Sommaire pour March - May 2026 de DestinAsian

BANGKOK After making waves three years ago with the opening of a beachfront resort in Pattaya, it was only a matter of time before Andaz claimed its stake in Bangkok’s highly competitive hotel scene. It did so at the end of 2025, when the brand launched the 244-room Andaz One Bangkok (hyatt.com; from US$380 a night), taking over one of the gleaming towers that make up the One Bangkok mega-development. The location, facing the tropical sprawl of Lumphini Park and close to the 1960s apartment blocks lining Wireless Road, sets the tone for the hotel’s design. Curved arches soften the high-ceilinged lobby, while the rooms and suites — each one angled to make the most of those park views — come furnished with warm woods, sunshine-yellow fabrics, and mid-century…

SRI LANKA Undulating hills carpeted in glossy, bright-green tea bushes may be the image that springs to mind when one thinks of Sri Lanka. But rewind to the early 1800s, and the tropical island would have appeared markedly different as red-berried trees and shrubs, known locally as kopi, cloaked much of the landscape. Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora were principal crops at the time, and British Ceylon produced some of the best coffee in the world. Yet this caffeine high was destined for failure when a crippling rust disease swept through the highlands, wiping out Sri Lanka’s coffee industry entirely. Over a century after planters made the switch to tea, kopi is slowly gaining traction once more, thanks to a handful of specialty roasters, passionate farmers, and café owners eager…

Arustic bamboo shelter might be the last place you’d expect to find a 12-course degustation menu, but here, on a grassy embankment between tidal fishponds in the Philippines’ Visayan Islands, it makes perfect sense. Behind a tall partition in the open-air kitchen, coconut husks smolder and flames dance from woodburning braziers. A cook wraps whole fish in banana leaf for grilling, while chef Gus Sibayan readies bowls of telescope snails with cubed taro and daikon slivers in a clear, fragrant broth. “This is inspired by a light Visayan vegetable soup called laswa,” he says. So begins our leisurely lunch at 7 Hectares (fb.com/7hectares), a regenerative aquaculture farm that supplies barramundi, red snapper, razor clams, and mangrove crabs to some of Manila’s top restaurants. It’s one of the first stops on…

1 Bangkok 2 Tokyo 3 Singapore 4 Hong Kong 5 Jakarta 6 Ho Chi Minh City Kuala Lumpur 8 Kyoto 9 Hanoi 10 Macao 1 Bali, Indonesia  2 Phu Quoc, Vietnam 3 Maldives 4 Phuket, Thailand 5 Koh Samui, Thailand 6 Boracay, Philippines 7 Flores/Komodo, Indonesia 8 Lombok, Indonesia 9 Palawan, Philippines 10 Langkawi, Malaysia…

CITY HOTELS 1. Capella Bangkok 2. Bulgari Hotel Tokyo  3. 137 Pillars Suites & Residences Bangkok 4. Bulgari Hotel Shanghai 5. Aman Tokyo 6. Capella Hanoi 7. The Siam, Bangkok 8. 21 Carpenter, Singapore 9. Trunk(Hotel) Yoyogi Park, Tokyo 10. The Dharmawangsa Jakarta RESORTS 1. Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve 2. Bulgari Resort Bali  3. Alila Villas Uluwatu 4. Anantara Ubud Bali Resort 5. Raffles Bali 6. Aman Kyoto 7. Banyan Tree Krabi  8. Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Krabi 9. Capella Ubud, Bali 10. TA’AKTANA, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Labuan Bajo…

DEBUT The name may be synonymous with legendary train journeys, but when Orient Express launches its first cruise vessel in June, the brand will be charting an ultra-luxurious new course at sea. With three towering masts and a length of 220 meters, Orient Express Corinthian is being billed as the world’s largest sailing yacht, marrying classic elegance with cutting-edge maritime technology. The interiors — by Parisian architect Maxime D’Angeac — promise to be just as impressive, drawing on French craftsmanship to evoke a contemporary spin on the golden age of rail and ocean-liner travel. Each of the 54 high-ceilinged suites comes with butler service, marble-accented bathrooms, and panoramic views through bay windows, while onboard amenities range from a 24-seat cinema and Guerlain spa to a 17-meter lap pool, library lounge,…

There are too many whale sharks!” I hear myself splutter excitedly through my snorkel. Five of the colossal fish fill my field of vision, then a sixth, its sinuous form gliding directly beneath my flippers. Hovering upright in the water, their spotted bodies stretching from three to 10 meters, they appear like great underwater dragons, mouths agape as they vacuum in vast volumes of seawater and chunks of baitfish tossed from the bagan — a wooden fishing platform — floating overhead. As I frame up the scene with my camera, a seventh cruises past just a meter or two to my left, blocking the shot with a gargantuan fin. It never crossed my mind that I would have to contend with photobombing whale sharks on this trip. There’s a first…

WRITING IN THE 1890s, Canadian missionary George Leslie Mackay described Taiwan’s Yilan Plain as “a rich, lowlying tract on the east coast, between the mountains and the sea.” Just 40 kilometers southeast of Taipei yet hemmed in by forbidding ranges, this fan-shaped expanse was by then home to an uneasy mix of Han Chinese settlers and indigenous Kavalan people, all farming rice in fertile alluvial soil laid down over millennia by the Lanyang River. Mackay also noted that “heavy vapors driven in from the sea, and floating clouds tapped by the mountain-peaks” made for dramatic landscapes but difficult travel. The foothills and higher slopes surrounding the plain now make up much of Yilan County, which stretches across Taiwan’s northeast. In Mackay’s time, the region could be reached only by steep…

Find me on Instagram @ronaldliem “SOMETIMES IT’S BETTER TO TRAVEL THAN TO ARRIVE.”—Robert M. Pirsig At DestinAsian, we believe the most valuable travel insights come from firsthand experiences, whether for work or leisure. That’s why we invite discerning readers like you to vote for your favorite regional hotels and resorts, destinations, airlines, and more in our annual DestinAsian Readers’ Choice Awards. Published in these pages, the complete 2026 list of winners and finalists represents the best of travel and hospitality in Asia Pacific. These days, the definition of luxury travel is increasingly broad. Beyond material comforts, it’s sometimes more about the privilege of escaping to places beyond the reach of deadlines, work-related messages, and the 24-hour news cycle, allowing us to be fully present. Perhaps that’s one reason our current…

• SHOP Whenever I’m in Hong Kong, I often go to Kanamono Hardware Store (kanamonohk.com) in Tai Hang, a compact concept store with a fascinating collection of lifestyle products to spruce up living spaces. The SoHo branch of HULA (thehula.com) has a trove of preloved designer pieces — one of my favorite finds is a 3.1 Phillip Lim leather jacket. I’ve also been eyeing the clothes from Yat Pit (yatpit.com), a Hong Kong brand that reinvents traditional Chinese silhouettes for modern wardrobes. Anyone who appreciates experimental scents like I do should visit BeCandle (becandle.com.hk), which blends its own fragrances in its factory out in Sai Kung: the handmade dim sum wax diffusers are a work of art. Sustainability is a huge part of my life, and you’ll find conscious alternatives…

I first learned about Ise-Shima because of a hotel. This was almost a decade ago with the opening of Amanemu, a discreet hot-spring resort that seemed to check every Aman box: serene, understated, and picturesquely perched above isle-dotted Ago Bay. But it was the lore of the land surrounding it that truly captivated me. Anchored by both the ancient Ise Jingu shrine complex and the enduring presence of the ama — female free divers who for untold generations have gathered shellfish and pearls from the bay’s clear waters — this corner of Honshu’s Pacific-facing Mie Prefecture is widely regarded as the spiritual heart of Japan. That the mythical and the elemental remain so intertwined in modern life gave the region an otherworldly pull long before I ever set foot there.…

“Where is Kalia?” “Might have gone for lunch.” I listened to this casual exchange between our host and onboard naturalist as the motor catamaran navigated a muddy creek, dense mangroves closing in on both sides. “This is his territory,” one of them added — and the penny dropped. Kalia was not a person, but a saltwater crocodile, the world’s largest reptile. I kept my eyes on the water, scanning for a presence spoken of like a pet. My pre-trip research on Bhitarkanika National Park, a sprawling estuarine reserve in the eastern Indian state of Odisha, pointed to two very different narratives. One framed it as the country’s most successful species-recovery effort, with the state forestry department’s 2025 census confirming 1,825 crocodiles — the highest population in the country. The other…

AIRPORTS 1. Singapore Changi Airport 2. Hong Kong International Airport 3. Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok 4. Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta 5. I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali 6. Kuala Lumpur International Airport 7. Haneda Airport, Tokyo  8. Hamad International Airport, Doha 9. Incheon International Airport 10. Istanbul Airport AIRLINES OVERALL 1. Singapore Airlines 2. Cathay Pacific  3. Emirates 4. Thai Airways  5. Qatar Airways 6. Korean Air 7. Garuda Indonesia 8. All Nippon Airways  9. Malaysia Airlines  10. Turkish Airlines FIRST & BUSINESS CLASS 1. Singapore Airlines 2. Cathay Pacific  3. Emirates 4. Thai Airways 5. Qatar Airways 6. Korean Air 7. Garuda Indonesia  8. Malaysia Airlines  9. All Nippon Airways  10. Japan Airlines ECONOMY CLASS 1. Singapore Airlines  2. Cathay Pacific  3. Emirates 4. All Nippon Airways 5. Thai Airways 6. Garuda Indonesia…

HOTEL LOYALTY PROGRAMS 1. Marriott Bonvoy 2. ALL Accor 3. IHG One Rewards 4. World of Hyatt  5. Hilton Honors  6. Shangri-La Circle 7. GHA Discovery  8. Best Western Rewards 9. Pan Pacific Discovery 10. Ascott Star Rewards HOTEL BRANDS FOR LEISURE 1. Four Seasons 2. The Ritz-Carlton 3. Capella 4. St. Regis 5. Anantara  6. JW Marriott 7. Shangri-La  8. Banyan Tree 9. InterContinental 10. Sofitel HOTEL BRANDS FOR BUSINESS 1. The Ritz-Carlton 2. JW Marriott  3. Shangri-La 4. InterContinental  5. Grand Hyatt 6. Four Seasons 7. Conrad 8. Fairmont 9. St. Regis  10. Park Hyatt SERVICED RESIDENCE BRANDS 1. Ascott The Residence  2. Marriott Executive Apartments 3. Oakwood 4. Frasers Hospitality 5. Lanson Place: Personal Hotels & Residences…

What do you get when you combine a luxury cruise line with a legendary tour company? A boatload of voyage-enhancing destination experiences dubbed By Abercrombie & Kent. Available across sailings aboard the Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony — relaunched in 2023 following Abercrombie & Kent’s acquisition of Crystal Cruises — the suite of overland adventures and pre- and post-cruise extensions ranges from flight-seeing tours over Alaskan glaciers to immersive explorations of Cambodia’s Angkor temples. Together, A&K’s extensive global connections and Crystal’s reinvigorated onboard offerings promise the best of land and sea.…

Down narrow lane called Churukon ka Rasta — a name I’d never heard of despite being a lifelong Jaipur resident — a pastel-pink archway stands out amid the nondescript modern facades. It frames a recessed entrance with faded frescoes and intricate stonework over an ancient wooden door. Here, in a corner of Jaipur’s old walled city largely overlooked by both tourists and authorities, the Shah family has transformed their 290-year-old haveli (mansion) into a design-led boutique hotel of just 15 rooms. Padmaa Jaipur debuted last year as a tribute to matriarch Padmaa Devi Shah, whose jewelry and everyday objects are now displayed on the walls as art. Owner Ashok Shah welcomes me into the hotel’s quiet courtyard, ringed by intimate dining spaces and, above them, open-air galleries with jaali screens…

When Shinta Mani Wild debuted in the rainforests of southern Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains in late 2018, the luxury tented camp proved a milestone for the prolific architect Bill Bensley. It was his most radical and challenging project yet, uniting his passions for design, philanthropy, and environmental protection while sustaining a private wildlife sanctuary set up with longtime friend and business partner Sokoun Chanpreda. Today, the protected jungle around Shinta Mani Wild is the subject of a new textile collection that brings Bensley’s signature whimsy and maximalism into the home. Wild by Bill Bensley for Jim Thompson translates his sketches and vibrant paintings of Cambodian flora and fauna into statement-making upholstery and drapes. Cacti and leafy shrubs flow across linen surfaces in vivid hues. Hornbills, dholes (Asiatic wild dogs), clouded leopards,…

SYDNEY For decades, the busiest fish market in Australia was something of a free-for-all — crowds jostling for counter space, plastic stools claimed like prizes, and seagulls so brazen they’d snatch chips straight from your hand. One of Sydney’s top attractions had long outgrown its seaside home by the time a relocation plan was announced in late 2016. Its replacement, opened in January, recalibrates the chaos. There is space to breathe, room to sit, and patrol dogs keep the gulls firmly in check. Spanning over 26,000 square meters — double the size of the old facility — on Blackwattle Bay, the reimagined Sydney Fish Market (sydneyfishmarket.com.au) is billed as the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Up to 20 tons of seafood is expected to move through the building every hour,…

BEIJING Rising from Beijing’s Sanlitun quarter like a botanical sculpture caught mid-bloom, the facade of Parisian architect Christian de Portzamparc’s latest commission for Dior features 14 twisting white resin “petals,” punctuated by walls of golden glass tiles that recall the imperial hue once reserved for China’s rulers. It’s the Pritzker Prize laureate’s third collaboration with the French fashion house, after Seoul and Geneva, and arguably his most ambitious. Yet what distinguishes House of Dior Beijing (dior.com) isn’t merely scale, but timing. Jonathan Anderson’s arrival as the company’s new creative director —and the first designer since Christian Dior himself to oversee women’s wear, men’s wear, and couture simultaneously — makes this a showcase for his debut collections. The five-story structure presents the full Dior universe, headlined by Anderson’s reinterpretation of house…

If there is one thing I’ve come to love about the city I now call home, it is the abundance of green spaces. Wherever I go in Kuala Lumpur, there’s a park, a garden, or even a forest just around the corner. Not to get too nerdy, but research has repeatedly shown how being around plants and trees, especially in an urban context, reduces stress, improves mood, and contributes to an overall sense of well-being. The moment I step into the sleek lobby of the new Kimpton Naluria Kuala Lumpur (ihg.com; from US$200 a night), I know the folks there subscribed to the same research. That was indeed the brief given to Australian design firm Hassell: for the hotel to be a natural extension of the city’s leafy outdoors. This…

FOR DESTINASIAN’S 19TH READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS, WE GAVE OUR DISCERNING READERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO NAME THE VERY BEST IN ASIA-PACIFIC TRAVEL, TOUCHING ON EVERYTHING FROM CITIES AND ISLANDS TO HOTELS, AIRLINES, AND CRUISE OPERATORS. WHAT FOLLOWS IS A TRIBUTE TO EXCELLENCE ACROSS THE REGION’S LUXURY TRAVEL INDUSTRY. TURN THE PAGE TO SEE THE FULL RESULTS OF OUR LATEST ANNUAL SURVEY, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE 2026 WINNERS!…

LUXURY CRUISE LINES 1. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection 2. Oceania Cruises 3. Crystal  4. Explora Journeys  5. Azamara Cruises  6. Viking  7. Regent Seven Seas Cruises 8. Cunard 9. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises 10. Silversea RIVER CRUISES 1. Viking 2. Emerald Cruises 3. Silversea 4. Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours 5. AmaWaterways 6. Aqua Expeditions 7. Tauck 8. Ponant 9. Uniworld River Cruises 10. Avalon Waterways CRUISES OVERALL 1. Crystal 2. Explora Journeys 3. Disney Cruise Line 4. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection  5. Azamara Cruises 6. Cunard 7. Royal Caribbean International 8. Holland America Line  9. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises  10. Ponant…

AUSTRALIA 1 Capella Sydney This polished makeover of a heritage-listed sandstone building in the heart of Sydney has been voted by DestinAsian readers as Australia’s top hotel for the third consecutive year. The Capella’s amenities include a skylighted indoor pool and the blissful Auriga spa, where treatments harness local ingredients. 2 Grand Hyatt Melbourne 3 Four Seasons Hotel Sydney 4. The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne 5. Hilton Sydney 6. JW Marriott Gold Coast Resort & Spa 7. Shangri-La Sydney  8. Park Hyatt Sydney 9. COMO The Treasury 10. InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef HONG KONG 1 Rosewood Hong Kong Overlooking Victoria Harbour from its perch within a soaring 65-story skyscraper, Rosewood’s global flagship ticks all the boxes for an elevated urban stay: spacious, elegant rooms designed by Tony Chi, no less than 11…

No kids, no cartoons, no cannonball splashes at the pool. Oceania Cruises is embracing a more grownup rhythm at sea with the introduction of a fleetwide adults-only policy that applies to all future bookings. Under the new rule, guests are required to be 18 or older, reinforcing an onboard atmosphere built around calm social spaces, destination-led enrichment, and one of the cruise industry’s most respected culinary programs. Long popular with couples and solo travelers, the line — whose newest ship, the 1,390-passenger Oceania Sonata, begins sailing in August — is formalizing what had already become its de facto appeal: cruising designed for adults who value polish over playrooms. The move aligns Oceania more clearly with the premium end of the market, where serenity, service, and substance matter more than onboard…

34.9511° N, 135.8197° E It was as a teenager that Ukrainian artist Olena Greco (artofsaki.com) first began to dream of visiting Japan. Now based in Puglia, Italy, the illustrator finally went last fall, when she spent two months traversing the country with her husband. In Kyoto, they visited the Daigo-ji temple complex southeast of town — a sprawling Buddhist sanctuary known for its thousand-year-old pagoda and vibrant fall foliage. Greco was taken by the sight of this shrine to the goddess Benzaiten, on a small island in a pond backed by beautiful maple and ginkgo trees. “Being there felt like stepping into a movie, surrounded by layers of red, orange, yellow, and lingering green, forming a color palette that only nature can create,” she recalls. Painting the scenery at Daigo-ji…