Paying and connecting in China as a visitor
Set up Alipay and WeChat Pay before you fly, know what a foreign card will and will not do, and get the SIM, maps and translation sorted on the ground.
What first-time visitors should know about Japan
A calm editorial briefing on pace, etiquette, transport and the choices that make a first Japan trip easier.
Getting around China by high-speed rail
How to use 12306, what a second-class seat actually costs, when to fly instead and why the station name matters more than the city name.
Getting around Indonesia without losing days to transfers
How to move between Indonesian islands by train, ferry and plane, which legs are worth the overland time and where the separate-ticket risk actually sits.
Getting around Malaysia without wasting days
How to move along the peninsula by ETS train and coach, when to fly to Borneo, and where the ferries and separate tickets need slack in the plan.
Getting around Singapore without overpaying
How the MRT, buses, taxis and the Changi transfer actually work, what a day of travel costs, and when paying for a car is the sensible choice.
Getting around South Korea without overpaying for rail
How KTX, SRT, express buses and the Tmoney card actually fit together, when the KORAIL Pass is worth buying, and why Jeju needs a car booked before the room.
Getting around the Philippines without losing days
How to move between Philippine islands by plane, ferry, bus and tricycle, what each transfer really costs in time, and where to put the weather buffer.
Getting around Vietnam without wasting days
How to move between Vietnam's regions by plane, train, sleeper bus and Grab, with real prices and the transfers worth paying to skip.
What Indonesia costs per day in 2026
A realistic daily budget for Indonesia, split into beds, food, transport and the boats and flights that actually move the total, with three bands you can place yourself in.
Indonesia entry requirements and the visa on arrival
What the B1 visa on arrival costs, how long it lasts, when the extension is worth it and the arrival card you need to submit before you fly.
What Malaysia costs per day in 2026
A realistic daily budget for Malaysia, split into beds, food, transport and activities, with the peninsula and Borneo priced separately because they are not the same trip.
Malaysia entry requirements and the arrival card
Who gets a visa-free stay, how the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card works, and why Sabah and Sarawak stamp you in again when you fly across from the peninsula.
What the Philippines costs per day in 2026
A realistic Philippine daily budget split into beds, food, local transport and the island transfers that quietly decide the total.
Philippines entry requirements and arrival paperwork
The visa-free rules, the free eTravel registration you must file before landing, extension costs and the passport paperwork a tourist SIM now requires.
Eating at Singapore hawker centres properly
What to order, how to read a stall, why the longest queue is rarely the best hour of your day, and how a whole day of eating stays under S$25.
K-ETA, the e-Arrival Card and what South Korea actually asks for
Which of the two online forms you need before flying to South Korea, what each costs, how long they take and the exemption that runs to the end of 2026.
What Vietnam costs per day in 2026
A realistic daily budget for Vietnam, broken into beds, food, transport and activities, with the swing between big cities and small towns made explicit.
Vietnamese food worth planning a trip around
What to eat in each region of Vietnam, what it costs, and how to tell the €2 bowl locals queue for from the €8 one aimed at you.
Where to stay in Seoul, by what you want your evenings to be
A district-by-district comparison of Seoul's main bases — Jongno, Hongdae, Euljiro, Itaewon and Gangnam — with what each costs, who each suits and which to avoid on a first visit.
Where to stay in Singapore for a short trip
The room is the largest line in a Singapore budget, so pick the district first — with honest price bands and the event weeks that move rates hardest.
Where to stay in Tokyo for a first visit
Match your Tokyo base to evening atmosphere, rail connections and the amount of calm you want after a full day.
Where to stay in Vietnam for a first trip
Match your base in each Vietnamese city to the district that makes your evenings easy, with honest price bands from dorm to boutique.