Singapore’s restaurants followed by a yacht in Raja Ampat. Hong Kong with a detour into southern China. A journey through Sri Lanka that ends on a Maldivian beach. For the festive season, Asia offers a host of winning combinations, along with a few escapes where the whole point is to stay put.
From skyline to waterline
Singapore has long since loosened its figurative necktie. Once derided for its sterility, the city-state has plenty to keep visitors occupied beyond its famously zealous approach to shopping. Chinatown’s shophouses and the grand civic buildings around the Padang provide historical heft beneath the chrome-and-glass skyline, while the National Gallery and Asian Civilisations Museum warrant a break from the tropical heat. There’s breathing space in the Botanic Gardens and ample opportunity to undo a virtuous afternoon’s walking at the city’s restaurants and cocktail bars.
From the Lion City, the journey continues to eastern Indonesia, where the big beasts are of a different stripe. Beneath Raja Ampat’s waters, mantas the size of small cars glide past turtles of ancient bearing and reef sharks wearing the unimpressed expressions of nightclub bouncers.
A traditional phinisi, Indonesia’s handsome wooden sailing vessel, makes a fitting base for this aquatic odyssey. Days are spent exploring extravagant coral gardens, kayaking through sheltered lagoons and stepping ashore on uninhabited islands. There’s ample scope for indulgence above the waterline, too, from sunset cocktails on deck to a festive seafood feast on a deserted beach.
Hong Kong and a little further
Hong Kong retains its swagger. With one of the world’s most jaw-dropping urban settings, a formidable culinary culture and swathes of green open space, the city makes a persuasive case for a festive stopover. Classic tea houses and down-to-earth Cantonese joints hold their own against the fine-dining big hitters, while Cat Street offers the opportunity to pair a vintage snuff bottle with a copy of Mao’s Little Red Book.
Cultural clout abounds, too, with M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum anchoring West Kowloon’s waterfront arts district. Elsewhere, hiking trails thread through the hills, providing an escape from the crowds before an evening admiring the skyline from a suitably lofty bar.
Hong Kong also lends itself to a longer adventure. Continue into southern China, where the limestone peaks around Guilin and Yangshuo supply scenery every bit as arresting as the city’s vertical spectacle. Here, cycling through farmland and exploring riverside villages calls for an extra layer at this time of year. For a warmer finale, Thailand beckons. Follow Hong Kong’s urban exertions with a stay on the Andaman coast, where Christmas lunch might stretch well into the afternoon, and the most pressing engagement is a swim.
Indochina’s greatest hits
Indochina has a formidable hand: gilded temples, ancient citadels, jungle-clad ruins and cities where crossing the road qualifies as a minor adventure. The festive season is an appealing time to tackle Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, whether on a grand regional sweep or a longer acquaintance with one country.
Vietnam supplies much of the urban adrenaline. In Hanoi, a scooter street-food tour involves pulling up a plastic chair for local favorites before zipping to the next stop. Beyond the capital, Ninh Binh’s limestone peaks rise above rice paddies threaded by bicycle routes, while a private junk opens up the emerald waters of Halong Bay. Farther south, Hoi An’s merchant houses and lantern-lit streets warrant leisurely exploration, with Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai providing a beachfront base.
Luang Prabang is a gentler proposition. Spend mornings exploring its temples, cruise the Mekong or head for the turquoise pools of Kuang Si Falls. A visit to the literacy project Big Brother Mouse offers a chance to meet young Lao people keen to practice their English.
Cambodia delivers the historical heavyweight at Angkor, but there’s good reason to keep going. In the Cardamom Mountains, Shinta Mani Wild adds a flamboyant wilderness chapter, with a zipline arrival and opportunities to accompany anti-poaching patrols. Finish on the southern islands, where the prospect of fresh seafood and a private pool should help persuade even the most committed temple enthusiast to move on.
Tea country to turquoise
Sri Lanka punches well above its weight. Ancient cities, jungle-clad mountains and a spectacular supporting cast of wildlife give the island enough material for several holidays. For a festive journey, though, we’re particularly taken with the prospect of tea country and temple-hopping followed by a stint among the atolls of the Maldives.
The Cultural Triangle supplies the historical heft. Sigiriya rises dramatically from the plains, while Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, crucibles of early Sinhalese civilization, retain the power to awe. Farther south, tea country unfolds in a vivid patchwork of plantations and emerald mountains, with Ceylon Tea Trails providing suitably gracious quarters. Wildlife warrants a chapter, too, with elephants, leopards and sloth bears among the country’s most sought-after residents.
Sri Lanka has its own array of ridiculously perfect beaches. But the short hop to the Maldives opens up another level of island indulgence. At Soneva Secret, private chefs lend a personal touch to festive feasting. Patina brings Brazilian Modernist architecture and a James Turrell pavilion to the palm-fringed picture, while Joali adds sculptural flourishes and lavish villas to its own stretch of paradise. There’s plenty beneath the surface to justify abandoning the private pool, with coral gardens and swirling marine life making a persuasive case for fins over footwear.
Somewhere else entirely
You may, of course, want to go straight to the island.
At Amanpulo in the Philippines, arrival by private plane is the beginning of a stay on Pamalican, where the beach is likely to account for a substantial portion of your time.
If Christmas under a palm tree seems a little too sedentary, head instead into Rajasthan, where cool, clear days invite exploration of mighty forts, ornate palaces and desert landscapes glowing beneath the winter sun.
In Nepal, crisp skies reveal the snow-covered Himalayas beyond Kathmandu’s ancient stupas and temple squares.