Travel: Top 5 Favorite Hotels From My Traveling Years
Irene Khin Wong
Haggling at a market in Baños, Equador
Luna Runtun (Ecuador)
Located at the entrance to the Amazon. The rooms are on a bluff seemingly floating in the cloud banks. Waking up to the sounds of Toucans and parrots in misty rainforest surroundings. After a 10-hour bus ride from Quito, this is a real treat.
Gorgeous view from the top
In Le Princess (Myanmar)
The magical serene surrounding here is one that you must be present to fully experience the charm and beauty of this place. With magnificent views of the blue mountain ranges, stunning swathes of floating vegetation and awakening up to the sound of fish fluttering was not a bad place to spend my 40th birthday.
Hotel Maya (Malaysia)
The best breakfast ever! It simply blew me away. The buffet selection had Eastern and Western treats; offering most of my favorite snacks such as mini curry puffs, pancake rolls with coconut palm filings and kayan with Pandan layer cakes. They were all bite-sized so I can still watch my girlie figure. The hotel spa’s hydrotherapy pools with water jets were a blessing after 22-hour flight. The rooms were great and comfortable with views over looking the Petronas Towers and the vibrant skyline of the city.
Lush welcoming at the Hotel Maya
Uma by COMO Hotel (Paro, Bhutan)
No wonder they call Bhutan “The Small Kingdom Country”. It is the Switzerland if the east with impeccable service that you wouldn’t want to leave. The private villas offer spectacular breathtaking 360-degree views of the Himalayas. The villas themselves are built with handmade wooden carving and textiles from local artisans mix in the traditional with the modern.
Taktsang Monastery (Tiger’s Nest) — Taktsang Trail, Paro, Bhutan
Mas de Torrent (Costa Brava, Spain)
A leisurely drive from the Northeast of Barcelona; Girona is one of most gastronomical city in the Catalan region; tastings of wild guinea fowl with chestnut and bacon to morsels of local mushrooms with garlic octopus, marinated sardines with olive oil and fresh anchovy montaditos. Mas de Torrent is a fully restored 18th century property with spacious room over looking the gorgeous beautiful gardens.