Asia - The Best Time to Visit

Kyoto to Charge $65 Per Night at Luxury Hotels—Here’s Why the Ancient Capital Is Taking Drastic Action

October 26, 2025 by Ben

Old town Kyoto during sakura season in Japan at sunset

The former imperial capital is making a bold move. Starting in March 2026, travelers staying at Kyoto’s most luxurious properties will pay approximately $65 (10,000 yen) in tourism tax per person, per night. This tenfold increase from current rates makes it the highest tourist tax in Japan. Kyoto is attempting to regain control over visitor numbers that have spiraled beyond capacity. Last year, nearly 37 million international visitors arrived in Japan, shattering the 2019 record. The city of 2,000 temples finds itself at ground zero of this tourism explosion. A Tiered System Based on Accommodation Tier The new tax structure … Read more

Singapore’s Surprising Cycling Revolution: Why This Asian City Is Racing to Build 800+ Miles of Bike Lanes

October 20, 2025 by Ben

Singapore- July 16, 2024: Building view of the Sultan Mosque and beautiful granite arches at Muscat Street in Kampong Glam, Singapore.

When you think of world-class cycling cities, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, or perhaps Portland come to mind. Singapore? Not so much. Yet this Southeast Asian city-state is quietly planning one of the most ambitious urban cycling transformations on the planet. 800 Miles of Bike Paths by 2030 Traditionally, Singapore has never been synonymous with cycling culture, relying instead on its world-renowned public transportation system. But over the past fifteen years, a shift in mindset has emerged, prioritizing more eco-friendly and sustainable modes of urban transportation. Bike paths have gradually appeared throughout the metropolitan area and even extending toward neighboring Malaysia, totaling just … Read more

Dubai Makes Bold Move: Cash Payments Could Vanish by 2026 in World’s Most Futuristic City

October 17, 2025 by Ben

A happy tourist woman in a white summer dress walks through the streets of Dubai, UAE, during her holiday time

If there’s one city on earth that consistently makes headlines for tourist innovations, it’s Dubai. This emirate metropolis increasingly shows us what tomorrow’s megacities might look like—not just through its architecture and urban planning, but through the services and facilities designed for both residents and the roughly 19-20 million tourists who visit annually. Even for something as “simple” as how we might pay for purchases… “Dubai Cashless” When it comes to innovation, Dubai goes all in. The city has decided to progressively eliminate cash payments from its territory for both locals and visitors. From paying for services of all kinds … Read more

Why Isn’t Istanbul Turkey’s Capital? The Surprising Story Behind Ankara

October 15, 2025 by Ben

When it comes to travel and tourism, we all sometimes ask ourselves simple questions because we wonder why certain things we see or experience are the way they are, how they can be explained, and for what reasons. In short, why… Today, we’re looking at a major city that everyone knows by name at least, but which, oddly enough, isn’t its country’s capital. We’re talking about Istanbul and Turkey. Historical, Political and Geographic Reasons Just as New York isn’t the capital of the United States (it’s Washington DC), Sydney isn’t Australia’s (Canberra), or Rio de Janeiro for Brazil (it’s Brasília), … Read more

Cambodia’s Bold New Airport Promises to Transform Travel to Phnom Penh—But Will It Deliver?

October 14, 2025 by Ben

https://partir.ouest-france.fr/magazine/le-cambodge-vient-dinaugurer-un-nouveau-mega-aeroport/

Following the celebrated Angkor site two years ago, Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, has now inaugurated a new airport that reflects the country’s ambitious tourism goals for the coming years… 50 Million Visitors Expected Annually Within Two Decades For a long time, anyone wanting to visit Cambodia—whether to see its capital or the unmissable Angkor—typically had to transit through neighboring Thailand and Bangkok’s airport for air connections. But that was before the country decided to modernize its transportation infrastructure, notably by opening several new airports across its territory. The goal is to significantly increase visitor numbers, first reaching 20 million by … Read more

Why This Ancient Sky Palace in Sri Lanka Will Leave You Speechless

October 12, 2025 by Ben

Spectacular view of the Lion rock surrounded by green rich vegetation. Picture taken from Pidurangala Rock in Sigiriya, Sri Lanka.

Certain places on our planet captivate us. For good reasons—or sometimes controversial ones—they draw us in through their history, geographical location, significance, religious or spiritual symbolism, or that unmistakable atmosphere that makes them truly unique, if not extraordinary destinations. This is our journey to explore some of these remarkable sites. Today, we’re heading to Sri Lanka to discover the exceptional site of Sigiriya. A Palace-Fortress Lost to Time Here stands one of Sri Lanka’s most remarkable and visited locations. In the country’s central region, this major archaeological site—recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982—is instantly recognizable by its … Read more

The Aral Sea: A Vanishing Wonder You Can No Longer Visit

October 12, 2025October 12, 2025 by Ben

Rusty abandoned ships at the Ship cemetery at the former Aral sea coast in Moynaq (Mo ynoq or Muynak), Uzbekistan

There are places and sites we’d love to visit but simply cannot. Either they’ve disappeared due to human folly or nature’s whims, or more commonly, access is no longer feasible because they’re now located in war zones or regions where tourism is strongly discouraged. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re completely closed off or that things will remain irreversible forever, but still. Today, we’re heading to a place that’s disappearing before our eyes and can no longer be visited—at least not in the form it existed just a few years ago. That place is the Aral Sea. Where is the Aral … Read more

India and Bhutan Are Building a Railway Connection—Here’s What It Means for Travelers

October 3, 2025 by Ben

"Bumthang, Bhutan aA June 27, 2012: Three young Buddhist monks peer out from a monastery window at a local festival in the Bumthang Valley of Bhutan."

Sure, this news won’t revolutionize the travel world or even the transportation industry, but the fact remains that by the end of the decade, you’ll be able to take a train between India and Bhutan. A project that’s been in the works for over twenty years… Two Cross-Border Lines in the Pipeline Two railway lines—with potentially more to follow—will connect Kokrajhar (India) to Gelephu (Bhutan) and Banarhat (India) to Samtse (Bhutan). These aren’t exactly household names, but these towns sit on opposite sides of the border between the two countries, in the Assam and Bengal regions on the Indian side, … Read more

India Introduces Digital Arrival Card: What Travelers Need to Know Before Their Trip

October 1, 2025 by Ben

Keeping up with travel news isn’t always easy—important updates can slip through the cracks, especially when it comes to entry requirements. That’s why we’re bringing back this recent development that could affect your upcoming trip to India. Going Digital Like Everyone Else We’ve all seen it happening: paper documents are gradually disappearing in favor of digital alternatives, and entry formalities are no exception. More and more countries are making the switch, and India has just joined the club by replacing its traditional paper arrival form with a new digital system called the e-Arrival Card. Like the old paper form, this … Read more

This Country Just Made Vaping Even More Expensive – And the Penalties Are Shocking

September 17, 2025 by Ben

“What’s accepted here might not be accepted there” – this is perhaps the most important thing to remember when traveling abroad if you want to avoid a world of trouble. Every country and society has its own rules and prohibitions, meaning that situations that are more or less acceptable back home won’t always be viewed the same way elsewhere. Sometimes even for things as seemingly harmless as e-cigarettes… Among the World’s Most Restrictive Legislation We know that Singapore doesn’t mess around, and that prohibitions – along with their accompanying penalties – are numerous there, even for things that pose no problem … Read more