We’re back from our Hong Kong staycation, and will be writing about it next week. Tourist arrivals have plummeted since the start of protests over a now-abandoned extradition bill. Months of clashes between protesters and the police have created a sombre backdrop to life in what was previously a fun, buzzy place to live.

We decided to see how this was playing out on the ground by visiting popular tourist sites. The places we went to included the Happy Valley races (top photo) and the Peak (above). We also wanted to see if it was possible to get away from the protests and relax while remaining in Hong Kong. We’ll start publishing our conclusions on Monday, and will update the post throughout the week.

The protests are being reported by a huge variety of media outlets, local and international, and the latest issue of the magazine Sue edits, The Correspondent, has personal anecdotes from reporters and photographers, lawyers and others who are observing the action on the front line. The quarterly magazine is the official publication of the Foreign Correspondents' Club Hong Kong. READ MORE

Staycations are one way to gain green credentials, of course, and this week Sue attended an event to listen to three sustainable travel experts give their tips on replacing ego-travel (Look at me on an elephant!) with eco-travel. Analysts reckon we’ll be travelling more and more in the next few decades, and as paying customers we can demand that airlines, tour operators and hotels think of the environment when they ply their trade. Cruise ships have the biggest carbon footprint of all. We’ll be reporting in more detail later. Also, next week Afaranwide will be visiting a brand new green initiative in the heart of urban Hong Kong, so look out for that report, too.

We already told you about the successful talk held two weeks ago on Sue’s latest ghostwriting project The Valueholder: The End of The Employee, and here’s a few photos from the evening. It’s great to listen to your book being debated with such energy! READ MORE

With Halloween coming up, we've published a piece about a hotel we chanced upon that celebrated the season of ghosts and ghouls in grand style. READ MORE

If you missed any of our earlier pieces on special hotels, catch up here:

Staying at Dubai's super-luxurious Burj Al Arab READ MORE

One of a kind born out of an earthquake READ MORE

Raffles Singapore gets a facelift READ MORE

Another new post this week is about the field in France where the Battle of Agincourt took place. Friday was the 604th anniversary of the momentous clash between England and France. The battle, of course, features in Shakespeare's Henry V as well as Netflix's historical blockbuster The King, which will be available on the streaming service from Nov. 1. READ MORE

Our third new post is about Beijing's TRB Hutong, which has just been named TripAdvisor’s Best Fine Dining Restaurant in the World. When we lived in Beijing this was the go-to place if you wanted a proper Western-style fine dining experience with friendly, attentive service and fabulous food. We're delighted it's won this award. READ MORE

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