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2007 Readers' Choice Awards
Which are your favorite hotels and resorts in the Asia-Pacific region? Where do you return time and again for business or leisure, on account of their superlative amenities, service, and location? And how do you rank airlines, airports, city destinations, and tropical-island getaways? Six months ago we asked you to answer these questions in our second annual Readers’ Choice Awards poll, and the results are compiled here in a list that defines the best that regional travel has to offer.
Magic Mountain
Cults and coffee thrive on the forested flanks of the Mt.Banahaw, a volcano whose mystical allure has long been a magnet for artists, pilgrims and adventurous travelers.
Hong Kong Heats Up
In a city already famous for its cosmopolitan dining scene, a fresh crop of restaurants backed by name-brand chefs is upping the culinary ante.
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| > | Departments | | | Food Stuff | | | | | Delhi's best local cuisine.
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| | | Dispatch | | | | | Making a Difference
In Cambodia, a pair of innovative hotels has made socially responsible tourism a priority.
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| | | Letters from Readers | | | Publisher's note | | | Gypsy Tales| | SPA
Set along a sea pine–studded coast just a few hours’ drive from Bangkok, the Hyatt Regency Hua Hin (91 Hua Hin– Khao Takiap Rd.; 66-32/521-234; www.huahin.regency.hyatt.com) will unveil a residential spa, The Barai, in March.
TREND
Listen Up
Forget the regular gift-shop wares—these hotel-produced CDs aim to capture the spirit of your stay with the sound of music.
HOTEL
Bijou Beijing
In a city sorely lacking boutique lodgings, the arrival of Beijing’s Hotel Kapok (16 Donghuamen Lu, Dongcheng District; 86-10/6525-9988; www.hotelkapok.com) is downright revolutionary.
AIRLINE NEWS
Class Act
Leave it to Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com) to come up with another world first: a dedicated premium-class terminal aimed at pampering passengers on their way through the Doha International Airport. The US$90 million, 10,000-square-meter facility features first- and business-class check-in counters, concierge and secretarial services, meeting spaces, duty-free shopping—even a PlayStation room for younger travelers. Add to that a Jacuzzi-equipped spa managed by Elemis of the U.K., and the terminal, which is open round the clock, might just have you wishing for a delayed departure.
DRINK
Beer Necessities
Here’s news worth toasting: Singapore’s Asia Pacific Breweries has revived the historic Archipelago Brewery—founded in 1931—and refashioned it into a microbrewery complete with a seasoned American braumeister, Fal Allen.
LODGING'S UPDATE
Opening on February 1 is the Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui (66-77/243-000; www.fourseasons.com; doubles from US$600). Set on a hillside at Laem Yai Bay overlooking the Gulf of Siam, the resort features Thai- style villa accommodations (pictured above), each with a private pool and sundeck. Highlights include a pristine private beach, a forest spa, and a hillside yoga pavilion presided over by a resident yogi.
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| | | Travel Tech | | | | | Multitasking devices and smart accessories to lighten your load.
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| | | SPA Goer | | | | | State of Bliss
Outback ingredients and Aboriginal traditions bring a touch of the exotic to Queensland spas.
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| | | Style Post | | | | | Dressed to thrill at Jakarta’s hottest nightspots.
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| | | Room Check | | | | | Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort &Spa: A classic Malaysia beachside haven reinvented.
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| | | Cruising | | | | | Setting sail aboard “the ultimate phinisi” on the eastern waters of Indonesia.
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