Southeast Asia

Keraton at The Plaza: Unrivaled Luxury in Central Jakarta

Posted on July 4, 2018

Want a taste of the high life in the Indonesian capital? Driving into the shopping district of central Jakarta, it’s hard to miss Keraton at The Plaza Hotel, which occupies the first 22 floors of a 51-storey skyscraper attached to Plaza Indonesia, one of the premier shopping malls in the city. Opened in 2011, the hotel became the first member of Starwood’s The Luxury Collection — a brand of high-end boutique properties — to launch in the country. Taking itsRead More→

YOTEL Singapore: A Really Cool, Futuristic Hotel at Orchard Road

Posted on July 3, 2018

The coolest place to stay in Singapore has opened its doors along the shopping district of Orchard Road. The YOTEL brand launches its Asian flagship hotel in Singapore, after successfully opening in New York and Boston. Inspired by luxury airline travel, YOTEL Singapore marries stylish design with technology, producing a futuristic space-age accommodation with streamlined hallways lit by the purple glow of mood lights. YOTEL’s color palette and trendy design reminds me of W Bangkok. One will notice the high-techRead More→

inchantreedoopool: A Chic Boutique Hotel Near River Kwai Bridge in Kanchanaburi

Posted on June 8, 2018

Its name may be a mouthful, but this designer hotel in Kanchanaburi, Thailand will leave you speechless. inchantreedoopool is conveniently located a short walk away from the city’s most famous landmarks, the JEATH War Museum and River Kwai Bridge popularized by the French historical fiction novel adapted into an Oscar-winning Hollywood movie. The passion project of its architect owner, this 18-room boutique hotel showcases a minimalist “contemporary-vintage” design that exudes rustic warmth with its use of unfinished concrete, brick, and, most ingeniously,Read More→

Koh Larn (Coral Island), Pattaya: A Quick Island Getaway from Bangkok

Posted on June 8, 2018

The 7AM call time time by songthaew (pick-up truck) from Ibis Pattaya Hotel, a great-value stay in the middle of the city, got us queueing early along the main beach of Pattaya, a resort city just two-hour drive from Bangkok, which is now linked by affordable flights from Manila on AirAsia. Our destination for the day is Koh Larn (also known as Koh Lan or Koh Laan), a popular island getaway only 7.5 km away from the mainland. Given itsRead More→

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre: Discovering Malaysia’s Pewtersmithing Heritage

Posted on May 10, 2018

Before the Kuala Lumpur, Lah! media tour, I had little knowledge about what pewter really is, how it is made, and its importance in the history of Malaysia. So I was in for a treat when we dropped by the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, established by the world’s foremost pewtersmithing company that was founded as far back as 1885 by Yong Koon, a young Chinese immigrant from the port town of Shantou. He joined his two brothers who worked asRead More→

Bike with Elena: Discover Kuala Lumpur’s Hidden Heritage On A Guided Bicycle Tour

Posted on May 5, 2018

Just when you think you’ve seen all that Kuala Lumpur has to offer, local tour operator Bike with Elena offers an eye-opening bicycle tour of the Malaysian capital’s hidden heritage – some of them vanishing as urban development quickly transforms the cityscape. The following day after checking in at the all-new Hilton Garden Inn along Chow Kit Road, our media group bussed to the KL City Gallery at Merdeka Square to meet up with tour guide Elena Mei Yun andRead More→