Asia

On May 1, 2019, Emperor Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne. Court chamberlains carried two black lacquered boxes into the Pine Room and set them on tables beside him. He took possession of them. Nobody opened them. That’s it. That’s the ceremony. The most important objects in Japanese imperial tradition changed hands. Not one person in…

Corporate travel has evolved far beyond the boardroom. The global bleisure travel market reached an estimated $762 billion recently, reflecting a massive shift in how professionals view corporate trips. Major international hospitality brands have reported that modern business travellers are booking stays up to 20 per cent longer than in previous years to accommodate personal…

The traditional boundary between business and leisure travel has officially blurred. As remote work becomes a permanent fixture for many professionals, the global market for blended travel is expanding rapidly. Industry projections estimate growth from approximately $816 billion in 2025 to over $3.5 trillion by 2034. With roughly 76 percent of employees now extending their…

Around 210 BC, a fleet of roughly sixty ships left the eastern coast of China. It carried about 6,000 teenagers, plus soldiers, sailors, and skilled craftsmen. Their assignment was to find a mountain where immortals lived. Then they were to bring back a medicine that would let the emperor live forever. They never came back.…

Somewhere in the tangled neon backstreets of Shinjuku, there’s a show involving cartwheeling samurai, breakdancing ghosts, and geisha pounding out rhythms on taiko drums. All of it happens inside the same 90 minutes. It’s called the Samurai Restaurant. It’s technically a restaurant. But almost nobody goes there for the food. It’s Actually a Resurrection To…

Roopkund sits about 16,500 feet up in the Indian Himalayas, small, shallow, and frozen for most of the year. For a few weeks each summer the ice pulls back, and the bones show up. Hundreds of human skeletons ring the shoreline and litter the lake bottom, with some estimates putting the total as high as…

From the water, Hashima Island looks like a battleship. That’s not a metaphor. A seawall, packed apartment towers, and a jagged concrete skyline just do that to a tiny island when you see it from a boat. Locals call it Gunkanjima, “Battleship Island,” and the nickname stuck harder than the real name ever did. What’s…

In much of Tibet, when someone dies, their body doesn’t get buried or cremated. It gets carried up a mountain, laid out in the open, and left for vultures. Tibetans call the practice jhator, which translates roughly to “giving alms to the birds.” The term “sky burial” actually came from outsiders, and it’s stuck in…

The 2011 earthquake off Japan’s Sanriku coast was the most powerful ever recorded in the country’s history. The tsunami that followed wiped entire towns off the map, and close to 20,000 people died. One tiny village didn’t lose a single person, and the reason wasn’t luck. A slab of stone on the hillside above the…

Corporate travel has undergone a massive transformation over the past couple of years. Modern executives are no longer satisfied with simply flying into a city, attending a boardroom meeting, and heading straight back to the airport. According to recent industry data from the Global Business Travel Association, business travel spending in the Asia Pacific region…

Bangkok is a city of distinct personalities. For decades, the Thai capital has been famous for its chaotic energy and rugged backpacker trails. Visitors often seek out the bizarre, as highlighted in this guide to 5 unusual spots in Bangkok where adventurous travellers explore the quirky side of the city. The contrast is striking. While…

Asia’s landscapes are full of amazing buildings that do more than just look pretty; they whisper tales from centuries ago. From huge temple complexes hidden in jungles to ancient cities carved right out of rock, these structures are like doorways to forgotten worlds. When you explore them, it’s not just about sightseeing. It’s about really connecting…

Nobody who wrote these records expected anyone to read them again. They were payroll documents. Receipts. Travel authorizations. The most boring paperwork imaginable, kept by an empire’s accountants. And yet this exact archive ended up quietly correcting centuries of assumptions about the Persian Empire, mostly because everything else we thought we knew came from Persia’s…

For decades, Phuket was widely known for neon-lit streets and bustling backpacker crowds. However, the island has quietly undergone a profound and deliberate transformation. Today, sophisticated travellers are discovering a very different side of this tropical destination, one defined by peaceful enclaves, high-end wellness, and a world-class culinary landscape. If you are already in the…

Bangkok has long been celebrated for its vibrant street food culture and fiery local flavours. However, the Thai capital has steadily transformed into a genuinely cosmopolitan hub for global cuisine. Welcoming a large number of international visitors, the city offers an incredible diversity of dining options. Its appeal as a premier lifestyle and gastronomic destination…

Modern corporate leadership often feels like a marathon with no finish line. According to a recent survey by Deloitte, over 70 percent of senior leaders feel significantly more stressed today than they did just three years ago. As burnout rates soar across the globe, high-performing professionals are rethinking how they spend their precious annual leave.…

Tokyo packs 37 million people into its greater metropolitan area, runs on a train system with over 800 stations, and shifts personality by neighborhood every few blocks. Planning a trip here rewards a little structure. Without it, you’ll spend half your visit staring at transit maps instead of eating your way through Shibuya or wandering…

Around 2am on Java’s Ijen volcano, hundreds of tourists start climbing in total darkness, gas masks on, cameras ready. They’re chasing something that only exists after sunset: rivers of electric blue fire flowing down the mountainside like lava. Except it isn’t lava at all. At roughly the same hour, men who’ve climbed this same slope…

For roughly 20 million years, a nearly-blind white dolphin swam the length of the Yangtze River, navigating almost entirely by sound. Locals called it the Goddess of the Yangtze. It shows up in a Chinese dictionary from around 200 BC. Then, sometime in the early 2000s, while conservationists were actively trying to save it, it…

It is easy to see why international visitors flock to Thailand’s southern provinces each year. Phang Nga attracts travellers eager to witness its breathtaking coastal scenery. While the landscapes are undeniably magnificent, the reality of experiencing them often involves crowded piers, loud engines, and rushed itineraries. This type of standard island-hopping tour can often feel…

There is an island in the Arabian Sea between Yemen and Somalia where a third of all plant life exists nowhere else on Earth. Not a third of a specific genus. A third of every plant species on the island. Over 300 species found in one place and nowhere else in the world. The reptile…

Sokcho sits at the edge of Gangwon Province where the East Sea meets the base of Seoraksan National Park, making it one of the few places in South Korea where you can eat fresh squid on the beach in the morning and be hiking granite peaks by early afternoon. The city has long been a…

Planning a trip to Korea? You’re in for something special. South Korea is one of those destinations that feels exciting from the moment you land. It has the energy of a modern global city, the beauty of centuries-old palaces, the comfort of efficient transportation, and the kind of food that can turn a simple lunch…

Thailand has long been celebrated as a rite of passage for backpackers navigating the famous banana pancake trail. However, as travellers mature, their desire for chaotic hostels and crowded overnight ferries naturally fades, replaced by a yearning for refined comforts, privacy, and carefully curated experiences. Southern Thailand, particularly the island of Phuket, has elegantly adapted…

The modern executive no longer views a business trip as a purely transactional affair. Across Southeast Asia, a significant shift is transforming corporate itineraries. Professionals are extending their stays, replacing sterile airport lounges with immersive local experiences. With the global bleisure travel market projected to grow rapidly, hospitality leaders are adapting to this new demand.…