I’m an urban creature. I live and breathe in the hustle and bustle of city life every day. But when I travel, I often like to escape outside my comfort zone and head to remote parts of the world where little is familiar to me. On one of those trips, I stood on a mountain bluff and took in views of a very stark and stunningly beautiful landscape. Something so dramatically different from what passes before my eyes in my everyday life that I had to pinch myself to remind me it was not in my imagination. This is Yamdrok Yumtso, a mountain lake nestled high up in the Tibetan plateau. The lake sits at an elevation of 4488 meters and is located about 100 km southwest of the city of Lhasa. The waters of the lake really were this magnificent shade of turquoise blue! Barren hillsides framed the lake and the fluffiest of white clouds hung above in a steel blue colored sky. The air was crisp, clean and so still that there wasn’t even a single ripple in the water - the lake’s surface gleamed like glass. At first, the whole scene felt disquietingly calm for an urbanite like me – no movement, no noise. That is, until I felt my mind and every muscle in my body relaxing. I stood on the bluff as long as I could to take in the moment. There is a Tibetan monastery, Samding, located on the shore of Yamdrok that you can visit followed by a lakeside walk. From Lhasa, it takes about a hour’s drive to get to Yamdrok. I would recommend hiring a taxi to take you there and back.
At the Michelin-starred Samuel, diners can savor artfully prepared dishes like the sea urchin and oyster–based Snack (left) and langoustine with sea salads and beurre blanc (right).
Photos by David Egui
Jason Renwick founded the vegan Bistro Lupa to highlight vegetable-forward cooking.
Photo by Daniel Rasmussen
At the luxurious, but approachable, Esmeé desserts—such as strawberry soft serve on chantilly cream—hit that sweet spot.
Photo by Blank Space Studio
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Liquid Turquoise
I’m an urban creature. I live and breathe in the hustle and bustle of city life every day. But when I travel, I often like to escape outside my comfort zone and head to remote parts of the world where little is familiar to me. On one of those trips, I stood on a mountain bluff and took in views of a very stark and stunningly beautiful landscape. Something so dramatically different from what passes before my eyes in my everyday life that I had to pinch myself to remind me it was not in my imagination. This is Yamdrok Yumtso, a mountain lake nestled high up in the Tibetan plateau. The lake sits at an elevation of 4488 meters and is located about 100 km southwest of the city of Lhasa. The waters of the lake really were this magnificent shade of turquoise blue! Barren hillsides framed the lake and the fluffiest of white clouds hung above in a steel blue colored sky. The air was crisp, clean and so still that there wasn’t even a single ripple in the water - the lake’s surface gleamed like glass. At first, the whole scene felt disquietingly calm for an urbanite like me – no movement, no noise. That is, until I felt my mind and every muscle in my body relaxing. I stood on the bluff as long as I could to take in the moment. There is a Tibetan monastery, Samding, located on the shore of Yamdrok that you can visit followed by a lakeside walk. From Lhasa, it takes about a hour’s drive to get to Yamdrok. I would recommend hiring a taxi to take you there and back.
