Singapore – EcoSalon

Weekend Bag: Singapore Wanderlust

Johanna Björk — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:07:18 +0000

For a weekend at Wanderlust Hotel in Singapore, pack edgy staples in bright tropical colors from Singapore’s leading eco-designers.

When packing for a weekend stay at Wanderlust Hotel in Singapore, take inspiration from the whimsical design of the rooms and bring edgy staples in bright tropical colors. Mix pieces from Singapore’s leading conscious designers with staples from some of our favorite ethical lines from the U.S.

Oval with Glass Necklace by Natalie Frigo
This necklace by jewelry designer Natalie Frigo is ethically made in New York City, with brass and recycled glass beads strung onto ultra suede. It’s the perfect complement to the blue hues that we’ll be seeing a lot of this spring.
$90, Natalie Frigo

Cecile Chain Bag
Woven from 100% recycled beverage packaging by a women’s cooperative, this cute bag has a silver-color chain strap that ensures it can easily transition from day to night. Jujube is a Singapore-based ecological apparel design company defined by four core values: “Love the Earth, Love People, Love Originality, Love Quality.”
$78.60, Jujube

Rachel Comey Pegasus Heels
These black leather Pegasus wood platform heels by Rachel Comey will be sure to put a spring in your step. A pair of whimsical shoes are a good way to show the world you don’t take dressing that seriously. Ethically made in Peru.
$410, Beklina

Jujube Fiorella Flare Pants
These loose-fitting flared pants sit comfortably on the hip and end at the feet with a slanted V-cut that lengthens the legs. They are seriously comfortable, but also easy to dress up with a fitted white dress shirt and a wide hip belt. Made from 40% Bamboo and 60% organic Cotton, these pants are also Global Organic Textiles Standard (GOTS) and Organic Exchange (OE) certified.
$102.90, Jujube

Etrican Fringe Top
This organic cotton top by Singapore-based eco-label Etrican is inspired by golden shooting stars pouring down on midnight blue canvas. The indigo blue V-neck top is made from organic cotton and features golden yellow fringe that adds playful movement along the neckline. Wear it with a hip-hugging floral skirt or frayed denim shorts.
$26.35, Etrican

Etrican Flower Print Skirt
The assymetrical cut of this light Organic cotton skirt enhances the flowing silhouette. Tuck a simple tee or tank into the elastic waist band or add a belt for a more dressed-up look.
$20.76, Etrican

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Places & Spaces: The Wanderlust, Singapore

Fiona Flores Watson — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 16:53:46 +0000

Wanderlust in Singapore is a mix of industrial chic and childish fancy.

The Far East is weathering the global economic situation better than many other areas, and nowhere more so than Singapore. Here, in the buzzing Indian neighborhood, we find the eccentric and, to quote its own words, “totally experimental” boutique hotel Wanderlust. It was converted from a 1920s school.

In common with an increasing number of out-there, trend-leading hotels, each floor is designed by a different creative agency. In the case of Wanderlust, all home-grown agencies from Singapore.

The 29 rooms all have different decor, in three themes: zingy Pantone, in different primary colors (these are compact; the deluxe version has an antique cast-iron bathtub); soothing Mono(chrome) with neon-lit stencil designs; and childish/surreal Whimsical (duplex loft rooms). Flat-screen TVs, Nespresso machines, iPod docks and free WIFI ensure that glampackers are fully wired.

A particular favorite of the Whimsicals is the Tree. It’s heavy on the wood with a canopy of felt leaves overhead. Flowers, meanwhile, offers a more high-tech take on nature.

The overall effect is fun and eclectic. There’s a customized mosaic-tiled jacuzzi on the sundeck and a casual restaurant (industrial chairs, bare wood tables) serving rustic French cuisine. Think along the lines of escargots, pig’s trotters and roast chicken with herb butter. Homemade ice-cream and sorbets include lavender, basil and blood orange.

The hotel is full of original touches like stools upcycled from old street signs and origami folding chairs.

Rates from $180 including tax, minibar soft drinks, iPad loan, hand-drawn maps of the area, and a regression to your childhood dreams.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

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40 Gorgeous Photos of Asia

Jessica Marati — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:00:52 +0000

If these photos don’t make you wanna quit your job and travel the world, we don’t know what will.

Asia’s diversity never fails to astound. Nowhere on Earth can you find a greater variety of cultures, languages, races, ethnicities, religions, climates, and geography. It’s mind-numbing.

These photos provide just a taste of what Asia has to offer. They’re also an important reminder of the need to protect what makes the world’s largest continent unique. Though the scenes depicted here may seem worlds away, our choices always have an impact wherever we may roam, reminding us to tread lightly.

(above) Penang, Malaysia

Bangkok, Thailand

Great Wall, China

Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh

Huashan Mountain, China

Udaipur, India

Cassava farm near Luang Prabang, Laos

Tainan County, Taiwan

Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

Seoul, South Korea

Abseron, Azerbaijan

Busan, South Korea

Kampong Thum, Cambodia

Shanghai, China

Himalaya Mountains, Uttarakhand, India

Binh Thuan, Vietnam

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Meizhou, China

Koh Samet, Thailand

Dornogovi Province, Mongolia, from the Trans-Siberian Railway

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Ratchaburi, Thailand

Yangon, Myanmar

Eastern Vasayas, Philippines

Makalu Base Camp, Nepal

Kyoto, Japan

Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Elephant orphanage between Colombo and Kandy, Sri Lanka

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

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From Sea to Landfill to Eco Park, a Trash to Treasure Endeavor

Liz Lewis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:00:34 +0000

What to do with waste when there is no land on which to dump it?

Such was Singapore’s dilemma back in the 90s when the existing landfill ran out of room. But as a small island on the tip of the Malay peninsula, Singapore was land poor.

So the nation came up with a novel idea to solve its problem.

The country designated the sea space between two adjacent island as a new landfill site called Semakau and beginning in 1999 proceeded to fill it with primarily incinerated ash. Receiving 1400 tonnes of incineration ash and 600 tonnes of other waste daily, this landfill is expected to be in use for at least the next 30 years.

But rather than looking like an unsightly dumping ground, the Semakau landfill is being transformed into an eco-park.

With the two original islands now joined together and the perimeter secured by an impermeable membrane, marine clay, and rock layers, the surrounding marine ecosystem has been protected. Mangroves and coral reefs now ring the island and since 2005, Semakau has been open the public for nature-related recreational activities that include bird watching, sports fishing and stargazing.

The National Environment Agency takes school children on organized field trips and educates them on how to minimize waste. And the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research offers a three hour intertidal walk that lets visitors discover seagrass meadows, coral reefs and various flora and fauna that’s no longer even seen on the mainland.

From sea to landfill to eco park, Semakau is a remarkable, if unconventional, trash to treasure endeavor.

Image: bernhan

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