GROUND Asia tourists

GROUND Asia’s New Responsible Traveler Training Turns Tourism into a Force for Good

How’s this for turning problems into solutions? Student travel company GROUND Asia kicked off a new responsible traveller training program to help direct tourism towards beneficial ends.

oslob whale shark encounter, philippines

Is it Ethical to Go Swimming with Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu?

Are the whale sharks in Oslob being mistreated? How do the snorkelers actually interact with these giant fish? Who benefits the most from a whale shark snorkeling expedition to Oslob?

Boat sailing off Panglao Island, Philippines

10 Things I’ve Learned from a Decade Writing about Travel in the Philippines

Ten years on, the Philippines has not yet lost its ability to surprise me – find out what I’ve learned in a decade of covering my home country

mark bryan ocampo at pampanga

“Good Reason to be Arrogant”: a Q&A with Pampanga Food Tour Expert Mark Bryan Ocampo

Pampanga food tour expert Mark Bryan Ocampo explains why this Philippines province underpins more of Filipino history than we think

Tourists crossing a bridge in the Lao countryside.

Bridges Across Mekong Tourism: Two Travel Startups Solving the Accessibility Problem

Different but same-same: meet 2 radically different travel startups working to bridge the accessibility gap in Mekong tourism

Bamboo straw by BambooLao

Upstream, Downstream: Two Travel Startups Taking On Mekong Tourism

These two startups take two very different approaches to Mekong tourism – one fighting plastic waste in Laos, and another opening up Vietnam to digital nomads

Jason Lusk, MIST Director

I know a lot of great accelerator programs in the Greater Mekong Sub-region, but which other accelerator program has attracted [Facebook COO] Sheryl Sandberg as a match-up? I think [the Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism is] the only one.

mekong tourism forum startups

How Innovative Startups are Tackling the Mekong’s Tourism Problems

What does it take to solve the Mekong Region’s tourism problems? As the Mekong Tourism Forum shows, a little technology… and a whole lot of heart.

Lean Joo Sean's char kway teow

Southeast Asia’s Foodie Capitals, Laid Bare

Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore make Bott & Co’s top 50 foodie cities – but no space at all for Penang?

Myanmar bus station in Yangon

Myanmar Bus Travel: Fun, Cheap and Surprisingly Safe

Low-cost, surprisingly fast and rather fun (if you know what to expect), Myanmar bus travel is an essential travel experience through this former hermit kingdom