Asia
Torii Gate, Japan. Asia. Photo by Tianshu Liu
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”
–Miriam Beard
Explore beautiful Asia, the Earth’s largest continent. Covering more than 30 % of the planet’s land surface, Asia is the most populous region. It has a unique blend of many first civilizations. Asia’s history is vast and the continent is abundant with diverse ethnic groups, cultural heritage, traditions and religious beliefs; all worth learning more about.
The countries within beautiful Asia include: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, North, Korea, South, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor Leste (West), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam
Gongoni Danga, roughly translated from Bengali, means red-hot land. In the scorching summer months, locals say that the laterite textures of the canyon seem to sizzle from a distance, hence the name.
In a small town in the southwestern region of Nepal, Eva the rescue elephant and her new companion Lhamo are sprouting a charming kinship.
I first became interested in Pakistan when I was 9 years old. At the time, I was completely fascinated by all things South Asia.
What do you think of when you hear the name Pakistan? If you have never been to the country and get your news only from media outlets, your brain will most likely conjure images of extremism, violence, and hatred. You may think of heaps of rubbish on roadsides, of violent mobs of mullahs heading to stone someone, or oppressed burqa-clad women. I won’t deny that such elements do exist in certain factions of the country. However, to reduce the entire existence of this land and its people to these ideas would be unjust and inconsiderate.
When people plan a trip to Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh will be their first choice, and Da Nang regrettably skips by many wanderers' itineraries.
Having traveled to India a couple of years ago for a speaking engagement I had I was immediately struck by how vast the country is--so vast that it might take the better part of a lifetime to see it. Ask any traveler. They'll tell you the same and locals would likely concur. The most popular circuit amongst foreign tourists is the Golden Triangle, comprising Delhi, Jaipur, and Agra.
Desaru has one of the best beaches in the state of Johor.
Malaysia is one of the beautiful and unique countries to visit in Southeast Asia. It's a melting pot of cultures, populated by Malays, Chinese, Indians, and the various indigenous groups.
As if Bali hasn’t been suffering enough with the economic blow of COVID-19, locals are also battling a catastrophic environmental disaster as an abnormal amount of plastic washes up along popular tourist beaches Kuta & Seminyak.
To the discerning traveler, Mehrangarh fort of Jodhpur is an intricate tapestry of half a millennium of history, intertwined with bravery and artistry. And a few dark secrets.
It was my first trip to Varanasi and I was a little disappointed. The squalor, the impossible traffic jams, and the pollution added up to dispel my romantic notions about the city that Mark Twain had famously said to be ‘older than history, older than tradition, and even older than legend’.
A few years back, I had the opportunity to travel to India to go to my good friend's wedding. It was a chance to get a glimpse of the culture that I just couldn’t pass up.
