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Tips & articles

Rivers, tigers and tea: experience the best of Bangladesh

A green emerald in South Asia’s trove of tourist treasures, Bangladesh amply rewards intrepid travellers who are plucky enough to dive into its whirlpool of chaos, walk its uncharted roads and explore its rustic hinterlands. From the lush tropical coastline to its forested hills, from frenetic cities to serene tea plantations, this under-explored South Asian nation offers a rich sampling platter of the delights of the subcontinent...

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Serendipity: the reward for getting lost on your travels

With smartphones to hand and ever-increasing access to data roaming worldwide, the concept of getting lost may seem like a problem condemned to the past...

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Sun, sand and Sigiriya: tips for family travel in Sri Lanka

After a tumultuous two decades of political instability and civil war, calm has returned to Sri Lanka, and visitors are flooding back...

After a tumultuous two decades of political instability and civil war, calm has returned to Sri Lanka, and visitors are flooding back. This Indian Ocean island has a deserved reputation as a top spot for adventurous backpackers, but going for a family holiday – was that a step too far? As a travel writer, I needed to find out. Luckily, my wife loves adventure, and the kids were happy to come along for the ride, so we set out in search of the perfect Indian Ocean family holiday...

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10 of the world's coolest food trucks

Over the last decade, the culinary landscape of cities all over the world has been transformed by a new kind of street food purveyor: gourmet food trucks...

Over the last decade, the culinary landscape of cities all over the world has been transformed by a new kind of street food purveyor: gourmet food trucks. Found on city streets from London to La Paz, these plates are served at street prices – and with no booking or dress code required, they cater to foodies who are more interested in taste than the formal trappings of restaurant life...

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Tokyo in spring: the best things to see and do

Spring in Japan means sakura (cherry) blossoms...

Spring in Japan means sakura (cherry) blossoms. And that's just one of the reasons to visit Tokyo at this time of year: there are also traditional festivals, sumo, seasonal delicacies and a whole lot more in bloom in the city's parks and gardens. The canal in Tokyo's Naka-Meguro area is a top spot for seeing cherry blossoms © YP Photographer / Shutterstock Bear in mind that spring is the most popular time of year to visit Japan and book your accommodation well in advance...

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Novel adventures: how to recreate six great literary journeys

Great literature can bring places to life, stirring our wanderlust as it fires our imagination...

Great literature can bring places to life, stirring our wanderlust as it fires our imagination. Whether it’s the story of a search for buried treasure, a battle against one's inner demons, or an epic, perilous journey home, brilliant books can inspire us to hit the road...

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Five must-try dishes from Osaka

There’s a reason the Japanese call Osaka tenka no daidokoro, or ‘the nation’s kitchen’...

There’s a reason the Japanese call Osaka tenka no daidokoro, or ‘the nation’s kitchen’. If your fantasies of a trip to Japan involve flashing neon lights, raucous nightlife and tempting treats hidden behind almost every darkened doorway or lattice-screen facade, then Osaka is the destination for you. What Japan’s third-largest city lacks in terms of the historic temples and serene shrines of nearby Kyoto, it more than makes up for in culinary delights...

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Seven cities where women changed the world

Great women don’t always make the history books. For every formidable leader, intellectual rebel or genre-defining artist whose name echoes down the ages, countless others are forgotten or erased. But in some cities, renowned women have left an unmistakable imprint. Take a tour from ancient Egypt to 20th-century France and see the world through the eyes of seven mighty women...

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Drinking and dining in Chiang Mai's Nimmanhaemin neighbourhood

Chiang Mai may not be able to compete with Bangkok’s myriad wining and dining establishments, but what it lacks in options it makes up for in charm and accessibility...

Chiang Mai may not be able to compete with Bangkok’s myriad wining and dining establishments, but what it lacks in options it makes up for in charm and accessibility. The town’s Nimmanhaemin neighbourhood – or Nimman for short – is the place to go for the latest trendy cafes, crafty boutiques, perfectly plated meals and speciality cocktails...

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Famous cities you thought were capitals... but aren't

In any trivia quiz, there's always a trick question about capital cities – the one that fools quizzers into mistakenly naming a major metropolis as the seat of power...

In any trivia quiz, there's always a trick question about capital cities – the one that fools quizzers into mistakenly naming a major metropolis as the seat of power. And no wonder: there's a host of top-class, attraction-heavy, bucket-list places around the world that you would be forgiven for thinking are their country's capital... but aren't...

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Are you kidding me? Seven surprisingly child-friendly cities

It can be easy to play it safe when it comes to taking a city break with the kids: will it be London? Rome? Surely not Orlando again? But, while priorities change when you’re travelling with children, it isn’t an excuse to let your destination choices grow stale. Allow our Lonely Planet Locals to broaden your horizons with this selection of surprisingly child-friendly cities, offering offbeat attractions and unusual activities that'll shake up your routine...

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Below the skyscrapers: finding old Hong Kong on the streets of Central

Impervious to the day-in, day-out waft of incense, a thick flow of sharply suited city workers, selfie-stick-wielding shoppers and giddy bar-hoppers pass below and above a tiny shrine on Peel St as though it were invisible. Nobody ever seems to pause on this stepped slope in Hong Kong’s Central district, but the coiled incense burners hanging from the shrine’s corrugated metal ceiling are always lit...

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Discover Singapore from dusk till dawn

They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but in Singapore you can now eat, drink, and even fish around the clock...

They say New York is the city that never sleeps, but in Singapore you can now eat, drink, and even fish around the clock. Begin your night at any one of Singapore’s highly acclaimed cocktail bars or by tucking into tasty nosh at a local eatery, then set out to discover the Lion City after dark...

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How to live like a local in Chiang Mai

Lonely Planet Local Alana Morgan first moved to the northern Thai town of Chiang Mai thinking she would stay six to eight months...

Lonely Planet Local Alana Morgan first moved to the northern Thai town of Chiang Mai thinking she would stay six to eight months. Seven years later and she’s still living and working in the city and writing all about it. The exterior of Wat Srisuphan's intricate silver shrine © Alana Morgan / Lonely Planet Must-see temples include… the ‘silver temple’, Wat Srisuphan, off Th Wualai and the wooden Wat Phan Tao in the centre of the old city...

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Exploring Hoi An’s arts and crafts scene

Located where the Thu Bon river meets the sea, Hoi An was one of Asia’s premier trading ports for much of its history, and artisans from all over Vietnam migrated here...

Located where the Thu Bon river meets the sea, Hoi An was one of Asia’s premier trading ports for much of its history, and artisans from all over Vietnam migrated here. Single-craft villages were established nearby to supply international trade as well as the town itself. When the mouth of the Thu Bon silted up in the late 1800s, the town’s fortunes also dried up, and most of the artisans dispersed...

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Take it away: the stories behind our favourite souvenirs

For many people, the term 'souvenir' calls up childhood memories of forgettable trinkets and hideous t-shirts, bric-a-brac and fashion faux pas destined for the depths of rarely opened drawers...

For many people, the term 'souvenir' calls up childhood memories of forgettable trinkets and hideous t-shirts, bric-a-brac and fashion faux pas destined for the depths of rarely opened drawers. But for travellers, the right memento often occupies pride of place in their homes and has the power to conjure up vivid memories of a trip...

Asia travel tips & articles

Rivers, tigers and tea: experience the best of Bangladesh

Serendipity: the reward for getting lost on your travels

Sun, sand and Sigiriya: tips for family travel in Sri Lanka

10 of the world's coolest food trucks

Tokyo in spring: the best things to see and do

Novel adventures: how to recreate six great literary journeys

Five must-try dishes from Osaka

Seven cities where women changed the world

Drinking and dining in Chiang Mai's Nimmanhaemin neighbourhood

Famous cities you thought were capitals... but aren't

Are you kidding me? Seven surprisingly child-friendly cities

Below the skyscrapers: finding old Hong Kong on the streets of Central

Discover Singapore from dusk till dawn

How to live like a local in Chiang Mai

Exploring Hoi An’s arts and crafts scene

Take it away: the stories behind our favourite souvenirs

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