Themed spiritual pilgrimages, this issue of Passport takes you on various journeys that are at the heart of different faiths held by people around Asia. With stories that uncover spiritual practices and places across the continent and a six-page 2019 festival calendar to inspire your travels next year, this is an issue not to be missed!

The ocean constitutes over 90 percent of habitable space on the planet. By the year 2100, without significant changes, more than half of the world’s marine species may be on the brink of extinction. Scuba Diver OCEAN PLANET Through the Lens Collector’s Edition celebrates the magnificence of Earth’s threatened marine species by taking a closer look at the fragile beauty of 25 of these resplendent creatures in their natural habitats through the eyes of the world’s most talented underwater photographers.

This year, the quadrennial Asian Games – a massive sports event that often gets mixed up with some of its regional variants – will be hosted here in Southeast Asia. We appraise several local sports that set the Asiad’s lineup apart from its Olympic counterpart, and drop in on three unique sportspeople gearing up for August. But the 18th Games’ most interesting aspect could just be its return to Indonesia, a place where, over a half-century ago, Jakarta’s controversial hosting decisions shocked the 1960s’ worlds of sports and politics. Indonesian politics also kicks off another fascinating tale: how five Southeast Asian men managed to create the first Asian miracle of the 20th century: the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Helped by a few rounds of golf and drinks, these powerful diplomats succeeded in getting their respective countries – many with histories of bitter grudges and border invasions – to team up into a bloc that today still merits international admiration. Their surviving family and friends share memories of these master negotiators.

Think you know Asian diving? Think again. Asian Diver blows the lid on the dive destinations you (think you) know and love. Get ready to discover the blue water and drop offs in muck Mecca, the world-class reefs that neighbour the most famous wrecks, and the critters that inhabit pelagic paradise. Prepare to have your underwater world turned upside down.

Lost cities, sunken galleons, underwater museums, and underwater art exhibitions, SDAA+OP brings readers tales of wonder, history and art from the bottom of the sea.

   

In this issue, we unpack several health controversies and crises, from MSG to processed foods to the insect food revolution and diabetes. But it’s not all doom and gloom: The region’s varied cuisine is an intangible part of its heritage. We pay homage to the enduring art of the longevity noodle – handmade and visually evocative. Asia’s food culture is perhaps best summed up through the humble hawker, peddling the sheer diversity of this region’s culinary innovation through their roadside food carts. But even the ubiquitous street food vendor faces an uncertain future, as regulators of hygiene standards and urban planning brandish eviction – or “relocation” – notices. It’s time to eat smarter: to be more conscious of what we buy, how we waste, and what we ignore on that little label on the side of a can. Perhaps never before has this phrase been more weighty: "You are what you eat". Bon appétit!

With the modern world developing at the dizzying pace it is, do you know what’s going on around you and how it all works? In this issue, we look at the latest in science and technology across the region, from the obvious – China’s transformation from IT copycat to technology leader – to the unexpected, like why Cambodia’s farmers are now selling bat faeces instead of rice. Go on a sparkling journey across the night sky in our exclusive story on astrotourism, an upcoming trend that’s winning the hearts of Asians young and old across the region. Read about a mysterious bridge between India and Sri Lanka that has geologists befuddled, and a hyper fast underwater levitating train – straight out of a sci-fi movie ­– that you might soon be able to buy tickets for. Are you ready to get up to speed?

The 2019 edition of The Big Blue Book focuses on the perils of plastic pollution on the very source of life – the ocean. We look into the creation of plastic, its long life span, durability and opinions from prominent scientists on how plastics affect marine species – for example how microplastics affect coral reefs. We also investigate the solutions that can prevent further plastic pollution of our oceans so that marine species can be protected.