Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is the regional edition of the world’s biggest—and most trusted—travel magazine brand. Every month, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia inspires its readers to experience stunning adventures; explore cutting-edge hotels, spas, shopping and more; and travel in sensational style, armed with hands-on, up-to-date, accurate and practical travel information. A chic, stylish and authoritative guide for today’s traveler within Asia and beyond, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is the must-read guide to all that Asia has to offer.
T+L DIGITAL
CONTRIBUTORS
Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia
LETTER from the Editor
Inward Journeys • STEPHANIE ZUBIRI gets inspiration from isolation with a venerated Bhutanese monk.
COME FLY WITH ME • As travel restrictions keep much of the world grounded, JENNY HEWETT reflects on why she’s longing for the journey rather than the destination.
FILIAL PIETY • While COVID-19 has been hard on the travel industry, for some the devastation has hit closer to home.
HEAD OVER HEELS • When lockdown turned his world upside-down DAVEN WU found balance on the mat.
A Conversation with José Andrés • The founder of World Central Kitchen, the official charity partner of Travel + Leisure, speaks with the U.S. editor in chief JACQUI GIFFORD about his work feeding those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic—and the importance of community in times of crisis.
GREEN MEANS GO • Bali’s eco-leanings put the island in good stead for a sustainable restart. BLAIR CHRISTOPHER takes a look at the resorts leading the industry’s greenification.
EXPLORE ICONIC MUSEUMS, WHEREVER YOU ARE • Long before this year’s ever-changing travel restrictions, the giants of the global art scene could be tough to do right. Long lines, limited hours, and confusing ticketing policies often made trips to, say, the Uffizi Gallery or New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art stressful. These institutions are still worth the effort, of course, but now you can prep for your next visit with help from Google—its Arts & Culture platform (artsandculture.google.com) puts 360-degree views and detailed descriptions of collections online, in a variety of easy-to-navigate formats that will make you feel like you’re there. Think of them as the perfect dry run.
PERFECT MANORS • Some of Southeast Asia’s best getaways don’t require getting on a plane. Isolate in style with your own luxury villa.
WORD ON THE STREET • How lockdown deepened our love for local eating in some of Southeast Asia’s foodie hubs.
The World’s Best Awards • Over the past quarter-century, you, our discerning readers, have shown a commitment to seeking out meaningful travel experiences of the highest caliber. For 2020, hundreds of thousands of you voted in our annual survey, sharing thoughts on favorite hotels, islands, tour operators and more. On the following pages, we celebrate the places and companies you think, quite simply, are the best out there. Here’s to you, to the winners—and to the big 2-5!
Best Hotels in the World • While our readers stay in hotels all over the globe, our Top 100 list confirms what we've always known: this region is hard to beat for hospitality. Ten properties in Southeast Asia made the cut, including No. 1 Capella Ubud, and nearly a quarter of the list is in Asia-Pacific.
Islands • These far-flung winners promise way more than pristine beaches. Expect world-class wildlife viewing, delectable local foods and as much (or as little) outdoor activity as your heart desires.
Transportation • Best-in-class product with a personal touch and investment in innovation? No one does that better than Singapore Airlines—the only honoree to have won its category for all 25 editions of the World’s Best Awards.
Cruise Lines •...