Very slowly and gradually, East Asia is opening up its borders. For folks who are vaccinated, South Korean pandemic travel requirements are getting a tad easier. Just a tad. From today, 23 May, when visiting South Korea, you can either take a PCR test that was taken within 48 hours of departure, or now a […]
Asia (Non-Middle East)
Myanmar Is Restarting its Tourist E-visas
The COVID-19 Southeast Asia reopening show has another episode in the works. This Sunday, 15 May, Myanmar — or, if you’re an historian, Burma — is restarting its tourist e-visa website. The link for the tourist e-visa application can be found here. Having been shut since March 2020 due to the pandemic, the Myanmar government […]
New for May 2022: Laos Reopens Its Borders for Tourism
If one of the burning questions on your mind is “which countries are open to tourists?,” have I got some news for you. As of today, 9 May, Laos has reopened its borders to tourism, this time with very little in the way of entry requirements. As per Channel News Asia, vaccinated travelers will be […]
Rize-Artvin, Turkey’s Newest Airport, Is Finally Opening
Earlier this year, I was in Batumi, Georgia, planning to travel to Trabzon, Turkey. By bus and dolmuş, the Turkish term for a shared van, it was expected to take just a few hours, including immigration procedures. However, given that I had a tight schedule to meet, I also didn’t want to risk getting stuck […]
Hong Kong MTR Will Soon Go Transfer-free from Shenzhen Border to Admiralty
The South China Morning Post reports that, starting 15 May, passengers will finally be able to take the MTR East Rail line to Hong Kong Island. Of course, due to COVID-19, it’s more practical to say that Hong Kong residents living in Sha Tin and Tai Wai in the New Territories will at last, have […]
Unforgettable Breakfasts in Sapporo, Japan
We have both been duped by today’s title. I wish I could say that my breakfasts in Sapporo, Japan were unforgettable in the positive sense – then again, I did have control over what was to be eaten – but to be fair, it was only one day’s selections that were unique. I was drawn […]
If Food Had Passports: Guatemalan Cardamom
Ever since I started raiding the breath freshener (and carminative) trays at Indian restaurants, I’ve been curious about cardamom. Whereas my usual reason for diving into those trays was for the candy-coated fennel seeds, the inimitable aggressive and unique flavor of cardamom always stood out. When else could I find the expensive pods in my […]
The Neptunus Group Building, Shenzhen (China)
Recently, I came across an article from two months ago that mentioned how Chinese Leader Jinping Xi issued a decree limiting the construction of buildings >250 meters (~821 feet) tall, disallowing buildings > 500 meters (~1641 feet), and prohibiting copycat behavior – in architecture. That article made me reflect on the architectural scene in China, […]