DestinAsian - September - November 2022

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As tempting as it may be to cram as many trips into our calendars as possible — especially now, in a conscious effort to make up for two-plus years of lost time — I’m finding that there is a better way. Travel can be far more fulfilling when we do it mindfully, spacing out those holidays and choosing hotels and operators that are bound to make the experience a truly special one. That dovetails nicely with the 2022 edition of our Luxe List, which spotlights the best new hotels that have opened across the Asia-Pacific region within the past year. From a rejuvenated palace-fort in Rajasthan and a Balinese back-to nature retreat to modish Kyoto lodgings, all 17 of the featured properties have been tried and tested by our network of correspondents on the ground. Understandably, some of us may have qualms about long-haul travel as we (finally) emerge from the pandemic, but a world of wonders exists right on your doorstep here in Southeast Asia. Regular DestinAsian contributor Chris Schalkx checks into one of the newest beachfront resorts on Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island, the pride of a rebooted luxury hotel brand. Meanwhile, food writer and travel guide author Austin Bush journeys to the former Laotian capital of Luang Prabang, where modern-day chefs are taking inspiration from royal recipes written down a century ago. In neighboring Thailand, journalist Ron Gluckman trades the buzz of Bangkok for a low-key Andaman Sea sojourn in Khao Lak, a stretch of coastline up the road from Phuket that has been rediscovered by local travelers. Bali-based adventurer Mark Eveleigh recounts a no-frills trip up Indonesia’s long-est river in an excerpt from his brand-new book Kopi Dulu: Caffeine-fuelled Travels through Indonesia.