Travel

Once home to a sizeable European population, the backwater of Mengzi in Yunnan, southwest China, retains charming remnants of its early 20th century heyday.

Instead of flying from Hong Kong to Chiang Mai, the Post sets out to test infrastructure in Southeast Asia built under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. All goes well until we slip up and resort to van and bus.

The laid-back southern Indian city of Mysore attracts aspiring yogis from around the world, who are drawn by its culture, history and expert community of yoga practitioners.

The vibrant culture of Baku, Azerbaijan’s biggest city, reflects influences from the Islamic world, Soviet Russia and Europe. Bad traffic, pollution, and the price of hotel rooms may put off some visitors.

With its beautiful beaches, food and famously hospitable people, Fiji makes for a great tropical getaway for those willing to make the journey – even if the country does have a few bad points.

Animal welfare groups slam Bali’s elephant parks for cruelly exploiting captive animals for tourism, while park owners say the elephants enjoy human interaction and exercise.

Finding a list of official Hong Kong ferry routes opened long-time resident Bettina Wassener’s eyes to parts of the city of 263 islands she had missed out on. She decided to remedy that, and took them all.

Spurred by the pandemic, ultra cycling is booming in Beijing, with enthusiasts heading out of the city to ride day and night on ‘probably the most beautiful roads in the world for cycling’.

Negative online reviews of sightseeing attractions tend to follow a pattern. Some are meant to be humorous, others are unintentionally funny. Those who write them certainly don’t mince their words.

The early 20th century teak industry left northern Thailand scarred but also peppered with magnificent examples of local architecture, seen on its ‘teak trail’ that starts in Chiang Mai.

The recently rebuilt and reopened Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery offers amazing views of Manila Bay, enticing food and cocktails, even a tour of the Philippine capital in the hotel’s 1951 Buick.

Rewilding in the Scottish Highlands has seen the return of long-absent species, and efforts to save wild animals such as wildcats. It’s not just their numbers that are growing; ecotourism is blooming, too.