This year is one of celebration for Lamborghini, the marque of the raging bull. The automotive brand—which has named many of its iconic cars after the most famous fighting bulls of their time, such as Miura, Mucielago and Aventador—celebrates its 60th anniversary with the first HPEV (high-performance electrified vehicle) hybrid super sports car in the Revuelto.
It has also arranged a slew of driving experiences, including here in Malaysia through official importer and dealer SunAgata Supercars. Its recent Esperienza Giro event with Lamborghini owners took place amid the natural scenic beauty of Langkawi, offering some of that la dolce vita lifestyle with a side of raging bull mechanics.
Arriving at The St. Regis Langkawi, the Lamborghini owners checked into their suites and enjoyed welcome amenities before heading to the nearby Royal Langkawi Yacht Club where they embarked on a catamaran for a sunset cruise. Onboard the catamaran, they were greeted by Gianluca Nicosia, Automobili Lamborghini’s South-east Asia and Pacific marketing manager. The evening cruising around Langkawi’s outlying islands also yielded a different kind of animal: a dolphin pod playfully leaping next to the vessel, to everyone’s delight.
Back at The St. Regis Langkawi, guests were then guided to the eccentrically wonderful Kayuputi, an above-water fine dining restaurant designed by Bill Bensley. Among pillars in-laid with camel bone and stuffed albino peacocks, the guests took in the last rays of the setting sun on hammocks before heading to the dinner party co-hosted by Roger Dubuis, the Swiss watchmaker and Lamborghini’s timekeeping collaborator. In attendance was Edouard Guibert, Roger Dubuis’ Southeast Asia and Oceania managing director, who offered two references of hyper horology: the Excalibur Monobalancier in titanium and the Huracan-inspired Excalibur Spider Huracán White MCF, based on the raging bull’s GT3 EVO2 race car.
Dinner comprised highlights from The St. Regis Langkawi’s House of Celebration special menu, concocted for a limited time to recall the fantastic celebrations of society doyenne Caroline Astor at its founding property The St. Regis New York. At Kayuputi, the cuisine took guests on a walk through memory lane with an appetiser incorporating delicious ‘rose cookies’, a staple of many festive open houses in a time gone by. Then came a Bidor duck marinated and seared as char siu; a Chinese-style chicken ginseng soup; asam pedas risotto with blue belly shrimp and grilled octopus; lamb saddle topped with pineapple chutney; and mango ice cream for a tropical finale.
The next day found drivers at the ready, raring to hit the pleasing routes of the island tour that would take them through coastal byways and rainforests on their journey to Four Seasons Langkawi. Upon arrival at the resort, located on the island’s northern fringe, they were shuttled to the nearby pier for a mangrove tour by boat to observe majestic limestone formations and plants that had survived prehistoric ages. The most impressive sight awaited in a lagoon where the island’s namesake, the eagle (‘lang’ in Malay), soared majestically in droves.
Returning to Four Seasons Langkawi, an Italian lunch of burrata, risotto and pannacotta provided the refreshment needed for the drivers to take the scenic route back to The St. Regis Langkawi. Dinner that night took place on the nearby beach, preceded by a cocktail-making class. Surf and turf was the theme of the casual second-day dinner, with seafood and cuts of meat aplenty, sizzling on the grill. The sizzle would also come from a kinetic fire show, with the flash of sparks against the inky night sky adding to the indelible memories formed on this island experience.
