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

DestinAsian

GOOD TO GO

SHADOWS AND LIGHT • In the Thai capital’s Yaowarat area, a bold new space aims to be the next big thing for the Southeast Asian art scene.

POINT OF PRIDE • A new visitor center in Lower Manhattan has opened as the first LGBTQIA+ space under the U.S. National Park Service.

ALL THAT JAZZ • Tokyo Jazz Joints (tokyojazzjoints.com) is a photography project documenting the slowly vanishing world of Japanese jazz bars and kissa (cafés) both online and in a 2023 photobook of the same name (kehrerverlag.com). Here, Belfast-born photographer and co-creator Philip Arneill describes some of his favorite spots.

A ROYAL REPAST • Tapping into the princely cuisine of erstwhile Bhopal, the General’s Table is a gourmet experience that revives old feasts with pride and passion.

SEE YOU IN CENTRAL • There’s some impressive mixology at work at these cool new bars on the backstreets of Hong Kong’s bustling financial district.

OTTOMAN ECHOES • For all its ever-changing modernity, the past is ever present in Istanbul, a city awash in soaring domes and centuries-old artisanal traditions. Here are six creative Turkish enterprises that keep the city’s Ottoman heritage alive in designs that are both contemporary and classic.

SAVING THE AMAZON’S DOLPHINS • Recognizing a Colombian marine biologist who has made it his life’s work to advocate for South America’s freshwater river dolphins

In the Land of Eternal Spring • Clement weather is just one of the allures of Lijiang, an immensely popular destination in Yunnan where history and nature intertwine in remarkable ways.

Gaining Ground • In the wake of a historic land settlement with traditional owners, Western Australia’s iconic El Questro embarks on an exciting new chapter.

Birds of Paradise • In the foothills of Kerala’s Western Ghats, an avian enthusiast returns to the forests of his first bird-watching adventure to discover that tranquility still prevails.

Full Circle • A newly opened cultural center in the Cambodian countryside aims to celebrate, preserve, and revitalize the country’s music and arts for future generations.

HONORS CIRCLE • WHAT DISTINGUISHES A TOP HOTEL FROM THE COMPETITION? DEDICATION TO SERVICE, CULINARY EXCELLENCE, AND OUTSTANDING STYLE ARE SOME OF THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS, AS IS A PALPABLE SENSE OF PLACE. HERE ARE FIVE PROPERTIES IN THE AS IA-PACIFIC REGION THAT CHECK ALL THE BOXES.

INTERMEZZO • Seabirds following a feeding orca off the coast of northern Norway.

1924 Paris Summer Olympics

DRAGONS AT YOUR DOORSTEP • THE GATEWAY TO THE STARKLY BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS OF INDONESIA’S KOMODO NATIONAL PARK, LABUAN BAJO AND ITS SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE OFFER MUCH MORE THAN OFFSHORE ADVENTURE, AS A VISIT TO THIS FAST-EMERGING DESTINATION ATTESTS.

PURE GENIUS • IN SOUTHERN INDIA, CRAFT CHOCOLATE MAKERS ARE HITTING THE SWEET SPOT BY COMBINING LOCALLY HARVESTED CACAO WITH INDIGENOUS FLAVORS. SHOBA NARAYAN GOES TO THE SOURCE FOR A TASTE.

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES • CONSIDERED BHUTAN’S CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL HEARTLAND, THE FOUR VALLEYS OF BUMTHANG OFFER A WINDOW INTO THE TRADITIONAL LIFESTYLE AND WAY OF HOSPITALITY FOUND IN THE HIMALAYAN KINGDOM.

FUJI • A RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE FOR SOME, A BUCKETLIST ADVENTURE FOR OTHERS, CLIMBING JAPAN’S HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IS THE LOFTY GOAL OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HIKERS EACH YEAR. YET FOR ONE VISITOR, THE LAKE REGION IN MOUNT FUJI’S NORTHERN...