You enter the discreetly refined Four Seasons Hotel Seattle from a private cul-de-sac, sheltered from an otherwise busy downtown intersection. The Hotel exudes serenity, especially if you’re in a room looking across Puget Sound towards the jagged, snow-capped Olympic Mountain range.

Just off the lobby, you’ll find one of downtown Seattle’s culinary gems, ART Restaurant, an upscale, romantic venue for sampling inspired regional cuisine. The menu changes regularly, but you can always count on finding the carnivore’s feast known as the “ultimate ART burger,” a mammoth beef patty topped with pastrami, Dungeness crab meat, bacon and a slew of other fixings. Other high notes include a salumi antipasto plate, a hearty spread of foraged wild mushrooms, and tender braised short ribs with spiced polenta. If you have a sweet tooth, take note: Just off of the Four Seasons lobby, local chocolatier Fran’s Chocolates—a favourite of President Obama—sells exquisite single-malt-whisky truffles, salted caramels, and rich raspberry, caramel and chocolate sauces.

Nearby you can explore the stalls of fresh-caught fish and local produce at Seattle’s historic and beloved Pike Place Market. But you’ll also find a wealth of enticing eateries around town, some within a few blocks of the Hotel and others situated in hip, outlying neighbourhoods such as Fremont and Ballard. Here are six Seattle restaurants you shouldn’t miss.

RN74, 1 206/456-7474, 1433 4th Avenue

Michael Mina’s restaurant empire is remarkable for both its diversity—16 restaurants in 10 cities, tackling everything from steak to Japanese pub fare—and its consistency. Mina’s Seattle outpost of RN74, a French-hued take on West Coast flavours (the restaurant is named for the main highway through Burgundy), is no exception. Although swanky enough for a special occasion, a dinner here is a high-spirited adventure. The knowledgeable, friendly staff take pride in describing the kitchen’s inventive creations, and the urbane, bistro vibe is enhanced by steampunk-style light fixtures as well as wine lists displayed on huge rail station arrival/departure boards. Culinary highlights include a spring beet salad with Burrata, pickled strawberry and beet meringue; and decadent duck-fat-poached New York strip with salsify, kale and king trumpet mushrooms. Don’t miss pastry chef Kim Mahar’s inspired desserts, including a knockout chèvre and sweet pea cheesecake with lemon gelée, pea shoots and lemon curd sherbet.

Revel, 1 206/547-2040, 403 North 36th Street

This spare, minimalist space offers a refreshing, postindustrial contrast to the bric-a-brac chic of Fremont, a countercultural—if increasingly gentrified—neighbourhood situated along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. Revel’s cuisine bucks tradition, too (think new wave Korean comfort food). Husband-and-wife team Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, who met at Manhattan’s hallowed Alain Ducasse, have built a loyal following with their unexpected flavour combinations. Consider a salad of corned lamb with mizuna and pungent nouc cham; and Dungeness crab over seaweed noodles with crème fraîche and fiery red curry. Revel’s exceptional weekend brunches are still a bit under the radar, but this may change once enough diners have sampled the monkey bread topped with barbecue pork, pickled jalapeño and maple syrup, or the crispy doughnut battered with bacon, hazelnut and pickled pear.

Cascina Spinasse, 1 206/251-7673, 1531 14th Avenue

Seattle has no shortage of worthy Italian restaurants, but the rustic, freshly interpreted, Piedmontese-inspired cuisine at this clean-lined space with dark wood floors and tables stands out from the pack. Chef Jason Stratton sources local ingredients to create hearty, boldly flavoured fare like braised rabbit leg with verjus, spring herbs and shaved green almonds; and a creamy yet surprisingly light risotto of stinging nettles, raw egg yolk and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Next door, sister bar Artusi is a lovely spot to sip grappa or a classic negroni and nibble on selections from a simpler, antipasto-style menu.

Skillet Diner, 1 206/512-2000, 1400 East Union Street

Started as a humble food truck that still roves about town (check the website for daily locations), this contemporary take on a classic greasy spoon—complete with tall glass windows and a streamlined L-shaped counter—is a favourite with Capitol Hill’s young couples, gays and lesbians, and students. Weekend brunches are popular, as is post-nightclub noshing on Friday and Saturday nights (when Skillet is open till 2:00 am). Note the “breaky” fare—menu items served all day such as cornmeal waffles topped with maple-braised pork belly and two eggs, and “deconstructed” corned beef hash. Southern fried chicken with a black pepper–honey drizzle is a favourite dinner entrée. The full bar dispenses fine craft cocktails morning, noon and night.

The Walrus and the Carpenter, 1 206/395-9227, 4743 Ballard Avenue NW

You walk down a narrow hallway behind a bike shop–cum–coffeehouse to reach this diminutive dining room, named for a narrative poem by Lewis Carroll. The restaurant is situated in the charming old Scandinavian fishing neighbourhood of Ballard, which has lately blossomed into a destination for good food. You may have to wait for a seat in chef Renee Erickson’s inviting but tiny space, which is anchored by a radiant coral chandelier. (In warm weather, you can also grab one of the few tables on the small patio.) Though the menu changes daily, you’ll always spy a few types of local oysters on the half-shell. But also consider lovely snacks from the garden (such as cabbage salad with cilantro, sunchokes, lime and hazelnut oil), a perfectly simple steak tartare, and a slew of seafood creations, from smoked trout with lentils and crème fraîche to mackerel crudo with grapefruit and mint. Note the long list of French wines by the glass.

Terra Plata, 1 206/325-1501, 1501 Melrose Avenue

Along a short block that’s tall on superb food (neighbours include stalwarts like Sitka & Spruce and Bar Ferd’nand), this natty, triangular dining room in lower Capitol Hill requires a pleasant if vigorous 12-block uphill walk from Four Seasons Hotel Seattle. Use this opportunity for exercise to justify indulging in Tamara Murphy’s beautifully plated regional cuisine. Even in this city dominated by locavore dining, Terra Plata (which means, loosely, “earth to plate”) stands out for its relentless commitment to sourcing ingredients from nearby farms, ranches and markets. King salmon is served with honey-roasted carrots, wild ramps, fiddlehead ferns and pea vines. Murphy has long maintained a fondness for pork dishes, and her roast pig with chorizo, clams, hot-smoked paprika, sofrito, bay-scented potatoes and chicharron definitely measures up. Craft cocktails often rely on local elixirs, from house pickle juice to bitters made with Seattle’s heavenly Theo Chocolates.

Singapore to Bangkok by rail
On a three-day luxury journey through Malaysia and Thailand, writer Chris Colin examines the magic of train travel and why it still sparks our sense of adventure. (Afar)

Italy’s best dive spots
The Mediterranean waters off Italy’s coast are a diver’s delight. Dip beneath the surface at these top spots. (Wall Street Journal)

Vivid Sydney lights up
The biggest light festival in the Southern Hemisphere starts today, with more than 60 interactive light installations throughout the city on view through June 10. (International Business Times)

A perfect day in Mexico City
Mexico City is a top destination for art and design, but what do you do when you’re not gallery-hopping? Four culturally minded residents lead you to the best of the D.F. (Time)

Essential photography in Tbilisi
The capital of Georgia has become an epicentre for photography. In an interview with the artistic co-director of the 2013 Tbilisi Photo Festival, which kicks off May 28, Nathan Thornburgh explains the significance of this year’s show. (Roads & Kingdoms)

From beachside villas and country retreats to urban pieds-à-terre, Four Seasons Private Residences are exclusive properties adjoining Four Seasons hotels and resorts in key destinations around the globe. Looking for a less permanent escape? Four Seasons Residence Clubs allow you to pay only for the time you plan to spend in residence. Wherever you choose to call home, you’ll love exploring your new destination with the comfort of Four Seasons services and amenities just steps from your door.

FULL OWNERSHIP IN SEYCHELLES

Four Seasons Private Residences Seychelles

An archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, Seychelles is a largely uninhabited hideaway with numerous undeveloped beaches stretching towards vivid azure waters. Here, exclusivity and nature blend seamlessly. In this serene setting, a vibrant culture has blossomed. Local markets provide a taste of Seychellois life, while upscale restaurants showcase international influence by way of Creole, Chinese, Indian and Italian cuisine. At each Four Seasons Private Residence Seychelles, you’ll find panoramic ocean views and well-appointed indoor and outdoor living areas outfitted in either French Chic or British Contemporary style. Designed in harmony with the natural surroundings, each Private Residence is designed to fit its position along the granite hillside, meaning no two homes are alike.

FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP IN VAIL, COLORADO

Four Seasons Residence Club Vail

With more than 5,000 acres (2,000 hectares) and nearly 200 trails, Vail is the largest ski resort in North America. In warmer weather, you can still tackle the mountains, with activities such as whitewater rafting, hiking and fly-fishing. Not an outdoorsman? Vail Village offers award-winning dining and shopping at every turn. At Four Seasons Residence Club Vail, you can visit during any season by becoming a fractional owner of one of 19 luxury vacation homes. Two-, three- and four-bedroom condominiums offer the space you need to spread out and enjoy living within easy reach of Vail Mountain. Residences include full access to all the services and amenities at the adjoining Four Seasons Resort.

Four Seasons Private Residence

You can call Four Seasons home in key urban centres and desirable resort destinations around the world.

• Austin
• Baltimore
• Beijing
• Bengaluru
• Bora Bora
• Boston
• Costa Rica
• Denver
• Dublin
• Florence
• Hangzhou
• Houston
• Jackson Hole
• Jakarta
• Marrakech
• Mauritius at Anahita
• Miami
• Nevis, West Indies
• Punta Mita, México
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Seychelles
• Shanghai
• Sharm El Sheikh
• Toronto
• Vail
• Whistler

Four Seasons Residence Clubs

Four Seasons also offers the freedom and flexibility of fractional ownership in these resort destinations:

• Aviara, North San Diego
• Costa Rica
• Florence, Palazzo Tornabuoni (a private residence club managed by Four Seasons)
• Jackson Hole
• Punta Mita, México
• Scottsdale
• Vail

For more information about Four Seasons Private Residences or Four Seasons Residence Clubs:

• In the U.S. or Canada, call Four Seasons toll free at 1 800/343-0799
• From elsewhere, call Four Seasons direct at 1 416/673-5423
• Visit our website

Neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy in any jurisdiction where advance registration is required and has not been completed. Void where prohibited by law.

Farm-to-table cooking is serious business at Four Seasons hotels and resorts, where chefs create menus featuring ingredients sourced from local farms, ranches and markets. But locavore thinking doesn’t stop at the dinner table. Four Seasons mixologists have long been incorporating seasonal, local ingredients into their handcrafted cocktails, pouring fresh concoctions using fruits, herbs, flowers and even honeycomb from on site or nearby.

As part of the annual 100 Mile Cocktail programme, Four Seasons has challenged these mixologists to create new cocktails exclusively using ingredients sourced within a 100-mile (160-kilometre) radius of their Four Seasons property. The results range from a coconut, guava and ginger drink in the Maldives to a Kumtini cocktail made with a Cantonese rice liquor indigenous to Guangzhou.

Inspired to drink local? Start here with the Backyard Barbareño, a vodka and blood orange cocktail created by Andreza Andrade, General Manager of Bella Vista at Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara. And discover all of these innovative libations and the creative inspiration behind them on Taste.

Backyard Barbareño
Created by Andreza Andrade, Bella Vista General Manager, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara

The inspiration
The Backyard Barbareño (named for one of the extinct Chumash languages of the Santa Barbara area) takes its inspiration from Santa Barbara’s Spanish roots and its abundance of fresh California ingredients. The vodka used in the drink is craft-distilled from grapes sourced from the adjacent wine-producing region of Paso Robles. The result: A refreshing, citrusy cocktail that’s a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy, with just the right amount of tang.

Ingredients:
½ ounce Re:Find handcrafted vodka, Paso Robles, Calif.
½ ounce Ventura Orangecello Blood Orange liqueur, Ventura, Calif.
2 ½ ounces fresh blood orange juice from the Resort’s on-property chef’s garden, Montecito, Calif.
½ ounce farmers’ market–fresh lime juice, Goleta, Calif.
1 barspoon guava jalapeño preserves, Mama’s Preserves, Arroyo Grande, Calif.
Cilantro flowers from the chef’s garden, for garnish

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except cilantro flowers in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously to mix. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a few cilantro flowers.

Find more gourmet inspiration at Taste—your stop for the best in global food and drink.

Moscow may be the commercial centre of Russia’s thriving art scene, but the country’s second-largest metropolis has undergone a cultural renaissance all its own in recent years. Today the city formerly known as Leningrad is bursting at the seams with art, thanks to the recent opening of both the Novy Muzei (aka New Museum) and the Erarta contemporary art museum, as well as a number of galleries specializing in contemporary art.

There’s also a plan to transform billionaire art collector Roman Abramovich’s New Holland Island, a former navy base, into a self-contained cultural destination with its own museum; and the Mariinsky II, a state-of-the-art performance hall adjacent to the 19th-century Mariinsky Theatre, opened this month after more than 10 years of development. And, of course, St Petersburg is already home to one of the most magnificent marvels of the world: the State Hermitage Museum.

For the art-minded traveller, there may not be a better time to visit St Petersburg than this summer, when White Nights and warm days bring endless opportunities to experience the city’s creative side.

Museums

State Hermitage Museum
2, Dvortsovaya Square
There are more than three million artworks and artifacts housed in this national treasure chest founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great. A traveller could spend an entire vacation wandering the six buildings of the State Hermitage, but even a brief visit will astound the senses. This summer, no fewer than 11 exhibitions are opening at the museum, ranging from a showing of Dutch golden-age portraiture, “Corporate Unity” (through September 1), to contemporary works from Ilya and Emilia Kabakov in “Utopia and Reality” (through August 25). In recent years, the State Hermitage has been placing greater emphasis on contemporary art, showcasing such living artists as Chuck Close, Jake and Dinos Chapman, and Terence Koh.

Russian Museum
2, Griboyedov Canal
The Russian Museum was the first state museum in the nation, housed in the former Mikhailovsky Palace since 1895. The collection will dizzy lovers of Russian art, with highlights such as Kazimir Malevich’s Suprematist icon “Black Square” (1923), as well as historic masterpieces from the likes of Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky and Alexander Ivanov. This summer, from May 29 to August 12, at the magnificent Marble Palace, see 200 raw street photographs of Paris by Mikhail Chemyakin.

Freud’s Dream Museum
18a, Bolshoy Prospekt (Petrograd Side)
Make an intellectual and spiritual pilgrimage to the Museum of Dreams, an enveloping installation that explores the world of the unconscious, Freud’s theories, and his famous passion for art and ancient artifacts.

ROSFOTO
35, Bolshaya Morskaya Ulitsa
Founded in 2002 as part of the state Russian Museum system, ROSPHOTO exhibits work by well-known national and international masters of photography as well as talented emerging artists working in the genres of contemporary art closely connected with photography. Video art, photographic installations, animation and experimental cinema are all on display. In addition to hosting exhibitions, the museum also embraces scientific research on photographic preservation and technology and educational programmes.

Yusupov Palace
94, Naberezhnaya Reki Moyki
To add a bit of Russian historical intrigue to your art tour, there is no better destination than Yusupov Palace, where Grigory Rasputin was mysteriously murdered in 1916. Within the palace’s famed yellow walls, wax models of Rasputin and his enemy, Prince Yusupov, are displayed in recreated period rooms—which include quite possibly the finest collection of 18th- and 19th-century interiors in the city.

Galleries and alternative spaces

Marina Gisich Gallery
121, Fontanka Embankment
When Marina Gisich opened her gallery on the Fontanka embankment in 2000, there were few outlets for conceptual art in St Petersburg. Today she continues to showcase young, emerging artists at what has become a favorite on the St Petersburg gallery circuit.

Anna Nova Art Gallery
28 Zhukovskogo Street
The contemporary art gallery combines freedom and flexibility in using creative concepts and formats in its shows, but it employs strict criteria in its approach to maintaining the quality of its art projects. Highly active in the international art market, it participates in significant Russian, European and Asian contemporary art fairs.

Aperto Gallery
18 Pirogova Lane, 3rd Floor
Aperto is a new gallery and alternative space, founded in 2012, that works with young Russian and Western artists to produce educational and research projects. The gallery is one of the first initiatives in St Petersburg to integrate the young Russian art scene with the international art community, and it has executed previous projects in collaboration with curators from the MIT List Visual Arts Center and the Whitney Museum. The gallery is located in a new arts enclave known as “The Quarter,” and occupies a 19th-century building.

Taiga
20 Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya,
Taiga is an experimental platform near the State Hermitage Museum that unites young specialists from disparate creative fields to produce common creative work. In addition to housing contemporary art projects, it encompasses a bookstore, a hostel, a fashion boutique with clothes by emerging Russian designers, and even several IT companies.

Russian artists to know

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov
Among the best-known figures in Russian conceptualism, husband-and-wife duo Ilya and Emilia Kabakov create satirical drawings and large-scale installations that form tragicomic narratives about Soviet life. In 1993, the duo represented Russia at the 45th Venice Biennale.

Darina Karpov
St Petersburg-born, Yale-educated painter Darina Karpov creates charged abstract works that draw on her surroundings, from the natural world to digital culture. As the artist describes it, her work is influenced by “all the things that evolve and expand spatially and in temporal dimensions,” an interest rooted in her own sense of dislocation as a Russian artist living in America.

George Pusenkoff
Working in virtually every medium, from painting to installation, George Pusenkoff blends references to the past with the aesthetics of the digital world, appropriating charged symbols from art history and experimenting with the visual language of the computer screen.

View a collection curated by Olga Kachalova, Chief Concierge at Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St Petersburg, and read her exclusive interview on Artspace.com.

Hangzhou is considered one of China’s most famous and most beautiful destinations. Home to the legendary West Lake, which resembles a traditional Chinese garden on the grandest scale, the city is a must-see for anyone interested in the Far East. Known as one of China’s most prosperous business centres, Hangzhou (pronounced “hung-jo”) is a city of more than 6.5 million people, located on the country’s east coast, just 45 minutes by bullet train southwest of Shanghai. Though business and international designer shopping centres are nearby, you’ll also find authentic and historic attractions that epitomize Hangzhou’s dynamic culture. Here are the top five you shouldn’t miss.

West Lake
This vast lake—covering 600 hectares (1,500 acres)—is framed on three sides by mountain peaks and on one side by the city skyline. The rich green shoreline is dotted with ancient temples, towering pagodas and delicate bridges, creating an idyllic picture of China’s past. Hop on a guided boat tour for West Lake’s most scenic views, or join the Hangzhou locals who flock to lakeside parks to walk, cycle and meet for tea.

Tea house tradition
Tea has always been an important part of Hangzhou’s economy. The area is well known for Longjing (Dragon Well), the precious green tea that is often called the national drink of China. Visit one of the area’s historic tea houses, where you’ll experience traditional tea service and sample a variety of sweet and savoury snacks. If you’re a true tea connoisseur, take a day trip to a neighbouring tea plantation. At Longjing Village, you can pick tea alongside villagers during harvest season, which usually begins in late March and runs through August, though peak time for picking is during March and April.

Pagoda of Six Harmonies
One of China’s most significant pagodas—originally constructed in AD 970—this octagonal brick-and-wood structure overlooks the Qiantang River. Seen from the outside, the pagoda appears to tower 13 storeys on the hillside; inside you’ll find only seven storeys. This early version of a skyscraper offers postcard-worthy views of the river and city.

Buddhist temples
Of Hangzhou’s several temples and monasteries, the most renowned is Lingyin Si, or the Temple of Soul’s Retreat. A highlight is the shimmering gold leaf–painted Buddha, one of China’s largest wooden statues. The temple is also noted for its caves and grottos, which feature religious carvings created by resident monks from the 10th to the 14th century.

Silk street shopping
Hangzhou has been known for centuries as China’s Silk Capital. The merchants of Xinhua Road and Jiankang Road make up the largest wholesale and retail silk market in China. In these pedestrian-only boulevards, you’ll find a bustling mix of old and new stores showcasing all varieties of Chinese silk.

Discover seven more destinations at China by Four Seasons, and find special offers to help you make the most of your next trip.

The art of travel with Louis Vuitton
A new collection of travel guides by the luxury fashion house takes you to four vibrant destinations through the eyes of visiting artists. (Wallpaper)

Is there a doctor on the plane?
Several airlines are inviting medical practitioners to register their credentials in exchange for frequent flyer points. (The Independent)

Art Basel to open in Hong Kong
For its first foray into Asia, Art Basel will welcome internationally renowned artists and collectors when it kicks off in Hong Kong May 23. (Wall Street Journal)

17 of the world’s best coffee shops
We recently revealed our picks for the world’s best cafés; now see what else is brewing, from Copenhagen to Singapore. (The Culture-ist)

Test-driving travel apps in Atlanta, Georgia
With an arsenal of mobile apps to guide her, a travel writer discovers the sprawling southern U.S. city. (Washington Post)

Beyond paradise in Northern California
If reading about California olive oil peaked your interest in Marin County, learn more about the vibrant and quirky locale—and why visitors keep coming back. (T Magazine)

Got travel news? Tweet your latest finds to @FSMagazine.

I’ll admit it—I’m very picky about my bags. My requirements are few and reasonable: lightweight, quality materials inside and out, subtle details, enough—but not too many—pockets, and looks that stride the line between masculine and feminine, sporty and pretty.

So I was surprised when I found my perfect bag in equestrian lifestyle and gear purveyor Oughton Limited. The young-ish company makes totes and travel bags for riders and trainers. And while I admire horses from afar, I haven’t ridden one in years.

I have, however, fallen for the equestrian-inspired overnight bag. A thing of good looks and refinement, it’s crafted of waxed canvas and trimmed in bridle leather with bronze halter accents. The spacious interior has a pocket perfectly suited for my laptop or iPad. Oughton Limited’s handbags are made with the same polished materials and craftsmanship; and smaller totes are equally elegant, with luxe yet sturdy details such as premium canvas and contrast stitching.

The Vermont-based company was founded by Daphne Powell Markcrow, an accomplished rider who, after years of toting unwieldy trunks and cheap nylon bags, created her own bespoke carryall. Her bag inspired the envy of other riders on the show circuit, and in 2007, she launched Oughton Limited to make practical, elegant, heirloom-quality bags for riders and non-riders alike.

And who knows, this non-rider with her newfound travel bag may just be inspired to get back in the saddle.

With an eighth hotel in China just about to open in Shenzhen, Four Seasons offers prime locations in all of the country’s most important destinations. Now it’s even easier to plan a Four Seasons “grand tour” of China, or to get to know specific regions in depth.

Start exploring with the new “China by Four Seasons” offer. When you stay three paid nights at any China hotel, you’ll receive a complimentary night at your choice of any other hotel in China. The offer applies to stays booked from June 1 to September 30, 2013, with the free night up to December 31, 2013.

“Four Seasons helps to demystify China, making it easer and more approachable,” says Chris Hart, President of Hotel Operations, Four Seasons Asia Pacific. “Our guests really value the insight and special experiences that Four Seasons offers at every step of the journey. Our goal is to make each guest’s visit incomparable.”

Convenient locations for exploring China

Where to start? Hong Kong is an ideal air hub for arrival, and Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong provides an iconic experience thanks to its harbour-edge setting in the midst of luxury shopping, dining and urban buzz.

Within an hour of Hong Kong are Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou and the new Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen, opening in mid-2013. These cities may be known more as business destinations, but they are full of surprises and worth a leisure visit—even if it’s quick—to explore local cuisine, shopping, art and architecture. You’ll find gaming and family entertainment just a one-hour ferry ride from Hong Kong at Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip®.

Travelling midway up China’s east coast, you can experience two sides of a booming metropolis: Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai is immersed in the centrally located and historic Puxi district, while Four Seasons Hotel Pudong, Shanghai, on the other side of the Huangpu River, is cutting-edge and futuristic. For a taste of tranquillity, take the 45-minute bullet train to Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou—a peaceful retreat on the shore of West Lake, surrounded by traditional Chinese gardens and temples.

Farther north, in China’s capital, Four Seasons Hotel Beijing provides the perfect home base for visiting the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, as well as experiencing the city’s fascinating mix of contemporary and traditional culture.

As Hart explains, “Our hotels help people go beyond the typical attractions and focus on their own personal interests. Those might include meeting cool fashion designers in Hong Kong, visiting artists’ ateliers in Shanghai or chatting with one of our Michelin-starred chefs. It’s such a customized experience, we’re calling it ‘China by Four Seasons’.”

The offer is only available by phone—by calling either the individual hotels or Four Seasons toll-free.

Learn more about each destination at China by Four Seasons, and find other special offers to help you make the most of your next trip.

Participating Hotels:

• Four Seasons Hotel Beijing: +86 (10) 5695 8888
• Four Seasons Hotel Guangzhou: +86 20 8883 3888
• Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake: +86 (571) 8829-8888
• Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong: +(852) 3196-8888
• Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip®: +(853) 2881-8888
• Four Seasons Hotel Pudong, Shanghai: +86 21 2036 8888
• Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai: +86 (21) 6256-8888
• Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen (opening mid-2013): accepting reservations soon

Wanderlust defines me. My love of travel was ignited at age 15, when my grandparents took me on a whistle-stop tour of Paris and London. The addiction to travel was swift and decisive, and the next year I headed to Spain for a summer exchange program. I waitressed throughout college to afford a summer of “Euro-railing,” only too delighted to lodge at seedy hostels and subsist on day-old croissants. By 25—after a post-graduate year spent in London—I was fluent in the language of Champagne, tube stations and nabbing USD 100 “courier” airline seats.

Then I got married and had kids. Far-flung getaways came to a screeching halt. Travelling—if we dared—was based on the availability of kid camps. Eventually, everything changed again. Diapers, bottles and strollers became accoutrements of the past, and international travel was at long last on the horizon.

Marvellous Mausanne: No complaining while eating escargot in Provence

When my daughters were nine and five, we rented a house in Mausanne-les-Alpilles. It was a smashing success. Everything was within walking distance of the town centre, and each day featured one major adventure followed by lunch al fresco and a leisurely afternoon by the pool. Our rules: No complaining, and adopt a must-try approach to everything—especially food.

World travellers, my husband and I told the kids, are a rare and special breed, as curious about castles as about escargot. It wasn’t always smooth sailing, but dealing with mishaps  (meals served later than the kids were used to, boredom and occasional secondhand cigarette smoke) was all part of the learning curve. At restaurants, the girls employed this “world traveller” modus operandi. Lavish praise was heaped upon the gutsy gourmand willing to dive headfirst into a foreign dish. More often than not, they loved the new foods, with soupe au pistou topping the charts. Over dinner, we rated our day, encouraging our kids to share what they found the most interesting.

City of Light delight: Following directions in Paris

For her tenth birthday, I took my eldest daughter, Isabella, to Paris. Lead researcher and navigator-in-chief were added to the world traveller concept. Isabella investigated points of interest and crafted her proposed itinerary. Each day she consulted the concierge (in French) to determine our metro route. At museums, the choice of exhibits was left in her capable hands. Superlative experience: An outing with Chloé Doutre-Roussel, one of Paris’ foremost chocolate experts.

Turning lemons into lemonade: Honing problem-solving skills in Provence

The following summer we had a hiccup. Our rented “villa” turned out to be a dilapidated, bug-infested farmhouse. A freak-out could have been in order. Instead, we opted to teach the fine art of problem solving on the fly. I connected with a Marseille based “concierge” who booked us into a series of glorious properties that we would have never found on our own.

London Calling: Planning itineraries with pint-size tour guides

Thanks to last summer’s Olympics and a Kate Middleton–enhanced royal allure, I felt London giving me the come-hither. Again, I reinforced engagement and independence by way of worksheets and allowed the kids to create our family itinerary according to their interests. On the agenda: the Rosetta Stone, Tower of London, Museum of Natural History and the hop on, hop off bus tour. Cultural activities and elegant afternoon teas are the stuff of scrapbooks. But our stay at the family-friendly Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane made the trip even more spectacular. Amenities like spun sugar Harry Potter- and Matilda-themed treats and an in-room Wii deck left my children speechless.

The kids have picked up many mementos during our family holidays, but the curiosity and lifelong quest for knowledge inspired by these trips are the most important keepsakes of all.

Ready to create your own extraordinary moments? Plan your next family getaway with special offers and experiences at Four Seasons hotels and resorts around the globe.

Read more about family holidays and adventures on the Four Seasons blog Have Family Will Travel.

It’s noon at Beijing’s Noodle Loft, and half a dozen chefs are demonstrating their artistry in the restaurant’s open kitchen. One noodle maker slowly unfurls a single coiled spinach noodle, making arcs with it in the air like a fly fisherman, the 75-foot-long (23-metre-long) strand stretching into a large vat of boiling water several feet away. Another chef holds on his shoulder a massive hunk of dough on a wooden tray the size of a skateboard, carving it with a pastry knife to make long ribbons that cascade into another boiling pot. Meanwhile, two more noodle craftsmen stretch gobs of dough into noodles as thin as angel hair with their bare hands, working in unison like gold-medal synchronized swimmers.

A recent exploration of the Noodle Loft and Beijing’s other top noodle eateries convinced me that the city is one of the finest places in the world for noodles. Unlike many Asian cities and even Italian towns, Beijing hosts a variety of restaurants where chefs continue to craft noodles by hand, mostly eschewing machines and refusing to outsource their noodles to suppliers. Usually the noodles you’ll eat in China’s capital are made to order, right under your nose. And Beijing showcases a dizzying array of noodles that are formed into nearly as many shapes as Italian pasta. On a recent visit to Beijing, I watched the capital’s best noodle makers in action—and savoured the results.

The art of making noodles
At the Noodle Loft, in the affluent Wangjing suburb, the chefs’ noodle artistry is just one component of the restaurant’s distinction. Featuring the noodles of Shanxi, the province southwest of Beijing that is famous for its innovative noodle shapes, the Noodle Loft shows how variety in shapes and textures enlivens the eating experience. Ren Tiaohong, the restaurant’s manager, speculates that noodle shapes developed out of the poverty of the region—with less meat and fewer vegetables, different noodles provided variety in people’s diets. The ingredients folded into the noodles at Noodle Loft are diverse: Spinach, red sorghum, oat, buckwheat and soybeans are added to various wheat-based doughs. One noodle dish, kao lao lao, made of wheat and oat, is even more elaborate: Before being steamed, the dough is formed into wide ring-shaped bands that are pressed together in a bamboo basket to create a beehive-like design.

I enjoyed the most refined noodles at Noodle Bar, a 12-seat restaurant located in a stylish dining and nightlife complex called 1949 The Hidden City that also features Duck de Chine, one of the capital’s best restaurants for Peking duck. The tiny Noodle Bar feels Japanese, with the kitchen situated around a bar where diners eat under dim lighting. The simmered beef soup in which the restaurant’s most popular noodles are served is simple and light, like a broth from Canton, in southern China. But the noodles themselves are purely from China’s north: wispy strands as thin as hair, stretched magically by hand.

Just as delicious are the noodles served at Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, where I indulged in a bowl of savoury pork won tons and egg noodles, a dish from southern China, for breakfast at the Opus Lounge. That was followed by a late lunch at the hotel’s opulent
Cai Yi Xuan. Chef Michael Liang prepared a common Beijing dish, zhajiang mian, spaghetti-like noodles with thick soybean sauce and pork belly, enlivened by julienned cucumber and pink turnips.

Finding local flavour
Craving more local flavour, I went to the back alley neighbourhoods of Beijing called hutongs. Crescent Moon, a restaurant specializing in the cuisine of Uighurs (a Muslim ethnic minority living along China’s western border with Central Asia), serves noodles that show how the dish spans all the way into China’s west. The eatery features delicious chao mian pian, or noodle squares, that are stir-fried with tomato sauce and bits of beef and lamb, reminding me of an arrabbiata sauce. Also mouth-watering is a dish called dapanji, in which tagliatelle-like noodles are folded into a spicy chicken stew. The noodles are the perfect vehicle for absorbing the chilli-infused gravy.

A visit to Beijing would not have been complete without a meal of dumplings, a dish the city is known for. At Bao Yuan, a dumpling restaurant just around the corner from
Four Seasons Hotel Beijing, I saw half a dozen female dumpling makers wearing purple checkered aprons and shower caps. They rolled out dumpling skins made colourful with the addition of spinach, carrot or red cabbage, and stuffed them with an extensive offering of different fillings, some quite experimental. But the cooking method remains very traditional: The dumplings are only boiled, not pan-fried as they might be elsewhere in Beijing or steamed as they often are in southern China.

Ren Juxiang, the manager of Bao Yuan, said that the restaurant’s owner, Chen Zhongkai, is actually from Hong Kong, in southern China—an artist who just wanted to make a living by selling dumplings. “But now he’s committed to the art of dumpling making,” she said. “He thinks of dumplings as his children, and since he’s only been making dumplings for 16 years, they haven’t reached maturity yet. We have a long way to go.” Exactly the kind of noodle devotion that I’d hoped to find in Beijing.

Noodling the choices: Jen Lin-Liu’s top picks for Beijing’s best noodles

Bao Yuan Dumplings
Maizidian Jie 6, Chaoyang District; 86 10/6586-4967
This humble yet festive restaurant near Four Seasons Hotel Beijing features more than 100 dumpling fillings.

Black Sesame Kitchen
3 Heizhima Hutung, Dongcheng District;  86 136/9147-4408
This cooking school/restaurant was founded by Jen Lin-Liu. The most popular classes among expatriates and foreign travellers are the ones in which chefs teach the finer points of dumplings and noodles.

Cai Yi Xuan
Liang Ma Qiao Lu 48,  Chaoyang District; 86 10/5695-8888
The opulent Chinese restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel Beijing serves a variety of noodle dishes.

Crescent Moon
Dongsi Liutiao 16, Dongcheng District; 86 10/6400-5281
This Uighur restaurant features noodle dishes from China’s northwest region of Xinjiang.

Noodle Bar
Gongti Bei Lu, Courtyard 4, Chaoyang District; 86 10/6501-1949
Order at this 12-seat restaurant and watch the noodle being stretched before your eyes.

Noodle Loft
Guangshun Bei Dajie 33, Chaoyang District; 86 10/8472-4700
More than a half-dozen chefs demonstrate various noodle styles in an open kitchen.

Xian’r Lao Man
Andingmen Nei Dajie 252, Dongcheng District; 86 10/6404-6944
Locals cram into this popular dumpling and pot sticker restaurant near the Lama Temple.

Jen Lin-Liu is the author of Serve the People: A Stir-Fried Journey Through China. She’s currently immersed in noodle research for her next book, On the Noodle Road: From Beijing to Rome With Love and Pasta.

Discover seven more destinations at China by Four Seasons, and find special offers to help you make the most of your next trip. And find more gourmet inspiration at Taste—your stop for the best in global food and drink.

When Nan Tucker McEvoy wanted to plant Tuscan olives rather than raise dairy cows on her 550-acre (222-hectare) property in Petaluma in 1991, locals had their doubts. McEvoy persisted, and now some 18,000 trees on her family ranch produce 5,548 gallons of award-winning organic oil each year.

McEvoy has a pattern of success. She previously served as the chair of the San Francisco Chronicle Publishing Company (which operated the newspaper co-founded by her grandfather Michael H. de Young in 1865). She was also an original member of the United States Peace Corps, and in the 1980s acted as chair of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. To a woman used to getting things done, transplanting an Old World crop to California never seemed impossible.

“She’s a very determined woman,” says Jill Lee, events and public relations manager at McEvoy Ranch. The ranch specializes in early harvest oils (oils produced by olives picked when they’re still green), which have peppery and grassy notes and are high in polyphenols, the antioxidants that make olive oil so beneficial to health.

McEvoy Ranch practices sustainable growing to create its California Certified Organic oils. Olives are sourced solely from the family property, milled on site and labelled with details such as harvest date and extra virginity. With California oils gaining popularity, Lee says that a major component of the brand is educating customers and visitors to the ranch about the properties and taste profiles of fresh olive oil. “In the Mediterranean, they go to their local mill, and they know what fresh oil should taste like,” Lee points out. “For decades, we’ve been receiving imported oils, and some of that might have become degraded along the way. There’s really no olive oil police to regulate.” To give people the opportunity to taste truly fresh olive oil, the ranch runs tours throughout the year, including an orchard and mill walk as well as a popular garden tour each summer that includes a sit-down lunch served in the ranch’s Victorian-style farmhouse.

McEvoy’s only bricks-and-mortar retail location is at San Francisco’s Ferry Building—a small outpost, considering the ranch is the largest producer of organic, estate-grown olive oil in the United States—but the oil has earned a solid following among the city’s chefs, many of whom include it in their menu items. The most unusual of them all: Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream, which features an ice cream flavoured with McEvoy olive oil.

In the mood for interior design? It’s time to visit New York.
The 41st annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House officially opened May 7 featuring work by 18 artists, architects and designers. The house’s five floors, with rooms ranging from minimalist interpretations to trippy colour and pattern experiments, can be viewed through June 4. Click through the gallery above to see highlights. (New York Times)

Travelling can boost your career.
Taking a career break to travel can help you recharge, learn new skills and make contacts. (The Guardian)

Mumbai’s tallest skyscraper may also be its greenest.
A proposal for Mumbai’s tallest building—the stick-thin 116-storey, 400-metre Imperial Tower—features “sky gardens” designed to lessen the effect of strong winds, among other environmentally friendly features. (The Atlantic Cities)

Shop for the guys in Paris.
Some of the city’s most stylish new boutiques are all about menswear. (Fodors)

New York debuts a new skyline.
A 408-foot (124-metre) spire was placed atop One World Trade Center in Manhattan, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the third-tallest building in the world. (CNN)

Take a chance on the new Abba museum.
Abba: the Museum, which opened in Stockholm May 7, is a high-tech tribute to the Swedish band. (The Telegraph)

Got travel news? Tweet your latest finds to @FSMagazine.

This week I’m obsessed with Totokaelo (pronounced TOH-toh-KYE-oh). From its post in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighbourhood (and about a mile away from Four Seasons Hotel Seattle), the store is known for its superbly curated selection of ready-to-wear, shoes, jewellery and accessories, along with its exceptional customer service.

The brick-and-mortar store first opened 10 years ago, but the brand has expanded to include Totokaelo Art-Object, my go-to spot for art, decorative objects, furniture, lighting, tabletop pieces and textiles. The most recent addition, TotokaeloMAN, opened its doors in March.

As I’m located in New York, I frequently shop the website. Totokaelo carries my favourite labels, including all of Rick Owens’ lines, Adina Mills and Isabel Marant. I receive the most beautifully packaged parcels—most recently one containing an Alexander Yamaguchi tank dress—with my new purchases wrapped in gorgeous paper illustrated with constellations and celestial bodies. The finishing touch: Each package is accompanied by a handwritten note thanking me for my purchase.

Visit any number of coastal locales around the globe, and you’ll find a regional crab specialty on the menu. Shanghai’s hairy crab might sound intimidating (yes, the crab legs really are hairy), but get past the “ick” factor and the reward is succulent meat and roe, traditionally eaten with vinegar and ginger on the side. Singapore’s messy chilli crab is cooked in a spicy-sweet tomato-based sauce and served with mantou, or steamed buns. Vancouver has a taste for Dungeness crab; the trusty crustacean can be prepared in many ways. And crab cakes are ubiquitous in Baltimore—it’s just a matter of whether you prefer yours broiled or fried. There’s no need to be intimidated by preparing a crab yourself. Executive Chef Oliver Beckert of Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore turns crab-picking mystery into crabmeat mastery. Click through the gallery above to see his easy steps for preparing a crab.

If thinking about these locally favoured delicacies whets your appetite, then try this recipe for Dungeness crab tacos from Ned Bell, Executive Chef at Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver. And read more about Bell’s love of Vancouver’s local foods in “Farmers’ Market Monday,” a new series on Taste.

Dungeness Crab Tacos With Radish Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon (15 ml) miso paste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey (maple syrup is a great substitute)
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons (90 ml) fresh-cooked Dungeness crab (1 tablespoon per wonton shell)
2 to 3 crispy wonton shells
1 radish, thinly shaved
1 tablespoon (15 ml) radish sprouts
1 avocado, smashed and seasoned with lemon juice, sea salt and cracked pepper

Directions:
Mix miso paste, Dijon, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest and canola oil in a blender to make the dressing. Mix some dressing into the crab meat to taste. Fill wonton shells with crabmeat mixture. Garnish with radish slices and sprouts. Spoon the seasoned avocado mixture onto a plate and place assembled tacos on top.

See this recipe and others at Taste—your stop for the best in global food and drink.

For centuries, cafés and coffee houses have been considered social hubs for intellectuals and artists gathering to discuss their latest ideas, as well as essential meeting places for would-be lovers. Even the word “café” is imbued with an inherent sense of nostalgia, a feeling that transforms from culture to culture and from person to person.

When it comes to choosing a favourite café, the decisions we make are intensely personal, often carrying with them memories of pivotal experiences, chance meetings or simply the unwavering promise of a decent cup of coffee.

For our selections, we focused on places that offered the two things that can make an everyday café into something more: good coffee and atmosphere, the tangible and the more abstract. After much deliberation, we’ve ended up with a mix of historic landmarks as well as newer destinations that are making names for themselves in the modern era of café culture.

Don’t love our picks? Here are a few other great suggestions from our friends on Facebook:

“Café Majestic, Porto, Portugal.”
—Ramiro Santos Silva

“Bitter & Zart in Frankfurt – amazing cakes, tartes, macaroons, and pralines.”
—Cat Haana

“The Bathers Pavilion Cafe, Balmoral Beach, Sydney, Australia.”
—Karen Lee Stuttle

“Café St. Eustachio in Rome!”
—Kristen Beck Walker

“Thomas Haas’ Patisserie-Chocolate Cafe in Vancouver, BC, Canada.”
—Nola Beard

“Kahve Dunyasi, (which means coffee world), İstanbul, Turkey”
—Suleyman Alaca

“Delivino in Crieff, Scotland. Fab food and cakes.”
—Arwena Glover

Holiday magazine still inspires.
Postwar Americans travelled the world with Holiday magazine, which featured a roster of high-calibre writers and a revolutionary design when it debuted in the mid-1940s. In this month’s issue of Vanity Fair, Michael Callahan takes us behind the rise and fall of the legendary publication. (Vanity Fair)

See Italy by rail.
Along the coast or through the countryside, here are five of Italy’s best train routes. (Swide)

Stephen Hawking wants to go to space, too.
Virgin Galactic launched its first rocket-powered test flight this week, and physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking wants in on that action. (The Hindu)

This might be the best travel shirt ever.
A new men’s button-down shirt from Wool&Prince doesn’t need ironing and won’t smell after multiple wears on long trips. (Mashable)

Find the happiest flight.
We’re giddy over the launch of Routehappy, a new site that helps you search for flights based on happiness factors such as leg room and in-flight entertainment. (Cool Hunting)

Designers are dressing flight crews.
Designer flight attendant uniforms are trending. Among the latest partnerships are Australia-based Qantas Airlines and designer Martin Grant (whose flight-ready shift dresses debuted at a recent fashion show), and Virgin Atlantic and Vivienne Westwood. (Daily Mail)

Got travel news? Tweet your latest finds to @FSMagazine.

Ernesto Colnago was a successful cyclist when a 1951 crash resulted in a broken leg and a hiatus from racing. He turned his efforts to building bikes and, in the process, built a name for himself that today stands as the ne plus ultra of cycles.

Here, a testament to Colnago’s endurance, is the latest in the modern classic CX-1 line—the 2013 CX-1 Evo Ultegra. For the technically minded: The bike is designed with a monocoque front triangle with polygonal cross-section tubes moulded in one piece, and the frame accepts either the Shimano Di2 electronic group or the traditional mechanical versions.

For the rest of us: The bike has won multiple stages at the Giro d’Italia, Paris-Nice and Tour de France. Yellow jersey sold separately.

In China, the number eight is viewed as particularly lucky, to the point where people are willing to pay extra to make it part of their telephone number or license plate. It’s auspicious, then, that there are now eight Four Seasons properties in China, with the newest hotel in Shenzhen scheduled to open in mid-2013. As China’s fascinating, complex and diverse landscape continues to draw greater numbers of first-time visitors, we’ve consulted each property’s concierge team to highlight its top recommendation for new travellers.

Find the best shopping in Beijing.
Discovering the design world, both for fashion and home, is one of the best ways to get your finger on the pulse of a city. In the fast-paced, fast-growing capital city of Beijing, be sure to check out emerging Chinese designers at boutique stores in areas like Gulou and the Central Business District (CBD). Standouts include Dong Liang Studio—high-quality, limited-edition fashion by hip young designers like Uma Wang and TBA, a line handpicked by Dong Liang Studio founders Charles Wang and Nan Lang. The Wuhao Curated Shop, so cool that it doesn’t have a sign, features the latest creations in furniture, lighting, jewellery, ceramics, art and fashion from more than 100 Chinese and international artists. All are changed seasonally in gallery-worthy tableaux by director Isabelle Pascal.

Discover Guangzhou’s heritage.
Understanding the true Guangzhou means exploring its port city heritage. Shamian Island, a tiny sandbank island on the city’s Pearl River, linked by bridges to the mainland, was divided into French and British concessions in the 19th century. Today, its quiet streets (very few cars are allowed) and broad boulevards are lined with massive old trees and slightly shabby but grand European-style churches, embassies and residences. The island is also a popular gathering spot for locals to practice tai chi, play the Chinese version of Hacky Sack or pose for wedding photos.

Tour Hangzhou’s tea fields.
Tea works on all levels in China—social, medical, spiritual, cultural—so be sure to visit Hangzhou’s famed Longjing or “Dragon Well” tea fields. On a tour of the leafy fields in this dreamy and beautiful part of China, you’ll learn how the premium green tea is gathered by hand and placed in wide baskets worn on the harvester’s backs. The tour also includes a visit to the National Tea Museum, which offers an astounding variety of ancient tools, pottery and ceramics, as well as daily tea ceremony demonstrations. You’ll also be invited to tea farmers’ homes to sample local specialties such as West Lake carp in sweet vinegar sauce, shrimp with Longjing tea, and West Lake water shield soup (made with a type of aquatic plant).

Eat your way through Hong Kong.
The best way to get to know the real Hong Kong is to eat and to walk, delving into traditional neighbourhoods that can still be found amid the gleaming skyscrapers. Little Adventures in Hong Kong, helmed by a group of plugged-in food, travel and lifestyle journalists and bloggers, is your go-to tour. Tours are limited to just three people and can be customized (for example, you can do a “won-ton-athon”). One offering: a waterfront tour to Shau Kei Wan at the east end of Hong Kong Island, home to an amazing outdoor market and the best fish-ball noodles in town. You’ll also make a short ferry crossing to an authentic fishing village that would be right at home in 1930.

Cook up a traditional dish in Macau.
A Portuguese colony for centuries, Macau has an exotic history perfectly encapsulated in some of the world’s first fusion cuisine. Learn how to make it yourself, guided by a Macanese private chef. Start with a shopping expedition to the Red Market, a three-storey “wet” market where fresh seafood is brought in twice a day. After you’ve chosen ultra-fresh ingredients like sole, geoduck and water spinach, return to a private kitchen to prepare local favourites like home-style minced pork or steamed catch of the day with soybean sauce.

Get artsy in Pudong, Shanghai.
Sleek, modern and vibrating with energy, it’s only fitting that the Pudong area of Shanghai has an equally exciting emerging art scene. Opened in late 2012 and housed in a massive seven-storey former power station built in 1897, the Power Station of Art (PSA) is China’s first state-run contemporary art museum. Works from both Chinese and international artists are on display and range from flying sculptures on the roof terrace to multimedia pieces to a recently opened Andy Warhol exhibit. (Bonus: no admission fee except for special exhibitions.) It’s also the new home of the citywide art festival Shanghai Biennale.

Motorcycle through Shanghai. 
Spend any time in bustling Shanghai and you’ll soon see locals on vintage motorcycles with sidecars threading their way through the streets and alleys. Through the tour company Shanghai Insiders, you can get a different perspective on the city. The fleet consists of 30 vintage bikes (gearheads will recognize them as Chang Jiang 750s, which are modelled after the Russian Ural sidecars, which are in turn replicas of 1930s BMWs) driven by professional, English-speaking drivers. Customize your tour by chatting with your driver beforehand, and you’ll see non-touristy neighbourhoods and iconic sights, all with the wind in your hair and a grin on your face.

Play golf in Shenzhen.
Shenzhen is a powerhouse for enterprise and commerce—and everyone knows that a good deal of both work and play gets done on the golf course. It’s not surprising, then, that Shenzhen is home to the world’s largest golf club, Mission Hills, where you can perfect your swing on one of seven 18-hole courses designed by Jack Nicklaus, Vijay Singh and Chinese champion Zhang Lianwei, among others.

What to know before you go: Insider tips from Four Seasons Hotel Beijing

• Fast and comfortable, China’s network of electric high-speed or “bullet” trains means navigating the huge country is that much easier. The official ticket site is Chinese-only and accepts only Chinese credit cards, so your best bet is to consult your travel agent or hotel for assistance. Tickets can be booked up to 20 days in advance.
• Download Pleco, a free translation app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Coolest feature: point your iPhone camera at a printed Chinese word to instantly look up the meaning (you don’t even have to snap a picture). Waygo, for iOS 5 devices only, is similar.
• If an item (food, drink, gift or business card) is passed to you with two hands, make sure to accept it with two hands. This is a sign of respect.

Learn more about each destination at China by Four Seasons, and find special offers to help you make the most of your next trip.

On a hairpin curve halfway up lush and misty Doi Inthanon—Thailand’s tallest mountain, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) southwest of Chiang Mai—I emerge from the thick, dewy woods with a pair of binoculars around my neck as a bus rounds the bend past me. My  local guide, Somchart, is across the road scouting out a dense thicket of brush in search  of the Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler, one of 382 avifauna species found here. It’s cold up here, about 38˚F (3˚C), much cooler than I anticipated for a steamy September visit to Thailand. I’m swaddled in a chartreuse fleece blanket I found in Somchart’s Range Rover and sporting a black baseball cap, with white gym socks around my hands in lieu of gloves. My pasty white legs poke through baggy khaki shorts and round out my cartoon field biologist look. I hear laughter erupt from the passing bus. It’s OK. I’m used to it.

A Real Bird Nerd
I have a confession to make. I’m a closet birder. A real bird nerd. While most travellers to Thailand lounge on beaches, glide through Krabi’s gin-clear waters, party in Phuket and shop Chiang Mai’s chic boutiques, I’ve come to trek through its deciduous dipterocarp forests to catch a glimpse of a few endemics. My bird nerdness runs deep. I’ve been attending Audubon Society Christmas Counts since I was in college in Vermont in the early 1990s. I regularly spend more than $300 on binoculars; I own hundreds of bird books; and I’ve downloaded dozens of bird apps. I may be a relatively young birder, but being a journalist has made me a very well travelled one. Young birders like me frequently get dismissed for mistaken sightings, so I’ve come to relish the looks on the faces of older birders when I “casually” mention the various bustards and bulbuls I’ve encountered over the years. It won’t come as a surprise to any birders that many folks find birds peculiar. And the only things more peculiar are we enthusiasts who love them.

Sometimes I totally understand why. I must have looked like a real idiot to that passing bus. And perhaps I am one. I woke up at 3:00 am to hike through tiger habitat up a mossy, mile-high tropical mountain, considered the “Gateway to the Himalayan Ranges.” It never occurred to me it might get cold. This is, after all, where visitors from Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore come to see snow. I should have known. It’s southern Asia’s highest summit and often home to the southernmost snow. The mist thickens like roux into dense fog as we corkscrew up the windy roads. Somchart says that we’re lucky the weather is cooperating. “Sometimes we have to turn back,” he says with a trademark Thai smile, his eyes scanning the grey horizon. “But don’t worry, beautiful birds are everywhere.”

Bird-watching: An Exercise in “Colour Nomading”
Foggy and ghostly as it is up here, flashes of colourful birds dart across the horizon every few hundred metres. For me, birdwatching is an exercise in “colour nomading.” The electric Saturn indigo of the Indian Roller and arresting cerulean of the Blue Magpie—both of which we spot at the park’s A-frame gate—offer shades of azure unlike any I’ve ever seen, a hundred times more luminous than the neon signs of Tokyo and a deeper, richer cobalt than any body of water.

We continue our way up the mountain, eventually reaching clusters of thatched-roof villages and tidy farms that gently curve over the hills. This is a slice of rural Thailand not typically seen, closer in spirit to Burma than Bangkok. In addition to the fauna and thousands of species of fragrant flora that surround us, this mountain is also home to the indigenous Hmong and Karen hill tribes. Both cultures have a profound appreciation for the birds here, which can be seen in their silver and textile work and which play a central role in their folk tales and mythologies.

The Calls of the Wild
I found and hired Somchart through a Thai bird tour agency called Thailand Bird Watching. I emailed proprietor Tony Eagle Eye himself, and we volleyed back and forth about prices until we agreed on a fair amount. There are many bird tour operations in the area, and I contacted several of them, but something about Tony’s seemed honest and good-natured. I had a hunch that it was the best. How right I was. Somchart was prompt, courteous and, more important, really into the birds. When hiring a bird guide, it’s important to get one who can ID the birds by their calls, and Somchart didn’t miss a tweet, calling out bulbuls and bushchats as we heard them.

Before we started, Somchart gave me a shortlist of what we might see, which included, of course, the Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler and the Green-tailed Sunbird, the double raison d’être of Doi Inthanon bird excursions. A few hours in, we still hadn’t seen either. We did, however, see Slaty-backed Forktails, Red-headed Trogon, Brown-throated Treecreeper, Crested Serpent Eagle, River Chat, and a beautiful stout and khaki White-crested Laughing Thrush, which has the lavender-tinged white bouffant of your grandma but the mysterious black eye mask of Zorro. Its lovable call is a melodic, bubbly R2-D2-like flute, which makes it a well- known garden species in the area. But sadly, like many other species, this rufescent-brown Old World babbler is endangered due to people who cage it as a pet and to continued habitat loss. To many here, its call is the very sound  of freedom.

Somchart and I carried on, plying up the steep road to Doi Inthanon National Park, where decaying boardwalk planks make up the Ang Ka Nature Trail, which snakes through a mossy cloud-forest swamp filled with wild and mysterious creatures, such as the rare pink peacock orchid, the crocodile salamander and blue stained fungus, also known as green elf cup. It’s also home to 10 species of rhododendron and a trio of ferns once thought to be extinct. In short, this landscape is downright primordial. Bird nerd or not, you’d be hard-pressed to be unmoved by its otherworldly quality. Doi Inthanon’s tuneful and colourful birds left a deep impression that I hadn’t anticipated. These birds aren’t just feathered show ponies; they represent the harmony of the land and the eternal vigilance that harmony requires.

The trek was coming to an end and I still hadn’t seen the two stars of the mountain. They were playing hard to get. Finally we caught sight of the Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler flitting in the moss. It’s a common bird in every sense—frequently seen, bearing a plumage of heather grey and slight yellow, and generally nondescript, some might even say generic. The Green-tailed Sunbird, however, is quite the opposite. Like the Ashy-throated Leaf Warbler, it’s entirely confined to Doi Inthanon’s summit. So I couldn’t possibly go back down the mountain without seeing it. “I’m sorry,” said Somchart, on the verge of defeat. “Sometimes they only come out in the sun.”

And just then, as if on a cue from some great bird nerd in the sky, a crack in the cloud rolled open to clear blue sky, and shafts of intense Thai light shot down on a dew-covered bush dripping with yellow trumpet flowers. A faint green glimmer at first, it stirred like a furtive mouse. Then suddenly the glimmer morphed into a shimmering ruby, sapphire and emerald bauble darting in and out of the bush like a bumblebee, seemingly adorned in a glitzy costume bought in Vegas. The Green-tailed Sunbird was extraordinary, to say the least. It’s one of those birds that even non-birders love. And it was worth both the trek and the wait. Total bird-nerd nirvana. And bragging rights to boot.