Asia Unmasked

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Asia Unmasked Offering an unfiltered look at the heart and realities of travel across Southeast Asia.

Including in-depth guides, regular tourism news, and critical commentary on eco-tourism, sustainable travel, and developments across the region.

Komodo National Park, home of the Komodo dragon and the world’s largest lizard, now limits visitors to 1,000 a day, and ...
24/10/2026

Komodo National Park, home of the Komodo dragon and the world’s largest lizard, now limits visitors to 1,000 a day, and this year’s quota ran out in August. If you plan to see the dragons, the park ticket has to be booked in an app before you book the boat, and a new rule on dates is catching people out. Which would you book first, the ticket or the boat? Follow Asia Unmasked for more on responsible travel. The link to our booking guide, with the app steps and what to ask your operator is in the first comment below

Phu Quoc National Park plans to lease more than 5,300 hectares of forest, across 69 sites, to ecotourism firms. The dire...
23/10/2026

Phu Quoc National Park plans to lease more than 5,300 hectares of forest, across 69 sites, to ecotourism firms. The director says conservation will not be traded for tourism growth. A state audit of the province's forest fund, reported in January 2024, found lease income sitting untouched in a bank account because nobody had said how to spend it. Applications for the first round close on 24 October. Would you stay at an eco-lodge inside a national park? Follow Asia Unmasked for more on sustainable travel in Vietnam. More in this week's newsletter: https://asiaunmasked.com/newsletter/uw-30/

Laos is tightening its rules on zero-dollar tours, the near-free packages that make their money from commissions at shop...
22/10/2026

Laos is tightening its rules on zero-dollar tours, the near-free packages that make their money from commissions at shops, hotels and restaurants. Inspections began in Luang Prabang in late August, and this month the tourism minister told the National Assembly they will increase at tourism businesses, busy sites and border crossings. Have you been caught out by a tour that felt more like an in-house shopping trip? Follow Asia Unmasked for more on responsible travel in Laos. More in this week's newsletter: https://asiaunmasked.com/newsletter/uw-30/

Similan and Surin Islands reopened this week. More than 400,000 people visited the Similans last season, and the park's ...
17/10/2026

Similan and Surin Islands reopened this week. More than 400,000 people visited the Similans last season, and the park's own report gives no reef-health figures to match. If you are booking this season, three things matter more than the boat: how the e-ticket works, a sunscreen law with a fine of up to 100,000 baht, and which islands you can actually land on.

Look before you book: https://asiaunmasked.com/destinations/similan-surin-season-guide/

Hoi An’s old town goes quiet on Friday 23 October: no motorbikes, dimmed lights, lanterns on the river. Tickets start at...
15/10/2026

Hoi An’s old town goes quiet on Friday 23 October: no motorbikes, dimmed lights, lanterns on the river. Tickets start at VND 80,000 (about US$3/£2.30), and it is worth buying before 6pm. Have you caught one of these? Let us know below.

Where to stand, when the crowds ease, and the next lantern nights:
https://asiaunmasked.com/newsletter/uw-29/

Singapore's air reached the "very unhealthy" band on 15 October, with a 24-hour PSI of 212 in the west at midday, the hi...
15/10/2026

Singapore's air reached the "very unhealthy" band on 15 October, with a 24-hour PSI of 212 in the west at midday, the highest of the year so far. Smoke from fires in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra is drifting across, and Singapore's weather service expects the rains that clear it in late October or early November, later than the last two years. Check the hourly PM2.5 reading before you go outside. Are you flying into Singapore, Malaysia or Borneo in the next few weeks?

Read the full story: https://asiaunmasked.com/newsletter/uw-29/ and follow for more

14/10/2026

Soaring over stunning cliffs and turquoise waters lies the untouched beauty of Nusa Penida. Just you, the breeze and this view

From this Friday 16 October, Thai airports may open your checked bag without you there if screening flags something. Bag...
13/10/2026

From this Friday 16 October, Thai airports may open your checked bag without you there if screening flags something. Bags will not be opened routinely, each inspection is filmed, and a notice goes inside the bag afterwards. Keep your passport, medication, electronics and anything you cannot replace in your hand luggage, and use a TSA-approved lock.

Follow Asia Unmasked for more stories like this. Read the full story, including the Bangkok holiday that falls on the same day: https://asiaunmasked.com/newsletter/uw-28/

Cambodia has been ranked first in Southeast Asia for ecotourism, and 17th in the world, by US News & World Report despit...
12/10/2026

Cambodia has been ranked first in Southeast Asia for ecotourism, and 17th in the world, by US News & World Report despite arrivals falling 46% in the first half of 2026. The ranking scores forests, species and protected areas. It cannot tell you whether a lodge pays local guides.

Follow Asia Unmasked for more stories like this. Read the full story and the three questions to ask any eco operator: https://asiaunmasked.com/newsletter/uw-28/

Should a ranking like this change where you travel?

Southeast Asia does not have one wet season. It has eleven timetables. Bangkok has standing water on its main roads this...
11/10/2026

Southeast Asia does not have one wet season. It has eleven timetables. Bangkok has standing water on its main roads this week, Timor-Leste is in its dry season with whales passing offshore, and Indonesia is still waiting for rains that El Niño has delayed. Our guide takes all eleven countries from now to December and ends with a plan you can use this wet season.

Follow Asia Unmasked for more stories like this and read our full guide: https://asiaunmasked.com/travel-tips/navigating_southeast_asias_11_wet_seasons/

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