https://www.scmp.com/rss/808/feed Jamie has been writing about travel, technology and astronomy for SCMP.com for almost a decade. He's visited over 60 countries, picking up travel hacks and tech tips along the way. However, he's usually in search of wilderness and dark skies to indulge his joint interests of photography and stargazing. Astronomy and travel clash in his latest venture, WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com I didn’t expect to see its famous moai statues face down in the dirt. Nor did I think I would have to drive through a huge herd of cows to reach them. But the most surprising thing about my visit to Easter Island, known locally as Rapa Nui, was watching the moon do something extraordinary above this iconic location. Remote, barren and almost treeless, Rapa Nui is on many a bucket list. On mine, there’s been a ring marked around it for years, not only for a particular date but even a specific... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3290483/eclipse-chasing-easter-island-amid-moai-statues?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3290483/eclipse-chasing-easter-island-amid-moai-statues?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Dec 2024 05:15:08 +0000 I descend a wooden ladder leaning against bare rock to reach the canyon ledge and a path along which I pass pinyon pine and Utah juniper. Cottonwoods below me glow yellow in the crisp morning light of late autumn. Ahead, standing in a sheltered nook in the canyon, is what is left of a village. Between the 8th and 12th centuries, it was home to around 100 people. Now, only swifts and swallows live here, darting in and out of a rocky canopy over rooms that were used to store corn, beans and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3254037/ultimate-us-ghost-towns-exploring-ancient-native-americans-settlements-and-culture-and-camping-under?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3254037/ultimate-us-ghost-towns-exploring-ancient-native-americans-settlements-and-culture-and-camping-under?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Mar 2024 09:52:29 +0000 “Pull over, it’s about to start!” With the camper van stationary on the side of Wyoming’s remote Highway 26, I jump out into the dust and thrust a pair of eclipse glasses into my wife’s hands. “It’s already taken a really big bite,” I say, as I check the progress of the moon across the sun. We have driven 80 miles (130km) since breakfast to escape clouds and are now under a clear sky. The sun is shrinking rapidly. The light fades and the crickets begin to hum ever louder. A cool breeze wafts... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3234084/best-places-see-2024-great-american-eclipse-and-2023-ring-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3234084/best-places-see-2024-great-american-eclipse-and-2023-ring-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Sep 2023 10:15:08 +0000 No month is complete without a full moon, but just occasionally there are two. When a full moon appears over Hong Kong on the evening of Thursday, August 31, it will be the second in the same month, and also the biggest and brightest of 2023. It will also be the only full moon of 2023 without a recognised name. What is going on with the moon this month – and why are some calling it the super blue moon? “As the moon’s orbital period around the Earth is 29.5 days, two full moons are possible in a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3232663/how-and-where-see-super-blue-moon-august-31-2023-and-why-they-are-more-common-you-might-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3232663/how-and-where-see-super-blue-moon-august-31-2023-and-why-they-are-more-common-you-might-think?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Aug 2023 10:15:15 +0000 Souk Waqif in Doha, Qatar, is a colourful place even when there aren’t thousands of football fans jostling to occupy its antiques shops, restaurants and shisha lounges. In the late afternoon sun, the mud-brick facades of the marketplace glow orange as the sweet smells of tobacco and molasses mingle with delicate perfumes and the smell of grilled lamb. The market’s main thoroughfare leads into the ultra-modern Msheireb district, where, during the group stages of the football World Cup, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3202984/qatars-olympics-style-world-cup-may-not-be-carbon-neutral-fifa-claims-what-do-make-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3202984/qatars-olympics-style-world-cup-may-not-be-carbon-neutral-fifa-claims-what-do-make-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Dec 2022 04:45:08 +0000 Just after sunset on Tuesday, a rare kind of “blood moon” will hang in the northwestern sky over Hong Kong for almost an hour and a half. There will not be another total lunar eclipse seen from Hong Kong until 2025. In a second, simultaneous celestial event, the blood moon at its peak will block views of the planet Uranus for 49 minutes. Caused by an alignment that sees the moon drift into Earth’s shadow, this total lunar eclipse will have various phases, the most interesting of which is... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3198473/blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-2022-when-watch-it-hong-kong-and-why-one-unique?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3198473/blood-moon-total-lunar-eclipse-2022-when-watch-it-hong-kong-and-why-one-unique?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Nov 2022 23:15:08 +0000 No, it won’t look blue, but this weekend’s blue moon will please stargazers who crave a beautiful view of a full moon hanging low in the sky underneath the bright planet Jupiter. The upcoming full moon will be 100 per cent illuminated when seen from Hong Kong at 8.03pm local time on Sunday, August 22. It comes 15 months after May 2020’s “super blood moon” total lunar eclipse, during which social distancing rules were flouted on Hung Hom promenade by astronomy buffs straining to see the lunar... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3145299/how-see-blue-moon-east-asian-skies-weekend-when-phenomenon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3145299/how-see-blue-moon-east-asian-skies-weekend-when-phenomenon?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Aug 2021 08:15:07 +0000 Have you been looking up during lockdown? Or maybe it’s been years since you stood transfixed by a starry sky. Asia has a reputation for being domed in neon lights, but in its remote corners, and in the wider Asia-Pacific region, there exists plenty of true darkness at night. Sure, Hong Kong and coastal China are heavily light-polluted, but check a light pollution map such as darksitefinder.com and you’ll discover that the Himalayas, northern Thailand and Laos, much of rural China – and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3144114/nine-best-places-see-night-sky-asia-pacific-secluded?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3144114/nine-best-places-see-night-sky-asia-pacific-secluded?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Aug 2021 10:15:09 +0000 Is the location-centric approach to working on the wane? Covid-19 restrictions have certainly forced many people to work from home, but some have been living and working remotely for years. These so-called “digital nomads” favour places such as Bali, Indonesia, and Chiang Mai, Thailand, for their low cost of living and social-networking opportunities. With international travel gradually opening back up as national populations become vaccinated, would-be digital nomads may be wondering which city... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3140929/ranked-cities-best-equipped-digital-nomads-after-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3140929/ranked-cities-best-equipped-digital-nomads-after-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jul 2021 23:15:11 +0000 A new league table shows Mumbai in India is the most stressful major city to live in, and Hong Kong is not much better. At the opposite end of the scale, Reykjavik in Iceland is the world’s lowest-stress city. The compilers of the table of 100 cities say Hong Kong’s current political turmoil could make its ranking – 74th in 2021 – even worse in years to come, adding that the unrest might act as an “anxiety accelerator” for residents. The “Least and Most Stressful Cities Index 2021” league table... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3139444/mumbai-most-stressful-major-city-live-and-hong-kong-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3139444/mumbai-most-stressful-major-city-live-and-hong-kong-not?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jul 2021 23:15:11 +0000 Just after sunset on May 26 a “super blood moon” will hang in the eastern sky over Hong Kong, as a super moon and a total lunar eclipse combine in a rare celestial alignment.  The first total lunar eclipse for Asia in almost three years, it’s set to be a brief but dramatic sight. It will be visible for just 15 minutes from around the Pacific Rim on the entire night side of Earth, and onlookers will be hoping for clear skies as the moon turns a reddish-orange.  What causes a super blood moon? The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3134482/pacific-rim-super-blood-moon-lunar-eclipse-week-when-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3134482/pacific-rim-super-blood-moon-lunar-eclipse-week-when-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 May 2021 20:15:12 +0000 For travellers, the Year of the Rat was a write-off. For many of us, there was no boarding of planes, no dream vacation, no ticking-off of an item on a bucket list. Hopes of a post-lockdown “normal” holiday are now pinned on the Year of the Ox. Whatever travel is possible this year it looks likely to be mostly a “pre-vaccine” year, wherein a certain amount of isolation will be wise. However, there are reasons to get excited about travel this year, with several landmark events, new openings and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3121438/luxury-travel-post-covid-19-year-ox-highlights-new-private?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3121438/luxury-travel-post-covid-19-year-ox-highlights-new-private?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Feb 2021 08:45:11 +0000 Lonely Planet has unveiled its Best in Travel picks for 2021 – and East Asia is almost nowhere to be seen. Although Asia-Pacific is represented by projects in Australia, New Zealand and Palau, and Jordan in West Asia and Kazakhstan in Central Asia, get a mention, only Cambodia flies the flag for the continent’s eastern half. “There was no attempt to exclude any particular organisation or country, and in previous years we would have made sure that we had a very good geographic spread,” says... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3113322/where-go-2021-now-pandemic-has-changed-travel-not-east?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3113322/where-go-2021-now-pandemic-has-changed-travel-not-east?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Dec 2020 08:15:04 +0000 The coronavirus pandemic has made more of us point cameras at our faces. Typically they have been webcams for videoconferencing with friends, family and colleagues. But let’s be honest, we were all taking selfies and conducting video calls long before Covid-19. Cue the Hero9 Black (US$349.98), the first GoPro action camera to work out of the box as a webcam and to include a front-facing screen for framing yourself in the shot. Add a new sensor, a removable lens guard and some of GoPro’s most... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3103442/gopro-hero9-black-review-action-camera/webcam-has-5k-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3103442/gopro-hero9-black-review-action-camera/webcam-has-5k-resolution?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Oct 2020 06:45:11 +0000 We may not be travelling much, but when we do, we’ll have some exciting new tech to take with us. At Berlin’s IFA (Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin) – the only major tech exhibition happening in 2020 – there was a new slant on travel tech: Covid-19 related gadgets. However, along with the portable mask sanitisers and wearable air purifiers, plenty of “old normal” tech was launched, to the delight of photographers, adventurers, and anyone who has trouble getting to sleep. Honor Watch GS... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3101195/ifa-2020-wearable-air-purifier-brain-cooler-best-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3101195/ifa-2020-wearable-air-purifier-brain-cooler-best-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2020 21:15:13 +0000 New products for a new normal. That’s one way to sum up the “special edition” of this year’s IFA, Europe’s biggest tech trade show, and the world’s only such event since the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Normally visited by 225,000 people, the Berlin venue had only 6,100 attendees and 150 exhibitors during the three-day event last week. Organisers created an online “Xtended Space” and a “virtual market place” for companies to present their latest products, and deliver keynote speeches, without... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3100545/ifa-2020-best-gadgets-pandemic-sex-toys-operate-remotely-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3100545/ifa-2020-best-gadgets-pandemic-sex-toys-operate-remotely-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2020 21:15:08 +0000 Rest. Recharge. Relive past trips and maybe make a photo book of your travels. All good advice to fill time at home, but what about your next trip? When travel restrictions are lifted and the borders open, where will you go, and what kind of traveller will you become? After an extended period of isolation many of us are going to want to do something active. Any of the following suggestions should get the blood pumping again. 1. Go e-mountain biking around Namibia After a few months indoors even... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3100076/10-dream-holidays-give-you-adrenaline-rush-extreme-skiing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3100076/10-dream-holidays-give-you-adrenaline-rush-extreme-skiing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2020 12:15:12 +0000 The exhibition halls at IFA Berlin – Europe’s biggest tech show in the German capital – may have been much quieter than usual, with 4,000 visitors instead of the usual 200,000-plus, but they were still bursting with new technology. These were among the most eye-catching among the eclectic gadgets on show. The Little Cat’s cat exercise wheel If there’s one thing cats can’t resist, it’s laser-light pointers – that’s the theory behind this exercise wheel for obese cats. It uses your pet’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3100212/ifa-2020-seven-best-new-gadgets-8k-tv-camera-smart-indoor-garden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3100212/ifa-2020-seven-best-new-gadgets-8k-tv-camera-smart-indoor-garden?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2020 10:45:14 +0000 It is hard to beat the sights, sounds and smells of a new city, but the allure of travel to densely populated areas is likely to be lower post-lockdown as travellers consider remote destinations and self-contained adventures. With this in mind, a spot of “social bubble” travel in a motorhome, camper van or recreational vehicle may just be what’s required. “It’s understandable many would-be travellers have had their confidence shaken by the lockdown,” says Dan Yates, founder of camping website... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3092159/how-plan-road-trip-and-five-best-places-visit-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3092159/how-plan-road-trip-and-five-best-places-visit-lockdown?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jul 2020 07:15:11 +0000 With airlines seeing close to zero demand for long-haul flights, super-low airfares and empty seats are inevitable until the end of 2021 as debt-ridden carriers try to stimulate demand. So says the International Air Transport Association (IATA), an airline trade association, which recently revealed updated forecasts showing just how dire the economic outlook is for its members. IATA says the world’s airlines are expected to lose US$84.3 billion in 2020, and a further US$15.8 billion in 2021.... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3090953/cheap-flights-next-two-years-long-haul-routes-likely-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3090953/cheap-flights-next-two-years-long-haul-routes-likely-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jun 2020 09:30:05 +0000 At 2.37pm in Hong Kong on Sunday, the moon will appear to take a bite out of the sun. By 4.08pm about 86 per cent of the sun will be blocked – as much as it will be for Hong Kong viewers – before the moon begins to move away. By 5.24pm, the celestial show will be over. Although it isn’t that long since the last time a partial eclipse of the sun was visible from Hong Kong – a 34 per cent eclipse occurred on December 26 – it might be worth looking for it on Sunday as the next ones of note will not... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3089525/ring-fire-solar-eclipse-visible-southern-china-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3089525/ring-fire-solar-eclipse-visible-southern-china-weekend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2020 09:15:15 +0000 Portable wireless speakers are good for use around a hotel room or in a tent, and if they’re waterproof you can also take them to a swimming pool, hot tub or even a shower while on holiday. With many of us confined to our homes this season, though, “outdoor electronics” are coming into their own as a way of providing much-needed entertainment in our outside spaces and on our balconies, too. Here are five of the latest and greatest wireless speakers for the outdoors that wirelessly connect to any... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3085946/five-bluetooth-portable-speakers-sony-bose-and-others-beach-your?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3085946/five-bluetooth-portable-speakers-sony-bose-and-others-beach-your?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2020 12:30:12 +0000 Where will you go on your first international trip after the coronavirus pandemic is over? The near-global lockdown is beginning to ease in some places and, though travel is going to be drastically affected in the months and years ahead, tourism is not going to stay in stasis for much longer. Nor should it, says Sam Bruce, co-founder and director at adventure holidays company Much Better Adventures, who believes that post-pandemic travel is going to be essential for the millions of people... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3084561/no-cruises-all-inclusive-resorts-responsible-travel-tips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3084561/no-cruises-all-inclusive-resorts-responsible-travel-tips?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2020 12:00:09 +0000 Is it time to plan for when the world will be open for travel again? The global Covid-19 pandemic has effectively put the aviation industry into hibernation, with travel restrictions and quarantine requirements around the world.  Eager for crucial cash flow, airlines are producing some very tempting deals for anyone who has got the stomach to book ahead. Here’s what you need to know. How low will prices go? For the rest of 2020, demand for flights is impossible to predict. When, where and how... https://www.scmp.com/business/post-coronavirus-travel-what-you-need-know-you-grab-bargain-deal/article/3083309?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/post-coronavirus-travel-what-you-need-know-you-grab-bargain-deal/article/3083309?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2020 10:12:53 +0000 Is it time to plan for when the world will be open for travel again? The global Covid-19 pandemic has effectively put the aviation industry into hibernation, with travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in Hong Kong and around the world. Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon recently reported carrying 90 per cent fewer passengers in March than normal. Eager for crucial cash flow, airlines are producing some very tempting deals for anyone who has got the stomach to book ahead. Here’s what you... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3083108/cheap-flights-airline-ticket-prices-slashed-grab-cash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3083108/cheap-flights-airline-ticket-prices-slashed-grab-cash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 May 2020 21:00:07 +0000 Nature is in crisis, with more than a million species at risk of extinction. The next decade will be critical in determining whether some animals, such as the African elephant, cheetah, and lion, survive in the wild. The “New Big 5” project (www.newbig5.com) is an attempt to draw attention to the plight of wild creatures by asking the public to vote on which ones should be placed on a “bucket list” of animals to shoot … with a camera. Two Asian species – the orangutan, native to Southeast Asia,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3082113/iconic-asian-animals-contention-new-big-5-wildlife?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3082113/iconic-asian-animals-contention-new-big-5-wildlife?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2020 20:30:08 +0000 Were you really getting the absolute maximum out of your travels before Covid-19 stopped us all in our tracks? A common failing among travellers is a lack of language skills, which can make cultural understanding and connecting with locals tricky in many places. There are many other shortcomings that we travellers display all too obviously; we take too many (terrible) photos, we cannot read maps properly and we lack enough knowledge of world history to truly appreciate the significance of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3080872/travel-hold-take-masterclass-or-free-online-course?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3080872/travel-hold-take-masterclass-or-free-online-course?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2020 12:30:10 +0000 As flights are grounded and industry slows, some unintended consequences of the global coronavirus lockdown are emerging. In many parts of the world, noise pollution, chemical pollution and light pollution are at their lowest levels for many decades. It’s quieter, the sky is clearer, and the stars at night are easier to find. For stargazers – on a constant quest to reach the world’s disappearing dark spots – this a moment to pause and look up. After all, it is only a temporary situation: once... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3080415/coronavirus-silver-lining-less-pollution-means-more-night?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3080415/coronavirus-silver-lining-less-pollution-means-more-night?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2020 12:00:14 +0000 Jamie Carter Jamie Carter The spectre of coronavirus continues to hang over everyone’s travel plans, but one thing is for sure: when it’s all over there is going to be a surge in travel as everyone tries to make up for lost time. Chances are many of us will have a renewed appetite for fresh, meaningful experiences, with the previously growing trend of so-called “upskilling” holidays likely to rise further. Travel company Responsible Travel reported seeing demand for holidays that teach you how to do something more than... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3078721/travel-after-coronavirus-learn-something-new-upskilling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3078721/travel-after-coronavirus-learn-something-new-upskilling?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2020 23:00:16 +0000 Where you point your camera is everything. That is, unless you have a 360-degree camera, which films all round using two fish-eye lenses. Able to shoot standard linear video as well, currently the most sought-after 360 action cameras are the GoPro Max 360 (US$499.99) and the uniquely modular Insta360 One R Twin Edition (US$479.99). So which one is best? That depends on what you’re after. Design and hardware They may be targeting a similar kind of videographer, but these two cameras couldn’t be... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3078628/best-360-cameras-gopro-max-360-vs-insta360-one-r-twin-edition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3078628/best-360-cameras-gopro-max-360-vs-insta360-one-r-twin-edition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2020 12:00:14 +0000 Do you suspect you miss travelling more than your friends and family do? You could be suffering from a condition called dromomania – literally an uncontrollable urge to walk or wander, also used by psychologists to describe travel addiction. As borders close and airlines pause operations, many of us will handle the coronavirus travel lockdown with simple shrug of the shoulders and a wistful comment about waiting until this has all blown over. But how are ‘travel addicts’ adjusting to life in one... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3078338/are-you-travel-addict-how-bloggers-influencers-and-writers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3078338/are-you-travel-addict-how-bloggers-influencers-and-writers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2020 15:45:09 +0000 Are you making the best of your travel history? For once, we all have plenty of time on our hands to step back and consider it. Many of us have had incredible experiences abroad and will have the photos – thousands of them – to prove it. But chances are your travel photography files are in a mess, so what better time to sort them out and enjoy reminiscing over your favourite past adventures while you do? 1. How to edit your travel photos We all have too many travel photos. Whether you have got... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3077560/edit-back-share-how-organise-your-travel-photos-while?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3077560/edit-back-share-how-organise-your-travel-photos-while?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2020 18:00:12 +0000 How do you choose your sunglasses? Do you go for oval, semi-rimless or wayfarer? Or maybe you are a fan of the teardrop-shaped aviator style? Prepare to relegate thoughts of style and instead focus on how your sunglasses sound. Cue the Bose Frames (US$199.95), which come in two styles; their key feature is built-in stereo speakers. Smart glasses? Yes, in a way, but do not confuse them with Google Glass. In essence they are much more like the AfterShokz Aeropex, wireless headband-style “bone... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3075737/sunglasses-or-earphones-bose-frames-answer-both-these-shades-come?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3075737/sunglasses-or-earphones-bose-frames-answer-both-these-shades-come?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2020 12:00:12 +0000 Mass-transit systems around the world are not where anyone wants to be at the moment. They are still busy, but anxious passengers are trying to complete their journeys as quickly as possible. But for Asia, they should be source of pride. The continent has the top three systems in the world based on passenger experience, and that’s not including Hong Kong’s MTR. The rankings, by flat rental brand Essential Living, used data about the 10 busiest subway and metro systems in the world, judged on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3075591/asia-has-top-three-mass-transit-systems-world-and-thats?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3075591/asia-has-top-three-mass-transit-systems-world-and-thats?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2020 10:00:21 +0000 What is the most unusual place you have ever stayed in? Maybe it was a treehouse in the jungle – or could it have been a spaceship, or even a giant potato in the middle of Idaho? While travellers around the world have seen their holiday plans hindered by the coronavirus outbreak, online home-sharing giant Airbnb is giving people something to dream about, offering US$1 million to anyone wanting to build a unique home to share on its platform. Its “Unique Airbnb Fund” is a US$1 million programme... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3075392/creative-sustainable-hotels-airbnb-give-away-us1-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3075392/creative-sustainable-hotels-airbnb-give-away-us1-million?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2020 18:00:21 +0000 Smartphones may be one of the main ways we watch video today, but we all know that movies look better on the big screen – and the bigger, the better. For a long time, projectors were a luxury option for those of us with the room to dedicate to a home cinema. Now they are at last becoming affordable and – just as importantly – more practical for use in small and shared spaces. You can spend as much as you want, but an excellent big-screen picture of 80 inches or more can now be had for less than... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3074630/home-cinema-five-things-look-when-you-buy-projector-including?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3074630/home-cinema-five-things-look-when-you-buy-projector-including?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2020 10:00:15 +0000 Are you ready to replace your TV with a projector? The Epson EH-TW7000 (US$1,500) – known as the Home Cinema 3200 in the United States – provides a convincing argument to make the switch. You can forget the usual worries about whether the image will be bright enough in daylight, and where the audio will come from; this model has a 3,000 lumen lamp and a wireless connection to a Bluetooth sound bar or speaker. Design and hardware An engine-powered, three-LCD light projector that will go for 5,000... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3073899/epson-eh-tw7000-home-cinema-projector-review-super-bright-lamp?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3073899/epson-eh-tw7000-home-cinema-projector-review-super-bright-lamp?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2020 18:00:11 +0000 Jamie Carter Jamie Carter It’s not the best time to travel, with coronavirus security measures making it hard to plan future holidays. However, for anyone looking for inspiration, a new report points to trends emerging among different demographic groups in Hong Kong. Airbnb’s latest report, based on its bookings data for 2019, outlines five travel trends across Asia-Pacific. Hong Kong’s Generation Z and millennials prefer to book ‘aparthotels’, while Generation X choose to book guest suites, though bookings for simple... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3052800/millennials-baby-boomers-airbnbs-asia-pacific-five-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3052800/millennials-baby-boomers-airbnbs-asia-pacific-five-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Feb 2020 12:00:10 +0000 The Kandao QooCam 8K pocket-sized 360 camera about more than its groundbreaking resolution. Sure, the 7,680 x 3,840 pixels it records are handy, not least because the panoramic video it takes can be scaled-down to regular widescreen and still look sharp. However, it also has 10-bit video capture, slow motion, a big OLED touch screen and a host of easy editing options. Can the QooCam 8K live up to its billing as a one-of-a-kind camera? Design and hardware The QooCam 8K carries the phrase... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3048739/kandao-qoocam-8k-review-first-hi-res-360-degree-camera-sets-bar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3048739/kandao-qoocam-8k-review-first-hi-res-360-degree-camera-sets-bar?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Feb 2020 04:45:06 +0000 Despite “flygskam” – flight shame – and climate crisis concerns, air travel is only set to grow, with a predicted doubling of the worldwide number of passengers flying by 2040. China is anticipated to become the world’s largest aviation market within the next 10 years. “By 2030, China will be the biggest passenger market in the world, and its domestic travel will represent the largest traffic flow,” says Benoit Verbaere, business development director at SITA, a provider of IT and telecoms... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3047007/what-smart-airports-future-will-be-air-taxis-5g-sensor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3047007/what-smart-airports-future-will-be-air-taxis-5g-sensor?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Jan 2020 12:00:09 +0000 The United States sends the most tourists to China—and almost all of them go to Beijing—but 2020 could be the year when visitors branch out to other destinations, especially those in rural areas. The verdant mountains of Yunnan Province in the southwest; the historic city of Datong in Shanxi Province; and Huangshan in Anhui Province, whose dramatic mountains inspired the fictional planet in James Cameron’s Avatar, were popular travel destinations in 2019, according to an annual travel report by... https://www.scmp.com/travel/5-places-visit-china-2020/article/3047090?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/travel/5-places-visit-china-2020/article/3047090?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Jan 2020 23:10:32 +0000 The United States sends the most tourists to China, and almost all of them go to Beijing. Tibet is high on many bucket lists, but few Western tourists ever actually visit. China virtually empties of Western tourists during November, December and January. These are some of the takeaways from the third annual report on popular travel destinations in China by The China Guide, a travel agency in Beijing that develops customized tours for travelers from the US, Germany, France, Spain, Britain,... https://www.scmp.com/china/beijing-dominates-chinese-tourism-there-travel-gold-beyond-big-city/article/3045319?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/china/beijing-dominates-chinese-tourism-there-travel-gold-beyond-big-city/article/3045319?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Jan 2020 09:12:19 +0000 The United States sends the most tourists to China and almost all of them go to Beijing. Tibet is high on many bucket lists, but few Western tourists ever actually visit. China virtually empties of Western tourists during November, December and January. These are some of the takeaways from the third annual report on popular travel destinations in China by The China Guide, a travel agency in Beijing that develops customised tours for travellers from the US, Germany, France, Spain, Britain,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3045121/2020s-top-two-emerging-tourist-destinations-china-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3045121/2020s-top-two-emerging-tourist-destinations-china-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Jan 2020 23:15:08 +0000 If you’re choosing your next city break by price, the cheapest places to spend 24 hours are New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Five other Asian cities feature among the 10 that will set you back the least – including Shanghai and, perhaps surprisingly, Singapore. While Shanghai ranks among the 10 cheapest city break destinations, Hong Kong does not – coming in 25th out of 30 and ranking as the fifth most expensive city for beer drinkers. The data comes from analysis by travel insurance company... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3039273/cheap-city-breaks-bangkok-shanghai-new-delhi-and-even?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3039273/cheap-city-breaks-bangkok-shanghai-new-delhi-and-even?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Nov 2019 22:45:14 +0000 The AfterShokz Xtrainerz (pronounced “cross trainers”) are a headband-style pair of earphones that are completely waterproof, ideal for those who want to listen to music while swimming those endless laps. The headphones don’t actually go anywhere near your ear canals. Bone conduction is something AfterShokz has been pioneering for a few years, most notably on its Titanium and Trekz Air headphones (the latter a favourite with runners, recently updated and renamed Aeropex). Both look much like the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3036668/these-swimming-headphones-use-bone-conduction-send-sound-waves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3036668/these-swimming-headphones-use-bone-conduction-send-sound-waves?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Nov 2019 12:00:09 +0000 When did you last upgrade your keyboard? If it’s been a while, how about embracing a mechanical keyboard that revs like a car engine when you switch it on, lights up in waves of colourful LEDs when you type … and has superb built-in wireless speakers? Welcome to the Rocksete, one of the more bizarre products you’re likely to come across this year. Developed in Hong Kong by Knewkey Rymek, this is a mechanical keyboard aimed at anyone after a compact workstation hub for a tablet or phone. If... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3035151/rocksete-vintage-style-keyboard-and-compact-workstation-looks-odd?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3035151/rocksete-vintage-style-keyboard-and-compact-workstation-looks-odd?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:00:10 +0000 Are your selfies lacking detail … and people? As if being armed with a 32 megapixel front camera wasn’t enough, Vivo has also put a dual selfie camera on its new handset, the V17 Pro. It pops up mechanically, putting the phone in the same ballpark as the Oppo Find X and Oppo Reno phones. Do not underestimate it. An all-screen design without a notch cut-out is the smartphone designer’s dream come true. Add to that a reflective all-glass body, and the V17 Pro really looks the part, though it’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3034338/best-selfie-phone-vivo-v17-pro-review-dual-pop-front-cameras?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3034338/best-selfie-phone-vivo-v17-pro-review-dual-pop-front-cameras?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2019 07:00:10 +0000 What’s the most on-trend travel destination going to be in 2020? It’s Bhutan, according to Lonely Planet, which has put the tiny Asian nation at the top of its Best in Travel 2020 book, an annual publication of its top 10 countries, cities, regions and best-value destinations for the year ahead. The inclusion of Bhutan is all about sustainability. Often described as the world’s last Shangri-La, the Himalayan kingdom is aiming to become the world’s first 100 per cent organic nation next year,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3033850/why-bhutan-worlds-last-shangri-la-tops-lonely-planets-2020?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3033850/why-bhutan-worlds-last-shangri-la-tops-lonely-planets-2020?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 07:00:17 +0000 We all pretend we can work on our phones. Bigger screens are more productive, we think, and they’re great for multitasking. Besides, most people under 30 can hammer away on a virtual keyboard with their thumbs. None of that is true if your job involves writing, updating and exchanging documents. Cue the Peakago, a 7-inch device about to be crowdfunded on Indiegogo and expected to sell for US$250 to US$350 that tries to bridge the gap between touch screens and typing. Is it a laplet? A tabtop? A... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3032552/peakago-review-neither-laptop-nor-tablet-useful-business?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3032552/peakago-review-neither-laptop-nor-tablet-useful-business?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Oct 2019 08:00:17 +0000 Power-saving e-ink technology has been around since the Kindle was introduced, but no such device has been able to offer users such a seamless video-viewing experience – until now. The new Onyx Boox Max3 is a 13.3-inch e-reader for making digital notes, annotating and editing PDFs and, impressively, playing videos. Setting you back US$859.99, the Max3’s Android operating system means it can be used to listen to audiobooks, sync with cloud services like Dropbox and host Google Play apps. Design... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3031429/e-reader-plays-video-onyx-boox-max3-review-amazing-battery-life?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/gadgets/article/3031429/e-reader-plays-video-onyx-boox-max3-review-amazing-battery-life?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Oct 2019 17:00:14 +0000