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A two-hour drive south from Colombo, Cape Weligama is a Relais & Chateaux resort that delivers breathtaking views at every turn. Enjoy a vista of the Indian Ocean with your made-to-order breakfast at Ocean Terrace, reflect on the waves from the infinity-style Half Moon Pool or soak up the sunset light on the surf over a private dinner from one of the viewpoints. The villas – named after historic explorers – come with enormous bathrooms, dressing rooms and mod-cons such as top-notch Bluetooth speakers. Depending on the season, the waters around Weligama are also ideal for surfing and whale-watching, which the hotel will be glad to arrange.
Legendary Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa has given the island many stunning public buildings and luxury hotels, the latter often booked up months in advance. But Tropical Modernism fans short on time (and funds) can snag a night or two at this bed and breakfast in the heart of Colombo. Bawa renovated it as a private home for renowned Sri Lankan concert pianist Druvi de Saram in 1986, and it’s currently maintained by the Geoffrey Bawa Trust. Spacious and characterful rooms aside, the highlights of the gracefully aging property are its clay-coloured courtyard and the art-filled piano room (request a tour from the property manager).
The average luxury hotel provides impeccable service and quality furnishings to make your getaway memorable. But if you’re yearning for the good night’s sleep that’s been eluding you during the day-to-day of modern living, here are five stays you’ll want to take note of. The specialised sleep programmes at hotels such as Anantara Phuket and The Langham London put quality rest at the forefront, whether it’s through luxury bedding, Eastern herbal treatments or red light therapy on their menu. And for an experience like no other, you’ll want to check out what number five on this list has to offer.
A short stroll away from the chic tree-lined Champs-Elysées in downtown Paris, Hôtel de Crillon offers guests five private sessions with experts to improve their sleep via their Alchemy of Sleep programme. Here, you can recentre and relax your mind with sleep meditation, stretching and breathing exercises, and optimise your sleep with naturopathy and neurofeedback sessions that help identify and treat the root causes of your sleep woes. At bedtime, cocoon in comfort in their beds adorned with crisp Rivolta Carmignani Italian linens and French pillows and duvets by Drouault.
In the daytime: Take an evening dinner cruise down the Seine, admire the stained glass windows and Gothic architecture of Sainte-Chapelle, or flâneur your way down the Champs-Elysées, widely regarded as the one of the most beautiful avenues in the whole world.
For specialist-supported slumber in tropical style
Along a glorious stretch of sand on this tropical island paradise, Anantara Phuket offers a Sleep Restoration Programme powered by personalised scientific insights. A sleep doctor and nutritionist are on hand for in-depth tests and consultations, to provide individualised sleep recommendations. Following that, you’ll be treated to three days of sleep-promoting activities, from herb-infused baths to mindfulness and yoga sessions. Wind down with some golden turmeric milk at bedtime and be lulled to a restful slumber with specially curated sleep music. The hotel even offers a continuous positive airway pressure machine to guests who suffer from sleep apnea, for easier breathing.
In the daytime: Expend that newfound energy with a Muay Thai class or go diving from a private yacht on the stunning Andaman waters, which the resort can help book.
Situated at the heart of downtown Los Angeles in an atmospheric Spanish colonial building, Hotel Figueroa offers a Rest and Recovery Suite adorned with state-of-the-art smart sleep amenities to aid in getting the perfect snooze. Couples can enjoy their own personalised sleep climate in the sleep-tracking, temperature-controlling Eight Sleep mattress, while a GammaLight Therapy Revive Red Light radiates 670nm red-light for the highest-quality sleep. Don’t forget to pre-order your own customised pillows from Pluto Pillow™, optimised to your body stats and sleeping preferences. You can even take them home after your stay.
In the daytime: Explore the glitz and glamour of Hollywood or take a hike up to Griffith Observatory for spectacular cityscape views.
Photo: Hotel Figueroa/Robiee ZieglerGammaLight Therapy Revive Red Light. Photo: Hotel Figueroa/Robiee Ziegler
An impeccably luxurious hotel in the West End of London that opened in 1865, The Langham offers a surprising East-meets-West twist with their Sleep Matters by Chuan programme. Escape the hustle and bustle of London with traditional Chinese healing treatments that promote deep relaxation: choose from cupping, hot stone massages and acupressure. In the quintessentially British-styled suites, relax into The Langham’s signature king-size Blissful Bed, which promises extra comfort with a plush pillow top. Guests can also look forward to curated sleep music and turndown amenities such as earplugs and a pillow mist, to aid their descent into dreamland.
In the daytime: Visit the nearby Buckingham Palace for a peek into royal life, explore the masterpieces of European art at the National Gallery or catch a theatre performance at the West End.
Be rocked to sleep in a hammock like a baby by a Buddhist nun
This inimitable experience begins with a dramatic entrance across a suspension bridge through lush towering canopies to the Four Seasons Resort Bali, and continues with the afternoon Sacred Nap where a nun will, we kid you not, rock you to sleep. All this happens as you’re cocooned in an aerial silk hammock, suspended in the open-air Dharma Shanti Yoga Bale. Drift off to the ambient forest sounds while Ibu Fera, resident wellness mentor and former Buddhist nun, gently narrates to you the life story of Buddha. The experience echoes the spa’s Balinese healing philosophy: to evoke a powerful enough sense of spiritual connection that ignites physical change. Don’t miss the complimentary meditation class that Fera also leads for guests. Alternatively, enjoy a Balinese massage or chakra therapy treatment before turning in for the night.
In the daytime: Whip up a storm at a traditional Balinese cooking class arranged by the hotel, appreciate the intricacies of a Balinese dance performance or explore the bustling, spiritual town of Ubud.
Photo: Four Seasons Bali
For more information on Singapore Airlines flights to these destinations, visit the official website.
This chic, design-led boutique stay in Cinnamon Gardens – Colombo’s upscale neighbourhood – has a tropical island vibe fused with Sri Lankan heritage, given how it’s adorned with houseplants, cane furnishings and earthen pots. A passion project by a young Sri Lankan couple, this homely five-suite bed & breakfast boasts of cosy reading nooks and pastel collages. Its sun-lit balconies overlook Cafe Kumbuk downstairs, one of the city’s most frequented cafes that features a curated menu inspired by seasonal, island-grown ingredients.
Think of Asian enclaves in America, and the Chinatowns of New York and San Francisco might come to mind. But that would be doing Houston a disservice. It might surprise you to know that the biggest city in Texas is also one of America’s most ethnically diverse. And its Asiatown is duly expansive– stretchingsome 15km2 around Bellaire Boulevard in Southwest Houston, and home to hundreds of Asian supermarkets, restaurants, teahouses, temples, salons, travel agencies, auto repair shops and more.
This present-day neighbourhood took off in the early 2000s as Asian immigrants were slowly priced out of Downtown, where the original Chinatown had formed in the 70s. At the time, many of the businesses on Bellaire were budget-friendly mom-and-pop Chinese and Vietnamese markets and restaurants – like the cavernousHong Kong City MallandKim Sonbuffet and dim sum parlor. But today, you’ll also find modern Asian restaurants along with those offering Taiwanese, Korean, Thai and Filipino fare.
Here we meet some of Asiatown’s newest entrepreneurs, as well as a few diehards – and get their top restaurant recommendations, of course.
Asiatown’s Hong Kong City Mall. Photo: Johnny Luu
Mike Tran
Chef-owner, Mein, Tiger Den, Toukei Izakaya, Ohn Korean Eatery, Ishin Udon, BLKDog Coffee
Recent years have witnesseda boom of modern, second-generation restaurants in Asiatown. Leading the movement is Mike Tran, a Cambodian-Chinese immigrant and chef who owns several businesses includingMein, a modern Cantonese restaurant, andTiger Den, a Japanese ramen shop. Having lived in the area for nearly three decades, Tran has witnessed its dynamic growth firsthand.
Mike Tran. Photo: Johnny LuuRamen at Tiger Den. Photo: Mike Tran
“As an immigrant, I found myself in Asiatown since an early age, looking for what I grew up with,” Tran says. “I’ve been a local for over 29 years and I’ve seen the area go from its humble beginnings to a more stylish, vibrant area, while still maintaining its honest, hard-working values.”
I’ve seen the area go from its humble beginnings to a more stylish, vibrant area, while still maintaining its honest, hard-working values
Tran’s flagship restaurant, Mein, is a critical darling among Houston foodies. It’s known for its inventive take on Cantonese food – inspired by Tran’s own diverse heritage – and decor that pays homage to Shanghai’s golden age. Located on Corporate Drive, the restaurant shares a strip mall with several of the other businesses within Tran’s pan-Asian empire includingOhn Korean Eatery; a Korean soju bar and gastropub;Toukei, a modern izakaya;Ishin, a udon bar; andBLKDog Coffee, a cute café.
“There are some great grocery stores in the area,” Tran says, nodding to the likes ofViet Hoa International Foods,Welcome Food Center, andH Mart. “It’s hard for me to pick a favourite because they all excel at different things, whether it’s vegetables, hard-to-find herbs and spices or specialty cuts of meat and seafood.”
Grace and Leo Xia
Co-owners, Hongdae 33 and Duck ‘N Bao
For many entrepreneurs, setting up shop in Asiatown was a way to connect to their roots. Grace Xia, Beijing-born owner of the new Korean BBQ hotspotHongdae 33and Peking duck specialistDuck ‘N Bao, shares that she and her husband and business partner Leo Xia, who is from Chengdu, frequently visited the area for a taste of home.
Grace and Leo Xia. Photo: Jenn DuncanThe interior of Hongdae 33. Photo: Jenn Duncan
“Whenever we miss our hometown, we’d head to Asiatown to find these familiar flavours that help heal our homesickness,” Xia explains. “Asiatown includes a mall, supermarkets, shopping centers, restaurants, milk tea shops and bakeries, so people can come to one center to get everything they want at the same time.”
She adds that the couple’s go-to restaurant isMa Lu Bianin Diho Square, which offersbian, the beloved skewer-style hot pot dish: “Bian is a trendy skewer hot pot restaurant that has recently attained cult-level popularity. It is from my husband’s hometown of Chengdu, and he has had it since he was a little kid.”
Hongdae 33’s Korean BBQ spread. Photo: Jenn Duncan
John Nguyen
Owner, Cajun Kitchen
Beyond traditional foods, Houston’s Asiatown is known as the birthplace of the now world-renowned Viet-Cajun cuisine – a modern hybrid style created by Vietnamese refugees in the Gulf Coast. This fusion cooking style applies the ethos of Southeast Asian seafood boils to local crawfish. Though crawfish comes from Louisiana, it was in Houston that it extended its reach into the mainstream.
John Nguyen. Photo: Johnny LuuKitchen Special Crawfish Boil at Cajun Kitchen. Photo: Cajun Kitchen
John Nguyen, owner of the beloved Cajun Kitchen on Wilcrest, has been one of the driving forces behind the booming popularity of the cuisine. Originally from Norway, Nguyen grew up eating Viet-Cajun crawfish at home due to the fact that many of his mother’s relatives lived in Louisiana. In 2013, seeking a break from his corporate job, he took over Cajun Kitchen from its original owners, who first opened the restaurant in 2005.
“The Viet-Cajun trend has just exploded on the national food scene. From being concentrated in Houston’s Asiatown, it has now spread all over Houston, Texas and many other cities and states that are not even that close to Louisiana,” Nguyen notes. “It is just amazing how this one seafood dish has been so widely embraced everywhere. Heck, even McCormicks has created their own Viet-Cajun spice blend for the masses.”
Beyond Viet-Cajun, Nguyen says he frequents many other businesses in the area for traditional Asian food. “If I’m craving something fast, like abanh mi, my go-to spots areThim Hing,Don’s CafeorAlpha Bakery,” he says. “If you’re looking for Vietnamese snacks and desserts like sticky rice,cheor less known things likebanh beo,banh duc, andbanh gio, check outDuc Phuong. It’s a super popular place that makes everything fresh daily and in limited amounts.”
Orasinee Ratanaporn
Owner, Thai Spice Express and Zapvor by Thai Spice
Originally from Thailand, Orasinee Ratanaporn became one of the pioneers of the Asiatown neighbourhood when she opened back in 1983 (known as Thai Spice Express since 1996). Today, she primarily oversees her latest restaurant,Zapvor by Thai Spice, in the nearby suburb Sugar Land, but she considers herself a tried-and-true Asiatown local.
“I’m still an Asiatown person – I’m here every day to eat, and to go to my bank,” she says. “I love that I can find every kind of Asian food here, and they’re opening many more restaurants. It’s still very exciting every time I walk around and find something new.”
Orasinee Ratanaporn. Photo: Johnny LuuThai Spice Express. Photo: Johnny Luu
Ratanaporn’s list of favourite restaurants is long, but her standouts includeBanana Leaffor Malaysian food,Spicy Hunanfor Chinese food and her all-time favouriteConfucius Seafood Restaurant. “If you first order two entrees, you can order a lobster special for something like $40,” she advises. “It’s a great value and you can have the lobsters cooked to your liking.” She also shouts out to the diverse eats at Dun Huang Plaza, a sprawling bi-level strip mall.
As for plans to return to Asiatown, Ratanaporn says she has some ideas for the near future. “Depending on the lease, I’m thinking of going back to Thai Spice Express this year – we still have our diehard customers, but we are hoping to modernise since the neighbourhood is attracting so many new, young people who are interested in Asian food.”
For more information on Singapore Airlines flights to Houston, clickhere.
