Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 - February 2025 i DestinAsian

Find me on Instagram @ronaldliem “NEVER HESITATE TO GO FAR AWAY, BEYOND ALL SEAS, ALL FRONTIERS, ALL COUNTRIES, ALL BELIEFS”—Amin Maalouf A mid the flurry of year-end events and get-togethers, I sometimes feel there isn’t a whole lot of time to properly reflect on the past 11-plus months. It amazes me how quickly 2025 is now upon us and all the possibilities it might bring. Our team has been hard at work putting the final touches on this print issue — may it inspire your future holidays in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Foodies will salivate at two compelling stories from far sides of Malaysia. In one, photographer Mark Parren Taylor embarks on a culinary exploration of Langkawi, an Andaman Sea island better known for its beaches and rugged natural…

SINGAPORE Gourmands in Singapore will agree they are spoiled for choice when it comes to fine dining. So, it’s refreshing to discover something unexpected — which newcomer Le Pristine Singapore (lepristinesingapore.com) delivers at every turn. The restaurant is housed in the newly renovated Grand Hyatt Singapore, where renowned Dutch chef Sergio Herman has created a magical world of discovery from arrival to dessert. A red leatherclad wine tunnel provides a theatrical entrance to the 120-seat venue, which is airy but cozy and designed so that each space feels your own, even at peak times. Gently lit, the industrial sculptured concrete of the walls juxtaposes with comfortable seating, most with a view of the culinary ballet taking place in the open kitchen. The New Italian style of cooking, a tribute to…

When I landed in Kota Kinabalu on a Friday afternoon in early November, I had one thing on my mind: food. This might sound surprising for a town best known as a jumping-off point for the offshore islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park or more adventurous excursions into the Borneo hinterland, but my weekend visit coincided with the local debut of the Kita Food Festival (kitafoodfestival.com), which promised — and delivered — an intriguing culinary lineup. The capital of the East Malaysian state of Sabah, Kota Kinabalu overlooks the South China Sea from its position on the northwestern coast of Borneo. Though it doesn’t have much in the way of historic architecture — most colonial-era buildings here were razed by Allied bombers during the Japanese occupation of British Borneo…

Shortly before my birth, my mother had been cutting golden strands of rice with a hand scythe and tying them into sheaves for my father to collect. Disturbed by the strenuous work, I chose this moment to arrive and entered the world under the shade of a nearby tree at the edge of the paddy field. Gently wrapped in my mother’s sarong, I was given the nickname Noi, meaning “little one.” That field, still farmed by my family today, was a short walk from my village, Baan Pon Paeng, a Phu Tai farming community in central Laos. The Phu Tai are a small ethnic group with their own language and culture, and are found in Laos’ Khammouane and Savannakhet provinces, and also parts of Vietnam and northeast Thailand. During my…

The last of the great transatlantic liners was built to recall an earlier, more leisurely age. Named for the mother of the British monarch who christened her in 1967, the Queen Elizabeth 2 — better known as the QE2 — was not intended for ascetics: passengers consumed in excess of 70,000 bottles of champagne and one ton of caviar each year prior to the ship’s retirement in 2008. The former Cunard flagship was also the fastest ocean liner in service for most of her illustrious career, with a sleek, purposeful design that was likened to the look of a very big yacht. Her fame was such that she was the only liner ever to be converted from steam turbine to diesel-electric propulsion. After sailing more than 5.6 million nautical miles…

Banyan Group opens a new property in Luang Prabang Homm, part of Banyan Group’s multibrand ecosystem, has expanded its footprint with the opening of Homm Souvannaphoum Luang Prabang. Once the residence of former Laotian prime minister Prince Souvanna Phouma, the conserved mansion showcases a charming blend of French colonial architecture and traditional Lao design. Featuring 24 rooms and suites with private balconies, the hotel is surrounded by verdant tropical gardens, a spa, and a swimming pool. It also enjoys a central location from which to explore Laos’s ancient capital, with attractions such as the Mekong River and Mount Phou Si just minutes away by foot. Additionally, guests can pedal around the UNESCO World Heritage site and nearby villages at their own pace through the hotel’s complimentary bicycle rental. For more…

SINGAPORE These days, throw a stone in Asia and chances are it will hit a spa. In the past couple of years, though, a new breed has stealthily made its way onto the radar of spa junkies, its MO a canny combination of rejuvenating therapies and cutting-edge wellness technology. Few salons, however, have been quite as comprehensive in their treatment menus or as sleekly designed as Rekoop (rekoop.asia), a sprawling haven that debuted earlier this year in the midst of Singapore’s bustling central business district. The soigné mood-lit decor of creamy hues, warm timber, and cool stone — courtesy of local studio Elliot James Interiors — doesn’t prepare you for the arsenal of high-tech equipment that awaits behind diaphanous drapes and 10 austere treatment rooms. Think oxygen therapy pods that…

Cherry trees heavy with blood-red fruit stand out against the snowy peaks of Hunza Valley in Pakistan’s mountainous north. Nearby, steep farm terraces unfold like emerald skirts around the 13th-century Baltit Fort, daubing the surrounding desert with splashes of vibrant color. We’re ushered into the timber- and stone stronghold by Salahuddin, a veteran security guard with a mustache so long it’s tucked around his ears. Inside, the fort’s walnut woodwork is intricately carved with motifs like breaking waves, solar wheels, and swastikas, evoking Tibetan temples. “This region is nicknamed Little Tibet because of the many similarities we share with our neighbor,” Arman, our guide, explains. Before the 1947 partition of British India, the territory that became Pakistan was dotted with independent princely states like Hunza, which was ruled by a…

Hovering in that happy state between sleep and wakefulness, I’m roused by the sound of a melodic voice outside my cottage. I fumble for the light switches and open the door to see Livias, my personal butler, standing there in the dark singing a folk song in her native Luganda language. It’s not the wakeup call I had imagined. As I goggle drowsily, she finishes up and hands me a cup of strong black coffee, with a gentle reminder that breakfast is in half an hour. And so the day begins at Kibale Lodge in western Uganda. The latest property from local ecotourism operator Volcanoes Safaris, Kibale (pronounced chi-baa-li) opened its doors in July this year. The company’s first lodge was built more than 20 years ago down south near…

COME NOON, THE LONG-STANDING FAMILY RESTAURANT IS FILLED WITH LOCAL PATRONS DEVOURING DOZENS OF HOME-STYLE NORTHERN MALAY DISHES IT’S A SHADE AFTER 7.30 P.M. and the sun has sunk beyond the Andaman Sea, pulling a deep-navy sky down with it. The food stalls on Pantai Serama beach near Kuala Muda, a village on the west coast of Langkawi, are closing for the night. As the cooks in laksa kitchens rinse out their pots and pans, the ponies that give surfside rides to tourists are led away to their stables. Dark now, the Melaka Strait sparkles with the lights of a thousand near-and-far squid boats, which each evening form a twinkling necklace that encircles most of the island. The fisherfolk who started pushing out from beaches and harbors as the sun…