Most read of 2023: Airbnb crackdown in Penang, Swiss towns’ morbid art by Alien movie effects designer, 7 world wonders in 7 days – our top travel stories
- A mad dash to see China’s Great Wall, Petra, and other ‘new wonders of the world’ in a week got Post readers’ attention in 2023, as did tips for seeing Shenzhen
- The inaugural World’s 50 Best Hotels rankings interested you, and so did the Chinese influence on Malacca, as well as the dark side of certain tourism spots
From a tour of the Chinese city of Shenzhen, a popular day-trip destination for Hong Kong people, to a look at things travellers don’t get told by tourism boards, we look back at our most popular travel and leisure stories of 2023.
1. Morbid art gets star treatment
In May, we looked at how an Alien special effects designer’s works are the star of two Swiss medieval towns that offer an unlikely mix of idyllic backdrops and morbid art.
H. R. Giger was born in the Swiss city of Chur, where his style of blending human physiques and machines developed, possibly influenced by his surroundings.
Museums, houses and bars in the towns tell the artist’s story and exhibit some of the unusual works that put him on Alien director Ridley Scott’s radar.
2. The world’s best hotels in 2023?
Four of the top five hotels in 2023 are in Asia – two of them in Hong Kong – according to the inaugural World’s 50 Best Hotels list, on which a total of 18 are Asian properties.
3. Penang’s Airbnb crackdown
The measure will not come into force until March 2024 to give property owners time to comply with the new rules.
4. A tour of Shenzhen
Following her visit to Shenzhen, notebook in hand, Post writer Erika Na shared useful tips for those looking to visit the Chinese city, from how to get a visa on arrival and which apps to download to what cashless payments are accepted there.
Shenzhen is a popular day-trip destination for Hong Kong people, but those without a visa or the right to enter mainland China can be put off by the on-arrival visa process.
5. Admiral Zheng He’s Malacca
European colonial buildings abound in Malacca, Malaysia, but look closely and you’ll find evidence of how early Chinese migrants shaped its culture and make-up.
Admiral Zheng He turned Malacca from a fishing village into a trade hub in the 15th century, when Chinese put down roots and a Chinese princess married a sultan.
6. Seven wonders of the world in 7 days
His 36,783km (23,000-mile) trip involved planes, trains, taxis, buses and even a toboggan. He slept only 12 hours and ate plane food all the way, apart from a pizza in Rome.
7. That is not in the brochure
In January we walked on the wild side, looking at the “most dangerous wonder of the world” and other things tourists don’t get told by the travel industry.
Tourism boards are more than happy to tout their most popular attractions but far less likely to point out the downsides that come with seeing them.
From Thailand’s deadly roads to muggings at gunpoint on the way to Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, we covered what the travel industry doesn’t.
