Gadling TAKE FIVE: Week of May 24–May 30

by Jamie Rhein on

Although, finding deals are still on our minds (poor Iva in Moscow is having little luck), food and drink has been one topic of interest this week.

  • Iva, for example, has found some solace in the vodka. She’s discovered loads of it, and all brands are not the same.
  • Aaron has clued us into saying good-bye to free peanuts–even though they cost peanuts– and has told us where the best places to drink in 2008 are located.
  • Tynan was wined and dined at the Lalu Hotel in Taiwan and found out that while staying in luxury you can eat vegan.
  • Kent shared the advantages of a two-day trip to San Juan, one being eating Mexican food overlooking the ocean, Must be tough.
  • But, if you want to know what it’s like to work on an organic farm, ask Jerry. He has first-hand experience. It sounds tough. Check out part two tomorrow.
  • I’m the one, though, who knows all about White Castle hamburgers, and I’m proud of it.

Have a great last half a weekend in May. Sunday is June 1. Hope you find something yummy.

Luxury Hotels of The World: The Lalu Hotel (Taiwan)

by Tynan on

To fully experience Taiwan’s natural beauty, there’s one destination that is universally praised: Sun Moon Lake.

It’s the largest lake in Taiwan, and is so beautiful that Chang Kai Shek, Taiwan’s first president, built a house there to vacation.

In 1997, after an earthquake destroyed his house, the lot was purchased and after five years of construction Taiwan’s only six star hotel, The Lalu Hotel, was built. Shortly after it joined the ranks of Design Hotels, a premiere group of international boutique and luxury hotels.

I recently had the chance to stay there for a few nights and meet with the manager of the hotel to get the full tour.

When, after waiting a full six months, the chairman received the blueprints from the architect, he was furious. They showed a very simple design with long straight lines and no curves at all. For what would become the best hotel in Taiwan, it didn’t seem very fancy.

The chairman was calmed down and after some convincing agreed to build the hotel according to the blueprints. The result, as it stands today, is a building which relies on high quality materials and workmanship, rather than gimmicks or fancy veneers.

This attitude doesn’t stop with the architecture, but rather is echoed throughout the entire experience of staying at The Lalu.

Instead of waiting to be checked in, we were ushered to a couch in the lobby lounge, where we were served tea and almonds. When the room keys were ready, they were brought to us and we were led to our room.

The hotel is built on a hill which leads down to Sun Moon Lake. All of the rooms have huge balconies with tables, chairs, and daybeds on them, allowing you to enjoy the incredible view of the water whenever you’re in your room.

The stained Cambodian teak floors of the room extend out to the balcony, creating a seamless transition when the full width sliding glass doors are opened.

Restaurants

The restauraunts were excellent. They have a Chinese restaurant, a Western restaurant (confusingly named “The Oriental Brasserie”), and a Japanese restaurant.

Our first visit to the Chinese restaurant was solid, but not noteworthy other than the view of the lake. The second time we visited was amazing. Particularly good was the eggplant and basil dish, which was so tasty that we ordered another plate of it after we’d finished the first.

Dinner at the brasserie was also excellent. My friend’s steak was among the best he’d ever had. I couldn’t find anything on the menu that meshed with my vegan and whole food diet, but the chef prepared a fantastic vegetable and pasta dish for me which was surprisingly well thought out and inventive for a last minute diet-appeasing dish.

Complimentary breakfast is also served buffet style at the brasserie. The huge selection ranged from sliced local fruits to grilled fish to traditional Taiwanese porridge. Even as a vegan the selection was so great that I had to get multiple plates to try everything I was interested in.

The Spa

I’m so ticklish that I usually avoid massages. However, the Lalu offers Indian Ayurvedic massages which sounded so interesting that I had to try one.

I chose the strangest sounding one, which consisted of a head, neck, and shoulder massage coupled with twenty five minutes of pouring warm oil on the forehead.

The prologue to the massage was is adventure in of itself. When we arrived at the spa we were guided to the locker room.

Calling it a locker room is a gross understatement. Besides the usual array af lockers, the facility contains Japanese onsen style sit-down showers, a huge black stone hot tub with adjoining cool plunge pools, a cedar sauna, and a steam room.

After a quick shower and sauna I changed into my robe and was led to the massage room. Once there I was seated in a chair with my feet soaking in a cedar bucket full of warm water, smooth stones, and rose petals. Next to the chair was a pot of tea and some biscuits.

After a quick fifteen minute visit to the steam room in the massage room I got on the massage table for the Ayurvedic massage. I enjoyed the treatment a lot more that I thought I would, and even considered braving being tickled and going for another one the following day. The warm oil on my forehead seemed strange, but I was undeniably relaxed by the end of it.

The Teas

I should take a minute here to talk about the tea. It seems like everything at the Lalu is accompanied by some sort of tea to match the activity.

At the spa the tea is light and refreshing, at the pool it’s a sharp energizing ginger tea, and at check in it’s sweet and satisfying.

My favorite tea by far, however, is the green tea delivered daily to the room. I’m a bit of a tea snob, especially with green teas, and I can easily say that it was the best green tea I’ve ever had. The best way I can describe it, which totally fails to do it justice, is to say that it tastes something like fresh steamed artichoke heart.

Every day I found myself using the room’s electric tea kettle to heat up more water to resteep the leaves.

My only regret at the Lalu was that I didn’t have a chance to visit the tea house next to the pool. I tried to go one day, but the rain had closed it down.

Activities

It would be easy to spend your entire trip within the confines of the Lalu, but this would be a serious injustice to the Sun Moon Lake area.

The landscape around the lake is a verdant mountainous jungle, punctuated by a temple and nine story pagoda atop a mountain across the lake from The Lalu.

In the middle of the lake is a tiny island which was once the top of a mountain before dams built during the Japenese occupation raised the water level of the lake. At any given time during the day there are a handful of boats docked around the island, with a few more coming and going.

A road leads around the lake to its various attractions: temples, hiking trails, fishing, a tea research facility, and a peacock garden.

We rented mountain bikes from the Lalu and made it to the Wen Wu temple and to the peacock garden. Even if you’re a jaded traveler who has seen more than his share of temples, the Wen Wu temple is still worth visiting for its intricate design and breathtaking views.

The peacock garden was also interesting, although the peacocks were in cages due to the cloudy weather.

The next day, sore from biking and a visit to the Lalu’s adequately equipped gym, we went down the street and rented electric scooters to get around.

Visiting the pagoda, built by Chang Kai Shek as a tribute to his mother, is a must for it’s 360 degree view as well as the fun of ringing the giant bell at the top.

The Service

The service at the Lalu can best be described as perfect. The service is friendly and attentive without ever being overbearing. This comes as no suprise after Joe Tsang, the general manager, told us about the thorough training every staff member goes through.

Almost all of the staff speak English, despite the fact that only 5-8% of the visitors are from the US.

A perfect example of the service was a staff person named Mondo. I’m not sure what his actual job was, but when he saw us about to go biking he ran inside and got us water bottles and maps. Every time we saw him he would happily tell us about the area, ask about our bike ride, or apologize for the bad weather.

Having interactions like that really made us feel like we were guests, rather than customers that had to be catered to.

Attention to Detail

The attention to detail at the Lalu is legendary. More than just trivial afterthoughts, these considerations create an uninterrupted experience of genuine luxury and decadence.

A few of the more interesting things:

  • The shampoos, conditioners, and other shower acoutrements are housed in handmade ceramic jars
  • Two cages of songbirds hang near the entrance. At night they are replaced by lanterns.
  • The swimming pool, which is the longest in Taiwan, is cleaned daily by a scuba diver.
  • Honey served at breakfast drips from an intact honeycomb into a pot.
  • The mountain bikes for rent are perfectly washed and presented on a wooden floored showroom.
  • Chang Kai Shek’s house was reconstructed on site complete with his office furnished with his original furniture.
  • Everything smells amazing, including the balconies which are supplied with incense that’s lit at turn down service every night.
  • Fresh orchids are potted in every room.

Final Thoughts

After visiting the Lalu Hotel I understand why almost forty percent of their business is from repeat customers. Staying at the hotel is overwhelmingly relaxing and taking advantage of the activities in the surrounding area makes for a substantive and satisfying vacation.

My one complaint? The free internet in the room was distractingly slow. Then again, not being able to sit in front of my computer all day pushed me to get out of the room and enjoy everything the Lalu and Sun Moon Lake had to offer.

To read more about the Lalu or to book a room, visit their site at http://www.lalu.com.tw/

Bring mom to flowers for Mother’s Day

by Jamie Rhein on

Several botanical gardens are having Mother’s Day events this Sunday. One of the advantages of going to a botanical garden, I’ve found, is that they usually have wonderful gift shops that are perfect places for picking up that last minute present.

If you’ve forgotten to buy your mother a gift, when she’s not looking, perhaps, when she’s basking in the fragrance of a floral paradise, slip into the shop to buy her a little something. Since the wedding season is upon us, pick up a wedding gift as well. Here are the first 10 botanical gardens I came across that listed a Mother’s Day happening. Nine are in the U.S. and one is not.

(This photo is from a tribute to redbuds and mothers at the Children’s Garden at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. My mom taught me to love redbuds too, so I thought this fitting.)

  1. Botanical Conservatory, Ft. Wayne, Indiana: Free admission and enjoy the butterflies besides.
  2. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine: Free admission to moms and there’s a special brunch. While your mom is eating, slip out to buy that gift.
  3. Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Cleveland, Ohio: Like the Web site says, the redbuds are in bloom and they’re gorgeous
  4. Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens, Belmont, North Carolina: Moms get in free with a paid admission and the first 250 moms get a potted plant.
  5. Denver Botanical Gardens, Denver, Colorado: The Mother’s Day brunch is sold out but you can bring your own picnic.
  6. Fernwood Botanical Gardens, Niles, Michigan: Enjoy music, food and a plant sale.
  7. Huntsville Botanical Gardens, Huntsville, Alabama: Moms can get a hydrangea, as long as they are available. There’s a dinosaur theme going on, but this has nothing to do with your mother.
  8. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Richmond, Virginia: Free family photo for moms while supplies last and free plants to the first 500 moms who come.
  9. Tuscon Botanical Gardens, Tuscon, Arizona: Mom might like to learn about the dinosaurs here as well.
  10. And one not in the United States: Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. If you took your mother to Australia for brunch, would she be impressed.

If you take your mother somewhere else on Sunday–or if you are a mom–ask for a discount. I got into a museum for free in Lugang, Taiwan once on Mother’s Day because I could claim motherhood. The museum gave me a rose as well. The one catch is, I think you probably need to have your child with you.

Earth Day Kite Flying: 10 suggestions

by Jamie Rhein on

Every year when the temperature warms and the wind picks up, we buy a cheap kite to fly for a day or two before we get too busy to head to an open field. As an Earth Day Celebration, what could be more environmentally friendly than kite flying? Except, of course, for the gas to get to a place with wind and enough space.

Open fields are among the best places to fly a kite if you live in an urban area. Think the middle of a high school track for one option. Look out for power lines, though. Kites and power lines are not a good combo. If you live near a coast or a large lake, head to the beach. Other places to consider are fields in city parks.

One thing I like about kite flying, once you have a kite, it’s free. It’s also participatory. What a great way to join in with humanity in environmentally friendly fun. Here are suggestions–some based on personal experience, what people have told me, or in this article, “The Ten Best Places Around the World to Go Fly a Kite”:

1. Central Park in New York City. There is an Earth Day Celebration on April 20, this Sunday, at Rumsey Playfield. Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder are on the line up of entertainment. The park is also on the Holden Caufield tour of New York City.

2. Fano Island, Denmark. With Denmark being the happiest country in the world, flying a kite can only make some one happier than happiest. The family I lived with, when I was a student in undergraduate school, took me here as part of a weekend trip. It was gorgeous.

3. Great Wall of China, China. With China as the country credited for the invention of kites, the Great Wall is an interesting option for kite flying. Here’s an account of one family who found this to be the case. When I went to the Great Wall, it had just snowed. Then it was a place for building snowmen and sliding down the steps on ones bottom.

4. Jaipur, India. Even though the kite festival happened in January, this is a wonderful city to spend some time. A place to launch a kite is from the top of a roof. It’s not uncommon for hotels to have a roof-top terrace restaurant. I never tried it, but I bet roof-top kite flying would be a conversation starter. India is one of those places where everything and nothing is out of the ordinary.

5. Long Beach, Washington. I posted a video taken at the Washington International Kite Flying Festival. It’s not until August, but kite-flying is good anytime.

6. Mission Bay Park and Mission Beach, San Diego, California. When I was walking the boardwalk at Mission Beach last month, the kite fliers were braving chilly weather to send their massive kites sailing. By now, I bet the temperature is perfect.

7. Nan-Liao, Taiwan. This harbor town, a bus ride from Hsinchu, where I used to live, is a popular weekend spot for kite flying. We did fly kites here and ate squid-on-a-stick that we bought at the nearby market. Andrew Zimmern gushed about this popular street food on the last Bizarre Foods episode on China.

8. Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. One of my cousins and his son bought a kite to fly here. When they stopped some place for lunch, they tied the kite to a bike rack so it would stay airborne. They left it behind so someone else could have it. While they shopped they could see it dipping and weaving.

9. Venice Beach, Venice, California. Also a great place to see kite-flying or fly one yourself in the midst of the cacophony of humanity. Check out the drum circle Neil wrote about when you are there.

And a place I haven’t been, but it was recommended in a comment on the 10 great kite-flying places article.

10. El Morro National Park in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. There is a kite flying festival here in March, although, the commenter said it has great kite flying conditions most of the year. As a bonus, this is also a World Heritage Site.

A Passover Seder in Taiwan (and other places)

by Jamie Rhein on

One of the more interesting aspects of living in another country, I think, is going to a cultural event that is not part of ones own culture or the culture of the host country. In each place I’ve lived, there have been people from other countries who are also transplants who have brought aspects of their own cultures with them. Such was the case with the Passover Seder I went to at the American Club in Taipei. I’m not Jewish, but a good friend that I taught with in Hsinchu is, and she asked if I wanted to go.

The American Club was merely the location of the event. One didn’t have to be an American to go, or a member of the American Club. There were Jewish folks from all over the world. If I hadn’t been living in Taiwan, I wouldn’t have had this experience–not because there haven’t been Seders that I could have gone to before this, but because it’s so easy to become routine in ones habits. Living overseas gets one out of the routine and, at least to me, opens up other possibilities for cultural exchange.

With Passover coming up, April 19-27, I was reminded of this experience. Here’s a Web site of the Chabad-Lubavitch where you can find Seders to attend all over the world, as well as, a variety of activities and info about Passover. The International Seder Finder lists 2,000 Seders. This link leads to descriptions of the cultural significance of each of the foods shown in the picture.