Hamba Travel Magazine
Stories
From a detour close to home to a long road through East Africa. Pick a part of the world, or read them in order.
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Stories about Asia
35 stories from our editors. Filter by part of the world, or page back in time.
South America · Ecuador · Azores
Eight archipelagos where the boat still matters
A ferry from Bodø reaches Lofoten beneath granite ridges that rise almost straight from the Norwegian Sea. Across these eight archipelagos, ferries, island flights, small launches and expedition ships make arrival part of the place.
Asia · Thar Desert · Gobi, Mongolia
The world’s 10 most remarkable deserts, ranked
In Egypt’s White Desert, wind-blown sand has carved snow-white chalk into mushrooms, cones and solitary towers. This deliberately subjective ranking weighs access alongside landscape and distinctive character, so a spectacular place can fall when reaching it requires a serious expedition.
Brazil · India · Pantanal, Brazil
Top 5 wildlife encounters that keep animals wild
These five encounters differ in more than their headline animals: one unfolds from a riverboat, another from a jeep, snorkel, tundra vehicle or ranger-led walk. Each depends on a habitat that concentrates wildlife at certain times, but none offers a guaranteed sighting.
Middle East · Asia · Oman
The Carved Doors of Mombasa Old Town
In Mombasa Old Town, carved timber marks the boundary between the street and the rooms beyond. Teak, brass, floral carving and geometric grids show how a Swahili port absorbed ideas and materials from across the Indian Ocean.
Asia · Philippines · Indonesia
Asia’s five most exceptional beaches, ranked
Natural beauty alone does not settle this ranking. These five beaches are judged equally on scenery, swimming or snorkelling, access, crowd levels and the season in which each one is at its best.
Asia · Indonesia · Solo
In Laweyan, Batik Still Lives at Home
In Kampung Batik Laweyan, batik passes from experienced makers to children, trainees and design students inside family businesses, workshops and organised classes. The neighbourhood is Solo’s oldest and largest batik production centre, making it a strong place to follow how a drawing becomes cloth, work and inherited knowledge.
Asia · Laos · China
A Bowl of Luang Namtha: Rice Noodles at the Night Market
Broad rice noodles fill a bowl, followed by minced-meat sauce and clear chicken broth. In Luang Namtha, khao soi turns rice into supper, and the night market makes that link visible.
Asia · Philippines · Iloilo Province
From Concepcion’s Morning Catch to the Grill
At Concepcion Fish Port, the day’s catch is already for sale in the morning. Buyers choose fish or squid by weight, then carry it across the road to paluto stalls, where a low grill fire turns the purchase into the first cooked dish of the day.
Asia · Laos · Luang Prabang
From Luang Prabang’s Morning Market to the Mekong
Before the souvenir market takes over the main street, Talad Sao handles the more ordinary business of food. In a narrow lane on the Mekong side of Luang Prabang’s historic centre, vendors sell vegetables, meat, rice, snacks and fresh fish to people shopping for the day.
Asia · Bangladesh · Dhaka
Dhaka’s painted rickshaws put pictures into traffic
A film star, a tiger or two peacocks can travel through Dhaka on the back of a cycle rickshaw. Painters turn the vehicle’s working parts into public pictures, even as cheaper printed panels replace much of their handwork.
Asia · Thailand · Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market
Pak Khlong Talat, Bangkok’s Flower Market at Work
After midnight, flower carts move through Pak Khlong Talat while workers bundle stems for florists, temples and hotels. Bangkok’s best-known flower market is also an old trading district, first shaped by the Chao Phraya and then by the road that runs through it.
Asia · India · Mumbai
Before Sunrise, Mumbai’s Flowers Change Hands in Dadar
Before sunrise, trucks reach Dadar with marigolds and chrysanthemums from farms across Maharashtra. Within hours, traders divide those loads among florists, decorators and street sellers who carry flowers into neighbourhoods across Mumbai.