Latest from Asia

Japan: Grin and bear it on Japanese trails

Can a Kiwi cyclist out-sprint a hungry brown bear? In Japan Victoria Clark fixates on this point while pedalling through Hokkaido's forests. She need not have worried.

China: Old meets new in Beijing

Pam Neville finds an unexpected joie de vivre among Beijing's bustling population.

F&P Healthcare looks into surgery development

Ride of your life in Hong Kong

Roll up! Roll up! For the chance to ride some of the best double-decker trams in Hong Kong, writes Russell Maclennan-Jones.

Five cool things to do in Bangkok

See Bangkok life from different perspectives, says Megan Singleton.

Warning for Kiwis headed to Thailand

Kiwis are being urged not to travel to some areas of Thailand and to be extremely careful in others after martial law was declared across the country.

Neesha Bremner: The harm in trying to help

Good intentions are being abused in voluntourism, says Neesha Bremner.

MFAT reviews Thai travel advice after martial law declared

Bob Jones: Cut sports extravaganzas down to realistic size

A principal problem for sports extravangas is host nations trying to outdo their predecessors in grandeur, writes Bob Jones.

Spa breaks: Blissing out for inner beauty

Sheriden Rhodes checks out some of the best spa-cations across Asia and Australia.

Laos: Picks words and leaves

Communist Laos is still close to its agricultural roots, writes Yvonne van Dongen.

Thailand: Water under the bridge

Helen van Berkel senses the suffering of the prisoners of war who died to build the Death Railway.

Crouching rhino, hidden tiger

Hugh Biggar goes in search of exotic and elusive wildlife in Indonesia.

Pics shown of young North Korean leader

Rare pictures of Kim Jong-un as a boy have been shown during a televised concert for the air force in North Korea.

China's great porn purge

The Chinese government has shut down thousands of websites and social media sites in a bid to purge the internet of online pornography, it was revealed today.

Bali: A feast for the senses

Catering for many tastes requires a juggling act, finds Diana Dobson.

Bangladesh: An accidental tourist in Dhaka

So few tourists go to colourful Bangladesh that you'll be spoiled, says J.J. Somerset - but you'll also be amazed and enchanted.

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: End may be in sight for fossil fuels

Solar power has won the global argument. Photovoltaic energy is already so cheap that it competes with oil, diesel and liquefied natural gas in much of Asia without subsidies.