Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2025 i Travel + Leisure India & South Asia

MY EARLIEST MEMORIES of haute couture weren’t witnessed on runways, but nestled in my grandmother’s boudoir. Her handbags—petite creations hooked at the elbow and rested in white muslin bags—were carefully placed inside a Burmese teak cupboard carved with cherubs and vines. Between her bedroom and the sitting parlour, that cupboard was a treasure chest of her rituals: handbags, sunglasses, and shoes that gleamed under the soft light of her vanity. But what fascinated me most were the gloves—lace and chiffon for evenings, supple leather clipped short for driving. I can still see her: coiffed curls, a silk scarf tied just so, tortoiseshell cat-eye sunglasses catching the sun as she drove her Dodge convertible through the winter mist of Chowringhee. As a child, I was never allowed to touch—only to watch.…

LUXURY DÉCOR ISN’T about the final flourish — it begins with the walls. With Royale Glitz and Royale Play, Asian Paints invites homeowners to create interiors that reflect who they truly are. As Amit Syngle, MD & CEO of Asian Paints, notes, “It’s about crafting emotionally charged spaces that make a home yours. The Royale Glitz campaign celebrates how a single wall can transform an entire space, proving that design begins with self-expression.” With its smooth crème finish, protective Teflon™ coating and designer-curated palette, Royale Glitz brings both beauty and performance to modern living. Paired with the artistic textures of Royale Play, Asian Paints makes luxury décor not just aspirational, but attainable. Language of Luxury Royale Glitz redefines luxury for contemporary Indian homes. More than a premium wall finish, it…

How has your year been so far, what have you been up to? It’s been a very satisfying year, from a creative point of view, with the kind of reception and love I have gotten for my performances—especially for my role in Retro, and of course the Monica song becoming a rage, it’s been creatively fulfilling. I’ve always wanted to do very versatile roles, and it’s amazing when the audience accepts you in those dramatically different avatars and reciprocates the love that you give them through your work. I am also very excited for you’ll to see what else I’ve been working on, and in all honestly, that keeps me going every day. What is the one thing that makes or breaks a script for you, something in a story…

AT DAWN IN KAZIRANGA, the fog unfurls like silk across the wetlands. A guest at the luxury boutique stay of Kathoni steps barefoot onto cool earth as the scent of rain-soaked bamboo rises in the air, while somewhere in the distance, a bar-headed goose calls. Not a marble lobby or maître d’ in sight, they’re surrounded by the rhythm of life continuing, as it has for generations. A few thousand miles away, in Chennai, a robot named Carnie glides soundlessly across the floor of Carnaby, the all-day dining restaurant at The Residency Towers, Chennai. Its trays clink gently with used glassware as it whirs toward the kitchen, allowing its human counterparts to pause, smile, and pour another cup of coffee with care. In Goa, Chef Divyanshi Patel of Deck 88…

INDIA’S LEADING CULTURAL tastemakers gathered at the 700-year-old Six Senses Fort Barwara for Travel + Leisure India & South Asia’s Editor’s Roundtable—two days dedicated to reimagining wellness through craftsmanship, community, and compassion. As the car wound through the dusty lanes of Barwara, two hours from Jaipur, the fort emerged—a striking grey silhouette against the Rajasthani sun. Folk musicians welcomed guests with Padharo Mare Des, and a shower of rose petals at the entrance set the tone for what lay ahead: warmth, reflection, and reconnection. Hosted by Travel + Leisure and Six Senses Fort Barwara, the Roundtable brought together India’s cultural custodians and changemakers across heritage, design, food, and wellness including Akshita M. Bhanj Deo, Editor-In-Chief, Travel & Leisure India & South Asia, Rajat Gera, Commercial Director of Six Senses, restaurateur…

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From your work to your Golf Links home, luxury seems ever-present. Yet, on a personal level, how do you define it for yourself? For me, luxury is having time—the freedom to pause, reflect, and simply be. If I ever feel that I’ve caused harm, even unintentionally, it affects me deeply. That’s why I’ve learnt to let go and focus on kindness and fairness. What kind of traveller are you? I love journeys that nourish both the soul and the senses. Spiritual travel holds a special place in my heart, but I also enjoy skiing, scuba diving, and exploring new cities—soaking in the architecture, meeting locals, and discovering their crafts. At the moment, I’m really looking forward to a week in Varanasi, followed by a trip to Europe, and then New…

What’s your earliest memory of luxury or travel that still influences how you view luxury today? You can’t define luxury through a single moment or in a conventional sense. It means different things to different people. For some, it’s an emotional connection; for others, a tactile experience. For me, it’s always been about the abundance of time—those rare moments when I have complete freedom to do whatever I want, without schedules or obligations. That sense of unhurried stillness has always felt like true luxury to me, and over time, valuing my time has become my ultimate goal. How would you define luxury in 2025 for both Indian and global travellers? Luxury is no longer about opulence or excess. It’s about meaning, mindfulness, and connection. Today’s travellers, both in India and…

1 REJUVENATE IN A MINERAL-RICH GEOTHERMAL SPA IN ICELAND At The Retreat Spa in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, the Ritual is less a treatment and more a self-guided experience where guests can revel in the rejuvenating riches of the lagoon’s mineral waters. Known for their healing properties, the silica, algae, and minerals form the foundation of an exhilarating journey. After some time in the sauna, the signature Ritual unfolds in three serene, interconnected chambers, nourishing skin, body, and spirit. Guests are encouraged to pamper themselves by cleansing with silica, detoxifying with mineral-rich mud, purifying with microalgae, and sealing it all with a hydrating elixir drawn from geothermal waters. Between each stage, refreshing rain showers gently bring you back to the present moment. The experience concludes fireside, as Blue Lagoon oils are…

EARPHONES Silence is the new luxury, and earphones are as essential as your passport. Industry-leading active noise cancellation hushes jet engines and bustling terminals, while adaptive audio automatically adjusts to your surroundings. Built-in live translation bridges language barriers in real time, and remote camera control lets you capture moments hands-free. A heart-rate sensor tracks your wellbeing mid-journey, and clinical-grade hearing features ensure crystal-clear sound wherever you go. Price: ₹25,900; apple.com/in BINOCULARS The Zeiss Terra ED is your window to the world. Its 10x magnification lets you spot snow leopards in Ladakh or whales breaching off the Andaman coast. Beyond wildlife, these binoculars bring alpine peaks, city skylines, starry skies, and sports arenas into crisp, cinematic focus. A hydrophobic coating ensures clarity through mist, drizzle, and dust, while its lightweight yet…

BUDAPEST IS A CITY that reveals itself slowly. On the surface, it dazzles with its riverside grandeur, Gothic Revival spires, and stately bridges spanning the Danube. But the real magic lies beneath the surface—in the contrasts that define it: elegant yet edgy, steeped in history yet alive with creative energy. There are ruin pubs in crumbling buildings, thermal baths fed by ancient springs, and cafés so ornate they feel more like palaces than coffeehouses. In Budapest, every corner tells a story—both legend and fact. Over the course of three visits, this city has slunk its way into my heart, occupying prime position as one of my favourite cities in the world. From underground museums, thrift stores, and churches in hills, century-old buildings housing strudel houses, architecturally rich monuments, to a…

What does luxury mean to you personally? Is it about experience or exclusivity? How has your perception evolved since having a baby? Motherhood changes everything, including how you define luxury. For me, luxury has always been about experiences. I used to associate it entirely with travel, design, or curated experiences, but now luxury feels like time. When I grow old, I want to be able to tell my grandchildren that I was rich in experiences, that I lived fully, saw deeply, and loved widely. To me, that is the ultimate form of wealth. Uninterrupted moments with my family, slow mornings, laughter at home. These have become my new symbols of indulgence. Shades of white are a staple in your content and throughout your home. Is there a sense of quiet…

THE FIRST TIME I laid eyes on the Treasury (padc.pdtra.gov.jo), the most famous of Petra’s (visitpetra.jo) ancient buildings, was through an opening in a wind-smoothed canyon known as the Siq. Walking through the serpentine passage, just over a kilometre long, flanked by walls layered in red and pink stone, the sight of the Treasury was eagerly awaited—and it certainly lived up to the hype. Built by the Nabataeans almost 2,300 years ago, the Treasury is part of a vast collection of monuments across the region, each telling the story of the land and its ancient people. On my second visit to Jordan, I joined a group trek from the Dana Biosphere Reserve (rscn.org.jo/reserve/1) to Petra—led by Experience Jordan Adventures (experiencejordan.com), a local operator offering curated treks. We covered 85 kilometres…

IT WAS PRE-PANDEMIC TIMES. The year was 2019, and I was fortunate to spend some time at what I believe is the most sustainable hotel I’ve ever visited, Salt of Palmar (saltresorts.com/en/mauritius/hotel/saltofpalmar) in Mauritius. It was there that I was first introduced to a digital key—no card was needed, just my phone. Unbeknown to me, it was my first glimpse into how profoundly technology and AI would shape hotels and customer service. Once upon a time, hotel technology extended only to digital keys, automated check-ins, and smart room automation. The pandemic changed much within the hospitality industry, spurring a significant rise in the adoption of new, contactless technologies. Studies have shown that AI has become critical in helping hotels adapt operations to new market realities in the post-COVID world. Today,…

A LITTLE OVER TWO centuries ago, British capitalist Stamford Raffles planted a trading post at Malaysia’s dangling tip and named it after Singapura, ancient Sanskrit for “lion city.” Labourers from China, India, and greater Malaysia heaved mountains of earth into the muddy estuary of the Singapore River to create new land for developers to lay the city-state’s foundations. The investment paid off, at least for the capitalists. Singapore, today about the size of New York City, is a global commercial centre—a safe, efficient, English-speaking, litter-free outpost for Western companies in search of Asian markets, and vice versa. Sure, jaded leisure travellers might find it a tad dull compared with regal Bangkok or clamorous Hong Kong, but the business of Singapore is business, and always has been. The national mindset is…

THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN in Bhigwan, a place I visit often during the flamingo season in April. Every year, thousands of flamingoes migrate here, and watching them gather in one place is always a remarkable sight. On this particular morning, the light was soft and the water calm, allowing me to observe them quietly without disturbing their natural behaviour. As I stood there, I noticed two flamingoes interacting in a gentle, almost playful manner. They were completely in sync: moving slowly, dipping their beaks into the water, and responding to each other’s presence. I waited for the perfect moment when their posture and expressions aligned naturally, and this frame is the result of that patience. For me, this photograph serves as a reminder of how calming nature can be when…