Elite Traveler Spring 2019

elite traveler SPRING 2019 125

OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES

NIGHTLIFE As the name suggests, Bar Calvador is known for its vast collection of calvados, a French apple brandy. Among the 300-strong collection, aficionados will look forward to a short list of rare vintages, some of which are more than 150 years old. Come for the brandy, but stay for the cocktails, whiskey and great conversation with owner Hiroyuki Takayama. An official Calvados ambassador, Takayama will happily explain his passion for the cider spirit and guide you through a memorable sampling. Touzan Bar is not your average hotel bar. Hidden away in the basement of the Kyoto Hyatt Regency, the cozy setting feels like an intimate living room, thanks to wooden beams, antiques and a wall full of vintage books. The skilled bartenders serve up an impressive range of premium local sake, beers, whiskies and cocktails, not to mention excellent Japanese food. Helmed by award-winning bartender-owner Michito Kaneko, Lamp Bar has collected a slew of accolades over the years. Rooted in the classics, Kaneko’s imaginative drinks are always bespoke, created based on your mood and flavor preferences, and often served in unconventional glassware. The bar’s intimate atmosphere is just as enticing — think retro luggage, copper stills and just eight seats at the gleaming wood bar counter. calvador.jp, hyatt.com

No trip to Kyoto is complete without a visit to the mysterious Sagano Bamboo Forest , located just 30 minutes west of Kyoto. A morning stroll — before the tourists roll in — promises an ethereal experience. Built to honor the deities of sake and rice, the 8th-century Fushimi Inari Shrine is among the city’s most breathtaking Shinto shrines. While the shrine itself is beautiful, it’s the hike up Mount Inari that usually steals the show. Best experienced at sunrise or sunset, the three-hour trek winds through thousands of orange torii gates, which were donated by worshippers. With more than 1,600 temples, it’s impossible to see them all. The short list of must-visit sites includes the 13th-century Nanzen-ji Temple , famed for its rock

gardens and impressive aqueduct. To the southwest, Saiho-ji Temple , a Unesco World Heritage Site, is a wonderland of nature with a lush green garden comprising more than 120 varieties of

moss. Then there’s the Tofuku-ji Temple , one of the best places to admire fall foliage thanks to the forests of majestic maple trees.

From top Wander through the mysterious

Sagano Bamboo Forest; the Fushimi Inari Shrine; Kiyomizu-dera Temple

GARDEN SUITES SUIRAN PRESIDENTIAL CORNER SUITE Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto

Sitting pretty on the jade-green Hozu River in the Arashiyama district, the Suiran is one of Kyoto’s most sought-after addresses. Aristocrats have been retreating to this picture- perfect district for more than 1,000 years. Today, the area is most often associated with the iconic cherry blossom season, ancient shrines, Meiji-era architecture and utter serenity. At the 39-room boutique hotel, the namesake Suiran Presidential Corner Suite is the most exclusive. Stretching across 1,012 sq ft, it is wrapped in glass windows to show off the lush green surroundings. When it comes to design, every detail pays tribute to the city’s natural and imperial glory, from the hardwood floors to the green-hued chairs and noble purple accents. But the pièce de résistance is the private, open-air onsen (hot spring bath), where

you can soak up 180-degree views of the Arashiyama hills and Hozu River. From $3,127 per night. Contact Yoshiko Sato, director of marketing, yoshiko.sato@suirankyoto.com, +81 758 720 101, suirankyoto.com PRESIDENTIAL SUITE Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto

Set in an 800-year-old shakusuien (pond garden), Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto feels like it’s been plucked from another era. A traditional teahouse, koi ponds and Japanese stilt buildings add to the atmosphere. Among the 180 rooms and suites, you’ll find Kyoto’s largest suite: the two-bedroom Presidential Suite. The 2,637-sq-ft sanctuary feels like a spacious modern Japanese residence with all the amenities of a hotel. While you’re there, you’ll learn a thing or two about kutsurogi , the Japanese art of relaxation, thanks to natural light, bamboo-forest-inspired interiors, a private terrace, multiple lounge areas and views of 12th-century Myoho-in Temple.

From $14,075 per night. Contact Takako Fujii, reservations manager, reservations.kyo@fourseasons.com, +81 755 418 288, fourseasons.com GARDEN TERRACE TATAMI SUITE The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto

Awash in natural tones and warm wood, the Garden Terrace Tatami Suite at The Ritz- Carlton, Kyoto offers guests an immersive experience. A wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooks the hotel’s traditional Japanese gardens, where the Higashiyama Mountains loom in the distance. It’s peaceful and refined, complete with a private terrace and distinctive cherry blossom-inspired bathroom, where memorable amenities include Japanese-style yukata summer robes and handmade local soaps from Shabonya. Best of all, the hotel sits along the famous Kamogawa River, which means the historic Gion district is right on your doorstep. From $1,000 per night. Contact Mark Neukomm, general manager, rc.ukyrz.reservation@ritzcarlton.com, +81 757 465 555, ritzcarlton.com