Langkawi, Malaysia and Borneo

Recently voted among the world’s ‘Top Ten Beaches’ by National Geographic magazine, dreamy Datai, on the far northwestern tip of Langkawi, is the loveliest bay on the island, with a single, exquisite ecolodge nestled amid the carpet of primary rainforest behind the sand. Framed by a tangle of strangler figs and ancient trees full of wildlife, with the marble crags of Gunung Machinchang towering behind, the location is out-of-this-world. So too is the architecture, which fuses traditional Malaysian and contemporary luxury to wonderful effect. Five-star facilities include a spa, two pools and an 18-hole, championship golf course.