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Before we dive in this week, our hearts are with the communities in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam who have been affected by the recent floods ❤️
If you have a trip planned to these places, this is not a moment to turn away. It is a moment to travel with even more care and awareness, and to remember that supporting local businesses can mean even more in times like this.
Onto this week’s agenda…
“Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.”
- Alexander Solzhenitsyn
This playlist from Canto do Irerê Boutique Hotel in Brazil, which runs on 100% on renewable energy, mirrors mornings filled with birdsong, quiet afternoons and long, golden sunsets. The kind of soundtrack that makes you want to linger a little longer wherever you are listening from.
🎧 Share your go-to travel playlist or podcast with us. Whether it's road trip anthems or deep-dive travel stories, we want to hear and feature what fuels your adventures.
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🏯 Front row to tradition: Discover why sumo wrestling is worth travelling for in 2026, unlocking a deeper side of Japan that most visitors never see.
🙏 Guests are gods: This little known Asian region truly treats their guests like royalty, where hospitality is not a service but a way of life.
📖 Good reads: If you love to read, every destination has its own bookshelf and Singapore’s indie bookshops show you a side of the city no skyline ever could.
💼 For job seekers: Our friends at Remote Rebellion are looking for a fully remote (Asia based) Virtual Assistant to support admin and day to day execution across their businesses.
Looking for someone to travel with? We are hosting a fun little session with Velout to help you find your travel twin. Join us on 11 December at 12PM CET and come meet your match.
Mystery Trails Lodge
📍Haldummulla, Sri Lanka
Website | Instagram | Google Maps
Hidden deep in the forests, Mystery Trails is a 2-3 night experience that takes you deep into the quiet edges of nature. From the last town, you will travel by safari jeep, climbing into misty landscapes, hidden waterfalls and dense forest terrain before arriving at the owner Wasantha’s father’s cinnamon and pepper plantation.
Stays are in forest pods, similar to a glamping experience, designed to keep you close to nature. Your days unfold through exclusive nature trails untouched by humans, secret waterfall bathing spots and slow hours guided by the rhythms of the jungle.
Before stepping into the forest, you take part in an ancient local blessing practice, a moment of pause and intention that marks your entry into the wild.
Homemade Sri Lankan meals are included across the stay, from candlelit dinners in the forest to relaxed shared meals outdoors. Everything is local and fresh, with familiar Sri Lankan flavours reimagined with a modern edge.
Mystery Trails brings you back into nature in a way that feels easy and unforced. There is no rush to do more or see more. Just space to notice what is already around you.
This week’s gem was recommended by none other than our What’s Hot & What’s Not real traveller of the week, Mathi 👇🏻
In this week’s What’s Hot & What’s Not, meet Mathi, championing conscious travel in Sri Lanka.
Ayubowan from Sri Lanka! Mathi is someone who values freedom, a mix of time and money. His life is a constant experiment, which is how he keeps things from ever getting boring. He has just started his entrepreneurship journey with The Curious Experience, showcasing Sri Lanka, the beautiful island he calls home, to fellow like minded explorers who are into slow travel and co-creation.
🔥 What’s Hot
Travelers are talking about experiences rather than sightseeing, traditional companies are looking at new business models or at least pretending to consider, local communities are increasingly getting involved in the tourism value chain, and they need serious guidance, and global so called expert voices are all starting to take the travel sector seriously!
❄️ What’s Not
The trend of eco-everything and the overuse of 'sustainability' as an adjective!!!
Agree? Vote Here!
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Thanks for reading folks, till next week!
xoxo
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Psst… want to see what all the hype’s about? Flip through the Bali e-guide preview, to get a little taste of what’s inside: 100+ curated stays, eats, and experiences that are kind to the planet and good to its people ✌🏻
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