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…
Must-see hotels in Asia
Dekeling Resort at Hawk’s Nest
Darjeeling
Run by the good people at Dekeling Hotel, this is a great escape from Darjeeling's increasingly noisy centre, situated 1km south en route to the Japanese…
Jaisalmer
This 280-year-old royal haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence), set around three courtyards – one with a tinkling fountain – is a fascinating…
Shanghai
Not your typical generic backpackers, this friendly and atmospheric hostel is set within a century-old house full of character. Its common area in the…
Guangxi
Middlesbrough-born South African designer Ian Hamlinton (nicknamed ‘Crazy One’ by the locals) has energetically and lovingly converted a cluster of Ming…
Banglamphu
After lying dormant for over 30 years, this elegant 19th-century mansion in Thonburi was reborn as an attractive riverside boutique hotel in 2011. The 17…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
New in 2018, this polished waterfront behemoth claims that all 671 rooms have a harbour view (the 'deluxe harbour-front' category offers the best-value…
Cameron Highlands
In a sea of faux-colonial resorts, Bala's is the real deal. A boarding school in colonial times, the mock-Tudor resort is centred on a 1930s bungalow,…
Khajuraho
This bright hostel painted with murals of cold penguins in woolly scarfs and a tie-dyed Jimmy Hendrix is perfectly positioned overlooking Shiv Sagar lake…
Eastern Cambodia
This eye-pleasing resort built entirely from natural materials is a real stunner, perched atop a hill near Wat Hanchey, 20km north of Kompong Cham. A…
French Concession
Housed in a tower with retro ’70s-style windows, this fab hotel’s metal-latticework lobby suggests an art space, a sensation that persists when you hunt…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
When you were little did you ever fantasise about living in a big tree house? Well, now you can. The five massive tree houses here are 5m off the ground…
Mongolia
Popular with backpackers and foreign hikers, this western-shore spot has plush cabins, a lodge, English-speaking staff, pizza and pasta on the menu, and…
Mae Hong Son
This veteran resort is one of the more pleasant places to stay in northern Thailand. The 37 wooden bungalows are spaced out for privacy among tiered rice…
Danau Toba
The most attractive accommodation on Pulau Samosir is this sprawling German-run lakeside place that has the feel and professionalism of a laid-back resort…
Kota Bharu
Zeck and Miriam Zaki’s home, located in a peaceful nook north of the city centre, is a great way to experience Malaysian kampung (village) life in the…
Manila
This training hotel provides at-risk youth with a chance to get a start in the hospitality industry. But it's more than just a feel-good story. Rooms…
Northern Laos
This stunning eco-resort is set on the banks of the Nam Kat in the lush mountains beyond urban Udomxai. Spacious rooms are built in traditional style by a…
Shikoku
Chiiori is a once-abandoned, 18th-century, thatched-roof farmhouse that has been painstakingly restored towards its original brilliance. Glistening red…
Eastern Taiwan & Taroko National Park
Set amid lawns, views, palms and dangling orchids, this magical homestay is filled with Chinese art, Buddhist mandalas, antique furniture and calligraphic…
Around Nha Trang
Mia has an exceptional setting, on a secluded, private sandy beach, and the villas are supremely spacious and contemporary, with vast bath tubs and either…
Guangxi
Offering some of the finest views you'll get in Longji is this memorable inn overlooking the spectacular Seven Stars Chase the Moon rice terrace. All…
Padang
With a great location in the atmospheric old quarter along the river, this unique choice is upstairs from its popular eponymous bar. It's more of an art…
Khajuraho
This fantastic hotel, along a quiet dirt road 1.5km south of town, is perfect for flashpackers and backpackers. The sparkling-clean rooms vary according…
Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore
Colonial District, the Quays & Marina Bay
No expense was spared, no feng shui geomancer went unconsulted and no animals were harmed in the building of this luxe establishment. Its spacious rooms…
Little India & Kampong Glam
Ensconced in a beautifully restored row of heritage shophouses, CUBE offers travellers boutique capsule accommodation with several great perks – free…
Malaysia
Beautifully designed and lushly planted with lily ponds, birds of paradise, bromeliads and palms, this highly awarded five-star has over-the-water chalets…
Ninh Van Bay
With a magical setting on a secluded cove and elegant traditionally inspired villas, each with its own swimming pool, Six Senses makes an astonishing…
Gujarat & Diu
This small palace, once the royal guesthouse, is now one of the best heritage hotels in Gujarat. Awash in regal character, its reception rooms, drawing…
Flores
Run by Claudia and Kermi, Balinese-influenced Ankermi has eight cute, tiled and thatched bungalows with private porches and stunning sea views (fan only)…
Palolem
Ciarans has some of the most impressive huts on the beachfront. Affable owner John has worked hard over two decades to maintain a high standard and his…
Yogyakarta
Hidden away in the network of back alleys branching off Prawirotaman is this vibrant, fun lovin' hostel with an urban beach-hut vibe and done out in…
Manila
We run out of superlatives when describing the two Henry Philippine properties – first the stunningly creative original in Cebu, and now this: a leafy…
Nong Khiaw
This stunning boutique accommodation in cinnamon-coloured chalets – six facing the river – has imaginative features like inlaid glass bottles in the walls…
Kunming
Tucked in the side streets off Green Lake, this oasis amid white-brick apartment blocks has nouveau Dali decor with wood furniture, antiques and a…
Samarkand
A gorgeous garden courtyard shaded by pomegranate, persimmon and mulberry trees make this family home a joy to stay at. The new rooms around the garden…
Battambang
About 2km south of central Battambang, Maisons Wat Kor is a secluded sanctuary of 10 rooms in traditional-style Khmer houses that once welcomed Angelina…
North Maluku
This sweet boutique sleep has 19 rooms, which book up fast, spread across two buildings. Rooms are immaculate – light and spacious with hardwood floors,…
Around the Kathmandu Valley
This delightful eco-retreat is a 30-minute walk from Namobuddha Stupa. Its charming, upmarket Nepali cottages feature stone walls with pitched slate roofs…
Raja Ampat Islands
This newer homestay in the vicinity of Pulau Misool is an absolute dream for the secluded location and setting, with six overwater bungalows backed by…
