FOREWORD
The saying that travel broadens the mind is
certainly one that we live by and, despite being
in the travel business for over two decades, the
excitement of an opportunity to explore new
destinations never diminishes.
Even a familiar location takes on a new appeal
when you stay in different surroundings and
the opening of our first Cassia in Phuket has
reignited our passion for the island where the
Banyan Tree brand began 21 years ago. Cassia is
a new and exciting hotel residence concept with
contemporary apartments that are perfect for
families and couples who are seeking a freespirited holiday — and I hope we will be able to
welcome you to this unique concept soon.
Cassia Phuket will be followed by the brand
arriving in Bintan, Lijiang and Beruwala in Sri
Lanka in the next few years.
The forthcoming year is looking no less
exciting as we look forward to opening our fourth
brand: Dhawa, a contemporary hotel that fuses
imaginative design with total comfort, catering to
design-savvy travellers who know exactly what
they want. Bo’ao in Hainan and Cayo Las Brujas
in Cuba will be the first destinations to launch the
Dhawa experience. While 2015 has been a year to
celebrate the birth of a new brand, we have also
been delighted to celebrate the 10th Anniversary
of Banyan Tree China which coincided with the
opening of Banyan Tree Ringha in 2005.
These are by no means our only new hotels;
Banyan Tree guests will have more luxury to
explore in 2016, with the opening of Banyan
Tree Tamouda Bay in Morocco and Banyan Tree
Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan Province, China.
With all these exciting developments, we are
continuing to expand the reach of the renowned
Banyan Tree brand, while at the same time
retaining that all important sense of place.
A sense of place also leaps off the cover of this
exciting new issue. You can almost taste the salty
air of this Indonesian surfing paradise. But that's
not the only place to become an aqua adventurer,
as you'll see in our gorgeous exploration of water
activities around the world. Elsewhere, we look
at how travel destinations can leap off the screen
(and make us jump off our sofa to book flights),
and soak up the classic chic of Cuba's musical
streets. So take a cue from our cover, and dive in.
a familiar location takes
“onEven
a new appeal when you stay
in different surroundings and
the opening of our first Cassia in
Phuket has reignited our passion
for the island where the Banyan
Tree brand began”
Ho Kwon Ping
Executive Chairman
Banyan Tree Holdings
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