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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
Plaques that form part of the Benin Bronzes, which were taken from Africa by British troops in 1897, on display at The British Museum in London. Photo: Getty Images

Should museums return antiquities to their countries of origin? Some say no

New fronts have opened up in the war of cultural restitution, raising complex ethical and legal questions as some argue against museums returning foreign artefacts.

Reading Time:11 minutes
Living area of the flat in Tsim Sha Tsui designed by GAAN. Photo: Eugene Chan

This Hong Kong home sleeps six – and still feels serene

Reading Time:3 minutes
Today, more than 40 variations of mahjong are played around the world. Photo: Andria Lo/Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora

Painted tiles, loud tables, new faces: shaping mahjong’s next chapter

Reading Time:7 minutes
Action from a charity horse race in Sumba, Indonesia. Photo: Charukesi Ramadurai

Sumba – where horses, black magic and beaches shape island life

Reading Time:6 minutes
Villagers in Marobo await Taur Matan Ruak.

Project Timor

Reading Time:7 minutes
A dinner plate, circa 1796-1810, made in China for the American market. Photo: Alamy

Then & Now | A potted history of the Chinese porcelain industry

Reading Time:3 minutes
MORE IN POSTMAG
Content from SCMP's Specialist Publications
Tourists visit a lantern fair in Selangor, Malaysia, on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua
Malaysia

Chinese tourists escaping cold flock to Malaysia for Lunar New Year fun

‘Malaysians still follow many of the traditions that we have stopped observing,’ a visitor in Penang says.

Food and Drinks

At Bangkok’s Aqua Bar, White Lotus luxury meets duck-inspired cocktails

Japan

Chinese tourist arrivals to Japan plunge 41% in January amid simmering tensions

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Tourism

Chinese tourists flock to Korea for beauty treatments ahead of Lunar New Year

Korean dermatology clinics have seen a surge in Chinese customers of late and are courting them via Chinese social media.

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Tourists walk through Myeong-dong in Seoul, in September 2025. A rising number of Chinese tourists are visiting South Korea for skin treatments. Photo: The Korea Times
Lunar New Year

Video | Chinese tourists have a new favourite country this Lunar New Year

Arrivals by Chinese tourists to South Korea are expected to rise by 52% in February 2026.

Indonesia

Sumba – where horses, black magic and beaches shape island life

Sleepy Sumba provides an ideal quiet break during the Year of the Horse. Just don’t mention Bali.

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Hong Kong transport

Star Cruises ‘fully prepared’ for next sailing after anger over axed trip

Cruise operator apologised for cancelling three-day, two-night voyage to Xiamen on Friday evening.

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Hundreds of passengers queue at Ocean Terminal waiting to board the ship. Photo: Facebook/Longman Lo
Thailand

Thailand plays down ‘too expensive’ concerns from South Korean visitors

The perceived squeeze on the wallet is a result of exchange rate volatility rather than the kingdom’s inflation, tourism officials say.

Vietnam

Why tourists are choosing Vietnam, over Thailand and Cambodia in 2026

At a time when other popular parts of Asia are struggling with dwindling tourist numbers, how is Vietnam ⁠hitting record numbers of visitors?

Indonesia

How a major Bali bust is putting Indonesia’s tourist visa in the spotlight

The case also underscores Indonesia’s struggle against online gambling, which continues to flourish despite repeated crackdowns.

Tourists walk through a shopping area in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA
Malaysia

‘Do you know who I am?’: minister slams rude staff hindering Malaysia tourism

Tourism minister says Visit Malaysia 2026 success hinges on attitude, highlighting complaints of rudeness from tourists and locals alike.

A tourist takes a selfie at the decorated Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Wednesday. Photo: Reuters
South Korea

South Koreans swap ancestral rites for Japan getaways this Lunar New Year

Short holidays and a weak yen drive the ‘aeroplane instead of the ancestral table’ trend.

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Malaysia

‘Cheaper to buy from outside’: Malaysia pushes for airport pricing overhaul

Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing urges Malaysia Airports Holdings to review costs, promote local cuisine and enhance visitor experience.

South Korea

‘Smaller than a closet’: the tiny Seoul flats going viral on YouTube

YouTuber Drew Binsky tours Seoul’s US$250-a-month micro-flats, sparking conversation on urban housing and South Korea’s hidden pressures.

Drew Binsky inside a Seoul gosiwon on February 1, his outstretched arms nearly spanning the narrow room. Photo: YouTube/Drew Binsky
Tourism

Amazing detox at 5-star Desa Potato Head – from both wellness and Bali belly

Glorious beachfront dinners and sunrise meditations kicked off this reporter’s stay at Desa Potato Head before the dreaded Bali belly struck.

The beachfront at Desa Potato Head. Photo: Charmaine Yu
China travel

China’s cruise industry passes major milestone as Beijing eyes travel boom

As domestic liner handles 1 millionth passenger, Beijing says it aims to turn yachts and cruise ships into major new consumption drivers.

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Food and Drinks

Unsung Eats: 5 best places to eat – and drink – in Singapore

Discover the city’s hidden culinary gems ensconced in side-street speakeasies, revamped warehouses and intimate supper clubs.

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Lunar New Year

Video | Over 1.4 billion trips forecast for first week of Lunar New Year holidays

The official Lunar New Year holiday spans nine days this year, with the resulting travel rush projected to last until March 13, 2026.

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Tourism

Women-only travel tour to Vietnam sparks adventure and sisterhood

Amid growing demand for safe, small-group female travel, 17 women travelled with US-based AdventureWomen to explore Vietnam’s treasures.

Editor's Letter

This week in PostMag: Lunar New Year and the meaning of home

As the Fire Horse approaches, this issue looks at the emotional pull of tradition – from mahjong tables to ancestral villages.

France

French duo reach Shanghai, China, after walking over 12,000km in 518 days

Childhood friends Loic Voisot and Benjamin Humblot set off from their hometown of Annecy and crossed 16 countries mostly on foot.

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Loic Voisot (right) and Benjamin Humblot embrace on Shanghai’s Bund promenade on Saturday, marking the end of their remarkable walk from France to China. Photo: AFP
Nepal

‘Tip of the iceberg’: arrests in Nepal over fake mountain rescues welcomed

The suspects are believed to be among a network of scammers who have cheated insurers by staging fake rescue operations for years.

Mountaineers approach the summit of Mount Everest in Nepal. Photo: AP
Pokemon

Video | Tickets sell out fast for Tokyo’s Pokemon theme park

Social media video shows visitors brought to tears as Pokemon ‘comes to life’.

Thailand

Video | Tourists mistake Thai funeral for a restaurant

Serving food and drinks at funerals are a way to thank guests for paying their respects.

Indonesia

‘Bali is so dirty’: waste woes under scrutiny after Prabowo warning

Experts point to structural problems endemic to the issue, such as overtourism, lack of enforcement and insufficient education among locals.

Waste materials lie on Kuta Beach on Bali island on January 23. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has said he received complaints from foreign dignitaries about the state of cleanliness in Bali. Photo: EPA
History

A timeless love affair with Macau, a city of hidden charms

A decades-long fascination with Macau has endured for historian Jason Wordie, who finds little of what matters to him has changed, post-Covid.

Jason Wordie in Macau in the mid-1990s. Photo: courtesy Jason Wordie
Food and Drinks

Craving a midnight bite in Macau? The city’s top chefs are here to help

Macau’s top chefs share their favourite post-shift haunts where the city’s culinary roots run deepest – and where inspiration is born.

Japan

Australian woman dies after getting caught in Japan ski lift

The 22-year-old woman’s backpack buckle got caught on a Nagano ski lift, dragging her and leaving her suspended in mid-air as she tried to get off.

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