https://www.scmp.com/rss/37/feed Travel and leisure news, including tours, guides and hotels. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP SCMP We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. How Sharla Cheung excelled next to Stephen Chow in 1990s Hong Kong cinema Sharla Cheung Man was one of Hong Kong cinema’s most popular actresses in the early 1990s. A Shanghainese beauty with classic film-star looks, she focused on commercial dramas rather than art films and awards, leaving behind solid, unpretentious... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3355899/sharla-cheungs-film-career-rise-and-fall-hong-kong-comics-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3355899/sharla-cheungs-film-career-rise-and-fall-hong-kong-comics-7-lifestyle-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jun 2026 05:30:07 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak During mainland China’s recent May Day holiday, a 2,500-year-old sword went viral on Chinese social media – but not for the reason you might think. Lasting from May 1 to 5, the May Day holiday – also known as “Golden Week” – sees large numbers of domestic tourists flocking to popular travel destinations across China, including the Hubei Provincial Museum, which houses the famous Sword of Goujian. Many of them end up buying a replica of the sword in the souvenir shop. As a result, the main... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3355704/how-chinas-excalibur-east-souvenir-swords-sparked-airport-security-warning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3355704/how-chinas-excalibur-east-souvenir-swords-sparked-airport-security-warning?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Paul French Paul French This summer’s major London exhibition will undoubtedly be the James McNeill Whistler retrospective at Tate Britain. It is comprehensive and sprawling, requires a solid half-day commitment at least and is of particular interest to Asian visitors to the British capital. It is a fitting exhibit for the Tate. Though American-born, Whistler was closely associated with Chelsea, just downriver from the Tate at Millbank. The retrospective, on until September 2026, tackles every period of Whistler’s life... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3355511/how-chinamania-japonisme-shaped-james-mcneill-whistlers-art-now-view-tate-britain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3355511/how-chinamania-japonisme-shaped-james-mcneill-whistlers-art-now-view-tate-britain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jun 2026 09:15:04 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Their stories follow a remarkably similar path. They start with frustration: over skyrocketing housing prices, or the pandemic’s impact on their jobs, or the tedium of arranging flowers for weddings and funerals. They each wanted to drastically change their lives, and they were willing to gamble that the way to do that could be found in a roadside motel along Route 66, an American artefact that turns 100 in November. These are the innkeepers who form the backbone of the iconic highway’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3355565/he-got-drunk-and-bought-motel-stories-behind-route-66-motel-owners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3355565/he-got-drunk-and-bought-motel-stories-behind-route-66-motel-owners?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui Li Yi-fan is turning heads in Italy, where his bizarre take on the digital self-portrait represents Taiwan at the 61st edition of the Venice Biennale. The video artist’s digital avatar – or “puppet”, as Li calls it – is impossible to unsee. It is naked – genitals obscured – with plaster-like skin, and is hairless and cloudy-eyed. It is not just physically crude but verbally vulgar and provocative. This abrasive persona may well be Taiwan’s answer to other groundbreaking animated avatars, such as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3355266/li-yi-fans-bizarre-digital-puppet-critiques-screen-obsessed-world-venice-biennale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3355266/li-yi-fans-bizarre-digital-puppet-critiques-screen-obsessed-world-venice-biennale?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:15:05 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service As a traveller, you have probably experienced the feeling of coming back from a holiday more exhausted than when you left. The red-eye flights, the rushed connections, the overpacked itineraries, the squeezing in just one more dinner reservation – by the time you arrive at home, your body still thinks it is in survival mode. Your holiday was well intentioned, but your nervous system never got a chance to unwind. A growing number of retreats and resorts are approaching travel differently. Instead... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3354716/relaxing-holiday-locations-reset-your-nervous-system-australia-canada?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3354716/relaxing-holiday-locations-reset-your-nervous-system-australia-canada?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Mark Footer Mark Footer “America is open, America is ready for you. We want you to come”. The United States’ new tourism chief, Nick Adams, boldly delivered the invitation at last week’s IPW Fort Lauderdale inbound travel trade show in Florida. “We can protect our borders and open our doors at the same time,” he insisted. “We want you to have a great vacation. There is no country like America on Earth.” Australian-born Adams, who obtained US citizenship in 2021, was appointed in March to the newly created position of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354827/us-unsafe-and-unwelcoming-trumps-aussie-born-tourism-chief-addresses-myths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3354827/us-unsafe-and-unwelcoming-trumps-aussie-born-tourism-chief-addresses-myths?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2026 02:23:46 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Flamingos are not native to Aruba, but that does not stop throngs of tourists from flocking to the island in the southern Caribbean Sea to pose with them every year. The privately-owned Flamingo Beach is artificially populated with the pink birds, and the only ways to get in are by staying at the Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba Resort or by picking up one of a couple of dozen day passes, which cost US$125 (HK$980) and sell out almost as quickly as Bad Bunny concert tickets. Travel blogger Shalyn... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3354720/checklist-tourism-rise-travellers-prioritise-selfies-over-real-stories?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3354720/checklist-tourism-rise-travellers-prioritise-selfies-over-real-stories?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2026 11:15:04 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui History looms large at the 2026 Venice Biennale, where the official curatorial framework – focused on contemplative, alternative voices from the “Global South” – has inspired many artists to draw from, come to terms with, and reveal personal perspectives within history. This is strongly reflected in a number of memorable exhibitions by artists of Asian heritage. While sidestepping cultural essentialism, these practitioners focus on sidelined perspectives and offer fresh ways of thinking amid... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3354160/how-asian-artists-2026-venice-biennale-are-making-their-voices-heard?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3354160/how-asian-artists-2026-venice-biennale-are-making-their-voices-heard?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2026 07:15:06 +0000 Ginny Wong Ginny Wong I have not had many relaxing massages in my life – they tend to leave me more sore than satisfied – but the one I was given at a 24-hour spa in Shenzhen, in China’s Guangdong province, just a stone’s throw from Hong Kong, lulled me into a Zen-like state so profound that I became entirely detached from this world. The internet’s obsession with 24-hour spas is nothing new – jjimjilbangs, or Korean bathhouses, have long been essential stopovers for visitors to South Korea – but the focus on China’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3354040/what-are-shenzhens-24-hour-spas-hong-kong-couple-stays-overnight-one?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3354040/what-are-shenzhens-24-hour-spas-hong-kong-couple-stays-overnight-one?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2026 23:15:04 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui In Venice, Italy, Indonesian artist Natasha Tontey has resurrected an oft-forgotten female guerrilla fighter from the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and moved her – and her band of girl muscle – into a four-century-old building that was once used for providing spiritual support to those sentenced to death by hanging. The message to 17th century visitors entering what is now the Ateneo Veneto cultural institute was that there was only one way to free the souls of the dead in purgatory: by buying... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3353405/indonesian-artists-venice-installation-reimagines-cia-backed-female-guerrilla-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3353405/indonesian-artists-venice-installation-reimagines-cia-backed-female-guerrilla-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2026 08:15:04 +0000 Reuters Reuters Greg ⁠Abbott is planning his summer holiday with half an eye on the ⁠Iran war. He intends to stay closer to home in Europe and is lining up a plan B, wary of rising air fares and cancellations. The 54-year-old Britain-based Australian is planning a cycling trip with friends in Austria, a festival in Barcelona, Spain, and possibly a yoga retreat in France. But he does not want to go too far and is keeping travel options open. “We’ll almost certainly be doing short-haul Europe, and almost... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3353353/hong-kong-london-why-travellers-have-plan-b-lined-summer-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3353353/hong-kong-london-why-travellers-have-plan-b-lined-summer-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 May 2026 11:15:04 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak Singapore’s reputation might be that of a conservative society that is rather prudish when it comes to physical intimacy and eroticism, but National Gallery Singapore (NGS) is opening a window into its boudoir with an exhibition that focuses on the artistic expressions of sexual pleasures. “Passion is Volcanic: Desire in Southeast Asian Art” borrows its title from Liu Kang’s 1953 essay Trip to Bali, in which the Chinese-Singaporean artist wrote that the passions of the Balinese were primal and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3353096/sex-desire-and-intimacy-explored-singapore-art-exhibition-over-18s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3353096/sex-desire-and-intimacy-explored-singapore-art-exhibition-over-18s?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 04:15:05 +0000 Joseph Koh Joseph Koh A resplendent train cuts a fine figure at platform two of Chengdu West Railway Station. Its elegant exterior, unlike the other austere carriages trackside, features striking hues of celadon blue and red, and hand-painted gilded lettering. This is the Silk Road Express, one of China’s first world-class luxury tourist trains, and I am about to board it for its new three-day return route to Yunnan. Conceived by the Shanghai-based Fosun Infrastructure Group, the train is China’s reply to the luxury... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352881/what-chinas-luxury-silk-road-express-train-we-ride-its-new-route?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352881/what-chinas-luxury-silk-road-express-train-we-ride-its-new-route?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 23:15:05 +0000 dpa dpa The White Lotus is jetting off to Cannes for its fourth season, once again putting the spotlight on the ultra-wealthy. While the show – which follows the exploits of guests and staff at a fictional luxury resort chain – involves some pretty unpleasant characters, it is hard to fault the glitzy Cannes location. Filming for the hit HBO anthology series is under way at the Hotel Martinez, but staff at the five-star Hyatt hotel will not tell me much. “It’s going to be gigantic,” general manager... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3353090/inside-white-lotus-season-4s-luxury-5-star-hotel-cannes-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3353090/inside-white-lotus-season-4s-luxury-5-star-hotel-cannes-france?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 May 2026 07:15:05 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg London’s museum scene is in a slump. The number of visitors to the Tate Modern and National Gallery in 2025 was down 26 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively, from 2019. In the last three months of 2025, visits to state-funded museums in England – all of them free since 2001 – fell more than 8 per cent from 2019. Museums themselves cite varying reasons, including a decline in international travellers, despite tourism bouncing back after the Covid-19 pandemic, and fewer visitors in their teens... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3352691/when-londons-museums-started-losing-visitors-they-decided-get-creative?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3352691/when-londons-museums-started-losing-visitors-they-decided-get-creative?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2026 11:15:05 +0000 Xiong Yang Xiong Yang Nanjing, a bustling metropolis in eastern China that serves as the capital of Jiangsu province, has embraced eclectic influences across its long history, from foundations laid during the Six Dynasties (220-589) to the intellectual cosmopolitanism of China’s Republic era (1912-1949). Its culinary scene is infused with the Halal flavours of its Hui Muslim residents and imperial influences, all niftily blended with the precision of Huaiyang chefs. A weekend trip to Nanjing is a great idea for those... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3352629/best-things-do-chinas-nanjing-great-food-and-architecture-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/chinese-culture/article/3352629/best-things-do-chinas-nanjing-great-food-and-architecture-history?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2026 09:15:05 +0000 Ji Siqi Ji Siqi Four years after Shanghai’s harsh citywide lockdown, there are signs the city’s expatriate population – which thinned significantly during the pandemic – is starting to rebound, though with a notably different demographic profile. The sound of English, Korean and French is once again often heard drifting through the plane-tree-lined streets of Shanghai’s former French Concession – widely seen as the heart of the city’s international community. And local residents point to a gradual, though... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352494/4-years-after-lockdown-shanghais-expat-community-recovering-and-changing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3352494/4-years-after-lockdown-shanghais-expat-community-recovering-and-changing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 10:00:16 +0000 Morning Studio editors Morning Studio editors In March, Melco unveiled its Dream Entrance art installation by contemporary artist Daniel Arsham at its flagship integrated resort, City of Dreams. This twin-headed, labyrinthine structure explores the boundaries between dreams and reality, encouraging visitors to use their imaginations as a creative tool for innovation. Coinciding with the announcement of Chinese actor Jing Boran as new “Global Brand Ambassador” and ballet artist Tan Yuan Yuan as “Friend of the Brand”, the unveiling marks the... https://www.scmp.com/native/business/topics/weaving-dream-resort/article/3351991/how-lawrence-ho-weaving-dreams-integrated-resort-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/business/topics/weaving-dream-resort/article/3351991/how-lawrence-ho-weaving-dreams-integrated-resort-future?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 08:00:05 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Multigenerational trips can sound fun in theory, but when it comes to planning, it can feel almost impossible to settle on a destination that meets everyone’s needs. Fortunately, there are several strategies you can use to find spectacular places for a multigen holiday that will please everyone in your brood, from toddlers to teenagers and grandparents. The first step to choosing a destination for a multigen group is to identify each family member’s needs, especially when it comes to each... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352318/4-best-destinations-luxury-multigenerational-holidays?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352318/4-best-destinations-luxury-multigenerational-holidays?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 23:15:12 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times The notes of one of Chopin’s nocturnes drifted up through the deep underground air inside Noksapyeong station in Seoul on a recent Monday afternoon, echoing off curved walls and bouncing against translucent glass banisters. A commuter sat at an upright piano in the concourse – one of the station’s cultural fixtures – and for a few unannounced minutes, the cavernous hall felt less like a subway station and more like a dream that missed its exit. That is precisely the effect Noksapyeong station... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352311/story-seouls-strangest-subway-station-failed-hub-plans-wedding-and-art-venue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352311/story-seouls-strangest-subway-station-failed-hub-plans-wedding-and-art-venue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 11:15:08 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times For many foreign Seoulites, the name “Nowon” is more familiar as a punchline than a place. Beyond the long-running joke that the city’s northeastern district’s name sounds like “no one”, there is not a whole lot that is widely known about it. For most, it is regarded as a quiet residential district filled with apartment blocks and cram school clusters, not nightlife or cultural flair. But Kelly’s Pub, nestled above a street near Gongneung Station, is a sign that Nowon is no longer a blank spot... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352112/how-irish-pub-helping-turn-quiet-seoul-neighbourhood-cultural-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3352112/how-irish-pub-helping-turn-quiet-seoul-neighbourhood-cultural-hotspot?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press While it looks like a freeway on-ramp as it hovers over Wilshire Boulevard in the Los Angeles area of Southern California, the people behind the new building anchoring the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma) define it with aquatic imagery. The free-flowing sections of the David Geffen Galleries housing the museum’s permanent collection are named after the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. They are meant to run together physically and culturally as bodies of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3351653/why-lacmas-new-us724-million-david-geffen-galleries-space-flows-oceans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3351653/why-lacmas-new-us724-million-david-geffen-galleries-space-flows-oceans?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 dpa dpa By Lauren Taylor “I can see Elsa’s palace!” my five-year-old exclaims with pure joy, the first time it comes into view at Disneyland Paris. On the other side of a lake is a realistic-looking, snowy mountain, on which Elsa’s Ice Palace is perched. The World of Frozen – an immersive experience based on the popular film franchise inside Disney Adventure World (formerly Walt Disney Studios Park) – is now open to the public, and we are among the first to access this huge new section of the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3351017/world-frozen-disneyland-paris-delights-guests-magical-olaf-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3351017/world-frozen-disneyland-paris-delights-guests-magical-olaf-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam At 15, most Hong Kong teenagers are fretting over exams. At that age, Kan Wong, the newly appointed executive Chinese chef at Celestial Court at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, was up to his elbows in a wok, learning a lesson his father never intended to teach. “I started helping my dad out in the kitchen when I was only nine years old,” he says. “He thought it would teach me a lesson so I would study harder at school. But I fell in love with the work.” Born into a working-class family in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3351539/how-hong-kong-chef-cooks-old-style-tastes-city-using-innovative-techniques?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3351539/how-hong-kong-chef-cooks-old-style-tastes-city-using-innovative-techniques?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:16:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Englishman Ollie Jenks remembers when his friend first pitched the idea to him. “It was so ridiculous I couldn’t say no,” Jenks says. The proposal by his Canadian buddy Seth Scott, a fellow lover of cars and crazy adventures, was for them to drive a decades-old British-made Reliant Robin car from London to the southern tip of Africa – a 22,500km (14,000-mile) journey through 22 countries – to set a record for the longest trip in a three-wheeled vehicle. In March, they became the first people to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3351127/uk-south-africa-road-trip-3-wheeler-bags-duo-world-record-and-car-trouble-aplenty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3351127/uk-south-africa-road-trip-3-wheeler-bags-duo-world-record-and-car-trouble-aplenty?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Yongsan in central Seoul was once the capital of electronics in South Korea. For those shopping for gadgets, a visit to the area was a must. However, with the widespread adoption of online shopping leading to a decline in physical electronics sales, the neighbourhood has found a new identity. The area, centred around I’Park Mall, is now emerging as a major hub for subculture content and pop-up events, drawing a growing number of visitors seeking offline experiences. I’Park Mall embodies that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350990/seoul-mall-one-best-places-buy-anime-and-fan-merch-city?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350990/seoul-mall-one-best-places-buy-anime-and-fan-merch-city?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:15:07 +0000 Cheung Hok-hang Cheung Hok-hang Ahead of Art Basel and the slew of buzzy satellite events that made up Hong Kong art week in March, many international art enthusiasts headed to the He Art Museum in Shunde, over the border in mainland China’s Guangdong province. The private museum was opened in 2020 by the He family, who own Midea Group, the world’s biggest home appliance maker. Housed inside an elegant building designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando that resembles a stack of discs, the museum has become a regular stop for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3350669/shundes-he-art-museum-pivots-carrying-family-legacy-amplifying-local-voices?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3350669/shundes-he-art-museum-pivots-carrying-family-legacy-amplifying-local-voices?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:15:07 +0000 dpa dpa Taking a “golden gap year” is an emerging trend among retirees, with increasing numbers of older people planning to see the world when they retire. Retirement travel is being widely documented on social media by people like retired British teachers Jackie and Richard Pickles, whose Early Retirement Wanderlust YouTube channel shares their campervan travels through the UK and Europe. Another experienced retirement traveller is Tina (who does not like to reveal her surname), who started the YouTube... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350445/10-tips-retirement-travel-planning-ai-what-pack-your-bag?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350445/10-tips-retirement-travel-planning-ai-what-pack-your-bag?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Joseph Koh Joseph Koh Long overshadowed by regional tourist hotspots such as Siem Reap, Bangkok and Hanoi, Phnom Penh is quietly emerging from its troubled past. The Cambodian capital is undergoing a metamorphosis that has largely flown under the radar, from the return of cosmopolitan locals launching thoughtful ventures to the pedestrianisation of riverside Chaktomuk Walk Street and the phase one opening of the Foster and Partners-designed Techo International Airport. Alongside this is a drinks scene that has been... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350434/phnom-penh-asias-next-cocktail-capital-clever-menus-local-ingredients-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350434/phnom-penh-asias-next-cocktail-capital-clever-menus-local-ingredients-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 13:15:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press It is said that a bowl of soup made of cow bellies and legs can cure ulcers, hangovers and an assortment of other ailments – if you are courageous enough to try it. And Dimitris Tsarouhas, the owner of a restaurant in the Greek city of Thessaloniki that specialises in patsa, is striving to register the soup with Unesco as a unique and traditional dish of Greece that harks back to the time of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. That has conjured up a new dispute with age-old rival Turkey, which also... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350248/tripe-soup-being-culturally-appropriated-dispute-boils-between-2-nations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350248/tripe-soup-being-culturally-appropriated-dispute-boils-between-2-nations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Fans of William Shakespeare know that the great playwright came from Stratford-upon-Avon, the English riverside town where tourists still throng to see his childhood home. But he made his name in London – though few traces of him remain in the British capital. A newly discovered 17th century map sheds new light on the Bard’s London life, pinpointing for the first time the exact location of the only home Shakespeare bought in the city, and where he may have worked on his final plays. Shakespeare... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350395/william-shakespeares-only-london-house-located-newly-discovered-17th-century-map?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350395/william-shakespeares-only-london-house-located-newly-discovered-17th-century-map?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Victoria Burrows Victoria Burrows The steamed dumplings at Peking Restaurant in El Sheikh Zayed City, Cairo, have a filling of soft and salty minced beef inside thick skins, similar to boiled Northern Chinese shuijiao, but even more sturdy. The two dipping sauces served with it are tomato-based; one a thin ketchup, the other a far thicker, spicy sauce studded with chilli seeds. Instead of chopsticks, knives and forks are set on tables in the dining room, decorated with wooden Chinese lattice work on the ceiling and traditional... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350158/how-chinese-food-took-root-cairo-60s-peking-restaurant-egyptianised-dishes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3350158/how-chinese-food-took-root-cairo-60s-peking-restaurant-egyptianised-dishes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:45:07 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times On game days, queues outside a rice cake shop near Gwangju Songjeong Station can stretch more than 50 metres (164ft), a familiar scene that even local taxi drivers anticipate, often naming the destination before passengers finish asking. “In my whole life, it is my first time seeing people line up like this at a rice cake shop,” one taxi driver says. The draw is pumpkin injeolmi, a sticky rice cake from the bakery Changeok Tteok that has become a viral sensation, drawing crowds rivalling the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350101/best-things-do-gwangju-south-korea-viral-food-trends-architecture?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350101/best-things-do-gwangju-south-korea-viral-food-trends-architecture?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Worsening wildfires, soaring heatwaves and rising water levels have prompted Greek officials to take a closer look at protecting priceless archaeological sites that draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The monuments, scattered across the country, earn Greece millions of dollars in tourism revenue. But many of the sites are in rural areas and officials believe better planning is needed in case large crowds of tourists need to be evacuated in an emergency. After a three-year study by... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350008/greece-moves-protect-19-ancient-sites-olympia-wildfires-and-heatwaves?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3350008/greece-moves-protect-19-ancient-sites-olympia-wildfires-and-heatwaves?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2026 07:15:50 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service By Marlise Kast-Myers My husband Benjamin and I land in Yerevan, the capital and largest city in Armenia, at 1am and, despite the arrival time, jet lag has us wired, chatting up our driver about everything from politics to population. Nodding, he asks ChatGPT for answers. Armenia has a population of roughly 3 million, of which Yerevan is home to roughly a third. As we roll into our hotel, it seems most Yerevanites are out that night. Even in the lobby of The Alexander, the bellman explains that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349854/5-days-armenia-exploring-other-side-through-food-hikes-and-historical-sites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349854/5-days-armenia-exploring-other-side-through-food-hikes-and-historical-sites?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:15:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse With its grey front door and battered picket fence, No 4 Plaistow Grove in the anonymous London suburb of Bromley is unremarkable in every way except for one. The modest town house – originally built as a cottage for railway workers in the late 19th century – is the childhood home of pop phenomenon David Bowie. An inscription on a small blue plaque to the right of the front door is the only clue to the property’s extraordinary past. “David Bowie Singer and Talented Musician 1955 to 1968”, it... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349500/david-bowies-former-london-home-where-pop-star-dreamed-fame-open-public?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349500/david-bowies-former-london-home-where-pop-star-dreamed-fame-open-public?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The trouble started with a beautiful photo. Social media was soon awash with the lovely view of Japan’s snow-capped Mount Fuji looming over a red pagoda and the short-lived cherry blossoms that herald the approach of spring. Tourists wanting a similar shot started to pack this peaceful town at the foot of the mountain. The complaints were not far behind: chronic traffic jams; piles of litter; ill-mannered foreigners knocking on doors of private homes to borrow toilets; tourists relieving... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349536/cherry-blossoms-and-mount-fuji-draw-tourists-japanese-town-locals-are-not-happy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349536/cherry-blossoms-and-mount-fuji-draw-tourists-japanese-town-locals-are-not-happy?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:15:07 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Chances are, the Hainanese chicken rice served at your local restaurant is not the real deal. In the same way that champagne must come from Champagne, Hainanese chicken rice must technically be made with Wenchang chicken from Hainan, an island province of China in the South China Sea. These birds are small, free-range and famous for being fed a diet of fallen banyan seeds, coconut pulp and peanut bran. The breed was shaped by the region’s natural environment, which gives the meat natural... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349320/origins-hainanese-chicken-rice-and-its-versions-singapore-malaysia-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349320/origins-hainanese-chicken-rice-and-its-versions-singapore-malaysia-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Travel trends in 2026 include immersive, experiential, mindful and off-peak travel, and a strong focus on authenticity, nature and cultural engagement. Add one more to the mix: the skillcation. Skillcations blend skill and vacation. While a regular holiday tends to focus on relaxation or sightseeing, a skillcation adds some structured learning or practice to the equation. The “why” of this type of holiday has to do with travellers looking for personal growth and relaxation combined, where they... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349116/latest-skillcation-travel-trend-blends-relaxation-self-improvement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349116/latest-skillcation-travel-trend-blends-relaxation-self-improvement?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Las Vegas is – by definition and mission statement – an immersive experience. It wants all of you – your eyes, your ears, your stomach, your imagination and, of course, your wallet. It offers giant resorts with so many amenities and attractions that, once inside one of these complexes, you never really need to leave for the length of your stay. It is the type of place that comes at you the moment you enter the city limits. And then it just keeps right on coming – with concerts, roulette tables,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349135/5-las-vegas-best-immersive-hi-tech-attractions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3349135/5-las-vegas-best-immersive-hi-tech-attractions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:15:08 +0000 Ashlyn Chak Ashlyn Chak When it comes to making sake, terroir matters. And where could be more impressive than Mount Fuji, the highest peak in Japan and the second-highest volcano on any Asian island? The mountain straddles two prefectures: Shizuoka in the south and Yamanashi to the north. The latter, a landlocked prefecture in central Japan where 78 per cent of the total area is covered by lush forest, is home to several national parks. It is also the home of the Fuji Five Lakes region, or Fujigoko: five bodies of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349202/how-sake-breweries-near-japans-mount-fuji-are-taking-drink-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349202/how-sake-breweries-near-japans-mount-fuji-are-taking-drink-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:15:07 +0000 Tara Loader Wilkinson Tara Loader Wilkinson The Easter break offers a chance of escape for many Hongkongers, but that holiday joy often comes with a hidden tax: jet lag. Jet lag is the cognitive and physical misalignment that your brain and body experience when arriving in a new time zone. Known more formally as desynchronosis, it is more than a lack of sleep – it is a state of biological confusion. Los Angeles Times journalist Horace Sutton may have been the first person to use the term “jet lag”, in a piece he wrote in 1966. “If you’re... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348783/how-frequent-fliers-are-beating-jet-lag-using-apps-timeshifter-and-stopjetlag?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3348783/how-frequent-fliers-are-beating-jet-lag-using-apps-timeshifter-and-stopjetlag?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Charmaine Yu Charmaine Yu Which Hong Kong park has the best swing set? Which ones are the most convenient to get to via public transport? Which ones are best for both children and adults? Mr Swing knows. From Sha Tin to Lamma Island, Mr Swing explores Hong Kong’s parks on a quest to find the city’s finest swings. The pseudonymous online creator, who has declined to reveal his real name for privacy reasons, has accumulated more than 11,000 followers across Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. “I enjoyed playing on swings when... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3348489/where-are-hong-kongs-best-swings-man-who-has-tested-over-200-sets-knows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3348489/where-are-hong-kongs-best-swings-man-who-has-tested-over-200-sets-knows?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Tribune News Service Tribune News Service Los Angeles will debut four new major arts complexes this year, with three more likely to open in advance of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Immerse yourself in a psychedelic explosion at Meow Wolf, plan an afternoon liaison with Van Gogh at the new David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Lacma), inhale the scent of nature inside Refik Anadol’s AI arts museum Dataland, or simply geek out over George Lucas’ jaw-dropping collection of Star Wars memorabilia. Whatever your arts... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3348359/7-new-major-los-angeles-arts-complexes-set-open-2028-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3348359/7-new-major-los-angeles-arts-complexes-set-open-2028-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:15:08 +0000 dpa dpa “It was spooky and I died 10,000 deaths,” says musician Carolin Widmann, recalling a flight from Helsinki to Leipzig with a shudder. At the airport in the Finnish capital, on reaching the Lufthansa check-in counter, she was told she could not take her 244-year-old violin, including its case and bows, onto the plane as hand luggage. So she unpacked the valuable instrument, made by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini in 1782, and wound up cradling it on her lap like a baby during the whole flight. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3348382/when-eu2-million-244-year-old-violin-flew-her-lap-spooky-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3348382/when-eu2-million-244-year-old-violin-flew-her-lap-spooky-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 09:15:08 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Reverend Paolo Venturelli never gets too close when he visits Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper. The Dominican friar prefers to stand away from the wall where it was painted, on the opposite side of the room that was once used by members of his order for meals. “From there, the painting looks as though it were painted in the middle of the refectory,” says Venturelli of the masterpiece depicting the story of Jesus’ final meal with his apostles. “It unleashes all kinds of human and spiritual... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3348074/where-last-supper-housed-convent-where-dominican-friars-still-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3348074/where-last-supper-housed-convent-where-dominican-friars-still-live?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:15:08 +0000 Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian China’s luxury hotel sector has unlocked new avenues for business growth, fuelled by a boom in inbound tourism and a growing number of foreign business travellers and holidaymakers who favour high-end accommodation. International tourists generally spend more than domestic ones, except for wealthy Chinese travellers. Most visa-free visitors to China are from developed countries with much higher living costs. Even spending at their usual levels, they would generate considerable revenue for... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347704/visa-free-travel-rising-foreign-visitors-boost-luxury-hotel-growth-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3347704/visa-free-travel-rising-foreign-visitors-boost-luxury-hotel-growth-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:30:08 +0000 Lisa Cam Lisa Cam Niseko, a ski resort on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, exists at the intersection of international energy brought by visiting skiers and Japanese tradition. But this convergence creates friction. Western expectations, Japanese protocols and a hyper-seasonal environment are third-culture problems that require third-culture solutions. This is where Patrick Ohtani comes in. As chief operating officer of luxury holiday rental management company The Luxe Nomad, he moves between worlds. He... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3347685/culture-clash-niseko-how-third-culture-coo-navigates-japan-resorts-complex-terrain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3347685/culture-clash-niseko-how-third-culture-coo-navigates-japan-resorts-complex-terrain?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:15:08 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times By Pyo Kyung-min Now that K-pop juggernaut BTS have officially made their comeback – having just staged a free performance at the Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21 and with three more dates at Goyang Stadium on April 9, 11 and 12 – fans from around the world are once again planning journeys that extend far beyond a single night of music. For many members of Army, BTS’ official fandom, travelling to South Korea is also about stepping into the physical landscapes that shaped the group’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3347533/10-bts-pilgrimage-spots-south-korea-every-army-fan-should-visit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3347533/10-bts-pilgrimage-spots-south-korea-every-army-fan-should-visit?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 03:15:08 +0000