Raja Ampat, Diving’s Holy Grail

Deep in the hearts of Papua, lies the Holy Grail of scuba diving. Back in our very first issue of the magazine we shared about the eco-conservation efforts being undertaken in Raja Ampat to ensure this paradise would last as long as it can. Here we’d like to showcase the amazing photography of Scotty Graham, which was featured then in our print magazine. Enjoy this photographic journey through Raja Ampat’s marine beauty!

The archipelago of Indonesia boasts plenty other diving attractions. Be sure to check out our list of amazing dive spots in Indonesia before you book your trip here!

Unearthing Asia now offers travel packages throughout the region of Asia. Check out our promotional offers of Luxury Private Villas in Bali, perfect for Honeymooners or those looking for a little romance. We also have great offers for hotels in Singapore, resorts in Phuket and many more.

Historic Duolun Road, Shanghai

If places like Taikang Lu and Xintiandi are a contemporary and historical melting pot of Shanghai-ness, then Duolun Road is its timeline. When 50 Moganshan was still nothing more than a textile factory, some of the most radical and freethinking writers of their time were chilling out on Duolun Rd. It started with Lu Xun, China’s most celebrated literary son, who moved in to the area in the 1930s. Others, like Guo Moruo, Mao Dun and Ding Ling followed. Before long, Duolun Rd. had blossomed into a vibrant cultural district of writers, artists and Chinese liberals.

The entire Hongkou District, just north of the Bund, where Duolun Rd. is located, was at one time a settlement of American and British diplomats, and thus has always prevailed as an area of Shanghai where internationalism flourished. When Duolun Rd. was first built in 1911, it was called Darroch Rd. after a British missionary who had once met with the Emperor during the Qing Dynasty. The road was renamed “Duolun Lu” in 1943, after the People’s Republic of China was established. By the end of the 20th century, Duolun Rd. had been pedestrianized and much of it restored, repainted and revitalized.

Despite the many social, political and aesthetic changes around Duolun Rd. throughout the last hundred years, the street still runs its same course in an L-shape, connecting at its two ends with the bustling Sichuan Bei Lu. A hodgepodge of architectural styles interlace the road, weaving together a map of the street’s age like lines on a tree trunk. Old bookshops, antiques stores and trinket stalls line the edges of the street and give visitors a chance to partake in the Bohemian feeling of what was once the greatest literary center in all of China.

Shopping

Shopping is not why people go to Duolun Rd., but it is one of the perks of being there. That is, if you are interested in antiques, because antiques are really all you’ll find on Duolun Rd. A few dusty bookshops leave their doors open to passersby interested in historic and used books, most of them Chinese. Unnamed trinket shops sell archaic bits of jewelry – beaded bracelets, jade necklaces and old fans. And the dozens of antiques stores you’ll find there house fine examples of traditional Chinese furniture, wooden objects and historic porcelain (just be on the lookout for fakes, because they’re around, too). There is even some revolutionary paraphernalia to be found in the mix, if that’s your thing.

Shopaholics may find another spot in Shanghai to be a more entertaining option. Shanghai’s “new heaven and earth”, hip modern Xintiandi, is a hotspot of entertainment, shopping and nightlife that really lives up to it’s name.

Eating

Cultural districts never have a shortage of quaint cafes, and Duolun Rd. is no exception. Several small eateries are dotted along the road in between antiques shops and historic buildings. If you’ve ventured far afield enough to find Duolun Rd. in the first place, you’ll want to step inside Old Film Café, which pays homage to Shanghai’s contributions to the silver screen with their showings of old Chinese movies. Though their menu is limited, the classic film-heavy ambiance shouldn’t be missed. The Koala Garden House and Eucalyptus Café is perhaps the best spot on the street for a quick bite and a strong Illy coffee, which can be enjoyed in the café’s cute cottage setting amid a mishmash of colorful walls and stone columns.

If it’s a truly hearty meal you’re after, a branch of the popular Japanese ramen noodle chain, Ajisen, is just around the corner on Sichuan Bei Lu. Though by far the smallest branch of Ajisen I’ve ever encountered, the food is just as tasty (and there is often a line out the door for lunch).

After a day of eating and history, head on towards The Cool Docks, your very first stop for a luxuriant taste of Shanghai’s soft, romantic side, and an excellent way to start out the night’s revelries.

Odds & Ends

The tie that binds Duolun Rd. together through a century of history is the architecture, and that too is the most charming thing about a walk down the street.

The strong presence of Duolun Rd.’s artistic past can be felt immediately as you enter the street from Sichuan Bei Lu. The first thing you encounter is the Shanghai Museum of Modern Art, which in truth is not as interesting or important as much of the art you’ll find at 50 Moganshan. However, the Shanghai MOMA is the only subsidized museum of modern art in China, and for that it has an important place in the world of Chinese modern art.

Further down the road, Hong De Tang, the Great Virtue Christian Church, offers up a sublime architectural fusion, with its firmly European brick façade embellished by distinctly Chinese upturned eaves. A bit of neo-Classical French architecture is evident in the white-washed iron balconies of the Tangenbo residence just past Duolun Rd.’s L-curve; and at the end of the street, even an Islamic presence is visible in the Kongxiangxi house, a stately granite structure with rounded windows that suggest its Central Asian influences.

And in between these, along Duolun Rd.’s .8 km stretch of cobbled stones, sit dozens of examples of Lilong houses in the style typical of Old Shanghai. Narrow, dense and packed together like stacked cardboard boxes, these buildings remind the visitor that yes, this is still Shanghai after all.

If art is more your cup of tea, head on towards Shanghai’s art district, 50 Moganshan, the center of modern Chinese art in Shanghai.

Getting There

Though most listings will tell you to take a bus directly to Duolun Rd. (No. 21, 939, 231, 47, 854, 79, 18), the nicest way to go is actually by subway. If you take Metro Line 3 (yellow) and get off at Dongbaoxing Rd., it’s only a 5-10 minute walk to the entrance to Duolun Rd. at Sichuan Bei Lu, and is a pleasant way to see some of the authentic residential backstreets of Shanghai.

Use Exit 1 and go right, following Hailun Xi Lu west to Sichuan Bei Lu, where you’ll turn left. You’ll know you’ve reached Duolun Rd., again on the left, by the large historic stone gate that marks the entrance to the street.

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Jimbaran, Bali’s Next Hip Hotspot

With Kuta and Seminyak filling to the brim with a slew of inhabitants, more and more people are flocking to Jimbaran. Previously famed for its cliff-hugging villas and fresh seafood, more and more establishments are cropping up in the area to serve all kinds of travelers. Could this area be the latest hip spot in Bali in the near future? Follow us, as we unearth the best Jimbaran has to offer.

Eats – Jimbaran Seafood Gallery

Located on the rows of luxury villas in Jimbaran Bay, this area is a popular place with the tourists. The area consisted of around twenty or so restaurants offering fresh seafood and excellent ambiance, with the setting sun, live music and strong winds, right by the beach. Unfortunately, the popularity of the area means the price are quite exorbitant, and some restaurants are not as good as the others. Be sure to come early

Eats – Kedongan Fish Market

The smell of fresh seafood will make your mouth water as you patiently wait for your order to be grilled to perfection. At Kedongan Fish Market, you are able to pick your fresh seafood, and then simply visit one of the many stalls that helps you cook your fish before you can finally eat your catch on the shores of Jimbaran beach. The freshness of seafood and price on offer, a portion of the usual restaurant price, will leave you craving for more.

Eats – PEPeNERO Cucina Italiana

A homey and friendly spot where good times and good food reign – this is the philosophy behind PEPeNERO’s rich taste. This little Italian trattoria has now expanded and even has branches in Jakarta. But the team behind the success has not let that gone to their heads, PEPeNERO is still a cordial trattoria serving some of the best creamy goodness of Italian cuisine. Try out their daily special, and be prepared to fall in gastronomical love all over again.

Drinks – Rock Bar

Perched on jutting cliffs blessed with breathtaking views, and with the live music stage roosted atop a natural rock that is part of the cliff itself, the Rock Bar is an amazing feat of architectural engineering. Add to that the innovative ways of drinks and food presentation, the Rock Bar is currently the place to see and be seen, and to enjoy that magnificent Balinese sunset as you groove to the music.

Drinks – Nammos Beach Club

Nestled below rugged cliffs, placed atop soft white sand, with beach-side gazebos scattered across the shore facing the mesmerizing waves of the private beach at Karma Kandara, Nammos Beach Club not only offers a heavenly setting, but also a savory Meditteranean and pan-Indonesian cuisine all day long. Check out their international DJ events and twilight screenings of old-time favorite flicks.

Drinks – The Martini Club

The Martini Club is home to 35 classic and contemporary martini mixes, and unlike the other venues at the AYANA Resort, this one is located in the Cliff Villa complex and has an indoor club atmosphere. Drink selecti

ons vary from Ian Fleming 007 Martini to Menehune Martini, and other martini mixes in between with equally interesting monikers. Definitely the place to style your suit up and mingle with other agent in training.

Being a place filled with transplants, Bali also play hosts to plenty other gastronomical delights, such as the Crispy Duck, Nuri’s Spareribs and plenty more. Find out all about it in our list of 12 Must-Do Things in Bali!

Do – Sea Kayaking

A good dose of sea kayaking will do your mind and body well, and Jimbaran has some of the best kayaking spots on the island for you. During the guided kayak tour of Jimbaran Bay, you’ll get to explore caves, coves, blowholes and limestone cliffs before finally riding the wild waves on the paddle back to the starting point. Plenty of companies offer tour packages of Jimbaran Bay sea kayaking, so you’ll do well to shop around and get the best possible deal.

Do – Surf Up

The Balangan beach in Jimbaran is home to one of the best swells the island has to offer. The great thing for surfers is that the beach is decent, and the break is spread out between 3 peaks, all left handers. The swells can hold up to 10 feet, so its more for the advanced surfers.

See – Pura Luhur Uluwatu

The Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of the most important temples on the island. The temple is located on top of the eastern-most cliff in Bali, with amazing views of the Jimbaran Bay all around. The temple also hosts a Kecak Fire Dance performance, a traditional Balinese dance based on an ancient Hindu folklore, the Ramayana. Visitors have to beware however, that there are monkeys all around the temple, and they are prone to snatching anything shiny and glittering.

See – Jenggala Ceramics

Jenggala designs, manufactures and sells stoneware and porcelain ceramics and tabletop accessories. Established in 1976, Jenggala is the foremost producer of quality handcrafted ceramic ware in Indonesia. not only does the compound have a production area, but also a cafe, shop, gallery and workshop space, where the public can take ceramics-making and painting workshops. Their Paint-A-Pot workshops are a fun activity for the little ones, and there are classes for adults too.

For more traveling inspirations in the Island of God, don’t forget to check out our list of 12 Must-Do Things in Bali!

Unearthing Asia now offers travel packages throughout the region of Asia. Check out our promotional offers of Luxury Private Villas in Bali, perfect for Honeymooners or those looking for a little romance. We also have great offers for hotels in Singapore, resorts in Phuket and many more.

12 Must-Do Things in Bali

From water-sports to shopping, the island of Bali has it all. Pamper yourself with a chocolate spa treatment before partying the night away at one of its trendiest nightspots, all this while squeezing a gourmet meal in between. Here are some of the must-do things in the Islands of God.

Hide Away

No trip to Bali is complete without experiencing the hillside tranquility of Ubud. Fresh off winning the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler Magazine award as the World’s Best City, the small hill-side town is now abuzz with tourism and renewed popularity. However, there are still spots to relax and unwind. Head to Dirty Duck Cafe (Warung Bebek Bengil) for a tasty serving of crispy, deep fried duck with mouth-watering sambal on the side. Various trekking and cycling tours are also available for you to take through the maze of never-ending terraced paddy fields.

Dress Up

When it comes to shopping in Bali, there is only one place for fashionable trendsetting locals who knows not to judge a book by its cover – Seminyak. This shopping area on the southern coast of Bali is filled with fashionable treasures waiting for you to unearth. BIASA is the undisputed queen of fashion, a chapel of cool selling classics for grown ups and a few flirty styles for the younger crowd too. Other local favorites are Paul Ropp, Papillion, Innuendo and Flamingo, which you can read further in our exploration of Seminyak.

Arts & Crafts

The arts and crafts scene in Bali is well developed and highly sought after in the international market. Numerous artists have made Bali their home, drawing from the colorful culture and charming island life Bali has to offer as their inspiration. Balinese wood carving is popular amongst tourists, and you can find some of the best in business at Tegallalang, Pujung and Sebatu. For elegant ceramics, Jenggala Ceramics in Jimbaran is the place to go. The spacious gallery, just 10 minutes away from the airport, offers world-class, locally made crockery at reasonable prices, in a wide range of designs.

Surf’s Up

While Bali is no longer a frontier surfing destination, it still boasts some of the best surfing spots in the world. It has over 20 top quality breaks on the southwest and southeast coast of the island, and there are a wide range of breaks to cater all skill levels. Beginners can head to Kuta Beach to enroll at the various surfing schools available, while other areas, such as Uluwatu and Padang, offer world-class reef-breaks for those of higher skill level.

Dolphin Watch

Tourists can head towards Lovina, 3 hours north of Kuta, which is famed for their dolphin sight-seeing tours. These tours leave the main beaches each morning at dawn, with the price usually set at Rp75,000 per person. If you are in a group, chartering your own boat maybe a more worthwhile option.

Sip a Good Martini

For Bali’s best martini, drop into the legendary Naughty Nuri’s Warung on Jl Raya Sanggingan, a 10-minute drive west from the centre of Ubud. The classic chilled martini and margaritas are some of the best you’ll find on the island, and they also serve a mean pork ribs. The atmosphere is casual and relaxing, a perfect way to while away your afternoon after a tiring day.

Party Away

If partying is high on your list then the Kuta Beach area is where you want to go. Here, the party starts late at around midnight and goes on all night into the wee hours of the morning. Think noisy discotheques full of drunk tourists and locals, with various dance shows to draw in the crowd. Hulu Cafe prides itself as “the only real gay bar in Bali”, and has drag shows three times a week which can be quite fun. Casablance, Peanuts, Bounty Ship, M-Bar-Go and Sky Garden are a few of the numerous watering holes in the area ready to serve you whatever drinks you may want.

Pamper Yourself

As the bastion of luxury travel in South East Asia, Bali boasts some of the world’s best in the art of spa pampering. Kayumanis Private Villa & Spa offers the ultimate indulgence – a pampering of chocolate spa treatment. It combines traditional Balinese massage using chocolate oils, followed with a chocolate scrub, chocolate bath, chocolate facial and finally, a serving of chocolate ice cream to top it off at the end. Plenty other hotels and villas offers high-quality Balinese massage using special medicated oils to help you relax and unwind.

Eat Like a King

Bali is home to some of the finest restaurants in the region, offering high-end culinary treats mixed with the great island atmosphere and friendly face. Over the years, there have been a few mainstays, such as the legendary Ku De Ta, Sarong Bali, and Kafe Warisan (which is now revamped as Metis). The price is steep, but like they always said, you do get what you pay for.

Water Sports

Tanjong Benoa is Bali’s premier water-sports hub, with various activities available for you to choose from. Parasailing, snorkeling, jet-skis, wake-boarding and banana-boats are but a few of the choices available here. There are also white-water rafting operators further up north, near Ubud area, with the the Telagawajah and Ayung River being two of the most popular options.

Scuba Diving

There are quite a few scuba diving sites around Bali. Some of the popular ones are – wreck-divingat Tulamben in the east, the serene reefs around Menjangan Island, and drift diving off Nusa Penida in the south. For beginners there are also various dive centres affiliated with PADI and SSI offering introductory courses.

Climb Mount Agung

Mount Agung is the highest mountain on the island of Bali, which holds a huge spiritual significance to the people of the island and is home to the Temple of Besakih. There are three climbing routes up the mountain, and all are quite difficult and only suitable for the physically fit. The rewards however, are most definitely worth it, with some awe-inspiring views of the mountains across flat rubble plains. Getting a local guide is a must, with fees varying from USD40 to USD100 depending on how you arrange the guide, the route taken and the level of English expected of the guide.

Unearthing Asia now offers travel packages throughout the region of Asia. Check out our promotional offers of Luxury Private Villas in Bali, perfect for Honeymooners or those looking for a little romance. We also have great offers for hotels in Singapore, resorts in Phuket and many more.

KL’s New Buzz

About the Author. Parthajit. Parthajit is a nature & landscape photographer and trekker with travel experience in the Indian Himalayas (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh), Western Ghats (India), Thailand, New Zealand, and Japan.

7 Top Attractions in Siem Reap

6 Things To Do In Tokyo

The region of Asia has plenty of unique islands, but one that seems hard to choose from the multitude of things to do in is Japan. Tourists usually start out in Tokyo, the country’s bustling capital and its largest metropolitan area. Here you are able to experience six classic Japanese experiences that you simply can’t afford to miss out. Here they are for your perusal!

Eat Ramen

The Ramen noodle is found world-wide in various low-quality ultra-inexpensive forms. It’s at the core of Japanese cuisine and even if you’re not a foodie, no doubt you’ll find yourself enjoying a pile of it during you trip. Each prefecture has its own style of Ramen – Michelle Lee mentions the Hokkaido Ramen as one thing to try in his article 5 Things To Try in Hokkaido. For Tokyo ramen, try Menya Mushai near Shinjuku (long queues at lunch!).

See the Snowy Peak of Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji’s near picture-postcard peak is one of the most beautiful sights mother nature has given Japan. It’s not far from Tokyo so you can easily wander out for a glimpse – although keep in mind that, like any tall mountain, the view can often be obscured by clouds. You’ll see it on the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka, but if you’re feeling particularly brave many visitors opt to go and climb the mountain (particularly in July/August).

Visit a Love Hotel

There’s no need to explain what goes on behind closed doors at a Japanese love hotel, but just seeing one is an experience in itself. The neon, garish signs are hard to miss, and inside the cheap and tawdry furnishings look out of place anywhere apart from here and maybe Las Vegas. Many Japanese families have little privacy in their own homes, so this type of ‘getaway’ isn’t as seedy nor as uncommon as you might think. The Tokyo Journal has printed a Top Ten List of Love Hotels.

Soak in an Onsen

An Onsen (or rotenburo) is essentially a hot spring spa; Japan’s covered in them, and they are the perfect place to relax and let the mineral waters rejuvenate you. An important point to mention is that an onsens are thermal hot springs, whereas a sento is a public bathhouse where the water is heated. Either is a good experience, but many say there are medical benefits from using the spring waters and plus some of the locations are simply spectacular. There are more sentos than onsens in Tokyo, but this flyertalk post has an extensive list of onsen – likely there will be one near your accommodation.

Enjoy the View from the Park Hyatt in Tokyo

I’m sure there are more film backdrops that you can find elsewhere in Japan, but this one strikes me as a more poignant one – it is where much of the melodrama unfolds in the Hollywood hit Lost in Translation. One thing that isn’t lost is the price – be prepared to pay for this experience, as even a cocktail or snack will pinch your wallet pretty hard. But it’s worth it, especially to come around sunset and watch the red sky fade into a twinkling urban landscape.

Go Shopping

Tokyo, like many other Asian capitals, is home to shopping mayhem. You can find plenty of high-end electronics and every gadget you could ever possibly want (and many more that you might never want). You can also pick up baskets full of cheesy, quirky, immature but fun gifts – top souvenir choices for me are Kokeshi dolls and stickers, of course. Don’t forget your silk goods, woodblock prints, and high street fashion. Two good areas for window shopping are Shibuya and Shinjuku.

If You Go

When you go to Japan, you’ll no doubt be expecting a cultural shock, depending on where you’re from. So why not brush up on this lengthy (and sometimes hysterical) list of Japanese manners and etiquette before you go?

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