When you don’t speak the language, getting under the skin of a destination can be challenging. At Capella Hotels & Resorts, each property is home to a team of Capella Culturists, whose job it is to help guests pull back the curtain on each destination and reveal the customs and traditions that lay beyond the reach of many travellers. In a new series called #HelloAsia, six Capella hotels have put together a collection of 72-hour packages that do just that.
From learning traditional fishing techniques in Sanya with a local fisherman to discovering the intricacies of traditional lacquer painting with one of the city’s most famous lacquer artists in Hanoi, each of the itineraries immerses visitors in the spirit of the destination, with hands-on experiences that reveal much about the character of each country and the people who live there.
If you’ve ever watched a table full of animated locals howling over the click-clack of a mahjong table and longed to take part, how about a trip to Capella Singapore, where a local expert will teach you how to play, after a vintage sidecar tour of the city? Tempted by all the delicious aromas emanating from the street food stalls of the Thai capital? How about a personal tour led by Chef Lek from Capella Bangkok, during which you’ll visit his favourite stalls and meet some of the local chefs?
As you would expect, food plays an important role on many of the experiences. At Capella Shanghai, a truly unique hotel spread across a collection of 1930s shikumen buildings, guests can take a tour of the estate with wai po (grandmother), before visiting the wet markets to haggle for ingredients and cook up a traditional feast. At Capella Ubud, guests will undergo a purification ritual at the Wos River Temple with a local priest, before learning the secrets of jamu, a traditional health tonic, at a farmhouse in the middle of the rice paddies, and sampling a series of traditional feasts over the three-day experience.
Needless to say, all of the #HelloAsia experiences also include luxurious encounters in Auriga Spa and at each hotel’s bars and restaurants.