SOMETHING IN THE WATER

I’ve always been attracted to places that are defined by water. Few things are better than a seaside vacation, especially when I can slow down to watch the ocean’s gentle ebb and flow, observing the tide on a moonlit night or as the skies brighten with the first glints of dawn.

One of the reasons I love water is because it is symbolic of the passage of time. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we launched DestinAsian, but this edition marks our 13th Readers’ Choice Awards and the magazine’s 100th issue. To mark the milestone, our editors have pulled out all the stops to create a roundup of 100 essential travel experiences around the Asia-Pacific region. From luxury tented stays and must-try restaurants to new spas and outdoor adventures, it’s an up-todate resource that offers plenty of travel inspiration for the coming months.

Not by deliberate design, the feature stories in this issue all share a watery element. Claire Knox embarks on an adventure by longboat through the rain forest of Cambodia’s Cardamom Mountains—her account gives us all the more reason to set aside a couple of days for the area after temple-hopping in Angkor.

In Australia, the surfing and beach destination of the Gold Coast is experiencing quite the sea change. Contributing editor Natasha Dragun takes stock of how it has evolved in recent years, a process that has accelerated in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games this April.

The South Texan city of San Antonio, too, is in a celebratory mood thanks to its 300th anniversary in May, and it is fascinating to read Joe Yogerst’s story detailing the rebirth that has been taking place along the banks of its namesake river. Last but not least, we also have a fashion spread shot by Todd Anthony Tyler in Nanxun, a 750-yearold water town on the Grand Canal less than two hours’ drive from Shanghai. In all, it should set you up well for your next waterborne adventure.