DestinAsian

DestinAsian is the only travel magazine in the world exclusively dedicated to covering destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. Published 6 times a year, it delivers regular features about food, shopping, spa retreats, luxury lodgings, design, and fashion, all backed by award-winning writing, photography, and design.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE • Find me on Instagram @ronaldliem

DestinAsian

GOOD TO GO

MEET ME ON THE MEKONG • This 13-cabin riverboat provides a stylish new way to explore the river between Luang Prabang and Vientiane.

GILT COMPLEX • Parisian luxury and Thai artistry come together at Dior’s supersized pop-up in Bangkok.

URBAN OASIS • Alila Shanghai provides a calm, cool escape from the teeming streets of China’s largest city.

COLLECTIVE WISDOM • An ever-expanding suite of Aboriginal-guided experiences connects visitors with Indigenous cultures across Australia.

TAKING THE FIELD • Beside the waters of Kowloon Bay, an ambitious project on the site of a former airport runway gives Hong Kong a sorely needed hub for sporting and large-scale entertainment events.

Downstream Delights • A tranquil new escape awaits on the banks of Hoi An’s Thu Bon River.

Uncommon Threads • In the Thai province of Sakon Nakhon, artisanal natural dyes and textile traditions are inspiring a whole new aesthetic.

A Clean Break • Discovering intimacy and community in Japan’s public bathhouse culture.

A Brush with Belugas • Churchill may be the polar bear capital of the world, but for a few months every summer, the tiny town on the shores of Hudson Bay is all about beluga whales.

Hide and Seek • Having rebuilt itself after a devastating typhoon, the surf-happy Philippine island of Siargao is forging ahead for a more sustainable future.

2025 Readers’ Choice Awards • IN OUR 18TH ANNUAL POLL, WE ASKED DESTINASIAN READERS TO PICK OUT THEIR FAVORITE HOTELS, DESTINATIONS, AIRPORTS, CRUISE LINES, AND MORE IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION. THE VOTES FROM THIS YEAR’S SURVEY HAVE SINCE BEEN TALLIED, CREATING A DEFINITIVE LINEUP OF THE VERY BEST IN TRAVEL AS CHOSEN BY OUR DISCERNING AUDIENCE. CURIOUS TO KNOW IF YOUR NOMINATIONS MADE THE LIST? READ ON TO FIND OUT WHICH PLACES AND OPERATORS TOPPED THE RANKINGS FOR 2025.

INTERMEZZO

FLASHBACK

Canterbury Calling • FROM CHRISTCHURCH, A CITY IN THE MIDST OF A PROFOUND TRANSFORMATION, TO THE HEART-STOPPING BEAUTY OF THE SOUTHERN ALPS, THE CANTERBURY REGION OF NEW ZEALAND’S SOUTH ISLAND BECKONS ANYONE WITH AN APPETITE FOR DISCOVERY.

A FINE BALANCE • IN OFT-OVERLOOKED JAKARTA, A CROP OF GIFTED INDONESIAN CHEFS IS LEADING THE CHARGE TO PUT THE CITY’S ASCENDANT DINING SCENE FIRMLY ON THE MAP.

Gifts of the Nile • AN INTIMATE AND SLOW-PACED CRUISEA BOARD A SLEEK DAHABIYA SAILBOAT PROVIDES A LEISURELY PACE AT WHICH TO EXPLORE THE MONUMENTS, VILLAGES, AND TIMELESS BEAUTY OF EGYPT’S ANCIENT RIVER.

BATAVIAN RHAPSODY • ONCE KNOWN AS BATAVIA, JAKARTA’S HISTORIC KOTA TUA (OLD TOWN) NEIGHBORHOOD WAS THE HEART OF THE DUTCH EAST INDIES IN THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES. TODAY, ITS FADED COLONIAL BUILDINGS PROVIDE THE PERFECT BACKDROP TO LOOKS BY INDONESIAN FASHION DESIGNER ADRIAN GAN.

ARTIST’S IMPRESSION • Skaftárhreppur, Iceland