The 46-year-old re-emerges on the paved trail moments later with a many-banded krait, also known as Bungarus multicinctus, a species covered in zebra-like black and white stripes that is one of most venomous snakes in the world.

“This one is a real beauty, it’s stunning,” says Sargent, sweat gathering on his brow as he strains to keep the lively reptile from slithering out of his grasp. “If there was an elite model for snakes, this would be right up there. But this is the one you really don’t want to get bitten by. If not treated, you could have respiratory failure and die.”

Since 2017, Sargent, a police-approved snake expert, has been running nocturnal so-called “Snake Safaris” through the verdant, biodiverse terrains of Hong Kong such as Tai Mo Shan Country Park — home to the city’s highest peak in the northern New Territories region — taking hundreds of daring visitors along every year.

The Brit moved to the city at the age of two, honing a passion for herpetology — the study of amphibians and reptiles — while exploring Hong Kong’s lush subtropical landscapes as a teen. Besides fulfilling his own interest, the guided tours are a way for Sargent to combat stigma, improve awareness and build appreciation of snakes.

“The vast majority of snakes that show up in your house don’t want to live there. It’s just by circumstance, like a fish jumping in your boat,” he says. “If you’re sensible, there’s nothing to be afraid of. But sadly, many snakes are killed because of fear.”

While Hong Kong is a global metropolis nearly as large as Los Angeles, containing some of the most densely populated districts in the world, about 40% of its landmass is protected country parks, meaning its 7.3 million residents often come into contact with wildlife, including more than 50 snake species in the city — from the potentially deadly King Cobra to the Burmese Python, which can grow to over 26 feet.

One of the non-snakes you might meet on a safari is a brown tree frog.

“Given its size, Hong Kong has a disproportionately high number of snakes,” says Dr. Sung Yik-hei, a professor at Lingnan University and one of the city’s foremost reptile experts. “That’s because of the city’s great variety of habitats: mountains, coastal areas, lowlands, wetlands, and freshwater streams.”

Despite these reptilian riches, there are little more than 100 snake bites in Hong Kong each year — the equivalent odds of about one in 50,000 — and the last death was of a shopkeeper defanging a non-native snake for which there was no antivenom in 1988.

“The likelihood of encountering a snake is not low,” adds Sung. “But the chance of getting bitten is very low. Even if you are, Hong Kong is one of the safest places in the world for snakebites because of the quality and proximity of hospitals.”

For his part, Sargent receives callouts every week to capture snakes everywhere from schools to prisons to homes, and once, a beach on Lantau Island to ensnare a 15-foot python. As of August, he’s the first expert to participate in a “Rapid Release Program” — meaning that rather than have to go through a days-long, bureaucratic procedure of sending a captured snake to a police station and further facilities, he can release it in the nearest country park, reducing workload and keeping the snakes far healthier.

That policy change has proven an uphill struggle amid a complex cultural context.

In Hong Kong, snakes are eaten in a soup, used in traditional Chinese medicine, or are otherwise simply viewed as a menace. The result is that across China nearly all of the larger snake species are classified as vulnerable, threatened or endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, which tracks the conservation status of the world’s plant and animal species.

One tour attendee and member of the Facebook group, Michelle Yu, who moved to Hong Kong from Washington DC nine years ago, says that her perception of snakes has completely transformed thanks to the community. “You go from being repulsed to actively looking out for these beautiful creatures,” she explains.

For others, the experience underlines the unique contrasts available in Hong Kong: towering skyscrapers beside exotic nature. “You get this great feeling that you can escape from the city,” says Loïc Sorgho, a 42-year-old French banker. “Where else can you go from a 50-floor building to a tropical jungle so quickly?”

Over the course of a couple hours, the group encounters nine different snakes: three bamboo pit vipers; two diamondback water snakes; one bicolored stream snake; a mock viper; a greater green; and the many-banded krait, whose diaphanously soft midriff Sargent holds out for attendees to stroke. “Please don’t touch any further than half way up its body please,” he quips. “It won’t do my insurance any good.”

And there’s plenty of other wildlife to be spotted on the tour: barking deer, leopard cats, porcupines, swamp eels, birds of prey, all manner of frogs, and fire-bellied newts, whose dark undersides are peppered with bright orange and red blotches.

Towards the end of the serpentine route along rocky, bamboo-lined paths and across babbling brooks, Sargent glimpses a baby diamondback water snake coiled on a plant and picks it up. “It’s trying to get its rear fangs into me,” he says, moments before being bitten on one fingertip. “Ouch! It’s pretty toxic to geckos, but I’ll be fine.”

Once released, the snake, which has whitish yellow diamond markings running the length of its scaly body, glides away atop the moonlit surface of the water amid a chorus of cicadas and into the perfectly still Hong Kong night.

Market vendor Mr. Chan gestures around what used to be one of Hong Kong’s busiest streets.

“There are no tourists now, whatsoever,” he says. Mr. Chan sells silver earrings, necklaces and scarves on Tung Choi Street in Kowloon, which is famous for its robust night market.

The past three years have been harsh on him. He kept his stall open until 10 p.m. before the pandemic, but these days he closes at 7 p.m.

He hopes for swift change with the end of quarantine, which had a devastating effect on businesses that relied on tourism.

Hong Kong has taken steps in recent days to reopen itself to the world, by first lifting its mandatory three-day hotel quarantine, then announcing a global banking summit in November.

Officials hope these moves will revive Hong Kong’s status as an international business and travel hub, but some locals feel the changes may be too late.

A long winter

At its most strict, Hong Kong’s quarantine rules required incoming travelers to spend 21 days in a hotel room paid at their own expense. Only Hong Kong residents were permitted entry.

As a result, travel in and out of the financial hub was at record lows.

Once news of the end of quarantine was announced on Friday, September 30, travel-starved Hong Kongers flocked to book flights online. The city’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific set up a virtual “waiting room” to get onto its website, where hold times could easily stretch to 30 minutes.

The online travel booking service Expedia said its website also saw a 9-fold surge in search for flights from Hong Kong to Tokyo and 11-fold for flights from Hong Kong to Osaka.

However, the interest in flights to Hong Kong remained unchanged, Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia’s Asia head of public relations, said.

An uneven success

Though hotel quarantine may be gone, the city still imposes a 3-day period during which visitors are barred from dining in restaurants or going to bars. That and the complicated visiting requirements, which include a pre-flight vaccination certificate and negative tests, may deter potential visitors.

In November, Hong Kong plans to host the International Rugby Sevens tournament, which has been held every year since 1976 except for the past two years. A popular spectacle that drew fans from abroad before the pandemic, it is doubtful how many will brave the border restrictions.

While drinking is allowed, food will be banned at the event. Fans will also be required to wear their mask at all times except when drinking, according to the city’s government.

Hong Kong’s Asian neighbors including Japan, Taiwan and South Korea took steps in past weeks to remove the last remaining barriers on travel, making them more attractive destinations for international travelers.

Too late for some

The government’s effort to reopen and promote the city came too late for Maxence Traverse, a restaurant owner who had to shut his business, Honi Honi Tiki Bar, last year.

He says the nine-year-old bar could not survive the 2019 protests and the pandemic. After a six-month hiatus, he opened a restaurant in the city’s Tai Hang neighborhood but he is fighting to keep it going, he said.

Traverse’s business is one of many in the food and beverage industry that shut down permanently during the pandemic. Some of the city’s iconic Cantonese restaurants — including Mido Cafe, Jimmy’s Kitchen and Lin Heung Tea House — have also closed their doors.

Traverse was greatly upset when he saw an interview with Hong Kong Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau, in which Lo said Hong Kong will continue to open up unless a new Covid variant emerges.

“I cried. Depression. Really hard, that hard feeling. I said, ‘Not again.’ Nearly third year in a row. You know, it’s been tough,” Traverse said.

He believes simply reopening the city will not be enough to restore what drew him there 12 years ago.

“We need to be providing excitement for Hong Kong, because right now we lost so many things,” he said.

Jan Camenzind Broomby and Jadyn Sham contributed reporting.

 Hong Kong attracted around 56 million visitors a year before the pandemic, and now the popular destination is taking significant steps to win tourists back after over two years of some of the world’s toughest travel restrictions.

Just days after dropping its longstanding mandatory hotel quarantine requirement, Hong Kong has confirmed plans to give away half a million airline tickets in a bid to boost tourism.

“Back in 2020, Airport Authority Hong Kong purchased around 500,000 air tickets in advance from the territory’s home-based airlines as part of a relief package to support the aviation industry,” says the spokesperson.

“The purchase serves the purpose of injecting liquidity into the airlines upfront, while the tickets will be given away to global visitors and Hong Kong residents in the market recovery campaign.”

‘Recovery campaign’

Travelers in the departure hall of Hong Kong International Airport on September 26.

Further details will be announced once the relevant arrangements have been made with airlines, they said.

Hong Kong has been largely cut off from the rest of the world due to its Covid-19 quarantine rules, which at one stage required incoming travelers to spend 21 days in a hotel room at their own expense, with only Hong Kong residents permitted entry.

Cathay Pacific, the city’s flag carrier, set up a virtual “waiting room” to access its website at one point, while online travel booking service Expedia saw a nine-fold surge in search for flights from Hong Kong to Tokyo and 11-fold for flights from Hong Kong to Osaka — although interest in flights to Hong Kong remained unchanged, according to Lavinia Rajaram, Expedia’s Asia head of public relations.

“We hope to give the maximum room to reconnect Hong Kong, and to revitalize our economy,” Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee said in a press conference on Friday.

But while the hotel quarantine may have been lifted, visitors to Hong Kong still face various rules and restrictions before and after arriving.

Incoming international travelers must submit a pre-flight vaccination certificate, as well as a negative PCR test and rapid antigen test, before entering.

Once they’ve been permitted to enter, visitors are required to undergo a three-day self-monitoring period, during which time they’re prohibited from eating in restaurants or visiting bars.

Visitors also need to complete PCR tests on days 2, 4 and 6 after arrival, and a rapid antigen test every day for seven days.

Maggie Hiufu Wong, Simone McCarthy, Kathleen Magramo and Jake Kwon also contributed to this report

Asia Pacific is home to some of the world’s most beloved travel destinations, from the natural beauty of Bali to the urban buzz of Singapore. These dreamy vacation hotspots — teamed with the region’s business power — secured Asia Pacific the title of world’s largest travel region for much of the past decade.

Where once Asian Pacific air traffic accounted for more than a third of all global passenger journeys, aviation in the region remains down by 45% compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to CAPA.

Meanwhile, CAPA suggests European air travel has recovered to roughly 85% of pre-pandemic levels, even accounting for the continued impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Slow recovery

Japan is set to fully reopen on October 11. Pictured here: Fushimi Inari Shrine in Japan

In 2019, 3.38 billion passengers transited through Asia Pacific airports. In contrast, CAPA reports that current predictions from ACI Asia-Pacific — an industry organization that represents airports in the region — suggest 1.84 billion passengers will have passed through Asia Pacific travel hubs by the end of 2022.

“What happens there has an outsized impact on the rest of the region,” says CAPA of China and Japan, pointing out they’re two of the region’s top travel markets.

CAPA reports that most travel in Asia Pacific destinations remains at 50% or more below 2019 levels, with only a couple of exceptions, such as India, which is only 11% below its 2019 figure.

Domestic travel in Asia Pacific is recovering faster than international travel, notes CAPA — domestic travel within China, for example, is only down 5.4% compared to 2019 levels.

All in all, CAPA predicts Asia Pacific won’t see a full return to pre-pandemic travel figures until the end of 2023 or early 2024.

“Even then, recovery is dependent on countries opening their borders and ending lingering travel restrictions, as well as the wider economic and epidemiological situations,” reads the report.

CAPA is arguing for “harmonization of international travel rules” and “political commitments towards openness and freedom of movement” as well as a continued vaccination drive, to aid travel recovery.

Top photo of the Great Wall of China courtesy Powerstock/Adobe Stock

 Going on a vacation might seem like a rather unconventional way to try to improve your sleep habits.

But sleep tourism has been growing in popularity for a number of years, with an increasing amount of sleep-focused stays popping up in hotels and resorts across the world.

Interest has skyrocketed since the pandemic, with a number of high profile establishments focusing their attention on those suffering from sleep-deprivation.

Pandemic impact

The Bryte Restorative Sleep Suite, filled with sleep-enhancing amenities, launched at the Park Hyatt New York in January.

So why has sleep suddenly become such a big focus for the travel industry?

Before pointing out that the hotel industry has primarily been focused on things that actually detract from sleep in the past.

“People often associate travel with decadent meals, extending their bed times, the attractions and the things you do while you’re traveling, really almost at the cost of sleep,” she adds.

“Now, I think there’s just been a huge seismic shift in our collective awareness and prioritization on wellness and well being.”

“There has been heightened attention to sleep in the Covid-19 era, and likely, because so many people have struggled with this [sleep],” says Dr. Robbins.

Prioritizing sleep

Hypnotherapist, meditation and holistic coach Malminder Gill has also noticed a change in attitudes towards sleep.

“Because it’s no great surprise that sleep is an important aspect of our lives. Lack of sleep can cause lots of different issues in the body, and for your mental health.

“So, anxiety, depression, low mood, mood swings — all sorts of things, on top of the tiredness.”

The service includes a sleep-inducing meditation recording, a pillow menu with options that cater to guests who may prefer to sleep on their back or side, the option of a weighted blanket, a bedtime tea developed specifically for the service, and a scented pillow mist.

“Different things work for different people at different stages of their life,” Gill says of the different items offered within the service.

Sleep-inducing practices

Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair, London, launched the two-night ‘Forte Winks’ experience in October.

“We’ve tried to stack the odds in our favor. If you combine all of those things, I would say there’s a higher chance of a better quality sleep. But I don’t think there’s a one size fits all.”

The types of sleep-focused programs and/or retreats offered by hotels and resorts also tend to vary, with different establishments approaching the concept in different ways.

“Sleep is so important and we noticed there was a trend in sleep tourism happening, and wellness in general, after lockdowns and Covid,” explains Daniela Moore, senior group PR manager for Rocco Forte Hotels.

“So we wanted to take the opportunity to showcase Brown’s as a hotel that cares about you getting the best night’s sleep.”

For Gill, the emergence of more and more of these types of experiences is a sign that the “narrative of staying up to get things done,” is being challenged, and people are beginning to have a deeper understanding of just how important sleep is.

Quick fix?

Park Hyatt New York’s Sleep Suite features a king-size Restorative Bed by Bryte and sleep-enhancing products such as essential oil diffusers, Nollapelli Linens and sleeping masks.

But can short term sleep-focused travel experiences actually have a long term impact on a person’s overall sleep?

According to Dr. Robbins, travel experiences centered around “healthy sleep strategies” that aim to supply guests with the tools they need to improve their sleep can be hugely beneficial, provided a reputable medical or scientific expert is involved in some way to help to determine whether there may be something else at play.

“If someone comes to one of these retreats, and isn’t seeing any progress, it could be because they have an untreated sleep disorder,” she explains, pointing to conditions such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, or insomnia as potential examples.

“That’s why it’s vitally important to make sure that hotels are partnering with scientists and medical professionals that can impart these strategies carefully.”

Mandarin Oriental, Geneva has taken things a step further by teaming up with CENAS, a private medical sleeping clinic in Switzerland, to curate a three-day program that studies guests’ sleeping patterns in order to identify potential sleeping disorders.

Although the majority of sleep-focused establishments and experiences tend to fall within the luxury travel sector, Dr. Robbins believes that all hotels and resorts should be making this a priority.

“There are ways to make it meaningful for each level,” she adds, pointing out that “it doesn’t cost much at all to leave a pair of earplugs next to the nightstand.”

As sleep tourism continues to grow, Dr. Robbins says she’s looking forward to seeing “who really continues to pioneer and think creatively about this space,” stressing that there are countless avenues that haven’t been fully explored yet when it comes to travel and the science of sleep.

“The notion of travel actually rejuvenating you and allowing you to return home refreshed and restored is a really exciting proposition,” she adds.

 At first glance Izmir looks very much like any other modern Turkish metropolis, densely populated with unimposing architecture.

Yet once it was Turkey’s most cosmopolitan city — and that historical cachet can still be found hidden among Izmir’s streets.

Dial the clock back more than a century and you’d find wealthy Levantine, Greek, Turkish and Armenian families promenading along Izmir’s waterfront in the latest fashions from Paris.

They drank beer imported from Munich or cocktails at elegant bars, and sent their children to church-run schools to be educated in French and Latin.

Izmirites were the epitome of sophistication and grace, but their lifestyle came to an abrupt end in 1922 when ferocious fires ripped through the streets.

Dream city

The modern day city stretches around the Gulf of Izmir but started life in old Smyrna, located in the Bayraklı neighborhood. Formerly a village, it’s now an archeological site.

According to legend, Alexander the Great was out hunting on the slopes of nearby Mount Pagos one day and stopped for a nap. Two nemeses appeared in a dream and asked him to build a city where he lay.

As was the norm, Alexander consulted with the oracle Apollo who, in full realtor mode, told him: “Smyrnians who settle in the foothills of Pagos hill near the Sacred Meles Stream will be four times happier than before.”

A new city center was established atop the mountain in the 4th century BCE as a result. Or so they say. Whatever the truth behind the story, Alexander the Great had a big impact.

The Agora of Smyrna was constructed on his orders. On completion it was four stories high, but only the basement still exists. Visitors today can see rows of elegant stone arches throwing shadows on the ground, highlighting the mechanics of a complex water system.

The foundations of the basilica, a type of public hall, contain niches decorated with graffiti, as well as engraved and painted images depicting Roman daily life. A short climb to the open ground above gives a great view across grassy fields that once bustled with activity and trade.

The Golden Age

Izmir was one of the stops along the Silk Road but it really came into its own in the 17th century. Various wars made Smyrna Quay the safest port for transporting silk from Iran, attracting merchants from all over the world.

The Onassis clan traded tobacco while other Rum (as Turkish-born Greeks were known) made their fortunes selling Smyrna’s famous sticky figs. Two Greek-owned department stores sold everything imaginable and international banks had branches in town.

Levantine families such as the Whitalls and Girauds owned factories and mines and the Armenians were admired for their solid work ethic. The Americans set up a separate colony, slightly inland, called Paradise, while Jews and Turks lived in adjacent neighborhoods on the water.

At any given time dozens of languages could be heard in the streets, including English, German, and even Hindi.

“With its 8,500-year history, Izmir is one of the oldest settlements in the Levant and Turkey, and has hosted different civilizations throughout history,” says Bülent Senocak, an Izmir author and historian. “It is absolutely necessary to see the historical buildings in the city center bearing the traces of this multicultural climate and the historical Kemeraltı bazaar, which was established before many cities in Europe.”

The bazaar is where everything happened, and as Senocak says, is still worth a visit today. It’s made up of a number of different han, inns which once offered accommodation and storage for goods. They’re located on small covered streets that lead into one another.

One former inn, Kızlarağası Hanı, dates from 1744 and has since been converted into souvenir shops that sell pretty items like hand painted ceramics and Ottoman-inspired silver jewelry. It’s a good place to pick up a nazar. It’s believed these blue and white glass beads ward off evil and the ones sold in Izmir are made in the aptly named Nazarköy (Evil Eye Village).

The Bakır Bedesteni, or copper bazaar, initially housed the city’s best copper workshops but later became the place to buy silk. At its peak, dozens of caravans would appear each day. Goods were placed in storage or sold to shops in the bazaar, animals were stabled on the ground floor and the merchants slept in rooms upstairs.

Camel trains no longer arrive here, but the bazaar area gets pretty busy. A break can be taken in Kahveciler Sokağı, a street where the Turkish coffee is made the traditional way over hot coals in long-handled copper cezve coffee pots.

For an extra slice of history, it’s worth seeking out Izmir’s Havra Sokak, or synagogue street. There are four synagogues hidden amongst the clusters of shops. Originally there were nine inside the bazaar, out of a total of 34 in the city. The oldest were built by Sephardi Jews, expelled from the Iberian Peninsula during the 15th century Inquisition.

Some have been in service for more than 300 years and a restoration project is currently underway to open more as museums.

End of an era

Izmir’s clock tower in Konak Square.

While life at the beginning of the 20th century in Izmir was, for more affluent residents, a whirl of lavish picnics, boating parties and extravagant dinners, that all changed in September 1922, when Turkey’s war of independence arrived on their doorstep.

The orderly entry into the city of the Turkish army was quickly replaced by chaos. Routed Greek soldiers flooded into the city, heading for the waterfront where naval ships waited to transport them home.

Turkish-born Greeks from across Anatolia, fearing retribution, followed closely on their heels. Within days thousands of people were stuck on the quay, seeking a way out. A series of fires broke out that burned for days.

When the last of the flames was extinguished, little was left of the once vibrant destination known as Smyrna. Many buildings that escaped incineration were later demolished, after they were left empty and fell into disrepair because of a population exchange in 1923.

This agreement saw Rum people repatriated to Greece and Turkish Greek nationals moved to Turkey. Many Levantine families with European passports and second homes elsewhere, moved. Few returned, radically altering the city’s character.

However Izmir is resilient. Like the phoenix, the city is on the rise.

Smyrna Quay, where boats once departed laden with exotic goods to sell in Europe has been reinvented as the Kordon promenade.

Visitors can walk, jog or bike along the shores of the gulf from Alsancak to Konak Meydanı, a large square. There are plenty of restaurants to try along the way and several different museums to visit, including one dedicated to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the nation’s founder.

Local legends

Popular myth has it that Izmir’s Konak Pier was designed by Gustave Eiffel, of tower fame, in 1890. More likely it was the work of someone in his firm, but the steel structure is highly reminiscent of his hand. What started life as a customs house is now a shopping center with a stylish restaurant overlooking the water.

The highly ornate Abdul Hamid II clock tower takes center stage in Konak Square. Built in 1901 for an Ottoman Sultan, it was designed by French architect Raymond Charles Péré.

Despite their backgrounds, the 82-foot structure looks neither Turkish nor French. Péré was influenced by buildings in North Africa and Andalusia, so each of its four levels is a flurry of columns, embellished capitals and horseshoe-shaped arches — perfect for Instagram poses.

A little over a mile further south, one of Izmir’s sons has been given his own street. Born into a large Jewish family in 1921, David Arugete abandoned his aim of becoming a legal clerk after learning guitar and starting to sing.

Calling himself Darío Moreno, he cut his teeth performing at Jewish festivities before going on to win nationwide fame. He’s best known for his 1962 recording of “Ya Mustafa,” a song written by Egyptian composer Mohamed Fawzi.

The ancient city of Ephesus.

It was hugely popular in the 1950s and 1960s with versions released in Arabic, French, Spanish and several other languages.

Eventually Moreno bought a house in the more upscale Jewish quarter of the city on a street named Asansör Sokak, which took its name from the Turkish for elevator.

The street houses an actual elevator, built in 1907 by a Jewish trader, which connects it to an upper section of the neighborhood.

During World War I, the structure housed a casino, photo gallery and cinema. Today there’s a cafe, bar and restaurant. Visitors can ride to the top and enjoy the view, before or after they check out the traditional houses converted into colorfully painted bars and cafes on Dario Moreno Sokağı, as Elevator Street is now called.

Back in time

A day trip to the remains of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, once the commercial center of the Mediterranean, should be high on the to-do list for anyone visiting Izmir.

Here they can tread streets used by the ancient Greeks, climb to the top of the great theater, marvel at the library of Celsus, and walk past mosaics in what were once ordinary suburban houses when the city was part of the Roman empire.

Want more? Many statues and artifacts found at the site can be seen in the Ephesus Archeological Museum, while back in Izmir, there’s a marble statue of Androklos, Ephesus’s founder, in the Archaeology and Ethnology Museum.