Monisha Rajesh: riding the rails with the world’s most intrepid train writer
Few modern writers have championed train travel with as much verve and insight as Monisha Rajesh. Her journeys have covered more than 85,000 miles of track across multiple continents, resulting in numerous acclaimed books on train journeys. While Around India in 80 Trains offered a fresh perspective on a country often buried in cliché, her […]
Greg Girard: from Kowloon Walled City to Japan’s snack bars, five decades documenting Asia
For fans of urban photography, Greg Girard needs little introduction. Since the 1970s, his lens has captured the transformation of Asia’s landscapes. His landmark work on Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City, City of Darkness, offered an unprecedented glimpse into one of history’s most fascinating urban anomalies: a single city block that housed 33,000 people. From […]
The best boutique hotels in Hanoi’s Old Quarter
Hanoi’s heritage buildings have found new life as intimate boutique hotels, where colonial elegance meets contemporary Asian design. Hanoi moves at its own compelling pace, where ancient temples, winding alleyways and bustling markets sit alongside tree-lined boulevards and tranquil lakes. The capital of Vietnam, it’s a place that skilfully balances tradition with an energetic modern […]
Knock, knock! These are the best hidden bars in Sofia
From unmarked doors in residential buildings to subterranean speakeasies, the hidden drinking scene of Bulgaria’s capital blends communist-era mystique with contemporary cocktail culture. Sofia wears its communist past like a badge of both defiance and creativity. Behind the Bulgarian capital’s classical facades and weathered concrete buildings lies a network of secretive drinking dens and underground […]
Peter Cuong Franklin: the best of Vietnam with the country’s first Michelin-star chef
Peter Cuong Franklin‘s journey reads like a masterclass in reinvention. From fleeing Vietnam as a child refugee in 1975 to graduating from Yale, building a career in investment banking, and finally following his culinary passion at Le Cordon Bleu, Franklin has consistently defied conventional career paths. Today, he’s the chef-owner of Anan Saigon, the first […]
How China and India’s next-gen are redefining luxury travel
While their parents collected souvenirs, Asia’s new luxury travellers are collecting stories, swapping shopping malls for sacred sites and guided tours for genuine connections. A quiet revolution is sweeping through Asia’s luxury travel landscape. Once synonymous with group tours and shopping expeditions, the continent’s travellers are now charting a bold new course in luxury journeys. […]
