For the past ive years or so, I’ve kept hearing the same doomand-gloom message: that print media is on its way out. Scarcely a month passes by without another magazine being consolidated or ceasing publication altogether. But this, our 18th-anniversary issue, is a reminder that there is still room for print-based companies that are willing to adapt, ind new markets, and carve out a speciic niche in our increasingly wired world.
As in years past, DestinAsian’s anniversary coincides with our annual Luxe List, which covers the most notable new hotels and resorts in the Asia-Paciic region. They’re an astonishingly diverse bunch: jungly hideaways in Cambodia and Myanmar highlight exactly why our natural world is worth protecting, contemporary high-rise digs in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur come inspired by the local history, and then there are striking architectural interventions like The Lindis, a New Zealand lodge that graces our cover.

Where are you going this summer? Now that the school holidays are just around the corner, some of us may be taking the chance to venture beyond our immediate backyards, and perhaps even embark on our first long-haul vacation in more than two years. There’s no doubt that travel is getting easier. Having recently spent some time in Australia and Turkey, I can tell you how exhilarating it feels to be out in the world again. Our team has been hard at work the past few months to put together this very issue: you may have noticed a fresh redesign with a more playful and dynamic look, while the contents offer plenty of inspiration for future trips. Flip ahead to the Dispatches section and you’ll find an excerpt from a new cookbook written by two Balinese food experts keen to preserve the island’s rich culinary heritage. Over in the Maldives, Bangkok-based contributor Chris Schalkx decompresses at a pioneering private-island wellness resort whose programs defy expectations that restoring balance necessarily means self-deprivation. Two other adventures encourage us to go off the beaten track: Kate Eshelby ex-plores a little-visited corner of Bangladesh with her family, and UAE resident Nicola Chilton recounts a recent foray to Ras Al Khaimah, a small emirate often overlooked in favor of its flashier neighbors. The lineup of feature stories is just as tantalizing. In South Korea, photographer Mark Parren Taylor hops on a train from Seoul to Jeonju, the purported birthplace of bibimbap, to dig into its food scene. South African writer Jane Broughton turns the spotlight on the latest barefoot-luxe resort to grace Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, where the sensitively designed villas blend in with the landscape and profits are channeled directly into marine conservation. In the cover story, our editor-in-chief Christopher P. Hill reports on how the hospitality industry is empowering local communities on the Indonesian island of Sumba.

Spring has always been a time of regrowth and regeneration, and this particular season of 2022 feels especially significant. Many of us are on the cusp of realizing our long-postponed travel plans, mapping out an overseas holiday or a muchawaited reunion with family and friends. As more countries roll back their border restrictions, quarantine-free travel will eventually be the norm rather than the exception. For now, I’m most excited about the return of the annual DestinAsian Readers’ Choice Awards, which recognizes the very best our home region has to offer, whether it’s hotels, airlines, or destinations. All were nominated by readers like yourself. A few of our winners might be newer entries, but the majority are repeat finalists from previous years, which says something about consistency and the loyal following that these brands and properties have successfully cultivated. The feature stories this issue speak to our collective yearning for wide-open spaces after experiencing multiple lockdowns and extended periods of staying at home. Tokyo based photographer James Whitlow Delano brings us to the lesserknown subtropical island of Amami Oshima — recently inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List — to see its natural wonders and unique traditions. Those planning a rural escape in Europe this year will want to read through Debbie Pappyn’s roundup of countryside hotels in Portugal’s Alentejo region. If you’re a foodie, you’ll relish the insider’s tips on Chiang Mai from acclaimed American chef Andy Ricker, who built his career out of introducing the cuisine of northern Thailand to the States. It’s understandable to be put off by the extra paperwork, the new hoops we must jump through just to get on a plane and leave the country. Don’t be. The process may be somewhat different from before, but I can tell you the world is still ripe for exploration, and there’s nothing quite like the excitement of venturing somewhere new.

Despite the immense challenges of the past 22 months I have never doubted the resilience of the travel industry, andits ability to rebound when given the chance. We’ve watchedhow pent-up demand in Europe and the United States fueleda major boom during the northern summer. Closer to home,international travel within the Asia-Pacific region is finallymaking a comeback: the recent large-scale reopening ofThailand to the fully vaccinated has started a chain reaction, with Cambodia following suit and Malaysia expected todo the same in January. Singapore, of course, is continuingits pragmatic approach of expanding its Vaccinated TravelLanes to an ever-growing list of countries. The broad consensus is that the way we spend our precious time off will be different after Covid, staying longer in each place in pursuit of more meaningful experiences. Naturally, our final issue of 2021 comes packed with ideas for when you’re ready to dust off your passport. Photographer Karolina Wiercigroch takes us on a fascinating romp through the steppes of Central Asia as she explores the cuisine of Kyrgyzstan. Over in the North Atlantic, the windswept Faroe Islands are the focus of a feature story by Barry Stone, who was captivated by the rugged charm of this remote Danish territory. Dubai-based contributor Nicola Chilton journeys to the once-forbidden kingdom of Saudi Arabia to visit AlUla, a region where the fantastical desert landscape is dotted with ancient heritage sites and more than afew 21st-century surprises. Elsewhere in the magazine, we get afirst look at Hong Kong’s landmark M+museum, a groundbreaking institutiondedicated to visual culture and a mustsee once quarantine restrictions ease.We’ve also compiled 15 new experiencesin Australia for those planning a tripdown under. As 2021 comes to a close, I hope you have the chance to go on a well-deserved holiday, whether it may be domestic or overseas, that leaves you refreshed and energized for the year ahead.

Twenty years ago this October, DestinAsian launched its first-ever print issue. The dream was to create a world-class travel magazine for and by Asia-based travelers with a global outlook. What a journey it’s been. There have been many ups and downs over the past two  decades: DestinAsian was born just weeks after 9/11,  and in the subsequent years, we’ve dealt with the effects of calamities both natural and man-made. But the Covid-19 pandemic beats them all by the sheer scale of the disruption to our daily lives and travel habits. Over the summer, I took my first international trip since March 2020. The United States has been welcoming visitors from most countries in Asia and I leapt at the chance to go. I wanted to see firsthand what it was like to have the majority of people fully vaccinated and have businesses opening back up. It proved an eye-opening experience. In Chicago, shops and restaurants were back in full swing; almost 90 percent of the more than 385,000 revelers who showed up at the annual Lollapalooza music festival had received their jabs. That event was a resounding success. America showed me there is indeed life after Covid-19, even with the onset of a global surge driven by the Delta variant. But the war against the virus is far from over, especially here in Asia, and I cannot over-emphasize the importance of vaccination and maintaining health and safety protocols even after you’ve received all necessary doses. That is still the best way for us to get out of this pandemic. To our loyal partners and readers, all of us here at DestinAsian thank you for your continued support over the last two decades. As you have surely noticed, our printing frequency and page count has been reduced for the past year and a half, but as borders open up and international travel makes a rebound, we hope to return to our regular publishing schedule soon. 

Going to Bali these days can sometimes be a sobering experience. It is surreal to see how quiet once-thriving areas like Seminyak
have now become; the sheer number of shuttered shops, hotels, and
restaurants points to the pain wrought by ongoing border restrictions. But the travel and hospitality industries are nothing if not resilient. A handful of high-end resorts have made their debut on the island in recent months, and many of the hotelier friends I’ve spoken to there are hopeful that better times lie just around the corner.

By the time you read this, it will have been roughly a year since Covid-19 triggered an unprecedented shutdown of international travel. But spring is nearing in the Northern Hemisphere, and this season of rebirth will no doubt have a special significance for millions around the world. Now, more than ever, we are seeing shoots of hope pushing through an otherwise bleak environment. I’m sure you’ve been following the global race to vaccinate as any people as possible against the virus — smaller nations such as Israel and the UAE have been leading the way, while much larger countries like the United States and United Kingdom are both making remarkable progress on that front.

So, here we are at the end of what has been an appalling year for the travel industry. I cannot think of anyone who hasn’t had their life turned upside-down by the Covid-19 pandemic. There is, of course, some light at the end of the tunnel, thanks to the recent announcements of successful clinical trials for multiple vaccines that have been developed at record speed. We’re especially heartened by AstraZeneca’s commitment to make its own vaccine available to less well-off countries at reasonable prices — and the fact that its long-lasting agents are immensely practical, as they can be stored at tempera- tures comparable to those found in an ordinary fridge.

What does it mean to publish a travel magazine when international travel is, for most of us, an unrealistic dream? That’s a question I’ve dwelled on many times since the end of March, and the answers so often seem trite in the grand scheme of things. Writing this note in mid-July, I wish I could say the coronavirus pandemic was being brought under control. There are, of course, a handful of destinations around the Asia-Pacific region—New Zealand, Taiwan, and Thailand come to mind—that have so far kept the disease at bay. But with case numbers still climbing globally,  and some places now facing a sudden resurgence of Covid-19, the hard truth is that overseas travel as we once knew it will not be possible for the foreseeable future.

I write this note at an unprecedented moment in modern history, when an increasing number of countries are closing their borders and advising against all travel in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Flights are being canceled, cruise lines are suspending their operations, and national lockdowns are threatening to keep everyone at home. I know the world will recover from this, and I fervently hope that the tide will turn in the months ahead. Until then, though, we must all brace ourselves for major disruptions to our lives. For DestinAsian, this means the cancellation or our annual June/July Islands Issue. The magazine you’re holding in your hands will regrettably be the last one you see until August, when I hope our regular publishing cycle will resume. This has not been an easy decision and I apologize for any disappointment this brings to our readers and business partners, but I also look forward to coming back stronger than ever once this health crisis is under control. We’ll be using the occasion to ramp up our online content to give you the latest travel news and updates, so do check out our website and social media platforms...

As I write this from a desk in Amsterdam, one of my favorite European cities, I’m mindful of the fact that in some ways, the dawn of a new decade feels no different from the opening weeks of 2019 or the year before it. As the 19th-century French novelist Alphonse Karr famously wrote, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” This might also say something about the quality of the many repeat winners in the 15th edition of our annual Readers’ Choice Awards, which celebrates the Asia-Pacific region’s best hotels, destinations, and for the very first time ever, cruise lines.

I’m of the opinion that the journey matters just as much as the destination—and I don’t mean that purely as an airline enthusiast. To pause and look back in retrospect, to understand the road we’ve taken is only natural, especially as we are mere weeks from the close of 2019 and the  dawn of a new decade. How did we get here? And from a traveler’s perspective, how do places end up the way they are now?

In Indonesia, intrepid surfers have often been the first to bring tourism to the shores of remote islands and even not-so-remote locales. Bali’s Bukit Peninsula was a hot spot for wave-riders long before hotels and day clubs staked their claim to the cliff tops of Uluwatu. For our cover story, Claire Knox charts the evolution of the Uluwatu surf scene and meets some of its prominent figures.

For the past ive years or so, I’ve kept hearing the same doomand-gloom message: that print media is on its way out. Scarcely a month passes by without another magazine being consolidated or ceasing publication altogether. But this, our 18th-anniversary issue, is a reminder that there is still room for print-based companies that are willing to adapt, ind new markets, and carve out a speciic niche in our increasingly wired world.
As in years past, DestinAsian’s anniversary coincides with our annual Luxe List, which covers the most notable new hotels and resorts in the Asia-Paciic region. They’re an astonishingly diverse bunch: jungly hideaways in Cambodia and Myanmar highlight exactly why our natural world is worth protecting, contemporary high-rise digs in Beijing and Kuala Lumpur come inspired by the local history, and then there are striking architectural interventions like The Lindis, a New Zealand lodge that graces our cover.

As much as I love a five-star stay in the Maldives—complete with butlers, chic overwater villas with glass inserts in the floor, indulgent spas, and infinity-edge pools one of our broader goals here at DestinAsian is to let readers see even the most familiar places in a whole new light. So it’s heartening to read this issue’s cover story by husband-and-wife team Daniel Bosley and Aishath Naj, about their ongoing project to document the Maldives that few tourists know. Dreamy photos aside, it offers a real insiders’ perspective and shows us new possibilities for exploring this Indian Ocean paradise. In a similar vein, Jonathan Hopfner reports on a trend in Seoul that has taken hold within the last decade or so: a renewed appreciation of traditional Korean houses known as hanok. He doesn’t just prowl the much-photographed streets of Bukchon Hanok Village where tourists prance around in full traditional costume, but speaks to designers and entrepreneurs who have adapted once-neglected architecture form to become boutique hotels and cafés and cultural spaces.

Perhaps you have seen pictures of Colombo’s Jami Ul-Alfar Mosque somewhere on Instagram: its candy-colored facade painted in a dazzling array of red and white stripes, as though dreamed up in an episode of unrestrained, childlike joy. The much-loved landmark would have graced one of our feature stories this issue—a beautifully shot and heartfelt tribute to the multi-ethnic, multi-religious nature of Sri Lanka’s commercial capital and its idyllic surroundings. 

But then tragedy struck on Easter Sunday, and, after much deliberation, we decided not to run the story. Doing so would have been grossly inappropriate given the new circumstances. Compounding my own shock and disbelief was the unmistakable feeling that we’ve all been here before. In recent years, we’ve witnessed the same horrors unfold in Paris, Mumbai, London, and Bali. The fact is it could happen anywhere, even on a gorgeous tropical island in the Indian Ocean.

It is somewhat surreal to be in London as last-minute negotiations over Brexit take place between Prime Minister Theresa May and her European counterparts in Brussels. Life goes on as normal and yet few can deny the underlying sense of uncertainty or the  quiet alarm many people have at the prospect that their country just might crash out of the EU with no deal in place. I bring this up because our cover story this issue by Jason Overdorf, on the growing movement to conserve Kolkata’s colonial-era architecture, reminds me just how powerful the U.K. was at the peak of its imperial might, and how different its global standing is now.

As someone who has a keen interest in Hollywood A-listers and the emerging talent of younger actors, I’m always looking forward to watching the Oscars. But there’s another event in February that I love: the annual luncheon at which we hand out our Readers’  Choice Awards. A fair number of hotels, airlines, and candidates in other categories have been longstanding winners; it reflects their consistently high standards and perhaps the loyalty of our readers to those brands and properties. Of course, there are some new contenders too that have turned into overnight favorites.

Paying it Forward For many of us, the cusp of a new year isn’t just a time to gather with family and friends, but also a time of reflection. And so it seems entirely appropriate that we should think about how the travel industry can have a positive effect when things are done right. Not by deliberate design, the idea of traveling responsibly has emerged as an underlying theme across our feature stories this issue. Responsible tourism can take a whole host of forms, whether it is choosing to steer clear of unethical attractions or spending our tourist dollars in places where they are sorely needed. One example of the latter is Zimbabwe, whose people are keen to revive the ailing tourism industry since the removal of strongman president Robert Mugabe from power. Husband-and-wife team Aaron Gulley and Jen Judge take in the country’s astonishing natural wonders while getting a sense of the Zimbabweans’ optimism after years of repression and economic ruin.

Growing up in Indonesia, turning 17 was a significant milestone for me. It traditionally marks one’s passage into adulthood—and is the age when you can (finally) apply for a driver’s license, vote in elections, and legally drink and go to the club. So much has changed in the 17 years since the pages of our very first issue rolled off the printing presses back in 2001. We’ve seen the emergence of disruptors like Airbnb in the travel industry, incredible leaps in the realm of commercial aviation, and a new breed of must-visit destinations. Take Komodo National Park and the neighboring island of Flores in eastern Indonesia; I was there recently to attend the opening of the area’s first five-star resort. Ten, maybe even five years ago, I would have considered it the preserve of intrepid divers and wildlife enthusiasts.

Having just returned from an island-hopping break in eastern Indonesia, it’s wonderful to see the variety of places covered in this issue. In Shanghai, correspondent Amy Fabris-Shi checks out the small restaurants that are blazing a new trail in a city whose residents are always on the lookout for novel experiences. Dara Tippapart’s accompanying photographs are enough to make anyone hungry.

It’s that time of year again when a summer vacation is no longer a distant dream but an imminent reality, a time that coincides with the release of our annual Islands Issue. Headlining it all is our cover story, beautifully shot by Martin Westlake, in which editor-in-chief Christopher P. Hill takes stock of three resorts that each promise an immersion into different sides of Sri Lanka: from a tea plantation to a beachside hideaway and the grasslands and forests of Yala National Park.

Halfway around the world in Hawai‘i, Joe Yogerst journeys to the smallest of its main islands, Lāna‘i, and neighboring Maui to see how native Hawaiian culture is experiencing a remarkable revival. We then jet over to Greece, where Naxos resident Lucretia Stewart shows us the virtues of her adopted home, and photographer Christos Drazos offers a glimpse of its enchanting beauty.

Writing this introduction from Berlin, where I’ve been attending the annual Digital Innovation Summit, I am heartened to know that print magazines are still thriving despite the inexorable shift to online media. The truth is that content is king, and this, our 101st issue, has some wonderful surprises in store.

I’ve always been attracted to places that are defined by water. Few things are better than a seaside vacation, especially when I can slow down to watch the ocean’s gentle ebb and flow, observing the tide on a moonlit night or as the skies brighten with the first glints of dawn. 
One of the reasons I love water is because it is symbolic of the passage of time. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we launched DestinAsian, but this edition marks our 13th Readers’ Choice Awards and the magazine’s 100th issue. To mark the milestone, our editors have pulled out all the stops to create a roundup of 100 essential travel experiences around the Asia-Pacific region. From luxury tented stays and must-try restaurants to new spas and outdoor adventures, it’s an up todate resource that offers plenty of travel inspiration for the coming months.

The more I travel, the more I realize just how much I haven’t seen. There is always a new up-and-coming destination to explore, or even in places you might return to every now and again, incremental changes that allow you to see and experience them from a new perspective.

One of the greatest joys of travel, I think, is to settle into the comfort of a beautifully designed property, where you have the time and space to appreciate small details that you might otherwise miss back home.

There is something inherently magical about being in a vast desert—perhaps it’s the infinitesimal succession of sand dunes marching off into the horizon, or the quietude and sense of awe that takes over as we survey the emptiness before us: a stark, inhospitable environment that puts our human vulnerabilities into sharp focus.

Writing this note from a cliff-top villa on the sunny shores of southern Bali, I’m keenly aware of the island’s importance in my own life as a place to decompress, refocus, and gain a renewed sense of balance. I always find myself coming back whenever I need some time out from the deadlines and many engagements that come with being in lifestyle publishing.

Spring is the season for new beginnings, when opportunities and ideas finally become a reality. I feel this especially as I walk the streets of Amsterdam, a city that I consider something of a second home. Here, the changing seasons are apparent as the sun shines longer each day and things begin to warm up. You’ll see residents happily shedding those hefty winter coats, lingering at alfresco cafés, and taking a break in the parks, where daffodils, hyacinths, and the Netherlands’ famous tulips are in full bloom.

In all my years of traveling, many of the best recommendations have come via word of mouth. There’s nothing quite like hearing from people who have been there themselves, sharing their advice on where to stay and what to do on your precious time off.

It wasn’t long ago that we wrapped up our 15th anniversary celebrations, and I can’t quite believe we’re already on the cusp of another year. To go out with a bang, we have compiled the Luxe List, our annual roundup of notable new hotels and resorts around the Asia-Pacific region. You’ll be amazed by the variety of lodgings that have opened in the past year from southern India to New Zealand’s North Island, and we hope you find plenty of inspiration for your next trip.

June - August 2022

March - May 2022

December 2021 - February 2022

September - November 2021

June - August 2021

March - May 2021

December 2020 - January 2021

August - November 2020

April - July 2020

February - March 2020

December 2019 - January 2020

October - November 2019

August - September 2019

June - July 2019

April - May 2019

Established in 2001, DestinAsian is a leading luxury travel and lifestyle magazine in the Asia-Pacific region.  Our aim for each issue is to present an engaging editorial mix and stunning travel photography in a fresh, new light.  In addition to award-winning feature stories, we offer a regular line-up of sections that keep tabs on the latest developments and most tantalizing holiday ideas around Asia and the world.  DestinAsian is the ultimate resource for discerning individuals who share our passion for travel, and travelling in style.

Winner of The 2014 SOPA Award for Editorial Excellence in Lifestyle Coverage

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DestinAsian - October - November 2019

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