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Travel pros and cons

Travel pros and cons

Tim Pile assesses the good, bad and ugly sides to holiday destinations. Find out about amazing experiences, top attractions, and great services; overcrowding, rip-offs, and when not to visit; bad practices, crime hot spots and dangers.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Passengers check in at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Elson Li

Banking & finance

Gen Z works to enjoy travel, started investing at a younger age: HSBC

‘Nearly half of our Gen Z respondents prioritise saving for short-term goals, often linked to enjoying life,’ survey shows.

28 Oct 2024 - 8:08PM

Can luxury travel ever be truly sustainable? These hotels are trying harder than most

8 Jul 2024 - 1:18PM

Why Fiji is worth visiting: clear tropical waters, kindness and kava

10 Jun 2024 - 4:15AM

Airlines made US$33 billion from baggage fees in 2023, and could make more in 2024

Last year’s estimate is up almost 15 per cent from 2022, and it’s the first time it’s crossed US$30 billion since before the pandemic.

28 Feb 2024 - 1:22AM

Airlines made more than US$33 billion from baggage fees in 2023. Photo: Shutterstock

Mumbai: upsides and downsides for visitors to India’s City of Dreams

India’s largest city, Mumbai is home to Bollywood and the country’s second most-photographed building after the Taj Mahal. But there are downsides, including bad traffic, dirty streets and crowded trains.

13 Jan 2024 - 11:15AM

Secret remote working ‘hush trips’ are on the rise. Their pros and cons

‘Hush trips’ – secretly working remotely – are a hot travel trend. Experts explain why they’re popular, their upsides and downsides, and how to stop your boss finding out.

2 Nov 2023 - 5:00AM

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Isaan, Thailand: an overlooked cultural gem with some downsides

Isaan in northeast Thailand isn’t on most tourists’ itineraries, but is worth a visit for its ancient Khmer temples, dinosaur fossils, Mekong River towns and festivals.

28 Oct 2023 - 1:15PM

Prasat Hin Phimai, a Khmer empire temple in Isaan, Thailand. Photo: Shutterstock

Consumer protection in Hong Kong

Hong Kong consumer watchdog warns travellers against high data roaming charges

It also finds terms and conditions for mishandled baggage across airlines to be inconsistent.

14 Sep 2023 - 4:35PM

Natural disasters that shook the tourism industry to its core

From this year’s Greek wildfires to the 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, these eight natural disasters left their mark on tourists.

14 Sep 2023 - 9:50AMvideocam

How to choose a child-friendly luxury resort this summer holiday

It pays to plan ahead when picking where to take the family: make sure your kids are going to have fun in a safe and stimulating environment, and you get to relax more too

7 Jul 2023 - 11:00AM

It pays to plan ahead when picking where to take the family: make sure your kids are going to have fun in a safe and stimulating environment, and you get to relax more too. Photos: Handout

Asian Swifties, should you see Taylor Swift in SG or Tokyo? Here are the facts

Buying a ticket to see Taylor Swift’s record-breaking tour in Asia isn’t as easy as it seems – so is it better to see her in Singapore or Tokyo? We do the sums and talk you through the knotty application process

6 Jul 2023 - 5:52PM

Taylor Swift has made US$300 million from 22 shows so far and with ticket sales of more than US$13 million each night while on the road, The Eras Tour is set to become the highest-grossing tour in music history. Photo: AFP

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Far from the madding crowd: Europeans’ post-Covid holiday criteria

Change linked to habits developed in three years of Coronavirus pandemic when going off the beaten track was a priority, travel experts say.

21 Apr 2023 - 5:02PMvideocam

Jogger killed by bear at tourist hotspot in Italy

The man’s body was found near a forest path in the Val di Sole valley, which is popular with hikers and tourists. Sightings of bears have recently increased.

8 Apr 2023 - 11:47PM

Explainer | Songkran, Thailand’s New Year water festival: the good and the bad

Thailand’s Songkran marks the Thai New Year and has become famous for its mass water fights. The celebrations have their dark side, from dirty water causing illness, to groping, to drink driving deaths.

5 Apr 2023 - 1:38PM

Thailand’s Songkran marks the Thai New Year, and a family ritual of pouring water over others has evolved into mass water fights on the streets of cities such as Bangkok. Photo: Shutterstock

‘Most dangerous wonder of the world’ and more things tourists don’t get told

Barcelona is Spain’s pickpocketing capital, Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue sees muggings at gunpoint, Hollywood is full of drug addicts – there’s lots the travel industry doesn’t tell us.

5 Jul 2023 - 11:30AM

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has been dubbed the most dangerous wonder of the world thanks to the spate of muggings - some at gunpoint - of hikers making their way up to the statue. Photo: AFP

White-sand beach, golf, fabulous food – the best of Hua Hin in Thailand

Thai seaside city Hua Hin is popular with visitors from Bangkok and overseas for its 5km beach and great street food. On the downside, the seawater isn’t the clearest, and traffic and stray dogs can be a nuisance.

29 Oct 2022 - 1:15PM

Wow, what a view! China’s ‘digital nomads’ seek paradise while on the clock

China’s remote-working trend is in its early stages, but it’s catching on among these pioneers who dare to ditch the office – and even local governments are looking to cash in on new opportunities.

11 Jul 2022 - 6:00AMvideocam

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Australia woos Hong Kong tourists to help restore battered tourism industry

Hong Kong was a top 10 international market before Covid-19 for Tourism Australia, which expects numbers to jump if quarantine requirements are relaxed

10 Jul 2022 - 10:00AMvideocam

The Pacific Explorer makes its way to dock at the overseas passenger terminal on Sydney Harbour on April 18, 2022. Photo: AFP

I travelled for 41 hours instead of 17 to save US$1,500. Was it worth it?

A seasoned travel writer used Kiwi.com to find the cheapest flights for a budget trip from Asia to Europe. This is how his journey went.

17 Jun 2022 - 6:15PM

Destinations known | Is Sri Lanka a place to visit amid protests and power cuts? You decide

The tourism-dependent island is reeling from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic that hammered international travel and surging fuel costs amid the conflict in Ukraine. If you go, tip generously.

9 Jun 2022 - 10:09AM

Don’t eat street food or at places with great views: travel expert’s tips

Jim Kitchen, who has visited all 193 UN-recognised countries and has been to space, offers his top travel tips and hacks, from restaurants to steer clear of to what to pack.

11 May 2022 - 5:15PM

Jim Kitchen offers his top travel tips and hacks, from how to avoid being kidnapped to what restaurants to avoid. Photo: Maris Ava Cruz

Hong Kong International Airport

Opinion | Behind the Great Wall of Hong Kong, following orders is all that matters

Being denied access to an airport lounge may not be that bad in the grand scheme of things today, but it sums up Hong Kong’s fanatical adherence to rules.

22 Feb 2022 - 12:26PM

A passenger walks towards the departure hall at Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok airport 05 March 2002 in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Financial Secretary Antony Leung said in his budget speech 06 March 2002 tourism was an area which would drive growth in Hong Kong AFP PHOTO/Mike CLARKE (Photo by MIKE CLARKE / AFP)

From Times Square to Las Ramblas, tourist attractions the locals don’t see

Most New Yorkers wouldn’t be seen dead in Times Square, and ditto for Barcelona folk on Las Ramblas. Crowded and expensive, there are some tourist haunts natives avoid like the plague.

17 Oct 2021 - 6:15PM

What you’re missing out on in the world’s least visited countries

Are we holidaying in all the wrong places? Many of the world’s least visited countries are not so uninviting after all.

7 Sep 2021 - 11:40AM

Responsible travel

Want to be a more responsible traveller? Follow these 9 tips

Which carbon claims can you trust? Is cruising really that bad? How about Airbnb? A new book helps travellers negotiate the world’s ethical and climate-related challenges.

6 Jul 2021 - 4:44PM

Elephant trek near Luang Prabang Laos PDR. (Photo by: Andrew Woodley/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

Suicidal teen learns world isn’t a ‘big bad place’ through travel

The teenager left Hong Kong with no idea she would travel the world. A year later she hitchhiked alone from Iran to France; then came Afghanistan, cycling solo through Central Asia, and onwards. ‘I found the world is full of kind people,’ says Jean, now 23.

12 Apr 2021 - 11:51AM

Marsha Jean in Pakistan..Photo: Instagram/themarshajean

The bikini-clad women riding the wave of China’s surfing adventure

Surfing has become cool in China, particularly among young women, and Chinese tourists are flocking to the popular holiday island of Hainan to learn how to ride the waves.

18 Mar 2021 - 12:59PM

Asian cinema: Bollywood

A tale of two cities: how Mumbai’s slums and Bollywood live side by side

From public laundry lines to glamorous Bollywood studios, Mumbai is a city of extremes – but that’s why it’s so fascinating to visit

24 Jan 2021 - 12:00PM

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