Looking ahead to 2022, one thing seems clear: Travel is back on the cards. With COVID restrictions easing and vaccination rates rising, many are no doubt already dreaming of the coming months, seeking to satiate two years worth of repressed wanderlust, topped with a hefty dose of emotional recovery. Just for a moment, break away from reality and imagine walking on a pristine stretch of white sand, where you can view spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Picture gradient azure waters as far as the eye can see. Think of verdant foliage enveloping breathtaking landscapes of all shapes and sizes. Indu ..read more

Ringing in the 2020 New Year, you probably made huge travel plans for the year ahead! Perhaps you were counting down the days until you’d fly and flop onto a sunbed, or finally get to tick spotting the glow-in-the-dark beaches of Maldives off your bucket list? Yet, in late January a global pandemic came along and subsequently crushed all your grand travel hopes for this year. So, we’re looking at 2021 instead, and it’s still Maldives for us here at the Sunny side. From the infinite shades of blue and green, to the patches of white sands and dark corals, to the unobstructed views of the glimmer ..read more

While 2020 is fast approaching, and you need to convince yourself it’s time to plan your bucket list for the year ahead, deciding where exactly to go can be more difficult than it sounds. But, here at the sunny side, there’s always one option we’d choose. And yes, though we may be biased, it is for many good reasons. Bone-white beaches, luminous blue waters and other-worldly luxury are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the reasoning behind holidays to the Maldives. Still need convincing? Here are ten reasons to visit Maldives in 2020. Skim over coral formations and navigate through ..read more

As kids, many of us had or dreamt of having a tree house – a fairytale-like hideout where we could establish a clandestine clubhouse to play games, scale giant trees or sleep among the canopy. For those seeking to reminisce their childhood dreams, today’s architects and designers are looking further afield from traditional wooden cabin tree house concepts to elevated sanctuaries with multiple floors or even glass and mirror elements. To help fuel your wanderlust, here’s some of the most breathtaking tree trop experiences in the Maldives – in no particular order. Nest by Niyama Maldives Dine h ..read more

Ever since Rodrigo Duterte took office in July 2016, the Philippines have been subjected to media scrutiny. Duterte’s anti-drug campaign lead by police has claimed 6,847 lives as of the end of July 2019, and some 20,000 deaths remain under investigation. The victims, mostly the poor from urban slum areas have been murdered in cold blood, sometimes at the premises of their own homes – the perpetrators are vigilantes, local hitmen and likely police too. I had the pleasure of interviewing freelance photojournalist Raffy Lerma, the man behind the camera lens capturing some of the powerful ima ..read more

There’s more to this old-time Portuguese colony than meets the eye. Though it is Asia’s gambling capital — one has to look beyond the blinding neon of the next new giant casino-hotel opening, and there’s a lesser known and quickly developing side of a city that promises a subtler slice of life. Macau is full of contradictions — faux old and brand new! A Portugese colony until 1999, Macau is located on China’s southern coast about 40 miles from Hong Kong. Both are Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of China, a designation that grants them distinct policies and trade independence from the rest ..read more

Most dining options that span the spectrum across the Maldives offer backdrops by the blissful island shores or are set on stilts above the Indian Ocean. These are incredible, of course, but if you’re on the lookout for something even more exhilarating, then you might want to seek a dining experience underwater with an out of this world view. Having a luxury meal while surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass windows can seem slightly terrifying – but you also get to appreciate the beauty of marine life in its natural habitat and, more importantly, the Instagrammability alone will make it worth yo ..read more

I stood at the immigration queue at Hong Kong’s airport in Chek Lap Kok, trying hard to comprehend that a few miles away lay one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Open spaces have been so degraded that they have become a scarce resource, and the real estate market value to house the dead has got more expensive than the living. If you’re already disappointed, you’re bound to be more disappointed given the fact that in Hong Kong more people live or work above the fourteenth floor than anywhere else on Earth. But fret not, this bustling metropolis is also home to a diverse population ..read more

Looking ahead to 2022, one thing seems clear: Travel is back on the cards. With COVID restrictions easing and vaccination rates rising, many are no doubt already dreaming of the coming months, seeking to satiate two years worth of repressed wanderlust, topped with a hefty dose of emotional recovery. Just for a moment, break away from reality and imagine walking on a pristine stretch of white sand, where you can view spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Picture gradient azure waters as far as the eye can see. Think of verdant foliage enveloping breathtaking landscapes of all shapes and sizes. Indu ..read more

This year may not have brought an immediate strategy to eliminate the coronavirus pandemic, but it brought a renewed sense of confidence in the battle against COVID-19. There’s also a lot of Maldivians taking advantage of that feeling, looking ahead, and planning their next holiday. Choices for those wanting to add stamps to their passport have steadily risen since the world was first put on hold last year — albeit often with more paperwork, smartphone apps, testing, and advance planning required. It has also become mandatory for Maldivians to present results of a negative PCR test taken 96 ho ..read more