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“I’m optimistic about the future prospects,” says Steven van Wijk of Air France-KLM.

Why Air France-KLM remains bullish on China-Europe travel market despite hurdles

Chinese travellers drive leisure and business bookings as airline eyes long-term growth despite Russian airspace restrictions.

1 Jan 2026 - 11:30AM

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

1 Jan 2026 - 7:15AMvideocam

Track history – a 43-hour train trip from Los Angeles to Chicago

31 Dec 2025 - 5:15PM

2026 is a stellar year for supermoons and eclipses: what to look out for

The coming year is packed with cosmic events, from a ‘ring of fire’ eclipse to two six-planet line-ups to several supermoons.

31 Dec 2025 - 4:15PM

A “ring of fire” solar eclipse seen from Tahai, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile, in 2024. In 2026, another will occur in February, but over the Antarctic. Photo: AP

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.

30 Dec 2025 - 12:15PM

Expedition to Chile’s Cape Horn reveals awesome nature at the world’s end

A 5-day cruise to South America’s southern tip stuns with fiords, penguins and wind-blasted cliffs reached via the world’s deadliest waters.

30 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

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China Jinmao sells 5-star Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sanya for US$322 million

Asset restructuring aims to boost liquidity as mainland China developers face a prolonged property downturn.

24 Dec 2025 - 5:11PM

Ritz-Carlton Sanya Yalong Bay has demonstrated mature and stable operations with favourable profitability and cash flow, says China Jinmao. Photo: Keith Chan

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.

24 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

Tours to visit Christmas movie locations in US state prove huge hit

Fans of Hallmark’s feel-good and family-friendly TV films are taking tours around locations in Connecticut, home to at least 22 productions.

23 Dec 2025 - 7:15PM

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.

21 Dec 2025 - 12:15PMvideocam

Lana Yang (left), wellness manager at Knai Bang Chatt, and her friend and fellow yoga instructor Aimee Ortagus lead a class during a three-day yoga retreat at the seaside resort. Photo: Cathy Hilborn Feng

See dreamlike dunes and meet modern nomads in world’s biggest sand desert

In the Omani part of Rub’ al Khali, tourists can explore a constantly changing landscape with all the comforts of the present.

19 Dec 2025 - 7:15PM

Dunes can rise up to 300 metres high in the Omani part of Rub’ al Khali, the world’s largest expanse of sand. Photo: Andreas Drouve/dpa-tmn

SCMP Highlights

Hong Kong’s festive dining; music cuts dementia risks: 7 Lifestyle highlights

From Hong Kong cinema’s female action stars to must-try festive meals in Hong Kong, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.

18 Dec 2025 - 1:29PM

Want to watch Tolkien illustrator John Howe as he works? Now you can

At Howe’s ‘Tower of Fantasy’ studio in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, visitors can watch him as he creates and view hundreds of his illustrations.

17 Dec 2025 - 9:15PM

Why knitters around the world love visiting Scotland’s Shetland Islands

Events like Wool Week and a deep passion for all things knitting make Scotland’s Shetland Islands a paradise for knitters and crafters.

17 Dec 2025 - 1:00PM

Knitwear is seen at a shop in Scotland’s Shetland Islands. The Shetlands are famous for knitwear, and people from around the world visit to learn knitting techniques and patterns, exchange ideas with like-minded people, and, of course, to see the Shetland Islands. Photo: Verena Wolff/dpa-tmn

Year of the Horse 2026

Mongolia’s child jockeys are key to its heritage. But are they in danger?

Light and agile, children have long held the reins in Mongolian horse racing. But the hazards of the sport make it anything but child’s play.

16 Dec 2025 - 3:47PM

Horse rider Dolgorsuren Batoyun (centre) is pictured as a child. Now grown up, the first woman member of Mongolia’s national polo team looks back fondly on the “cultures and customs” her father (right) taught her. Photo: Dominique Backhouse

China-led Asia-Pacific lifts global aviation outlook as profits set to soar

Passenger demand from China and India, eased visa rules and freight resilience drive growth as IATA forecasts record airline profits in 2026.

15 Dec 2025 - 8:05PM

How Saudi Arabia’s mountains offer authentic delights rarely found elsewhere

Far from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 development projects, the hills of Asir province and its capital Abha offer a place to ‘clear the mind’.

15 Dec 2025 - 12:15PM

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She quit her corporate job to walk 5,700km alone across America

Jessica Guo became the first woman to hike a continuous route linking the Continental Divide Trail with the Great Divide Trail.

16 Dec 2025 - 6:20PM

Jessica Guo quit her job to hike across America. Her trek ended on September 19, at the northern terminus of the Great Divide Trail, at the Kakwa Lake terminus marker for the 54th parallel in Kakwa Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. Photo: Jessica Guo

Food and Drinks

What to eat on Peng Chau, food-filled Hong Kong island great for day trips

Peng Chau is full of spots serving everything from old-school dim sum to pizza. Be sure to visit at weekends when most restaurants are open.

14 Dec 2025 - 12:15PM

New arts venues in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, including the ‘Airpod building’

The Shenzhen Bay Culture Square and Aranya Art Centre Guangzhou show the Greater Bay Area’s ongoing efforts to become a cultural destination.

10 Dec 2025 - 4:15PM

This Japanese farm homestay lets you get involved in producing organic food

Part of the global Wwoof programme, the Sho Farm near Tokyo lets visitors get their hands dirty and learn all about organic farming.

8 Dec 2025 - 4:15PMvideocam

Farmers replant rice seedlings for a new trial at Sho Farm near Tokyo, Japan. Sho Farm offers homestays under the Wwoof organic farm stay programme. Photo: SCMP

Egypt’s Saint Catherine town is getting an overhaul. Not everyone is happy

A US$300 million project is under way to draw tourists to the biblical mountain town, but experts fear more harm is being done than good.

6 Dec 2025 - 12:15PM

Saint Catherine’s Monastery, in South Sinai, Egypt, pictured in September 2016. Hotels and other large building projects under construction in the Saint Catherine valley as part of Egypt’s “Great Transfiguration” tourism megaproject are sparking outrage among locals and heritage experts alike. Photo: AFP

11 of the best Unesco World Heritage sites in the US to check out

The US boasts 26 Unesco World Heritage sites, some of which are globally famous, like the Grand Canyon, while others are less well known.

2 Dec 2025 - 12:45PM

Top 10 travel trends for Hongkongers in 2026, from road trips to ‘romantasy’

Booking.com’s ‘Travel Predictions 2026’ survey also finds Hongkongers are seeking nature, thinking of their skin and open to robot help.

1 Dec 2025 - 12:44PM

Meet the quokka, the ‘world’s happiest animal’. Just don’t touch them, please

Famed for their perpetual smiles, quokkas are found on Australia’s Rottnest Island. But if you’re going there for a selfie, follow the rules.

27 Nov 2025 - 7:15AM

A quokka smiles for the camera on Rottnest Island off Australia’s west coast. Learn more about the island’s cutest residents and how to be a responsible tourist. Photo: Carola Frentzen/dpa

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