In the heart of Cambodia, where hand weaving and natural dyeing are in danger of extinction, Goel Community is a fair trade community that empowers its workers by providing sustainable livelihoods.
Shop here for handmade items like apparel and home décor, or take a class for a taster on techniques like natural dye or weaving.
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Ride concrete, waves and even ‘snow’ at this boardsports paradise in the heart of Orchard Road. This unique park offers features a high tech Citywave Surf Machine and perpetual ski slope that allows avid surfers and snowboarders to hone their technique even in sunny Singapore. Or, if you prefer, drop into the park’s skate bowl and perfect your transitions. Trifecta also offers classes to kids aged six and above.
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One of the world’s most diverse cities, Auckland has a dazzling cultural scene, delicious eats and stunning nature that will captivate you from dawn to dusk. Check out this jam-packed itinerary that will have you intimately familiar with this city curled around the sea.
Book a stay at Hotel Britomart in downtown Auckland, where it looks over the Waitematā Harbour. The vibe is serene from the get-go, like an ultra-chic version of a bach, or Kiwi holiday house.
Enter an expansive lobby decorated with salvaged timber shelving and a giant slab of shattered stone as a coffee table. The rest of the spaces follow through with timber-lined walls, handmade ceramics and a selection of local books.
Book a corner room that looks down on Takutai Square for maximum views of the harbour and downtown city life.
A two-minute stroll from Hotel Britomart, Daily Bread on Galway Street is where you’ll find a flat white – milkier than a cortado, less diluted than a latte – that Aucklanders approve of.
The café’s extensive lineup of pastries will leave you spoiled for choice, but if you only have space for one, try a custard slice, where creamy vanilla custard is sandwiched between layers of pastry. While you can find this local classic in any neighbourhood bakery, Daily Bread’s is delightfully fresh, with custard flecked with real vanilla bean.
From Daily Bread, head up High Street and Lorne Street to the Auckland Art Gallery. It’s a 10-minute walk, if you don’t get distracted by the boutiques and bookshops along the way.
Once there, make a beeline for “Guo Pei: Fashion, Art, Fantasy”, a blockbuster exhibition showcasing more than 60 of the renowned Chinese designer’s haute couture gowns that’s ongoing until 5 May 2024.
The celebrity couturier’s most famous work, a lavish yellow robe worn by Rihanna to the Met Gala in 2015, is the star of the show, but you’ll also find her other creations that call to mind butterflies, bullfighters, cathedrals and clouds. They’re marvels of craftsmanship as well as creativity, and the exhibition does a great job of delving into the processes behind these immaculately wrought pieces.
Parents take note: your kids will receive their own guidebook to the exhibition on arrival, along with a small embroidery kit. It’s a cute souvenir that will enable the youngsters to experiment with some of the embroidery techniques, whether at home or at the gallery’s children’s centre.
Take a leisurely stroll to Ponsonby through the inner-city oasis of Myers Park, where you’ll pass by a stunning new art installation titled Waihamara, en route.
From there, it’s an 18-minute walk to The Poi Room, a boutique showcasing work from more than 100 New Zealand artists. There’s pounamu (greenstone) jewellery, sculpture, photography, ceramics and traditional woodcarving: the perfect spot to find a souvenir small or large.
Ponsonby Road is café central – perfect for a lunch stop. Check out Orphans Kitchen for some hearty fare featuring local produce, and be sure to leave space for dessert at Duck Island Ice Cream.
New Zealanders eat the most ice cream per person of any nation in the world, and it’s easy to see why here. Classic flavours sit alongside local specialties: try Fairy Bread, a vanilla-flavoured ice cream sprinkled with sugary confetti, or Peppermint Slice, the frozen version of a bakery favourite. Seasonal fruit also makes an appearance throughout the year – don’t pass up the chance to try feijoa or tamarillo if either is on the menu.
Auckland is built around more than 50 extinct volcanoes, and Mount Eden, also known as Maungawhau, is the highest natural point in the city. Take a 10-minute taxi ride from Ponsonby to Takahi Reserve, where you can begin the half-hour walk to the summit.
You’ll pass through a pōhutukawa (commonly known as New Zealand’s Christmas tree) forest, where you might spot native tūī, black songbirds with a puff of white at their throats. At the summit, enjoy a 360-degree view of the city, which includes Waitematā Harbour, the far cliffs of the Manukau Heads and even distant offshore islands.
Reward yourself with a tipple at Flor along Karangahape Road, a short cab ride away. This wine bar and bistro specialises in natural and organic wine – and if you find something you fancy, you can pick it up at their sister store, Everyday Wine.
Then, have a pre-dinner wander along what the locals call K Road, one of the city’s most iconic streets. Formerly the city’s red-light district, K Road has since transformed into one of Auckland’s coolest streets thanks to its mix of vintage and secondhand stores, chic eateries and artist studios.
While the array and quality of Auckland’s restaurants make it an excellent city for foodies, visitors are often surprised to learn that there’s no national cuisine. Instead, dining in Auckland takes inspiration from the many cultures that call it home. From Karangahape Road, walk towards the iconic Sky Tower; at its foot are a range of the city’s top restaurants.
You’ll need a reservation for Cassia, but it’s worth planning ahead to experience chef Sid Sahrawat’s elevated take on the flavours of his Chennai childhood.
Being near Sky Tower puts you within reach of multiple theatres. Next door, the Aotea Centre is home base for ballet, opera, classical music and the Auckland Arts Festival in March. A little further, the Basement Theatre hosts comedy gigs most nights of the week, as well as the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in May.
And if you’re swinging by for a show at The Civic, note that the building itself is as much of a spectacle as any performance: its century-old interior imitates the experience of being seated in a Moorish garden, complete with minarets, porticoes, life-size statues of panthers and a night sky filled with stars.
For more information on Singapore Airlines flights to Auckland, visit the official website.
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The newest kid on a still rather untouched island, the sprawling resort of Anantara Koh Yao Yai promises an indulgent stay for couples and families alike, with its private pools and dedicated butler services. You’re well taken care of from the moment the gong in the grand lobby resounds to inform the staff that you’ve arrived.
Families will delight in the sheer plethora of kid-friendly activities there are to choose from. Drop the tykes off at the Kids Club where they’ll be well taken care of as they explore a jungle gym with a giant ball pit and a daily rotation of activities from batik painting to mangrove seedling planting. Or explore the family pool, replete with water jets and four waterslides. Between these resort facilities and the extras that you can book such as kayaking and island-hopping, the little ones will never have a bored moment.
If you’re really looking to spoil your kids, book the Grand Family Sea View Suite – the children’s bunkbeds come with a fun slide that is sure to feature in their memories long after the stay is over.
The resort has two main dining spots: Pakarang, which offers a stellar menu of Thai classics such as tom kha gai (Thai coconut milk soup with chicken, kaffir lime leaves and galangal) and kai jiew poo (a textural Thai-style omelette with crab meat), as well as Beach Restaurant, which serves more international fare such as salads and grilled meats. A third restaurant option is presently in the works and set to serve Japanese omakase cuisine.
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Kappou may have humble beginnings as a 12-seater speakeasy at Fortune Centre, but that hasn’t stopped its young – and award-winning – chef Aeron Choo from making waves as Singapore’s first female Japanese restaurant owner and chef.
These days, you’ll find Choo at Kappou’s refined new digs in the Central Business District, serving up an ever-changing kappo omakase menu organised around the 72 micro-seasons of the Japanese calendar. Taking inspiration from her frequent travels to Japan, Choo applies the concept of seasonality to the dining experience with the fervour of an artist – from the cuisine to the vintage lacquerware, to the ikebana.
Kappou checks all the boxes of a good fine dining experience – contemporary flavours, quality ingredients and certainly traditional cooking techniques elaborately executed. But what leaves the strongest impression, is the maverick chef’s inimitable sense of hospitality. Beyond her moreish caviar toastie and spectacular ice block tuna, it’s her sharp-shooting sense of humour and the kawaii (endearing or cute) elements of surprise that she concocts throughout your time there that will linger long after the meal is over.
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