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Drumroll, please! Bar Trigona Tops the Malaysian Entry in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2020

In a dramatic leap from last year, Bar Trigona at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur has claimed a prestigious spot on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2020 list and has been named the Best Bar in Malaysia. Thanks to Head Bartender Ashish Sharma's brand of mixology, which marries creativity with sustainability, Bar Trigona has become the darling of cocktail aficionados across the region.

Announced via a virtual ceremony on May 14, 2020, this elite watering hole also bought home the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 2020 for the second year in a row placing Bar Trigona among Asia's favourite drinking destinations.

Receiving top billing on the menu are homegrown ingredients, tracked down by Ashish during his forays into the Malaysian countryside. It was during one such research trip that he discovered the trigona honeybee, the inspiration behind the bar's name and a hive of eco-friendly initiatives. Native to Southeast Asia, these stingless bees produce the highly sought-after trigona honey. The sweet and sour notes of this nectar – sourced in small batches from Dino's Kelulut Organic Farm in Negeri Sembilan – lend a distinct taste to signature cocktails.

The partnership with Dino also sparked Bar Trigona's 'Adopt a Beehive' initiative, which helps to preserve indigenous bee habitats and promote natural beekeeping methods. Patrons can adopt a local hive for a year and take home the wild honey produced by their adopted bees. As Ashish explains: “Our journey has been intertwined with trigona bees right from the start, so this cause is very close to our hearts.”

 Elite Havens - Asia's leader in high-end villa vacations, announces the addition of Katamanda Estate to its Phuket portfolio, expanding to the south of the island. The company now offers consumers a choice of over 290 private luxury villas and chalets across Asia, at destinations such as Phuket, Koh Samui, Bali, Lombok, Sri Lanka, India, Japan and the Maldives.

Katamanda is an exclusive hillside estate on Phuket's south-west coast. Walking distance from two of the most beautiful beaches in Phuket, Kata Noi and Kata Yai, the estate is also close to the vibrant village of Kata, with its award-winning restaurants, lively entertainment, boutique shops, and a range of holiday activities.

The secure estate of privately-owned villas is surrounded by lush jungles and manicured gardens. Each villa is unique, ranging from two to six bedrooms and with a myriad of comfortable, spacious living areas. Guests can enjoy sea and garden views from their private verandas and pool terraces, as they relax in serene surrounds, well taken care of by villa staff. The estate is ideal for families or groups holidaying together. Multiple villas may be booked together, offering flexible accommodation options along with the comfort of personal space.

One of the island's first luxury villa estates, Katamanda allows guests to enjoy facilities such as complimentary internet access and 24-hour security. Each stay will be made comfortable by a highly professional hospitality team led by a Villa Manager. Private chefs are on hand, included in some villas and available for a fee in others, who are not only trained in Thai and western cuisines but also adept at creating tasty meals for children.
www.elitehavens.com

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29 May 2020

Los Angeles Tourism Shines a Light on L.A.'s Fabled Magic Hour

Known in Hollywood for the captivating period just around sunset when the sun casts golden hues of warm light in a stop-in-your-tracks intoxicating way, “magic hour” has always been a little more special in Los Angeles, luring filmmakers, artists and visitors to chase, capture and sing about it. Beginning today, everyone is welcome to (virtually) join Magic Hour, thanks to a new campaign from the 
Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. Daily, Los Angeles Tourism will celebrate the people and places that make L.A. magical, featuring live streaming sunsets from Venice Beach, a virtual location tour with a professional location scout, a local photographer's tips on capturing L.A.'s epic light and more on its social channels and at discoverlosangeles.com/magichour.

“Collectively, we are on our couches, at our kitchen tables, peering out our windows and dreaming for the day we are on the other side of this pandemic. Whether a form of escapism or driving inspiration for a future trip, wanderlust is at an all-time high, and we want to bring a taste of Los Angeles to these dreamers while also providing the opportunity to learn something new,” stated Don Skeoch, chief marketing officer for Los Angeles Tourism. “So many of our museums, fitness studios and chefs are developing incredible virtual content and we want to shine a light on their great work while also celebrating something so special in L.A. – Magic Hour.”

Daily, Los Angeles Tourism will livestream the sunset from Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach beginning at 6:30 p.m. PST. While watching the sun sink into the glittering Pacific Ocean, followers of @discoverLA's social channels will be invited to recreate cocktail and other recipes from the local restaurant community or listen to the sounds of L.A. via curated playlists.

Please find the link: https://mailchi.mp/oliveandlatte/may-2020

Taiwan foundations call for worldwide solidarity amid pandemic in "Protect Every1" video

The COVID-19 pandemic has been rampaging across the world, threatening lives, and disrupting economies. The iSee Taiwan Foundation and Sayling Wen Cultural & Educational Foundation are jointly presenting the "Protect Every1" video (https://youtu.be/vFbVkN3_DUM), calling people to join the war against the coronavirus.

Ted Wen, Chairman of the two foundations, said, "this is a critical moment for human beings. No single country or person can control the crisis alone. We need everyone to take actions." Mr. Wen further elaborated that "quarantine is not distance, but can be a thought of as a new way to live. And this new lifestyle can be the key to defeating COVID-19."

The video production is the brainchild of Audrey Yang, Vice Chairman of the foundations. The messages relayed are that "It's time for all of us to stand up, and by protecting yourself, you can protect many, and thus the world. The willpower of individuals can forge into a global strength to safeguard public health and save lives."

Most countries have imposed lockdown and closed borders to restrict the movement of individuals in a disparate effort to contain spread of the deadly virus. The drastic measures alone are not strong enough to crush the virus that we know very little about. Everyone's participation is needed in order to beat COVID-19.

Four stories are told in the video to stress that by starting from protecting yourself, you can make changes to the world. The up-pointing index finger means "protect one and protect everyone."

The segments depict how residents from different corners of the world are coping with unprecedented threats in their life. They show how the individuals, from different cultures and age groups, do their best to fight the coronavirus in an effort to protect themselves, their family, and society, with hopes to restore peace and order in their hometown.

The iSee Taiwan Foundation was founded by late entrepreneur Sayling Wen In 2003. The foundation's vision is to become an essential portal for the world to see Taiwan via cultural tourism. The Sayling Wen Cultural & Educational Foundation's vision is to provide talents for future society by promoting industrial value oriented lifelong learning.