Beyond the gallop: Why the future belongs to the herd
We’re midway through the Lunar New Year celebrations (which, in case you didn’t know, stretch a full 15 days) and I swear if I see the word “gallop” in one more press release, I may well leapfrog into the nearest lake — which would have been rather dramatic two weeks ago when I was in New [...]
Letter from Tokyo: Ramen ritual, love robots, a dog and an eel
One of the reasons I love visiting Tokyo is that in a single day, you can be transported to the future – catching a glimpse of what the world might become – and then, just hours later, be pulled gently back in time, into a place of exquisite taste, deep tradition and unexpected warmth.
This [...]
The albatross that had to be let go
Even as we charge pell-mell into the future, it’s good, necessary, even, to take a walk back into the past to understand how we got to where we are today.
This week, I did exactly that. I visited The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified, a permanent (actually it’s five years [...]
The direct booking secret no algorithm can beat
This week, a front desk executive succeeded where technology failed – she made me rethink my booking behaviour with a single human act. No algorithm. No AI layer. No vibe coding. Just awareness, initiative and follow-through.
Last week I checked into Amari Boulevard Kuala Lumpur. Since we launch [...]
Oh no, not another “Traveller Trend” piece: Shut up and listen to me
I know. I know. You’re sick to death of yet another report predicting traveller trends, from “Dry Tourism” – people drinking less alcohol these days – to “Romantasy Retreats” – rejecting reality – and “Shelf-ie Tourism” – unique supermarket finds.
Personally, I’d love th [...]
2026: A Year To Stand Out, Stay Open and Fight One Battle After Another
While everyone was traipsing round the world during the holiday season, I stayed home and watched the world go by, in posts, reels, streams and stories. When did the world become such a stage where everyone is an actor in their own movie?
In between these bouts of voyeurism, I visited local place [...]
Letter from Seoul: High anxiety, hard questions and high stakes
“Don’t worry about the next 20, worry about the next six months”
Back in Singapore, after landing at 1am and walking my dog through tropical humidity six hours later, I found myself reflecting on the strange magic of travel.
Just 24 hours earlier, I had been in Seoul, pacing along the Han [...]
Letter from Riyadh: Key takeaways from TOURISE 2025
You name it, it had it – the opening of TOURISE 2025, the new global travel platform powered by the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia which kicked off in Riyadh this week.
Poetry, dancers, a rock band, a singer mimicking animal sounds – all against a backdrop of stunning visuals on the most g [...]
Letter from Vietnam – wait, strike that, Phuket: Travellers have more power than ever
Putting travellers’ interests first is in our best interests.
It’s a long story how our motley crew of five travellers, spanning three generations, ended up in Phuket instead of Vietnam. Let’s just say visas were involved.
But as I sit here in the lap of luxury at Trisara, one of the isla [...]
The Meaning of WiT | A new documentary on 20 years of stories, friendships and change
What makes WiT, well… WiT? Is it the debates and data? The big names and the startups? The art, music and poetry? Or is it the people - and the stories they bring with them?
As WiT turns 20, our new documentary The Meaning of WiT takes a step back to capture the essence of the event through the e [...]
