zafigo.com

For many travellers, South Korea begins with Seoul’s bustling neighbourhoods, K-pop landmarks, and late-night street food. A new tourism initiative, the K-Chicken Belt Platform, is encouraging visitors to venture far beyond the capital by following one of the country’s most beloved comfort foods: Korean fried chicken.

Picture this: black lava rock coastlines meet crystal-clear turquoise waters, pods of dolphins leap offshore, and citrus orchards stretch across the landscape. The haenyeo, legendary Korean free-diving women, swim in with baskets of freshly caught abalone and seaweed. Horses graze beneath volcanic cones that seem to appear around every bend. There’s something quietly ethereal about Jeju Island, South Korea’s southern volcanic island, that encourages you to notice what you’d normally rush past.

Thailand remains one of Malaysians’ favourite holiday destinations, whether for shopping weekends in Hat Yai or beach escapes to Phuket, Koh Samui, Khao Lak, and Krabi. Yet one of the country’s easiest coastal getaways often receives less attention than its better-known beach destinations.

We’ve all done it. We’ve wandered through the cobbled streets of a European city, spent lazy afternoons in a beachside cafe in Bali, or watched the sunset over a bustling neighbourhood in Seoul, and thought, I could live here. Travel has a remarkable way of making another life seem possible. It offers glimpses of a different pace, changing priorities, and the intoxicating feeling of starting over somewhere new.

When we think of Mount Everest, we often picture snow-capped peaks, freezing temperatures, and months of gruelling preparation. But for Malaysian mountaineer Margaret Chew, climbing the world’s highest mountain became something far more personal. It wasn’t simply about reaching the summit. It became proof that even after life’s darkest moments, it’s still possible to keep moving forward.

Adulting is taxing in many ways; finding the space and time to enjoy your own company becomes the unexpected luxury of life. In acknowledgement of this, more and more adults are discovering the value of taking a much-needed gap year—not to rest, but to invest in the parts of themselves that busy routines often leave behind. The old fantasy of taking an adult gap year was pregaming life in retirement: quitting your job, travelling, and finding yourself somewhere along the way.

Recently, a chef friend came to Penang for a food trip after completing a culinary course in Kuala Lumpur. Before heading home to Korea, he wanted to experience more of Malaysia through its food. Having worked in multiple restaurants overseas, he was someone clearly passionate about cooking and eager to discover authentic local flavours. Leading up to his trip, we carefully planned the best combination of Penang food spots we could realistically fit into two days, amounting to six memorable meals.

Planning a trip to India? Before you board your flight, there’s one more item to add to your travel checklist. The country has reintroduced the mandatory Air Suvidha 2.0 health declaration form for all international passengers arriving at Indian entry points. If you’re flying into India from overseas, you’ll need to complete it before you arrive, regardless of where you’re travelling from.

If there is one myth we do not subscribe to, it is that travel is a luxury. The idea that seeing the world is reserved only for those with excess wealth has become increasingly common in an age of social media highlight Reels and influencer-driven aspiration. While these curated glimpses can make travel appear out of reach, the reality is far more grounded.

The first thing I did upon arriving wasn’t to look for a stage. It was to find the theatre where a press conference would be held. Notebook in hand, backpack slung over my shoulders, I mentally worked through the day ahead: attend M Nasir’s media session, check the workshop schedule, familiarise myself with the layout of the Sarawak Cultural Village, and start gathering everything I’d need for the stories to come. That mindset lasted all of an hour.