Asia

The year 2020 has been about the coronavirus pandemic. It's affected the world, touching all spheres of life, be it economic, social or political. Countries like Singapore were favored for being the best prepared to handle the coronavirus due to their prior experience with the SARS virus that had spread across the Asian countries at rapid speed in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, it seems that the coronavirus is a more nefarious enemy that has proven far more difficult to handle than most experts had first believed.

Everything appeared as expected while boarding the train into Tokyo, from the tidy train station and orderly ticket booth cues to the clasped hands of prim passengers patiently awaiting the train. As I boarded and claimed a seat by the window, I felt suddenly overwhelmed — I had 36 hours to explore Tokyo and had arrived without a plan!

Kashmir — at least the part that India controls — meant lush valleys with freshwater lakes, grass and pine-covered hills, and the towering but protective circle of the Himalayan mountain range.

The day before I left for Nepal on a one-way ticket, I was having dinner by the Chao Phraya river in Bangkok with a good friend. I took us to my favorite little restaurant in the city that serves Thai staple foods like tom yung soup and pad thai that you can enjoy while looking out at the beautiful river. The place is always packed, and this Saturday evening at the beginning of March was no different. We reminisced of our times teaching English in Korea together and toasted to our friendship and all our dreams for the future. So was life just mere months ago. That travel moment (or just life moment) of mine, which was just an average Saturday at the time, means so much more now. 

Japan has been in the news frequently regarding its battle with the coronavirus, culminating in the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games. But what is really happening in Japan? How do the Japanese feel about all the recent events?

As concerns about the coronavirus spread, people looking to enjoy the Lunar New Year season canceled trips, which hit China’s air, road and rail travel industry hard. Transport Ministry Vice Minister Liu Xiaoming said passenger travel would drop 45 percent during the 40-day travel season, ending Feb. 18. Airlines transported just an average of 470,000 people a day between Jan. 25 and Feb. 14, a quarter of 2019’s amount. Between Feb. 15 and Feb. 23, the amount of passengers was one-tenth of the peak period. The coronavirus outbreak has shaken up the country’s transportation industry, especially after officials shut down large swaths of the country and over 50 countries implementing travel restrictions to and from China. The crisis is taking place at a crucially busy time for the country – with the Lunar New Year season going. It was expected that hundreds of millions of Chinese would go on three [...]

With the rise in coronavirus numbers, the travel industry is bracing itself for the negative impact.   According to Chinese officials, there are thousands of cases and over 30 deaths with confirmed cases in other countries: Japan, South Korea, Thailand and the U.S. China expanded its quarantine to 12 cities in and around Wuhan – the epicenter of the outbreak – which has 35 million people.   The World Health Organization said precautions were needed, but no global emergency was being enacted just yet.   How Will The Tourism Industry Be Affected By The Virus Outbreak  The damage the coronavirus can cause on the tourism industry is just as bad as the virus’ timing. For instance, China’s Lunar New Year may have been impacted by the illness. It’s a time of year where 400 million Chinese travelers were expected to travel for a several-weeks long holiday vacation to other parts of the country [...]

  If you like the idea of spending the night at a castle, you can live like royalty when you rent out a palace suite in Jaipur. Visit India in November, and you can book a suite on Airbnb in its 300-year-old City Palace of Jaipur, which is the home of the royal family. On Nov. 23, the Gudliva Suite will be open to outside guests thanks to Highness Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh, who becomes the first king to be an Airbnb host. The suite is found in a private area of the palace, and it comes with a lounge, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and private swimming pool. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who founded Jaipur, had the palace built in the 1700s, and today is a representation of the 18th-century Rajput architecture. Its inside is ordained with decorative chambers, large reception halls, gilded wall decorations, carvings, etc. Besides the royal [...]

As of Dec. 1, people who want to see the cities of Chongqing, Chengdu, Ningbo and Xi’an can now do so with the 144-hour (six-day) transit visa. The visa, also called the G visa, is available in 20 cities across China. 

The iconic white marble mausoleum intricately decorated with motifs and calligraphy may be one of the world’s most recognisable sights, but being such a beautiful building comes with its own set of problems. Overcrowding has long been an issue for the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, but will opening the site to the public at night – as the tourism ministry has announced – help reduce this issue?

Macau has long been a popular side trip from Hong Kong and tourism statistics show that this has not changed, despite the ongoing protests in the currently troubled city.

Mount Everest is the biggest of most climbers’ dreams and many more travelers are taking to its trails to see if they can reach the top of the world’s highest mountain. However, officials in Nepal are currently considering updating their regulations for Mount Everest after a controversial and fatal climbing season.