• Bali

New Bali jungle resort is beyond the tourist crowds and traffic of Ubud

A resort located well beyond the centre of town sounds increasingly like a good idea amid Ubud’s overtourism and standstill traffic.

• Penny Watson

• Bangkok

Twenty things that will surprise first-time visitors to Bangkok

From the world’s biggest and most diverse market to the world’s biggest water fight, expect the unexpected in this shape-shifting city.

• John Borthwick

• Philippines

Chase an endless summer at this island paradise

We may have said goodbye to Australia’s summer, but that doesn’t mean summer has gone away. At this time of the year the days in the Philippines remain warm and long. ADVERTISING FEATURE

• Vietnam

Move over, Bali and Japan: The other Asian destination we’re obsessed with

There’s another place blessed with some of the finest food on the planet, landscapes that range from lowlands to mountain highs, plus two of the world’s great cities.

• Ben Groundwater

• ★★★★
• Airport reviews

This Thai island airport may be my all-time favourite

Despite a bizarre experience with my luggage, Koh Samui’s airport keeps me in holiday mode a little longer.

• Justine Costigan

• Vietnam

I skipped the big cities for Vietnam’s charming less-visited waterways

The basket boats of Ke Ga’s fishermen and the floating markets on the Mekong Delta are among the many attractions to discover.

• Belinda Jackson

• Asia

The eerie Asian ghost town once a holiday spot for the elite

Abandoned French colonial ruins, a former king’s residence, empty townhouses and a hilltop palace-turned-hotel. Bokor is an unsettling destination.

• Julia D'Orazio

• Food and wine

Perfectly balanced, but this spicy salad is not for the faint-hearted

Order this South-East Asian dish “medium spicy” and prepare to have your world turned upside down.

• Ben Groundwater

• Thailand

Thailand’s 12 best islands, ranked and rated

With more than 1400 to choose from, there really is a Thai island for absolutely everyone, whether you want unspoilt beaches, buzzy bars or just to get away from it all.

• Lee Cobaj

• Vietnam

Greatest pho ever: I ate the best of Vietnamese food in 48 hours

It’s 7am in southern Vietnam, the air cool and crisp as Saigon awakes and thinks about what to eat. And it thinks about pho.

• Ben Groundwater