ASIA - PACIFIC TRENDING
ASIA - PACIFIC TRENDING DESTINATIONS River at Mulu Proboscis Monkey, Bako National Park BUMI KENYALANG Sarawak… land of the hornbills… orang utans… and so much more! Since the arrival of a new CEO at the head of its tourism organisation, Sarawak, the beating heart of Borneo, has been making new efforts to stand out from the crowd. Last year saw the arrival of a colourful new logo, leveraging the use of vibrant colours representing the diversity in Sarawak and different natural aspects such as green for the rainforest and blue for the oceans and lakes. “The brush strokes are fun and not rigid lines, much like Sarawak which is a very friendly and laid-back place to visit,” explains Sarawak Tourism Chief Executive Officer, Sharzede Datu HJ Salleh Askor. “The centre ‘a’ is, of course, a stylised hornbill representing Sarawak’s moniker of ‘Land of Hornbills’ or ‘Bumi Kenyalang’. It is also a very sacred bird to many of the indigenous people in Sarawak.” According to Ms Askor, the three key selling points of Sarawak are “Our people, our products and our authenticity. We have genuine authenticity with modern comforts that you truly cannot find anywhere else.” New products, or existing products that hadn’t seen much promotion in the past are now under the spotlight. The Kuching Heritage Trail is one such attraction, and plans are in the works to make Kuching city’s historical heritage an easily navigated product on its own. With a previous image of Sarawak as wild – and consequently untamed, travel advisors had sometimes shied away from selling it as a family destination. However, trade and media fam tours are fast dispelling this myth, with particularly comfortable and modern facilities and services. TOP INTERNAL DESTINATIONS INCLUDE: Bako National Park - the oldest and one of the smallest national parks in Sarawak. The park is located at approximately 37 km from the city of Kuching; which makes it one of the easiest national parks to reach. One of the highlights of the park are the proboscis monkeys. Semenggoh Nature Reserve - For over 20 years, the wardens at Semenggoh Nature Reserve had been training young orangutans, orphaned or rescued from captivity, on how to survive in the wild. The success of this programme has left the surrounding forest reserve with a thriving population of healthy adolescent and young adult orangutans, who are now breeding in the wild. Gunung Mulu - Named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, Mulu National Park in Sarawak is seeing European visitor numbers – especially from Germany – growing rapidly. The park, despite being remote (or perhaps thanks to its remoteness), is recognised throughout Asia as being a model in terms of management and infrastructure. Its caves are among the most spectacular in the world
ASIA - PACIFIC TRENDING HOTELS Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #43 2019 Summer Edition 31 31 WHERE LUXURY MEETS MODERN ART Hotel Eclat Beijing showcases original art from Salvador Dali to Andy Warhol in a sustainable and green setting Hotel Éclat Beijing houses the largest private collection of Dali works outside of Europe, together with some of China’s finest contemporary art and masterworks. Indeed, in a globalised world, the hotel’s impressive art collection forms an important cultural legacy and an important platform for promoting understanding of Easter and Western art. This luxury boutique hotel offers a rare opportunity to experience museum quality art while enjoying stylish, cool accommodation, outstanding cuisine, intuitive yet non-intrusive guest services and a spectacular Mall, all within its unique architectural design. The entire complex pays tribute to art, with an impressive collection of fine works in guestrooms and public areas – more than 100 pieces, including original sculptures and paintings not only from Salvador Dali, but also the likes of Pierre Matter, Zhang Guolang, Chen Wen Ling, Andy Warhol, Gao Xiao Wu, and Zou Liang. The hotel has 100 rooms, with 20 themed suites that have their own terrace with swimming pool. A special feature of the Deluxe Lagoon Suites is the ultra-spacious living rooms and separate dining areas, which offer perfect spaces for entertaining, more casual dining or simply relaxing. Guests can indulge in a leisurely meal prepared by Chef Raul, served by a personal butler in the “Old Boy’s Club” for example, surrounded by trinkets transporting one to British schooldays. In “The Mad Hatter” Lagoon Suite, a huge, signature-style “Our Generation” series cartoon sculpture by Gao Xiaowu looms over the outdoor seating area. This is a distinctive statement to the room’s theme which incorporates many original design features. Meanwhile, other playful decor elements such as quirky crockery and innovative lighting shaped as top hats remind guests of the mad hatter or a world where everything is pure fantasy ENERGY SAVINGS THROUGH INNOVATION Various integrated engineering techniques have created a sustainable shell around the building. To be as efficient as possible, special ventilation louvers channel hot air out of the building while letting in cooler air flow throughout. This feature, along with multiple energy saving features, allows the building to use 44% less energy than conventional hotels. Water taken from the pools is filtered through the hotel’s innovative grey water system. The all-glass facade and thermal insulation create an individual microclimate for the complex itself, providing protection from the harsh exterior weather as well as reducing the building’s energy consumption. According to its project description, Parkview Green is a “neighbourhood within a neighbourhood, a controlled and highly efficient year-round green space to live, work, and play”
