As we inch ever closer to summer – the stifling heat and high humidity already threatening – our thoughts stray to distant lands and paradisal climes, while our eyes stray (hesitantly, in fear of the outrageous prices that will fill us with dread) to travel booking platforms, warily tracking the ups and ups of fare hikes. But even as jet fuel costs continue to soar and flight routes globally get axed, the urge to explore remains irresistible.

Buckle up – our dedicated summer travel issue is packed with stories to inspire wanderlust, ideas and perhaps even the itinerary of a future getaway.

We take you from a “no-holds-barred” holiday home on Hainan to the forbidding Pontic Mountains and sprawling Ayder Plateau of Turkey, where Peter Neville-Hadley retraces the steps of his teenage road trip from five decades ago to see what time has – and hasn’t – touched.

Along the way, we’ll lay over in Songkhla with Oliver Raw, whose words and lens reveal a humble, multicultural fishing town in the southern reaches of Thailand that has shaken off its sleepy demeanour to emerge as a revitalised creative hub, despite all odds.

Next stop: Rajasthan, the “Land of Kings”, where Gavin Yeung discovers ancient heritage arts, the preservation of legacy and the transformative power of passionate hospitality.

In the narrative of travel, we encounter main characters (guests) who occupy much-envied roles at the centre of the experience, as well as crucial supporting actors (hoteliers, trip planners, tour operators, guides, et al) who make the experience possible in the first place. Jetour’s long-time chairman, Ronnie Ho Pak-ting, knows this only too well, having been in the business of curating custom agendas and making dreams come true for clients for decades. Now, with a new generation on board, the future looks bright – even with the challenge of constant change in an AI-dominated world.