DestinAsian – August 01, 2019

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DESTINASIAN.COM – AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2019

GOOD TO GO HOTEL NEWS

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ALL SOUPED UP

Gourmands in Singapore have

even more reason to dine at the

Lion City’s most storied hotel as

it emerges from a top-to-bottom

renovation. Much of the Raffles

Arcade (rafflesarcade.com.sg)

has reopened with notable new

tenants like La Dame de Pic, the

first Asian outpost of French

celebrity chef Anne-Sophie Pic.

Upcoming arrivals include a

contemporary Chinese venue

by local hero Jereme Leung,

alongside the Singapore flagship

of London cult favorite Burger

and Lobster, which will boast an

expanded menu and three times

the capacity of the branch at

Jewel Changi Airport. —JL

RAISING THE STAKES

On a small, remote island in Botswana’s
UNESCO-listed Okavango Delta,
ecotourism operator Wilderness
Safaris has completely reinvented Jao
(wilderness-safaris.com; from US$1,262
per person, all-inclusive), a two-decade-
old safari camp within a sprawling
60,000-hectare private conservation
concession. Small-scale South African
“adventure architecture” firm Silvio
Rech + Lesley Carstens, which designed
the original Jao in 1999, was once again
enlisted to put its unique stamp on the
property. Reused timber from the camp’s
previous incarnation went into the
rebuild, and Wilderness Safaris donated
unused material to local villagers. Other
eco-friendly touches include an in-house

solar power plant with southern Africa’s

largest lithium-ion battery bank, and

high-tech evaporative coolers—placed

in the five tented pool suites and two

villas—that use a fraction of the energy

of conventional air conditioning. What’s

more, the redesigned communal areas

yield surprises at every turn. The soaring,

circular treatment rooms in the new

spa feature laminated saligna beams

and rosewood ceilings and floors; Jao’s

main pool is now cocooned within

a domed, nest-like canopy pavilion

ideal for watching sunsets over the

delta. Another big plus? The two-story

Centre of Knowledge that showcases

an imposing giraffe skeleton and the

area’s rich botanical history. —James Louie

MAKING ROOM

Two years after the launch of its

revamped club lounge, created

by acclaimed Australian designer

Miriam Fanning, the high-rise

Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

(fourseasons.com; doubles from

US$249) is giving all 517 rooms a

multimillion-dollar update. Gone

is the beige and brown color

palette of old; the remodeled

guest quarters are visibly

brighter and sport a modish,

contemporary feel. Plush

furnishings in inky blues and

soft grays predominate, while a

sweeping technological upgrade

includes the addition of flat-

screen TVs. Repeat guests will

find the layout reconfigured to

make the most of views toward

the Sydney Opera House and

Harbour Bridge. —Daniel Hartanto

Inside Jao's dining

room and lounge.