Asia Luxury Travel Trends for 2012

Remote Lands, Inc. remains on the leading edge of the coolest new destinations and experiences in Asia. While luxury travel to China, Japan and Thailand remains perennially popular, a handful of locales are stealing the spotlight for Asia luxury travel. As one of the leading luxury bespoke travel designers in the world, here are our predictions for the hottest Asia travel destinations of 2012.

Himalayan Holiday: Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India

In 2011 we saw the emergence of the pan-Himalayan holiday as a luxury trip of choice, with significant interest in Nepal and Tibet bolstering an already strong fascination with Bhutan. Savvy travelers headed to the "roof of the world" for trekking, helicoptering and spiritual experiences, while new luxury properties like the St. Regis Lhasa brought further five-star comfort to the region. Looking forward in 2012, Bhutan's new airport in Bumthang is opening up the country's far-flung east like never before, and the Indian Himalayas remain an exhilarating way to cap off such a high-altitude holiday.

Myanmar: Burma on the Rise

Myanmar is very familiar territory to Remote Lands, having operated Burma custom tours since our founding. The recent political developments, however, epitomized by now iconic photographs of Aung San Suu Kyi and Secretary of State Clinton meeting face to face - unimaginable merely a year ago - have catapulted travelers' interest in the long off-limits land into the stratosphere. 2012 will only see greater numbers heading to traditional must-sees like Yangon, Bagan and Inle Lake as well as more off-the-beaten-path destinations like the ancient ruins of Mrauk-U, the remote tribal lands of Kengtung and the Mergui archipelago.

North & South Korea: Astride the 38th Parallel

The death last December of DPRK "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-Il was a watershed moment in the history of the Korean peninsula. Remote Lands will continue its custom tours launched in 2009, but it's not just DPRK that is increasingly piquing savvy travelers' curiosity. South Korea, from the hi-tech modernity of Seoul to the abundance of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Gyeongju, is enjoying a higher profile than ever before. In 2012, Remote Lands will straddle the 38th parallel to offer bespoke tours of the two Koreas, including the highly contrasting experience of the Korean DMZ from both sides.

Southeast Asia: The Philippines & Indonesia

The oft-overlooked Philippines continues to emerge as a luxury destination of choice for those who have been almost everywhere else. Remote Lands is particularly excited about Philippines luxury hotels in Palawan province, where new private-island luxury resorts have added to the attraction of some of the world's best diving, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of Tubbataha Reef Marine Park. Indonesia luxury travel, meanwhile, is a terrific idea for the first half of 2012, with economical options for both private air travel and schooner or yacht excursions making one of the most diverse countries in Southeast Asia more accessible than ever.

PHOTO: Buddhist monastery in Bhutan