Travel in Asia
Please take a look through some of the articles we have in Asia, click on the subcategory countries below to get the content.
Consider joining the club we are smaller and more unique therefore. We're a very social bunch here brought up with travel in hostels and we never get tired of another bus ride into the unknown.
I have a personal feeling of excitement being in many of the most exciting capital cities Bangkok, Hong Kong or relaxing in my Bali Resort after a days surfing. I am miles away from my country of birth and nothing is as it seems in Japan.
This area (Hakone) is full of hotels with onsen or special dedicated Onsen facilities. Its essentially the Japanese steam baths, and this is a jewel of the Japanese culture for me, this is a place to do business and relax in.
I awoke to the sound of the cleaner knocking on the door then opening it.
It was good I had five minutes to pack and plan. I was meeting Tsutomu pronounced "storm" I had last seen him in London.
I was in a deep sleep as the cleaner woke me up, I needed to check out in 5 minutes and hadn't planned much past this point. Being a bit hungover too- yes marvellous.
I'm awaiting meeting Tsutomu to chat to him as he will know Japan and am researching as I go, and there is still much to see in Tokyo, will have some time before flying out so I dont want to do it all this vist.
Read more: Japan Blog 2- Roppongi by Night and Hugh Heffner's Bodyguard
I'm in my hotel lobby fighting the keyboard which keeps wanting to insert Japanese characters instead of western script my old sweetheart beer is keeping me awake..
You must purchase your Japan Rail Pass (In fact you will buy an exchange order)
before arrival in Japan and you must have temporary visitor status!
Notice- there are now temporarily testing selling the japan rail pass inside Japan at selected stores check the links below.
You can slice through Japan at 270 kmph as you relax in style aboard the Shinkanson (bullet train).
Hitting Osaka from Tokyo in about 3 hours while admiring the diverse landscape that is Japan.
You will have space for your luggage and leg room you can only dream about on an aeroplane.
This is comfort this is Japan.
If you plan on visiting outside of Tokyo this is almost a must have as you will start to save money very quickly.
You can get passes of 1,2 or 3 weeks duration.
Read more: Japan Rail Pass Guide - Some Handy Tips for Your Travel
Well its been a few weeks since I left Aus, and I find myself in Laos after going through Malaysia and Thailand... and I can tell you, this is one of the best places I have been to... so laid back, has a hint of tourism but not the hustle and bustle of Thailand... could be here some time I think!
You might enjoy staying in a Ger camp in this protected area of Mongolia.Check it out visiting Gorki Mountains, the Turtle Rock and the Terelj River.
The Gobi Desert, located in Central and East Asia, is one of the world's most vast and fascinating deserts, covering an area of 500,000 square miles. Home to Bactrian wild camels, snow leopards, Prezwalsky horses and Gobi bears. apart from its numerous native animal species, the desert is famous for its fossilised dinosaur bones and eggs. The Gobi desert is silence and to get away is part of the charm. The seemingly never ending steppes (think dry grass prairie) and camel herders.
Let’s start out with highlighting the capital Ulaan Bator or Ulaanbaatar (I have seen it spelt so many ways..), Check hotels in Ulan Bator, and hostels in Ulan Bator. Now your checked in and raring to go, what should we not miss ? Well depending on the time of the year the temperature may go from -20 in jan and feb to up to a nice 20c in Summer.
When you get to any new country, all the usual forms of transportation come up: cars, buses, and planes. You tend not to think about the alternatives beyond the standard options, even if they offer a unique opportunity to experience the country.
It is hard to find activities to enjoy as a family as there will be people of different age groups and expectations. When it comes to Nepal, you need not worry about it. There are numerous family-friendly activities to enjoy in this place. This article will highlight a few top options available for you.
Namche bazaar is a great little town in the foothills of the Himalayas. It is in the Khumbu region of Nepal at an altitude of 3800 mts. The population is 1500 odd mostly catering the tourists on the way to Mount Everest.
The village is known for the stopover and to acclimatize before proceeding to Everest or Gokyo. If you do not want to proceed further you can get a great view of Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Everest. The sunrise over the mountains are just spectacular..
Boracay is 9km long and about 1km wide at its narrow point in the middle. It is popular with scuba diver sand windsurfers and kitesurfers. You can enjoy some tropical beach here of course when you tire from the activity. Boracay also has fabulous resorts, sun kissed beaches, amazing diving, snorkeling, and seafood. It’s considered one of the finest islands in Southeast Asia and Filipinos take a lot of pride in the island.
Wherever I travel I look for sport fishing opportunities. While touring Southeast Asia my home base was Sihanoukville, Cambodia’s beach resort on the placid Gulf of Thailand. Thousands of small commercial boats fish the gulf for mixed catches of bottom fish and squid, staples of the city’s beachfront restaurants. I wondered what other fish were out there.
I saw a charter fishing boat moored near the commercial port, but there was no skipper to be found. I heard these charter boats come and go. They target barracuda and marlin and the fishing grounds are a costly four hour, full throttle run. Fisherman’s Den Charters and Pub promised catches of Barracuda and Dorado at a reasonable price. I booked my trip over a couple of pints.
One of the biggest concerns that backpackers have when they are planning to visit a certain country is whether or not they will be able to explore that country on a backpacker’s budget. Well, as long as you have decided to go backpacking in Thailand, money is one thing that you need not be worried about!
Now when I say you need not be worried about money the point I am trying to make is that Thailand is an extremely cheap (solely in terms of money) country to visit. People from Asian countries such as Malaysia, India, China, and Cambodia find Thailand cheap so if you’re from USA or one of the European countries then Thailand is literally going to be a backpacker’s haven for you.
Read more: Backpacking in Thailand and the Best Bangkok Hotels
Backpacking in Thailand is a wonderful way of seeing the ancient country of Siam, where you can experience everything from old temples to the most modern of nightclubs.
I have to admit my first experience with Thailand wasn't the country itself. Nope, it was the story of Anna Leonowens. You might not have heard of her, but it was her diary that inspired the movie Anna And The King.
Welcome to the new and very impressive Suvabhumi International Airport Bangkok you will probably arrive here on your visit to Thailand.
Tip: Watch out for older looking cabs (Try to avoid them!) that are set up from the airport public taxi desk. Though its official and recommended to use in all the guide books you will pay an extra 50 Baht. Simply go to departures upstairs and wait for people to arrive via cab at the airport, you can asses the cars and look for new Pink cabs these meters tend to be accurate and not overly sped up ! Your trip should cost from 250 to 350 Baht plus 70 Baht in tolls which you will have to pay yourself.
Koh Tao is the small island in the Gulf of Thailand that was discovered to have clear warm waters with great coral reef.
Read more: Koh (ko) Tao : Scuba Diving in an ideal environment
Feel like a king for 75 quid per night!
The second island in the chain of three where I took my PADI open water certificate in scuba diving way back. You could not see your hand when your arm was outstretched the visibility was so bad due to monsoon storms.
The first in a chain of islands popular with backpackers and flashpackers for its size and variety and is perhaps the first stop after some interior travel in Thailand. Chaweng beach. Massive seated Buddha blessing the local fisherman and waterfalls are some of the interior delights but there is now a fishing lake for fresh water asian carp and catfish that you can catch !
While Chaweng suffers from perhaps over development it is a great beach and the food at the restaurants there is great. A variety of on the beach accommodations from 500 to 1000+ Baht make it an easy place to find what you want.
Tip : It is no longer as cheap as it used to be to fly to and from Koh Samui and is not served by the budget airline air asia. A reason why many travel to Surat Thani on the mainland close by to save 3000 Baht to fly back to Bangkok.
One of the best looking islands in the world perhaps certainly in Thailand pre tsunami this was a destination not to be missed and makes it into landed destinations.
Guys and Gals
Two things i missed of my last update (was in such a rush to please the editor!)
Hanoi the Communist heart of Vietnam is a popular travel destination.
The former capital of South Vietnam known as Saigon got renamed after the war in 1975 to Ho Chi Minh City in honour of the red leader. So why should you want to visit in Ho Chi Minh City ?
