If you love travelling (like us!), you’ll love looking at new hotels or destinations in between trips. The good news? There are plenty of new resorts and hotel updates to check out for your next getaway. We also have hotel deals here in Singapore, for your next staycation fix!
Enrichment in Vietnam
TIA Wellness Resort, located along Da Nang’s picturesque coastline, offers mindful experiences in cultural and spiritual settings. For example, you can meditate at Linh Ung Pagoda and the towering Lady Buddha statue, hike in the sacred Marble Mountains and practice tai chi by tranquil caves. There’s also an organic village excursion, healthy cooking classes and a Vietnamese calligraphy experience.
tiawellnessresort.com/en
Under Kilimanjaro’s gaze
Set in the private and wildlife-rich Kimana Sanctuary in Kenya, newly opened Angama Amboseli offers an intimate lodge and ten tented suites with sweeping vistas of Mount Kilimanjaro. The colour palette reflects the East African surroundings, and there’s a picture-perfect infinity pool and facilities including indoor and outdoor dining, an art gallery and a games room. Expertly guided safaris give you the chance to encounter lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo and more. The resort also partners with Big Life Foundation to help protect wildlife and secure habitats.
angama.com
An easy travel escape from Singapore
Take a short ferry ride from Singapore and you can find yourself checking into a tranquil villa with a private plunge pool. Montigo Resorts, Nongsa is a seafront resort located on a 12-hectare property on Batam, with a focus on enjoying a relaxing respite from the city. There’s a range of facilities to suit all travellers. They include a kids’ club, guided arts and crafts, baking sessions and more. Older guests can try fishing, pottery, mangrove exploring, vintage car tours, water sports, ATV racing and golf! The resort also has a wellness village offering massages and signature therapies using locally sourced products. Plus, there’s a variety of restaurants, a beach club and the chance for an intimate candlelit dinner or elaborate dinner party.
nongsa.montigoresorts.com
Bhutan’s mystic charm
Known as the “Land of the Thunder Dragon”, Bhutan is a spiritually rich Himalayan kingdom with stunning landscapes, wildlife and traditions. It’s also home to three new five-star hotels: the Zhiwa Ling Heritage Hotel in the scenic valley of Paro; Pemako Punakha, with 21 artfully curated tented pool villas beside the Mo Chhu River; and African travel operator &Beyond’s first property in Asia, the Punakha River Lodge. Bhutan also recently reduced its daily Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) to help boost tourism.
bhutan.travel
Turning heritage into hotels in Singapore
Boutique restoration
Where historic Chinatown meets vibrant Clarke Quay stands a notable remittance house, Chye Hua Seng Wee Kee. Founded in 1936, this place of special significance to early Singaporean immigrants has now been restored by award-winning architects WOHA and reimagined into a boutique hotel called 21 Carpenter. The hotel opened in December 2023 and has 48 rooms, a rooftop infinity pool and lounge, and a garden terrace.
21carpenter.com.sg
Vertical oasis
Villa Marie is a sprawling tropical-garden mansion that has been transformed into Artyzen Singapore. And it picked up Best Hotel Architecture Singapore at the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2023 in the process! The suites feature a spacious green terrace and sun deck, while the colourful interiors are inspired by the culture and flavours of Singapore’s Straits heritage. There’s also a restaurant, café and a roof garden. Oh, andthe infinity pool has a partially transparent base and leafy West Orchard views.
bit.ly/artyzensg
Lonely Planet’s Top 10
Looking for travel inspiration? Lonely Planet’s “Best in Travel” is a great place to start planning your next trip. Here’s their list of the 10 best countries to visit in 2024: Mongolia, India, Saint Lucia, Mexico, Morocco, Chile, Benin, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Croatia.
lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel
Airline News
Renowned for its beaches, mountains and culture, Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat has a new international airport terminal. It will be rolling out direct scheduled flights from Singapore, China, Taiwan and Malaysia.
nakhonsithammaratairport.com
Air Samarkand is a new airline launching direct services from Uzbekistan’s second-largest city of Samarkand to Southeast Asia. This is part of a major tourism drive for the country, which made Lonely Planet’s list of 10 mustsee places for 2024 (see above).
airsamarkand.com/en
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