Nervous flyers urged to stop common in-flight habit that can make them MUCH worse
Watching a film on a plane may seem like a pleasant way to pass the time.
However, passengers have been advised against watching a specific genre if they feel uneasy while thousands of feet in the air.
Research by Travel Republic revealed the most-watched types of films during flights.
Drama, action and comedy made the top three, respectively, and were followed by thriller, adventure and documentary, among others.
But there's one genre that they suggest not to put on during plane journeys, even though it places tenth on the list.
Psychologist Rod Mitchell urged nervous fliers to avoid horror movies during their flights.
He said: 'Horror films on planes are like drinking espresso during a stress test.
'Disaster movies, especially with planes or confined spaces, trigger your mirror neurons, making you feel the danger yourself.'
Instead, he recommends watching animated films for something nostalgic and easy to watch, which may help to calm nerves.
'The secret weapon is familiar movies you've seen before. These low-intensity choices give your nervous system permission to downshift,' Rod added.
Though film noir and mystery were found to appear the least on long-haul flights, they could offer a much-needed distraction to passengers.
The psychologist explained: 'Puzzle-solving mysteries and adventure films are brilliant anxiety hijackers - they redirect worry from 'what if this plane...' to 'who's the killer?'
'But choose whodunits over psychological thrillers.
'These medium-intensity genres create beneficial absorption, making turbulence background noise rather than the main event.'
Instead, he recommends watching animated films for something nostalgic and easy to watch, which may help to calm nerves
Drama proved to top all the genres, with 254 films available to watch on flights, but the chaotic and emotional storylines may not be the best for passengers.
Rod revealed: 'Heavy emotional dramas hit differently at altitude when you're already vulnerable.
'Your emotional defences are down when tired and confined.'
He advised: 'Save the tear-jerkers and existential crises for solid ground.'
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Hit horror Weapons doesn't have a deeper meaning but that's OK
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(To further delve into this question, of course, we'll need to go full spoiler mode, so if you want to see the movie and haven't yet, turn back now.) The movie certainly alludes to plenty of hot-button issues. It springs from a chilling premise: one night in a small town, 17 children from the same third-grade class wake up at 2.17am, leave their houses, and disappear into the night. Parents are understandably distraught, and in looking for someone to blame seem to land on the students' teacher Justine (Julia Garner), who is as puzzled and disturbed about this as anyone else. When Archer (Josh Brolin) angrily demands to know what was 'going on' in his missing son's classroom, convinced that Justine must have played some role in this tragedy, there are unmistakable echoes of social panics in an era where parents feel empowered to dictate what their children learn about at school. The fact that the movie's school shutters, then must reopen before the disappearance is solved or its pain is at all healed recalls Covid-era school closures. And when Archer has a dream where he sees a giant AR-15 materialize in the sky above the town, it seems like an obvious reference to school shootings that have devastated so many classrooms over the past quarter-century. Or is it? Cregger actually says no. I co-host a horror podcast, and in our interview with the film-maker, he unequivocally said he was not thinking of school shootings when he wrote the movie. For him, that's not at all what it's about. (Though he did stress that he welcomes people's interpretations, and in fact wanted to make something with that kind of flexibility.) He wouldn't say precisely how he personally interprets the story, but he has mentioned repeatedly that it was something he started writing out of – hey! – grief, even if the movie itself may be more ambiguous as to its thematic aims. This leaves Weapons open to the charge that it's not about much of anything – that it's all great hook and solid technique in service of a thrill ride where some stray inspiration from Paul Thomas Anderson's Magnolia is more superficial homage than thematic link. The real question, though, is how bad of an offense this is supposed to be. Plenty of great horror movies are principally concerned with the visceral experience of watching them in the dark, rather than the talking points or takeaways they might hand over to the viewer in broad daylight. Subtext shouldn't have to be plainly visible at first glance. Indeed, some of the skepticism over Weapons seems to stem from the fact that it turns out to be … a horror movie. The children in the movie are enchanted by a witch. The movie doesn't say whether she's always been a witch, or has turned to witchcraft in the face of a debilitating illness. But that's why she takes control of these children, and various other adults at her convenience: to sap their life force, attempt to heal herself, and, in the meantime, use her control to make her victims do her bidding. So yeah, pretty witchy stuff, and her comeuppance has the gory satisfaction of a Brothers Grimm story fed through a powerful amplifier. That wild, almost fanciful ending may strike some as reductive, especially when its first half plays more like a dark mystery like David Fincher's Zodiac, or at least Seven. But is the spectacle of brainwashed children being turned against their older captor and ravenously destroying her so devoid of opportunities for interpretation? It's not even that Weapons is demanding a lot of work from the audience – and that might be exactly what rankles some about it. Most of what happens in the movie is unambiguously explained; it's the meaning that's left up to the audience, and maybe some sense an incongruity between those two approaches. 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Think of Get Out, which may have been thornier than it was given credit for, but still has a trackable central conceit that's not exactly obtuse; then think of heavy-handed Get Out knockoffs like Antebellum and Blink Twice with too much visible effort and too little inspiration. Jordan Peele himself followed a path not unlike Cregger's when following up Get Out; his movies Us and Nope are immediately engaging visceral experiences with more allusions and evocations than clear signaling of a central metaphor. They may be more successful in that realm than Weapons, but then, that's true of most movies when compared with Peele's output. It's the prescriptiveness – give us a meaning, or kill all metaphors – that goes against the nature of horror in general. The combination of the concrete and slippery is what makes horror such a compelling field; there may not be a genre better suited to blurring the lines between reality and a heightened dream state. 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Times
3 hours ago
- Times
Six of the best backpacking routes across southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is still the ultimate destination for backpacking adventures. The region spans 11 countries, from Myanmar to the Philippines, and is a kaleidoscope of cultures, landscapes and flavours. Today it blends classic routes with modern-age comforts too, making it easier than ever to chase the big moments: think high-speed trains, eco-stays and better connectivity. Whether it's sunrise over Angkor, motorcycle rides through misty limestone mountains or late-night bowls of noodles in Bangkok's buzzing Chinatown, there are well-known sights and those you'll want to keep secret for yourself. To help you plan, we've mapped out six journeys that highlight the best of the region, plus options for group travel. Here are southeast Asia's best backpacking routes. This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Recommended time two to three weeks First-timers can experience southeast Asia's highlights — rich nature, buzzing cities, epic beaches — in a journey between its top travel hubs, Bangkok and Singapore. In Bangkok, visit the sprawling Chatuchak weekend market, sip cocktails at BKK Social Club — one of the city's best bars but with a price tag to match — and feast on Michelin-starred street food at Jay Fai. Then head to the island of Phuket, a 1.5-hour flight or 12-hour bus ride away. For extra room, book the 24-seat VIP sleeper buses that depart from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal in the Taling Chan district. Five days affords enough time to explore the city of Phuket, where colourful 19th-century buildings house boutique hotels, hostels, lively bars and cafés, and places to try dim sum. Although most come to idle on some of the province's thirty or so beaches, including seven-mile Mai Khao right next to the airport. Take a flight or overnight bus to Penang across the border in Malaysia and wander around the Unesco site of George Town. Gorgeous Sino-Portuguese architecture sits next to Buddhist shrines, Hindu temples and mosques, while hawker centres serve everything from Hokkien noodles to nasi lemak (Malay-style coconut rice with sides) and roti canai (flaky Indian flatbread served with curry). Head to your next stop, Kuala Lumpur, by train. Malaysia's efficient railway network is among the region's best, and you'll reach the capital in about four hours. Spend a few days here to eyeball the Petronas Twin Towers, visit the Islamic Arts Museum and explore the Batu Caves, a Hindu pilgrimage site known for its large statue of Murugan, god of war. Venturing two hours south to the city of Malacca allows you to explore another Unesco site, which showcases its British, Dutch and Portuguese influences in windmills, forts, shophouses and fusion dishes such as Portuguese-style devil's curry. End your adventure in Singapore, but beware the backpacker budget may go out the window here if you're not careful. Hostels are more expensive and the city is known for its luxury hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants; instead head to the hawker centres for the best no-frills food. Look for the stalls with the longest queues and it's hard to go wrong. Intrepid Travel's 15-day Bangkok to Singapore tour takes groups of up to 12 adventurers on a similar itinerary. But, instead of Phuket, you'll spend two days in Khao Sok National Park, exploring vast caves and one of Earth's oldest rainforests; then two more in Krabi at the resort town of Ao Nang, sea kayaking and wildlife spotting, with free time for beachcombing or rock climbing. • Best hotels in Bangkok• Best affordable hotels in Singapore Recommended time one to two weeks Get off the beaten track in northern Vietnam's remote Ha Giang province. This road trip — a loop between the districts of Dong Van and Meo Vac — is revered for dizzying mountain passes, jaw-dropping limestone karst and deep cultural experiences. Travellers typically rent a motorcycle and enlist the services of a local guide in the laidback provincial capital of Ha Giang, then spend three to four days navigating roads that curve through quiet villages and rice-terraced hillsides near the Chinese border. Homestays with H'mong, Tay or Dao families offer a brief and unforgettable immersion into highland life, while the route itself delivers major highlights: the rolling peaks of the Dong Van Karst Plateau, the vertigo-inducing Ma Pi Leng Pass and the Lung Cu Flag Tower marking Vietnam's northernmost point. The ride usually ends back in Ha Giang, where regular night buses return to Hanoi. But the journey can be continued with a few easy detours. Keep riding or take the bus to Cao Bang, where the tiered, turquoise Ban Gioc waterfall crashes across the border into China — and where Nui Thung Mountain (Angel Eye Mountain) defies logic with a hole right through its middle. Then visit Ba Be National Park for a break among limestone cliffs and the jungle-fringed Ba Be Lake. This is another incredible place to explore the region's diversity. Tay, Dao, Kinh and H'mong communities all live around the lake, and many villages offer homestays. When it's time to end the tour, take the bus to Hanoi and indulge in cups of ca phe trung (the city's signature egg coffee) and drinks at the growing number of cocktail bars. Contiki is your best bet for partly replicating the above itinerary courtesy of its Ha Giang Loop — a five-day circuit offered as an extension to longer Vietnam tours. Participants trek to the Ma Pi Leng Pass, cruise along one of Asia's largest canyons, discover local culture in Dong Van and overnight in humble homestays. • Best hotels in Hanoi Recommended time three to four weeks Most travellers start in Bangkok, but Thailand's underrated second city, Chiang Mai, can captivate you for weeks. The former Lanna kingdom capital has teak temples such as Wat Phra Singh, mellow Burmese-influenced dishes like khao soi (yellow curry with egg noodles) and vibrant areas with snacks, shopping, street-side massages, music and more. The city also serves as a gateway for adventure travel, offering treks to Karen and H'mong villages, plus thundering waterfalls like the 280m-high Mae Ya. For an extended trip, take a minivan to Chiang Rai province, about four hours north, and explore its diverse attractions: blissful eco-lodges, national parks, the blue and white temples Wat Rong Suea Ten and Wat Rong Khun, and the Choui Fong tea fields in Mae Chan. Consider the overnight slow boat from the Thai border town Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, Laos's imperial capital. This one-of-a-kind journey rumbles along the Mekong, past dense jungles, offering snapshots of rural life you won't find elsewhere. Otherwise, Chiang Mai airport offers direct flights to Luang Prabang. Unwind in Laos's cultural capital, immersing yourself in the city's numerous temples, the turquoise Kuang Si waterfall, the dawn tak bat (alms-giving ritual) and a Lao massage. For about £15, a modern high-speed train takes you to Vang Vieng in an hour. This revamped backpacker hub is now Laos's outdoor adventure hub, primed for bike roads and treks around the stunning limestone karst formations. Take the train once more to the capital, Vientiane. After exploring the Patuxai war monument — Laos's answer to the Arc de Triomphe — head to the riverside for larb (minced meat salad) with a cold Lao beer. With travel restrictions in place at the Thai-Cambodian border, heading south by bus is out, so instead fly to Phnom Penh. The Cambodian capital has cruises along the Mekong, hip bistros and buzzing markets to explore. You should also allow time for its Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields museums related to the Khmer Rouge genocide. End your tour in Siem Reap, where impressive temples await. Nothing tops watching the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Contiki, which has an age limit of 35, operates a 16-day tour that starts in Bangkok before heading north to Chiang Mai and onto Chiang Rai's temples. Entering Laos, you'll cruise along the Mekong to Luang Prabang to meet monks before taking the train towards Vang Vieng and Vientiane. A flight to Phnom Penh follows, and a full day at Angkor offers a fitting finale. • Best places to visit in Thailand• Best things to do in Thailand• Is it safe to travel to Thailand and Cambodia? Recommended time two weeks Journeys to Borneo tend to start in one of two places: Jakarta or Singapore. While the Indonesian capital has its charms, Singapore's transport infrastructure (including Changi, frequently ranked the best airport in the world) makes it the easier choice. From here, fly to Kota Kinabalu to hike up 4,095m (13,435ft) Mount Kinabalu for sunrise, then join a tour to see orangutans in the jungle. If time is limited, go to the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre instead. After a one-stop flight to Bali, spend a week exploring the Island of the Gods. Bali is well-trodden, but you can still find places away from the crowds. For example, skip overrun Kuta and Seminyak in favour of the brilliant white-sand beaches of Bingin or blissful Nunggalan in Uluwatu. Take a day trip to Nusa Penida island to hike, dive or lounge in the sand, or head to the backpacker hub Ubud, where you'll find plenty of others who want to join you in a visit to the Tegallalang rice terraces and Tirta Empul, the sacred water temple. If you have more time, take the ferry to the car-free Gili Islands, which are prime spots to snorkel and encounter sea turtles, or neighbouring Lombok, a larger island known for its pink beach and hikes around Mount Rinjani, an active volcano. Of the three stunning Gili Islands, Gili Trawangan has a lively party scene, while Gili Air and Gili Meno are much quieter. Group tours almost never combine Bali with Borneo, so it may mean booking two separate packages. For the Indonesia leg, Intrepid's Jakarta to Ubud itinerary spends two weeks crossing Indonesia; instead of Kinabalu you'll hike up Mount Bromo at sunrise, while, in lieu of orang-utans, the Seloliman Nature Reserve delivers jungle and photogenic rice terraces below a sacred volcano. Some beach time rounds things off nicely. • Best hotels in Bali• Best hostels in Bali Recommended time two weeks For intrepid travellers, tackling Vietnam on two wheels is a rite of passage. But those who don't want to drive motorcycles on the country's challenging roads can do the same journey via the Reunification Express, the train linking Ho Chi Minh City with Hanoi. After slurping pho and visiting markets and museums in frenetic Ho Chi Minh City, travel to Dalat, the cool highland escape encircled by pine forests, lakes and waterfalls. Visit Vietnam's beachy Nha Trang for two days of R&R, then hunker down in Hoi An. The Unesco site enchants travellers with its boutique shops, cooking classes and cultural shows — try to visit during the full moon, when lanterns light up the town and local people stage traditional performances on the river. Nearby Danang might be less majestic, but the rapidly developing city is also a great base, thanks to its abundance of hostels and hotels, beaches, amazing street food scene and craft breweries. Step into the past in Hue, where Nguyen dynasty emperors once ruled. Although Hue suffered significant damage during the war, the imperial city has been carefully restored. Then finish in Hanoi, where centuries-old architecture lines the capital's lanes. Do as the locals: settle into tiny plastic stools for bun cha (grilled pork balls with noodles) and bia hoi, the beloved — and staggeringly cheap — fresh beer. Budget extra (from £30 to £100 per person depending how fancy you want to go) to spend a night on a junk boat among the karst in Ha Long Bay too. Note though that the bucket-list site has been plagued with rubbish for several years; a rowing boat trip in Tam Coc has become a popular alternative for its equally splendid landscapes minus the floating heaps of plastic. For anyone aged 18-39, G Adventures' 18-to-Thirtysomethings range of tours includes a 12-day trip from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. Riding buses and overnight trains, you'll visit both Nha Trang, Danang and Hue before a drive through Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park's lush mountains and a cruise around spectacular Halong Bay in a traditional sailboat. • Best things to do in Vietnam• Best hotels in Vietnam Recommended time one to two weeks Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is your starting point for this island-hopping adventure. Skip the city's chaotic traffic and make straight for the beach with a one-hour domestic flight to Coron. This island is full of postcard-worthy scenery: limestone cliffs tower above electric-blue waters in Twin Lagoon and sugary sands line Banol beach, where rustic huts hang over the water. Next is El Nido, at the tip of Palawan island, via a four-hour ferry ride from Coron. To explore El Nido, it's mandatory to book one of four island-hopping excursions, labelled A, B, C and D. The most popular, tours A and C, take you to lagoons and hidden beaches, including the can't-miss Big Lagoon and Helicopter Island. Book in advance through a reputable tour operator such as Discover El Nido or Hello El Nido. While you can book these tours privately, group trips are great ways to meet other travellers. Take a bus four hours south to Puerto Princesa and fly to Bohol. The jungle-covered island is best known for its Chocolate Hills — thousands of grassy hills, scattered across 20 sq miles of land, that turn brown in the dry season. Budget five days here to go cliff-diving into turquoise pools with Kawasan Canyoneering; spot the tiny tarsiers at the island sanctuary; and unwind on Panglao, an island with white-sand beaches linked to Bohol by a bridge. If there's time to spare, take the two-hour ferry from Bohol to Siquijor. Meet the island healers who cast off evil spirits with their bolo-bolo rituals, cool down in emerald Cambugahay Falls or explore the 23 coral reef dive sites, before taking one of the regular ferries to Dumaguete City on Negros — a 50-minute trip — and flying back to Manila. As El Nido and Bohol are 300 miles apart, most tours focus on one or the other. Contiki's Ultimate Philippines Island Hopping With Boat Expedition fits in both during a 22-day epic, however, with time for home-cooked meals and floating along an underground river. It concludes with four camping-based nights enabling visits to 15 remote, idyllic islands. • Best beaches in the Philippines Any we've missed? Let us know in the comments
Finextra
5 hours ago
- Finextra
Why Gen Z Is Choosing Crypto for Travel Payments in 2025: By Shanice Octavia
In 2025, crypto payments are no longer a fringe option for travel bookings. A growing share of travelers are using digital assets to pay for flights, hotels, and experiences. This shift is not evenly spread across age groups. Gen Z is leading the change, with adoption rates significantly higher than millennials and older demographics. The Gen Z Digital-First Mindset Gen Z is the first generation to grow up fully online, with daily reliance on mobile banking, e-wallets, and instant payment apps. According to a Bitget Wallet study reported by Cointelegraph in 2025, 39 percent of Gen Z use crypto for travel bookings or other daily purchases. This is nearly double the adoption rate of millennials and several times higher than Gen X. The comfort with self-custody wallets, QR code scanning, and peer-to-peer transfers makes crypto feel natural to this group. They see it not as a speculative investment but as another payment option that fits into their existing digital habits. Cross-Border Travel Without the Bank Fees Gen Z travels internationally more often than previous generations at the same age, driven by study abroad programs, remote work, and flexible lifestyle choices. This group is also highly cost-conscious. Chainalysis data from 2025 shows that cross-border crypto payments grew by more than 40 percent year-on-year, with stablecoins making up the majority of transactions. For Gen Z travelers, paying with crypto avoids foreign exchange fees and long settlement times that come with traditional bank transfers or credit card payments. Privacy and Autonomy as Key Drivers Privacy is another reason Gen Z is drawn to crypto travel payments. An OECD policy paper from 2025 highlights a growing preference among younger consumers for payment methods that reduce the amount of personal financial data shared during transactions. While cryptocurrencies are not fully anonymous, they offer a degree of separation from traditional bank accounts. For digital nomads or travelers booking with smaller, overseas providers, this added layer of control is an appealing benefit. Platforms Adapting to the Shift Travel providers are taking notice. Some online travel agencies and airlines now list crypto alongside traditional cards and e-wallets at checkout. The aim is to capture a demographic that is highly mobile and values choice in payment methods. Platforms like Fly Fairly have introduced options for both major cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, giving travelers flexibility and removing the need for currency conversion in international bookings. Regulation Making Crypto Travel Payments Safer Regulatory clarity has played a major role in enabling wider adoption. The Financial Services and Markets (Digital Token Service Providers) Regulations 2025 came into operation on 30 June 2025. Similar efforts in Portugal and the UAE have established clear guidelines for merchant acceptance, custody, and anti-money laundering compliance. These frameworks give travel companies the confidence to integrate crypto payments into their systems without facing uncertain legal risks. For Gen Z users, it reduces the chance of payment failures and increases trust in the process. The Outlook Ahead Crypto's share of travel payments is still in the single digits, but its growth trajectory suggests this will change quickly. If current adoption rates continue, digital assets could account for a significant portion of high-value travel bookings by 2027, especially for international trips. For Gen Z, crypto payments are not a novelty. They are part of a broader shift toward financial tools that are fast, borderless, and in their control. Travel providers that understand and adapt to these preferences stand to win long-term loyalty from a generation that will soon represent the majority of global travelers.
