While its heritage is what makes Kyoto unique, it is still very much a modern city with cool concept stores, boutique galleries, and a surge of new contemporary hotels. Take the time to get to know this side of it to escape the tourist overcrowding and give you a better understanding of the city beyond its picturesque image.

Think you know Thailand? Think again. In a country best known for its islands and temples, Thailand’s Northern capital offers an urban destination that has quietly emerged as an art and design hub. In true ECT style, we’ve delved into the current artistic energy of the city to uncover the brands, bars, galleries, and cultural hubs you should know about.

“Sometimes people feel frustrated when they visit Saigon because they couldn’t get to know the feel of the city better,” explains Jonathan Morana, ECT Clubhouse Travel Expert for Vietnam. We worked with Jonathan to curate a list of the best recommendations for getting to know the feel of the city at a deeper level.

Field Notes are firsthand travel recommendations for and by our ECT Clubhouse members. This week, Silvana B., shares her highlights from the Philippines.

Driven in part by the popularity of K-beauty and the explosive rise of K-pop and K-dramas in recent years, Seoul has emerged as a global trendsetter and influential cultural hub. There’s a lot to cover and we couldn’t possibly contain it all here—but it’s a great place to start if we do say ourselves.

Field Notes are firsthand travel recommendations for and by our ECT Clubhouse members. This week, photographer, Marisa Vitale, shares her notes from the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail in Japan.

Field Notes are firsthand travel recommendations for and by our ECT Clubhouse members. This week, travel writer, Kayla Doris, shares her notes from Hoi An, Vietnam.

Dee Gibson is an interior designer and self-described “accidental” hotelier. She is the founder of Kalukanda House, a boutique hotel in Sri Lanka that featured in Conde Nast’s 2024 Best Places to Visit and is part of the Hip Hotel Collection.

Rohini Kejriwal is a freelance writer, illustrator and curator based in Bangalore. She is also the founder of The Alipore Post, a weekly newsletter on art, poetry and creativity, and recently co-produced an Indian food anthology titled Memories on a Plate.

Mook Attakanwong is the Creative Director and Founder of ATT 19, a multidisciplinary retail, contemporary art gallery, and events space in the Historic Design District of Bangkok. We caught up with her to find out more about her work, Bangkok’s art scene, and her favorite places in the city.

We caught up with Jolyn Chen, co-owner of Xiao Ye, a neighborhood restaurant in Portland, Oregon that has been making waves with its one-of–a-kind concept. As a hospitality, food, and design expert, we asked Jolyn to take us on a deep dive into one of her favorite foodie cities, Tainan, Taiwan.

Previously known as a popular (albeit brief) stopover en route to Southeast Asian capital cities, Singapore has become a must-visit destination in its own right. Today, the city boasts a booming economy, jaw-dropping green urban developments, and a growing class of creatives and entrepreneurs.

India—with 22 official languages, 28 distinct states, and a population of over 1 billion people—is a captivating destination unlike any other. To truly encounter India is to travel through slowly, and allow yourself to take it all in, one bustling city at a time. With Jaipur, we begin.