aug 2022 09:39:02 +0000 Twenty-nine months without straightforward international travel may have you thinking that you have exhausted every possible staycation option, so it is no small pleasure (in a Stockholm syndrome kind of way) to have two new options to choose from in Hong Kong this summer. MGallery, a boutique wing of the Accor hotel group, recently opened its first hotels in the city, in Wan Chai and Tung Chung. We took a look at what they have to offer. MGallery: AKI Hong Kong Opened in July in a new silvery... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3187696/new-staycation-options-hong-kong-two-accor-boutique-hotels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3187696/new-staycation-options-hong-kong-two-accor-boutique-hotels?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Aug 2022 09:15:16 +0000 “I really like old properties and I always look for non-cookie cutter places to fix up,” says former sales trader and long-term Hong Kong resident Brooke Babington, who has been renovating properties in the city for 12 years. “I’ve always been more of a Cheung Chau girl but my agent told me I had to see this place on Lamma.” Built in 1965 in Tai Peng Old Village – on Lamma Island, Hong Kong – at the end of the appropriately named Snake Path and a 15-minute uphill walk from Yung Shue Wan ferry... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3186708/island-retreat-old-hong-kong-vibes-rattan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3186708/island-retreat-old-hong-kong-vibes-rattan?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jul 2022 04:45:27 +0000 Through long humid summers, winter cold snaps, violent typhoons and a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, about 1,600 people are left with no choice but to sleep on the streets of Hong Kong, according to 2020-21 figures – and that accounts for only those who have been registered as homeless. It’s a shameful statistic – particularly in a city with one of the world’s highest concentration of billionaires – and one that has jumped over 70 per cent from figures five years earlier. In addition to street... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3182798/how-old-empty-hong-kong-building-became-homeless-shelter-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3182798/how-old-empty-hong-kong-building-became-homeless-shelter-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jun 2022 23:15:12 +0000 After more than two years of severe travel restrictions, many Hong Kong residents are so desperate for a holiday they are willing to suck up the time and expense of hotel quarantine upon their return, and jump through all manner of hoops, to enjoy a brief change of scenery. In stark contrast to Hong Kong and China, most of the continent has reopened to international travel (although Japan has only just started accepting group tours). Bearing in mind the additional worry about airlines being... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3182944/summer-holidays-all-you-need-know-about-covid-19-measures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3182944/summer-holidays-all-you-need-know-about-covid-19-measures?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jun 2022 10:15:22 +0000 “We’re not youngsters,” laughs 82-year-old Briton John Armstrong, a financial services retiree who has lived in Hong Kong with his wife, Jean, 80, for nearly 50 years. “And this is exactly what we wanted: a place where we can comfortably grow a little older and have help in the flat when we need it.” In 2021, following 26 years of living in hotel suites courtesy of Armstrong’s former employer, and with Jean’s health and mobility ailing, the couple bought the 800 sq ft (74 sq m) Mid-Levels flat... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3180805/how-accessible-design-turned-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3180805/how-accessible-design-turned-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jun 2022 04:45:15 +0000 The melodious lilt of a sawasdee kaa has never sounded sweeter than when I stepped off the plane in Bangkok, Thailand, a couple of weeks ago. After two years of struggling to stay sane and keep my career as a travel journalist afloat, I finally buckled under the weight of Hong Kong’s dynamic zero-Covid-19 policy and set off for the Land of Smiles, unsure of when I might be able to return home without enduring lengthy quarantine. Following the limited success of last autumn’s Phuket Sandbox... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3171834/what-its-arriving-tourist-thailand-now-tests-passes-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3171834/what-its-arriving-tourist-thailand-now-tests-passes-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Mar 2022 03:15:11 +0000 We’ve rounded up the best, most amorous Valentine’s deals in Hong Kong, from rose petal baths and private champagne dinners to vintage photography sessions, X-rated escapes and singles nights. All prices include taxes. In the mood for love? Ever wanted to recreate the passion between Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Maggie Cheung Man-yuk in the Wong Kar-wai classic In the Mood for Love? Then pack your cheongsam and Brylcreem and head to the Eaton Hotel, in Yau Ma Tei. This hip hotel has a Valentine’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3165130/mood-love-eight-valentines-day-hotel-packages-couples-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3165130/mood-love-eight-valentines-day-hotel-packages-couples-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Feb 2022 05:15:15 +0000 After all the Covid-19 restrictions, we could do with a bit of festive cheer. Whether you’re looking for family-friendly activities, a shopping extravaganza or a glitzy night out, here’s our pick of the most Christmassy things to do in Hong Kong over the 2021 festive season. 1. Markets, live music and ugly sweaters at Basehall Inspired by Europe’s cosy Christmas markets, this food court in Jardine House is hosting a day-to-night shindig on Saturday, December 11. Visit by day (free) and you’ll... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3158302/christmas-2021-hong-kong-10-best-deals-night-igloo-wild?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3158302/christmas-2021-hong-kong-10-best-deals-night-igloo-wild?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Dec 2021 05:15:21 +0000 Gawping at Hong Kong’s waterfront never gets old, and the city offers a variety of different vessels from which to take it in, from no-frills ferries to Chinese junks with servings of dim sum and luxurious yacht charters. Here’s our pick of the best ways to sail the city’s waters. Hong Kong Water Taxi When we heard about Hong Kong’s new water taxi service we were hoping for the equivalent of the Thames Clippers in London or the Paris Batobuses, which are hop-on hop-off, have numerous stops and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3155856/four-tours-around-hong-kongs-victoria-harbour-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3155856/four-tours-around-hong-kongs-victoria-harbour-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Nov 2021 07:15:16 +0000 As Hong Kong’s M+ museum of visual culture finally cuts the velvet rope, we take a look at other museums around the globe that have recently opened, or are in the process of opening. The Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan Osaka might be best known for sensational street food, raucous comedy clubs and electrifying nightlife, but for a more cerebral take on the city, future visitors might like to head for Nakanoshima. It joins the nearby Osaka Science Museum and the National Museum of Art,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3155837/whitney-houstons-dresses-nashville-most-expensive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3155837/whitney-houstons-dresses-nashville-most-expensive?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Nov 2021 12:01:07 +0000 Blood! Gore! Ghosts! Ghouls! It’s that time of year again, when sexy nurses prowl the streets and businesses overuse the word “spooktacular”. Although social distancing measures remain in place in Hong Kong, organised events are permitted and so is trick-or-treating, as long as you stay in groups of four or less. Many restaurants will be getting their cobwebs and skulls out of storage – Frank’s Italian-American Social Club, on Wyndham Street, in Central, has invited guests to “Get freaky at... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3152691/halloween-staycation-deals-hong-kong-hotels-5d-horror-park?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3152691/halloween-staycation-deals-hong-kong-hotels-5d-horror-park?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Oct 2021 04:45:17 +0000 Wellness is having a moment thanks to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Home workouts have become the norm, mindfulness apps continue to attract millions of new users each month and the world’s most lauded wellness retreats have reopened with new treatments and programmes designed to make life more manageable. We’ve taken a look at the latest trends across the industry and scouted where to find them in Hong Kong. Here’s our pick of hotel spas that will help you get with the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3151361/cbd-therapy-ayurveda-treatments-gong-baths-latest-wellness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3151361/cbd-therapy-ayurveda-treatments-gong-baths-latest-wellness?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Oct 2021 06:15:18 +0000 Why a pink park? “That’s the question we’re asked the most,” says Marisa Yiu Kar-san, architect and co-founder of the Design Trust Futures Studio. “We had to work really hard to convince multiple stakeholders of the reasons why pink works really well – it’s a positive colour that represents calm, compassion and happiness. It’s also very energetic and contrasts extremely well with the green of the plants. But, initially, they were horrified by the introduction of this colour.” The striking pink... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3149516/designers-take-us-inside-hong-kongs-latest-urban-micropark?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3149516/designers-take-us-inside-hong-kongs-latest-urban-micropark?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 04:15:22 +0000 “I like to make every inch work,” says Greg Ling Ho-sang, interior designer and founder of the Hong Kong-based Greg Ling Design Studio. Fortunately for the local owners of this Mid-Levels flat on Hong Kong Island, he also likes a challenge. The pair, who are in their 30s, were newlyweds when they commissioned Ling to remodel their 1,500 sq ft (139 square metre) flat on Robinson Road. It was to be their first home together as a married couple and the brief was to design a modern yet calming... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3148707/bespoke-storage-muted-colours-and-tactile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3148707/bespoke-storage-muted-colours-and-tactile?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Sep 2021 01:30:23 +0000 With the border having been closed for almost 18 months, Hong Kong’s hoteliers have had to come up with more inventive ways to tempt locals through their doors. And now they’re pulling out all the stops to encourage Hongkongers to blow their consumption vouchers on a staycation like no other. Here, we’ve rounded up some of the cleverest, most creative deals in the city. All of the hotels featured accept payment via Alipay, Tap & Go and WeChat Pay HK, but can’t take Octopus. All of the prices... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3145753/have-some-hong-kong-staycation-fun-playing-pac-man-retro?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3145753/have-some-hong-kong-staycation-fun-playing-pac-man-retro?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Aug 2021 02:15:04 +0000 It’s dark, I can’t feel my left arm and my left hip is throbbing like it’s been kicked by a donkey. My mouth is dry and the foam plugs I’ve wedged deep into my ears to muffle the incessant piped music are making my jaws ache. Lying on the floor of Gate 28 at Colombo Airport, in Sri Lanka, wasn’t where I was supposed to be. I should have been cosseted inside a Qatar Airways Q Suite being fanned with ostrich feathers and having grapes peeled for me but, four days before my return flight to Hong... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3144050/what-coronavirus-island-hopping-through-maldives-while?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3144050/what-coronavirus-island-hopping-through-maldives-while?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Aug 2021 10:45:17 +0000 Video conferencing from the kitchen, clashing schedules, incessant background noise, jostling for comfortable desk space – these were just some of the problems the Batten family were having to contend with last summer. By October, they knew they had to move. “We tried to make our existing flat work, even converting the kids’ playroom into a home office, but by the time we were four or five months into the pandemic we realised the situation wasn’t getting any better – it was getting worse,” says... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3142695/family-friendly-hong-kong-duplex-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3142695/family-friendly-hong-kong-duplex-home?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jul 2021 01:30:09 +0000 “We’re not architects or interiors designers; this is something just for us that we can do together creatively,” says brand communications director Anne Gabor of the 2,500 sq ft (232 square metre) work studio she shares with her videographer husband, Alex Gabor. Looking around the cavernous one-bedroom space, with its oil-black floors, custom furnishings and eye-catching art, it’s hard to believe this is the work of amateurs. “We’ve been here for almost 10 years,” says Anne. “I used to have an... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3140008/smart-lighting-custom-furniture-turns-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3140008/smart-lighting-custom-furniture-turns-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jul 2021 01:45:12 +0000 As their young family grew, the owners of this 1,600 sq ft, three-bedroom flat became increasingly bored of staring at their plain white walls. “The client wanted to have something interesting to look at in every area,” says Yu-chang Chen, founder of interior design studio hoo, who was tasked with transforming the washed-out apartment into a colour­ful and imaginative space. The Chinese owners, who run their own engineering firm, were happy to get rid of everything and start afresh so Chen’s... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3138266/playful-interior-design-makeover-sees?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3138266/playful-interior-design-makeover-sees?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Jun 2021 01:30:00 +0000 Looking for a new hobby, workout or something unusual to do on a steaming hot or rainy day? It turns out there’s a trend for bringing outdoor sports indoors, with more than a few options around Hong Kong. Here are four alternative sports venues to try. Take a swing at BAY247 Fancy a round at Blackstone, Marina Bay or Pebble Beach? Then head to recently opened Bay247 on Leighton Road, in Causeway Bay, where you’ll find Hong Kong’s first fully automated indoor golf simulator facility. As the name... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3137904/golf-climbing-skiing-and-go-karting-four-indoor-places?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3137904/golf-climbing-skiing-and-go-karting-four-indoor-places?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jun 2021 04:15:00 +0000 “When I was young, I never wanted to get into the feng shui industry,” says Thierry Chow Yik-tung, daughter of Chow Hon-ming, one of Hong Kong’s most esteemed feng shui masters. But after studying for an applied Bachelor’s of Illustration in Canada and then falling into an unfulfilling job back in Hong Kong, Chow concluded that perhaps feng shui was her fate after all. “I realised there was a lot of potential to bring feng shui to younger audiences and make it more modern. Once I opened up that... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3136468/feng-shui-designers-light-filled-rental?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3136468/feng-shui-designers-light-filled-rental?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jun 2021 01:30:00 +0000 Nobody has a crystal ball to predict where and when we might be able to travel when borders finally reopen, but it seems plenty of Hongkongers will be prepared to splash the cash on something special when we can take flight. Our choice of destinations is likely to be limited at first, but there have been, or will be, a number of notable hotel openings in places considered relatively safe. So where might you be able to go? And where should you stay? Here are a few new addresses worth noting for a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3135722/new-hotels-asia-pacific-well-be-booking-first-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3135722/new-hotels-asia-pacific-well-be-booking-first-after?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Jun 2021 04:15:07 +0000 The pandemic has redrawn the lines between work and home and few people understand the changing dynamics better than interior designer, creative director and art collector JJ Acuna of JJ Acuna / Bespoke Studio. “Anywhere you spend a lot of time needs to have a touch of domesticity. Whether it’s work or home, both places should be designed for comfort, for longevity, and to uplift your spirit,” says Acuna. “That’s what I did here,” he adds, referring to his rented, 1,200 sq ft (111 square metre)... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3133043/how-architect-keeps-his-hong-kong-studio?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3133043/how-architect-keeps-his-hong-kong-studio?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 May 2021 01:30:13 +0000 “It is difficult to design a space that will not attract people. What is remarkable is how often this has been accomplished.” Until recently, this quote by William H. Whyte, legendary urban planner and founder of the revolutionary Street Life Project in New York, could easily have been applied to Yi Pei Square, a 930 square metre (10,000 sq ft) patch of land in Tsuen Wan, a new town in the New Territories. Gloomy, uninviting, with barely anywhere to sit comfortably and no children’s playground,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3131390/eyesore-colourful-inviting-micro-park-how-hong-kong-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3131390/eyesore-colourful-inviting-micro-park-how-hong-kong-public?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Apr 2021 23:15:08 +0000 The skies are a bleak shade of grey above the island of Koh Adang, in Thailand’s magnificent Tarutao National Marine Park. The usually luminous green Andaman Sea has dimmed to the colour of moss. Soaked in drizzle we sit under palm trees with towels wrapped around us, watching feral monkeys prowl through the prehistoric landscape. We were warned not to bring any food or drink to the island as it might encourage the monkeys to attack – macaques are the hooligans of the animal world – but one... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3129377/worlds-worst-cruise-sailing-singapore-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3129377/worlds-worst-cruise-sailing-singapore-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Apr 2021 06:15:14 +0000 Not so long ago you would have been hard pushed to find any pet-friendly accommodation in Hong Kong. Now, a year into the age of Covid-19, with borders closed and no end in sight to restrictions on international travel, dozens of hotels are rolling out the red carpet for pets. To sniff out the best deals, I packed my case and borrowed my brother’s family dog, Piper, an adoptee from Hong Kong Dog Rescue. Together, we set out in search of the paw-fect holiday at home. All per-night prices include... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3128611/luxe-dog-beds-canine-caviar-photo-shoots-pet-staycations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3128611/luxe-dog-beds-canine-caviar-photo-shoots-pet-staycations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Apr 2021 01:45:11 +0000 Why did you start Baea? “I grew up in the textile industry. My grandfather manufactured textiles and my mother had a boutique that was all about bringing in really good-quality homeware, which then pivoted into bedding and bath. In my 20s, I worked for Ralph Lauren Home, sourcing products. I’ve opened retail stores and worked for different companies – and I could see an opportunity for bedding with more minimal designs inspired by nature. “When I thought about a name, I thought about what... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3127914/hong-kong-bedding-brand-baea-wants-let?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3127914/hong-kong-bedding-brand-baea-wants-let?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Apr 2021 07:15:05 +0000 Since its inception in 2012, Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades has circumnavigated the globe, popping up everywhere from Frieze Los Angeles to the Milan Furniture Fair to Design Miami. Like the collections of the French fashion and luxury goods house, the furniture and homewares collection is inspired by the wonders of travel, with each item carefully created by the crème de la crème of international designers, including the Brazilian Campana Brothers, British Council Talented Award winners Raw... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3127451/louis-vuittons-objets-nomades-transports-us-far-away-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3127451/louis-vuittons-objets-nomades-transports-us-far-away-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Mar 2021 07:14:59 +0000 It’s nearly midnight and I’m neck-deep in hot water. I can hear the Ookawa River thrashing below, its jade green rush, so bright by day, now a torrent of inky black and frothy white. In front of me, the snow-covered walls of the Ookawa valley rise up from the darkness like the wings of an enormous angel. I wish it would snow. Moments later it does. All alone in the open-air onsen, I stand up and let big feathery snowflakes land on my warm naked skin like celestial kisses. It’s nothing short of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3124066/home-samurai-japans-fukushima-region-still-one-magical?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3124066/home-samurai-japans-fukushima-region-still-one-magical?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Mar 2021 04:15:08 +0000 The coronavirus may have closed theme parks around the globe in 2020, but there has been plenty going on behind the scenes, from the creation of a new Disney castle in Hong Kong to the addition of new worlds at Universal Japan and Epcot Florida, to completely new parks in China and South Korea. Many of the world’s most well-known parks have now reopened, with stringent safety measures in place – including Japan’s no screaming rule – giving adrenaline junkies lots to look forward to when we can... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3123725/kung-fu-panda-land-and-wizarding-world-harry-potter-ride?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3123725/kung-fu-panda-land-and-wizarding-world-harry-potter-ride?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Mar 2021 10:15:05 +0000 There’s no place like home, even for the most avid traveller, so when pilot Gabriel Wong bought a 785 sq ft apartment in Tsuen Wan, in 2019, he looked to Otherwhere Studio to create a timeless, cocooning space that he could happily return to time and again. Wong’s vision for the interior was inspired by his travels, particularly those in Japan with his partner. “We wanted a wooden theme, with lots of elements of Japanese design, for that really calm feeling,” he says. “I noticed the pebble... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3121963/inside-hong-kong-home-infused-elements?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3121963/inside-hong-kong-home-infused-elements?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Feb 2021 01:38:23 +0000 Interpretation “The brief was to take the best bits of Feast and then marry in some of the functions that were maybe lacking previously. Although Feast was modern when it opened, there’s now a lot more demand for a type of shared workspace. Adding Domain, a cafe, would give guests a more casual food option, somewhere that would serve people through the day. “Chef Mark Percy wanted to keep the semi-buffet but was keen to open up the kitchen more, to take it out from behind the glass wall and make... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3119437/how-designer-tina-norden-gave-feast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3119437/how-designer-tina-norden-gave-feast?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jan 2021 09:15:17 +0000 Dorp: the Dutch word for a village. Figuratively, an out-of-the-way place that remains unaffected by the outside world. As a concept it seems the perfect approach to designing a new home during these turbulent times. Looking forward to enjoying a peaceful retirement and excited to create their forever home, Jim Ho, his wife Noreen and their daughter Jasmine turned to Tommy Hui Shui-cheung, founder of local design firm TBC Studio, to dorp the 803 sq ft flat they purchased in a new-build high-rise... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3119386/hong-kong-home-gets-modern-european?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3119386/hong-kong-home-gets-modern-european?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jan 2021 02:40:08 +0000 Old milk containers, juice jugs and toy cups are not the type of products usually associated with high-concept furniture, but two designers in Hong Kong have taken these and other items and upcycled them into stylish pieces of public furniture. Tasked with creating a collection of 12 benches for the town hall in Sha Tin, in Hong Kong’s New Territories, the co-founders and design principals of HIR Studio, Howard Chung and Irene Cheng, turned to the Shing Mun River for inspiration. “The Shing Mun... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3118127/pair-upcycle-plastic-waste-benches-public-hong-kong-town?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/3118127/pair-upcycle-plastic-waste-benches-public-hong-kong-town?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jan 2021 04:39:40 +0000 Born in Indonesia, schooled in New York, and now living in Hong Kong, 30-year-old fashion designer Stephanie Wong wanted a flat that reflected her cosmopolitan lifestyle. As a first-time buyer, with a keen interest in sustainability, she turned to the youth­ful team at Liquid Interiors for a top-to-bottom renovation of the 1,400 sq ft flat she purchased in Causeway Bay in 2019. “I chose an older building as I wanted somewhere with a view and somewhere that was spacious to allow for an open-plan... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3116500/how-hong-kong-interior-designer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3116500/how-hong-kong-interior-designer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Jan 2021 01:30:11 +0000 The travel industry was one of the first to feel the crushing financial blow of Covid-19 and continues to be one of the hardest hit sectors, with the World Travel and Tourism Council warning in June that 197 million jobs could be lost by the end of 2020. While the vaccine brings the promise of a brighter future, it’s still hard to know how many businesses may be able to recover, how long it’s all going to take and how many livelihoods might be lost along the way. Grounded, subject to often... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3113600/best-hotel-and-travel-vouchers-gift-christmas-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3113600/best-hotel-and-travel-vouchers-gift-christmas-and-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Dec 2020 10:15:13 +0000 From my overwater villa I’m staring into the Studio 54 of the fish world; jade and purple parrotfish pass by in flocks, tubular blue needlefish dart and dodge, black-tip reef sharks sashay about like they own the place. Inky eagle rays and huge stingrays, like magic carpets, steal the show – until the dolphins make an appearance and upstage them all. My new aquatic friends are oblivious to the carnage 2020 has wrought upon the world and for a few, all too brief days, I’ve been able to share... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3110555/mask-free-maldives-what-its-now-tourist-idyll-beautiful?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3110555/mask-free-maldives-what-its-now-tourist-idyll-beautiful?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Nov 2020 04:15:17 +0000 With a Hong Kong-Singapore bubble expected to open in early December – sources say its scheduled opening on November 22 has been put back two weeks –holidays are finally back on the cards. Our thoughts turn to hotel deals in the Lion City. Disappointingly, most of Singapore’s hotels aren’t offering anything special – nothing like the spectacular deals we’ve seen in Hong Kong over the summer – but after much trawling, we found six super stays, from the most family-friendly, to a crash pad for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3110693/travel-bubble-best-singapore-hotel-deals-luxury-family?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3110693/travel-bubble-best-singapore-hotel-deals-luxury-family?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Nov 2020 05:15:16 +0000 On the top floor of a 100-year old, three-storey tenement in Kennedy Town, Singaporean Poh Hiang Tan couldn’t see the proverbial wood for the trees. Years of working in finance combined with her high-energy hobby of marathoning across the globe allowed little time for organising her two-bedroom home. “I was just too busy. I would put things into boxes or bags and then pile them on top of more boxes and bags,” says Tan. Over a decade, the 1,100 sq ft apartment’s beautiful olde-worlde Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3110180/cooped-coronavirus-marathon-runner?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3110180/cooped-coronavirus-marathon-runner?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2020 01:30:13 +0000 Aron Harilela is in high spirits. On December 12, after six years of scouting, building and designing, and more than a year of disruption caused by anti-government protests and a pandemic, he will finally open his latest hotel, The Hari Hong Kong, in Wan Chai. “It’s been a long time coming,” says Harilela, chairman and CEO of Hong Kong-based Harilela Hotels, which operates 15 properties across three continents. “[But] I never thought about not going ahead with it. You have to see some light at... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3109984/new-hong-kong-hotel-hari-wan-chai-owner-target-customers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3109984/new-hong-kong-hotel-hari-wan-chai-owner-target-customers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Nov 2020 09:45:08 +0000 Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong: 7/10 While Covid-19 restrictions are in place and the Four Seasons’ facelift is under way, executive club access has been limited to guests who book suites – but, those fabulously large harbour-view suites are currently selling at half the usual price. There have been some amendments to the service: breakfast is now served in the lobby lounge or as room service. But you can still hang out in the Four Seasons’ plush 45th-floor lounge, admiring the harbour vistas for... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3109327/hong-kongs-best-hotel-lounge-deals-where-champagne-flows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/3109327/hong-kongs-best-hotel-lounge-deals-where-champagne-flows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Nov 2020 09:15:16 +0000 Interpretation “It’s a transforming space – it’s a coffee shop, it’s a restaurant, it’s a bar. There is a distinct daytime and nighttime theme. We wanted to bring a new kind of environ­ment to Hong Kong and we wanted all of the furniture that we used to be recycled or upcycled. “Sustainable design and doing things in a different way is part of our philosophy. If you look around, you’ll see every piece is unique, most of it coming from old houses. We wanted our customers not just to enjoy the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3106243/it-restaurant-coffee-shop-bar-yes-all?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/design-interiors/article/3106243/it-restaurant-coffee-shop-bar-yes-all?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Oct 2020 09:15:14 +0000