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Passengers check a departure board at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 8, 2026. Geopolitical tensions and conflicts are altering how people plan their trips. Photo: TNS
Travel

Safe travels: how tourists are reacting to war, fuel prices, geopolitical strife

Regional conflicts and high fuel prices are affecting travel patterns as people prioritise flexibility and bypass trouble spots.

Asia travel

5 days in Seoul: what to do in South Korea’s capital, from palaces to DMZ

Travel

Butter believe it – first Paris boutique devoted to France’s favourite fat opens

Travel

Spud-tacular hotel celebrates potatoes in food, facials and farming

Germany’s Potato Hotel offers potato treatments, yoga sessions and work opportunities for young travellers who are looking for a free stay.

Sylvia Methfessel, the right-hand woman of Potato Hotel owner Olaf Stehr, says young people from all over the world visit the German hotel. Photo: Philipp Schulze/dpa
Sylvia Methfessel, the right-hand woman of Potato Hotel owner Olaf Stehr, says young people from all over the world visit the German hotel. Photo: Philipp Schulze/dpa
TV shows and streaming video

Disney Worldbuilders captures ‘magic’ of turning films into theme park lands

New Disney+ film interviews masterminds behind Frozen and more to show how on-screen tales are adapted at Disneylands from Hong Kong to Paris.

Travel

6 great places to visit during shoulder season, from Japan to Austria and France

Travelling in the autumn brings all kinds of benefits. Here are six places worth a visit in 2026, from magical Japan to welcoming Malta.

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Travel

Art, saints, Galileo: Italy’s Padua offers a quiet alternative to Venice

Escape Venice’s crowds for Padua, less than a 30-minute train ride away and one of the country’s most dynamic cities.

Fourteenth-century frescoes painted by Italian painter Giotto that depict the life of Jesus, his parents and grandparents line the walls of Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. Photo: Shutterstock
Fourteenth-century frescoes painted by Italian painter Giotto that depict the life of Jesus, his parents and grandparents line the walls of Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. Photo: Shutterstock
Art

The Buddhist text in Taiwan said to bring lifetimes of luck with one glimpse

The Tibetan Dragon Canon, a huge 17th century scripture on show at Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, has set social media ablaze.

Travel

Are these Odyssey islands prepared for tourist surge in wake of new film?

A jump in visitors is expected in Ithaca, believed to be Odysseus’ home in the poem, and Favignana, its stand-in in the recent blockbuster.

Travel

Why the first night in a hotel affects your sleep quality and how to improve it

The first night in a new place often results in worse sleep. Experts cite the evolutionary causes and give tips on sleeping better.

Why is the first night’s sleep in a hotel usually disturbed? Experts say it is probably an evolutionary leftover. Illustration: AP
Chinese culture

The world’s only hieroglyphic script still in use today is found in China

Over 1,000 years old, Dongba script is associated with the Naxi ethnic minority and is a common sight in Yunnan province’s Lijiang city.

Dongba script, the world’s only hieroglyphic script still in use today, was created by Naxi shamans for sacred rituals. Photo: Amandayan
Dongba script, the world’s only hieroglyphic script still in use today, was created by Naxi shamans for sacred rituals. Photo: Amandayan
Asia travel

Why Ben Fogle thinks he discovered the ‘real’ China in new TV series

In Ben Fogle’s Chinese Adventure, the TV presenter ‘transcends stereotypes’ as he travels from the Great Wall to Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Art

3 million mosaic pieces later, why artist Sung Tieu wants Germany to ‘wake up’

The Vietnam-born, Berlin-based artist explains how her transformation of the 2026 German pavilion at Venice reflects immigrant experiences.

Travel

6 ‘glowcation’ destinations for your next beauty and wellness fix

A trip built around a wellness treatment, beauty ritual or targeted pharmacy haul, ‘glowcations’ are trending throughout the travel world.

The Friedrichsbad in Baden-Baden has been running its 17-stage bathing circuit since 1877. The sequence moves through steadily rising heat, a soap-and-brush scrub partway through, then a cold plunge that resets the whole cycle before it climbs again.
Science

Why were there no teeny-tiny dinosaurs like we have with mammals and birds?

New research investigates why there were never any dinosaurs the size of, say, a mouse, and it seems like mammals could be to blame.

A model of a Microraptor (front) is wheeled out for display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The crow-sized Microraptor was one of the smallest-known dinosaurs, weighing about 430 grams. Photo: Reuters
A model of a Microraptor (front) is wheeled out for display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The crow-sized Microraptor was one of the smallest-known dinosaurs, weighing about 430 grams. Photo: Reuters
Chinese culture

How the Shenzhen Natural History Museum was designed to reflect its landscape

The architects behind the new museum talk about the Shenzhen landmark’s unique design that reflects its green and water-edged location.

Food and Drinks

These 7 lesser-known Korean snacks are trending among visitors

From pork rice soup to K-pop star Jennie’s favourite banana-flavoured snacks, these foods are trending across TikTok, Instagram and Reddit.

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SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong’s dining battle; TV host’s insomnia struggle: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From Singapore’s dragon dance to French cultural influence in Hong Kong, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

The Red Cuisine owner Joyce Yuen serves dishes at her restaurant in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. Many restaurants in the city are struggling with falling customer numbers as more locals head to Shenzhen for cheaper meals. Photo: May Tse
The Red Cuisine owner Joyce Yuen serves dishes at her restaurant in Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. Many restaurants in the city are struggling with falling customer numbers as more locals head to Shenzhen for cheaper meals. Photo: May Tse
Asia travel

Why Singapore’s record-breaking giant fire dragon goes up in smoke every 3 years

Unlike other dragon dance traditions, one Singaporean temple’s fire dragon exists within a cycle of creation, sacrifice and renewal.

Asia travel

‘Not the typical Bali’: little-known beach to host 5-day annual design fair

With its relatively undiscovered feel, Pengembak Beach is the perfect location for this year’s edition of Jia Curated, one co-founder says.

US travel

‘Like someone is getting murdered’: Fast & Furious roller coaster scares locals

For residents near Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, there’s never a quiet moment as piercing screams cut through the neighbourhood.

Universal Studio Hollywood's Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift roller coaster in California is annoying local residents because of the noise coming from its riders. Photo: TNS
Tourism

Could we see BTS, Blackpink, Exo and Stray Kids at the same Korean festival?

‘Fanomenon’, a South Korean mega-event planned for December 2027, will feature artists from all four of K-pop’s biggest entertainment labels.

Jennie of Blackpink performs with the K-pop girl group at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 22, 2023 in Indio, California. Photo: Getty Images for Coachella
Jennie of Blackpink performs with the K-pop girl group at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 22, 2023 in Indio, California. Photo: Getty Images for Coachella
Food and Drinks

Where does your coffee come from? Starbucks buyer on drink’s complex journey

Christian Hackenberg shares why coffee growing and buying is far from simple, and the challenges farmers face from Indonesia to China.

Asia travel

Inside the black-and-white panda-monium in Chengdu, China’s panda capital

Chengdu thrives on panda tourism, with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding at its heart attracting millions of tourists a year.

Asia travel

Why are tourists flocking to South Korea’s pharmacies and wellness services?

Beauty and wellness tourism is booming in South Korea, with packages mixing medical technology, beauty services and lifestyle experiences.

videocam
Customers browse health supplements and skin care products at Ready Young Pharmacy in Seongsu-dong, Seoul. Beauty and wellness tourism is currently one of South Korea’s fastest-growing tourism trends. Photo: The Korea Times
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