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Asia travel

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Asia travel
Survival guides, insider secrets, top things to do, eco-tours, independent hotel reviews, family-friendly itineraries: fire your imagination with the South China Morning Post’s travel guides and must-see lists for holiday destinations across China and the rest of Asia.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM
The summit of Norman Foster’s HSBC Main Building in relief against The Peak, 1986. Photo: Ian Lambot

The building that rewrote architecture – 40 years ago

The architect whose creation defied convention and the photographer who shot it share their thoughts on an inside-out marvel.

Reading Time:7 minutes
Bryn Terfel, the bass-baritone. Photo: Rolex/Elisa Haberer

A legendary opera singer on playing the ‘bad boy’ on stage

Reading Time:3 minutes
The Chung Hom Kok, Hong Kong, home designed by Studio Quinn. Photo: courtesy Studio Quinn and Common Studio

How art transformed a Hong Kong home

Reading Time:4 minutes
Kai Ching Estate in Kai Tak, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Photo: Alexander Mak

Too shiny, straight, serious, samey: when architecture stops feeling human

Reading Time:9 minutes
Christie’s auctioneer Rahul Kadakia and his billion-dollar gavel. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

‘We didn’t play with toys, we played with jewels’: meet the man born for the rostrum

Reading Time:3 minutes
Cathay Pacific 747 with Lion Rock and Kowloon Walled City (1989), by Greg Girard. Photo: courtesy Greg Girard and WKM Gallery

Greg Girard’s photo exhibition shows five decades of Hong Kong and Tokyo

Reading Time:3 minutes
MORE IN POSTMAG
Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Dong Dong pose for a portrait during the “Shambhala in Your Heart” festival. Dong Dong is a 27-year-old who lives in Urumqi, Xinjiang. He works in a maintenance unit for China’s state-owned railway, for the past two years, he has used all of his annual leave for his Shambhala pilgrimages. Photo: David Frazier
Thailand

Chinese youths swap the rat race for fun and freedom at Thailand’s hippie Shambhala festival

At a hippie festival in northern Thailand, mainland Chinese youths are swapping involution for personal freedom.

Food and Drinks

How sake breweries near Japan’s Mount Fuji are taking the drink to new heights

Luxury Hotels

Review | Regent Bali Canggu brings coastal luxury to the island’s trendiest beach

China travel

South Korea opens door wider to Chinese travellers – but will they come?

Higher airfares and fierce regional competition may blunt impact of new policy, analysts say.

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Tourists walk around Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, South Korea, on March 15. Photo: EPA
Indonesia

Bali rocked by spate of murder cases – is Indonesian island more dangerous now?

The cases allegedly involving foreign suspects have spurred concerns that gang disputes have moved from other countries to the island.

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Japan

Litterbugs in Shibuya to be fined on the spot as visitor numbers surge

The initiative, which will see offenders fined US$12.50, reflects a broader rethink of the ward’s earlier decision to remove public rubbish bins.

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Indonesia

‘Disturbing’: are Indonesia’s borders prone to systemic immigration corruption?

Some Singaporean tourists to Batam say they have paid nearly US$200 to clear entry checks that should have been free for Southeast Asian visitors.

Batam is about an hour’s ferry ride from nearby Singapore. Photo: Dewey Sim
China travel

Amid soaring airfares, Chinese bookings up 20% ahead of Ching Ming holiday

Global instability fails to deter Chinese holidaymakers with airlines selling 2.04 million tickets in the lead-up to Ching Ming Festival.

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North Korea

Video | Air China resumes direct flights to Pyongyang

The route resumption is seen as a sign of warming economic ties between China and North Korea.

Luxury Hotels

Review | Explore a new side of the city from the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan

The new Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan, with its futuristic facade, is situated in one of the city’s most stylish areas – and is Hilton’s 888th property in China.

The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai Qiantan looks like a cruise ship when seen from across the Huangpu River. Photo: Handout
Japan

Sacred deer have been a fixture of Japan’s Nara. Now they’re wandering away

More green spaces in nearby cities and the deer’s adaptable nature have led to them straying as far as 40km away from their habitat.

The deer at Nara Park in Japan are popular with tourists and locals. Photo: AFP
Tourism

Profile | How a third-culture COO navigates culture clashes in frosty Niseko

The Luxe Nomad executive Patrick Ohtani talks about overcoming the issues that arise as cultures mix in the popular Japanese ski resort.

Tourism

Visiting South Korea? 10 BTS pilgrimage spots every Army should visit

Explore iconic landmarks throughout the K-pop band’s history, from the current Hybe headquarters to their trainee-era haunts.

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China trade

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

After three speculative booms – and busts – the island province is seeking sustainable growth based on new status as a free-trade port.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
Malaysia

Malaysia wanted 43 million tourists this year. Then the Iran war happened

Malaysia’s reliance on Gulf hubs is exposed as long-haul fares soar, but 21 million annual arrivals from Singapore offer a buffer.

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Members of the Iranian women’s football team seen at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday after staying in a hotel in the Malaysian capital while awaiting the next leg of their journey home. Photo: AFP
Japan

Video | Tokyo’s cherry blossom season kicks off early

This year’s sakura season is 5 days earlier than usual.

Japan

MORE: An SCMP travel series

Today’s travellers want more out of their trips. More purpose. More authenticity. More connection. They’re wary of the dangers posed by over-tourism. They’re less likely to follow algorithms, and more likely to champion sustainability. And in a world over-reliant on smartphones, the modern traveller wants to be in the moment. They want more — and the travel industry is adapting to meet that demand, as this series explores.

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Malaysia

Some tourists in Malaysia make most of ‘extended’ holiday amid flight mess

Stranded European visitors in Malaysia navigate visa extensions and rebooking woes as the conflict shows no sign of easing.

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An Instagrammable spot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: Facebook/malaysia.travel.my
Food and Drinks

Best things to do in Harbin, China’s ice festival mecca with a Russian accent

Visiting Harbin during its Ice and Snow Festival adds a range of winter fun on top of delicious food, Russian architecture and bathhouses.

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Locals' Guide

Insider’s guide to Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Derelict houses reborn as hip cafes and a showcase for local fashion talent are some of the draws in Johor’s capital, actress Debbie Goh reveals.

Tourism

Shizuoka, in Japan, needs more tourists. How does it attract them?

For tourists tired of cities like Tokyo or Osaka, Shizuoka offers a quieter experience of Japanese culture. But how can it market itself?

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A Birupaku sign on the stairway, right outside Masatoyo Knives, indicates tourist lodgings. Photo: Jonathan Vit
Tourism

How the KPop Demon Hunters travel trend is shaking up ‘Korean wave’ tourism

While previous ‘hallyu’-driven tourist waves focused on K-pop culture, KPop Demon Hunters fans are embracing Korean culture on another level.

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Promotional material for instant noodles and snacks themed after the Netflix movie KPop Demon Hunters is displayed outside a shop in the tourist district of Myeongdong in Seoul. The South Korean capital has benefitted from a tourism wave linked to the movie’s popularity. Photo: The Washington Post via Getty Images
MORE TRAVEL

Video | Can a new kind of hotel save Japan’s dying towns?

One concept hotel in Shizuoka gives tourists a sense of living history by turning sites of closed businesses into guest lodging.

China travel

Here are 5 ways to enter China without a visa – by land, sea or air

China has continually expanded its visa-free policies in recent years. Here is a breakdown of the latest rules.

5
Indonesia

‘Quite severe’: coastal erosion threatens future of Bali’s famed Kuta Beach

Experts warn extreme weather and decades of coastal development on the resort island have worsened the situation.

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Tourists relax on Kuta Beach in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2025. Officials say the erosion on Kuta Beach is “quite severe”. Photo: EPA
Art

Why modern art museum Dib Bangkok is a must-visit destination in Thailand

Explore Dib Bangkok, a new contemporary art museum in a converted warehouse – its inaugural exhibition is showcasing works by 40 artists until August 3.

The courtyard of Thailand’s world-class museum of contemporary art, DIB Bangkok, which is housed in a converted warehouse redesigned by Why Architecture and Architects 49 (A49). Photo: Handout
Japan

The quiet Japanese islands where Christians once hid their religion

Those searching for solitude in these tranquil Japanese isles follow in the footsteps of persecuted Christians forced to practise their faith in secret.

Cambodia

Beyond Angkor Wat’s allure: discovering Cambodia’s hidden gems

From authentic Khmer dining and luxe temple living at Anantara Angkor Resort, to Phnom Penh’s vibrant streets, riverside strolls and artisanal souvenirs.

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