All our articles about Asia.
In Tokyo a tip can be handed straight back, while in Cape Town and on a Kenyan safari it is part of someone's wage. Here is how tipping really works across more than 20 countries, from service charges on the bill to car guards and trekking porters.
From Manila's giant malls and bargain districts to Vigan's potters, Baguio's weavers and Cebu's guitar makers, the Philippines rewards shoppers who know where each thing comes from. Here is what to buy, where, and how to bargain the Filipino way.
Dry season, monsoon winds and typhoon months play out differently on every island. Here is how the Philippine year really works, from Palawan and Boracay to Siargao and the cool Cordillera.
From the gear shops of Thamel to the potters of Bhaktapur and the metal workshops of Patan, Nepal is full of beautiful handmade things. The trick is knowing which ones are real, what they should cost and what you are allowed to take home.
Nepal's kitchens change as fast as its landscapes, from Newari feasts in the Kathmandu Valley to Sherpa stews on the Everest trail. Here is what to order, what it costs and how to eat well without getting sick.
Nepal stretches from steamy jungle to the roof of the world, so the right month depends on where you go and what you want to do. Here is how the seasons, the monsoon and the big festivals shape a trip.
Made-to-measure suits in three days, silk lanterns that fold flat, pearls that may not be pearls. How Vietnam's tailors and markets really work, from Hanoi to Phu Quoc, and what is worth the space in your suitcase.
Vietnam is more than 1,600 kilometers from end to end, and how you cover that distance shapes the whole trip. Here is how the trains, sleeper buses, domestic flights, ride apps and scooters actually work, and what they cost.
Pho in Hanoi, bun bo Hue in the old imperial capital, cao lau in Hoi An and broken rice in Saigon. Vietnam's food changes with every few hundred miles, and the best way to see the country is to eat your way down it.
Hanoi can be cool and gray while Hoi An floods and Ho Chi Minh City bakes in the sun, all in the same week. Here is how Vietnam's three climates work, month by month, and what the averages leave out.
From the limestone bays of the north to turtle beaches in the far south, Vietnam's landscapes change as much as its weather does. Here is how to choose between cruises, treks, caves and islands, and when each one is worth the trip.
Four centuries of history sit side by side in Taiwan, from Qing dynasty temples and Japanese-era streets to Indigenous villages on the east coast. Here is where to see them, which festivals to plan around and how to behave at the temple door.
Snow can dust the mountains while people swim off the southern beaches, and a single holiday week can empty the restaurants and fill every train. Here is how Taiwan's seasons, typhoons and festivals play out across the year.
Two thirds of Taiwan is mountains, and the rest is ringed by cliffs, reefs and small islands. Here is where to go for forest, coast and wildlife, and what has changed since the 2024 earthquake.
From the silver workshops of Celuk to the boutiques of Seminyak, Bali is one long shopping street with rice fields in between. Here is where to go, what is worth buying and how to get a fair price.
Cliff-backed surf coves, reef-calm family beaches, black sand snorkeling villages and terraced hills an hour inland. Bali packs a lot into a small island, and where you stay decides which version of it you get.
South Korea changes completely from one season to the next, from cherry blossoms and spring dust to a muggy monsoon, blazing maple hills and dry, freezing winters. Here is what each month really brings, and the holidays that can upend a trip.
Korean nights start at the dinner table and can end in a karaoke room at dawn. From Seoul's districts to Busan's lit-up bridge and Jeonju's rice wine alleys, here is where to go, what it costs and the etiquette that matters.
Barbecue with a table full of side dishes, bibimbap in Jeonju, pork soup in Busan and black pork on Jeju. Here is how Korean food works, region by region, and what a meal really costs.
Seoul's cosmetics shops get the headlines, but Korea's best buys also include hand-pressed paper from Jeonju, carved masks from Andong and fabric sold by the meter in Dongdaemun. Here is where to shop, what to pay and how to get the tax back.
Royal palaces rebuilt stone by stone in Seoul, Silla tombs in the middle of Gyeongju, mask dancers in Andong and lanterns on the Nam River. Here is where to find Korea's living heritage, which festivals to time a trip around, and what closes when the whole country goes home for the holidays.
Bullet trains that put Busan a morning away from Seoul, subways with English signs and one tap card for nearly everything. Here is how Korea's transport fits together after the 2026 rail merger, plus the trips that work differently, like the DMZ and Jeju.
Volcanic Jeju, granite peaks at the end of a subway line, Busan's city beaches and cranes wintering by the DMZ: South Korea's outdoors is closer and more varied than most visitors expect. Here is where to go, what it costs and how Korean hikers do it.
Taiwan rarely makes lists of great shopping destinations, yet it sends visitors home with some of the best tea in Asia, handmade ceramics and boxes of pineapple cakes. Here is where to find them, what to pay and how to get the tax back.
A bullet train down the west coast, a cliff top railway along the Pacific, a logging line into the clouds at Alishan and short hops out to Penghu. Here is how Taiwan's transport fits together, what it costs and what to book ahead.
Turboprops to tiny island airports, overnight ferries, outrigger bangkas and tricycles for the last kilometer. Here is how transport in the Philippines actually works in 2026, what it costs, and where trips tend to come unstuck.
Mayon's perfect cone, the terraces of Ifugao, the caves of Sagada and a summit above the clouds on Mount Pulag. The Philippine highlands are a different country from the beach resorts, with their own seasons, rules and packing list.
From Poblacion's cocktail bars to Boracay's beach path and Siargao's surf-town parties, Filipino nights are social, loud and cheap. Here is where to go, what it costs, and the rules that surprise visitors.
Filipino food is sour, porky, generous and far more regional than its reputation suggests. Here is what to order, how a day of eating works, and which towns and islands are worth a detour for a single dish.
Palawan's lagoons, Siargao's surf, Cebu's sardines and thresher sharks, the turtles of Apo Island and the long white sand of Boracay: here is how the Philippines' best-known islands differ, what the boat trips and fees cost, and when to go.
Sinulog drums in Cebu, rice wafer houses in Lucban, smiling masks in Bacolod and coffins on the cliffs of Sagada. Here is how to time a trip to the Philippines around its festivals, and which Spanish, American and Indigenous heritage sites deserve your days in between.
Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit, Langtang or a few days on Poon Hill? The big Himalayan treks differ more than their names suggest, and the rules for independent trekkers have changed. Here is how they compare.
Beef noodle soup in Taipei, danzai noodles in Tainan, tea in the mountains and seafood on Penghu. Here is how to eat your way around Taiwan, from the night market rules to what a meal really costs.
