On my third and last day in Vietnam I sought out the mythical Ha Long Bay. Ha Long Bay - 'Where the dragon descends into the sea' - is a cluster of thousands of limestone islands rising from the jade waters of Vietnam, praised by poets as 'the rock wonder in the sky'. Legend has it that a young Vietnam were sent a family of dragons as protectors from the gods to defend this new country from invaders. The dragons spat out jewels and jade, which turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, and linked to form a great wall. These rock mountains abruptly appeared on the sea, ahead of the enemy, striking and sinking their ships. After the Vietnamese emerged triumphant, their defenders remained in the bay - the place where the mother dragon descended was christened Hạ Long, the place where the dragon's children attended upon their mother was named Bai Tu Long island, and the place where the dragon's children wriggled their tails violently was called Bach Long Vy.
February 13, 2015
My first day in Hanoi was spent learning how to confidently cross the road (stride steadily and determinedly across the path of never-ending traffic; don't pause, freeze, or turn back, and let the motorcycles drive around you). On my second (and last) day in this colourful, chaotic Socialist republic capital I woke up early and tried to take in as many of Hanoi's iconic sights as possible as well as a few local favourites.
February 12, 2015
Mummy and I arrived in Hanoi on Sunday for a little reconnaissance mission of a hospitality nature and we checked into Intercontinental Hanoi Westlake - one of mummy's company's hotels in Hanoi - which would be our base for our short trip in Vietnam. This is my first ever visit to Hanoi - shocking, I know, given its proximity to and accessibly from Kuala Lumpur - and my first impression of this developing city was: Whoa, Hanoi is every bit as hectic as everyone says it is!
February 10, 2015
On Sunday, in Bangkok’s upscale Siam Kempinski Hotel, I had the privilege of experiencing the first ever example of molecular gastronomy in Thailand. In 2009 the excitement over Heston Blu’s bangs n’ whistles had started to fade in the West, and it was late that year that Henrik Yde Andersen introduced molecular gastronomy to Thailand - bringing the artistry, theatrical deconstruction, and boundary pushing of texture, temperature, and form to Bangkok with Sra Bua. Sra Bua is the baby sister of restaurant Kiin Kiin in Copenhagen, which was founded by Danish-born Yde-Andersen after a 'life-changing' visit to Thailand, and is currently the only restaurant representing Thai cuisine in the Michelin-star guide (as the Michelin guide does not operate in Thailand).
As to be expected, we were presented with avant-garde interpretations of classical Thai dishes - tom yam, pad thai, red curry. A lot of if goes back to the source, inspired by street food favourites like the Chiang Mai sausages deconstructed to reveal that familiar ‘street food smell’ of engine smoke that reveals itself when presented only to dissipate immediately, much like the coming and going of motorcycles and tuk tuks by a busy night market. Sra Bua was my first experience with Thai molecular gastronomy and I found it all terribly interesting and rather magical - I daresay you might, too, so take my hand and steady on, the show is starting...
February 06, 2015
February is my month of travel. By the end of it, the wheels of my adorably retro mint cabin bag will have rolled across airports in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hanoi, two cities in Borneo, and London. Last weekend I travelled across nine time zones in 24 hours alone - reaching Kuala Lumpur from London on Friday, before buzzing off to Bangkok the following morning. I know it all looks very shiny and jet set - maybe she's born with it, maybe it's an Instagram filter - but I assure you that there is nothing distinctly glamourous about the crippling jet lag that ensues the constant crossing of borders. Monday and Tuesday were public holidays in Malaysia so my family and I nipped over to Bangkok for a long weekend.
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Bangkok is a favourite destination for myself and Michiekins - we always pop over to do our shopping there; whether for cutting-edge labels from up-and-coming designers at Siam Centre, or the wholesale delights of the labyrinth-like Platinum Mall, enjoying the creative window displays of our favourite upscale labels in glossy Siam Paragon, or haggling for cheap kitsch at chaotic Chatuchak Market. I've said it before, I'll say it again: "I shouldn't be shopping, Baht Siam-one's gotta do it." Sadly, this time round I didn't see much of Bangkok - my body clock was too messed up. I spent everyday sleeping in my Grand Deluxe room and every evening working till seven in the morning, only to nap two hours before going down for breakfast, then going back to sleep again only to rise from my coffin at dusk for dinner (blood...blooood). Never leaving the hotel in the daytime except for one afternoon to sightsee and shop, only venturing out at night for dinner - does that sound like a wasted trip? I don't feel that way because I go to Bangkok fairly often and whenever I do I'm scurrying around all day, only ever being in the hotel to sleep. This time I actually got to enjoy the luxury of The St Regis Bangkok, which I now share with you!
The St Regis Bangkok boasts 'bespoke luxury' and located at a premier address in a prestigious location along Rajadamri Road is the perfect base to explore the more luxurious delights of the city, with many of the city’s finest restaurants and upscale boutiques nearby.
Sweet treats greeted me upon arrival in the hotel's first lobby, before butlers whisked us away to the second reception on the twelfth floor - home to the St Regis bar whose signature drink the 'Siam Mary' is a tribute to the hotel’s rich lineage (the Bloody Mary was invented at the St. Regis New York in 1934) with a distinct Bangkok twist of spicy Thai chili, wasabi, lime, coriander, Thai basil and lemongrass.
Some of my better writing was done in the balcony just outside the St Regis Bar, although my room was hardly a literal nor figurative cage...
...at 65 square metres, my Grand Deluxe room is nearly the same size as my first London flat. I would always receive deliveries from my butler at the landing area of my hallway, hasty to keep from his sight the horrific mess of my room lest it be too traumatising for the soft-spoken, demure, and refined nature of the Thais. Thankfully the long hallway, with the open plan bathroom beyond, acted as a buffer between mess and mind.
Two beds; one for sleeping in and one for napping in. The smart writing desk went unused except as a landing area for the contents of my handbag every time I switched my bags - I did most of my work from the sofa and of course the bar downstairs. From the floor-to-ceiling windows of my room I enjoyed the vast, verdant view of Royal Bangkok Sports Club (just outside the hotel), spying on golfers as their trotted across the endless green of the course.
Yellows, nude, and grey was the colour scheme for Bangkok and I daresay will be my sartorial palette for the month of February. For a pop of sunshiny goodness against a backdrop of grey I had my favourite Louis Vuitton WPM in pistachio (adorned with 'cat-puke hairballs' from Fendi, an addition by mummy); and my new Jeffrey Campbell sandals, a spiky purchase I made at Siam Centre as a precaution against oafish tourists stepping on my feet with their fat flip-flop clad feet. Louis Vuitton sunglasses spared the people of Bangkok the sight of my dark eye circles.
I wasn't always a recluse - I did venture out to sightsee and shop one afternoon (although I nearly collapsed from jet lag and heat exhaustion, our chauffeur had to whisk me back to St Regis where I spent all afternoon self-medicating with...Diet Coke), went out for dinner twice and shopped at Patpong market for trinkets including some gorgeous hand-woven bags I will show you!
Oh, and I also dutifully showed my face at breakfast every morning, at Viu.
'Fauxcialite party animal Jasiminne' would have had the Astor Champagne breakfast with a banana mascarpone french toast for breakfast, but sadly my fabulous doppelgänger was nowhere to be seen - I heard she missed her flight - so Neanderthal Jasiminne just grunted and jabbed at her breakfast plate of dim sum, bacon, sausages, and pastries while glugging on...more Diet Coke. Analogies aside, Viu really is a lovely place to dine in. Inspired by the traditional New York bistro and describing itself itself as a bright, sunny environment that recalls the grace and character of a stately home, by night Viu is the place for foodies and culinary connoisseurs to embark on a gorgeous gastronomical experience with signature dinner dishes like Japanese Kobe beef fillet marinated in duck and pink French garlic oil confit, seasoned with Japanese Aguni sea salt.
There is no shortage of dining destinations at St Regis Bangkok, with fashionable restaurants Viu, Zuma and Jojo, The Lounge and The Drawing Room for afternoon tea, Decanter for oenophiles (wine connoisseurs), St Regis Bar for their signature Siam Mary, and for those whose idea of being well travelled is artfuly Instagramming their sandwiches and cocktails by the swimming pool there is always Pool Bar.
The service at St Regis is top notch as you would come to expect from a 5* luxury hotel. With its stunning guest rooms including 51 suites, St Regis butler service, myriad of acclaimed restaurants and its prime position in one of Bangkok's most prestigious addresses, The St Regis Bangkok is the perfect base from which to explore this colourful city.
February 05, 2015
On the last leg of my Riga city break, I learnt how to be a real musher, crossing the Latvian countryside with a team of husky dogs and a sled. The wonderful staff at Gallery Park Hotel Riga made the arrangements - I was picked up from the hotel in the morning by a representative from Tour Point and drove to the 'base camp' in West Riga for a good two hours across long icy roads (with signs pointing to Moscow!) past endless stretches of pine forest. My guide (we'll call him R) told me fascinating stories about Latvian history, local legends, and about the high probability of the Holy Grail being lost somewhere in Riga - let's get digging!
February 01, 2015
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