Thailand

The cultural and commercial centre of Thailand, Bangkok is steeped in tradition and yet thoroughly modern. A bustling metropolis with soaring skyscrapers and a state-of-the-art airport, it is also home to colourful temples and mesmerising royal palaces.

There is plenty to see and do in this modern city, so don't be put off by its size or the traffic. See the city from a long-tailed boat on the Chao Phraya River or dine alfresco on the 60th floor of a five-star hotel and admire the panorama from above. Shop for fine silk, silverware and local handicrafts or pamper yourself with sumptuous spa treatments.

Just an introduction..........  Phuket,

The eternal allure of Amanpuri notwithstanding, Phuket's reputation as a luxury destination has suffered over the past decade thanks to excessive, unregulated development on its west coast. But its substantially less developed east coast, is another matter entirely; and the opening in autumn/winter 2012 of The Yamu, set on the still-pristine, wooded peninsula of the same name, may yet restore the island's cachet as a modish place to spend Christmas and New Year.

Overlooking a secluded beach at the end of the peninsula, on Phang Nga Bay, the hotel was to have been designed by Philippe Starck and operated by Adrian Zecha's GHM brand. But hospitality has become a protean industry since the recession, and the hotel is now being developed by Como Hotels and Resorts (www.como.bz), the brand behind luxury properties in London, Bangkok, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Bhutan.

Designed by Paola Navone, it is expected to have 129 rooms, suites and villas, all overlooking the Andaman Sea, as well as a 100-metre swimming pool cantilevered out from the headland over the water, a yoga studio and a Como Shambhala Retreat, the spa brand others might do well to view as a benchmark.


Published in Condé Nast Traveller January 2012.