https://www.scmp.com/rss/521355/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mavis Teo Mavis Teo Despite the high crime rates that dogged Johor Bahru from the 1980s to the 2000s, the closest Malaysian city kept luring Singaporeans with its cheap seafood and groceries – and even petrol. The crowds still descend, but these days the capital of Johor state draws visitors for a variety of other reasons. Even in-the-know foreign tourists to Singapore slip across the 1km-long causeway for a change of scene – undeterred by the traffic jams. The five-minute ride on the KTM Shuttle Tebrau train,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3347037/insiders-guide-johor-bahru-malaysia-hipster-fashion-desserts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3347037/insiders-guide-johor-bahru-malaysia-hipster-fashion-desserts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 10:00:37 +0000 Zinara Rathnayake Zinara Rathnayake Bengaluru, the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, is an adopted home that food stylist and photographer Sanskriti Bist never tires of. Bist, whose recent projects have included learning the techniques of hand-pulled noodles in northwestern China and documenting the kitchens of Berlin, Germany, says her favourite aspect of Bengaluru is the city’s embrace. “People are so welcoming,” says Bist, who moved from Raipur, in central India, to Bengaluru – formerly known as Bangalore –... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3339535/insiders-guide-bengaluru-city-welcomes-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3339535/insiders-guide-bengaluru-city-welcomes-you?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 09:00:15 +0000 Carolyn Beasley Carolyn Beasley Sandwiched between rusty desert and the cobalt Indian Ocean, Perth, in Western Australia, sprawls along 100km of coastline. With its economy linked to natural resources, the city has weathered the booms and busts, but this is not just a frontier mining town. Despite being one of the most remote conurbations in the world, Perth has matured into a vibrant destination, with sunny beaches, diverse suburbs and a sophisticated food and wine scene. “The suburbs are where Perth is,” says Max Veenhuyzen,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3337574/insiders-guide-perth-sun-kissed-beaches-and-local-wines-indigenous-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3337574/insiders-guide-perth-sun-kissed-beaches-and-local-wines-indigenous-art?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Dec 2025 02:15:08 +0000 Ian Lloyd Neubauer Ian Lloyd Neubauer It’s about the same size as neighbouring Bali, with the same lush green jungles, terraced rice paddies, palm-fringed beaches, volcanoes with lake-filled craters and rich indigenous culture. But unlike Bali, it’s not overburdened by traffic and tourists. Add islets and atolls that wouldn’t look out of place in the Maldives, reefs brimming with turtles, world-class surf breaks and an expanding selection of sophisticated places in which to eat, drink and stay, and you’ll begin to see why Lombok... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3328908/insiders-guide-indonesias-lombok-worthy-new-bali-volcanic-craters-and-horse-drawn-carts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3328908/insiders-guide-indonesias-lombok-worthy-new-bali-volcanic-craters-and-horse-drawn-carts?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Kalpana Sunder Kalpana Sunder With the Arabian Sea on one side and the Western Ghats mountain range on the other, Kerala has long cast its spell on travellers, with meandering back­waters, temple rituals and spice ports. Criss-crossed by 44 rivers, this Indian state offers endless possibilities for exploration, perhaps on a houseboat, but scratch the glossy picture-postcard surface and you’ll find a wilder, deeper side, where tribal traditions, sustainable travel and biodiversity take centre stage. A different kind of... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3324495/insiders-guide-kerala-ancient-rituals-forest-walks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3324495/insiders-guide-kerala-ancient-rituals-forest-walks?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Sep 2025 05:15:07 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Bhutan is known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon due to the frequent thunderstorms that sweep its dramatic valleys. But visitors are often welcomed by stillness after a stomach-churning landing in mountain-ringed Paro, home to the country’s only international airport. There is rarely much traffic during the hour’s drive to the capital, Thimphu, to drown out the sound of gushing rivers and the wind. Since opening up to tourists in the early 1970s, Bhutan, the world’s only carbon-negative... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3321722/insiders-guide-bhutan-land-thunder-dragon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3321722/insiders-guide-bhutan-land-thunder-dragon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 13 Aug 2025 08:57:50 +0000 Zinara Rathnayake Zinara Rathnayake Sri Lanka’s south coast, stretching from design-led Bentota to Yala National Park, home to the elusive leopard, has long been a visitor favourite for its powder-soft beaches. But beyond being a surf and party destination, Southern Province is a diverse blend of rainforests, tea gardens, villages with their traditional crafts and a centuries-old fort. It has also evolved into the island nation’s gastronomy hub, with contemporary bars and chic cafes spotlighting native ingredients. To help... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3318964/insiders-guide-sri-lankas-southern-province?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3318964/insiders-guide-sri-lankas-southern-province?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Jul 2025 14:00:36 +0000 Leyla Rose Leyla Rose Southeast Asia’s largest city is unlike any other, its skyscrapers competing for space with colonial Dutch buildings such as the Jakarta History Museum (formerly the Batavia City Hall), the Bank Indonesia Museum (formerly the Dutch East Indies Bank) and the Jakarta Kota Railway Station. However, many travellers dismiss Jakarta as little more than a transit hub for travel across Indonesia. Spend a little time here, though, and you’ll find cultural attractions aplenty, delicious food and drink,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3316052/insiders-guide-jakarta-cultural-festivals-traditional-markets-and-hip-coffee-shops?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3316052/insiders-guide-jakarta-cultural-festivals-traditional-markets-and-hip-coffee-shops?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Mavis Teo Mavis Teo Taipei offers more than night markets and Hokkien soap operas; the Taiwanese capital is a city that reveals itself in layers to those who return. “Taipei reminds me of New York; not in scale, but in how each neighbourhood has its own pulse,” says Aaron Chan, founder of Riant Capital, a private equity firm involved in Taiwan’s hospitality scene (as owner of the Park Hyatt Taipei and Capella Kenting, among others). What draws him in, he says, is how the city unfolds. “The best coffee, the edgiest... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3315427/insiders-say-taipei-city-reveals-itself-layers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3315427/insiders-say-taipei-city-reveals-itself-layers?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:00:08 +0000