Credit: Ani Villas

ANI Villas is set to debut in Asia with the launch of a 10-bedroom property in Koh Yao Noi, Thailand and a 15-bedroom estate in Dikwella, Sri lanka.

Located on the island of Koh Yao Noi, Ani Villas Thailand can be reached by boat from Phuket or Krabi, which is either an hour’s ride from the respective airports, or a 10-minute helicopter journey across the bay.

The villa spans two beachfront acres with all bedrooms equipped with large living spaces, bathrooms, Apple TV and music streaming capabilities.

Facilities include a 33m beachfront pool, children’s pool and double helix water slide, open-air dining sala, spa, fitness centre, bar, yoga pavilion and an enclosed living sala. Guests can also enjoy activities such as cooking classes, cycling, rock climbing, and dining with personal chefs.

Ani Villas Sri Lanka will open this December and is located just outside Dikwella on the central south coast. It is a three-hour drive from Colombo International Airport or 30-minutes by seaplane to a neighbouring lagoon.

The 4.5ha resort offers two villas and 13 suites. Each villa boasts a two-storey sea-facing living sala, library, game room and an open dining sala which overlooks a 23m beachfront pool as well as an adjacent children’s pool with a water slide.

The suites, which come with terraces and pitched roofs, are equipped with plush beds, stone bathtubs, outdoor showers, and modern media technologies.

Resort facilities include a spa, tennis court and gym. Guest can also opt to go outside the resort grounds to take part in activities such as whale watching, fishing, boating, surfing, taking a safari tour or tea tasting at a plantation.

An event pavilion, suitable for events and destination celebrations, is also available.

Credit: Pearl Discovery Development

PAN Pacific Hotels Group has signed an agreement to operate a 205-key luxury serviced suite development located in Nusajaya, Malaysia, in partnership with Pearl Discovery Development, a joint venture set up by Singapore-based real estate developers Pacific Star and DB2.

Named Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Puteri Harbour, it is located within the larger Puteri Cove Residences mixed-use development, and will offer studio, one- and two-room apartments for both short and extended stays. The projects are slated for completion in 2018.

Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Puteri Harbour will occupy 16 floors within one of the three apartment towers at Puteri Cove Residences, which includes an additional four blocks of SOHO/loft units and a two-level waterfront retail promenade.

SOME 400 iconic artworks that paint the story of Singapore’s art history since the 19th century will go on display at the National Gallery Singapore’s DBS Singapore Gallery.

Named Siapa Nama Kamu?, the title of the collection is based on the words on the chalkboard in Chua Mia Tee’s painting National Language Class, which was created in 1959 when Singapore gained self-governance.

National Language Class by Chua Mia Tee. Credit: Gift of Equator Art Society, Collection of National Gallery Singapore

“National Gallery Singapore is the first museum in the world dedicated to modern art from Singapore and South-east Asia, and will present the most extensive long-term exhibitions of art from the region. Through Siapa Nama Kamu?, we want to present a cohesive narrative of Singapore’s art history and engage our visitors with lesser known aspects, such as developments in the 19th century and the formation of art groups resulting from anti-colonial sentiments in the 1950s,” said Eugene Tan, director of National Gallery Singapore.

The exhibition explores Singapore’s identity and links to South-east Asia and the rest of the world since the 19^th century with a total of six themes – Tropical Tapestry, Nanyang Reverie, Real Concerns, New Languages, Tradition Unfettered and Shifting Grounds. Displays will be updated regularly.

Tiger’s Whip by Tang Da Wu. Credit: Collection of Singapore Art Museum

Admissions to the DBS Singapore Gallery is complimentary from its opening date, November 24, to December 6. After this, complimentary admissions will continue for Singaporeans and permanent residents.

Rudrojit Deb. Credit: Manathai Hotels & Resorts

MANATHAI Hotels & Resorts has appointed Rudrojit Deb as general manager of the soon-to-launch Manathai Surin Phuket with immediate effect.

Deb has over 19 years of hospitality experience with brands such as Grand Hyatt, Pullman and Marriott in India and Malaysia.

The 66-key Manathai Surin Phuket will officially open on November 1, 2015 and will be situated on Surin Beach, 30 minutes away from Phuket International Airport.

Thai textures and fabrics are used extensively in the resort’s facilities, with materials such as rattan, wooden screens, local silks and terracotta flooring.

Lotus ponds are also scattered throughout the property, while the pool is enclosed by three-metre high hedges, creating a naturally private space. Rooms feature a sunken pool seating and direct pool access.

F&B options include the pool bar which serves light refreshments, and Pad Thai, an all-day dining restaurant, which features Thai cuisine and also offers cooking classes.

Credit: Tokyo Metropolitan Government

THE Tokyo Metropolitan Government has launched a new branding campaign for Tokyo that will help build a stronger impression of the city as a tourist destination ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics/Paralympics.

Named simply as the Tokyo Brand Promotion Campaign, it features a new & TOKYO logo, as well as a new slogan, A city that promises all kinds of fun by constantly generating new styles while bringing tradition and innovation together.

According to a press statement, the slogan is used to spread “the underlying message to the world that Tokyo is a city where a variety of people, things and events create new kinds of enjoyment by forming new values and connections”.

As for the new logo, various words or corporate identities are meant to be inserted before the “&”, enabling it to be used widely by Tokyo residents, private businesses and foreign tourists as a tool for conveying the city’s value and appeal to the world.

Ho Chi Minh City airport. Credit: 123rf

FOREIGNERS visiting Vietnam can expect much lower entry fees from November 23 onwards, according to a circular from the nation’s Ministry of Finance.

Single-entry visas will cost US$25 instead of the current US$45, while fees for multiple-entry visas with validity of less than three months will cost US$50 instead of US$95.

Prices for multiple-entry visas valid for three to six months and for six months to a year will remain the same, costing US$95 and US$135 respectively. Visas valid for one year to two years will also still cost US$145 and visas valid for two years to five years remains at US$155.

“The visa fee adjustments are intended to boost tourism,” said an official from the Ministry of Finance’s tax policy department, according to Vietnamese newspaper Tuoi Tre. “We have referred to the visa fees in other regional countries to decide on the new rates for Vietnam.”

The reduced fees have come on the back of a series of measures to boost international visitorship, such as visa waivers for five European nations and offering citizens from the US year-long visas.