SOUTHEAST ASIA JANUARY 2020 WHERE TO GOWHERE IN TO 2020 ON THE RISE IN BHUTAN 20 TRIPS FOR 2020 Adventures across Australia SINGAPORE S$7.90 / HONG KONG HK$43 THAILAND THB175 / INDONESIA IDR50,000 MALAYSIA MYR18 / VIETNAM VND85,000 MACAU MOP44 / PHILIPPINES PHP240 BURMA MMK35 / CAMBODIA KHR22,000 BRUNEI BND7.90 / LAOS LAK52,000 T+L WORLD’S BEST AWARDS 2020 VOTE FOR YOUR TRAVEL FAVORITES TLworldsbest.com vote now! For your favorite hotels, resorts, cities, airlines, cruise lines and destinations you love—in the only truly global travel survey that matters. Dear Travel+Leisure Southeast Asia readers, We trust you. We trust your judgment. That’s why Readers of all global editions of Travel+Leisure will we want you to rate our global travel experiences participate in the awards, so this is your chance for for us, in the Travel+Leisure World’s Best Awards, Southeast Asia’s voice to be heard. now through March 2, 2020. These awards are recognized as travel’s highest honor, so it’s time to So visit TLworldsbest.com and tell us exactly CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DAVID VAN DRIESSCHE; VERONICA INVEEN; SEAN FENNESSY; CHRISTIAN KERBER give back to those hotels, resorts, cities, airlines, what you think. The full global results will be cruise lines and destinations you love the most. published in our August 2020 issue. SENSES SIX OF COURTESY 01WBApromoCKv2.indd 10 11/25/2562 BE 11:49 CONTENTS Januaryfeatures 66 Destination Paro In Bhutan’s second city, Joe Cummings goes on a spirit-renewing quest to discover why this stopover point feels so ascendant. Photographed by David Van Driessche 74 Passage to Lan Ha A new luxury ship with a focus on wellness carries cruisers to a quiet corner of Halong Bay. Story and photographs by Veronica Inveen 66 74 96 81 81 All Across Australia Exuberant hospitality and great scenery have always defined Down Under, but now there’s fresh energy across the country. 96 A Most Unexpected Place for Pinot Among southwestern Germany’s medieval towns, a new generation of wine makers is bottling some stunning Pinot Noir. By Ray Isle. Photographed by Christian Kerber CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DAVID VAN DRIESSCHE; VERONICA INVEEN; SEAN FENNESSY; CHRISTIAN KERBER ON THE COVER Surf’s up in Byron Bay, Australia. Photograph by camac/Alamy Stock Photo. TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM / JANUARY 2020 3 CONTENTS IN EVERY ISSUE Contributors 7 The Conversation 8 Editor’s Note 10 Deals 62 Wish You Were Here 106 15 Where To Go 2020 Twenty 44 The Jungle Nook A new suite, wolves in their element—and places to visit this year, including actually a private residence, in a learn why these creatures the majestic Hunza Valley, boutique hotel lets you feel the continue to capture our Bangkok for those with an call of the wild in the middle of imaginations. PLUS: Other great appetite, and a new-look Kyoto. the Bangkok. animal-conservation adventures. 30 The Big Blue Beyond the 46 Fashion Photography, Indian 56 On This Golden Shore Stability overwater villas and sparkling Style From the streets of and prosperity are luring visitors lagoons, friendly giants inhabit a Mumbai comes a flair you might to Senegal—from the tropical paradise of their own in not expect. PLUS: Marks on the cosmopolitan streets of the the Maldives. museum map in Miami, France capital, Dakar, to some of West 34 Little Red Cook Book How a and New York City. Africa’s most idyllic, unspoiled nostalgic homage to lost 48 A Second Date in Paradise reserves and beaches. delicacies is putting haute The dreamy French Polynesian 59 African Landing Just outside Cantonese back on the menu. island of Moorea is the place to Arusha, Tanzania, a 100-year-old 38 Farm Fresh In pastoral New test the waters of a budding lodge makes a cozy launch pad Zealand, natural remedies, relationship. for adventure—problem is, you modern therapies and 50 My Own Private Portugal might not want to leave. indigenous wisdom power a one- Lisbon and its coastal enclaves 60 Culture Gets an Update in of-a-kind wellness retreat. may be booming, but in the tiny Austria With boundary-pushing 40 Come As You Are As Thailand seaside town of Porto Côvo life contemporary arts initiatives targets the LGBT+ market, local moves as slowly as ever. and sleek new hotels, this isn’t hoteliers are adopting cool new 52 Go Where the Wild Things Are the same destination your services and amenities that give Travel through Yellowstone stodgy, opera-loving Aunt deeper meaning to “all inclusive.” National Park to glimpse gray Gladys once knew. 44 30 34 38 FROM LEFT: CHARLES DHARAPAK; LEIGH GRIFFITHS; COURTESY OF WYNN PALACE; COURTESY OF WYNN PALACE; FROM LEIGH GRIFFITHS; COURTESY LEFT: OF DHARAPAK; EARTH CHARLES ENERGIES SANCTUARY 4 JANUARY 2020 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM NEW YEAR NEW DISCOVERIES 126 countries to be discovered. Happy New Year. FROM LEFT: CHARLES DHARAPAK; LEIGH GRIFFITHS; COURTESY OF WYNN PALACE; COURTESY OF WYNN PALACE; FROM LEIGH GRIFFITHS; COURTESY LEFT: OF DHARAPAK; EARTH CHARLES ENERGIES SANCTUARY FINLAND T+L DIGITAL +LOOKOUT Why Taiwanese whisky THIS MONTH ON TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM should be on your radar; a new luxe resort A NEW RESORT IN THE SIX CRAFT BREWERIES THE ABSURD NUMBER HIMALAYAS IS A HAVEN IN ASIA WORTH OF NEW OPENINGS IN in Sanya, China; FOR TEA DRINKERS CHECKING OUT THE MALDIVES discovering Batanes in A new mountain resort in Asia’s craft suds scene keeps Among the freshest fly the Philippines’ verdant Darjeeling offers an intimate getting better. Check out six resorts in the Indian Ocean, a north; the latest travel chance to get away from it all, exciting breweries using local few are doing environmental immersed in West Bengal’s flavors and ingredients to backflips to keep their aquatic deals and much more. tea-making traditions. push beer boundaries. neighbors in the swim. travelandleisureasia.com DOWNLOAD US FOLLOW US KEEP UP WITH US T+L TABLET EDITIONS TWITTER.COM/ Sign up for our newsletter Available on iOS, Android, TRAVLEISUREASIA for monthly highlights Win 8 and Zinio Desktop FACEBOOK.COM/ and offers from TRAVELLEISUREASIA T+L Southeast Asia. Reader. PINTEREST.COM/ TANDL.ASIA/NEWSLETTER TRAVLEISUREASIA INSTAGRAM.COM/ CONTACT US TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA TLEDITOR@ FROM LEFT: KIT YENG CHAN; COURTESY OF HEART OF DARKNESS; LEIGH GRIFFITHS f MEDIATRANSASIA.COM FROM TOP: COURTESY OF DAVID VAN DRIESSCHE; DAVID VAN DRIESSCHE; COURTESY OF MEI ANNE FOO; COURTESY OF VINCENT VICHIT-VADAKAN 6 JANUARY 2020 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM CONTRIBUTORS 1 2 David Joe Van Driessche Cummings PHOTOGRAPHER WRITER “Destination Paro” “Destination Paro” Page 66 Page 66 — — “I wanted to immerse in Paro “I also deeply appreciated our 1 because the main attractions guide, Sonam Tobgyal Dorji, on my Bhutan bucket list are because of his infectious, there. I also wanted to visit vigorous joy. Even after more small monasteries and build than 50 climbs to Tiger’s Nest, friendships with local monks. he was enthusiastic the whole Sonam Tobgyal Dorji, our way. One moment I’ll always guide, is a wonderful person. cherish was listening to the Without him many of my young monks chant at Eutok photos would not have been Samdrupcholing Goenpa. It possible. He got access into was the first time Bhutanese monasteries to show their way Buddhism felt real for me, of life and is the most devout probably because there were and helpful person I’ve ever no other tourists.” What about met. A true new friend.” Best their wellness tradition? “The memory? “Reaching the most iconic Bhutanese therapy viewpoint of Tiger’s Nest, or is a bath of artemisia-infused seeing the Bhutanese monks water heated by hot river and masked performers—it’s stones. It’s a soothing antidote 2 difficult to choose.” Instagram: to toxic thought waves.” @davidvandriessche. Instagram: @joejcummings. 3 4 Mei Anne Vincent Foo Vichit-Vadakan WRITER WRITER “Farm Fresh” “Come As You Are” Page 38 Page 40 — — “For the owners of Earth “The Tourism Authority of Energies, it’s about bringing Thailand has realized what balance to the body and mind huge value LGBT+ travelers ‘no matter if it’s Asian or offer, and the country is Western wellness practices,’ evolving. ‘We are more open Marie told me. ‘Our bodies to everything,’ representative 3 have an innate ability to Khun Chattan told me. Some repair and heal themselves stand-outs: The Siam hotel in when in a space that is Bangkok is very hospitable to harmonious and balanced.’ LGBT+ guests and supportive She and her husband are great of its diverse staff; and Accor hosts and the property has hotels globally promote great energy.” Favorite diversity and inclusiveness, treatment? “The zero-balance often under the slogan Feel therapy on my body and skull. Welcome.” Where else in Asia? The light pressures didn’t “Taiwan is considered the seem like they made much of a LGBT+-friendliest destination difference at first, but after in Asia, but there is no visible the therapy, I felt incredibly publicly funded campaign like relaxed and untroubled.” Go Thai. Be Free. yet.” FROM LEFT: KIT YENG CHAN; COURTESY OF HEART OF DARKNESS; LEIGH GRIFFITHS FROM TOP: COURTESY OF DAVID VAN DRIESSCHE; DAVID VAN DRIESSCHE; COURTESY OF MEI ANNE FOO; COURTESY OF VINCENT VICHIT-VADAKAN Instagram: @meiannatee. Instagram: @vincentinparis. 4 7 THE CONVERSATION ASIA TL # A long way to the top, Hong Kong. By @chasingmonique. Okay, a personal question: what items have you stolen from your hotel room? In a survey of 1,157 hoteliers by hotel-review company Wellness Heaven, towels, bathrobes and clothes hangers topped the list of most- plundered amenities... but there were also a number of head-scratching surprises that cropped up.