• The Andaman Islands, Indian Ocean

Launching in February, the Catamaran Meltemi will explore remote islands in the Indian Ocean. Red Savannah founder and CEO George Morgan-Grenville says, “Opening up for the first time, the Andamans offer an extraordinary archipelago of about 300 palm-lined, white sand islands that have hitherto been almost impossible to access.” After departing from Ranong on Thailand’s east coast, it takes two days to reach Port Blair’s old town, often accompanied by curious dolphins and whales, before eight days of visiting colorful markets and fishing villages, exploring mangrove forests by canoe, turtle spotting while snorkeling and picnicking on deserted beaches. Morgan-Grenville notes, “This tropical paradise is one of a rapidly diminishing number of genuinely untouched places—not only a haven for marine wildlife but also a refuge for indigenous islanders who are still living a hunter-gatherer existence little changed for 26,000 years. It is, without doubt, one of the most exciting opportunities for 2017.”

• Nikunotoriko - Tokyo

Cool looking pre-historic restaurant

• Gaggan (Bangkok) *best restaurant in Asia*
• Den (Tokyo, Japan) *highest climber*
• Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)
• Ultraviolet (Shanghai, China)
• Nihonryori RyuGin (Tokyo, Japan)
• Nahm (Bangkok, Thailand)
• Mt. Takao - Japan

Hiking

• The Marui Rooftop Garden - Tokyo

Yet again with Shinjuku, normally renowned for its hectic appearance, introduces you to the Marui rooftop gardens, a true authentic British garden on the roof of Marui Main Building. Despite hovering above a rowdy street life, these gardens are surprisingly peaceful and quiet with ponds, a large variety of delicate, exquisite roses, and even a surprisingly large gathering of small wildlife that gathers in the lush greenery. Pack a small lunch and enjoy the sounds of nature far above and out of the way of the sounds of traffic.

• Thermae-Yu - Tokyo

Japan is known for its hot springs, but this one is a bit different. The water is supplied directly from Nakaizu in the Shizuoka Prefecture. After soaking away your stress and fatigue in the outdoor bath, you can enjoy the Lovely sauna with aroma water splashed over hot stones creating sumptuous steam that actually improves blood circulation. And finally, once you’re feeling rejuvenated outside, visit the Spre Beauty Juice Lab for a smoothie or juice made from scratch vegetables and fruits to replenish your insides. And they’re open all night long, so even late night refreshment is totally possible!

• Meikyoku Kissa Lion - Tokyo

Love cafes, but hate the noise? This little hole-in-the-wall is tailor-made for you. The entire point of the cafe is to keep your voice down and focus on the classical music piped in while you enjoy a delicious meal and maybe even a soothing book. The silence and serenity will envelop you, transporting you away to a world of peace and tranquility, leaving only the soothing music and the fluttering turn of a page to distract you from your new-found calm.

• Inokashira Park - Tokyo

This breathtaking park is designed both intro and extroverts who seek relaxation both with and without others. Two sides make up the entire park—one which is crowded and the other which is more secluded. In the springtime, the sakura blooms set the sky ablaze with pink and flutter like snow in the gentle breezes. You’ll even find swan boats for rent on the lake to paddle about and feast your eyes on the plethora of natural colors in the trees. And of course, surrounded by serene water and enormous red carp gliding about beneath your boat.

• Topas Ecolodge - Sapa, Vietnam
• Bich Dong Pagoda - Tam Coc, Vietnam
• Reaching out tea house - Hoi An, Vietnam
• Bun Cha Huong Lien – Hanoi

Made famous by a visit from President Obama and Anthony Bourdain.

• Pho 10 – Hanoi

Great pho in this unassuming spot in the center of the city.

• Jalus Vegan Kitchen – Hanoi

The perfect fix if you’re looking for something a bit different (or for a great interior).

• Cong Ca Phe & Giang Cafe – Hanoi

For egg coffee, one of Hanoi’s coffee specialties.

• Chestnut Restaurant – Hanoi

One of the best fine dining restaurants in the city, located below the bar rooftop at Delicacy Hotel.

• Luk Lak Vietnamese Restaurant – Hanoi

One of the dinner places on our list we didn’t make it to, but wish we did!

• La Vong Grilled Fish – Hanoi

Recommended by our guide as the best ‘local’s spot’ for grilled fish.

• Bao Wow – Hanoi

We’ve heard the bao is to die for.

• Dishes to try in Hanoi:

☕️ Cà Phê Trứng (egg coffee, in Hanoi @ the original Giang Cafe est 1946)

• Volcano hiking in Indonesia

An extraordinary experience. There are dozens of options to choose from, ranging in intensity from several-hour, beginner-level hikes to multi-day treks along active (sometimes very active) volcanoes. Mount Bromo in Java is arguably the most popular Volcano hike in Indonesia, though some visitors complain that tourists and cars crowd the summit. Alternatives include Mount Kerinci in Sumatra, which is the highest volcano in Indonesia (a three-day, two-night hike; intermediate level); and sunrise hiking either Mount Batur (easier) or Mount Agung (more challenging) in Bali. For truly unique natural scenery, the Ijen Crater in Java is home to the world’s largest acidic volcanic lake. The water shimmers a brilliant turquoise during the day, and after dark puts on an exquisite show of blue flames for hikers willing to brave the night. The hike itself is relatively beginner-level, although proper hiking boots are recommended.

• Fuunji - Tokyo

The line at Fuunji is intense: It took me and my son about an hour to make it from the end of the queue to a seat at the 15-person counter. It stretches out the door, breaks to allow for traffic, and then continues across the street. Once you get to the restaurant’s threshold, you realize that there’s still a long way to go: The line extends along the back wall of the restaurant, meaning that the people leaning over their food at the counter have hungry diners right behind them, willing them to slurp faster. But that time inside gives you a chance to watch the show, to observe the gregarious owner, Miyake-san, perform his theatrical routine — his cooking and plating of noodles and his ladling of soup is a dance as much as it is work. The wait inside the door will also allow you time to figure out the ticket machine, which is how you order and pay. You put cash in, punch a button for your chosen meal and drinks, and the machine spits out a ticket for each item, which you then hand to the staff upon being seated. The specialty here is tsukemen, the thick dipping broth with noodles on the side. You can ask for a large or medium serving of noodles — the cost is no different whether you get a huge meal or simply a large one. The noodles are perfectly chewy, the broth (which is made with chicken and kombu) decadent and so umami-rich it’s like slurping the platonic ideal of pure flavor. Though Miyake-san is known specifically for his tsukemen, his ramen is awfully good, too. There are lots of great noodles in Tokyo, many long lines in which it’s worth waiting. But this was the place my son and I kept reminiscing about, even weeks after we visited. In the midst of a particularly expensive and fancy meal a few days later, my son said, “This is fine, but Fuunji cost twenty bucks, and I’d so much rather be eating there.” He’s a wise kid.

• Sushi Yoshitake - Tokyo

There is a no-phones-on-the-counter rule at Sushi Yoshitake. Still, at some point during my meal there, I managed to take one surreptitious under-the-counter note on my phone. It said, “Lean tuna: meat, ocean, air, grain, flowers, life!” Despite the phone ban, the eight-seat sushi counter is actually far more relaxed than many of its counterparts — chef Masahiro Yoshitake will happily help you choose a sake, and smile as he hands you each delicately formed piece of nigiri, offering instructions on the best way to enjoy it. A parade of appetizers starts the meal, including a tender steamed abalone in a velvety liver sauce that has become somewhat of a signature dish. But it’s the sushi that had me agog, from that piece of tuna that somehow encompassed all of nature and the universe in its deep red flesh, to a stunningly sweet and meaty aji, to the tiny creamy uni. For the first bite of sushi of the evening, Yoshitake’s assistant cut a squid lengthwise into tissue-thin sheets, then stacked and scored them for a texture so soft and glossy it left me breathless. While I was happy to follow Yoshitake’s excellent sake suggestions, the couple beside me turned to the wine list, and I could sense their growing excitement as they read over its contents. They ordered a 1978 Bollinger and then a cult Burgundy from the late ‘90s. “It’s rare,” the husband told me, “for a wine list to have everything I want with so few bottles on the list.” There are a number of hard-to-afford, hard-to-book, legendary sushi counters in Japan, and almost any one of them will likely offer an incredible meal. But Sushi Yoshitake stands out, for its wine, its technique, and its chef — who exudes far more welcome than he does strict austerity.

• Atlas - Singapore
• The old man - Hong Kong
• Manhattan - Singapore
• Native - Singapore
• High Five - Tokyo
• The SG Club - Tokyo
• Jigger and Pony - Singapore
• Operation Dagger - Singapore
• Speak Low - Shanghai
• The Old Man - Singapore
• Sober Company - Shanghai
• Coa - Hong Kong
• Aharen Beach in Okinawa, Japan

Snorkelers and divers alike travel here to glimpse the beauty of this reef’s white-sand ocean floor, bright coral formations, sea turtles, and schools of tiny, colorful tropical fish. Underwater life thrives in this reef, which is notably well preserved.

• Ban Gioc-Detian Falls - Vietnam and China

Straddling the borders of China and Vietnam, Ban Gioc Detian is actually the collective name for not one but two converging waterfalls. Known as Banyue Falls in Vietnam and Detian Falls on the Chinese side, together they comprise one of the largest waterfalls in Asia.

• The Cube Bar - Bali
• RAJAKKAD ESTATE, INDIA

'I visited some of the most beautiful World Heritage Site temples last year in the state of Tamil Nadu – with no tourists – and found this charming hotel: an 18th-century wooden structure with seven bedrooms, surrounded by lush forest, in the middle of nowhere. It is romantic, and the service is truly personal. All meals are created using ingredients handpicked from the garden, and you can choose to eat outside.'