Situated on Kai Bae Beach, AWA Resort offers a contemporary blue-and-white decor finished with oriental art pieces and Chinese-style decorative tea pots. There are five room types including a huge 108-sq-meter beachfront suite.

 

This relatively isolated island has welcomed a new resort on Khlong Chao Beach. The beachfront boutique is all modernist wooden cubes with tastefully rustic accents, such as Sino-Portuguese-style tiles and whitewashed furniture. 

 

Located on Chaweng Beach, this is another new hotel decked out in blue and white. A reasonably priced option on the increasingly upscale island of Samui, rooms range from 20-26 sq meters and come with sound proofing and blackout curtains.

 

High-end beach destination Khao Lak recently welcomed this alternative accommodation option. Under a diving theme, the design hostel is decked out in vibrant colors and graphics of underwater creatures. There’s also a café on-site.

 

 

Offering 48 contemporary rooms and six pool villas, Sansiri’s debut hotel is set right by Khao Yai National Park. Breakfast is available until 2pm, while the hotel restaurant, Green Oak, offers a farm-to-table concept using organic vegetables grown at the resort.

 

This one adds to the area’s themed attractions with the chance to pretend you’re staying in the English countryside. The 58-room resort also features the Castle Restaurant, which serves English favorites like fish and chips in a manor house setting, and Clotted Cream Tea Room, where you can find TWG Teas and pastries.

 

 

The hotel consists of 116 contemporary rooms, an onsen spa, two swimming pools, a barbecue pit, a library lounge and a jogging track. Panoramic views of the national park, which is just 3km away, complete the experience.

 

 

Eight stark cabins are positioned with views of Kwai Noi River. The resort boasts an industrial chic design and facilities like an infinity riverfront pool with sun loungers and sun beds, a library, free Wi-Fi and iPads for loan. Bicycles are also available for guests to explore the surrounding countryside.

 

 

The 11 gorgeous Western-style suites are inspired by the early Rattanakosin Era. The traditional Thai touches start at the entrance, where you’re asked to take your shoes off. The food, too, ranges from local Thai treats to hampers packed with fresh-baked pastries. 

 

The border province welcomed a cute design hostel which aims to present traditional art and culture in a modern setting. Packages like bike tours are also available.

 

Situated on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Pratu Chai, opposite the renowned Wat Phutthaisawan, the recently opened and very stylish boutique resort consists of 26 rooms, and is decked out with modern white furnishings as well as Eastern-inspired décor in the form of wood fittings and tiger-motif walls. 

 

 

Situated on a hillside overlooking Kamala Cove at the southern tip of Kamala Beach, the five-star property consists of 199 rooms with unobstructed views of the Andaman Sea. Their Regency Club offers exclusive access to a large infinity pool, personalized check-in/out, and complimentary beverages all day.

 

The new five-star boutique resort consists of just 34 secluded oceanfront pool villas overlooking the Andaman Sea. Each villa is equipped with its own infinity pool, spacious living area and iPad.

 

The hotel is situated at the peaceful tip of Cape Yamu and features 106 rooms and villas created by Italian designer and architect Paola Navone. Guests can enjoy ocean-facing views from each room as well as the spectacular 100m swimming pool and signature treatments at the eight-room Como Shambhala Retreat.

 

Iniala Beach House is possibly Thailand’s most luxurious resort, and made headlines with the visit of Kim Kardashian. Situated on Natai Beach, the 10 rooms here were each designed by 10 international designers including Brazil’s Campana brothers and Jaime Hayón of Spain. Stays start at a hefty BTK, but rest assured owner Mark Weingard gives 15 percent of the resort’s revenue towards health and education projects in Thailand, Indonesia, and India.

 

The 50-room resort on Kalim Beach incorporates Sino-Portuguese touches in its rooms, which ranged from balcony Jacuzzi to seaview suite. Like other U Hotel properties, guests can personalize their pillow type, tea, soap and music prior to arrival.

 

Phang Nga Bay has welcomed another stylish resort located on the serene Natai Beach. The property consists of 58 rooms offering views of the Andaman Sea.

Astana may the current capital, but Almaty is still the jewel of Kazakhstan. Situated amid the snowy mountaintops in the country’s Southeast, the sprawling city is also the most populous part of the country. Its name derives from “Alma-Ata,” meaning “father of apples,” and the region is indeed famous for its apple production. Ostensibly celebrated on the third Sunday in September, Almaty City Day is in reality a month-long party that also features a prominent Apple Fest. The city itself is also expanding. The skyline may look modern, but there are plenty of remnants left of its Soviet past. One is The Ascension Cathedral, the second-tallest wooden Russian Orthodox cathedral in the world, which houses some dazzling golden ornaments. The cathedral is located in Panfilov Park, a prime spot for meeting locals, too. Right next door is the Green Market, where people from all over the city come to shop for fresh vegetables, fruits and meat such as goat, lamb and horse. Bargaining is a must.

 

For some exercise, and a chance to get closer to nature, visit Altyn Emel National Park. Situated about 260 kilometers from Almaty, you’ll need to take a three-hour 4WD ride to reach Altyn Emel, which means “golden saddle.” Here, you’ll witness both desert and steppe grassland, as well as gazelles, wild donkeys, falcons and eagles. The area is also home to the so-called “singing” sand dunes. Some 120 meters high and three kilometers wide, they get their name from the noise made by the wind as it funnels through the area—a sound not unlike a jet plane taking off.

 

Often described as a “mini-Grand Canyon,” this 300-meter-deep chasm is home to the “Valley of Castles,” where layers of pink-orange rock have piled up over millions of years. Take the opportunity to stay in the area overnight in a yurt (an ancient shelter used by Central Asian nomads) but be prepared for a cold night under the sea of stars. Watching the sun rise the next morning is one of those special moments that sticks with you forever.

 

Considered among Kazakhstan’s most beautiful attractions, these three alpine lakes are located a two-hour rough ride from Altyn Emel National Park, and stand 2,000 meters above sea level. The first lake can be easily reached by car, but the other two require trekking or horseback riding, and it takes a full day’s travel from lake one to lake three and back. Even in summer, temperatures hover around 10 degrees Celsius so pack warm. Horse rental can be arranged at the nearby village, Saty. 

 

Kaindy Lake looks like something out of a fairy tale. Surrounded by pine forests, the lake is a beautiful emerald color with submerged trees peeking out from below––really a sight to behold. There are a number of homestays at Saty village which allow you to enjoy the local way of life and make the most of the mystical setting.

 

Foodies are in for a treat in Almaty. Zheti Kazyna (Abylay Khana Ave., 58A, Almaty, +7 (727) 2732587, bit.ly/1va8C7Y), meaning “seven treasures,” is a fine place to start. The restaurant features traditional Kazakh and other Central Asian food. Beshbarmak, one of the national dishes, is a must-try, consisting of flat noodles in soup topped with horse or goat meat. The adventurous should also try the strong but fragrant Shubat camel milk and Kumys horse milk. 

Alasha Restaurant (Abylay Khana Ave., 58A, Almaty, +7 (727) 2732587, www.alasha.kz/en) isn’t traditional Kazakh food, but actually serves dishes from neighboring Uzbekistan. The tangy food is spiced up further with live Uzbek music and dance every night. The signature dish is called plov, or pilaf, rice cooked with meat and grated carrots and onions.  

There are a number of big luxury hotel chains like the Ritz-Carlton Kazakhstan (Esentai Tower, 77/7 Al-Farabi Avenue, +7 (727) 332-8888. bit.ly/1FIPgd8) next to the Esentai Mall. Prices start at B15,000 per night. For a more budget option try Iris Hotel (176 Furmanova St., +7(727) 399-00-33. www.irishotel.kz) which offers rooms at a moderate B3,000 per night and is right by the metro. 

 

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