Where the Asian super rich buy their weekend retreats. Five hotspots from India to the Philippines
From Alibag to Tagaytay, Asia’s wealthy don’t have to leave the region to buy amazing holiday homes and weekend retreats. Their asking prices ensure exclusivity
Some of Asia’s favourite weekend retreats are gearing up for the best weather of the year. Summer monsoons are giving way to drier and cooler temperatures across Southeast Asia and India, while autumns in Japan are a leaf peeper’s dream.
The region’s excellent rail and air networks (and growing fleet of private jets) allow wealthy weekenders to congregate in second homes that are only a couple of hours from the office.
Here are five havens for rural opulence where the rich and famous can gather together. Soaring prices over the past decade ensure ownership in the best areas is increasingly restricted, but many also rent out their properties for at least part of the year.
1. Bali, Indonesia
Asia’s best-known holiday retreat has been enticing celebrities since Mick Jagger’s marriage to Jerry Hall there in 1992, and the island’s unique culture, wave-swept beaches and terraced rice paddies have been captivating travellers for more than a century.
The Island of the Gods is also a favourite haunt for those escaping the North Asian winter and an increasing number of retirees who wish to spend their sunset years watching the sun set into the Indian Ocean. The most coveted properties are in areas zoned for tourism where foreign owners can lease out their villas.