This café/restaurant/bar is located on Keppel Bay, a man-made island that's also home to swanky yachts. Granted, its location might make it a tad inaccessible but we're willing to look past that for it's quaint ambiance and stunning views of the marina. Privé serves up simple but effective dishes, like steaks, Iberico pork ribs and whole-roasted Cornish game hen. Check their website for directions.
Catalunya is a slick, contemporary dome that appears to floats on the water at Collyer Quay. Dig into dishes like foie gras and eel with grilled vegetables; black squid ink paella; and mollete de cochinillo (grilled brioche with a slice of tender suckling pig and mustard) while feasting your eyes on the visually spectacular surroundings. Check their website for more info.
This casual seaside Belgian bistro offers over 14 choices of pot-cooked mussels. You can choose to enjoy these bivalves in a traditional white wine sauce, a creamy blue cheese sauce or opt for Singapore-style laksa. Also on the menu are classic French dishes like pates and lamb shanks. For their full menu, go here.
Fullerton Bay Hotel’s newest restaurant is situated at and named after the historic landmark which served as the first port of call for immigrants in Singapore’s early days. You'll find familiar local favorites with Western touches like soup kambing (mutton soup) and fried carrot cake with soy prawns. See their website for full details.
This Chinese seafood institution on the East Coast offers an array of fresh seafood, carrying a variety of crabs like Alaskan king crab, Australian king crab and even snow crabs. Although they offer Westernized dishes like oysters Rockefeller and butter crayfish, their star is still the local menu that features items like crispy kangkong with cuttlefish and roast chicken. Head to their website for more info.
Located at one of Singapore’s most chic boardwalks, Quayside Isle, this casual Spanish tapas restaurant serves no-fuss plates of classic dishes like croquetas, grilled lamb cutlets, and three different kinds of paellas that include seafood and black squid ink. We love the vibrant atmosphere in the evenings and over the weekends. You can reserve a table at their website.
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The beaches at Cape Panwa are not ideal for swimming but are perfect for lazing about in the sun. The beach at Ao Yon has white sands and idyllic blue water and is home to fishermen and a number of yachts. Local restaurants offer boat trips if you fancy a spot of fishing.
Phuket is justifiably famous for its beaches, but waterfalls are another real attraction of the island. One nearby is Ao Yon Waterfall. Situated 10 minutues from Cape Panwa, the place is rather difficult to find, situated right where Soi Ruam Jai Ao Yon ends. It also takes a little trekking to reach the spot but it’s worth it for its strong water flow, especially during rainy season. Sit right next to the fall or dangle your legs in to get massaged by nature.
Khao Khad Views Tower is located slightly out of the way, in Wichit District on Skdidej Road past through Mudong Canal, and requires you to climb a few steps or take the natural wooden bridge trail to reach the top for a 360-degree view of south Phuket and its nearby islands. But it’s more than worth it. Chalong Bay, Makham Bay, Cape Panwa and, at a distance, the Big Buddha are all visible. The best time to go is afternoon until sunset, too.
Island-hopping is a great option for visitors here for a long stay. There are two islands close to Panwa. Coral Island or Koh Hae, three kilometers southeast of Phuket, has two beaches, Banana Beach and Long Beach, where you can view the impressive coral reef with a bit of snorkeling. The island is also great for doing water sports like kayaking. Leaving from the aquarium, day trips by longtail boat take approximately 45 minutes each way and include lunch and light snacks at B1,200 ($46) roundtrip (bargain hard). Some 12 kilometers south of Phuket lies Racha Island or Koh Raya, famous for diving and snorkeling. The clear waters and white sands see day-trippers flock here, with some even staying on in the bungalows and resorts that have begun to spring up. Day trips by speedboat take around 30 minutes each way and cost B1,600 ($62) roundtrip inclusive of lunch and light snacks.
When evening falls, the best choice to catch the sunset while sipping a few refreshing cocktails is Sri Panwa’s Baba Nest, an exclusive rooftop bar with a panoramic view of Phuket’s southeastern islands. Another restaurant with a similarly impressive view is The Grill at the newly-opened Regent Phuket Cape Panwa. Its rooftop dining lounge boasts an impressive wine list to match the setting, too. Craving some local food? Head to the last turn of the cape where the welcoming Keang Lay (33/1 Mu 8, Sakdidej Road, +66 76-391-103, open daily 11:30am-10pm) serves up tasty local bites. Try the gaeng kati pu mee hun (spicy crab red curry with rice noodles, THB150/$5.80) served with beansprout, boiled eggs, pineapple and basil leaves, the stir-fried smoked dried shrimp with pak miang (melinjo nuts, THB100/$3.90) or minced fried pork or beef with dry curry (THB120/$4.60). Follow up your heavy dinner with a stroll along the Panwa beachside to Kantary Café (owned by Cape Panwa) for a few sweets. This cozy café does some of the best coffee in the area and serves a variety of cheesecakes. Try the coffee frappe (THB75/$2.90) with a fresh fruits cheesecake (THB120/$4.60) and sit by the window for the calming ocean breeze.
For some of the best vistas in Phuket, book a stay at the ultra-luxe Sri Panwa. The resort, which is situated amidst 40 acres of lush, tropical surroundings, was awarded the title of “Best Resort in Thailand” at the Lonely Planet Traveller Destination Awards 2013. And it’s not difficult to see why—it’s absolutely stunning, and each of the villas and pool suites boast private infinity pools affording guests with gorgeous views of the sea. The interiors are also top-notch—think terra-cotta style furnishings, state of the art entertainment systems, ginormous jacuzzi tubs and more. Some of the resort’s facilities include the award-winning Cool Spa, in-house restaurant Baba Soul Food (serving up authentic Thai cuisine), Baba Poolclub (for more laid-back dining) and the breathtaking Baba Nest (a rooftop bar where you’ll get to enjoy cocktails with a glorious sunset view). Prices start from THB19,140 ($749) for a pool suite and THB29,260 ($1145) for a pool villa; they’re indubitably the high side, but we daresay that it’ll be worth every penny.
GETTING THERE
Air Asia, Jetstar, Tigerair, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines all fly to Phuket from Singapore so you can generally find a pretty affordable flight deal (from $150 return). Once at Phuket airport, the drive to Cape Panwa takes about an hour, easily arranged through your hotel or a taxi booked once you land.
VISA, CURRENCY AND TAX
Singapore citizens or passport holders do not require a visa for stays of up to one month in Thailand.
$1=THB 25
WHEN TO GO
Aim to visit from December through March, when the worst of the monsoon season has eased up and there are cool breezes to make things less humid.
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Three tiny droplet-shaped islands off the northwest coast of Lombok offer solitude and unspoiled natural beauty; gorgeous beaches, with powdery sand and sparkling clear blue waters—and not much else. Here you can lounge the day away guilt- and itinerary-free in open-air beachfront huts called berugat, and maybe do a bit of sunbathing, snorkelling or diving.
Or take a stroll around—literally—one of the islands on one of the mostly sandy, sometimes concrete (and sometimes mud) roads that circumnavigate the islands. Gili Air and Gili Meno can be looped in an hour on foot, while Gili Trawangan, slightly larger and the most developed, takes a bit longer. Bicycles for rent are everywhere, cheap and allow for quicker travel—but note that pedalling through sand is way harder than it seems.
The Gilis aren’t exactly a secret, but they exist in that sweet spot between backpacker paradise and mass tourism. There is still a fair amount of $50 accommodation, but it’s now sharing the space with more upscale resorts, some with roots in Bali (and comparable facilities and prices).What has slowed the pace of “progress” is a complete ban on motorized transport. So, for example, to get to your resort from the “harbor” the lone option for you and your bags is a cidomo, the two-wheeled cart pulled by horses so tiny you can’t help but feel sorry for them. True, the ride is so slow and uncomfortable you might find yourself wishing for a golf cart or a tuk-tuk. But then it hits you how quiet it is. You can hear the breeze and the boats and the waves and not much else. What the Gilis also don’t have: taxis, touts, banana boats, go-go bars, motorcycle rental, tour groups. It’s brilliant. Get there now before tourists mess it up!
Our first stop was the middle island, Meno. Most of the resorts are small, family run affairs, with a handful of rooms each, often standalone bungalows with sea views. On Gili Meno, we opted for Seri Waters, which had seen better days. We liked the location, though, on the quiet Northeast side of the island, right in front of a reef. If we could do it again we’d try to stay next door at Shack 58, a cottage with a nifty beach-facing open-air gazebo (around 100 Euros/$165 per night). Or, on the other side of Seri Waters, the rooms at Ana Warung (ana.warung@gmail.com, +62 819 1595-5234) don’t face the ocean but they’re Rp500,000 ($50) for an air-conditioned room (Rp300,000 with fan) and the owners’ extended family are onsite and a fun crowd.
Unlike Trawangan, where you’re advised to stay as far away from the harbor as possible, on Meno it’s not necessary to travel far from where you disembark. In fact the Southeast side has the best beaches for swimming. Mallias Villas is a solid choice for beachfront bungalow accommodation or just a place to hang out during the day (good food, cold Bintan and a reliable wifi signal). Rates are around $50-100 on Agoda. Higher-end places include The Reef, with modern lumbungs going for $200-250, while Villa Nautilus offers nice bungalows in garden settings starting at around $100.
Trawangan “town” could easily be in (the worst parts of) Samui or Bali with its concentration of alternating tour desks, dive shops, mini-marts, touristy beach restaurants and budget accommodation. It’s also where you’ll find the closest thing to a “nightlife” area (the occasional parties that pump EDM out into the wind until morning have pretty much moved to Gili Air, though). A bit of a dump, in other words. Fortunately the rest of the island is still beautiful.
On Meno there is a turtle sanctuary, where babies are hatched and raised before being released into the ocean, so sightings of the big creatures are common. The guys that take you out for snorkeling “guarantee” that you’ll see a sea turtle (“this big!”), though that means you might need to follow your guide down a few meters to find one. Even more thrilling was the one we swam with in the shallow waters just. (Well, it swam past and we followed.)
Standards (and prices) are rising in the Gilis, but if you really want to luxe it up, spend a couple nights at the Oberoi Lombok on your way out. To get there we chartered a speedboat to the Oberoi’s private jetty. The resort is on a hill overlooking the ocean, with a huge pool and over 20 acres of manicured gardens. Service, facilities and food are five-star—breakfasts are particularly awesome. If you don’t have your own villa, grab a poolside gazebo for the day, which might include afternoon tea served with local desserts and expertly mixed cocktails and those addictive Balinese peanuts at sunset. Rates start at around $400.
GETTING THERE
There is a 7:50am flight on SQ or SilkAir (unfortunately Jetstar suspended Singapore-Lombok service earlier this year) for around $450 to Lombok and it’s possible to have your toes in the sand by 2pm or so. In high season you might want to book a private car plus “speedboat” package online, but otherwise it’s just as easy and often cheaper to stop at one of the four interchangeable tour desks at Lombok Airport. You shouldn’t have to pay more than Rp800,000 ($83).
VISA, CURRENCY AND TAX
Singaporeans can enter Indonesia visa-free for up to 30 days. Other nationalities can check requirements at www.visahq.com.
($1=IDR 9.5).
WHEN TO GO
Visit the Gilis in January, February, October and November for the best chance of clear skies, little fain and fewer crowds.
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