Dana Ter

Perhaps as a child you dreamed of spending the holidays in a marvelous setting with a cozy fireplace, lots of presents and festive decorations. Or maybe you wished for a warm-weather holiday near the beach. Either way, it’s time to start planning for the holidays.

Whether it’s a head start on Christmas shopping or an excuse to treat yourself to something nice, shopping is an all-round experience – one that brings much happiness – and once the Christmas decorations go up, you’re transported to truly magical worlds!

The mere mention of the Raffles Hotel conjures up an image of timeless luxury: this is among the last remaining bastions of old Singapore.

It's refined French fare with a Singaporean splash at this one-Michelin starred restaurant with gold-rimmed mirrors and pink pastel sofas in the Raffles.

“Rasa Sayang” is a Malay-language folk song and its meaning, “loving feeling,” captures the essence of this lush seaside sanctuary.

A local favorite now globally renowned thanks to its Michelin star endowment, Auntie Gaik Lean’s serves comfort food in the form of no-fuss Peranakan fare, which represents a centuries-old intermingling of Malay, Chinese, Thai, and Indian culinary traditions.

Occupying a two-story shophouse on Lebuh Pantai (Beach Street), this George Town fixture focuses on storytelling in its myriad forms.

There’s an old-world allure at The Nest, with herbs and garnishes in jars displayed on the bar counter as in an apothecary, and a pool table in the surprisingly spacious back room.

Kuala Lumpur’s grande dame first opened as the Hotel Majestic in 1932 and was once famed for its high society parties; now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the current incarnation resurrects the timeless charm and glamour of that storied predecessor.

It’s Malaysian food with a touch of whimsy at Adu Amran Hassan’s eatery, which comes decked out with many of his own colorful paintings and eclectic vintage furniture.

This former 1970s cinema in Chinatown was reborn as an indie community hub in 2019, and its three sprawling floors house an enticing mishmash of vendors under one roof, some permanent, others rotating.

Like many repurposed hundred-year-old buildings, The Godown has seen many incarnations, including a warehouse (hence the name) and cabaret dance hall, before it opened as an art center in 2011.

Meriam Sophia Alfonso keeps her grandparents’ authentic recipes alive by employing Keralan chefs at their homey Bangsar Village restaurant, where spices and coconut play a central role in the kitchen.

This intimate after-hours den—whose name combines the Malay words for independence (“merdeka”) and works (“karya”)—is a longtime favorite among KL partygoers.

Tucked within a converted row of prewar houses, Bar Triptyk opened in late 2022 and is already driving KL’s sustainable cocktail scene.