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Asia travel
Survival guides, insider secrets, top things to do, eco-tours, independent hotel reviews, family-friendly itineraries: fire your imagination with the South China Morning Post’s travel guides and must-see lists for holiday destinations across China and the rest of Asia.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
Joe Wong poses for a portrait after his Joe Wong: The Twin Tariff Show in Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak

Joe Wong, Ronny Chieng and the rise of Asian voices in comedy

Asian comedians were once forced to resort to stereotypes to find a platform – but a wave of pioneering stars is changing that.

Reading Time:8 minutes
Amy Lo Choi-wan of UBS, Mary Huen Wai-yi of Standard Chartered and Bonnie Chan Yiting of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing are all members of Women Chief Executives Hong Kong (WCE). Photos: Jocelyn Tam and HKEX

What it takes to lead HKEX, UBS and Standard Chartered – and still have a life

Reading Time:6 minutes
Lam Lau with his son Aidan at Lau Kee Boat Noodles in Hong Kong, which has been in business since 1981. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

How a vanishing Hong Kong boat culture has kept its cuisine afloat

Reading Time:7 minutes
Ng Sze Kiat, founder of Bewilder, a Singapore-based design studio that works with fungi. Photo: courtesy Bewilder

Mushroom magic: is mycelium set to be the next ‘it’ material in homeware?

Reading Time:5 minutes
An aerial shot of Nam Chung, in the northeastern New Territories of Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak

She was at the height of her career. Then she moved to a village of 30

Reading Time:7 minutes
Aric Chen, director of the London-based Zaha Hadid Foundation, is co-curator of the Design Futures Forum, one of the highlights of Singapore Design Week. He’s pictured here in Milan, in 2021. Photo: Getty Images

Q&A | Aric Chen asks: will design-led solutions create more problems?

Reading Time:2 minutes
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Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Tourists crowd an alley in Seoul’s popular Bukchon Hanok village. Chinese outbound tourism is expected to grow in 2026. Photo: The Korea Times
China travel

China’s outbound travel set to soar by 10 million trips – but halve in Japan

Chinese tourist flows to Japan could plunge to as low as 4.8 million this year from 9.3 million in 2025 amid political dispute, survey finds.

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Japan

Meow arriving: Japan railway’s newest cat stationmaster clocks in

Tourism

Inside central Vietnam’s first integrated resort, a stone’s throw from Hoi An

Thailand

Thailand tightens cannabis sales as dispensaries face closure ahead of election

Thailand, the first country in Asia to decriminalise cannabis in 2022, tightens rules to appeal to conservative voters ahead of pivotal election.

A staff member prepares a cannabis flower for a customer in Bangkok in June 2025, after Thailand banned sales without a prescription. Photo: AP
Food and Drinks

Unsung Eats: 5 best places to eat – and drink – in Bangkok

Besides Bangkok’s Michelin-starred tables and famed street food are intimate supper clubs and ‘social kitchens’ that are reinterpreting Thai flavours.

Vietnam

Vietnam overtakes Thailand as Chinese tourists' top choice for travel

Chinese visitors to Vietnam jumped 41 per cent to 5.3 million, topping the 4.5 million to Thailand, where safety concerns reduced Chinese travellers.

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Luxury Hotels

Welcome to Ananda, the luxury Indian retreat favoured by celebrities and royalty

India’s first luxury wellness retreat, Ananda offers Ayurvedic medical consultations in addition to yoga, meditation and singing bowl healing.

The spa pool at Ananda in the Himalayas, India’s first luxury wellness retreat, established a quarter of a century ago. Photo: Handout
Luxury Hotels

Review | Mett Singapore is a secluded retreat right in the heart of the city

Set in a beautiful 1926 colonial building, the hotel blends heritage charm with modern luxury, fine dining and a prime city location.

Luxury Hotels

Review | Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur: a luxurious escape in Asia-Pacific’s tallest building

The luxury hospitality brand’s first hotel in the country is a serene urban retreat blending modern comfort with Malaysian heritage.

Luxury Hotels

Review | Old-world charm meets modern refinement at The Edison George Town, Penang

Set in a heritage colonial building dating back to 1906, the hotel underwent a 4-year restoration to bring it up to contemporary standards of luxury.

The Edison George Town is housed in a 1906 heritage colonial building in the heart of George Town, capital of the Malaysian island of Penang. Photo: Handout
Malaysia

‘Warm hospitality’: Chinese tourists eye return trips for Visit Malaysia 2026

Sabah’s natural beauty and events linked to the tourism drive entice travellers as the Malaysian state aims for 4 million arrivals.

A diving site on Sipadan Island, Malaysia’s Sabah state. Photo: Facebook/malaysia.travel.my
Tourism

Asian travellers brace for ‘chilling’ US social media scrutiny

The proposal, which requires visa-exempt visitors to provide five years of social media history, comes amid moves to toughen US borders.

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Malaysia

‘Less than friendly’: Malaysia’s tourism minister flags visitor complaints

Authorities have also called for a major clean-up ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 in response to reports of dirtiness in tourist areas.

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China travel

China’s service sector shines as holidaymakers eye bespoke adventures with pets

While broader consumption remains soft, demand for personalised itineraries and snow sports is growing, offering a boost to the holiday economy.

More Chinese travellers are pivoting from mass-market sightseeing to bespoke adventures, fuelling a surge in demand for pet-friendly itineraries and winter excursions. Photo: Getty Images
Tourism

7 travel tips for 2026 – one of them is to play board games with locals

Forget TikTok recommendations and soulless one-star restaurants; focus instead on the experiences you want to taste, drink, and enjoy.

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Snakes and Lattes, a board game cafe in Toronto, has many games on site. Play games in places like this to connect with locals when you are on your travels. Photo: Toronto Star via Getty Images
Locals' Guide

Insider’s guide to Perth, from sun-kissed beaches to local fine wines

Most of the action in one of the world’s most remote major cities is to be found in the suburbs – but don’t forget your swimsuit for the beautiful beaches.

Crime

Mile-high crime club: theft syndicates target Asia’s airlines

Experts say rising passenger volumes, including an influx of Chinese travellers amid visa-free schemes, have attracted gangs operating in the skies.

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Food and Drinks

Travel stories from 2025 that will fuel your wanderlust for the year ahead

We recall 7 travel stories from the past year to inspire you in 2026, covering China food trips to a Hongkonger’s life-changing adventure.

Kaylie Lau outside Kalan Mosque, in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. Earlier this year, the Post spoke to the Hongkonger who is currently on a trip from Asia to Europe, taking no flights and carrying only one backpack. Photo: Kaylie Lau
India

Duopoly of Air India, IndiGo to face challenge from 2 new airlines

The approval for Al Hind Air and FlyExpress to operate in India comes amid mounting calls to challenge the dominance of Air India and IndiGo.

Malaysia

‘Nothing has changed’: safety gaps, old facilities hobble Malaysian tourism

‘We must clean this up. Tourists must feel safe and happy so they leave with good memories of Malaysia,’ Tourism Minister Tiong says.

China-Latin America relations

Brazil weighs visa-free entry for Chinese tourists and business travellers

Brazil saw nearly 80 per cent growth in Chinese tourists in 2024 and would join only two neighbours offering visa-free entry.

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If confirmed, the visa waiver would simplify travel for Chinese visitors to Brazil and could accelerate arrivals to destinations such as Iguazu Falls. Photo: Handout
Kim Jong-un

Video | Kim Jong-un visits new resort with daughter

The new facilities feature indoor and outdoor baths, as well as barbecue restaurants.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter Kim Ju-ae attended opening ceremonies for the country’s lavish new mountain resort on December 20, 2025.
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Tourism

Best things to do in Nara, Japanese city that’s more than an Osaka side trip

Widely regarded as the birthplace of Japanese culture, Nara offers everything from Unesco World Heritage sites to ryokans and bars.

Luxury Hotels

6 of the best hotels in Chengdu from which to explore the city or mountains

Whether you’re going there for the pandas and city vibes, or the mountains and teahouses, these are the best places to check into in Chengdu.

Nepal

Nepal’s plan to tackle uphill task on Mount Everest: clean up waste

Over the years, the authorities have removed a mountain pile of trash and the bodies of climbers on the world’s highest peak.

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A Nepalese sherpa collecting garbage left by climbers at an altitude of 8,000 metres during the Everest clean-up expedition at Mount Everest in 2010. Photo: AFP
China-Japan relations

China-Japan tension hits holiday travel as flights cancelled on 46 routes

All cancelled flights are operated by Chinese carriers and involve most of the country’s major airlines.

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Visitors take photos against the backdrop of Japan’s Mount Fuji. Tensions have been high between China and Japan since November. Photo: AFP
Wellness

How this luxury Cambodian resort offers a yoga experience few others can match

Knai Bang Chatt, an eco-friendly seaside resort in Kep, left stressed-out Cathy Hilborn Feng feeling realigned from the inside out.

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China travel

China eases visa rules for India, tapping into US$21.6 billion travel market

Indian nationals will now be able to apply for Chinese visas online as Beijing and New Delhi gradually move to normalise economic ties.

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