Beril Naz Hassan

Picture the scene: you’re scootering across the beautiful island of Bali, enjoying the wind in your hair and the sun on your skin. Well, that image is going to have to stay in your head, we’re afraid. The governor of Bali has announced plans to ban tourists from renting motorbikes, making your Bali biking dreams a thing of the past. Biking around the Island of Gods is arguably the most popular method of transportation for tourists – and is one of Bali’s best things to do. But, if the governor's plans work out, visitors will be expected to use cars for travel. Governor Koster explained that foreigners have been riding motorcycles without the valid paperwork and necessary helmets, driving recklessly. The Indonesian government also want to crack down on illegal workers, which could potentially impact digital nomads. The planned rules will target those who use fake Indonesian IDs or abuse their residence and work visas. These planned laws aren't the only controversial legal developments in the nation. Recently, Indonesia announced new laws that will mean unmarried couples are no longer allowed to cohabitate or have sex. While it looks like foreign residents and tourists will not be subject to the guidelines, the new restrictions have received a lot of criticism.  Did you hear about the best and worst Greek islands?  Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for the latest travel news and the best stuff happening across the world. 

Most of us simpletons have to settle for a glass of water after a workout. But, the lucky people of Germany’s Black Forest get to reward themselves with locally-made schnapps.  Nestled along its nine-mile loop through the Black Forest, the hiking route Oberkircher Brennersteig offers little schnapps fountains to thirsty hikers. They are tubs filled to the brim with bottles of schnapps in icy cold water to keep them cool. An adorable little ‘honesty box’ on the side asks for the visitors to pop some money in before they enjoy a delicious shot or two. There are even trays for clean and dirty shot glasses to keep it hygienic and organised.  The circular trail takes strollers through orchards, vineyards, farms, and distilleries (locally known as brennereis). And, given the fact that the Black Forest is a fruit haven, the little schnapps fountains feel very appropriate. Schnapps, an alcoholic drink made from distilled fruit brandies, herbal liqueurs, infusions and more, is known as Germany’s drink of choice. It is packed with fruits like pears, cherries, apples and plums. The best times to visit the trail are said to be from March until October to avoid the harsh weather conditions of the winter season. And if you want to complete the full trail, you should expect it to last an average of four hours.  Did you hear that the EU is giving away 35,000 free train tickets for travel across Europe? Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for the latest travel n

If you’re an 18-year-old from Europe wanting to travel around for free, this might just be your lucky day. The European Union is giving out tens of thousands of free train tickets, offering young people the chance to explore the region’s history and heritage. The dreamy scheme, called DiscoverEU, is open to those who will be 18 on July 1, and live in an EU member state or from a country that's involved in the Erasmus programme. That includes Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. However, given the UK’s decision to leave the EU, Brits will not be eligible. All you have to do to enter is apply online before March 29, pass the eligibility check which will ask about your age and nationality, and complete a multiple-choice quiz about the EU with five questions. You’ll also be asked to share how you’re planning to use the free train tickets should you win one. You can choose to travel alone or with a group of up to five friends.  Those who win will get a free rail pass allowing them seven days of train travel within a month between June 15, 2023, and September 30, 2024. In some cases, if the traveller lives in a remote area or on an island, coach, ferry and flight passes will be included, too.  The winners will also get a European Youth Card for a year, giving them countless discounts across the EU including local transportation, accommodation, food, learning, sports activities, cultural visits, and more.  You might be wondering how they’ll pick the wi

Let’s be honest, an airport can really make or break your trip. There are some airports that make you question why you thought leaving the comfort of your home was ever a good idea. Then there are others that make you secretly hope that your flight gets delayed so you can stay a little longer.  Thanks to the aviation ranking website Skytrax, which revealed its annual list of the world’s best airports for 2023, you can now plan your holidays to coincide with only the very best airports out there. Skytrax’s list was created using global satisfaction surveys from over 550 airports, taking into consideration factors like food and retail options, security, terminal layouts, seating, WiFi, and level of comfort. It's independent of any airport input or influence, so you can rest assured that there’s no favouritism. The same airports featured in the top three in both this year’s ranking and the 2022 awards – just in a different order. Singapore’s Changi Airport was found to be the World’s Best Airport for the twelfth time. We can’t say we’re shocked: the airport has a pool, a movie theatre, a playground, the world's tallest indoor waterfall, endless shopping opportunities, koi ponds, a butterfly garden, and an indoor forest. Second place went to Qatar’s Hamad International Airport, which had taken the number one spot in both 2021 and 2022. The airport boasts a futuristic design and high-tech procedures like using your face as your boarding pass, plus an indoor tropical garden, exclus

We’ve all heard the infamous tales of some Brits’ boozy breaks abroad. Drinking until dawn, engaging in some ‘lad culture’, and throwing wild bachelor’s and hen parties are just some of the things associated with UK tourists in certain parts of the world. And now it looks like some of the more popular tourist hotspots have had enough. Spain’s Lanzarote, famous for its beaches, volcanic landscape, and natural beauty, has revealed that they want ‘higher-quality’ visitors ‘who spend more’ going forward. The island’s new strategy is to reduce its dependence on the British market and to attract tourists from other destinations, ‘like the German market’.  The decision is a major one given the fact that British tourists currently make up around half of Lanzarote’s overseas visitors. But the island isn't the first in Spain to start targeting quality over quantity. Recently, Mallorca revealed that it would not allow more than three cruise ships a day to the island’s capital of Palma across 2023 and 2024. The Director of Tourism for Mallorca, Lucia Escribano said that the island was ‘not interested in having budget tourists from the UK’.  Similarly, at the end of 2022, Amsterdam revealed that it was cracking down on rowdy tourists who contributed to its sleazy image associated with drinking, drugs, and brothels. Their ‘stay away’ campaign targeted Brits in particular, who are widely considered to be the city’s rowdiest tourists. The city is also planning to limit bar crawls, stag-do an

中国の豊かな文化や料理、そして活気ある歴史を探求することを夢見ている？　そんな人にとって素晴らしいニュースがある。約3年間の国境閉鎖の後、外国人観光客が再び中国を訪問することができるようになったのだ。 中国では2023年3月15日から、外国人へのあらゆる種類のビザ（査証）発給を再開。クルーズ船はビザなしで上海と海南島に立ち寄ることができるようになる。さらに、2020年3月28日以前に発給された有効期限内のビザを保有する外国人も入国が可能になるとした。 さらに、中国国民に対しての規制も緩和され、これまで20カ国だったが、60カ国へツアー旅行が可能に。そして、香港とマカオからの旅行者はビザ免除の特権が復活。 検査や予防接種証明書が必要かどうかは未定だ。現時点では、入国を許可された旅行者は、出発の48時間前に陰性であることを示す必要がある。 中国では、パンデミックの初期から厳格な政府の「ゼロコロナ」政策を実施。観光は長い間禁止されていた。しかし、昨年の反鎖国デモの後、12月から政策の多くは廃止され、世界への開放が始まっている。1月には海外からの入国者に対する強制検疫が廃止された。 パンデミック以前、中国は毎年数千万人の外国人観光客を受け入れており、国の経済に多大な利益をもたらしていた。もし中国への旅を熱望しているなら、あなたの現金が長い間閉ざされていた世界の一部を活性化させるのに役立つと知れば、きっと満足することだろう。 関連記事 『China is reopening its borders to tourists for the first time since 2020（原文）』 『2023年に注目すべきニューヨークの10の地域』 『ニューヨークで2番目となる大麻ショップが2023年2月にオープン』 『ニューヨークの初代「夜の市長」が退任へ』 『ニューヨークのタイムズスクエアにジェイ・Zのカジノが誕生か』 『ほかとは少し違う「ホールフーズ」がニューヨークにオープン』 東京の最新情報をタイムアウト東京のメールマガジンでチェックしよう。登録はこちら  

After what feels like a winter straight out of Game of Thrones, many of us are ready to sprawl across sandy beaches under a bright sun and listen to the waves kiss the shore. Ahead of travellers booking their next spring or summer vacay, Which? has asked 1,000 people to help them reveal the best Greek islands.  The survey included questions about the islands’ beaches, scenery, cuisine and value for money. Responders were also asked to rate tourist attractions, accommodation options, shopping opportunities, and the peace and quiet the island offered.  With an 85 percent destination score, the island of Kefalonia was the clear winner of the survey. The mountainous island was the only one in the survey to score five stars for peace and quiet. It’s known for its breathtaking scenery, sandy beaches, welcoming vineyards and more.  The runner-ups were Lefkada and Skiathos, two Greek islands that offer both dreamy beaches and heaps of history. Lefkada, tranquil and pristine, is where you can enjoy waterfront tavernas, boat trips and windsurfing opportunities. Siakthos, on the other hand, is home to the Evangelistria Monastery, where the monks produce olive oil and wine, and 62 glorious beaches. Plus, if you take a boat to Lalaria, legend has it that a swim through the beach's natural rock arch will give you eternal youth.  Crete, with an 83 percent destination score, came third. As Greece's biggest island, it's not surprising that it attracts more than five million visitors per year.

Whether it’s social media’s ban on female nipples or women being fined for public nudity, it seems like women are constantly told to cover up while their male counterparts are free to trot around topless. The ever-progressive city of Berlin has now addressed that discrepancy in its public pools, revealing that it will treat all nipples equally going forward. The move, which has been celebrated as a step towards gender equality, came after a female swimmer was prevented from taking a topless dip back in December 2022. After she lodged a formal complaint with the city’s ombudsman’s office for anti-discrimination, the authorities agreed that she was a victim of discrimination and have since ruled that all visitors to Berlin’s pools would be allowed to splash around topless.  Berlin isn’t the only German city to allow everyone to enjoy the freedom and fresh air of a topless swim. Back in April 2022, Göttingen became the first German city to loosen its regulations around topless swimming, after a swimmer who identified as male was turned away from a public pool for wanting to swim with their chest bare.  The new measure goes hand-in-hand with Germany’s famous love of Freikörperkultur, which translates to ‘free body culture’ and dates back to the nineteenth century. The concept originates from the belief that being naked and letting your body freely interact with air and sunlight promotes a healthier life and a better society.  Did you hear about the cities that could be underwater

Always dreamt of exploring the rich culture, excellent cuisine, and vibrant history of China? We’ve got some pretty great news for you. This week, after three years of closed borders, international tourists will finally be allowed to visit China again. Starting on March 15, foreign offices will be allowed to process applications for Chinese visas again. And, cruise ships will be allowed to stop by Shanghai and Hainan Island without a visa. Those who were given visas before China closed its doors on March 28 will be allowed to use any valid visas they have, too. As for the citizens of China, they will be allowed to travel with tour groups to 60 countries; a big jump from the previously allowed 20. Plus, those travelling from Hong Kong and Macau will be regifted their visa-free privileges.  Whether you’ll need to do tests or bring a vaccination certificate with you is currently TBD. At the moment, any travellers permitted to enter the country need to show a negative Covid test 48 hours before departure. The country enforced a strict zero-Covid policy from the very beginning of the pandemic, meaning that tourism in China has long been a no-go. But, after last year’s anti-lockdown protests, many of the country’s Covid policies have been scrapped – and now, the process of opening back up to the world has begun. While visiting as a tourist hasn’t been on the cards until now, the country scrapped mandatory quarantine for international arrivals in January. Before the pandemic, Chin

As property prices and scary interest rates continue to dominate conversations, Italy has come through once again with an unbeatable offer to get you on the property ladder. The town of Sant’Elia a Pianisi in the scenic region of Molise has put eight houses up for sale for just €1. It’s a pretty sweet deal for prospective homeowners – but there is a catch. The houses are serious fixer-uppers, and those who do snap up a property will be asked to put down a deposit of €5,000 (£4,403, $5,330) deposit ahead of the necessary renovation works taking place. They’ll have to pay all the usual fees involved in owning a home. The new residents of Sant’Elia a Pianisi will also have to abide by certain rules, according to the mayor. They’ll be asked to present a renovation project to the local authority within six months of purchasing the house, and the said renovations will have to be completed within the next three years. The town will favour buyers who are planning to hire local workers, use regional materials, and renovate in the shortest amount of time. What’s the idea behind all these demands? Well, the hope is that investment and renovation from new homeowners will help to stimulate the town’s economy. Plus, this way, the new residents are more likely to build a bond with the village and care about its future. Sant’Elia a Pianisi’s €1 homes are part of an ongoing scheme to reawaken Italy’s many sleepy towns. As young Italians migrate to the city in search of job opportunities, Ita

Cycling fans, rejoice: it looks like Dublin might soon join the ranks of Copenhagen and Amsterdam as one of the world’s great cycling cities.  The Irish capital has revealed that it will be creating a brand-new cycling network by its canals, far from the city’s air pollution and traffic. The project will see the Royal Canal in north Dublin redeveloped into a lovely 2.1-kilometre-long green space as part of the city's Greenways strategy, which creates car-free trails to promote sustainable travel.  It’s a move that’ll delight both urban and nature lovers, as the new Greenway will allow cyclists to travel from artsy Phibsborough to the Silicon Docks and the Liffey river. On top of all that, there’ll be access ramps, footpaths, and a new public square for pedestrians. Currently, the city's Active Travel Network is only 10 kilometres long, but the council is hoping to add a whopping 310 kilometres to it in the next eight years.  Aside from its benefits to pedestrians and cyclists, the project is also great news for the future of our planet. Spaces like this promote more eco-friendly ways of travelling that reduce carbon emissions and don't exacerbate climate change. A big win for green travel! Did you see our guide to the most bike-friendly cities in the world? Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for the latest travel news and the best stuff happening across the world.

In an age of high-tech, AI, and satellites, it often feels like there is nothing left for us to discover. The days when a sailor could voyage across the seas and bump into a whole new continent they’d never seen before might be long gone, but Japan’s recent discovery shows that there’s actually more out there to discover than we thought. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan recently revealed an updated map of the nation, which showed 7,000 new islands added to the region. That increases the number of islands Japan has from 6,852 to 14,125! So how exactly do you not notice thousands and thousands of islands? Well, it’s easier to do than you think. The last mapping of the country was conducted by the Japan Coast Guard back in 1987. At the time, they decided to leave out any islands that didn't have a circumference of over 100 metres. Plus, the technology they used wasn't great at distinguishing between groups of small islands and large stand-alone islands, which led to thousands of islands not being formally recorded. In addition to those, many more islands have popped up over the years following volcanic activity in the region.  The revised map uses the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea's definition of what counts as an island. The Convention outlines that an island is ‘a naturally formed area of land, surrounded by water, which is above water at high tide’. This means that the previously dismissed large sandbanks are also considered to be islands now. Whether you’l