Hot Picks for Winter in Asia 2020

For some, winter should be experienced with a suntan. A cocktail, a beach, a jungle, and long sunny days are a year-round travel treat that never goes out of style. It’s not just Southeast Asia that has the goods; under-traveled areas in the Middle East and South Asia can provide a little culture and nature into your warm winter holiday.

Palawan

Amanpulo

If you’re watching the latest season of Naked and Afraid XL, you probably think Palawan is a lot tougher than it is. The truth about Palawan is that it’s one of the most indulgent beach destinations in Southeast Asia, filled to the brim with natural beauty and amenities.

With cooler weather during the winter months, pretty much every adventure through Palawan begins in Puerto Princesa, which, despite being overly developed in the tourist trade, is a handsome little city with a few natural wonders worth visiting. That said, the smart thing to do when going to Palawan is to hop on the nearest car or boat – or private plane in the case of Remote Lands – and head north for El Nido.

“One of the most popular locations in Coron, of which pretty much every tour company is aware, is the Twin Lagoon. It’s one of the most beautiful lagoons you will ever see, with its high, jagged karst peaks surrounding the hidden blue waters inside. The key is to hire your private boat and go to Twin Lagoon first, as early as possible. As is so often the case, this place of beauty comes with thousands of daily tourists and tour groups. Early is good, earliest is best.”

- Photographer Jordan Hammond

The northern reaches of Palawan in El Nido and Coron have the private island experiences ultra-luxe guests want. The beaches are too many to number and the islands are postcard gorgeous in a way that can’t be found anywhere else in

Southeast Asia. Phuket is dead, long live Palawan. More than that, the stark limestone karsts of this region rival any other landscape in Southeast Asia.

But, more importantly, this is where travelers will find excellent diving. El Nido and Coron, particularly Coron for the wreck dives, provide simple, easy dives for the discerning underwater enthusiast. For travelers who really want to get away from it all, there’s diving to be had at Tubbataha, 150 kilometers from Puerto Princesa.

Where to Stay

There is no shortage of fivestar resorts with which one might indulge themselves on and around Palawan. The El Nido resorts – which can actually be quite far away from El Nido itself – are some of the finest in the region, including Pangulasian, Apulit, Lagen, and Miniloc. However, for the creme de la creme of resort experiences just off Palawan, there is nothing like Amanpulo, a private island Aman property. Found on Pamalican island, Amanpulo is without equal in the Philippines, and should be on every traveler’s must-go list.

Muscat

Salalah is great in the fall, but it’s Muscat that really thrives in the winter months. The weather cools down – relatively speaking, this is Oman, afterall – so travelers can avail themselves of the pleasures of Oman’s best city. More importantly, though, this is a chance to get out of Muscat and hit the beaches for a little sun, sand, and even some wildlife.

Looking out on the Gulf of Oman, it’s easy to see why this city and the surrounding area is the playground for much of the Middle East. However, before travelers pop on their diving gear or hop in a 4x4 for some dune bashing, it’s important to check out some of the culture in the urban area, including the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Al Alam Palace, and the whiter than white white of the Royal Opera House Muscat.

“With the night sky supplying spectacular houselights, it’s easy to spot turtles laying their eggs in the soft sand. As we move along the beach, the individual players in this moonlit tableau move into sharper focus. I watch – awed – as a mother attempts to conceal her nesting site, large flippers sending sand flying as she tried to cover her tracks. A little further on, a newly-hatched baby turtle bobbles unsteadily over the churned-up beach as it makes its way towards the ocean.”

– Travel writer Ducan Forgan

The temperature of the water in the Gulf of Oman drops to a chilly 68 degrees fahrenheit in the winter, which is excellent for swimming – though a bit chilly for diving. But, there is still some fun to be had with aquatic wildlife on land, namely Raz al Jinz. This protected area is ground zero for turtle hatchling sightings; here, a protected zone since 1996, travelers can experience luxury with their turtle education.

For the desert experience, Oman’s backyard is filled with adventure and luxury amenities worth a look; don’t forget to try sandboarding while you’re on the dunes and taking an ATV or 4x4 to the quiet sands is a must-do.

Where to Stay

There are three luxury accommodations worth considering in Muscat. First is the Chedi, which is a resort set in the middle of a garden oasis of 21 acres, featuring opulent Omani design facets. Beach lovers will want to turn their attention to The Ritz-Carlton, Al Bustan Palace, which might be able to boast a pool that’s better than the sea. Last and certainly not least is the ultra-luxe Shangri-la Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa, into which the only way is a manmade tunnel. For the desert lover there’s the Wahiba Sands, Desert Nights Camp, a place to fulfill ever Arabian Nights fantasy in bedouin-style luxury.

Raja Ampat

Frankly, there’s never a reason not to go. However, this year there are two new cruises making waves in these East Indonesia waters, and with good reason.

Winter this year will see the very first every voyages of the Aqua Blu from Aqua Expeditions, a floating fivestar hotel that combines the cruise-like nature of sea travel with the comforts of a luxury hotel, including world-class dining. The Aqua Blu will feature 15 suites and a total of eight itineraries that stretch from Bali to the Spice Islands, but the ship’s winter berths will be made in Raja Ampat starting in November 2019.

Similarly – though in many ways a league of its own – the Kudanil is a new cruise option for ultraluxe travelers who want to see Raja Ampat with a little more adventure. With eight cabins that can accommodate 16 guests, the Kudanil, adapted from a safety and rescue vessel, is a five-star experience despite appearances and this ship can go places others can’t. It’s also important to remember that, no matter how fancy the ships or hotels are, the best part of Raja Ampat is under the water. A Remote Lands “5 Places to Plan your Winter Dive in Asia” pick, the reefs are known to house over 1,200 species of fish, 600 species of coral, and nearly 700 types of mollusk. October to April have very high visibility and little rain.

“For the past 25 years I have been exploring and working in luxury adventure travel, having first operated vessels in Raja Ampat in the early 1990s. [...] There is no better way to experience this region than aboard the newly-launched Kudanil Explorer. Twenty-five years of my Asia operating experience has gone into the development and operation of this vessel.”

– Jason Friedman of J.M. Friedman & Co.

Where to Stay

If the Kudanil and Aqua Blu aren’t enough, there are plenty of private schooner options for Raja Ampat lovers, particularly those in the Indonesian style, called a phinisi. However, if one wants to rest their sea legs for a bit, there’s nowhere better in Raja Ampat than Misool Eco Resort: eight overwater cottages, three seaside villas, and five beachside villas. The nearby house reef makes for easy snorkeling, and the resort itself is located at the epicenter of the eponymous 300,000-acre Misool Marine Reserve.

Madhya Pradesh

When the heat lets off from October to March, Madhya Pradesh is one of the best places to go in India for wildlife, culture, and peace and quiet. It’s a proper chance to experience India slowly – to grab a thick book and look out over the tracts of jungle that inspired Rudyard Kipling.

First, it must be said that before flitting off to the national parks to track wild beasts, travelers should take time to check out the archeological sites, including Bhopal, Maheshwar, and Orchha, a Remote Lands favorite and a practically deserted temple complex comparable the forts of Jaipur.

For the traveler in the know, there is one wildlife stop that rivals all others in Madhya Pradesh if not the whole of India: Bandhavgarh National Park. Here is where travelers are likely to spot tigers, guar, and all manner of deer. With just two or three game drives, visitors to Madhya Pradesh should, hopefully, have secured at least one good sighting of a tiger.

For a less busy wildlife experience in Madhya Pradesh, there is Kanha. While this may not have the tiger numbers of Bandhavgarh, it is a more peaceful destination, and one that supposedly inspired Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. If the traveler’s tigerviewing lust is still not sated, hop over to Panna or Satpura for a chance to spot tigers, wolves, and leopards.

Where to Stay

In Madhya Pradesh, there’s a Taj for every occasion. For Bandhavgarh National Park there’s Taj Mahua Kothi – by far one of the most luxurious accommodations in Bandhavgarh. With a 45-acre private forest on the edge of the national park, this resort blends the wild with the luxurious in a way rarely experienced. What Kanha lacks in infrastructure and tiger population, it makes up for with Banjaar Tola, A Taj Safari: two elegant camps made up of nine tents each on the banks of a peaceful river. The views are great, the food is better. Similarly at Panna, a paradise for birdwatchers, is the Pashan Garh, A Taj Safari. Travelers extending to Satpura will find solace with the Reni Pani Jungle Lodge.

Luang Prabang

As much as visitors might complain that the tak bat isn’t what it once was, one of the better facets of the increased tourist trade in Luang Prabang is the bump in accommodations. Don’t worry, you can still find the colonial architecture, quaint cultural practices, and Laotian heritage – but with a better thread count in your sheets.

For the winter traveler, Laos is much drier during the early winter months so great for touring, and when the Mekong starts to rise in

January, it opens up a great many traveling options on the river that can later be paired with the “four thousand islands” of the Mekong in Southern Laos.

Besides the obvious draw of culture and chilling out on the Mekong in a charming jungle village, the wildlife experiences have become a major draw to Luang Prabang. Riding an elephant has become taboo for many western travelers – and for good reason – but the MandaLao Elephant Sanctuary is a fun, ethical alternative for visiting with the largest land mammal in Asia.

There’s also the Tat Kuang Si Bear Rescue Center, started by animal lover Mary Hutton in 2003, in collaboration with the Laos Department of Forestry. The Asian black bears here are most often rescued from poachers selling them on a Chinese medicine black market. For something a little more domesticated, there’s the Laos Buffalo Dairy, producing mozzarella sourced sustainably from the water buffalo of Laos.

“There are some fascinating tales about the early French explorers that went up the Mekong for the very first time – the French explorers that first photographed Angkor Wat, and walked barefoot basically all the way from Phnom Penh all the way up to Luang Prabang. Most of them died – because they didn’t have the Rosewood Luang Prabang. Many died of malaria and they all had to carry guns because the jungles still had tigers, still had things that would eat you. Rosewood Luang Prabang is a beautiful place because it’s visually captive in a very small valley where a river and waterfall run through it. […] There’s no disturbances.”

– Architect and designer Bill Bensley

Where to Stay

There are a few luxury mainstays in Luang Prabang worth considering and first among them is the Amantaka – among other things the final stop on the Remote Lands Bali to Luang Prabang Private Jet Expedition in 2020. The Belmond and Sofitel will also make excellent accommodations for any luxury traveler. However, it’s the relatively recent opening of the Rosewood Luang Prabang that has put an adventurer’s sheen on the trappings of this cultural heart of Indochina. With a waterfall running through the center of the resort, travelers can enjoy drinks at the bar before retiring to a luxury tented camp – a first both for Luang Prabang and for Rosewood.