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
When Aussie travellers are asked to think of Dubai, the word “stopover” might come to mind — they may visualise the inside of its enormous airport and have faint memories of napping in one of the terminals before continuing on their journey elsewhere. Dubai has one of the busiest international airports in the world and … Read more
Flying in the pointy end of a plane on a long-haul trip is likely a bucket-list experience for many. But that luxury does not come cheap, and it can be hard to weigh up the benefits versus the cost, especially on an airline like Emirates with some of the world’s best premium cabins. Last week, … 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
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
For many Chinese, Harbin conjures images of ice and steel, a city both cold and tough. But this winter, the heavily industrialized city morphed into a warmly welcoming host, drawing in a record-breaking number of visitors, mainly from China’s south. During the three-day New Year period from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1, Harbin received more … Read more
The kingdom of Bhutan is planning a “mindfulness city” that, if built, will cover some 2.5% of the country — an area larger than Singapore. Plans show the 1,000-square-kilometer city will be built near the town of Gelephu, along Bhutan’s southern border with India. “Gelephu Mindfulness City,” as it’s called in the project’s masterplan, will … Read more
Nearly one in five Americans said they plan to travel less in 2024, with most citing costs as the reason , according to Intrepid Travel’s 2024 Outlook Survey. But many travelers are pressing forward, seeking ways to save without compromising their trips. And for some 70% of respondents of Intrepid’s survey, that means avoiding peak … Read more
Pandemic-era lockdowns ushered in the rise of “travel experiences” — or meaningful, purpose-driven activities that take a deeper, and often slower, dive into a destination. It’s not enough to simply go to a place anymore; many want to learn about it and be mentally transformed along the way. If that sounds like a tall order … Read more
Social media posts by Maldivian officials may cost the country millions in tourism revenue, as calls by Indian travelers to boycott the island nation intensify. “We are seeing a 40% drop in bookings over the last two days,” Ankit Chaturvedi, vice president and global head of marketing at the India-based travel software company Rategain, … Read more
