Travel
Destinations known | Cash or cashless, China lets foreign tourists know it wants them to spend
With overseas visitors struggling to go cashless in China, mobile payment app providers have worked to make it easier for them, and the central bank has told businesses to still accept cash payments.
Then & Now | Good luck finding expert guides to tell tourists truths about Hong Kong
Tourists to Hong Kong have long been fed rote-learned clichés about its history by uninspiring and uninspired guides. In today’s new normal, who would dare risk offering them anything different?
A hike that’s not for the faint of heart: adventure in Italy’s Dolomites
A hike through Italy’s soaring Dolomites is an occasionally terrifying reminder of our fleeting time on Earth, but comes with some jaw-dropping views.
Suddenly abandoned or gradually emptied, 9 of the world’s ghost towns to see
From an abandoned diamond mining town in Namibia to a Hong Kong village where ghost ‘sightings’ have been reported, to a town in Ukraine emptied by nuclear disaster, 9 ghost towns to see.
Destinations known | Why all travellers will pay a price for Dubai flights chaos after floods
Hundreds of cancelled flights, huge queues for new ones, a lack of staff – Dubai airport was brought to its knees by flooding. Expect travel insurers to react by increasing prices and reducing cover.
Reflections | The pitfalls of travelling on passports issued by Malaysia and Singapore
Passports issued by Singapore and Malaysia don’t separate first and last names, confusing airline computers and online apps. Why the constant demands to state a surname when none is defined?
Hong Kong Star Ferry chief coxswain on steering an icon of the city
Head of the Star Ferry fleet Kwok Cho-tai tells Kate Whitehead about growing up ‘very poor’ but happy on a boat in Aberdeen Harbour, rising through the ranks, and missing the daily ferry commuters.
8 summer 2024 holiday ideas for sports fans, sun seekers and nature lovers
From the summer Olympics in Paris and the Euro 2024 football tournament, to natural wonders such as China’s largest waterfall and Norway’s midnight sun, eight things to do and see in summer 2024.
Thai towns in the Golden Triangle cash in on their past as opium producers
The Thai towns of the notorious Golden Triangle are taking advantage of their opium-producing history with attractions centred on the drug and military leaders who fought over it.
What is Island Shangri-La’s new family floor in Hong Kong like?
The new family floor at the five-star Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong hotel offers parents and their children ‘family-friendly luxury’ in a fun-filled fantasyland. We stayed for a night.
Butter chicken wars: who does New Delhi’s signature dish best?
Delhi is a city of endless squabbles – over who makes the best version of the Indian capital’s signature dish. We look at some of the restaurants vying for butter chicken supremacy, and how to make it best.
Backpacker travel tips for beginners in Southeast Asia
What clothes to pack, where to eat, who to avoid, where to get currency, renting motorbikes – an experienced dad gives his beginner son tips on backpacking in Southeast Asia.
Destinations known | Any point to new Cambodian dolphin festival? They’re dead already
A proposed Cambodian commune’s Irrawaddy dolphin festival aims to reflect the value of the animals while promoting conservation efforts – but its last one died two years ago.
‘Best dive ever’: looking for dugongs in Mozambique’s pristine waters
Mozambique is an unsung gem of African tourism. The Bazaruto Archipelago offers a chance to get up close to spectacular marine life – including the elusive dugong – without being too invasive.
Phnom Penh: the pros and cons of a visit to former Pearl of Asia
The Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, has attractive old buildings, and some unfinished new ones, eye-catching snacks, but also a crime problem and harrowing reminders of Khmer Rouge genocide.
Reflections | How Beijing’s Marco Polo Bridge shaped modern Chinese history
The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge showed how vulnerable modern bridges can be. China’s Marco Polo Bridge has stood the test of time, and has been the scene of historically important events.
Internet, air links reach Kashmiri former Silk Road outpost. Tourists next?
In a far corner of Indian Kashmir bordering China and Central Asia, Gurez, once a stop on the Silk Road, has been reinventing itself since going online and gaining an air transport service, and is wooing tourists.
David Bowie China Girl video star’s New Zealand travel tip: go with the flow
Geeling Ching had a brief fling with David Bowie after shooting his ‘China Girl’ music video, but her advice for visitors to New Zealand is to take their time and adjust to its laid-back vibe.
Reflections | Standard Chinese script unified China, yet we can’t make a universal plug?
Why power plugs and sockets are not standardised worldwide is anyone’s guess. China’s First Emperor was all about standardisation – he introduced the universal Chinese writing system used to this day.
How travel hotspots from Hanoi to Barcelona are curbing crowds
To curb overtourism and foster more environmentally friendly travel, destinations from Venice to Kyoto are taxing visitors or restricting access. We look at tourism control measures around the world.