July 19, 2024 was a Y2K D-Day for many industries when a Crowdstrike error ground airports and airlines to a halt. Just my luck, I was at Barcelona Airport and I’d checked in for a Vueling Airlines flight. I’ve never been a fan of budget airlines because I’m claustrophobic and I’m big on customer service, but until now Vueling has somehow managed to make my short flights within Spain bearable with their premium seat options, attractive inflight menus, cheerful staff and user-friendly website. WHEN TECHNOLOGY REPLACES HUMANS Using technology, they’ve cut costs by easing out human contact — and ..read more

Sands Resorts Macao recently held its ‘The Fabric of Macao’ roadshow extravaganza in Tokyo. Japan’s top travel industry representatives, meeting organisers and media partners attended the formal dinner and performance. This was the fourth stop after successful events in Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul. The event spotlighted Sands Resorts Macao’s offerings and once-in-a-lifetime experiences through a fusion of luxury, art and entertainment. This was certainly a great way to entice Japanese travel partners and travelers back to Macao after the pandemic. Macao in Tokyo Kris Kami ..read more

The idea to purchase a property in Spain came out the blue. It was the height of the COVID pandemic and I was onboard a Japan Airlines flight about to land at Narita Airport in 20 minutes. The virus was ravaging much of Europe and there was no vaccine in sight. As soon as I reached my home in Tokyo, I went online even before unpacking my bags. I googled “properties for sale in Spain” and made a shortlist of the estates I fancied. I wanted either a beautiful country house or a unique hotel. Luckily, I found a property in the pristine Lecrin Valley in Southern Spain, just 30 minutes from Granad ..read more

The much-loved homes of Geoffrey Bawa and his brother Bevis are must visits for visitors to Sri Lanka who love architecture and design. Over several trips to Sri Lanka, I became well acquainted with the works of Geoffrey, the most revered architect and creative visionary in South Asia for a certain generation. Even today, I don’t think a younger talent has emerged to rival his claim to fame. And definitely not his genius. Geoffrey Bawa’s former studio is now a fashionable hangout in Colombo called Paradise Cafe. The owner told me that Bawa’s desk was once placed here, where cakes are now disp ..read more

One of the best hotel suites in Tokyo is not quite its largest nor its most luxurious. However it is definitely its most distinctive. Tucked away on the 14th floor of the prestigious Imperial Hotel Tokyo, which has long been an institution in the Japanese hospitality industry, is the Frank Lloyd Wright suite. It’s not open to the public so let me share with you details and photos from my time there. THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT CONNECTION This suite was not created by Frank Lloyd Wright, the great architect. In fact most of the current Imperial Hotel was not created by him either. He created the o ..read more

It was the summer before the pandemic and we were in Siberia, in the exotic Republic of Buryatia, where the pace of life is slow. The Trans-Siberian Express was delayed and no one was quite sure when it would finally show up. We’d arrived on time in the dusty Soviet-era station of the city of Ulan-Ude, capital of the Republic of Buryatia, but the station master only gave a shrug when we’d asked about the whereabouts of the train. So for about an hour, I stood on the crowded platform, grappling with uncertainty while observing the other passengers, mostly Russians of Mongol descent, waiting i ..read more

Perched right along the Bosphorus, just at the end of Galata Bridge, the new The Peninsula Istanbul is a testament to luxury and fine taste in a city already known for its aesthetic elegance and sensibility. This opulent retreat, chosen the Best New Hotel in the World for 2023, was seamlessly put together from three port area buildings — including what was once Istanbul’s shipping and cruise terminal — plus an entirely new building. From many of its premium rooms and suites, it offers unparalleled 180-degree views of an extraordinary panorama: the majestic Bosphorus with the bridges in the di ..read more

Located in the heart of historic Kyoto, where the ancient and modern coalesce, The Celestine Kyoto Gion is a haven of serenity. This elegant hotel offers a cocoon escape for anyone seeking a place to refresh and rejuvenate from a stressful lifestyle. The ambience could partly be due to the location of the hotel just opposite Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple Kenninji (建仁寺). the calm beauty of Kyoto. Kenninji Temple – Kyoto’s oldest Zen Temple Kenninji Temple was founded in 1202 and is said to be where Zen (which originated from China) was first taught in Japan. Inside the temple grounds, there are sev ..read more

In Japanese, “Moga” refers to “Modern Girls” – a term from the 1920s (Prohibition era) describing young, urban women who embraced Western fashion, lifestyle, and values. The Moga phenomenon represented a departure from the more conservative ideals of the past and marked a shift towards a more liberated and cosmopolitan lifestyle. “Moga” women were seen as emblematic of the changing roles and aspirations of Japanese women in a rapidly modernizing society. In the context of MOGĀ at Pullman Singapore Hill Street, located behind the ground floor hotel lobby, the use of the term “Moga” is a nod to ..read more

Located in the heart of historic Kyoto, where the ancient and modern coalesce, The Celestine Kyoto Gion is a haven of serenity. This elegant hotel offers a cocoon escape for anyone seeking a place to refresh and rejuvenate from a stressful lifestyle. The ambience could partly be due to the location of the hotel just opposite Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple Kenninji (建仁寺). the calm beauty of Kyoto. Kenninji Temple – Kyoto’s oldest Zen Temple Kenninji Temple was founded in 1202 and is said to be where Zen (which originated from China) was first taught in Japan. Inside the temple grounds, there are sev ..read more