Thailand is a diverse and wondrous country located in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is also one of the most popular destinations for tourists worldwide, offering beautiful islands, tropical jungles, and ancient temples. There are several misconceptions about traveling in Thailand, ranging from the sex culture (not all male tourists are seeking prostitutes) to ice (not all water is contaminated). Here are five travel myths to consider if you are planning a visit to …
Browsing: Asia
Traveling today can take all kinds of twists and turns from unexpected delays to problems with airfares. Wouldn’t it be great if you had your own travel assistant who would advise you of the best way to resolve the issue and seek out helpful information for you? Well, that’s exactly what a travel app can do. Once you start looking for travel apps you will find there are dozens upon dozens to look through in …
In Rajasthan, it’s the colors that strike you first.
It’s the vibrant, striking colors worn by the residents of this ancient – and very proud – region, called “Land of Kings” because of a royal history like no other part of India. The land in which they live is a dry, often-monochromatic desert. But the history of Rajasthan is anything but monochromatic. It pulses with the ebbs and tides of a tumultuous history. And even …
There’s something about festive Christmas lights twinkling and blinking in the night that enhances entire cities at once. Thousands of decorations, led light displays, over-sized ornaments suspended high above busy shopping areas, and magical state-of-the-art lighting that transforms everyday streets into an extravaganza. Some destinations around the world are well known for their festive lighting displays that attract visitors from near and far to stand in awe of inspiring themes.
Close to home for American …
Most of us can’t find it on a map. But, yes, Virginia, there is a country called Uzbekistan.
And – though it may be hard for us to find on a map – it was at one time one of the great trading thoroughfares of the world, and traveled by legendary explorers such as Marco Polo.
I traveled through Uzbekistan, too. And I can tell you that it’s a place of vast horizons and stunning …
Brrr, it’s getting cold outside! The temperatures are dropping, the days are getting shorter, and keeping warm inside the house has become a top priority. But fortunately for travelers who are seeking a winter vacation, January is the cheapest month to fly away. At that point, the annual big rush to get home for Christmas is over and the must-visit destinations to stay for New Years have already come and gone, so airlines …
Bangkok is one of the world’s most visited destinations. It is deemed one of the largest capital cities on the globe with a population of over 9 million people. As the capital city of Thailand, the appeal is easy to see with its spectacular temples, exotic sites and a variety of specialty markets. It is in these markets that visitors can get a taste of the culture of the land through interaction with vendors …
In the astonishing mix of ultra-modern and ancient found in Seoul’s Jongno-gu area is the Gyeonghui Palace, which is now the city’s Museum of History. Surrounded by corporate headquarters, government offices and embassies, the museum has a treasure of a different kind – the fine dining restaurant of Cong-du. This is a new-age destination restaurant best described as organic concept-art cuisine focused on Korean produce. It has a modern take on traditional tofu and bean-based …
In the heart of Myanmar’s sprawling capital Yangon, an opportunity exists to glimpse local life and communities in a way not often available in other cities.
Opened in 1954, the Yangon Circular Railway is a rickety, barely-faster-than-a-jog train that runs a circular path all around the heart of the city, taking approximately 3 hours to cover some 30 kilometers and 39 stops.
A mix of everything from the official Central Railway Station to a single …
Just a few years ago, Myanmar (formerly Burma) was a closed land, with heavy travel restrictions and limited tourist facilities. Since the broad easing of travel restrictions in 2012, tourism in Myanmar has boomed.
Inle Lake in southern Shan State is a popular stop on many itineraries, famous for its leg-spinning fishermen, floating markets and local communities that dot the ring of the nearly 45-square mile lake. Many travelers choose to stay in Nyuang Shwe …
I travel frequently, and always prepare for my various jaunts doing fact-finding, participating in forums, asking friends, and even reading literature from my destination country. I’m prepared, but not too prepared, ever open to the spur-of-the-moment experiences traveling promises. For my month-long voyage to Southern India I spent an excessive amount of time planning. Hours, days, and months were spent investigating the merits of the SteriPEN® and concocting a route south from Mumbai. I weighed …
Varanasi, also called Benares and Kashi, is a pilgrimage destination in India. According to ancient texts, the city was founded by the Hindu deity Shiva, making it one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the country. Varanasi is also considered one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and is the home of many prominent Indian writers, musicians, artists and poets.
As a cultural and religious center of North India, Varanasi welcomes over …
Vast deserts, subway trains, ice caves, mountainous lakes, gleaming apartment blocks, camels, highways, rivers, skyscrapers and magnet trains: welcome to China.
China has 44 metropolises with a population of more than 1 million, which is astonishing, considering that most of us would be hard pressed to name many cities in the Middle Kingdom beyond Shanghai and Beijing. But many of China’s true treasures lie well beyond the throngs climbing the Great Wall and ascending the …
Imagine sticking a straw down the throat of a goldfish and blowing.
Then blowing some more. And you only stop blowing when the goggle-eyed fish looks as if it’s finally about to pop.
That’s what I was staring at in little plastic bags hanging outside the shops in Hong Kong’s aptly named Goldfish Street. Behind their massively misshapen heads were tiny fins that flapped aimlessly as they tried to steer the bulbous bulk around. A …