Travel & Tourism news, views, and reviews. A closer look at developments in sustainable and eco-friendly travel across Southeast Asia and beyond
Latest South East Asia tourism news, events, and stories. From culture to cuisine, nature to nightlife, gain insights for your next adventure. Must see destinations and must stay accommodation. Helpful updates and articles to help you plan your perfect trip.
Three new UNESCO biosphere reserves landed in June, including a first for Timor-Leste. What the designation is actually betting on, and what it asks of anyone who visits. Three places joined a very short list this June: UNESCO biosphere reserves, one of them a first for its country entirely. A biosphere reserve isn’t just a
If you have filmed a sponsored reel on a Canggu beach, tagged a villa in a story in exchange for a free night, or posted a paid partnership from a rooftop bar in Seminyak, Indonesian immigration now considers that work, not tourism, and they are actively watching social media to find it. Content that pays,
Thailand tested its sustainable tourism model in Krabi. Now the same blueprint is heading north, and it changes how you should plan a Chiang Mai trip. Five years ago, Krabi became the testing ground for an idea Thailand’s tourism authority wasn’t sure would work: that a destination could be rebuilt around certified low-impact routes, trained
GSTC, Green Key, Green Hotel Plus: what these logos actually mean, and how to tell a genuine credential from a marketing sticker Booking.com’s own data puts the figure above 80%: most travellers now say they want to stay somewhere sustainable. Hotels across Southeast Asia have responded with a wall of green badges on their booking
From 1 July 2026, a mandatory health declaration applies to every person crossing a Vietnamese border – arriving, departing, or in transit. You cannot submit online yet. Here is what to do instead. Vietnam has never made border admin particularly straightforward, and 2026 is not the year it starts. On top of the e-visa and
Whale sharks are the largest fish on the planet – and one of the most exploited animals in ocean tourism. On a small Philippine island, something unusual just happened: the people in charge decided enough was enough. Whale sharks are not dangerous. That is the first thing to understand. Despite the name, they are filter
11 starred restaurants, three Green Stars, and 72 Bib Gourmand picks – here is how to eat well in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang without breaking the bank On 4 June 2026, at a ceremony in Hanoi, the Michelin Guide did something it had never done before in Vietnam. For the first
A new five-star resort opens on one of Vietnam’s south-central coast in September 2026. We wanted to give it an honest assessment of the property, the destination, and the questions readers should ask before booking. Cam Ranh Bay sits between Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City on Vietnam’s south-central coast, close enough to both
Once Southeast Asia’s most captivating undiscovered destination, Myanmar is now one of its most contested. Here is what you need to know. Asia Unmasked has not written about Myanmar until now. That is not an oversight. Since this publication launched, Myanmar has been a country at war with itself – a place where writing about
A major new report finds two in three captive elephants in Thailand live in poor conditions – despite the industry’s ethical re-brand. Here’s what the report actually says, and what you need to know before you go. The sanctuary had no riding. No shows. It had a logo with a lotus flower and a tagline
The Cabinet vote on 19 May 2026 reshapes entry rules for 93 countries. Here is a plain-English breakdown of the tiers, the timelines, and the options. Thailand’s Cabinet voted on 19 May 2026 to end the 60-day visa-free window that has been in place since July 2024. Most travellers from the UK, US, Australia, and
Visitor numbers at Angkor climb sharply from mid-June. The next few weeks are one of the best opportunities of the year to experience the world’s largest religious monument with space to breathe – if you plan it properly. There are over a thousand temples inside the Angkor Archaeological Park. Most visitors see three. They queue
