Sights, nature, culture, food, shopping, hotels, top lists and the travel life.
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.
Every Caribbean island cooks its own history, from Jamaican jerk pits and Friday fish fries in Barbados to Creole kitchens on Martinique and roadside pork in the mountains of Puerto Rico. Here is where to eat, drink and go out, island by island.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dollars work almost everywhere from Cancún to Roatán, but they are rarely the cheapest way to pay. Here is how currencies, ATMs, cards and prices really work in Mexico's resort towns, Belize, Honduras and Costa Rica.
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.
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.
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.
The Great Blue Hole, nurse sharks at Shark Ray Alley, whale sharks off Utila, howler monkeys and nesting turtles: Central America's wildlife trips are famous, but they are not all what the photos promise. Here is what each one is really like, what it costs and when to go.
Some Caribbean islands are independent nations, others are part of France, the Netherlands, Britain or the United States. Here is who runs which island, and what that means for your passport, your wallet and the side of the road you drive on.
From Chichén Itzá and Tulum to jungle cities like Calakmul and Caracol, the Maya sites of the Yucatán and Belize differ hugely in crowds, cost and how close you can get. Here is how to choose, and how to time your visit.
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.
