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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
Tourism

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.

SCMP Highlights

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

Art

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

Tourism

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.

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
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.

Mainland China

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.

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Tourism

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’.

A view of Rijal Almaa village, located west of Abha in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province. This part of the country offers an arguably more authentic experience – and certainly a cooler one – than in the kingdom’s desert areas, where many of its elaborate Vision 2023 projects aim to draw tourists. Photo: Xinhua via Zum Wire/TNS
A view of Rijal Almaa village, located west of Abha in Saudi Arabia’s Asir province. This part of the country offers an arguably more authentic experience – and certainly a cooler one – than in the kingdom’s desert areas, where many of its elaborate Vision 2023 projects aim to draw tourists. Photo: Xinhua via Zum Wire/TNS
Wellness

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.

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.

Asia travel

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.

Shenzhen Bay Culture Square opened in November 2025, the latest public cultural landmark to open in the Greater Bay Area (Photo: Zhu Yumeng; Courtesy of MAD Architecture Studio)
Tourism

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.

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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
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
Tourism

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.

Tourism

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.

Asia travel

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.

Road trips that embrace spontaneity and discovery will be popular among Hongkongers in 2026, according to a travel survey by Booking.com. Photo: Sinclair Communications
Asia travel

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.

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
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
Tourism

‘Hawaii of Europe’: how Madeira’s hiking trails offer movie-set-worthy scenery

Hiking is a huge draw to Madeira, where Earth’s largest surviving expanse of laurel forest is inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site.

Asia travel

Chinese cruise ship to Japan diverts to South Korea amid China-Japan spat

Chinese cruise operators are looking to avoid Japanese ports amid rising tensions, which is expected to spur tourism demand for South Korea.

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Tourism

Interactive museum dedicated to the Shroud of Turin opens in the US

US$5 million museum features 360-degree projection rooms, Shroud of Turin replicas, interactive kiosks and a life-size sculpture of Christ.

Nora Creech, director of Othonia North America, points to a replica of the Shroud of Turin at a new interactive museum in California dedicated to the shroud. Photo: AP
Nora Creech, director of Othonia North America, points to a replica of the Shroud of Turin at a new interactive museum in California dedicated to the shroud. Photo: AP
Performing arts in Hong Kong

Sandy Lam, Placido Domingo: 5 China Greater Bay Area music shows in December

See opera legend Placido Domingo in Guangzhou, catch Sandy Lam’s New Year’s Eve show in Shenzhen, watch a Russian classical quartet and more.

Tourism

Whisky, wool and Andy Murray’s luxury estate on a journey across Scotland

A trip from the Isle of Arran off western Scotland to Stirlingshire on its east coast takes in a land of natural beauty and friendly locals.

Tourism

What are the food and wine wonders of Italy’s Liguria and Piedmont regions?

The neighbouring regions in northwest Italy are between them home to pesto, great wines, white truffles and more. Here’s what to enjoy there.

The Piedmont commune of Serralunga d’Alba, from which the two-Michelin-star La Rei Natura is about 3km away. Photo: dpa
China travel

491,000 Japan-bound air tickets cancelled as China warns people to avoid travel

Lost ticket revenue could be in the billions of yuan, analyst says, as carriers brace for short-term capacity shifts if diplomatic tensions fail to ease.

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An aviation analyst said Shanghai-Tokyo and Shanghai-Osaka flights have been most affected in recent days by cancellations stemming from a diplomatic dispute between China and Japan. Photo: Xinhua
An aviation analyst said Shanghai-Tokyo and Shanghai-Osaka flights have been most affected in recent days by cancellations stemming from a diplomatic dispute between China and Japan. Photo: Xinhua
Food and Drinks

2025 or 1625? Diners at new Beijing restaurant ‘time travel’ to ancient China

Yan Wai Yan dishes up an eight-act period performance with an eight-course meal and provides hanfu clothing for those wishing to dress up.

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Tourism

Entrepreneur Lin Xiangxiong’s Penang art museum aims to ‘bridge cultures’

The mining boss and artist shares how his soon-to-open Lin Xiang Xiong Art Gallery will help make George Town a centre for cultural dialogue.

Tourism

In China, you can get married in a temple, in a club, even a subway station

China is letting couples wed anywhere in the country, from a lake with meaningful statistics to a subway station with a romantic name.

A newlywed couple pose with their marriage certificates after they register at the Huguo Guanyin Temple, in Beijing, China, on October 28, 2025. Photo: Reuters
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