ONTHEMAP
yangon
mandalay
kuala lumpur
hong kong
phnom penh
singapore
On the
map
A glimpse of what’s waiting
to be discovered across our
network
HOT-AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL
Barely a decade old, Pyin Oo
Lwin’s annual
hot-air balloon
festival
has already become
a must-see event. Each year,
giant decorated balloons draw
thousands of visitors to this
picturesque town 90 minutes
north-east of Mandalay.
HIDDEN WATERING HOLE
“A number of ‘secret’ speakeasies have recently
popped up across the city, but
Omakase +
Appreciate
pretty much exemplifies hard-to-find
appeal. With resident mixologists Shawn Cheong
and Karl Too at the helm, you can be sure your
tailor-made tipple is in safe hands.”
– writer Helen Alexander, page 25
Find more of KL’s best drinking dens in our guide to creative hub
Publika on page 131
DESIGNER DIGS
Opened officially in early October, edgy
162-room hotel
Southside Ovolo
(it’s
housed in a converted warehouse) is a
member of the Design Hotels family. It’s
easy to see why: it’s located in hip,
gallery-filled Wong Chuk Hang and boasts
trendy loft rooms and walls splashed in
bold murals.
ovolohotels.com
PHOTO EXTRAVAGANZA
The
Singapore International
Photo Festival
is a biennial event
that spotlights compelling work by
photographers from across the
region, such as Zinkie Aw (pictured).
A festival village has been set up at
DECK, a new art space made up of
19 converted shipping containers.
Until 30 November.
sipf.sg; deck.sg
Read about the region’s first photo
festival on page 125
LUXURY LEATHER
With its workshop and boutique
housed within hip new rum
distillery and bar
Samai
, the just
launched D. Wilkins label sells
vintage-looking, buttery soft
custom-leather satchels, wallets
and laptop covers among many
other men’s accessories.
facebook.comDWilkinsCollection
Read about Samai Distillery and
other new openings in Cambodia
on page 121
HIPSTER HANGOUT
A fine exemplar of the city’s emerging
cosmopolitan identity, this century-old
building has served as a stationery store,
a Viennese coffee shop and a Japanese
hospital.
Gekko Bar
, which opened this
year, is a cool Japanese drinking den.
gekkoyangon.com
Read about Gekko’s owner and Yangon’s
best bars on page 113
ILLUSTRATION: MAXIM SAVVA AT ILLUSTRATIONROOM.COM.AU; MYANMAR IMAGE: CORBIS
