19 NISEKO PURE POWDER The Japanese ski destination is arguably Asia’s best – and one still growing in global standing. Perched in southwest Hokkaido, it benefits from superlative snowfalls and terrain that caters to all levels, encompassing four linked resorts as well as unmarked back-country trails. (It’s also a great summer escape – that only locals visit at the moment.) Hospitality is already top-notch, thanks to Higashiyama Niseko Village, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve, among other spots, and it’s primed to get even better in coming years with the opening of ski-in ski-out Muwa in the centre of Grand Hirafu; the introduction of Banyan Tree’s first ski resort globally, called Cassia Hirafu Niseko; and finally, Aman’s fourth property in Japan, Aman Niseko, on the slopes of Mount Moiwa. PHOTO KAZUTO YOSSY / ISTOCK 44
20 SINGAPORE IN FULL BLOOM PHOTO UNSPLASH While superlative accommodations have always been a dime a dozen here, the 2023 arrival of a cache of hot-ticket hotels has done much to lend this future-forward city-state a renewed lustre for this young decade. The art-filled Mondrian Singapore Duxton opened in a slick new build that beautifully contrasts the traditional shophouses it overlooks; sheathed in 7,300 square metres of tropical greenery, many of the rooms at the 23-storey Orchard Pan Pacific boast balconies; and the Edition, last off the blocks this December, is the design-savvy marque’s first foray into Southeast Asia. Joining the city’s newfangled hospitality offerings next year are luxe itineraries aboard Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express, departing from Woodlands Station and journeying across Malaysia. 45
