Tea time - the-ascott.com · chief Executive officer Simon Cholmeley Head of B2c Luke Clark Editor...

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The relaxing world of the spa TIMELESS CEREMONIES OF ASIA’S FAVOURITE DRINK Indonesia’s finest city bites JULY - SEPTEMBER 2015 ASCOTT LIVING Tea time

Transcript of Tea time - the-ascott.com · chief Executive officer Simon Cholmeley Head of B2c Luke Clark Editor...

The relaxing world of the spa

Timeless Ceremonies of AsiA’s fAvouriTe Drink

Indonesia’s finest city bites

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ContentsThere’s so much to do this issue you’ll find difficulty fitting it all in. To make the most of your free time let Ascott Living guide you through the best entertainment across the globe

JULy - SEPTEmbEr 2015

04World At A Glance A whistle-stop tour of five cities of discovery. In this issue we’ll guide you around Hangzhou, Manila, Munich, Seoul and Singapore

cover storyThere’s something elegant about the quiet and measured movements of a traditional tea ceremony. Most Asian countries have their unique and symbolic take on this globally renowned, leisurely afternoon affair, as Ascott Living discovers

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12WellnessFrom the Japanese onsen to the natural hot springs of China, spas have a healthy global heritage of helping you to relax

22EventsPrepare to be wowed by the best gourmet galas the world has to offer. Ascott Living gives you a heads up on the forthcoming foodie calendar so that you won’t miss a bite

11shoppingToday’s timepieces are so much more than an instrument for merely telling the time. Modern wrist wear has come a long way from the sundials of old. Take a minute to read our guide

travelThe metropolis of Jakarta and its sleepier sister Surabaya are havens for foodies that like to discover something new. Work up a hunger with our insider’s guide to the insatiable appetite of Indonesia

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28Big BiteBreakfast is the best meal of the day. We look at the most delicious dishes to enjoy at sunrise across the world

27the WalkA few hours in Suzhou is time well spent. Ascott Living guides you around the scenic lakes and gardens of this cultural hotspot — with time to stop on the way

34Ascott NewsWhat’s happening in the world of Ascott, from bespoke guest experiences to new openings in Vietnam, Sabah and the UAEc

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PROVIDING THE F INEST FABRICS FOR THE F INEST HOTELS IN THE WORLD

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A s c o t t L I V I N G 30 2 A s c o t t L I V I N G

Discovering new and exciting dishes is one of the perks of travel. From humble street food to fine dining, the globe offers a host of delicious possibilities. With gastronomy as this issue’s theme, Ascott Living has worked up an appetite for some tasty treats across the world. The saying is that you should eat breakfast like a king, eat

lunch like a prince and eat dinner like a pauper. Taking that saying at face value, dive into our Big Bite feature (page 28) for a detailed look at the first meal of the day: breakfast and how it differs around the world. Whether you prefer a full plate or a simple croissant to start your day, this is not a feature to read when hungry. While breakfast might be the most important meal of the day in some cultures, in Indonesia, food is a constant thought. If you’re travelling to either the bustling capital of Jakarta or its sleepier sister Surabaya, make time on your travels to enjoy some of the finest culinary treats the country has to offer, with our insider’s guide (page 14). As the world becomes more food obsessed, festivals and gastronomic galas are popping up nearly every month. Get a taste (page 22) of some of the best food events in the world, from a fair dedicated to Italian white truffles to a Balinese buffet you can share with monkeys. We also look at the fascinating tiny dishes of banchan (page 8). The best versions of this Korean side dish are hotly contested and it’s easy to see why. Travel never fails to be exciting and the journey can be as much fun as the arrival: find out how to get there in style with our line-up of the best airline seats (page 5). Even transit time can be fun if you’ve got the right guide. Whether you’re shopping for watches (page 11), or waiting for a connecting flight in Dubai, we’ll show you how to make the most of it (page 9) — even if you only have four hours to spare.

CultureThere’s nothing quite like the solemn culture of an Asian tea ceremony to take this humble drink to new, loftier dimensions. Discover the history of this fascinating tradition of tea drinking (page 24). While reflecting on the traditions of the past we should be mindful of the future. Find out how to be eco friendly when you travel (page 6).

WelcomeDive in to a delicious issue of Ascott Living

LocalGrab our map and take a morning stroll around Suzhou with its intriguing gardens and age-old water features (page 27). We’ve also got a handy guide to the latest goings on and things to do in Hangzhou, Manila, Munich, Seoul and Singapore, whether you’re a lone traveller or have a family in tow (page 4).

WellnessThe spa industry is growing year on year. We’re all looking for a state of relaxation, from the traditional healing properties of the Japanese onsen and the natural hot springs of China, to the latest spas. Find out the treatment that suits you best and where you can find it (page 12).

Published quarterly by Novus Media Solutions Pte Ltd, Company Number: 200920797Z © 2014 Novus Media Novus Media Solutions Pte Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner in whole or part in English or other languages is prohibited. Protection secured under the International and Pan-American copyright conventions. All Ascott logos © 2015 Ascott, Citadines and Somerset logos are trademarks of Ascott, used under licence. All rights reserved. Printed by Times Printers Pte Ltd, 16 Tuas Avenue 5, Singapore 639340. Times Printers Licence Number: L027/08/2014 Singapore.

The Ascott Limitedwww.the-ascott.com

senior Vice President Brand & MarketingAnthony Khoo Editorial AdvisorsVice President Marketing communicationsPhilomena Angsenior Executive Marketing communicationsRuijing Kee

Published by Novus Asiachief Executive officer Simon CholmeleyHead of B2c Luke Clark Editor Alison Marshallcreative Director Richard MacLeansubeditor Mary Weaversenior Writer Daniel Seifertstaff Writer Sarah LiuArt Director Bessy KimPhoto Editor Haryati MahmoodJunior Designer Erika Wongcreative services Manager Kwan Gek LianProduction Manager Pearlyn Kwan

ContributorsGavin Goo, Rusmailia Lenggogeni, The Illustration Room’s Maya Beus

Novus Asia20 Maxwell Road#12-01 Maxwell HouseSingapore 069113Tel: (65) 6223 7149

The views and opinions expressed or implied in ASCOTT LIVING do not necessarily reflect those of The Ascott Limited or Novus Media Solutions, its directors or editorial staff. All information correct at time of going to print. MCI (P) 124/11/2014. Malaysia KDN PPS1171/11/2012(022883).

Least leggyChina Southern Airlines wins the award for least leg pitch

– the distance between two rows of seats – with a mere 73.66 centimetres between rows in some planes. United’s

Boeing 757-200s boast a massive 93.98 centimetres.

SnazziestThe Emirates A380 first class suite feels more like a snazzy hotel room

than a seat. It boasts a fully stocked minibar, wardrobe and a vanity mirror. A few steps away from your seat, meanwhile, is an in-plane marble-lined shower spa, offered exclusively to suite passengers.

FriendliestThomson Airways, the UK’s third-largest airline, has big plans.

Over the next five years they’re looking to introduce round table-like seating, with parents and offspring sitting face to face.

Lets hope this cuts down on the number of screaming kids.

Revolutionary You may soon be reclining in Panasonic’s new economy class seating system, the JAZZ, in a host of airlines. They feature large 13.3 inch (33.7 centimetres) touchscreens, near field

communication systems for mobile payments, customised mood lighting and wireless charging pads. The seat frame is made from airy carbon fibre and magnesium, allowing airlines to shave weight and free up floor space for carry-on luggage.

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Plane Envious.Airplane Seats

shopTea, silk and freshwater pearls are just some of the must buys in Hangzhou to take home. Head to Wulin Road, for an authentic local shopping experience.

Manila Seoul In detail: MunichKnown the world over for the beery delights of Oktoberfest (which actually starts in September), the calendar mainstay since 1589, Munich attracts some six million people for that festival alone. But this romantic city is so much more than the home of alcoholic merriment. Walking around the cobbled streets is a visitor’s dream, as most of the roads are pedestrianised, a state remaining from when traffic was banned from the roads for the 1972 Olympics. Just a 90-minute drive from the Alps in one direction and an hour from the lakes to the south, Munich, the capital of Bavaria, provides the ideal destination for business and leisure.

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From the best food to unusual attractions, dive in to this issue’s five culture rich cities. A mini guide to the world’s most exciting destinations

Singapore

World At A Glance

Are you sitting comfortably? From the latest, to the simply luxurious (and the ones to avoid) Ascott Living offers the lowdown on who's got the best seats on board.

Hangzhou

EATMuch of Hangzhou's cuisine is related to the famous depths of West Lake, like West Lake fish in vinegar gravy or West Lake carp in sweet and sour sauce. Known as shusao chuangzhen in Chinese, this is a local dish that’s a foodie must.

sTAYThe newly opened Ascott Raffles City Hangzhou is the company’s first property in the city. Located in the Qian-tangjiang River area, Qianjiang New Town, is set to become the new city centre. The 151-unit serviced residence is an ideal base for both busi-ness travellers and those seeking a leisure break.

ExplorEAn area of outstanding universal value accord-ing to UNESCO, the beautiful surrounds of the man-made freshwa-ter oasis of West Lake have been popular with poets and artists since as long ago as the 9th century. The numerous temples and pavilions, make this an ideal place to discover on your own, or with the family.

kidsThe first world-class theme park in the Philip-pines, Manila Ocean Park is a must for children. The all weather destina-tion is sure to appeal, whatever the time of year.

driNkDazzling cocktails and delicious Filipino cuisine are promised at Aracama. Be sure to try Don Papa, the country’s premium small batch rum, not to mention the creations of local chef Fernando Aracama who has a wealth of culinary experi-ence from around the world.

sTAYAscott Bonifacio Global City Manila is located in Taguig, just 15 minutes drive from the central hub of Makati. State of the art facilities and office suites ensure that the work-ing week runs smoothly from beginning to end. At the weekend, relax in the fully equipped gym, chill out in the pool or warm up in the sauna.

buYIf you like to shop make your way to Divisoria, the market that has ev-erything from curtains to vegetables. It gets crowd-ed and hot — but that's part of the charm. Like all crowded places in the world it can be rich pick-ings for pickpockets, so don't get carried away by the bargains and be aware of those around you.

pErformRunning since 1997, NANTA is the most suc-cessful show in Korea. If you like to be involved in the action, take part in its theatrical success. De-spite its lack of dialogue it has been an international hit. You’re likely to be pelted with cabbages and carrots – and be called on to be part of the show, so be prepared to join in the entertainment.

driNkMakgeoli is a Korean drink prized for its refreshing, reinvigorating and alco-holic properties. Made from rice and a fermenta-tion starter it is usually served in a teapot. But don't let its cosy image fool you. It can be very strong!

sTAYSomerset Palace Seoul has its own garden and fantastic city views. It offers the ideal location for both business travel-lers and culture seekers.

EATWalk up an appetite for hearty Bavarian spe-cialities. Roasted pork knuckle, Fleischpflanzerl (Bavarian meatballs) and Weißwurst (sausages made of veal) are all local dishes worth a try. Head to Bratwurstherzl in Drei-faltigkeitsplatz 1 which has been feeding hungry diners under this name since 1901 but has a histo-ry reaching back to 1633.

mArkETsFor two centuries, the quaintly named Victuals Market has been the biggest purveyor of meat, fruit and flowers. Winter visitors should see Munich's oldest festive market: Christkindlmarkt. Open from the end of No-vember until Christmas.

driNkBavaria has no less than 33 regional beers and if you don't fancy joining the crowds at Oktober-fest, head to Seehaus with its spacious terraces and a beer garden with Mediterranean flair. If all that sampling makes you hungry, the restaurant's fine selection of seasonal, regional fare will fit the bill.

driNkPair Thai food with refresh-ingly authentic cocktails at the newly opened Long Chim, the brainchild of David Thompson of Nahm, in Bangkok. Eat in the restaurant or perch at the bar. It has a nicely laid back, casual vibe — but be pre-pared for something spicy!

EATThe setting alone at Scotts 27 is a feast for the eyes. Drink in the ambience of an old-school colonial bungalow as you sample bespoke dishes in its cosy rooms. Fine, fresh produce from award-win-ning French chef Sir Julien Bompard makes up the menu, which is handwrit-ten for each guest. Book ahead, because seating is limited at this gem.

sTAYIn the heart of the city, Ascott Raffles Place is housed in a 1950s building renovated and restored to its full splendour. Once on the sea front, city expansion means that it's right in the business district. An impressive infinity pool ensures this is some-where you’ll yearn to stay and be loath to leave.

visiTThe Baba House is a re-stored Peranakan heritage shophouse nestled right in the centre of Chinatown. Visits by appointment.

Munich is home to the largest science and technology museum on the globe. Some 28,000 objects are displayed in more than 50 exhibition areas at the Deutsches Museum, which attracts 1.5 million visitors annually.

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shopFor a traditional experi-ence head to Samcheong-dong. Situated between Gwanghwamun and the traditional village of Bukchon Hanok, the architectural charm of these antique Koreanhouses is amplified by distinctive boutiques, small galleries and an intriguing variety of invit-ing restaurants and cafés.

sTAYSituated in the new quarter of the city, the 146 apart-ment Citadines Arnulfpark Munich is minutes away from the historical centre, and near to the natural beauty of the Bavarian Alps.

DigitsWithout making a carbon footprint, Ascott Living travels the globe for numbers related to how you can be green while staying away from home

GREEN TRAVEL

225 litres of wateris needed to wash a single load of laundry. You don’t have to reject being clean to go green, but when you're away, think about whether you need fresh sheets every day.

30,000 tonnes of battery waste

is generated each year in the UK alone. When you travel leave your razor at home and have a wet shave instead and do your bit for the environment.

is the average duration of a plastic bag, but they have a life of 1,000 years. Save on waste by using reusable bags for your worldwide shopping.

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is the extra amount 17 percent of tourists are prepared to pay for an environmentally friendly place to stay when they are on holiday.

don’t have access to clean, safe water.1 Think about water use, especially where it's scarce.

1 http://thewaterproject.org/

is the time it takes for a plastic water bottle to decompose. When you’re taking a walking tour of a city, make sure you carry a reusable bottle.

leads to annual carbon emissions of 6.54 tonnes — but planting 36 trees a year offsets this. Use carbonify.com’s calculator to work out the numbers.

by 63 percent of the population in Amsterdam, where bikes are the most popular mode of transport and outnumber the inhabitants.

of US travellers polled in a TripAdvisor survey in 2014 had made a conscious eco-friendly travel choice in the past year.

issued worldwide are e-tickets. In a 2007 survey, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimated this saves up to 50,000 trees a year.

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www.agoda.com

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Citadines Suites is a label of Citadines Apart’hotel, managed by The Ascott Limited, a member of CapitaLand. It is the largest international serviced

residence owner-operator with more than 200 properties in over 90 cities across Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region. It operates three award-

winning brands Ascott, Citadines and Somerset.

Book now on www.citadines-suites.com

YOUR MOST BEAUTIFUL STORIES,OUR BEST SUITESLocated between Trocadéro and the Champs-Elysées, Citadines Suites Arc de Triomphe is at the very heart of Paris. This high-end location offers easy access to all that Paris has to offer including several business districts, embassies and consulates, as well as the main cultural and leisure attractions. Citadines Suites Arc de Triomphe is a serviced residence where you will live a unique and personalized experience. Conduct business over a meal, host friends, have a family dinner… Do as you please. Quite simply, make yourself at home.

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Stop OffDUBAI

Eschew paying hundreds of dollars for a single meal at the six-star restaurants. The real cache comes in having visited Al Dhiyafah Road. This street of cheap and cheerful cuisine caters to residents without fat wallets. You’ll find amazing, and affordable, Iranian, Lebanese and Indian eateries that hit the spot.

If you’ve got a late night flight, catch a ride on the Desert Safari, which will see you bombing around the local sand dunes in a dusty 4x4. Then, shake the sand from your hair as the safari ends with a feast for the eyes and the stomach: a barbecue and belly dance. If that fires you up, cool yourself with some South American-inspired drinks at the lounge-y Calaba, from where you can toast Bhurj Khalifa and drink in the sight of fountains that ‘dance’ to Arabic music every half hour, each night.

If you're not lucky enough to have free access to one of the airline lounges, you can still pay to make use of their fitness and wellness facilities, with a day pass costing as little as US$21. Tripextras.com and prioritypass.com are good sites to try.

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Platinum Heritage Luxury Tours & Safaris run a morning event that will get you up close and personal with some local desert dwellers: raptors. Their Safari Adventure and Breakfast will have you learning to fly falcons, before driving through the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and indulging in a fancy breakfast. Continue the bird theme by being a culture vulture yourself — visit Al Fahidi Fort, an 18th century structure that’s the oldest building in Dubai. It’s close to the man-made Dubai Creek, which you can either gaze at or experience first-hand by hiring a water taxi.

Dubai is famed for many things, but we’re betting you didn’t know that it has mangroves — where, in fact, you can even go crab hunting at night. With a spear, no less. Various operators run tours for this activity, a local practice that goes back generations. If you manage to nab a crab by torchlight, you can even eat your fresh catch.

There’s more to Dubai than glitz and glamour. In fact, even if you stay for less than a day, you can still get to the heart of

this desert oasis. Start by spearing a crustacean or two

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Locals are rightly proud of Alkersal Avenue. Once the city’s industrial area, it’s now a fledgling arts district, and home to site-specific art projects, photo galleries and studios. Spend the morning here and you’ll feed your soul (and possibly, empty your wallet). Then, feed more at the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding. The space puts on a traditional spread every lunch and breakfast, as an Emirati host explains local customs and traditions.

Then, ditch the spear fishing for a shivering, shimmering night. But first dress up, and dress warm, before heading to the Chillout Bar. Formed from real ice, it boasts minus six degree temperatures and a delicious hot cocoa that will warm you right back up again. But if all else fails, thermal clothing is available on request.

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Make Dubai your home away from home at Ascott Park Place Dubai, situated in the heart of Dubai, along Sheikh Zayed Road, offering excellent connectivity to all business and leisure destinations. Book 14 days in advance for stays between May 1 to July 31 2015 and save up to 25 percent off the best flexible rates. Visit www.the-ascott.com to book.

etch out

Table Talk

The essential and iconic dishes that accompany every Korean meal, the merits of these tiny plates are hotly debated across the country

BAnchAnSeoUl, KoReA

Where?Sigol BapsangTry Sigol Bapsang, the cosy Korean chain for the best selection of banchan in Seoul. TripAdvisor reviewers particularly like the Yong san-gu branch. The offering is both traditional and modern and for 8000 KRW (US$7) you can try up to 30 dishes. Best of all, it’s open 24 hours a day.738-17 Hannam-dong,Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Stay at Somerset Palace Seoul from October to December 2015 and enjoy a complimentary upgrade from a Studio to a One-bedroom Deluxe apartment. Visit www.somerset.com to book before 31 October 2015.

Nearby...

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HowBanchan is all about sharing. Eat them from the dishes they are served in or spoon on to a small side plate. When they run out, just ask for more! They can also be used as a condiment, adding a little to a lettuce leaf with rice and meat before rolling it up into a bite sized morsel. Dishes like namul (seaweed) make a great appetiser to a meal, accompanied by an ice cold beer. Kimchi works well with grilled meat dishes like bulgogi and glabi while pickled daikon (radish) makes an ideal palate cleanser.

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Shopping ForWATCHES

BuyingTips

Automatic watches (those that rely on gears and mechanics) have to be wound manually (they are not automatic as the name suggests); quartz watches wind themselves. Always look for a reputable retailer, as millions of watches are counterfeited annually.

Investment buyThe most expensive watch on the market today is designed by Brit-ish horologist Roger W Smith. He is known for creating timepieces of exacting precision and envi-able craftsmanship, every aspect made by hand. Only 10 watches a year are produced at his Isle of Man workshop in the UK, with a price tag of around US$157,000.

As an investment or collectible, a great watch is so much more than a mere timekeeper. Ascott Living clocks the best buys

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time travellerCollectors of horology should make Baselworld their next destination, the biggest watch (and jewel-lery) exhibition in the world. The show dates back to 1917 and attracts some 94,000 visitors a year. It next takes place in Basel, Switzerland in March 2016.

To celebrate selling 100 million watches in a decade, Swatch commissioned the composer Jean Michel Jarre to design an alarm for their first musical swatch. They still attract a lot of attention for collectors of the genre for the look, if not as an investment.

Alarming tune

sitting prettyThe first ever wristwatch was made for a woman: Countess Koscowicz of Hungary. Produced by the Swiss horologist Patek Philippe, it was the first timekeeping piece designed to be worn on the wrist, immediately outdating the pocket watches of the time.

How it beganIn 3500 BC, the Egyptians used obelisks to find out the time of day from the position of the sun. These four-sided tapered stones formed shadows and acted like a type of sundial. Mechanical clocks were not seen until the 1500s, the first domestic mantle clocks credited to Peter Henlein of Germany.

PROMOTIONS

Ascott Waterplace surabayaAscott Waterplace Surabaya is strategically located within Pakuwon Indah, a township in the western part of Surabaya. It is situated in an upmarket residential precinct, directly opposite the Pakuwon Trade Centre, which houses convention halls, departmental stores, cineplex, supermarket and various dining outlets.

Ascott Heng shan shanghaiSituated in the former French conces-sion and surrounded by stunning Euro-pean architecture, you can create your own very special moments at Ascott Heng Shan Shanghai.

Book your stay 21 days in advance and enjoy 20% off* Best Flexible Rates. Promotion is valid until December 31, 2015. Complimen-tary broadband internet service and daily breakfast is included. *Terms and conditions apply.

Book a 1-Bedroom or 2-Bedroom Deluxe apartment for stays from August 1 to September 30, 2015 and enjoy a compli-mentary upgrade* to a 1-Bedroom Executive or 2-Bedroom Executive apartment respectively. Visit www.the-ascott.com to make your booking. *Terms and conditions apply.

citadines central shinjuku JapanCitadines Central Shinjuku Tokyo is located in Kabukicho, Shinjuku’s prime entertainment area. JR Shinjuku Station, connecting Tokyo by rail and subway is within walking distance.

Celebrate the opening of Citadines Central Shinjuku Tokyo with 15% off* Best Flexible Rates for stays until August 31, 2015. Complimentary housekeeping service and broadband internet access are included. *Terms and conditions apply.

citadines Michel HamburgCitadines Michel Hamburg is strategi-cally located between the city’s main attractions: shops, bars and restau-rants and the newly built HafenCity, with its seaside atmosphere.

Book your stay from July 1 to September 30, 2015 and save 10% off* Best Flexible Rates for stays from Sunday to Thursday. Rates include WiFi internet access and late checkout is available upon request. *Terms and conditions apply.

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Once a luxury for only the rich and famous, a spa treatment in modern times is part and parcel of finding some relaxation and rejuvenation in a hectic world.

While electric facials and skin firming creams may be new, some of the most requested treatments owe their roots to ancient times.

Massage, in theory, is the oldest form of medical care. The first written record is credited to a Chinese medical text from around 1800 BC. Reflexology has been traced back to Egyptian times while the Greek physician Hippocrates wrote of the healing effects of “rubbing.”

Newbies to the spa scene are likely to be confused by all the different types of massage. Popular treatments to try are Swedish, Thai and hot stone. The inventor of Swedish massage is Pehr Henrik Ling, a Swedish doctor who combined Chinese practices with sports medicine. A Swedish massage is also referred to as a deep tissue massage, similar to a sports massage.

Hot stones have been used for healing since ancient times in China, India and Japan. The smooth warmed pebbles placed at accupoints on the body, where the main energy flow occurs. The Chinese particularly believe that if these are blocked, the life force (chi) is unable to flow, leading to fatigue and ill health.

Spa SpottingNothing says relaxation more than spa treatments, whether you’ve got 30 minutes for a foot massage or a whole day for pampering, there are a host of treatments across the globe that ensure you stay in tip-top condition

If you prefer an even more cultural affair, head for the steamy environs of a Turkish bath or hammam. An invention of the Ottomans, this was a social affair and today some of the best can be found in Istanbul. Particularly notable is the Çemberlitaş hammam in the city, when on sunny days you can lie on the central stone directly beneath the sun’s rays.

Just as sociable is the Korean jimjilbang, a mix of sauna and spa with the added frisson of abrasive flannels with which to exfoliate. The most renowned is Seoul’s Dragon Hill, where you can enjoy an authentic experience for around US$8.

If you want a genuine experience that has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years, head to the sulphuric baths of Tbilisi in Georgia. A long soak and a spirited massage on a marble slab are the order of the day, a regime reportedly enjoyed as long ago as the 1800s by the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin.

But if this kind of spa treatment is a little too vigorous, consider instead a bath filled with 1,000 bottles of Evian water – yours for just US$11,000 at the Spa V Miami.

If you like your treatments a little warmer, get into hot water. Hot springs have long been the destination for healing and relaxation in China, while over in Japan the onsen ritual is well documented. In Japan’s Jigokudani Monkey Park, even the local primates visit the outdoor hot springs to warm up in the winter.

If eternal youth is your quest, indulge in a celebrity favourite: a vampire facial (when your own blood is injected back into your epidermis) coming in at around US$1,500 in the US. Or try a gold facial bolstered by diamond flakes and costing around US$400 at Oro Gold in London.

And finally, no spa treatment, however expensive, would be complete without a large, fluffy towel. Originally a plain piece of cloth, the towel we recognise today was invented in the 14th century in Bursa, in the Ottoman empire, as a luxurious weaving fit for royalty.

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Massage helps the body to do so much more than just relax. It’s a great way to help the body repair itself. It can also help deal with sports injuries, put an end to persistent headaches and stress related insomnia to name but a few

Electric currents, long used as muscle stimulators are used in facials for cellular rejuvenation

1980

The body wrap becomes popular, for detoxification or weight loss. Pastes made of natural ingredients are applied to the body, which is then wrapped in a warm blanket

1990

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The first fish spa opened in Japan in 2006. These are staffed by the garra rufa or doctor fish (originating from Turkey) that feed on dead skin – providing a type of underwater pedicure

2006

33 BcBy this time there were more than 170 baths in ancient Rome. Used for cleansing as well as socialising, originally they were built as a privilege for the rich, but in later years they became available to all

Invented by Dr John Lilly to find out how the brain would react when denied external sensory stimulation. Enabling a heightened state of re-laxation, floatation tanks are now the mainstay of many spas worldwide

1954

Healing crystals have been a part of the rejuvenation process since Egyptian times to ward off negative energy. Modern thinking is linked to the Chinese views on maintaining the flow of life energy (chi).

6000 Bc

The Ottomans invent the towel, essential to today’s spa culture

1400

The first US$1 million manicure appears in the US. An ice white showstopper using real diamonds

2012

clockwise from above: A young woman sits at the edge of a natural geothermal bathing pool in Iceland, known as the Blue Lagoon; An Italian tepidarium from the first century BC, now a UNESCO heritage site

Turkish hamam grow in popularity. Three interconnecting rooms were used for treat-ment before patrons enjoyed refresh-ment and recovery

1400

Silky soft skin can be yours for US$11,000, the cost of bathing in 1,000 litres of Evian water

2015

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With most of Jakarta’s population having come from outside to make the sprawling metropolis their home, cuisines from numerous different provinces and countries followed, feeding 10 million hungry residents. From Acehnese curry noodle to Malian lamb kebabs or Russian slow cooked chicken, between your business meetings, the city that never sleeps is one big culinary adventure. This diversity also affects the Jakarta resident’s palate. “Compared to, let’s say, Singapore or even Japan, where diners stick to tried-and-tested recipes, we’re more adventurous,” says Uwi Mathovani. “We dare to try something different, therefore, our culinary scene is more innovative. In fact, innovation is key to surviving in the fast paced industry.” Math-ovani, a graphic designer, is also co-founder of Suwe Ora Jamu, a jamu, or Indonesian herbal tonic café. He is one of Jakarta’s marketing-savvy under-40 foodpreneurs, a leading force behind the city's culinary innovation putting an interesting twist on well-loved classics.

In February 2013, Mathovani and his wife Nova Dewi set up Suwe Ora Jamu amongst Jakarta’s sea of coffee shops. Located in a busy South Jakarta residential area, SOJ looks and feels like a hip creative space. Its clientele — curious passersby, musicians and staff from a neighbouring radio station — busily type on their sleek Macbooks from the artistically mismatched furniture, set against the cream and green with exposed brick interior. Various vintage items from the café's personal collection pepper the small space, while glass jars filled with dried ingredients such as Java ginger, zedoary, and betel leaves sit atop the bar.

“We all drink jamu: but it’s almost impossible to find a cosy place for it,” he explains. “The ones that existed were roadside stalls where you drank and promptly left.” They remain unfazed by a youthful preference for other trendy alternatives. “We hope to preserve this uniquely Indonesian culture. After all, jamu keeps the body fit and fresh,” adds Dewi, who used to run Jonno’s Coffee Shop in Sydney during her student days.

JakartaIndonesia's capital is like a Tiger Mum. It wields tough love on its residents with its yearly floods, and unending traffic jams. Yet as Rusmailia Lenggogeni explains, the city also spoils foodies with elaborate feasts, in arguably the most diverse dining scene in Southeast Asia

Above: Enjoying freshly cooked local cuisine on the roadside is one of the joys of Jakarta dining Right: Local Jakarta residents may get frustrated at its daily gridlock, but viewed at sunset the city is a vision bathed in a myriad of twinkling lights

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techno toolsNavigate Jakarta with a couple of useful apps. Get the Komutta app (only for Android) for access to TransJakarta bus shelter and route information, as well as information about regular buses, angkot (public minivan), commuter train line schedules and even real-time train positions. If you have a driver, the LewatMana app (available in major mobile platforms, in Bahasa Indonesia only) is useful for finding the best way to reach a destination.

shoppingJakarta is known for its gigantic shopping malls. The biggest one is Grand Indonesia (www.grand-indonesia.com), so big it’s divided into a West and East Wing, with handicrafts, designer goods and local shops under one roof. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, the neighbouring Plaza Indonesia (www.plazaindonesia.com) is a five-minute walk. 1 Jl. MH.Thamrin, Jakarta Pusat

tricksAs a melting pot, Jakarta is the best city to sample the region’s best culinary offering, but be kind to yourself, and your belly. Useful words to remember when ordering food and drinks: tidak pedas (not spicy) and tanpa es (no ice). If you have dietary resctrictions, these are for you: tanpa gula (hold the sugar), sayur (vegetables), tanpa daging (no meat), tanpa kacang (no peanut).

Getting aroundWhenever possible, make use of the reliable commuter trains to beat the infamous traffic jams. Tickets are cheap (starting from Rp 2,000 for a single journey), the schedule is available online and trains are clean with working fans. But if you are nowhere near a station, order the always reliable GoJek (www.go-jek.com), a mototaxi service that cuts through traffic like nobody’s business. Safely, of course.

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M0ndayKickstart the weekBeat the Monday blues at Kopikina, the brainchild of a young geologist who is also a coffee and photography enthusiast (check out the antique cameras on display). They serve manually brewed coffee from more than 60 Indonesian single origin Arabica, Robusta and Liberica beans. Opens until very late, handy for night owls. They also offer a free coffee cupping session every Saturday. 1 Jl. Abdullah syafi'ie (casa-blanca), tebet, Jakarta selatan

Tuesdaytreasured memoriesThe Indonesian Heritage Society (www.heritagejkt.org) offers a free tour at the National Museum (www.museumnasional.or.id) in English every Tuesday. It’s arguably Jakarta's most important museum, with an impressive collection of more than 140,000 archeo-logical, historical, ethnological, and geographical artifacts. Highlights include prehistoric, gold and porce-lain treasures. The newer building next door sometimes holds inter-esting art exhibitions. 12 Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Jakarta Pusat

Instead of just relying on centuries old jamu recipes, Dewi and her R&D team busy themselves with new ones, such as green tamarind (adding lime and pak choy to the traditional turmeric and tamarind formula) and pure vera (mixing aloe vera and reeds).

Both taste far less medicinal than they sound. The former, a bright green drink, is sweet and sour, with a hint of vanilla from the reeds in the latter. Unlike traditional jamu, these modern tonics are served ice cold. The couple is also looking into jamu recipes that cure modern ills, like hangovers.

“A lot of young entrepreneurs are delving deep into our heritage of cooking and now repackaging it in an interesting way, appealing to a younger crowd to try our culinary treasures," observes Jeny Kwok, a leading Jakarta food blogger (www.jenzcornet.net).

Take Martabak Marlous, a product of Ardantya Syahreza. Martabak, the popular, heavy duty Indonesian snack with Arab roots that came to these shores by way of India, usually comes in two flavours: savoury (a minced beef and spring onion filling), and sweet (a combination of chocolate sprinkles, nuts and cheese). But Marlous offers 11 types of sweet martabak and seven types of savoury, with fillings such as Toblerone, Ovomaltine, and beef and mushroom the top sellers. The generous, creamy Toblerone filling is sandwiched between two super thick, honeycomb textured, buttery pancakes that are crisp and evenly browned on the outside. “Martabak is known as street food. We aspired to modernise it and hope to bring it to an international market someday,” declares Syahreza, who has previous experience with local food franchises, Marlous being his first original venture.

After Kataline Darmono, heiress to the Khong Guan biscuit dynasty, gave

baked goods for her brother’s wedding souvenir and received positive feedback, she decided to delve into the family

business and started her own luxury biscuit empire, Infinite Delight. What’s different from her parents’ biscuit is a collection of six savoury, Indonesian flavoured biscuits: nasi uduk (coconut milk rice native to Jakarta), rawon (keluwak-spiced beef soup native to East Java), rendang (beef stew

native to Minangkabau), soto (traditional Indonesian soup), sambal terasi (belacan sambal), and ubi ungu (purple yam). “Each region in Indonesia has its own unique spices and recipes. It took us almost a year to finally get the recipes right. The rendang was the hardest for us, because some like it very spicy while others prefer it mild. The recipe finally took form when we sought advice from the mother of one of our staff who is from Padang and makes rendang from scratch. We use a special spice bought from there,” Darmono explains.

Finding the right recipe and ingredients was only the beginning. In general, Indonesians are more used to sweet biscuits, and to associate something that is usually eaten for lunch with a biscuit is a different ball game altogether. Yet it’s a gamble Darmono and her all-female team decided was worth taking. “Food and beverage is a big industry in Jakarta. Nowadays a lot of young people are open to different cultures, and different types of flavours. This is exciting for us; we can push new flavours as people are more open to the idea. But of course it has to taste great.”

Innovation does not stop at recipes, however. Mathovani, Syahreza and Dormono agree that it takes more than a happy tummy to keep the business going. As well as a bricks and mortar store, SOJ also regularly sells it's takeaway jamu in the many food and art pop-up markets across the city. The one-year-old Marlous, committed to opening more stores in the near future, also relies heavily on its delivery service. “With this service, we’re actually changing how Jakarta residents consume their martabak,” notes Syahreza. Martabak, usually sold on the streets from sundown, can now

be eaten during the day at the consumer’s office. Infinite Delight customers are able to customise their order — including the box, ribbon, and biscuit selection.

Jakarta’s young foodpreneurs are also showing up in the most unexpected places. In a city with countless malls, restaurateurs have long complained that they have no choice but to open there because of the generous parking space and heavy foot traffic. But Pasar Santa (Santa Market) is changing all that. Until recently it was just a traditional wet market where people bought their staples. Although located in the affluent residential area

Above right: The chilli pepper explosion of sambal, the most popular condiment in Indonesia. Right: With its rows of tempting dishes displayed in the window, this is a trypical Padang style back street stall Ph

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Friday

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Life's a beachHead to the nearby Pulau Seribu before the weekend crowd descends onto the cluster of tiny islands north of Jakarta. The waters become clearer and clearer as the boat inches away from the polluted coast. The closest, Bidadari Island, is a mere 20-minute speedboat ride away. Large lizards roam freely at Kotok Besar Island, and there's a turtle and coral reef conserva-tion project at Pramuka Island. There are also several snorkeling and diving spots in the area.

Ascott Jakarta’s strategic location offers a good base from which to explore the city. From July 1 to 30 September, 2015, enjoy stays from US$120++ per night, including daily housekeeping, continental breakfast and complimentary in-room wireless internet access. Visit www.the-ascott.com to book.

ThursdayHeritage trail

With over 17,000 islands, 700 indigenous languages, and 300 ethnic groups, it’s going to take a lifetime to explore the wealth of Indonesian cultural wonders. Instead, head to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (www.tamanmini.com), an extensive culture-based park with 26 replicas of traditional houses from Aceh to Papua, each with its own history, arts and crafts, and traditions. The park also features lots of museums on dif-ferent themes, along with a mini-scale Borobudur, orchid garden, bird park and an IMAX cinema.

Wednesdaycultural immersionJakarta is not usually known for its creative side, but times are a-changin’, and galleries and creative spaces have multiplied like extra zeroes on Mark Zuck-erberg’s bank account. The grey and red Paviliun 28 holds regular exhibitions, music performances, workshops and movie screenings (sometimes all together!) in a still untrendy part of residential South Jakarta. 25 Jl. Petogogan, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta selatan

of Kebayoran Baru, no youngster would be caught dead shopping here, and most of the clientele were housewives or their housekeepers. But after several hip new tenants took over the top floor of the market, it has become a destination in itself. Now DJs spin vinyl records amid the taco stands, record stores, bookshops and clothing stores. Rent was cheap, and is still cheap compared to the malls: though the downside is, some older tenants are getting pushed out by the high demand for available kiosks.

“The pull of Pasar Santa is the strong community behind the new shops. People go there not just for one shop, but for the collective experience,” explains Tria Nuragustina, executive food editor for Femina magazine

Despite the gentrified top floor, it is still a traditional market, with no air con, limited space and facilities, and a grungy feel. This doesn't deter those with big dreams and a little bit of extra cash from setting up shop, though.

Oka Diputra came home to Jakarta from Melbourne after six years just to open his noodle shop here. On average, he sells 80 to 100 bowls a day of his home-made chicken noodles. Andhika Tirta and his two friends, despite having no former experience in the industry, opened Kualisi in January, dishing out its fusion fast food creations: rendang burgers and cakalang ketumbar (smoked skipjack tuna with coriander) tortilla wraps are top sellers. Rizky Yusuf and Adiel Aziz only sell one thing at D.O.G (Dudes of Gourmet): black hot dogs. The colour of the buns comes from black sesame and Japanese food grade colouring, the franks are homemade and come with beef bacon and several choices of sauce. Opened in October 2014, they

reached their break even point in the second week. Pretty impressive for this producer – cinematographer duo with minimal food business training.

Social media, an important tool in a country with a constant presence on world social media rankings, also plays a huge part in marketing and elevating their brand presence. All these young foodpreneurs are social media savvy, with Twitter and Instagram especially popular. Instagram made advertising art director Dade Akbar famous for rearranging street eats with gourmet presentation (instagram.com/warteggourmet). He now has a small scale, private catering business. “Anybody can sell anything on Instagram these days, even a customised diet menu,” notes Fellexandro Ruby, another popular food blogger (wanderbites.com).

In future, Nuragustina, Femina magazine's executive food editor, expects that this city with an appetite for all things new and remixed, will see it's entrepreneurs trying even funkier food start-ups: “There will be other Pasar Santas, with communities of young people revitalising traditional markets or similar sleepy locales,” she predicts. “For food trucks, there will be a more Indonesian-focused menu. People are starting to get bored with the same Tex-Mex offering.” In other words, don’t buckle up. It’s about to get even more exciting.

Above right: A mobile peddler sells a host of fruit and vegetables from bags and baskets precariously perched on his motorbike Right: Step inside the cool, quiet interior of the renowned Cafe Batavia in Taman Fatahillah Square. The building has been here for two centuries and is the second oldest in central Jakarta. Ph

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The central Javanese love their palm sugar; the east Javanese prefer their chillies and plenty of them, thank you very much. Their sense of humour is rowdier, more explicit. And nothing reflects this more than Surabaya’s current popular offerings, combining a gut-punching amount of chillies and no-holds-barred names such as bebek mercon (firecracker duck), ceker dar der dor (bang! bang! chicken feet), mie setan (the devil’s noodle) and the relative newcomer, mie nyonyor (numb, swollen-lip noodle). The last one has in all, five levels of extreme spiciness. Are you scared now?

Torturing tongues since 2010, nasi goreng jancuk is considered an old hand

but still attracts locals and tourists alike. The word jancuk is not something to brandish around strangers. It’s a curse word in local dialect, but commonly used as a term of endearment amongst best friends. Served in a medium-sized wok, the fried rice is meant for sharing. To the inexperienced, it looks like regular fried rice, with shredded chicken, shrimp, crabmeat and omelette strips, with a cracker and pickled cucumbers as condiments. So why the offensive name? Once the taste buds realise there are 20 bird’s eye chillies ground up into the mix, jancuk is the first word most locals spit out. If they can still find enough strength to speak, that is. Yet instead of seeking relief for

A s c o t t L I V I N G 2 1

Above: A labourer takes a break on brightly coloured

barrels in a side street in Surabaya's old city Left: Mount Bromo is

spectacular at any time of the year. Part of the Tengger

massif, the 2,329 metre peak is the best known

First it feels as if a whole storage room of firecrackers just exploded in your mouth, and someone drop kicked you in the stomach at the same time. Then sweat starts to gather on your temples and your nose runs faster than the Ganges. In mere seconds, your lips start to go numb. This is not an eating experience, you protest, this is torture! “If the food is good, why cover it up with so much chilli?” laments Yoni, an Israeli student whose uninitiated palate just got the shock of his young life. He’s lucky the locals at the humble eatery did not understand him; otherwise they would cluck disapprovingly at the naive tourist. This is sustenance, they would say. Or as Fiona Hartanto, a long time Surabaya resident, says, “People here say to eat without chilli is not really eating.” Welcome to the wonderful, explosive world of Surabaya cuisine. In the past few years, Indonesia has embarked on a newfound love affair with super spicy food, and Surabaya is leading this fiery revolution.

As you make your way to Surabaya, you start to notice the subtle and not so subtle cultural differences between East Java and its closest neighbours, Central Java and Yogyakarta. Although they share a common Javanese language, the East Javanese version is less subtle. In general, the population interacts in a more blunt, straightforward manner that is sometimes perceived as aggressive, especially compared to its more graceful and soft-spoken relatives next-door.

SurabayaLeading the fiery revolution of super spicy cuisine, Surabaya’s tantalising heat will enliven even the most jaded palate

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their tongues, locals seem to relish the heat. Nasi goreng jancuk eating contests are popular, while government bigwigs are known to order the dishes for their functions.

To boot, chefs keep upping the ante. “It seems that every establishment wants to out-heat the other,” commented Narindra Yogatama, a Jakarta-based geologist who visits Surabaya for work. And according to one of the senior people behind the nasi goreng jancuk phenomenon: “The more you warn someone how spicy something is, the more they want to try it. That’s a very Surabayan trait.” If Surabaya is ever looking for a culinary tagline, then “not for the timid” sounds just about right.

curry buffDiscover a different culinary adventure at Kampung Arab, North Surabaya, where descen-dants of Yemeni immigrants have lived for centuries, giving a Surabayan twist to Middle Eastern and Indian classics such as curries (gulai kacang hijau or mung bean curry with roti, anyone?) and kebabs (sate karak or beef satay served with black sticky rice and shaved coconut).

Prancing puppetsCatch a Wayang Potehi perfor-mance at Hong Tiek Hian, Sura-baya’s oldest Chinese temple. The Chinese puppet show, a 3,000 year old tradition, is told in Indonesian, Javanese and Hokkian dialects. The temple, allegedly built by Kubilai Khan’s troops during the Majapahit years, is worth a visit for its unique Peranakan altars,statues and candles the sizeof an Olsen twin.No 2, Jl. Dukuh Gg II

cool retreat If the heat of Surabaya starts to weigh you down, head to the hills. Even royals have taken refuge at the cool, mountain resort town of Batu since the 10th century.Go trekking, swim in hot springs, visit waterfalls or pick fruit in the surrounding farms. Chil-dren and bird lovers will love Batu Secret Zoo, a zoo and museum with a huge (some say the best in Indonesia) collection of taxidermy under one roof. E-bikes are available for rent. www.jawatimurpark2.com/batu-secret-zoo/

Historical explorerExplore the ruins of Majapahit, a Hindu Buddhist empire, in Trowu-lan. The 100 square kilometre site includes villages (imagine seeing a 15th century elephant god statue in someone’s back garden). Start with Museum Trowulan, and see the royal pool, well preserved temples, archways and tombs. Jl. Pendo Agung, Desa trowulan

Book a one-bedroom or two-bedroom deluxe apartment for stays from August 1 to September 30 2015 at Ascott Waterplace Surabaya and enjoy a complimentary upgrade* to a one-bedroom executive or two-bedroom executive apartment respectively. Visit www.the-ascott.com to make your booking. *Terms and conditions apply.

Offer

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Trying the local dishes is one of the great treats of travelling to a new country. Even a trip to the supermarket can be exciting. But besides the everyday, food festivals are springing up across the globe as we all become more interested in what we eat and where it comes from.

Music and food combine every August at the Big Feastival, organised by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and musician turned cheesemaker Alex James at James’ Cotswolds farm, an hour or so outside London. This celebration of food and music runs from August 28 to 30 and it’s a great way to discover Britain’s best dishes.

Nothing heralds the European autumn as much as Oktoberfest, the world-renowned food and (mainly) drink event that runs for a full two weeks in Munich, starting this year on September 19.

If you only get the chance to go to one truffle event, make it the International Alba White Truffle Fair held in Italy in October. The highlight is the final day auction of this most prized ingredient.

Animal lovers will enjoy the Monkey Buffet Festival held in Thailand’s Lopburi Province in November. Every year elaborate buffet tables piled high with tempting treats are set up around the Phra Prang Sam Yot Temple for the monkeys, the honoured guests of the event.

While truffles may be exclusive, one of Australia’s best-loved foodie events is all-inclusive. Celebrate the new year in style at the Taste of Tasmania festival, which starts in December. Where else can you enjoy a wallaby burrito and usher in 2016 in a blaze of fireworks? Some 30,000 visitors annually think it’s the best place to be.

The 83rd Lemon Festival held just outside Nice in Menton, France celebrates this globally loved citrus fruit, with displays, floats and processions. This has been an important event in the calendar since it began in the 1930s. The 15-day festival in February has lost none of its popularity over the years and attracts 200,000 visitors.

Singapore is a delicious destination for any ardent foodie. With so many options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, you will never fit them all in. If you’re visiting in March make the most of booking a top table for Restaurant Week, when the leading chefs offer a special menu at a fraction of the usual price.

EventsWe all need to eat, and the more options we have, the better. Ascott Living takes a tour of the upcoming foodie festivals across the world to stop you from going hungry

CUISINE

Melbourne, AustraliaFebruary to March, 2016

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

Bunol, spainAugust 26, 2015

La Tomatina

Held on the last Wednesday of August, this is easily the world’s biggest food fight. Head to Bunol in Spain, but you’ll have to get a ticket to join the party, as places are limited. If you are lucky enough to become one of the band of 20,000 fighters, you’ll get the chance to hurl more than 100 tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes in the streets. The festival begins when a daring soul gets right to the top of a greased pole and retrieves a ham.

This 20 day festival has been hosted for more than two decades. Discover the flavours that make Australia renowned the world over for fantastic food. The festival encompasses more than 200 events, many of them held in the city’s famous labyrinths of coffee shops and restaurants.

Cheese Rolling

Held on the Spring Bank Holiday in May, a four kilogramme cheese is rolled down Gloucestershire’s Cooper’s Hill, reaching up to 112 kilometres per hour. Chased by spectators who attend from across the globe, the first person over the line wins the cheese.

Gloucester, UKMay 20, 2016

Dubai Food Festival

Learn about complex Emirati flavours, rub shoulders with a host of celebrity chefs and experience the mouthwatering culinary kaleidoscope that is Dubai. From simply delicious café food to the wonders of five star dining, this month long festival ensures that there’s plenty to go around for everyone and a new taste experience to be had by all.

Dubai, UAEFebruary, 2016

The Dragon Boat Festival (known locally as the Duanwu Festival) is a public holiday, celebrated in June. As well as racing the intricately carved dragon boats, central to this celebration is the eating of zongzi, or special rice dumplings.

chinaJune 9, 2016

There’s plenty to learn from a country’s cuisine. Travelling foodies should check out local cookery schools to get a real hands-on experience of the delicious options on offer. Ph

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The Way of Tea Tea has a worldwide cult following, but few have come to revere it the same way as the Japanese, in an elegant, quiet tea ceremony. sarah Liu traces the ritualisation of tea to ancient China, and how the Land of the Rising Sun came to adopt tea and turn the everyday beverage into an art form

It’s a spartan room, but one that opens up to a perfectly curated bonsai garden that mysteriously becomes more exquisite, more beautiful, the longer you remain to appreciate the taste and aroma of whipped koicha and usucha, or thick and light green tea. With slow and deliberate movements, the host busies herself with the sunken hearth in the middle of the room, and over the next four hours, explains the assortment of bamboo, wooden, earthen and metal utensils needed to conduct a tea ceremony. The unknown function of any equipment alerts you to the painful reality of your gaijin, or outsider, existence. But before you can entertain the thought of alienation, you’re directed to the hanging calligraphy scroll, the room’s centerpiece, which starts to appear as a picture that paints itself, revealing hidden meanings to life. Other minute details follow. Suddenly, the harsh bitterness of the tea is sweeter,

Above left: A man drinking tea in Yangshuo, China. Properly brewed and with the right ceremony, tea is as refreshing as it is restor-ative Above: The gong fu or kung fu tea ceremony is a ceremony that originated in China and can also be found in Taiwan. Translated from Mandarin, gong fu means with skill and patience

CULTURE

and the numbness from sitting or almost kneeling for hours on end in the traditional, backbreaking seiza-style even starts to feel almost good. This is sadō, the pinnacle of tea appreciation, and a Japanese term that means ‘the way of tea’. Hosted in a room so conducive to introspection, sipping tea is potentially life changing.

You know that there’s a magical quality about tea when it’s been

admired for millennia as a divine work of art, and ascribed the title of “froth of the liquid jade” by Lao Zi, who founded the Taoist religion. Arguably, while most consume it as an everyday beverage, there are others who go beyond the utilitarian, and almost worship tea as they may do a deity. It’s not difficult to detect a subtle charm in the taste of tea that makes it more irresistible, and sets it apart from other beverages in the world. As the Japanese author and scholar Kakuzō Okakura waxes lyrical in The Book of Tea: “It has not the arrogance of wine, the self-consciousness of coffee, nor the simpering innocence of cocoa.”

But tea has not always been lauded as a heavenly sustenance or analysed to such meticulous degree. Instead, it finds its origins in the humble practice of traditional Chinese medicine sometime during the Zhou dynasty (1046 to 256 BCE) to relieve fatigue or expel ‘heat’ from the body. Tea only grew into a beverage later, during the Han dynasty (206 to 220 BCE) when Buddhism arrived in China. Not unlike the way gym junkies use protein powder for muscle recovery, tea was used in

monasteries to enable monks to keep awake during meditation. Strangely, it was through this physically and mentally exhausting activity that legends bordering on the histrionic were derived.

One such legend, and Ascott Living’s favourite, comes from Japan and details how Bodhidharma, the Indian monk credited for spreading Buddhism to China, came to discover tea after meditating for seven years. To prevent keeling over in slumber, he slit off his eyelids, and threw them to the ground, from where a tea tree sprouted. Lidless and possibly bloodied, Bodhidharma began to chew the leaves from the tree, from which he regained his energy. This metaphysical legend seals an inextricable connection between the tea itself, and the art of cultivating life.

It comes as no surprise, then, that tea became widely consumed in the Tang dynasty. Okakura describes the Tang era as one “seeking mutual synthesis” in the philosophies of Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism that all emphasise a spirit of quiet reflection and of nurturing the mind. Moreover, Lu Yu, the venerable Sage of Tea, lived in this golden age, a luminary who studied tea extensively, and contributed to Tang literature and art. Lu wrote the Chajing or The Classic of Tea detailing the first code of tea that explores ways to cultivate the plant, tea etiquette and customs, the importance of water, the elaborate set of 24 tea utensils, and more. This timeless tea ‘sutra’ continues to inspire generations of tea aficionados.

Perhaps we can all agree that a discussion involving art and life in general may stress you out, as you take care to avoid channeling mystical New Age vibes. But sometimes, it’s surprisingly relaxing. Like art, tea can be divided into three periods that chart its evolution in the Tang, Song and Ming golden ages in China: boiled ‘cake’ tea; whipped powdered tea; and steeped leaf tea. Okakura wrote, “If we were inclined to borrow the much-abused terminology of art-classification, we might designate them respectively, the Classic, the Romantic, and the Naturalistic schools of tea.” Ph

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Below:Originally an aid to medita-tion, Japanese matcha tea is said to contain over a hundred times more antioxidants than spinach

So with the movement of Classicism, the Tangs, too, sought to set standards for the taste of tea, focusing their energies to the end that boiled tea, could perhaps taste better than it sounds. Among Lu’s records in the Chajing, was the use of water from the mountain spring, which drastically improved the crude bitterness of tea. The Songs, however, were more concerned with “the process, not the deed”, “the completing, not the completion”, Okakura opines. From the Songs came a radical use of powdered tea, and a ritual from the Buddhists of the Southern Zen sect, which would develop into sadō, the Japanese tea ceremony. The Mings, who had difficulty recalling the processes of the Song after drawn-out wars, enjoyed steeped roasted tea leaves instead. While the Ming-style of tea continues to produce a delicious beverage today, it’s one that lost the romance and lustre of its Tang and Song predecessors.

What the Chinese lost, the Japanese found and emulated. To them, tea was the emblem of beauty and aesthetics that gave rise to a way of life known as Teaism. To live as a ‘teaist’, you have to adore beauty that’s found in the everyday. “Tea with us became more than an idealisation of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life. The beverage grew to be an excuse for the worship of purity and refinement, a sacred function at which the host and guest joined to produce for the occasion the utmost beatitude of the mundane,” explains Okakura.

For a ceremony that only involves a light meal of seasonal dishes and moist sweets, as well as two servings of tea, it’s a wonder that a formal full-length session can span four hours. Back in the spartan tearoom, it’s not unusual then, to begin to wonder if another morsel or treat, meal or even a feast awaits you at the end of the ritual. In reality though, even guests aren’t let off the hook when it comes to the austere practice of sadō.

Since the 16th century, the tea ceremony in Japan has hinged greatly on the simple and timeless concept of wabi-cha. Wabi literally means

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The WalkWith its spectacular gardens and architecture, almost half of Suzhou is made up of water, hence its reputation as the Venice of the Orient. Even if you only have a few hours to spare, here’s the ideal route to take a leisurely stroll across years of history

SUZHOU

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1Jinji Lake After a leisurely breakfast, head off to the largest inland lake in China. At 10 square kilometres it’s more than a stroll, so take advantage of the special tour bus that will take you all the way around and give you a complete picture of the lake.

3ouyuan (couple’s Retreat Garden)Xiaoxin Lane,Neicang StreetA visit to Suzhou would be incomplete without a visit to Ouyan, designed in the Qing Dynasty and one of the most spec-tacular gardens in Suzhou. This cultural gem was added to UNESCO’s world heritage list in 2000.

2Gate to the EastTen years in the mak-ing, this US$700 million skyscraper on the banks of Jinji Lake symbolises Suzhou’s importance in modern day China. The tallest structure in the area, this exhibition centre is reportedly sometimes unkindly referred to as the Pants Building — as it looks like a pair of trousers.

4the Humble Administrator’s Garden 178 Dongbei Street. The largest garden in Suzhou, this Ming Dynasty oasis is one of the five largest gardens in China. It was built by former government officer Wang Xianchen for his retirement, so that he could live a humble exis-tence — hence its name.

6Ping Jiang RoadRunning parallel with Suzhou river, this historic street of typical white houses with black slate roofs has changed little since it was built in the Song Dynasty some 800 years ago. Marvel at the architecture, browse the bookshops and enjoy a refreshing cup of tea in on of the many teahouses.

5Xuanmiao taoist templeGuanqian Street. Withstanding war and weather since 276 AD, the many halls of this ornate temple all have differing attractions. Aside from its architectural heritage, a visit here offers the opportunity to enjoy unique Taoist music and an awe inspiring “flying cymbals” performance.

Stay

Stay at Somerset Emerald City Suzhou from July to December, 2015 and enjoy 20 percent off when you book a one-bedroom executive or one-bedroom premier apartment 14 days in advance. Visit www.somerset.com to book

Don’t miss a visit to Cai Zhi Zhai at 91 Guanqian

Street. Preserved fruits with healing herbs, pastries and

traditional snacks have been the mainstay of this

business since 1870.

7Wangshi Yuan (Garden of the Master of Nets )Shiquan StreetThe saying that good things come in small pack-ages is certainly true of this garden, the smallest in Suzhou, but arguably the most impressive because of its exquisite use of space. The house itself has been lovingly restored to its former glory.

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‘desolate’ and cha ‘tea’, but to Sen no Rikyū, the concept’s architect and the godfather of tea in the country, tea was anything but bereft.

Looking about you, the confines of the teahouse are modest and reserved. Yet, stripped bare of superfluous objects, the room somehow feels cozier than when you entered. Conversations between the host and you cease, pervading the space with comfortable silence. Every detail is immersed in the here and now. Then, in a tiny corner of the bonsai garden, you notice a single flower soaking the sun: and in that moment, everything you thought was life turns around.

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Rise and ShineAround the world, everyone starts the day with a different meal. Daniel Seifert profiles the treats that turn a good morning into a great one

BIG BITE

There are many ways to deduce someone’s character, but by far the most fun is their choice of breakfast. Enter Winston Churchill. In 1954, the aged British Prime Minister flew across the Atlantic to meet President Eisenhower.

Handed an in-flight breakfast menu, Winston was not impressed. He whipped out a fountain pen and scrawled his own wish list, one so long it took up both sides of the menu: 1st tray: Poached egg, Toast, Jam, Butter, Coffee and milk, Jug of cold milk, Cold Chicken or Meat. 2nd Tray: Grapefruit, Sugar Bowl, Glass orange squash (ice), Whisky soda. Wash hands, cigar.

Yes, Churchill’s idea of a balanced diet was to end it with high-proof alcohol and a high-altitude smoke. Not surprisingly, the bemused steward kept the testimony to gluttony, and it recently sold for thousands of pounds at auction. “It is reassuring to know,” commented the auctioneer, “that he ate so well in his 80th year.”

He also ate his morning meal alone. “My wife and I tried to breakfast together two or three times in the past 40 years,” he recalled, “but it was so disagreeable we had to stop.”

Lest you tut in disagreement, we probably all have our own rules and pernickety needs. There’s something about this first meal of the day that lends itself to your own rhythm of regularity. Or eccentricity. Former US President Richard Nixon was a big fan of cottage cheese and pineapple, lovingly smothered with ketchup.

If you regularly skip pre-lunch eating, you might be branded a non-foodie. If you subsist on coffee and

Above: Still considered the best start to the day by

many in the UK although nowadays reserved for

the weekends, is the full English: baked beans, fried egg, toast, black pudding,

grilled tomatoes, sausages and bacon. Served up here

by The Duke of Clarence in London. Ketchup and

mustard optional

Photographs by Helen Cathcart

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cigarettes before noon, you’re stressed. Wake up to doughnuts and honeyed tea? You’re a sweet tooth.

And who are we to scoff at someone’s odd combos? Lunch, dinner and a mid-afternoon café snack are usually enjoyed with other people. But for many, breakfast is just for you — a solitary way to start a day on your own terms. For movie star Katharine Hepburn, eating the meal in blessed solitude was “heaven”. This is a time for gathering thoughts, centering yourself, or simply being lost in a pleasantly sleepy reverie while the coffee meanders warmly into your belly.

In his autobiography My Family and Other Animals, naturalist Gerald Durrell recalled a glorious childhood spent in the Mediterranean. His clan may have dined together, but breakfast was a leisurely and silent affair, “for no member of the family was very talkative at that hour.” But by the end of the meal, the comforting weight of coffee, toast and eggs in stomachs meant “we started to revive, to tell each other what we intended to do, why we intended to do it, and then argue earnestly as to whether each had made a wise decision.” For certain, breakfast is a planning time, as you step into the day.

Just as the meal can offer a sensory insight into personality traits, it can also reveal your national character. Whether or not you believe in the old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, it can certainly be the most important meal of a journey — one where you can strategise your sightseeing, people-watch as citizens travel into work, and taste culture straight from the stove.

So let’s set our alarms early and sample some sunrise snacks, sorted not by geography, but by flavour. First stop: sweetness. Start off in Spain, where the late-night fiesta lifestyle means many locals consume a snack after a night out, before going to bed. Waking up, they may skip a real breakfast entirely, opting for a large midday meal.

But that 4am stop-off is enough to feed the stomach, or at least the soul, for a good few hours. The perfect sweet start to the day is a churro. Think of them as the doughnut perfected — flour fritters fried in oil and lovingly sprinkled with both cinnamon and sugar. Spaniards eat them piping hot in small churrerias, small purpose-built shops that wrap the fritters in paper cones. Churros are either dipped into a café con leche (milky coffee), or a cup of hot chocolate so dark and unguently thick that you’ll think you’ve struck oil.

Head north and things get more chocolatey still. The French typically also eat a light breakfast, but that doesn’t mean they skimp on quality. In Paris, where you’re never more than a baguette’s-length away from a bakery, you can pick up a pain au chocolat, the croissant’s sweeter cousin. Bite into this warm pillow of crumbly goodness, and you’ll understand why the French invented the phrase "joie de vivre".

Cross the border to Belgium and the Netherlands and another, less mellifluous

word, is on every early riser’s lips: hageslag. It translates as ‘hailstorm’. You’ll see why when you sprinkle these rich flakes of chocolate onto some lightly buttered bread. It makes for a decadent start to the day, and is the most popular topping in the region. The Dutch tuck into 750,000 slices of hageslag-drenched bread a day. For extra authenticity, down it with a large, cold glass of milk.

Not surprising that all of these countries, alongside Germany, are among the world’s biggest consumers of

crust mustIn France, freshness matters. Some 75 percent of locals buy their bread hot from the oven every morning. And why not, when there are 34,000 inde-pendent boulangeries to choose from? Alas, the trade may be going stale — in 1950, there were 54,000 boulangeries.

A Royal thirstQueen Elizabeth I of England ate, or shall we say drank, some fairly robust breakfasts before she died in 1603. She favoured a pint or two of morning ale. When travelling through England, she would send couriers ahead to taste the local ale. If it wasn’t up to snuff, a better cask would be shipped from Lon-don for her. In fact, beer for break-fast was common then. Elizabeth’s ladies in waiting were allowed a gallon each for breakfast alone.

Bar coluzziThis institution has been around since 1957, and many say the kerbside café has been respon-sible for turning Sydney into the coffee mecca it is today. Its owner, Luigi Coluzzi was a character, so much so that when he died in 2014, the Sydney Morning Herald printed a lengthy obituary. The ex-boxing champion fought in 47 pro matches, and the café is littered with fighting memo-rabilia. The best spot to linger is outside though, sipping an espresso on the rickety stools and watching the world walk by.

clockwise from above: Porridge is a comforting and healthy breakfast; Little H Cafe in Parson’s Green, London promises a great start to every day; you can’t beat eggs for breakfast, served here with nduja sausage, cheese, black pudding and pork belly hash at Bad Egg in the UK’s capital; chocolate, banana, dates and almonds combine in this healthily delicious smoothie; egg and cheesy fries - what better way to start the day

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Nutella. In Merde Actually, his semi-autobiographical take on French life, Englishman Stephen Clarke calls this chocolate hazelnut spread “the glue that holds France together. Almost every kid in the country has Nutella for breakfast. […] Hazelnuts are in their blood.”

Phew! Enough of this death by chocolate — now for some starch. Much of China wakes up to congee, a rice porridge that keeps north Asian winters at bay. A testimony to the nation’s famed practicality; it allows cooks to use up day-old rice, cooking it into a thick bowl of comfort. Then, you make it your own, stirring into the warmth of leftover vegetables or meat. Drizzled with chopped ginger, onions, chilli, sesame oil or soy sauce, it will easily fill you up until a late lunch.

In southern India, you’ll have your hands full, literally. Popular morning repasts include idli and sambar, a vegetable stew served with rice bread and a heaped serving of steamed lentils. Or dosa, a thin crepe-like morsel, filled with spicy potato, often served on a bright green banana leaf. But don’t let its flimsiness fool you — a dosa can fill you up for a good few hours.

Similarly deceptive is a Japanese natto, a dish of fermented soybeans. Hardly ever eaten alone, natto can be accompanied by small bowls of rice, miso soup, pickled cucumbers and rolled egg omelettes. Whatever your choice, the message is clear: eat your heart out, cornflakes. “The idea that children should have bland, sweet food is a very industrial presumption,” food expert Krishnendu Ray told the New York Times when it investigated what kids wake up to from Turkey to Thailand.

The NYU Steinhardt professor of food studies, who grew up in India, added: “In many parts of the world, breakfast is tepid, sour, fermented and savoury.” In other words, it’s a whirlwind of flavours to kick start your day.

While we’re at it, why not add an even greater spice to your am feast — adventure. Or as the Aussies call it, Vegemite. If you haven’t had this thick, dark yeast extract before, you’re in for an experience. To first-timers, it’s the ultimate acquired taste. To Australians, it’s a national obsession, and many are baffled as to why the rest of the world doesn’t love this strong, salty, umami flavour spread which is liberally spread

on toast and as an early 1954 jingle trilled, “puts a rose in every cheek.”

Balut, meanwhile, will do more than put a rose in your cheek — it will put hairs on your chest. You can find these fertilised duck eggs at street sellers across the country. Dipped in salt or soy sauce, it’s a high protein snack and national delicacy. But locals are starting to veer away from it. The eggs are now used in Filipino science classes to educate children about their cultural heritage. Once they have used the balut to study the bird’s anatomy, they end the lesson with a snack. These half-fertilised eggs are also enjoyed in the south of China and Vietnam, with coriander, herbs and lime juice.

“Delicious is in the eye of the beholder,” one Filipina tells Ascott Living. “I mean, to some people, a greasy English fry-up may seem strange, too. And balut is healthy, and high in protein.” A unique taste of home, dishes like these can serve as a sort of Proustian madeleine. Just as the French author Marcel Proust bit into a warm pastry and experienced a rush of memory, a mere sniff of your local breakfast dish can evoke feelings of comfort and nostalgia.

For a first-timer, meanwhile, maybe your breakfast should be exciting. To quote the chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, “do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria’s mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.”

It may seem strange to put so much stock into jentacular (a word meaning ‘pertaining to breakfast’) matters. But a wise fictional bear — Winnie the Pooh — knows that we’re talking about more than just food here.

Asked by his friend Piglet what the first thing he says to himself in the morning is, Pooh’s answer is immediate.

“What’s for breakfast?’” said Pooh. “What do you say, Piglet?”

“I say, I wonder what’s going to happen exciting today?” said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully. “It’s the same thing,” he said.

clockwise from right: Filled with potential, an empty breakfast table ready to welcome feasting friends; pastries are a deliciously sweet morning indulgence; eggs benedict count as the biggest pleasure of weekend breakfasts, a happy marriage of eggs, hollandaise sauce and ham, atop crispy toast

There’s a difference between straight and curved croissants, and it’s not just aesthetics. If you’re a gluttonous purist, hunt out the straight ones. Under French law, only croissants made with 100 percent pure butter can be that shape. If they contain even a hint of margarine, they must be curved. Proof that the French take their pastries very seriously indeed. Except, of course, that croissants aren’t from France: they were originally created in Austria to celebrate vic-tory over invading Turkish armies. The flaky morsels where then popularised in Paris by Marie Antoinette. As a lonely 14-year-old who was brought up in Austria before marrying into French nobility, she yearned for the comfort food of her youth. And with a croissant’s pillowy goodness able to dry any tears, who can blame her?

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Ascott NewsA look at what’s happening in Ascott around the world

Quest Serviced Apartments is one of the The Ascott Limited’s newest partners. Its CEO, Zed Sanjana, talks about the exciting franchising opportunities with the company

Bespoke Experiences for Ascott Guests

Guests staying at Ascott, cita-dines and somerset serviced residences worldwide can enjoy a myriad of unique ex-periences offered through its Ascott Lifestyle programme. The specially hand-picked ex-periences, ranging from cultural to gastronomical, local delights to wellness, will enable guests to explore the cities they are living in and continue to enjoy their regular activities while away from home.

The Ascott Lifestyle pro-gramme comprises thought-fully curated experiences by Ascott’s residence managers, hosts and service staff. These include customised itinerar-ies to explore the city’s sights like local, cultural tours, local handicraft workshops, language lessons from Mandarin to Viet-namese and cooking classes by renowned local chefs.

Guests whose fitness and wellness are a priority can choose from yoga lessons, customised jogging routes that feature scenic views of the city or treatments at the best spas

the first citadines Apart’hotels in Vietnam, sabah and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are soon to open. The 81-unit Citadines Culture Village Dubai will open in 2017 within Culture Village, an area poised to become the artistic and cultural hub of Dubai, followed by Citadines Regency Saigon in the vibrant commercial hub of Ho Chi Minh City’s District 3 in 2018 and Citadines Water-front Kota Kinabalu opening in Sabah in the same year.

Lee Chee Koon, Ascott’s chief executive officer, said that since The Ascott Limited fully ac-quired the Citadines Apart’hotel chain in 2004, the company has more than doubled the Citadines portfolio. He said with the rise of low-cost air travel, the company is seeing more independent travellers who enjoy the flexibility of choice. according to their lifestyles.”

citadines Debuts in Vietnam, sabah and UAE

Ascott is set to design a next-generation serviced residence that will offer guests a seam-less smart living experience. The technology will enable the control and management of devices through a single application which connects personal and home devices — from refrigerators and washing machines to smart TVs, smartphones and even wearable devices — through an integrated platform and server.

Ascott has entered into an exclusive partnership with Samsung Asia Pte Ltd, a unit of Samsung Electronics, to jointly develop smart solutions customised for its serviced residences, making Ascott the first global serviced residence company to embrace smart home technologies. Ascott aims to test bed the new tech-nologies at selected serviced residences by the first half of 2016, with plans to roll out to its properties across over 20 countries globally in phases.

Guests will be able to use customised settings on their mobile devices or smart TV multiple devices simultane-ously no matter where they are at the time — even while travelling abroad.

A smart Living Experience

in the city. Other highlights include priority reservations at some of the hottest res-taurants such as the famous Le Jules Verne located in the Eiffel Tower in Paris, trails for avid photographers looking for the best angles to capture the destination or artisan boutiques for special souvenirs.

Featured experiences can be viewed at the Ascott Lifestyle website (www.ascottlifestyle.com). Guests can also send their enquiries to [email protected] to find out more ahead of their stay at any of the serviced resi-dences. The experiences will be changed regularly to make the most of the city, whether guests are staying for work or leisure.

For almost three decades, the Quest franchise model has been the key to our success, driving our growth from one property in Melbourne in 1988 to over 150 today in CBD, suburban and regional locations across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.

Our franchisees are our greatest asset, following a proven and consistent methodology for

operating a Quest franchise business, combined with their passion for ensuring that all guests receive the Quest standard of quality service. It is this consistency and commitment to the guest experience that differentiates Quest as the leading Serviced Apartment Operator in Australasia. Through being personally invested in the success of the business, we know our franchisees will go the extra mile to ensure the best results for their guests.

Quest is a ready-made business opportunity backed by the strength of a recognised national brand, which gives franchisees peace of mind not found in many other businesses. Our franchisees know that joining Quest is not about buying a job; it is about buying a business and a way of life.

Our Franchisees are recruited from all industries; fully supported throughout their Quest journey, with an established network that provides operational and business advice, sales support, and centralised brand management. We ensure each and every franchisee feels confident and motivated, and is fully equipped with all the skills and knowledge required to operate successfully, grow their business, and reach their personal and financial goals.

Through a comprehensive site selection process involving years of research, combined with extensive consultation with our corporate customer base, Quest’s business model delivers occupancy and room rates consistently above industry averages. We support ongoing business through maintaining close relationships with Australia’s top 500 companies to understand their travel requirements and drive sales to the franchise network.

Franchising, in particular the Quest model, provides a higher degree of commercial certainty even in uncertain economic times. Corporate travel – which makes up 80% of our market mix – is a non-discretionary spend, adding an even greater degree of stability. It is this kind of result and assurance that make the Quest brand an ideal choice for potential franchisees.

For further information on Quest Franchising, please visit questapartments.com.au and follow the Franchising link

Below: Quest at Sydney Olympic Park offers a choice of 140 self contained apartments, with a host of facilities and amenities. 6 Edwin Flack Avenue, sydney olympic Park NsW 2127, Australia

Insight

Make the most of the Ascott Lifestyle programme to acquaint yourself with regional customs and local language. It makes living away from home so much more rewarding.

Buying a Way of Life

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citadines RasunaThe H-Tower, Jalan HR Rasuna Said Kav.20, KuninganJakarta 12940, Indonesia

somerset BerlianJalan Permata Berlian V, Permata Hijau, Jakarta 12210, Indonesia

somerset Grand citraJalan Prof Dr Satrio Kav 1, Jakarta 12940, Indonesia

SurabayaAscott WaterplaceTower D 1 Jalan Pakuwon IndahLontar Timur kav. 3-5,Surabaya 60126, Indonesia

somerset surabaya Hotel & serviced ResidenceJalan Raya Kupang Indah,Surabaya 60189, Indonesia

Ascott Around The WorldThe Ascott Limited is a member of CapitaLand, one of Asia’s largest real estate companies. The Ascott Limited is the largest international serviced residence owner-operator with more than 200 properties in over 90 cities across more than 20 countries in Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region. It operates three award-winning brands Ascott, Citadines and Somerset.

southeast Asia

Indonesia

Reservations: +62 361 849 6500 (Bali)00180 365 7878 (Local Toll Free)+62 21 2995 6888 (Jakarta)+62 31 734 7161 (Surabaya)

Balicitadines Kuta BeachJalan Pantai Kuta, Badung,Bali 80361, Indonesia JakartaAscott JakartaJalan Kebon Kacang Raya No 2, Jakarta 10230, Indonesia Ascott KuninganCiputra World 1,Jalan Prof Dr Satrio Kav.3-5,Jakarta 12940, Indonesia

Laos

Reservations:+856 21 250 888

Vientianesomerset VientianeSouphanouvong Avenue, Sikhotabong district, P.O.Box: 4793 Vientiane Lao PDR

Malaysia

Reservations: 1800 806 306 (LocalToll Free) +603 2718 6788 (Kuala Lumpur, Cyberjaya)+60 82 281 818 (Kuching)

Cyberjayacitadines DPulzeLingkaran Cyber Point Timur, Cyber 12 63000 Cyberjaya, Malaysia

Kuala LumpurAscott Kuala Lumpur9 Jalan Pinang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ascott sentral211, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, KL Sentral,50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

somerset Ampang187 Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuchingcitadines Uplands55, Jalan Simpang Tiga,93350 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Nusajaya somerset Medini(Opening in 2015)

somerset Puteri HarbourPersiaran Puteri Selatan, Puteri Harbour79000 Nusajaya, Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia

Philippines

Reservations: +63 2 550 3200

ManilaAscott Bonifacio Global city28th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City 1634, Philippines

Ascott MakatiGlorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati City 1224, Philippines

Flying HighSimple pleasures bridge the generations. Two boys play with a kite on the beach at Tabanan village on Bali. Kite flying is a popular activity on this Indonesian island, where a festival is held every July when huge 10 metre kites are flown competitively at the event, held in Denpasar.

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For worldwide reservations: +65 6272 7272 GDS chain code: AZWebsite: www.the–ascott.com, www.citadines.com and www.somerset.comE–mail: [email protected]

The Ascott Limited is a Singapore company that has grown to be the world’s largest international serviced residence owner-operator. It has more than 26,000 operating serviced residence units in key cities of Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region — as well as over 13,000 units currently under development. Our portfolio adds up to more than 39,000 units spanning 90 cities across more than 20 countries. Ascott pioneered Asia-Pacific’s first international-class serviced residence with the opening of The Ascott Singapore in 1984.With a work ethic that emphasises customer service excellence, Ascott has been winning guests over with our signature hospitality. We deliver service from the heart, and go the extra mile to delight our residents. We are very glad that many guests have chosen us as their preferred “home away from home” over the years. Today Ascott boasts a 31-year industry track record and award-winning serviced residence brands that enjoy recognition worldwide.

Milestones

2008–2015DestinAsian Readers’ Choice Awards“Best Serviced Residence Brand”

2004–2014Business Traveller Asia-Pacific“Best Serviced Residence Brand”

Significant moments in our history

2005–2012TTG Travel Awards“Best Serviced Residence Operator”

2005–2014Business Traveller China“Best Serviced Residence Brand in China”

2007–2014Business Traveller UK“Best Serviced Apartment Company”

2013World Travel Awards“World’s Leading ServicedApartment Brand”

Our achievements have earned global recognition, and with it, numerous prestigious awards. Among the accolades are:

Above, from left: After a hard day at work relax in the cool waters of the pool at Somerset Vientiane in Laos; a welcoming bedroom at Somerset Azabu East Tokyo

From a single luxury property in Singapore to the world’s largest serviced residence company today, Ascott has come a long way

1984Ascott opened Asia-Pacific’s first serviced residence in Singapore, a new concept in the region. Citadines started in Europe with its first apart’hotel in Paris, France.

2004Ascott completed acquisition of Citadines. The company now owns three brands: Ascott, Citadines and Somerset.

2006The world’s first Pan-Asian serviced residence REIT, the Ascott Residence Trust (Ascott REIT), was established and listed on March 31 in Singapore.

2014Ascott celebrates its 30th anniversary with special promotions and communityinitiatives worldwide.

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citadines Millennium ortigas(Opening in 2015) citadines salcedo Makati148 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227, Philippines somerset Millennium Makati104 Aguirre Street, Legaspi Village,Makati City 1229, Philippines somerset olympia Makati7912 Makati Avenue, Makati City 1200, Philippines

Singapore

Reservations: 1800 272 7272 (Local Toll Free)+65 6736 9800

Ascott Raffles Place2 Finlayson Green, Singapore 049247

citadines Mount sophia8 Wilkie Road, #01–26 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095

somerset Bencoolen51 Bencoolen Street, Singapore 189630 somerset Liang court177B River Valley Road, Singapore 179032 somerset orchard160 Orchard Road, #06–01 OG Orchard Point, Singapore 238842

Riverdale Residence(Corporate Leasing)346 River Valley Road, Singapore 238373 the Heritage singapore(Corporate Leasing)Mount Pleasant Road, Singapore 298333

Thailand

Reservations: 1800 888 272(Local Toll Free)+66 23 44 2500 BangkokAscott sathorn7 South Sathorn Road, Yannawa, Sathorn, Bangkok 10120, Thailand citadines sukhumvit 877/7 Sukhumvit 8, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand citadines sukhumvit 1122/22 Sukhumvit 11, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey–nue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand citadines sukhumvit 1638 Sukhumvit 16, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand citadines sukhumvit 2337/7 Sukhumvit 23, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey–nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

somerset Lake Point41 Sukhumvit Soi 16, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110, Thailand somerset Park suanplu39 Soi Suanplu, South Sathorn Road, Thungmahamek, Sathorn,Bangkok 10120, Thailand somerset sukhumvit thonglorNo 115 Sukhumvit 55 (Thonglor), Sukhumvit Road, Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Vic389 Phaton Yothin Soi 3,Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400, Thailand Sri Rachacitadines Grand central Between Thetsaban 3 and Thetsaban 1 Roads (next to the Government Savings Bank), Sri Racha, Chonburi, Thailand

Vietnam

Reservations: +84 4 3825 2283 (Hanoi)+84 31 381 0000 (Hai Phong City)+84 8 3822 9197 (Ho Chi Minh City) Danangsomerset Danang Bay(Opening in 2015)

Hai Phong Citysomerset central tDTower A, TD Plaza, Lot 20A, Lê HÔng Phong Street,Dong Khe Ward, Ngo Quyen District, Hai Phong City, Vietnam Hanoisomerset Grand Hanoi49 Hai Ba Trung Street, Hanoi, Vietnam somerset Hoa Binh106 Hoang Quoc Viet Street, Hanoi, Vietnam somerset West Lake254D Thuy Khue Road, Hanoi, Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Citysomerset chancellor court21–23 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam somerset Ho chi Minh city8A Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam somerset Vista No 628C Hanoi Highway, An Phu WardDistrict 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Diamond Island Luxury Residences(Corporate Leasing)No. 01 – Street No. 104 - BTT, Quarter 3Binh Trung Tay Ward, District 2Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Vista Residences (Corporate Leasing)No 628c Hanoi Highway, An Phu WardDistrict 2, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

North Asia

China

Reservations: 400 820 1028 (Local Toll Free)+86 21 3313 9800 BeijingAscott Raffles City1–2 Dongzhimen South Street, Dongcheng DistrictBeijing 100007, China

somerset ZhongGuancun15 Haidian Zhong Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100080, China Raffles city Residence (Corporate Leasing)1–3 Dongzhimen South Street, Dongcheng DistrictBeijing 100007, China

ChengduAscott Raffles city3 Section 4, Renmin South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China

citadines south chengdu88 Tianfu 3rd Street, ICON Genesis Plaza Tower 5,Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Chengdu, China somerset Riverview1 Section 3, Renmin South Road, Wuhou District, Chengdu 610041, China ChongqingAscott Nanbin(Opening in 2015)

somerset JieFangBeiBlock B Hejing Building,108 Minzu Road, Yuzhong District,Chongqing 400010, China

Daliansomerset Grand central Dalian128-2 Jinma Road, Dalian Development Area, Dalian 116600, China somerset Harbour court55 Renmin Road, Zhongshan District, Dalian 116001, China

GuangzhouAscott Guangzhou73, Tianhedong Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, China Ascott IFc5 Zhujiang Xi Road, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510623, China citadines LiZhiWan 145-4, Longjin Xi Road, Liwan District,Guangzhou 510150, China somerset Riviera 770 Binjiang Zhong Road, Haizhu District,Guangzhou 510220, China

springdale serviced ResidenceTower B1, No 105 Tiyuxi Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510620, China Hangzhoucitadines Intime cityBlock 4, Intime City, 380 Fengtan Road, Gongshu District,Hangzhou 310011, China

Hong Kongcitadines Ashley 18 Ashley Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,Kowloon, Hong Kong somerset Victoria Park118 Electric Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong the Mercer29 Jervois Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong MacauAscott MacauDynasty District, Macau Nanjingcitadines Baijia Lake146 Tianyuan Road, Economic and Technological Development Area, Jiangning District, Nanjing 210000, China ShanghaiAscott Huai Hai Road282 Huai Hai Road Central, Huangpu District,Shanghai 200021, China Ascott Heng shanNo 99 Hengshan Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200000,China

citadines BiyunLane 450, Hongfeng Road,Jinqiao Export Processing Zone, Pudong, Shanghai 201206, China somerset Xu Hui888 Shaanxi Nan Road, Xu Hui District, Shanghai 200031, China Shenyangsomerset HepingNo. 80 Taiyuan North Street, Heping District, Shenyang 110000, China ShenzhenAscott Maillen3 Yanshan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518067, China

somerset Grandview5 Xinsha Road, Futian District, Shenzhen 518048, China SuzhouAscott Midtown229 Zhongxin West Avenue, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215021, China citadines XinghaiBlock 27 Jiacheng Gardens,58 Xinghai Street, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215021, China somerset Emerald city436 Changjiang Road, Suzhou New District, Suzhou 215011, China Tianjinsomerset International BuildingNo 75 Nanjing Road,Heping District,Tianjin 300050, China somerset olympic tower126 Chengdu Dao, Heping District, Tianjin 300051, China somerset Youyi35 Youyi Road, Hexi District, Tianjin 300201, China Wuhancitadines Zhuankou159 Dongfeng Avenue,Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone 430056, China somerset Wusheng238 Zhongshan Avenue, Qiaokou District, Wuhan, Hubei 430000, China WuxiAscott central(Opening in 2015)

somerset Wuxi(Opening in 2015) Xiamensomerset software Park (Opening in 2015) Xi’ancitadines central36 Zhubashi, Beilin District, Xi’an 710002, China citadines Gaoxin13 Gaoxin Si Road, Hi–Tech Zone, Xi’an 710075, China

citadines Xingqing Palace159 Xingqing Road, Beilin District, Xi’an 710049, China

Japan

Reservations: +81 75 352 8902 (Kyoto)+81 3 5379 7228 (Tokyo)

FukuokaActus Hakata V-tower(Corporate Leasing)350–1, 3 chome, Hakata ekimae,Hakata–ward, Fukuoka 812–0011, Japan

Infini Garden(Corporate Leasing)2–2, 3 chome, Teriha, Higashi–ward, Fukuoka 813–0017, Japan

HiroshimaGravis court Kakomachi(Corporate Leasing)13–10, Kakomachi, Naka–ward, Hiroshima 730–0812, Japan

Gravis court Kokutaiji(Corporate Leasing)2–1–9, Kokutaiji–cho, Naka–ward, Hiroshima 730–0042, Japan

Gravis court Nishiharaekimae(Corporate Leasing)38–10, 8 chome, Nishihara,Asaminami–ward, Hiroshima 731–0113, Japan

Kobes±Residence shukugawa(Corporate Leasing)36–1, Kamisono–machi, Nishinomiya–city, Hyogo 662–0027, Japan

Kyotocitadines Karasuma-Gojo432 Matsuya–cho Gojo–dori,Karasuma–Higashiiru Shimogyo–ku, Kyoto 600–8105, Japan

Grand E’terna chioninmae(Corporate Leasing)577–3, Inarimachi Minamigumi, Higashiyama–ward, Kyoto 605–0067, Japan

Grand E’terna Nijojomae(Corporate Leasing)472–0–2, Taruyamachi, Nakagyo–ward,Kyoto 604–8264, Japan

Kasahokomachi(Corporate Leasing)49 Kasahoko–machi, Shimogyo–ward, Kyoto 600–8494, Japan

NagoyaMarunouchi central Heights(Corporate Leasing)23–6, 3 chome, Marunouchi, Naka–ward, Nagoya 460–0002, Japan

Osakas-Residence Fukushima Luxe(Corporate Leasing)22–9, Fukushima 7 chome, Fukushima–ward, Osaka 553–0003, Japan

s-Residence Gakuenzaka(Corporate Leasing)1–1, 2 chome, Sitatera 2 chome, Naniwa–ward, Osaka 556–0001, Japan

s-Residence Hommachi Marks(Corporate Leasing)2–3–6, Tokuimachi, Chuo–ward, Osaka 540–0025, Japan

s-Residence Midoribashi serio(Corporate Leasing)3–17–6, Nakamoto, Higashinari–ward,Osaka, 537–0022, Japan

s-Residence Namba Viale(Corporate Leasing)3–9–1, Motomachi 3 chome,Naniwa–ward, Osaka 556–0016, Japan

s-Residence tanimachi 9 chome(Corporate Leasing)4–29, Ikutama–cho, Tennoji–ward,Osaka 543–0072, Japan

SagaGrand E’terna saga(Corporate Leasing)1167–3, Ipponmatsu, HonjochoSaga 840–0937, Japan

Grand E’terna sagaidaidori(Corporate Leasing)63, 4 chome, NabeshimaSaga 849–0937, Japan

SapporoBig Palace Kita 14 Jo(Corporate Leasing)6–2, Nishi 4 chome, Kita14jyo, Kita–ward, Sapporo 001–0014, Japan

Left: Tourists at a bar in the Tianzifang art zone of Shanghai. The old district on Taikang Road is home to a host of art studios, lofts, shops and cafes which vie for attention in the zigzag alleys opposite: The stunning Flower Dome conservatory at Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay

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Bangalorecitadines Galleria(Opening in 2015) citadines RichmondNo 1 Langford Gardens, Richmond Road,Bangalore – 560 001, India Chennaisomerset Greenways94 Sathyadev Avenue, MRC Nagar, Santhome Chennai – 600 028, India

Australia Reservations:1800 766 377 (Local Toll Free) Hobartsomerset on the PierElizabeth Street Pier, Hobart TAS 7000, Australia somerset on salamanca8 Salamanca Place,Hobart TAS 7000, Australia Melbournecitadines on Bourke131–135 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia somerset on Elizabeth250 Elizabeth Street,Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

SendaiGrand Mire Miyamachi(Corporate Leasing)1–1–62, Miyamachi, Aoba–ward,Sendai 908–0004, Japan Grand Mire shintera(Corporate Leasing)9–23, 4 chome, Shintera,Wakabayashi–ward,Sendai 984–0051, Japan TokyoAsyl court Nakano sakaue(Corporate Leasing)1–14–12 Honcho Nakano–ku,Tokyo 164–0012, Japan citadines central shinjuku1-2-9, Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan citadines shinjuku1–28–13 Shinjuku, Shinjuku–ku,Tokyo 160–0022, Japan somerset Azabu EastNo 1–9–11 Higashi Azabu, Minato–ku, Tokyo 106–0044, Japan Gala Hachimanyama I(Corporate Leasing)2–1–18 Kamitakaido, Suginami–ku,Tokyo 168–0074, Japan Gala Hachimanyama II(Corporate Leasing)2–1–2 Kamitakaido, Suginami–ku,Tokyo 168–0074, Japan Green Park Akasaka(Corporate Leasing)5–2–10 Akasaka, Minato–ku,Tokyo 107–6101, Japan Joy city Koishikawa shokubutsuen(Corporate Leasing)3–35–18 Otsuka, Bunkyo–ku,Tokyo 112–0012, Japan Joy city Kuramae(Corporate Leasing)2–24–1 Kuramae, Taito–ku,Tokyo 111–0051, Japan Nakameguro Residence(Corporate Leasing)4–13–41 Nakameguro, Meguro–ku,Tokyo 153–0061, Japan Nibancho Park Forest(Corporate Leasing)7–8 Nibancho, Chiyoda–ku,Tokyo 102–0084, Japan

Park Habio Azabu tower(Corporate Leasing)1–8–3 Higashi Azabu, Minato–ku,Tokyo 106–0044, Japan Roppongi Residences(Corporate Leasing)No3–4–31 Roppongi, Minato–ku,Tokyo 106–0032, Japan shochiku square Residence(Corporate Leasing)1–13–5 Tsukiji, Chuo–ku,Tokyo 104–0045, Japan Zesty Akebonobashi(Corporate Leasing)1–17 Tomihisacho, Shinjuku–ku,Tokyo 162–0067, Japan Zesty Gotokuji(Corporate Leasing)6–42–5 Matsubara, Setagaya–ku,Tokyo 156 0043, Japan Zesty Higashi shinjuku(Corporate Leasing)6–15–20 Shinjuku, Shinjuku–ku,Tokyo 160–0022, Japan Zesty Kagurazaka I(Corporate Leasing)2–13 Nishigokencho, Shinjuku–ku,Tokyo 162–0812, Japan

Zesty Kagurazaka II(Corporate Leasing)123–3 Yaraicho, Shinjuku–ku,Tokyo, 162–0805, Japan Zesty Kasugacho(Corporate Leasing)6–4–15 Kasugacho, Nerima–ku,Tokyo 179–0074, Japan Zesty Koishikawa(Corporate Leasing)5–41–7 Koishikawa, Bunkyo–ku,Tokyo 112–0002, Japan Zesty Komazawa Daigaku II(Corporate Leasing)2–12–21 Higashigaoka, Meguro–ku,Tokyo 152–0021, Japan Zesty Nishi shinjuku III(Corporate Leasing)3–18–15 Nishishinjuku,Shinjuku–ku, Tokyo 160–0023, Japan Zesty sakura shinmachi(Corporate Leasing)3–11–3 Tsurumaki, Setagaya–ku,Tokyo 154–0016, Japan Zesty shin Ekoda(Corporate Leasing)1–2–2 Toyotamakami, Nerima–ku,Tokyo 176–0011, Japan

Zesty shoin Jinja(Corporate Leasing)4–3–3 Setagaya, Setagaya–ku,Tokyo 154–0017, Japan Zesty shoin Jinja II(Corporate Leasing)4–5–4 Setagaya, Setagaya–ku,

Tokyo 154–0017, Japan

South Korea

Reservations:+82 2 6730 8000 Busancitadines Haeundae Busan(Opening in 2015) Seoulsomerset Palace7 Yulgok-ro 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-885, South Korea

south Asia

India

Reservations: +91 80 7101 0000 (Bangalore)+91 44 7101 0000 (Chennai)

Perthcitadines st Georges terrace185 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000, Australia

Europe

Belgium

Reservations :+33 1 41 057 905 Brusselscitadines sainte-catherine51 Quai au Bois à Brûler 1000Brussels, Belgium

citadines toison d’or61–63 Avenue de la Toison d’Or 1060Brussels, Belgium

France

Reservations: +33 1 41 057 905

Pariscitadines Austerlitz27 Rue Esquirol, 75013 Paris, France

citadines Bastille Gare de Lyon14-18 Rue de Chaligny,75012 Paris, France citadines Bastille Marais37 Boulevard Richard Lenoir, 75011 Paris, France citadines Didot Montparnasse94 Rue Didot, 75014 Paris, France citadines La DéfenseLa Defense, Les Saisons 8 Boulevard de Neuilly 92400, Courbevoie Paris, France citadines Les Halles4 Rue des Innocents, 75001 Paris, France

citadines Maine Montparnasse67 Avenue du Maine, 75014 Paris, France

citadines Montmartre16 Avenue Rachel, 75001 Paris, France

citadines opéra Paris18 Rue Favart, 75002 Paris, France

citadines Place d’Italie18 Place d’Italie, 75013 Paris, France citadines République75 Bis, Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris, France citadines saint-Germain-des-Prés 53 Ter, quai des Grands–Augustins,75006 Paris, France citadines suites Arc de triomphe83 Avenue Kléber75116 Paris, France citadines suites Louvre8 Rue de Richelieu, 75001 Paris, France citadines tour Eiffel132 Boulevard de Grenelle, 75015 Paris, France citadines trocadéro29 Bis, Rue Saint–Didier, 75116 Paris, France Outside ParisCannescitadines croisette1 Rue le Poussin, 06400 Cannes, France Ferney VoltaireCitadines Genève34 Rue de Genève, 01210 Genève Ferney Voltaire, France Grenoblecitadines city centre9–11 Rue de Strasbourg, 38000 Grenoble, France Lillecitadines city centreAvenue Willy Brandt Euralille, 59777 Lille, France Lyoncitadines Part-Dieu91–95 Rue Moncey, 69003 Lyon, France citadines Presqu’île2 Rue Thomassin, 69002 Lyon, France Marseillecitadines castellane60 Rue du Rouet, 13006 Marseille, France citadines Prado chanot9–11 Boulevard de Louvain, 13008 Marseille, France Montpelliercitadines Antigone588 Boulevard d’Antigone, 34000 Montpellier, France

Strasbourgcitadines Kléber50–54 Rue du Jeu des Enfants, 67000 Strasbourg, France Toulousecitadines Wilson8 Boulevard de Strasbourg, 31000 Toulouse, France

Georgia

Reservations : +33 1 41 057 905

Tbilisicitadines Freedom squareBuilding 2a, 4 Freedom Square, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia

Germany

Reservations: +49 30 887 760 (Berlin)+49 69 920 3850 (Frankfurt)+49 40 300 6180 (Hamburg)+49 89 940 0800 (Munich) Berlincitadines KurfürstendammOlivaer Platz 1, 10707 Berlin–Wilmersdorf, Germany Frankfurtcitadines city centreEuropa-Allee 2360327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany citadines MichelLudwig-Erhard-Straße 720459 Hamburg, Germany Munichcitadines ArnulfparkArnulfstrasse 51, 80636 München, Germany

Spain

Reservations : +34 902 200 699 Barcelonacitadines RamblasRamblas 122, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

United Kingdom

Reservations: 0800 376 38 98 (Local Toll-Free)

LondonAscott Mayfair49 Hill Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5NB, UK

the cavendish(Managed by The Ascott Limited)81 Jermyn Street, St James’s,London SW1Y 6JF, UK citadines Barbican7–21 Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AH, UK citadines Holborn-covent Garden94–99 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LF, UK citadines south Kensington35A Gloucester Road, London SW7 4PL, UK citadines st Mark’s-Islington300 City Road, London EC1V 2PW, UK citadines trafalgar square18–21 Northumberland Avenue, London WC2N 5EA, UK

Gulf Region

Bahrain

Reservations: +973 1781 1889

Manamasomerset Al FatehPO Box 75771, Juffair, Kingdom of Bahrain

Qatar

Reservations: +974 4497 1234 (Ascott Doha)+974 4420 3344 (Somerset West Bay Doha)

DohaAscott Doha Diplomatic Area, PO Box 207274, Doha, Qatar somerset West BayDiplomatic Area, PO Box 26026,Doha, Qatar

Oman

Reservations: +968 2675 3242 (Sohar)

Left: flowers bring a riot of colour to Hobart in Tasmania. Part of the popular market on Salamanca Street, it’s a much visited attraction for locals and visitors alike

Muscatsomerset Panorama (Opening in 2015)

Soharsohar Garden Residences (Corporate Leasing)Al Jafra Street, Al Multaqa Plot 52,Complex 2278, Sohar, Ruwi, Sultanate of Oman

Saudi Arabia

RiyadhAscott olaya (Opening in 2015)

JeddahAscott tahlia (Opening in 2015)

citadines Al salamah (Opening in 2015)

Ascott sari(Opening in 2015)

United Arab Emirates

Reservations: +971 4 310 8503

DubaiAscott Park Place Park Place Tower, Sheikh Zayed Road, PO Box 117452, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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Quest Breakfast creek15 Amy Street,Albion QLD 4010

Quest chermsideThomas Street,Chermside QLD 4032 Quest chermside on Playfield38-40 Playfield Street,Chermside QLD 4032 Quest Gladstone39-43 Bramston Street,Gladstone QLD 4680 Quest Ipswich57–63 Warwick Road,Ipswich QLD 4305 Quest Kelvin Grove41 Ramsgate Street,Kelvin Grove QLD 4059 Quest Mackay38 Macalister Street,Mackay QLD 4740 Quest Mackay on Gordon 27 Gordon Street,Mackay QLD 4740 Quest River Park central120 Mary Street,Brisbane QLD 4000 Quest Rockhampton48 Victoria Parade,Rockhampton QLD 4700 Quest spring Hill454 Upper Edward Street,Spring Hill QLD 4000 Quest on story Bridge85 Deakin Street,Kangaroo Point QLD 4169 Quest toowoomba133 Margaret Street,Toowoomba QLD 4350 Quest townsville30-34 Palmer Street,Townsville QLD 4810 Quest townsville on Eyre19-21 Leichhardt Street,North Ward QLD 4810 Quest Woolloongabba130 Logan Rd,Woolloongabba QLD 4102

South Australia Quest on Franklin74 Franklin Street,Adelaide SA 5000 Quest on King William82 King William Street,Adelaide SA 5000

Quest King William south379 King William Street,Adelaide SA 5000 Quest Mawson Lakes33–37 Main Street,Mawson Lakes SA 5095 Quest Whyalla4 Moran Street,Whyalla SA 5608 Quest Whyalla Playford9-11 Darling Terrace,Whyalla SA 5600

Tasmania Quest Launceston16 Paterson Street,Launceston TAS 7250 Quest savoy38 Elizabeth Street,Hobart TAS 7000 Quest trinity HouseCnr Brooker Ave & Davenport StreetHobart TAS 7000 Quest Waterfront3 Brooke Street,Hobart TAS 7000

Victoria

Quest Abbotsford611 Victoria StreetAbbotsford VIC 3067 Quest Ballarat7-11 Dawson Street North,Ballarat VIC 3350 Quest Ballarat Mews603-605 Main Road,Ballarat VIC 3350 Quest Bendigo489 High Street,Bendigo VIC 3550 Quest Bendigo central228 McCrae Street,Bendigo VIC 3550 Quest BrightonCnr South & Cummins Roads,Brighton East VIC 3187 Quest Brighton on the Bay250 Esplanade,Brighton VIC 3186 Quest on Bourke155 Bourke Street,Melbourne VIC 3000 Quest Bundoora40 Janefield Drive,Bundoora VIC 3083

Quest carlton on Finlay2-9 Finlay Place,Carlton VIC 3053 Quest caroline springs234 Caroline Springs Boulevard,Caroline Springs VIC 3023 Quest on chapel651 Chapel Street,South Yarra VIC 3141 Quest cheltenham37-39 Station Road,Cheltenham VIC 3192 Quest clocktower on Lygon255 Drummond Street,Carlton VIC 3053 Quest DandenongCnr Princes Hwy & James Street,Dandenong VIC 3175 Quest Docklands750 Bourke Street,Docklands VIC 3008 Quest Doncaster855 Doncaster Road,Doncaster VIC 3108 Quest on Dorcas8 Dorcas Street,South Melbourne VIC 3205

Quest East Melbourne48 Wellington Parade,East Melbourne VIC 3002 Quest Echuca25–29 Heygarth Street,Echuca VIC 3564 Quest Flemington600 Epsom Road,Flemington VIC 3031 Quest Frankston 377 Nepean Highway,Frankston VIC 3199 Quest Frankston on the Bay435 Nepean Highway,Frankston VIC 3199 Quest Geelong16-18 The Esplanade South,Geelong VIC 3220 Quest Glen Waverley353-361 Springvale RoadGlen Waverley VIC 3150 Quest Gordon Place24 Little Bourke Street,Melbourne VIC 3000 Quest Hawthorn616 Glenferrie Road,Hawthorn VIC 3122

Australian Capital Territory

Quest canberraMelbourne Building 28 West Row,Canberra City ACT 2601

New South Wales

Quest Albury550 Kiewa Street,Albury NSW 2640

Quest Serviced ApartmentsQuest Serviced Apartments, Australasia’s leading serviced apartment provider, has almost 150 properties in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. Located in central business districts, suburban and regional areas with close proximity to head offices, business centres and key tourist destinations; Quest apartments offer convenient and spacious accommodation. No matter where you need to travel, Quest is perfectly placed

Quest Albury on townsend450 Townsend Street,Albury NSW 2640 Quest Bondi Junction28 Spring St,Bondi Junction NSW 2022 Quest campbelltown1 Rennie Road,Campbelltown NSW 2560 Quest castle Hill8 Gladstone RoadCastle Hill NSW 2154 Quest chatswood38 Albert Avenue,Chatswood NSW 2067 Quest cronulla Beach1 Kingsway,Cronulla NSW 2230 Quest Dubbo22 Bultje Street, Dubbo NSW 2830

Quest Liverpool39 Scott Street,Liverpool NSW 2170 Quest Maitland1 Ken Tubman Drive,Maitland NSW 2320 Quest Manly54A West Esplanade,Manly NSW 2095 Quest Mascot108-114 Robey Street,Mascot NSW 2020 Quest Newcastle575 Hunter Street,Newcastle NSW 2300 Quest Newcastle West787 Hunter Street,Newcastle West NSW 2302 Quest North Ryde58-62 Delhi Road,North Ryde NSW 2113

Quest Nowra130 Kinghorne Street,Nowra NSW 2541 Quest Potts Point15 Springfield Avenue,Potts Point NSW 2011 Quest singleton5-7 Civic Avenue,Singleton NSW 2330 Quest at sydney olympic Park6 Edwin Flack Avenue,Sydney Olympic Park, NSW 2127 Quest tamworth337 Armidale Road,Tamworth NSW 2340 Quest Wagga Wagga69 Gurwood Street,Wagga Wagga NSW 2650 Quest Wollongong59-61 Kembla Street,Wollongong NSW 2500

Quest World square2 Cunningham Street,Sydney NSW 2000

Northern Territory

Quest Alice springs9-10 South Terrace,Alice Springs NT 0870 Quest Berrimah4 Berrimah Rd,Berrimah NT 0828 Quest Palmerston18 The Boulevard,Palmerston City, NT 0830 Quest Parap49 Parap Road,Parap NT 0820

Queensland Quest AscotCnr Lancaster Rd & Duke Street, Ascot QLD 4007

Reservations: 1800 334 033(Australia) 0800 944 400(New Zealand) +61 3 9645 8357(International)www.questapartments.com.au Email: [email protected]

Quest Hero140 Little Collins Street,Melbourne VIC 3000 Quest Ivanhoe72-84 Upper Heidelberg Road,Ivanhoe VIC 3079 Quest Jolimont153-155 Wellington Parade South,East Melbourne VIC 3002 Quest Kew19-21 Walpole Street,Kew VIC 3101 Quest Knox137 Mountain Highway,Wantirna VIC 3152 Quest on Lonsdale43 Lonsdale Street,Melbourne VIC 3000 Quest MaribyrnongEdgewater Boulevard,Maribyrnong VIC 3032 Quest Melbourne AirportCnr South Centre Rd & Annandale Rd,Melbourne Airport VIC 3045 Quest Mildura115-119 Madden Avenue,Mildura VIC 3500

Above: Cafe culture is an integral part of Brighton’s appeal. This beachside suburb of Melbourne is just 11 kilometres away from the city’s central business district.

Under a cloudFishermen stride along the rocky cost of North Stradbroke Island in Queensland. Reportedly the second largest sand island in the world, it’s a picturesque destination for its stunning scenery and clear blue waters.

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Quest Mont Albert741-745 Whitehorse Road,Mont Albert VIC 3127 Quest Moonee ValleyCnr McPherson & Coats Streets,Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 Quest Moorabbin3 Kingston Road,Heatherton VIC 3202 Quest Narre WarrenCnr Princes Highway& Verdun Drive,Narre Warren VIC 3805 Quest Portland66 Julia Street,Portland VIC 3305 Quest Prahran9 Balmoral Street,South Yarra VIC 3141 Quest Royal Gardens8 Royal Lane,Fitzroy VIC 3065 Quest sale180–184 York Street,Sale VIC 3850 Quest sanctuary Lakes9 Greg Norman Drive,Sanctuary Lakes Resort,Point Cook VIC 3030

Quest shepparton177-183 Welsford Street,Shepparton VIC 3630 Quest southbank12-16 Kavanagh Street,Southbank VIC 3006 Quest south Melbourne21 Park Street,South Melbourne VIC 3205 Quest st Kilda Bayside1 Eildon Road,St Kilda VIC 3182 Quest on st Kilda Road1A St Kilda Road,St Kilda VIC 3182 Quest Warrnambool15-19 Liebig Street,Warrnambool VIC 3280 Quest Werribee69 Synnot Street,Werribee VIC 3030 Quest on William172 William Street,Melbourne VIC 3000 Quest Williamstown1 Syme Street,Williamstown VIC 3016 Quest Williamstown North115-119 Kororoit, Creek Road,Williamstown VIC 3016

Quest Windsor111 Punt Road,Prahran VIC 3181 Quest Wodonga46 Reid Street,Wodonga VIC 3690

Western Australia Quest Bunbury14 Lyons Cove,Bunbury WA 6230 Quest Harbour VillageMews Rd, Challenger Harbour,Fremantle WA 6160 Quest on James228 James Street,Northbridge WA 6003 Quest Mandurah20 Apollo Place,Mandurah WA 6210 Quest Mounts Bay Road130 Mounts Bay Road,Perth WA 6000 Quest on Rheola18 Rheola Street,West Perth WA 6005 Quest Rockingham15 Flinders Lane,Rockingham WA 6168(1800) 334 033

Quest scarborough4 Brighton Road,Scarborough WA 6019 Quest south Perth281 Cnr Mill Point Rd & Arlington Ave,South Perth WA 6151 Quest Yelverton Kalgoorlie210 Egan Street, Kalgoorlie WA 6430 Quest West End451 Murray Street,Perth WA 6000 Quest West Perth54 Kings Park Road,West Perth WA 6005

Left: The sun sets over St Kilda Pier in Melbourne. The picture postcard prettiness of St Kilda is home to the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron and known for its safe, sandy beaches and pic-turesque setting - all within easy travelling distance from the centre of the city.Ph

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