Japan is launching a new high-speed bullet train, or shinkansen, extension on Saturday that will make an under-the-radar prefecture far more accessible to travelers. The coastal Fukui Prefecture is some 185 miles west of Tokyo. The new train will pass through the city of Fukui, the town of Awara and other places guidebooks rarely mention, … Read more
For geeks, there are several great holidays on the calendar. There is of course Mole Day (10/23) to commemorate Avogadro’s number, which is huge (on the order of 1023) and hugely important in physics. There’s e Day (2/7) for Euler’s ubiquitous number (e = 2.718…). But the best is Pi Day, held on March 14 … Read more
Meenakshi Sai, 51, looks like any other Indian woman, dressed in a saree and sporting a bindi on her forehead. But unlike many women in her country, she’s been driving since she was 18 years old. As of 2020, less than 7% of India’s 236 million drivers were women, according to the data website Statista. … Read more
Millions of holidaymakers have chosen a destination based on a book they’ve read – with “Under the Tuscan Sun”, by Frances Mayes, named as the top inspiration. A study of 2,000 adults found one in four have booked a holiday in order to visit a location referenced in a novel. Some of the most popular … Read more
Many passport rankings focus on one factor: visa-free travel. But passport strength is more complex than this, according to the tax and immigration consulting firm Nomad Capitalist. That’s why it produces a weighted annual index that analyzes five criteria: Visa-free travel — 50% Taxation — 20% Global perception —10% Ability to hold dual citizenship — … Read more
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Tuesday that a closed-door deal for Taylor Swift to perform in the city-state ensured she would not perform in other Southeast Asian countries during her Eras tour. “(Our) agencies negotiated an arrangement with her to come to Singapore and perform and to make Singapore her only stop in … Read more
Sonja Prokopec took her son on their first “solo” trip together when he was six years old. They went to Rome, and it was so memorable that Prokopec said she’s now planning their second trip this summer. “I really enjoy one-on-one time which we have when travelling alone,” she said. “There are no distractions, no … Read more
“An artist friend of mine got me an AI-generated painting as a gift. I can see she tried to personalize the concept, and it’s nicely framed, but part of me still feels a little cheated. Is that fair?” —No Returns Dear No Returns, There’s something implicitly paradoxical about feeling “cheated” by a present. A gift … Read more
Lucy Alexandra Spencer spent 16 weeks abroad last year in Oman, France, Switzerland and Portugal. Unlike with most people, traveling is how she earns â rather than spends â money. The trips are paid for by Spencer’s employers â they’re wealthy Europeans and Americans who hire her to travel with their families for weeks and, … Read more
After nearly four years, the Eastern & Oriental Express is back on the rails. Â Â Â The train, which is operated by the luxury travel company Belmond, this week welcomed its first set of passengers since it stopped running as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Â Â The luxury train has been operating in Southeast Asia … Read more
