Travels and Lifestyle

Tuesday, 1 December 2020

Our top picks of Singapore brands and businesses (Christmas edition)

*Produced by SilverKris for the following brands*

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is upon us once again and after the year we’ve had, there’s even more reason to celebrate and party hard. To get you in the festive mood, we’ve rounded up some of the best brands in Singapore to stock up on yuletide treats, pick up presents – for loved ones and yourself – as well as put you in a better state of wellbeing to start the new year. 2021, let’s go!

Gourmet Grocery by OurChoice

Christmas shopping will be a breeze this year with the wide array of premium gift sets and hampers available on this specialty grocery store. Whether you’re shopping for family and friends or looking to buy corporate gifts, you’ll be spoiled for choice with the wide variety of gourmet goods available. Choose from pre-packed hampers that include epicurean treats such as aged balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and fine-quality Italian vintages or customise your own gift basket. For added festive cheer, fill your Christmas stockings with the many yuletide-themed biscuit tins, which are also customisable, and remember to stock up on traditional Christmas desserts such as panettone, mincepies and fruit loaf cakes.

ourchoice.com; sales@ourchoice.com; +65 6686 4438

Ruelamode

After the year we’ve had, what better way to end 2020 on a high note than by treating yourself to a lovely piece of arm candy from Ruelamode? Located along Singapore’s main shopping belt, this high-end boutique specialises in sourcing and curating highly sought-after and rare Hermès bags as well as other seasonal favourites from the likes of Chanel and Dior. For over a decade, Ruelamode has been fulfilling wish lists and a myriad of luxury concierge orders. Make an appointment today to get your dream bag this holiday season!

ruelamode.com; +65 66046350 or +65 9179 4777

PURITI

While the festive period is often associated with feasting and copious drinking, you can balance the effects of the party season with immunity boosters like Manuka honey. Apart from being a supplement for your immune system, Manuka honey is also a good alternative to sugar. This Christmas, give your loved ones the gift of good health with Manuka honey from honey specialist PURITI. Renowned and coveted the world over for its antibacterial properties and nutritional benefits, the Manuka honey from PURITI is halal-friendly, kosher-certified, glyphosate- and GMO-free. Choose from either Premium or Wellness gift bundles – each beautifully packaged and packed with immunity-boosting goodness.

puriti.com.sg; @puritisg

madetoorder — Beautifully-crafted silk masks from homegrown brand, Madetordersg

Madetordersg

In this new normal that we find ourselves in, picking out your party outfit for a festive dinner also entails ensuring you have a stylish mask to match. Madetordersg is a homegrown label that sells beautiful lace and silk masks that add a touch of elegant femininity to any outfit. Their bestsellers include the Plain Silk Mask for daily wear as well as the hand-sewn pieces crafted to complement your party wear. Most of their collections are designed with a 100% organic cotton inner layer for extra comfort. With these fashion-forward masks in your wardrobe, you’ll be sure to turn heads in any social setting.

IG: @madetordersg

Fairmarch

While Christmas is often associated with festive feasts and merrymaking, it’s also the season for giving. This year, make Christmas extra meaningful by picking up gifts from Fairmarch, a sustainability-driven online marketplace that champions socially and environmentally responsible businesses and charities such as Metta Welfare Association and SPD, which focuses on people who are differently abled. Choose from a wide range of merchandise – from customisable journals and stationery to homeware and food products. Some noteworthy brands include Rehyphen, which makes use of discarded cassettes and weaves them into lifestyle products; Botanicals and Bees, an eco-friendly boutique candlemaker; as well as Foreword Coffee Roasters, known for their inclusive hiring practices (90 percent of their employees have special needs).

fairmarch.com; hello@fairmarch.com

Jyunka

Leading skincare brand Jyunka rolls out holiday-season packages that combine professional facial treatments with its world-class product line. Choose from one of three kits, ranging from S$1,200 to S$1,600, all of which make for amazing gifts to yourself or someone special. The Elixir Kit restores a radiant and youthful glow, while the Blanc Kit is for those looking to brighten and tighten the skin. The Hydration Kit, on the other hand, is perfect for those with sensitive and dry skin. All three include six treatments at one of Jyunka’s concept centres – located at Pacific Plaza, Bedok Point and Liang Seah Street – and a dazzling set of home-care products, so you can maximise the benefits of your facials.

jyunka.com; fb.com/jyunkaconceptcenter; instagram.com/jyunka_official

Medklinn Air+Surface Sterilizers

As you go about shopping for decorations for your home and office during this festive season, remember to adhere to health and hygiene protocols. Medklinn is the gold standard when it comes to sterilising air and surfaces. Using its patented chemical-free Cerafusion™ Sterilization Technology, it eliminates viruses, bacteria, dust mite allergens, moulds and harmful pollutants from air conditioners, surfaces of beds, cushions, curtains and carpets, ensuring a high level of hygiene and safety. Sterilising your living space helps provide relief for symptoms of sinus allergies as well as prevents the spread of viral and bacterial infections. Gift your loved ones a Versa or Autoplus, a portable and handy way to keep safe wherever they go.

medklinn.com/sg; customerservice.sg@medklinn.com; +65 3159 0933

Wild Boocha

With all the parties and celebrations lined up, you’re probably eating and drinking more than usual – which means your gut is working in overdrive. Treat yourself to the gift of good gut health with kombucha from this boutique brewery. Low in sugar and high in probiotics and antioxidants, this fermented tea drink is the perfect pick-me-up for a sluggish metabolism. While kombucha is now widely available in Singapore, Wild Boocha guarantees only the finest-quality ingredients in their brews, using only fresh fruits and herbs from organic, and where possible, local producers. Available in eight different flavours such as Yuzu Lavender and Raspberry Passionfruit, Wild Boocha is also available in gift sample packs of eight bottles. You can also pick up a Homebrew Kombucha Starter Kit if you would like to try your hand at making your own fermented tea.

wildboocha.com; info@wildboocha.com; + 65 8782 7861 / +65 8682 5828

The Singapura Aerospace Club

From the hip and colourful Haji Lane, this heritage-themed bistro and taproom will be bringing their unique retro vibes and delicious nosh to Seletar Aerospace Park, an up-and-coming dining destination close to Seletar Airport. Open from mid-November 2020, this new space will continue serving familiar favourites such as the Rendang Nasi Lemak, KL Hokkien Mee and Heavenly Butter Chicken, which comprises tandoori-grilled chicken tikka in a velvety tomato gravy. Pair your meal with classic cocktails such as a Sidecar or vodka martini and finish with a perfectly pulled espresso-based drink, all prepared by the robot bartender and barista – ROBO-BAR.

fb.com/thesingapuraclub; reservations@singapuraclub.com; +65 6974 8001

The post Our top picks of Singapore brands and businesses (Christmas edition) appeared first on SilverKris.

from SilverKris

Sustainability and expansion go hand-in-hand for this Singapore luxury brand

*Produced by SilverKris for FOREST*

FOREST Paragon store — Located at Paragon Shopping Centre, FOREST is a purveyor of fine silk scarves and luxurious brooches

Sustainability has been the buzzword for several years now, but it’s only in the last couple of years that it’s really picked up steam in the fashion industry. From using upcycled fabrics to ensuring a more transparent production process, designers and brands are responding to a growing demand among consumers for more environmentally and socially conscious fashion.

According to the 2019 Pulse of the Fashion Industry study, over a third of consumers surveyed reported “actively switching from their preferred brand to another” because the latter demonstrated better environmental and social practices.

FOREST, a Singapore-based fashion label specialising in fine-quality accessories such as silk scarves and luxurious brooches, will be embracing the green movement starting this month.

“From December, we will only use sustainable materials in the production of our products and halt all sales of products made with polyester,” shares FOREST’s founder Tini Wu. “All of our scarves are made sustainably from either silk or cashmere, and come with certificates to certify their authenticity,” Tini says.

FOREST SILK TANCO — The inspiration of the brand name FOREST stems from the harmony found in a wild environment

In addition to being environmentally conscious, FOREST is also an active supporter of social issues. In fact, 10% of all profits at ShopAtForest go to PA Nepal, a non-profit organisation dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and socially reintegrating incarcerated children in Nepal.

“I got to know about this organisation from a friend who works closely with PA Nepal, and I decided I wanted to help,” Tini explains. “I have a particular soft spot for children as I believe in the innocence of young children, and I hope they can have the opportunity to live better, with respect and dignity.”

“Furthermore, I believe whatever we get from society, should go back to society,” Tini adds. Indeed, the inspiration of the brand name FOREST stems from the harmony found in a wild environment – from the trees and shrubs to birds, blossoms, sun and rain. “We believe in a harmonious world made up of different colours, cultures, languages, visions and lives,” she says.

Forest Winter Silk — The winter silk scarves from FOREST keep you warm and snuggly during the frosty season

This core value is translated into FOREST’s luxurious accessories. The scarves here are made with top-grade mulberry silk, which is known for its smooth, delicate texture as well as its distinctive lustrous sheen. For colder weather, FOREST also offers a range of winter scarves that is made of silk but curiously has the texture of wool. These unique scarves keep you warm without the itchy feeling often associated with wool.

High-grade materials aside, the workmanship of FOREST’s silk products is also second to none. “For the mulberry silk scarf range, we use only screen printing technique with the hand-rolled hem finishing for the edge of the scarf,” Tini explains. What this mean is that each scarf is made painstakingly by hand, resulting in a flawless and timeless product that you’ll be proud to have in your wardrobe.

Losange — The scarves from FOREST are made with top-grade mulberry silk

As a complement to the scarves, FOREST also carries whimsical brooches that come in a variety of designs – from fruits and flowers to Ferris wheels and whales. Made with pure brass and coated with platinum or 24k gold, these brooches are free from harmful materials such as lead, cadmium or nickel. “We use a type of stone that is made of diamond stimulant,” Tini shares, “The sparkle is so brilliant that it is often difficult for the naked eye to distinguish it from an actual diamond.”

Large Losange — One of the best things about silk scarves is how versatile they are and how well they complement any outfit

Last month, FOREST welcomed customers to its new flagship store at Paragon Shopping Centre, an exciting step forward for the two-year-old brand. Tini, who set up FOREST in the hope of empowering the everyday through fashion, says, “I believe every woman should have at least one silk scarf in their wardrobe. To me, it is like a lucky charm.”

For more information, visit FOREST’s website here.

The post Sustainability and expansion go hand-in-hand for this Singapore luxury brand appeared first on SilverKris.

from SilverKris

Why concerns over Covid-19 passports are not to be sneezed at - South China Morning Post

Why concerns over Covid-19 passports are not to be sneezed at South China Morning Post

from
via "singapore travel" - Google News

These forgotten mountain paths in Northern Thailand is every trail runner’s dream

Trail Chiang Mai Silkwinds — The trail ascends 1,660m to the summit of Doi Pha Sam Liam

It’s 6am on the second day when the scale of what we’re about to do really sinks in. We’re clambering down from our stilted, thatched hut in Kup Kap, a Lahu tribal village in Northern Thailand, perched 1,100m above the surrounding valley. The sunrise is spectacular, but our legs ache from the previous day’s effort. The knowledge of what’s to come clouds the dawn light with nervous anticipation.

We’ve already run, hiked and scrambled over 30km, ascending more than 2,000m across tree roots, through river beds and up slippery leaf-strewn slopes. We are tired but there’s another 30km and a succession of intimidating peaks to conquer today. Yet, between the physical effort required to pull this off and the sheer beauty of our surroundings, it’s clear why this part of Thailand is proving such a draw for trail runners.

Three of us – myself, local trail enthusiast Channada Chananoi and Singapore-based runner Scott Pugh – are in the mountains north of Chiang Mai, trying to keep up with Sébastien Bertrand, the enigmatic French guide behind tour agency Thailand Mountain Trail. These are the farthest foothills of the Himalayas, a haven for wildlife and home to numerous hill tribes, and yet these wild and remote footpaths see next to no visitors. It’s a stunning two-day route, which sees us start deep in the jungle, climb past coffee plantations and then track a ridgeline thick with cherry blossom down towards the border with Myanmar, finishing the run surrounded by towering limestone peaks. It’s by no means easy going and we’d be utterly lost without our guide.

Bertrand, solidly-built and with close-cropped hair, bounds uphill with the enviable ease of someone who spends most of his days in these mountains. The 44-year-old moved to Thailand six years ago, having grown up in Annecy, France, where he worked as a product manager for outdoor brand Columbia.

By his own admission, he came to Thailand with “big plans and some ego” and threw himself headfirst into what proved to be a mammoth undertaking: connecting the trails between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, in the hope of establishing Thailand’s first long-distance footpath, akin to the Grande Randonnée (GR) routes of Europe. It was a project that took him nearly a year and, when completed in late 2013, the route – which he marked with now-faded orange rags tied to trees – extended across 350km (by comparison, a journey by road between the two towns is less than 200km). Because this had never been attempted before, there were no guides who could show him the way. Indeed the route didn’t exist, except in his mind. “What he did was crazy,” says Pim, one of the residents of Kup Kap, “[But now] he knows these mountains better than I do.”

Historically, the tribes who live here used footpaths to travel between the neighbouring villages but with the advent of dirt roads and motorcycles, these old ways were fast becoming lost to memory. “The old villagers still know the trails,” Bertrand says. “But they weren’t in any kind of shape to show me. And the young people just don’t know the way.” Moreover, the paths were only ever intended for short journeys and had never been linked together in this way before. Bertrand had to create the whole route step by step.

That meant bushwhacking through thick jungle, scouring out-of-print army maps and Google Earth, tracking rivers and sometimes simply guessing where the trail might be. It was a slow and painful process, one Bertrand undertook largely solo, often getting lost and relying on his head torch to find his way back after dark. While his wife, Rattana Chomphuphan, came with him for some of the early reconnaissance, it’s clear this was an intensely personal project. “You decide to make some changes in your life and follow your own adventure.” He adds, “Of course, at the start maybe you don’t realise it will be so complicated.”

Meal Chiang Mai Silkwinds — A simple evening meal in the village of Kup Kap

He shares his story gradually, in the all-too-infrequent stops to catch our breath at the scattered villages along the way. Some are tiny – a handful of homes perched on a ridgeline – others, particularly when we drop down into a valley, stretch for a mile or more and include schools and churches. Our welcome at each village is invariably warm – the local residents now know Bertrand well, and he employs some of them to dig out steps and keep the trails clear. Chan Chai, the forty-something assistant head of the Hmong village of Pakhia, explains they are happy to see foreigners running here. “We’re proud that people from all over the world now come to our village,” he says.

It’s a fascinating, accelerated lesson in the history of the region as we run between villages that are variously home to Hmong, Lahu and Lisu tribes – people from China, Myanmar and Laos who long ago settled in these mountains. They’re clearly bemused by what we’re doing but happy to indulge us all the same. “Nobody here has ever run so far,” Lisu villager Asama tells us as we take a break in the middle of his village. “But we can understand why you like being out in nature.”

While traditional dress and the old ways of life may be declining, people here continue to live from the land. On our first night, we eat a simple, locally grown dinner in the home of a local Lahu family – chicken curry, vegetable soup, crispy khai jiao (Thai-style omelette) and helping upon helping of rice, a much-needed refuel after a long, tiring day.

Ban Fa Suai Chiang Mai Silkwinds — A bemused local looks on as the group passes through Ban Fa Suai village

Once he had finally connected and marked the route he’d set out to find, Bertrand invited a group of high-profile Asian ultra-trail runners, including Singapore’s Jeri Chua (founder of Red Dot Running Company) and Janet Ng (race director of the ultra-endurance race, Hong Kong 100) to run the entire route over a week. “We had some surprises,” he shares. For example, a trail in the dry season looks very different in November after the rains. “It was very wild in places. I carried a machete to cut through the bamboo, but by the end, my legs were devastated.”

For most people, the idea of covering such a long arduous route on foot, let alone attempting it in seven days, will seem like madness. But to a sub-set of runners, pushing the boundaries of the possible is a big part of the appeal. Ultra-endurance (any distance longer than a marathon) events aren’t new, but have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly after the success of Christopher McDougall’s 2009 book, Born to Run. Trail running, meanwhile, is one of the world’s fastest-growing sports (according to a Statista report, recorded participation in the US grew from 4.5 million runners in 2006 to more than 9 million by 2017) and is increasingly popular across Asia, with a year-round race calendar. In fact, Bertrand had plans to stage a 100-mile race with a view to becoming part of the Ultra-Trail World Tour, but was never able to get the necessary permissions. Instead, he decided to showcase what he’d found to anyone keen to push themselves that little bit harder.

Children Chiang Mai Silkwinds — The revived trail has opened up villages to tourists

Bertrand is not alone when it comes to falling in love with the wilder side of Chiang Mai. The city is now awash with trekking and adventure agencies and is fast becoming the de facto capital of trail running in Thailand. Enthusiasts from around the world fly in for trail running retreats and there’s also a passionate local community centred around Basecamp Coffee House at the foot of the 1,600m-high Doi Suthep.

The appeal can be hard to explain but our group is clearly smitten and, over dinner that first day, we talked about what drew us here. For Chananoi, it’s a way of discovering “some very special places”, the pleasure of linking two distant locations in a single push and truly “earning the views”. For Pugh, it’s the endorphin high that comes with pushing your body to exhaustion, of “finding out what I’m capable of”.

The giddy sensation of flying down a pine- cushioned, single-track downhill trail, as we’ve just done, is hard to beat. It’s what writer David Foster Wallace – in a different context – called “kinetic beauty… human beings’ reconciliation with the fact of having a body”. There’s something deeply primal and satisfying about moving fast over difficult terrain. And having pushed ourselves so hard for so long, even the simplest of things – the cold outdoor shower before bed, our hosts offering us coffee when we stumble down the next morning – feel newly meaningful.

Halfway up the steepest ascent on day two, we reach a break in the trees and stop to regroup. For the first few minutes, we’re just breathing heavily. On one hand, it’s a ridiculous sight – four city folks sweating and struggling up a remote hillside. Yet, as our heart rates settle and our breathing slows, the beauty of the landscape stretched before us becomes apparent. As we drink in the majestic surroundings, it’s hard to think of anywhere we’d rather be.

Feature image by Charnchanut Charujinda

This article was originally published in the April 2019 issue of Silkwinds magazine

The post These forgotten mountain paths in Northern Thailand is every trail runner’s dream appeared first on SilverKris.

from SilverKris

Why concerns over Covid-19 passports are not to be sneezed at - South China Morning Post

Why concerns over Covid-19 passports are not to be sneezed at South China Morning Post

from
via "singapore travel" - Google News

Pages

Tuesday, 1 December 2020