Until February 28, Mango with Anchan Sticky Rice and Tubtim Krob prepared by THAI Catering using high-quality natural ingredients will be delighting travellers.

The sticky rice in the first has a purple hue derived from the butterfly-pea flower (anchan), a symbol of THAI’s identity. Tubtim Grob, also called Siam Amethyst in a Cloud, is water chestnut in sweet coconut milk with ice.

American news network CNN named both dishes among the world’s 50 best desserts last month.

They’re being served to passengers travelling from Bangkok to Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Tokyo, Nagoya, Seoul, Hong Kong, Taipei, London, Munich, Zurich, Frankfurt and Paris.

Find out more and book fares at ThaiAirways.com or (02) 356 1111 any time of day.

 Situated in a prime location at the junction of Duxton, Tanjong Pagar and Maxwell Road, Six Senses Maxwell occupies a place replete with history.

Originally the site of a nutmeg plantation, 14 three-storey and four-storey colonial-style buildings were subsequently constructed and later joined together as a single entity to create a colonial-style 19th-century heritage building that now houses the hotel.

Built in 1929, the structure features an Art Deco frontage with exposed brickwork, unique lion-head rainspouts and a flagpole hinting at a possible past as a government building.

The property showcases the refined yet flamboyant and sensual aesthetic of renowned French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia, and stands in contrast to the Anouska Hempel-designed Six Senses Duxton.

The hotel has 138 guestrooms and suites on four floors of the sustainably restored building, all thoughtfully decorated with custom furnishings and original artwork. An outdoor rooftop lap pool, a gymnasium, two restaurants and three bars are destined to add to the vibrancy of the already ebullient neighbourhood.

“We are absolutely delighted to deliver the complete unparalleled Six Senses experience in Singapore with the launch of this property,” says general manager Murray Aitken. “Guests will be able to immerse themselves fully into what makes Singapore so special, while at the same time benefiting from the wellness aspects that are the hallmark of the Six Senses experience.”

Located on the ground floor and lined with lush tropical foliage right next to the lobby area is Cook & Tras, a social library restaurant and bar influenced by Straits heritage cuisine.

Featuring a mirrored ceiling highlighting the classic decor and luxurious style of designer Garcia, Cook & Tras reflects a warm European influence and personality showcased through richly textured custom-designed furnishings.

Melding tradition and modernity, this establishment is characterised by its specially curated book collection designed by the UK’s Ultimate Library, known for their dedication to building bespoke book collections for hotels and private residences around the world.

For Cook & Tras, a storied collection of more than 3,000 titles has been curated which reflects the local neighbourhood as well as volumes on subjects such as wellness, meditation, nutrition, herbal medicine, natural history, climate change and sustainability. Hotel guests and future members will also be able to “borrow” books the old-fashioned way.

Open throughout the day for light breakfasts and an all-day small-plates for sharing menu, guests can expect quality ingredients in small flavourful portions or sip on freshly squeezed cold juices and energising healthy beverages providing nutritional benefits. Homemade tonics and kombuchas along with fine teas are featured on the afternoon menu.

By night, the bar takes centre stage with a display of hundreds of spirits from all over the world forming the backdrop to a 20-metre-long bar counter. Evenings are all about bespoke cocktails based on classics and influenced by Straits flavours, infused house-made spirits, shrubs and tonics, with signatures specially developed by award-winning mixologist Ricky Paiva.

Murray Terrace Brasserie is a European styled brasserie named after the building in which it is housed. and coincidentally also the first name of the hotel’s general manager. Its design blends classic Parisian elements with marble tables, and Asian influenced wine displays along with handcrafted Indonesian furniture. The Brasserie’s grand entrance, just opposite Maxwell Food Centre, follows a Parisian cafe style layout with sidewalk tables along the five-foot (1.7-meter) way, a private room, and seating for up to 100 guests inside the dining room.

Recipes are European inspired, with a strong focus on Mediterranean cooking methods that let the ingredients take centre stage. Six double wine chillers holding over 1,500 bottles of wine enclosing a wine tasting table form the centrepiece of Murray Terrace Brasserie.

A special opening offer is for direct bookings online via http://www.SixSenses.com. Guests can enjoy a 15 percent saving, and the offer includes daily breakfast for two people, a guaranteed room upgrade and a signature cocktail for two people.

TOURISTS DRESSED in kimonos and riding rickshaws are a common sight in Tokyo’s Asakusa district. The slightly raised view from a rickshaw lifts the spirits and can be a way to rediscover Asakusa’s charms.

English, Chinese, Spanish – a symphony of languages can be heard around Kaminarimon Gate at Sensoji Temple.

“Taking a stroll in a rented kimono, rickshaws and Japanese food – bundling these three mainstays is an efficient way of enjoying Asakusa tourism to the fullest,” says Shinichiro Yamaguchi of hotel and restaurant firm Fujita Kanko Inc.

Yamaguchi devised the “Japanese culture experience” plan that includes kimono rentals and fittings, a ride in a rickshaw and a Japanese lunch for 8,000 yen (Bt2,400), including taxes and service fees.

After changing into kimonos at Hanaka, visitors from Hong Kong have their picture taken. 

Working with local businesses, they began soliciting customers in September through the website of the Asakusa Tourism Federation and elsewhere.

I’m following two twenty-something women from Hong Kong as they take the tour.

First, they visit the kimono rental shop Hanaka to don the traditional attire. After the women choose kimonos and obi sashes from a wide selection, the staff spends about 30 minutes helping them dress.

When they see each other in kimonos, they smile in delight and say, “So cute!”

Posing in a corner of the store set up for photography, they take pictures to remember the day.

Stepping outside, they find a driver employed by the rickshaw company Ebisuya waiting. The two-person rickshaw had a retro design intended to evoke the time when Japan was opening up to the West during the Meiji Era (1868-1912). The driver speaks good English.

Going along the Sumidagawa River, the rickshaw passes the Azumabashi Bridge with its striking red balustrades, Kaminarimon, and through the alleys around Sensoji.

Tokyo Skytree is among sights seen on the rickshaw ride. 

After about 15 minutes, the driver drops the pair off at the starting point. The route is a popular one for the view it gives of Tokyo Skytree across the river and passing close to Sensoji.

Waiting at a traffic light, another pair of foreign tourists spot the women in the rickshaw and point their smartphones in their direction. Smiling and waving in response, they appear to enjoy behaving like celebrities.

“The rickshaw was faster and more comfortable than I thought it’d be,” one of the women says. “I got a taste of regular Japanese life in the alleys.”

After the ride, the women go for lunch to the restaurant Origami Asakusa run by Fujita Kanko. The main course is fried beef cutlets, followed by dessert – tokoroten, a kind of jellied agar, garnished with dark molasses.

They enjoy it using a tool called a tentsuki to push the tokoroten through a mesh that cuts it into thin strips.

After the meal, they walk around Asakusa in their kimonos, which don’t have to be returned until the evening. Depending on the time of day, some tours have lunch before the rickshaw ride.

“The current trend in travel is experience-based. Putting on a kimono, riding on a rickshaw and talking with the driver – these are out-of-the-ordinary experiences. I think Japanese customers would enjoy it as well,” Yamaguchi says.

With the end of the Heisei Era (1989-the present) approaching, it might be time for some retro fun.