Mekong Riverside Resort & Camping
Loei Province
This delightful spot, nestled up against a postcard-worthy view of the Mekong, is popular with travellers. Owner Khun Ben and her husband Mike are founts…
Must-see hotels in Asia
Tashkent
Gulnara's has long been Tashkent's budget favourite, though it's lost ground to the new hostels in recent years. There's a friendly-family atmosphere in…
Bangkok
Located in the lush green zone known as the Phrapradaeng Peninsula, the Bangkok Tree House's 12 multilevel bungalows are stylishly sculpted from…
Surabaya
This landmark colonial hotel exudes class and heritage, with colonnaded courtyards, fountains, verdant greenery and a gorgeous pool area (though it's…
Bandipur
This beautifully restored mansion at the heart of the bazaar offers charming rooms decorated with Buddhist and Newari art, set around a terracotta terrace…
Turpan
To call it boutique might be a slight stretch, but the Silk Road is definitely one of the most atmospheric and charming accommodation options in Xīnjiāng…
Asakusa & Sumida River
About 2km north of Asakusa, the contemporary Andon Ryokan is fabulously designed in form and function. It has 20 tiny but immaculate tatami rooms,…
Hualien
The Leaf absolutely nails it with a jazzy, artistic take on industrial chic that has miraculously transformed a seemingly hopeless monstrosity of 1960s…
Taipei
This hotel is a shrine to design. Each one of its six enormous bedrooms is meticulously put together. There's a Japanese room, a Taiwanese room, one…
Ladakh
Run by Buddhist nuns and Dutch volunteers, this wonderful six-room getaway attracts longer-stay guests who want to unwind in a calm, meditative…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Originally opened in 1932 and the pre-WWII KL equivalent of Raffles in Singapore, the impeccably restored Majestic is one of the city's top luxury hotels…
Chengdu
Currently the ciy's best hostel, this lively place offers travellers all the usual services plus a few rare gifts – a pool table, a rooftop terrace, and…
Jaipur
Just off Sansar Chandra Marg, this very popular travellers’ haunt has a travel desk, book and gift shop, and a range of in-house activities, from block…
Lhasa
The ever-popular Yak has matured in recent years from backpacker hang-out to tour-group favourite, upgrading to a range of comfortable en-suite rooms. The…
Central Mountains
These beautiful two-level bungalows are built on the side of a hill just a 10-minute walk from a protected rainforest preserve. Notable amenities include…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Taj Hotels has luxury properties at all of MP’s major tiger parks, but this discerning choice is the most jungly and jaw-dropping. Twelve massive bamboo,…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
It would be hard to imagine a more idyllic après-trek recovery spot than this charming lodge in three artfully converted old village houses. The 13…
Busuanga & the Calamian Islands
Offering a touch of the Mediterranean and a dash of Disney-like fairy-tale architecture, this Swiss-conceived place is perched on a hilltop overlooking…
Balikpapan
Unique in Kalimantan, this old-world Asian luxury hotel proves to the younger generic business hotels that experience and wisdom count. Fine woodwork…
Udaipur
This leading hotel set in two converted lakeside havelis (traditional, ornately decorated residences) takes the location cake, and staff are efficient and…
Munnar
An award-winning, totally charming family homestay, peacefully located 12km southwest of Munnar, overlooking owner Tomy’s exquisite nursery and organic…
Jakarta
Hidden in a quiet alley, adjacent to the Six Degrees hostel, the dorms here are capsule-style with personal reading lights and lockers for your belongings…
Northern Higashiyama
Overlooking the Higashiyama sightseeing district (meaning it’s one of the best locations for sightseeing in Kyoto), this grande dame of Kyoto hotels…
Mumbai (Bombay)
Forget the 3500 hand-blown chandelier bulbs or the 75-species aquarium in the lobby of this newer hotel connected to the domestic airport terminal. At the…
Kratie
Set in a colonnaded buttercup-yellow mansion dating to 1916, this sumptuous hotel spoils visitors with its stately furnishings, four-poster beds, silk…
Hong Kong
Now part of the Shangri-La group, Hotel Jen feels more luxurious than its price tag suggests. The high-ceilinged, modern rooms are supercomfy with plump…
The Gobi
Byamba Tseyen, who manages the nearby tree nursery, also opens up her family compound to guests. Accommodation is inside one of two guest gers located in…
Lovina
Set on a hillside behind Lovina, Damai has the kind of sweeping views you'd expect. Its 14 luxury villas mix antiques and a modern style accented by…
Nyaungshwe
This very well-organised hostel – part of an expanding chain – has become the go-to place for backpackers in Nyaungshwe. A variety of dorms is on offer,…
Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
This is a beautiful restored haveli, full of Mughal atmosphere and centred on a courtyard. Rooms have grandiose polished-wood beds, but it's worth paying…
Lhasa
Hidden in the old town in a historic Tibetan building, the romantic, boutique-style Shambhala mixes the neighbourhood's earthy charm with buckets of style…
Tashkent
This well-run hostel south of the railway tracks has a good mix of dorm and private rooms, all of which share the clean bathroom blocks. The friendly…
Raja Ampat Islands
Two kilometres east of Yenbeser village on Gam, Biodiversity is one of the overall best-value places to stay on the islands. Accommodations include nine…
Padangbai
Crowning a clifftop at the town's eastern edge, this place is notable for its sea-facing yoga deck (free classes daily), well-priced spa (massages 210…
Hakone
The centrepiece of this impeccably designed hostel is the irori (sunken hearth) in the bar-lounge, around which communal feasts of grilled fish, rice and…
The Southern Islands
Unplug, unwind, destress – Ten103 is a beachfront backpacker bolthole that dishes up simple beach living the way it used to be. Stilted open-air 'tree…
Taiping
Unquestionably Taiping's most attractive place to stay, this complex of villas is alive with durian trees, palm groves and teeming ponds. Chalets have an…
Meghalaya
Run by an affable Khasi woman, this delightful resort is 15km southwest of Cherrapunjee but only 4km from Tyrna. It has inviting rooms in the main…
Southern Higashiyama
Extravagant and contemporary yet restrained and traditional, Four Seasons is an impressive new luxury hotel in the Higashiyama sightseeing district. The…
Kazakhstan
This NGO runs one of Kazakhstan’s longest-running community tourism programs, with comfortable homestays in houses with hot showers and good local meals…
