Culture

The land of Japan’s most famous powder also has an insanely tasty culinary culture.

Shanghai is still one of our favorite cities on Earth.

Japan has more than 3,000 onsen. These 10 stand out among them, including the best onsen towns, outdoor onsen and onsen for couples.

We’re dreaming of endless beaches, wise healers, paddy terraces and fab hotels.

These charming small towns in Europe come with jaw-dropping scenery, delicious food, and more.

The top tour operators and travel specialists teach us new things and make the journey easy.

Cutting-edge architecture, commitment to arts and sustainability… A visit to Doha appeals to all the senses.

This dazzling destination is gearing up to re-open tourism and we cannot wait.

If you want to live la dolce vita in Italy, you need to prove you’ve been vaccinated or tested negative.

Down under the land down under is a gorgeous island offering offbeat adventures.

Heartthrob Chris Hemsworth isn’t the only one living his best life Down Under.

The Mughal emperors called Kashmir paradise on Earth. Come float away on Dal Lake with us.

The best way to travel responsibly in Australia is with indigenous-owned and -operated tour guides who have 500-million-years’ worth of history, legends and learnings to share.

With its dense jungles teeming with wildlife, this biodiverse island beckons aspiring explorers.

May 21 is Endangered Species Day. Here are 8 amazing animals native to Asia that you can help save.

These sanctuaries promise magical memories with magnificent beasts—at a friendly distance.

How’s your Gross National Happiness? Probably not as high as the beautiful, basically Covid-free Kingdom of Bhutan.

Angkor Wat is an architectural world wonder. But here’s why you should channel your inner Indiana Jones and visit these equally amazing secret temples next time you’re in Cambodia.

Covid-19 hit the historic Manhattan neighborhood hard, but community members have been working with small businesses to keep Chinatown alive. Check out these groups to help save one of the world’s great travel destinations.

The melting pot neighborhood of Talad Noi in Bangkok keeps its traditional culture alive. Here’s why you should plan your next visit during one of its vibrant festivals.

Here you’ll find the intersection of Shintoism and Buddhism, and a host of neighbors you’d love to call your own.

Located in the country’s verdant north, this region is an underrated gem that’s blissfully free of crowds.

It may not be one of the Big Five, but the often-overlooked pangolin is attracting growing interest from safari-goers. One wildlife lover shadows researchers in South Africa to learn why.

Whether it’s when the irises open, the tomatoes are hung, the manatees migrate or the lobsters lose their shells — to everything there is a season. Japan might be the most poetic, but Adam H. Graham finds microseasons enrich your travels everywhere.

Cambodia is home to a unique wealth of wildlife. Here’s how you can help some of the country’s cuddly – and not so cuddly – creatures in need.

We’re dedicating this month to environmentally responsible travel and leisure. First up, a primer on the 7 key signs of a sustainable hotel.

Guests at the brand-new Capella Hanoi can tap into the glitz of a bygone era.

Famous Thai writer Kong Rithdee shows us Bangrak and the Charoen Krung Road of his childhood.

The Year of the Ox starts February 12. Here’s a look at the celebration plans, Covid regulations and best restaurants for new year’s dinner in Hong Kong, Saigon, Singapore and Taipei.

Plan ahead and pin all these places in the Philippines for your next vacation.

Could it get any more Japanese than driving around to a bunch of delicious noodle joints with a big bowl of fake noodles on your roof?

If you haven’t visited the exhibits yet, you have until the end of next month.

The best hotels today use their walls as portals to culture, cultivate soul, and give you reason to feel.

Natural splendor, cultural attractions galore, and plenty of fun for the whole family—there’s something for travelers of all ages in this vibrant region.

With rigorous safety measures in place, the Shinkansen and Local train is a dreamy way to explore the sights of a snowy Tohoku Region.

Sleighs. Reindeer. Crystallized pines and an endless blanket of powdery snow.

This tour focuses on the work of Antoni Gaudí, which can be found throughout the city.

Meet the modern-day artisans ensuring Jaipur’s intricate textile traditions stay alive.

A mash-up of Malay, Chinese, European, and Indigenous influences, Malaysian food was fusion cooking before foodies started using the word.

These luxe safari lodges are finally putting African arts and culture at center stage, from locally-made furniture to hand-crafted kitchenware.

Drive the new Margaret River organic wine trail and bliss out on biodynamics.

A bad-luck streak in Burma becomes a lesson in family solidarity.

If knowledge is power, then self-reliance is the new luxury. As the routines of our lives are upended, more of us are seeking to travel in ways that prepare us for whatever the world throws at us next. Here’s how to prep for the survivalist-tourism trend.

In this lush land of hippies and holistic healing, we could’ve come up with dozens of ways to be at one with the earth. Here are four fully immersive activities that’ll put a roof over your head and fill your belly with both flora and fauna (of the fish variety).

Across the continent, innovators are rethinking everything you thought you knew about heading into the bush—and changing these iconic journeys for the better. By Christine Ajudua.

There’s a reason so many independent-minded travelers want to keep the Teardrop of India on the DL. Inland from Sri Lanka’s gorgeous southern beaches, the simple, sustainable, spiritual life beckons.

The very name conjures images of ancient scholars, boundless riches, and the might of empire. But what has become of the historic Silk Road, a millennium after the height of its power?

Embrace the nature, culture and communities of Jeju Island with a hike along its spectacular coastlines.

A bubble in the jungle ups the ante for “rooms with a view.” But who’s watching whom?

Enter your next Tokyo trip as an in-the-know local.

Get inspiration from isolation with a venerated Bhutanese monk.

Veer off the archaeological trail to the art-gallery map and uncover some of Siem Reap’s contemporary spoils.

Armchair travel to the streets of Central Vietnam through these wanderlust-inducing snaps by Andrew Faulk.

‘The Wave’ is the world’s largest anamorphic illusion.

Classic Thai comfort food from one of the country’s most beloved Michelin-starred chefs, Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn

Apart, but somehow not alone. Here’s what lockdown looks like for 10 people across the globe.

Dive deep into the work of everyone from Picasso to Rothko.

Japanese viticulture might seem new and strange, but Koshu grape-cultivation has been around for centuries. We take a tasting tour of a wine country you’ve probably never considered.

Northern Thailand’s elephant rescue sanctuaries are taking a big hit from the demise of the tourism industry.

As soon as we can fly, these are the trips we’ll be (re) taking.

Fine, we’ll admit it: we miss the chaos.

Unexpected destinations maybe, but what’s certain is that these journeys enrich both the travelers and the locals they interact with.

We’re all in this together.

Happier days are ahead! For now, virtually escape to these 10 cheerful places.

The best way to gear up for the Tokyo Olympics? Three days of intensive training in sport and culture. Just keep your gloves on.

In our March issue, photographer Scott A Woodward takes a walk through the Serengeti with Editor in Chief Christopher Kucway. They came back with more photos that could fit in the magazine, here are a few favorites that didn’t make the cut.

T+L’s monthly selection of trip-worthy places, experiences and events.

The old school rules in Geylang, where a colorful jumble of heritage shops, ornate temples, bustling kopitiams and legendary eateries invites a closer look at Singapore’s grittiest neighborhood.

Tracing her roots to Bacolod, we discover one secret to happiness in the Philippines’ “City of Smiles.”

Tibet’s little-known Kham is a river-bound region where everyday life takes on the air of mythology. Crisscrossing the grasslands and mountain ranges, we find nomadic traditions holding their own against the inflow of modernity.

At the top of the Philippines is a clutch of windswept islands where the bonds of community have been forged by the elements. In verdant Batanes, Stephanie Zubiri dances among lighthouses, absorbs lessons from tribal elders and just lets go.

Off the west coast of Japan, we visit Sado Island seeking an immersion in the nation’s golden age, and discovers a shingle-roofed, pine-ridged, Midcentury time capsule.

While Bhutan continues its march to modernity, many parts of the country are in no hurry to catch up. Lester V. Ledesma mounts an expedition into the eastern frontier.

With its myriad legends and legendary treks, mystical Nepal is adventure incarnate. Two decades after his first visit, Duncan Forgan heads back and finds you don’t need to climb Everest to reignite your sense of wonder.

In China’s Guizhou province, a tech-forward culture rubs shoulders with ancient traditions.

With just basic farming knowledge but a lot of love, photojournalist Lester V. Ledesma started a coffee farm—which was really just an elaborate excuse to dive into the little-known world of the Philippines’ rich coffee heritage.

Faced with a rapidly dwindling gamat, or sea cucumber, population, The Andaman Hotel in Langkawi takes the lead to regenerate them.

While its war with America may be long over, Vietnam is still dealing with unexploded ordnance at an all-too-high cost. Now, as Veronica Inveen discovers, there are safe ways any visitor can help out.

Touring the south of Thailand on a vintage motorcycle is a chance for Duncan Forgan to get a true taste of the region and its limestone karsts, abandoned beaches and more than a plate or two of spicy food.

Vietnam’s last dynasty may have built extravagant monuments around its imperial citadel, but Lester V. Ledesma says the enduring monarchic influence is found in the food of the commonfolk—the banh Hue.

Japan’s most northerly island isn’t just for thrill-seekers. Julian Ryall bypasses the ski slopes for three distinct tastes of the prefecture’s best booze.

A new mountain resort in Darjeeling offers an intimate chance to get away from it all, while experiencing West Bengal’s tea-making traditions in style.

A flashy new mall has lured more visitors over to the Thonburi side of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river than ever before, but its Khlong San neighborhood has long been a local hub for Sino-Siamese eats and a lively social scene.

New resorts in remote places highlight Vietnam’s diverse natural beauty while always keeping sight of its layered history and culture. Eloise Basuki covers a millennium in a three-stop trip from top to bottom tip.

A walk through Manila’s Chinatown reveals its blended cultural identity and the legacies—places of worship, dishes to worship—of the Chinese Filipinos.

Twenty years after its hard-won independence, Timor-Leste is only just beginning to open up its natural landscape to the region. Exploring every corner of Southeast Asia’s youngest country, Sophie Raynor discovers the pristine wonders we’ve been missing out on.

AS ISLANDS GO, the first impression of Ulleungdo tends to be a little underwhelming. Rising out of South Korea’s East Sea, this squat, dark mound of cedar-and juniper-cloaked volcanic rock seems an unlikely dream destination, especially as getting here is, to put it mildly, a major schlep. And yet, for generations, successive waves of curious travelers—lured first […]

Often considered a gateway town, Vientiane is an underrated destination in its own right. Laurel Tuohy wanders its heritage streets and finds hip new hangouts that are reinvigorating the city.

Bintan is known as a resort paradise, with many visitors never straying far from their hotels’ manicured grounds. But the island’s diversity makes for a pastoral family trip.

Rajasthan is littered with the former forts, castles and chateaux of the Rajput Maharajas who ruled the region for centuries. On a royal tour of new palatial digs turned into heritage hotels, Rachna Sachasinh finds luxurious renewal projects that manage to conjure the community spirit of far humbler abodes.

Famous for dishing up award-winning Thai cuisine, the chef at the helm of Michelin-starred Paste Bangkok has ventured to the other side of the Mekong, offering reimagined takes on the traditional royal cuisine of her Lao heritage.

With its landmark heritage buildings, and now shimmering skyscrapers, Dong Khoi Street is undoubtedly Saigon’s most prestigious address. But it’s the drag’s more inconspicuous charms, squirrelled away in century-old apartment blocks, that continually coax Connla Stokes to the area.

The streets of India’s biggest cities are becoming life-sized canvases for the country’s growing street-art movement kickstarted by a local creative foundation. As the project continues to evolve, we document just a few of the eye-catching works livening up the inner-city districts.

The Michelin Guide may have only just set its stars on this foodie port of southern China, but Cathy Adams finds a city that has long been loved for its hot plates.

From the balcony of her luxury tent above the forested hillside at Rosewood Luang Prabang, Eloise Basuki gets a new perspective on the former capital of Laos, and finds there’s plenty to discover beyond the town’s heritage quarters.

Emerald karsts, cascading paddy fields and majestic rivers abound in the rural Chinese regions of Yangshuo, Longji and Guilin. Touring via two wheels allows a slow traveler to keep ahead of the masses.

Restored brick by brick from centuries-old Chinese houses, the carefully preserved Amanyangyun resort has found its home just outside of Shanghai. We check in, and contemplates its reverence.

Channel your inner Buddha on a Belmond cruise through Burma.

You think you know Chinese? This massive country of gourmands dishes up as many different cuisines as they have dialects. Here are 3 great regions to feed the dragon.

Southern Sri Lanka’s newest wave of hotels carries on the simple, sustainable and hybrid spirit of Ceylon’s most famous native son, architect Geoffrey Bawa.

On verdant, volcanic Cheju, farmers raise tasty black pigs, grandpa statues boost fertility, and lady divers pry abalone from the icy depths of the sea. Duncan Forgan reports from this legendary treasure chest in the Korean Strait.

Mushrooms make up merely the first few hundred reasons a gourmand will gorge on Yunnan. Save some space for yak bacon, fresh-baked bread and a bevy of Chinese cheeses.