How to explore Malaysia by moped, boat, train and more

The best trips are often a result of well-planned itineraries tailored to your tastes.

Singapore has retained its place at the top of a ranking of the world’s strongest passports, previously knocking Spain off the top spot.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brandon Chia, 31, a nurse in the South Island of New Zealand. Chia moved from Singapore to New Zealand in 2022. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

Dec 4, 2024 • 12 min read

Ever since she was born at Thailand’s Khao Kheow Open Zoo in July 2024, Moo Deng, the pygmy hippopotamus, has captured public imagination, with visitors to her home quadrupling since her birth. She has also raised the profile of her species, the lesser-known—and more endangered—sheep-sized cousin of the common hippo. But Moo Deng was not the first mini hippo to become a major celebrity.

A gag in “Piker’s Peak,” a Looney Tunes cartoon from 1957, plays off the trope of the Saint Bernard rescue dog carrying brandy to warm up an avalanche victim. After digging Yosemite Sam out of the snow, the dog opens the barrel in its collar to reveal a cocktail shaker and martini glass, and ignores the frozen Sam as it mixes itself a drink.

In the new Hulu show Interior Chinatown, a background actor trapped playing different cliched Asian characters on a police procedural gets involved in Chinatown’s crime scene. Comedian Ronny Chieng, who co-stars on the show, based on the much-lauded book of the same name, is a bit of a connoisseur of Chinatown neighborhoods around the world, having lived in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and now the United States. “It’s pretty funny, because the idea of Chinatown is basically in a non-Asian country, right? But the best Chinatowns are probably in Malaysia or Singapore,” says Chieng, who remains a senior correspondent on The Daily Show. “But damn, I’m biased. I have to go with New York City. It's my Chinatown and I think it's the best Chinatown. It's got food, tailors, massage places, coffee. New York City’s Chinatown is where it's at.”

Chase Travel is here to inspire your next vacation and, hopefully, help you pay for it in points.  On Tuesday, Chase Travel released its first annual top destination list, the 25 Trips to Take In 2025. And thanks to «insights from in-house travel experts,» it's chock-full of fantastic recommendations, including getaways in Thailand (which also happens to be Travel + Leisure's 2025 Destination of the Year), explorations of lesser-visited European destinations like Poland, and plenty of domestic zip codes worthy of a stay. 

In 2019, I had a great life on paper: a stable job, boyfriend, and a basement apartment in DC. But I wanted more.

It's that time of year again! Black Friday may already be on its way out, but Cyber Monday is in full swing, and if you're anything like us, you've been eyeing up your favorite hotels, cruise lines, and tour operators for months, just waiting for them to roll out the big sales. Good news: From glamorous resorts to beachfront hotels to tour operators and cruise lines, the Cyber Monday deals are still rolling in, and there are tons of ways to save for every type of traveler. Whether you're interested in scoring 30% off low-cost flights to Iceland via PLAY or want to hop on a cruise by HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) for close to half the original price, this is the best time of year to save. From now through Travel Tuesday, we're seeing new sales drop every day—be sure to check back in daily so you don't miss anything good.

As he soaked in the pool of his Airbnb in Bangkok, Chris wondered, "How can I make this my home permanently?"

Nov 27, 2024 • 8 min read