T THE END OF A HECTIC WEEK, I went to the airport early.
There’s only one place in the world where I would
admit that—Singapore. Always-evolving Changi
remains a favorite for many, although one of my
carry-on-only friends detests the carpeted floors
that slow wheeled luggage. Still our readers around the globe agree, yet
again, as Singapore’s air terminal takes the top spot for airports in this
year’s World’s Best Awards (page 51). My own reasons for checking in
early were much more basic: I hadn’t had lunch or dinner and, on my
own, combined both in a Nyonya feast for two at Violet Oon in Jewel,
the latest addition to the airport. The retail complex is best known
as an Instagram hit with its circular, indoor waterfall, but Changi’s
diversions still play second fiddle to its efficiency and ease of use.
Elsewhere, this year’s World’s Best Awards also recognize Asia for
the travel gem we all know it is. Just for
starters, the top city, island, airline,
hotel and hotel brand all hail from this
part of the globe. In fact, six of the 10
highest-rated cities are in Asia, as are
half of the 10 favorite islands, seven
of the top 10 airlines and more than
a quarter of the 100 best hotels in the
world, according to our readers. Stop
me if you’ve heard any of this before but
all of this amounts to endless reasons to
plan your next vacation in Asia.@C K u c w a y
[email protected]14 AUGUST 2019 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM
FROM MY TRAVELS
Having lived in attention-
seeking Hong Kong pre-,
during and post-handover,
the most striking thing to me
about approaching the new
Rosewood there is that it is
there. For generations, East
Kowloon was low rise, so it’s
odd to see such a masculine
tower rise from and
transform those streets.
Inside, the Rosewood Hong
Kong (rosewood.com) aims
to tick all the boxes of what it
means to be a five-star hotel
today. And it succeeds. More
on that in a coming issue. For
now just enjoy the view.FROML
EFT:
IRFAN^SAM
ARTDEE;^ CH
RISTOPHER^KUCWAYEDITOR’S NOTE
A suite view of
Hong Kong from
the Rosewood.