08/05/2026

FRIDAY | MAY 8, 2026

21

LYFE

Yurts with cattle in Inner Mongolia, China.

Black Dragon Pool in Yunnan, China.

Nakajima Park in Sapporo, Japan.

Hotter demand for cooler destinations E ARTH is heating up. Experts project that 2026 is likely to be among the four hottest years on record, as global warming and Kunming, Lijiang, Shangri-La and other scenic locations across the region. parks. As the capital of the Hokkaido region, Sapporo also serves as the gateway to many surrounding cities – travellers can easily book Sapporo day tours to experience everything the region has to offer. o Increasingly popular getaways for Malaysians yearning to escape heat

Inner Mongolia, China Inner Mongolia boasts stunning natural landscapes alongside a rich nomadic culture, and mild summers make June to August one of the best times to visit its vast, rolling grasslands. With hotel searches by Malaysians for Inner Mongolia rising nearly 360% y-o-y, this hidden gem is quickly gaining traction among travellers seeking unique destinations. Need a dash of inspiration to plan the trip? From traditional yurts and all-inclusive eco-friendly resorts, to centuries-old temples, desert adventures, museums and more, Trip.Best offers a curated list of recommended places to stay and things to do based on real traveller data. Sapporo, Japan While world-famous for being a winter wonderland, Sapporo is growing in popularity as a summer destination among Malaysians too, as hotel searches climb 380% y-o-y. Beyond shopping, dining and historical landmarks, outdoor activities abound, including beer gardens, summer festivals, open-air art, hiking trails and

climate change accelerates. Already, travellers are starting to recognise the effects of climate change, as more swap the sun and sand for cooler weather and activities – a trend known as coolcations. New data from Trip.com Group shows a 74% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase in searches for cooler destinations since the start of this year. As travellers seek to escape the heat and adapt their travel plans, here are five coolcation destinations that are on the rise among Malaysian itineraries – plus tips to make planning a getaway a breeze. Yunnan, China Known for its snow-capped mountains and landscapes, Yunnan is an increasingly popular tourist pick, with comfortable temperatures ranging from 23°C to 25°C during the summer months. Flight booking searches by Malaysians to the destination have grown by 158% y-o-y, as interest grows in visiting one of China’s most ethnically diverse provinces – with package tours offering bundled visits to

Australia June to August marks winter in the southern hemisphere, and despite being a low travel season in Australia, Malaysians flight searches still increased by 88% y-o-y. Australia’s varied climate offers plenty of choice – snowy adventures and ski trails await in the south, while the country’s northern areas enjoy pleasantly dry, balmy weather. With moderate temperatures and plenty of sunshine, this is a great time for a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback or even a whale-watching cruise. New Zealand Malaysians are turning their attention to New Zealand’s winter experiences, with flight searches surging by 316% y o-y. Thrilling snow sports, breathtaking glaciers, stargazing experiences and hot pools rank among the more popular activities, alongside winter festivals and Matariki, the Maori New Year celebrations.

Fox Glacier in South Island, New Zealand.

Whale watching in Sydney, Australia.

Kuala Lumpur’s first 24-hour ‘museum’ AS a 24-hour open-air museum, the new Museum of Disappearance transforms Petaling Street into an exhibition space, allowing audiences to encounter art within everyday environments while reflecting on the traces and memories left behind amid rapid urban transformation. Launched in conjunction with KL Festival 2026, the museum invited Malaysian artist OOOH to work at its chosen site Petaling Street for its inaugural collection.

Singapore. Upon returning to Kuala Lumpur, she noticed significant changes in Petaling Street, where familiar spaces had gradually disappeared. This experience became the starting point of her artistic inquiry. “Petaling Street is part of my growing up. In recent years, the space has changed rapidly — almost every time I return, something familiar is gone. Through this work, I want to hold on to these disappearing memories,” OOOH shared. To view the curated collection, visitors are invited to follow clues released via social media channels to search for artworks woven across Petaling Street. The first person to discover each artwork will receive an edition of the artwork for their collection. Borrowing the language of the institution, the Museum of Disappearance is an ad-hoc art intervention that uses different spaces and contexts as sites of presentation. The museum will periodically invite artists to develop new works responding to the central theme of “disappearance”.

The collection presents a total of 25 artworks dispersed throughout the streets and alleyways of Petaling Street. The exact locations of the works will not be revealed in advance. Visitors are invited to wander through Petaling Street and discover the artworks on foot, experiencing the city through a different mode of attention. Interpreting “disappearance” as a lingering sense of loss, OOOH explores elements such as space, buildings and emotions through text-based and sound-based works. These include urban memory, personal experiences, cultural imprints and fragments of time. Moving between the artworks, visitors are invited to contemplate: Who decides what is worth remembering? Who quietly erases it? The artist OOOH was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur. She spent her secondary school years around Petaling Street before pursuing her studies in the UK and later working in

The ‘museum’ highlights everyday perspectives that are always present, but not always obvious.

Petaling Street remains an iconic tourist destination. – EE ANN NEE/THESUN