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Visit Johor 2026: A Year of Culture, Nature & Hidden Discoveries Just Across from Singapore

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

Johor, just across the Causeway from Singapore, is often considered the gateway to Malaysia. But cross the border and you’ll find a state brimming with heritage attractions, natural landscapes, coastal getaways and local experiences just waiting to be discovered. Read on to find out why Johor is increasingly getting noticed by people looking for something different.

Heritage of Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru is home to some interesting landmarks like the Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque and the Royal Abu Bakar Museum. These sites together give insight into the state’s royal history, architecture and cultural identity.

Explore Endau-Rompin National Park

Endau-Rompin National Park is one of the oldest protected natural areas in Malaysia and covers large areas of tropical rainforest. Visitors can experience jungle trails, waterfalls, and a wide array of wildlife habitats far from the city.

Explore the Magic of the Desaru Coast

Desaru Coast is famous for long stretches of beach and a laid-back vibe and has become one of Johor’s premier coastal destinations. Anantara Desaru Coast Resort and Villas‘ guests also enjoy easy access to the nearby nature-based activities and seaside attractions. The area’s growing popularity has helped attract travellers looking for everything from family-friendly escapes to the best resort in Desaru.

Find Places Off the Beaten Path

Beyond the main attractions, Johor is dotted with fishing villages, fruit farms and rural communities. These off-the-beaten-path spots give travellers a more authentic taste of the state.

Adventures in Coastal Islands

The clear waters and water activities attract people to islands such as Pulau Rawa and Pulau Besar off the east coast of Johor. These coastal getaways provide you one more reason to think beyond the urban centres of the state.

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Explore Southeast Asia’s Most Exciting Dining Scenes: How Koh Samui Quietly Became One of the Region’s Culinary Hotspots

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

Known for its luxurious resorts and pristine beaches, Koh Samui is an island that is visited by many for a beach escape. However, from beach clubs to luxury restaurants and street markets, here is how this island is quietly redefining its reputation as one of Southeast Asia’s culinary hotspots.

Beach club dining 

While beach clubs are a social experience for many, Koh Samui has worked on elevating this experience by bringing in great culinary experiences with good music, cocktails and beautiful ocean views. Many hotels and resorts like Avani Chaweng Samui Resort have excellent beach clubs with curated menus with fresh seafood and other traditional Thai and fusion cuisine, highlighting the island’s culinary evolution.

Fine Dining 

The fine dining scene here is also how the island is elevating its culinary offering. The collection of fine-dining restaurants in Koh Samui uses a mix of traditional flavours, fresh ingredients and innovative techniques to give visitors something that would tantalise all their senses.

Food Markets

Another exciting dining scene in Koh Samui is its street food. This is the most authentic way to discover the flavours that the locals enjoy. Dishes like Pad Thai are served directly from a fuming-hot wok onto your plate, making it an exciting gastronomic experience.

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Sustainable Dining

While becoming a culinary hotspot, Koh Samui also continues to focus on sustainable practices. With increasing focus on farm-to-table and sustainable sourcing practices, this island works on protecting the livelihoods of locals while preserving its culinary traditions and flavours

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Thailand Going Green: Exploring the Proposals for 2030

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

Thailand is in the process of reshaping tourism with a focus on the long-term impact of tourism on the country’s resources and iconic landmarks. The Green Tourism Plan 2030 is a proposal meant to guide this shift across the country.

Understand The Vision and Travel Better

S Hotels and Resorts, among other such global chains, are actively reducing environmental impact through energy efficiency, waste management, and eco-friendly materials across their properties. These efforts directly support sustainability in Thailand while aligning with global sustainability goals.

Choose Experiences That Support Local Communities

Many groups and resort chains in Thailand promote local sourcing, community employment, and cultural connection within their operations. This approach strengthens the overall sustainability of the country by ensuring tourism benefits local economies.

Protect Nature Through Responsible Hospitality

The Green Tourism plan hopes to have initiatives including reducing single-use plastics, installing solar energy systems, and supporting marine conservation projects. These steps help protect natural ecosystems while maintaining quality travel experiences all over.

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Be Part of a More Thoughtful Way to Travel

Travellers can support the trends of sustainability that Thailand is trying to bring about by choosing responsible stays and making simple choices that will one day play a role. These actions contribute to a more balanced and sustainable future for tourism for Thailand and by extension to the whole world.

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Exploring Sri Lanka at the Right Time: Following the Seasons

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

Sri Lanka is a tropical island south of India and is a place that changes with the seasons across regions. Knowing when to go helps you plan your travel in a much more effective way.

Understand The Seasons Before You Travel

Sri Lanka has two monsoon patterns that affect different parts of the island at different times, which can affect travel if you don’t know what to expect. Knowing this helps you plan your trip for optimal weather, and choosing Water Garden Sigiriya with its central location works year-round.

Choose The Right Coast at The Right Time

From December to March, you should plan to visit the south and west coasts for all your beachy adventures and coastal activities. While the months of May to September see calmer seas and better weather towards the East Coast.

Keep Your Travel Flexible

Short rain showers can appear during transition months, though they rarely last all day. A flexible plan helps you adjust your activities and enjoy each part of the journey while staying at one of the best hotels in Sigiriya.

Match Your Activities to The Season

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Wildlife, beaches, and cultural sites should all be visited at the appropriate times of the year, and it is heavily dependent on the weather. Planning activities around the season helps you get more from each part of your trip.

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Travelling The Mekong River By Cruise: Enjoying an Adventure on the Water

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

The Mekong River is considered the longest one in Southeast Asia, and a cruise on it can be quite calming and enjoyable. You will be able to enjoy a totally different perspective of cities as well as local life from your vantage point on the river.

A Slower Way to Travel

Embarking on a river cruise is a very interesting method of travel, as it is mostly determined by the speed of the river flow rather than your own pace. Travelling with an operator like Mekong Kingdoms gives you a clear feel of a luxury Mekong River cruise from the beginning.

Settle Into the Rhythm Of The River

A river cruise on the Mekong follows a gentle daily agenda, providing time for both movement and rest. You spend your days watching the river, with short stops that add colour to the journey without interrupting the pace.

Experience Life Along the Banks

You will pass many villages and markets, as well as working boats that show the daily life on the river. Short visits on land give you a closer look at local cultures that have formed around the river basins.

Image by pexels

End Each Day in A Calm Setting

Evenings are quiet, often with breathtaking views of the sunset over the water. This steady rhythm creates a relaxed experience that stays with you beyond the journey and provides ample opportunity for photography.

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Balancing Adventure and Calm in a Maldives Island Escape

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

Where the ocean decides your mood — and you simply follow

The Maldives has always existed in two registers: the breathless thrill of what lies beneath the waves and the profound stillness of what rests above them. For the modern traveller, the real art of a Maldivian escape is not choosing between adventure and serenity — it is learning to hold both at once.

The ocean is both a playground and a meditation

At dawn, the lagoon is glassy and silent. By mid-morning, it is alive with colour, current, and possibility. A single day in the Maldives can carry you from deep, contemplative stillness to exhilarating motion without a single moment feeling out of place. The water does not ask you to choose; it simply offers everything.

Luxury sets the rhythm between the two

Knowing where you rest changes everything. Properties like Dusit Thani Maldives are designed around this precise balance — overwater villas and lush garden retreats that slow time down, while curated experiences ensure adventure is always within reach whenever the spirit calls for it.

Some encounters demand presence, not haste

Drifting alongside a manta ray in open water is not an adrenaline rush so much as a reckoning. Manta Snorkelling in Maldives is one of those rare encounters that quietens the mind even as the heart quickens — a reminder that nature’s grandeur has its own particular calm built in.

Stillness is an activity worth scheduling

Sunsets here are not backdrops — they are events. Sitting at the end of a jetty, watching the horizon dissolve into amber, is as essential to the experience as any excursion.

Departures reveal what the balance truly means

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Most guests leave not exhausted by adventure or drowsy from rest, but curiously whole — as though the island quietly resolved something they had not realised needed resolving.

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Insights Into the Future of the Shipbuilding and Repairing Market – Increased Growth and Expansion to the Fore

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

Since the maritime industry is growing in leaps and bounds, it’s not surprising that sectors linked to building and repairing ships are showing similar development. The “Ship Building and Repairing Global Market Report 2026 ” by The Business Research Company offers a glimpse into the great heights expected in the years to come, and here’s what you need to know.

Two Key Segments
As per the report, the market for shipbuilding and repairing is expected to reach and even surpass the lofty heights of $330 billion in 2030. Out of these two sectors, shipbuilding is set to be the largest, which will be bolstered by a growing demand for ships, a boost in global trade by sea and a rise in investments.

With this growth in mind, it will no doubt bode well for those gaining internationally recognised qualifications from a reputed maritime training institute. Ideal examples can be found in countries like Sri Lanka, where CINEC Campus has departments for both marine engineering and marine electrical engineering, helping students to expand their careers in different aspects of this industry.

Key Region and Country
Another pertinent aspect which was highlighted was that when it comes to regions, Asia-Pacific is expected to be the largest for these two segments. Also worth noting is that, as per the report forecast, in 2030, China will be the biggest country for ship repairing and building; the market is expected to have a 7% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate), driven by factors like fleet expansion and new offshore and port infrastructure projects.

Factors Driving Growth
There are several reasons why these two sectors in the maritime industry are expected to enjoy growth by 2030. One factor is that there will be many ageing vessels in need of repair, maintenance and upgrades. Another reason is that maritime trade is obviously in demand and expanding, and in turn, the need for more vessels as well. Additional aspects like the increase in marine and coastal tourism, as well as port expansion, are helping to foster a greater demand for shipbuilding and repair.

 

Opportunities to Tap Into
The markets for goods transportation, as well as building and repairing bulk carriers, are amongst the key opportunities for growth. In fact, these sectors, as well as others, are set to contribute a market value of more than $174 billion by 2030. Of course, aspects such as increasing global trade, naval expansion, vessel lifecycle extension and fleet modernisation are all helping to propel shipbuilding and repairing to new horizons, too.

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Why Full Kitchens Are The New Must-have Perk For Luxury Winter Travel – Comfort Meets Convenience On The Slopes

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

Winter travel has quietly evolved. Where guests once accepted a minibar and room service as the height of in-room luxury, expectations have shifted considerably. Travellers today- families, extended groups, and solo adventurers alike- want spaces that genuinely feel lived-in. A full kitchen has gone from a “nice-to-have” to something people actively search for when booking their cold-weather escape.

The shift towards home-like alpine stays

Gone are the days when a snow holiday meant squeezing into a cramped lodge room. Today’s winter traveller wants space, autonomy, and the ability to move through a property as though it were their own home.

In destinations like Niseko, Hokkaido, a Niseko apartment with a fully-equipped kitchen goes a long way towards making guests feel like they’re home.

Cooking as part of the experience

There is something deeply satisfying about picking up fresh local produce from a morning market and bringing it back to a well-equipped kitchen. Self-catering transforms a trip from a passive holiday into something far more immersive.

Guests at properties like Chatrium Niseko Japan understand this well – the ability to prepare a meal after a long day on the mountain is not a compromise, it is the luxury.

Freedom from the constraints of hotel dining

Dietary needs, early mornings before first lifts, late-night cravings after a long soak in the onsen- a full kitchen quietly solves all of it. It removes the friction of restaurant reservations and delivery wait times, handing the guest full control over how and when they eat.

Image by pexels

The practical case for booking kitchen-equipped accommodation

Simply put, a full kitchen extends the value of every stay. Groups can split costs on groceries, families can feed fussy eaters without stress, and everyone gets to linger over breakfast without watching the clock. For winter trips especially, where the days are full and the evenings are long, that kind of ease makes all the difference.

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Hospitality in Thailand – Making Education Relevant

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

Thailand’s hospitality education has become more relevant than ever as the country continues to thrive as one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. With millions of visitors arriving each year, the industry needs skilled professionals who understand how to deliver great service while also appreciating the cultural warmth that Thailand is known for.

The Thai Tradition of Hospitality

Thailand is famous for its warm smiles and friendly vibe, and hospitality here isn’t just a job—it’s part of the culture. The people are naturally kind, gracious, and welcoming, traits that make them perfect for the hospitality industry. With a reputation like this, it’s no wonder Thailand is being recognised as a top spot for learning the ropes.

The Array of High Quality Establishments

As one of the world’s top tourist spots, Thailand has built a solid reputation for outstanding hospitality. This shows in the quality of its hotels and restaurants—ranging from stunning resorts and bustling city hotels to stylish bars and top-notch fine-dining spots. The country really sets the bar!

Existing Programs

For anyone dreaming of a career in hotels or hospitality, Thailand has plenty of top-ranked universities and institutes offering specialised programmes, such as AIHM and the choice of a hospitality management degree that it offers. These degree and certificate courses give students a solid grasp of the industry while equipping them with the practical skills and know-how needed to succeed.

It’s perfect for Work-Study

Image by AIHM

Studying in Thailand gives international students the chance to dive into a new culture, pick up the language, and see the world from a fresh perspective. With affordable living, stunning landscapes, and a lively social scene, it’s a great place for young adults to live, learn, and explore.

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A Guide to Visiting Lively Khao San Road in Bangkok – Experience the Best of a Dynamic City

by Kanya Mae
written by Kanya Mae

The entrancing Khao San Road, often considered a hub for backpackers, is an engrossing place to visit in the Thai capital of Bangkok. Suffice it to say that there are many fascinating things to do in this locale that will appeal to all types of travellers.

Enjoy the nightlife 

Undoubtedly, Khao San Road is renowned for its amazing nightlife options. Here, you may take the chance to dance your cares away at an exciting nightclub, or perhaps sip a refreshing cocktail at an attractive rooftop bar. The vibe typically happens to be “electric” on this road, with many opportunities for drinking, enjoying lively music and partying, of course!

Savour street foods 

As you might expect, there is an abundance of street food awaiting the visitor at Khao San Road. Whilst local favourites like pad Thai and mango sticky rice are naturally readily available, there are also more “exotic” choices, such as fried grasshoppers, scorpions and spiders! A Khaosan accommodation to consider from which you can easily visit this locale and its street food stalls is Tinidee Trendy Bangkok Khaosan. 

Go shopping 

There is a marvellous selection of interesting goods available for sale in this locality. The vibrant local street markets offer plenty of merchandise such as brightly coloured clothing, typical Thai fabrics, handcrafted jewellery and unusual souvenirs. As you might expect, this is an excellent place for availing yourself of a special gift or keepsake for friends, family or yourself.

Get a massage 

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Following a tiring day of sightseeing and shopping in Bangkok, you may take the opportunity to enjoy a soothing Thai massage at Khao San Road. In fact, there happens to be a selection of modestly sized spas located on this road where you can obtain an invigorating and affordable massage. This is undoubtedly an appealing experience in the Thai capital.

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