World’s First ‘Zipline Dining’ Experience at Soneva Fushi
By Lifestyle+Travel
Soneva Fushi in the Maldives introduces a new and exciting dining experience on top of the lush jungle, overlooking the gleaming ocean, which is the world’s first fine dining zipline experience. Bucket-list-worthy ‘Flying Sauces’ merges top-notch haute cuisine with sheer excitement of ziplining.
To get to the one-off dining terrace, you will be soaring along a 200-metre zipline route, securely strapped in safety harness, and enjoy many delectable surprises along the way. At the elevated dining platform, you will be pampered with mouth-watering seasonal menu freshly cooked by Chef Rasal Jayawardene and his team in an open kitchen, paired with an extensive selection of thousands of fine wines from across the globe
You can opt for your own preferred experience, whether it’s breakfast, high tea, dinner, or just enjoy ziplining only, available for up to 12 guests. To ensure safety at all times, harnesses are compulsory along all sections of the zipline route and must be fitted and verified by a trained Soneva Host.
The ‘Flying Sauces’ delicious adventure is priced from USD 175++ per person with a meal, and priced at USD 100++ per person for zipline only. To find out more, visit www.soneva.com
By Lifestyle+Travel
What’s Happening in Bangkok from 17-30 June, 2025
A guide to what’s happing in Bangkok in the last fortnight of June 2025. Exclusive 4-Hands Dinner ‘Intro Night’ Date: Thursday, June 26 2025, from 6:00 PM onwards Place: La Tavola Restaurant, Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel will launch a dining experience at the exclusive 4-Hands Dinner ‘Intro Night’ at La Tavola. This special evening brings together creativity, expertise, and inspiration from two exceptional culinary talents — Chef Attakrit Sithiwaykin (Chef Lek) and Chef Tiansawang Pattrai (Chef Noi) of La Tavola, who will collaborate on a specially curated menu that reflects their rich culinary journeys, showcasing their grand talents that far exceed the modest meaning behind their names. This exclusive 4-course dinner is available at exceptional value: • THB 1,990++ per person for the 4-course dinner • THB 2,800++ per person for the 4-course dinner with curated premium wine pairings For more information Tel: +66 (0) 2125 5000 Website: www.renaissancebangkok.com IGNIV Party Date: Sunday, June 29 2025, 8:00 PM until midnight Place: IGNIV Bangkok, The St.Regis Bangkok Hotel IGNIV Party returns! This edition partners with two of Bangkok’s hottest dining venues: 80/20 and Cento, alongside two acclaimed bars from Asia: Vender from Taichung, Taiwan and Artesian Bar from Jakarta, Indonesia. To make this party s special also the tantalizing bite-sized creations from IGNIV Bangkok’s Arne Riehn and his team, as well as specially crafted bites from 80/20—a one-Michelin-starred restaurant on Charoenkrung helmed by European-born Lao chef Thav Phouthavong—and from Cento, the Italian-style dining room in Saladaeng headed by chef Ferran Tadeo Domènech plus two award-winning visiting bars: Vender from Taiwan—currently ranked No. 30 and named Taiwan's Best Bar on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list—and Artesian Bar Jakarta, the Indonesian outpost of London’s iconic Artesian Bar. Enhancing the night’s atmosphere will be immersive lighting and live DJ sets. For more information Tel: +66 (0) 2207 7822 Email: igniv.bangkok@stregis.com Website: www.ignivbangkok.com Only Faces On My Mind Date: now til 30 July 2025 Place: Agni Gallery, Soi Ruamrudee, Bangkok 'Only Faces on My Mind', a curated exploration of portraiture in contemporary art. Dedicated to one of the oldest yet ever-evolving genres in art history, the exhibition asks: “What does a portrait mean today? How do contemporary artists engage with the idea of the face — not just as a likeness, but as an emotional, symbolic, or conceptual presence?” The exhibition presents a spectrum of works, ranging from pieces that echo the compositional and emotional gravitas of classical portraiture, such as those by Andre Schulze (Germany) and Lino Lago (Spain), to boundary-pushing interpretations exemplified by Celio Koko (Belgium-Lebanese), and faceless portraits by famous artist Adriana Oliver (Spain) and Chance Cooper (USA), whose work reflects the fractured and hyper-personal dimensions of identity in the 21st century. For more information Tel: +66 (8) 2219 5122 Email: contact@agni.gallery
By Lifestyle+Travel
3 Flavourful Facts about Chef Björn Frantzén
Discover the story behind the kitchen: how Swedish chef Björn Frantzén became the only chef in the world to simultaneously operate three Michelin three-star restaurants. 1. A Historic Milestone The culinary world was stunned at the Michelin Guide ceremony in Dubai, where FZN—operated under the vision of Chef Björn Frantzén—was awarded three Michelin stars, the highest honor in gastronomy. Remarkably, the restaurant had only opened in October 2024. With this accolade, FZN became the first-ever restaurant in the UAE to receive three Michelin stars, instantly joining the ranks of the world’s finest dining destinations. 2. The Man Behind the Magic At the heart of this achievement is Chef Björn Frantzén himself—the only chef in the world currently operating three Michelin three-star restaurants. “This recognition is an incredible honor, not just for me, but for my entire team,” said Frantzén. “Receiving three Michelin stars for FZN in Dubai is a proud moment that reflects the hard work and creativity of everyone involved.” 3. A Trio of Stars Across Continents Out of just 152 restaurants worldwide with three Michelin stars, three belong to the Frantzén Group—cementing its status at the pinnacle of global fine dining, with a presence across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Frantzén – Stockholm The flagship restaurant and the first in Sweden to receive three Michelin stars, a distinction it has held since 2018. Zén – Singapore Opened in 2018 and awarded its third Michelin star in 2021. FZN – Dubai Awarded three Michelin stars in the 2025 Michelin Guide, just months after its debut in October 2024. Experience the Frantzén touch in Bangkok. Explore the Frantzén Group’s culinary philosophy at Villa Frantzén Bangkok.
By Lifestyle+Travel
5 Inspiring Road Trips to Take Around Asia
Spectacular scenery, smooth stretches of blacktop, winding mountain roads, and dramatic coastal routes—what’s your dream road journey? Discover five unforgettable driving holidays across Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines—easier than ever to explore. Is there any travel style more empowering than a road trip? With your loved ones by your side and the open highway ahead, your adventure has no limits. Each bend reveals new discoveries, and every hilltop offers a fresh, breathtaking view. As the holidays approach, it's time to pack your bags, take the wheel, and hit the road on an unforgettable journey. Asia is home to some of the most scenic routes in the world—ribbons of pavement that wind through incredible landscapes and open up panoramic vistas. So, buckle up and get ready! Here’s BWH® Hotels’ guide to the best driving vacations across Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. ━━━━━━━━━━━━👇━━━━━━━━━━━━ 1. Drive Across the Sea in Okinawa, Japan Imagine cruising across a smooth, straight road surrounded by sparkling aquamarine waters. Kaichu Road is a stunning 5km-long bridge and causeway connecting Okinawa’s main island to Henza Island, leading onward to the secluded beaches and bays of Miyagi Island. Begin in Naha and enjoy a dreamy daytime drive with dazzling photo stops along the way. Where to Stay: BWH Hotels offers a selection of beachfront accommodations in Okinawa. Best Western Okinawa Kouki Beach is set on a white-sand beach in Nago, with private balconies overlooking the ocean. Best Western Okinawa Onna Beach is a serene, low-rise resort just steps from the soft sand and shallow waters of the island’s sunset coast. ━━━━━━━━━━━━👇━━━━━━━━━━━━ 2. From Beaches to Rice Fields in Bali, Indonesia Bali, the “Island of the Gods,” is perfect for a driving adventure. Leave the coastline behind and journey into the island’s green heart, where tropical jungles and cultural wonders await. After exploring Ubud’s heritage-rich streets, head deeper into the hills past emerald rice paddies, tranquil lakeside temples, and spectacular viewpoints. Where to Stay: Best Western Kamala Jimbaran is the ideal base to begin or end your journey, offering an outdoor pool, spa, and romantic restaurant near the beach. In Ubud, Best Western Premier Agung Resort Ubud immerses you in the island’s cultural capital, with two infinity pools, a standout restaurant, and lush natural surroundings. ━━━━━━━━━━━━👇━━━━━━━━━━━━ 3. Head South Along Thailand’s Gulf Coast Road With turquoise seas on one side and jungle-clad hills on the other, Thailand’s Gulf Coast promises a scenic drive like no other. Begin in the royal beach resort town of Hua Hin, then follow the curving coastal road past national parks, hidden beaches, golden temples, and bustling markets. End your trip with a ferry to Koh Samui or continue south to the tropical paradise of Phuket. Where to Stay: Best Western Plus Carapace Hotel Hua Hin offers a serene beachfront escape with flowing design and lagoon pools, while Best Western Chaweng Samui puts you in the vibrant heart of Koh Samui. In Phuket, choose from three BWH Hotels, including Best Western Patong Beach with its rooftop pool and prime location. ━━━━━━━━━━━━👇━━━━━━━━━━━━ 4. Explore the Coastal Wonders of Vietnam With over 3,200 km of coastline,