As of writing, the current live ranking of the nominees to become a New 7 Wonders of Nature indicate that the top 7 places are all to be found in Asia!
Ha Long Bay – Vietnam
Tubbataha Reef – Philippines
Chocolate Hills – Philippines
Cox’s Bazar Beach- Bangladesh
Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park – Philippines
Ganges River – Bangladesh/India
Mount Everest – Nepal
Have you been to any one of them yet?
It turned out that my mother-in-law and her sister, who wanted to spend a week in Beijing, weren’t able to secure the necessary tourist visa to enter China as the country tightens security in reference to the Olympics. What a bummer! Oh well, they’re heading to Ho Chi Minh City instead.
That’s one great thing being based here in Singapore– it’s easy to hop off to the neighboring Asian cities, being one the main airline hubs in Asia. Assuming you get the visa, that is.
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Dreaming of Phuket or Koh Samui but are on a budget? Conde Nast Traveler suggests you give Vietnam’s Hoi An a try.
In it’s Dollar-Friendly Destinations 2008, they recommend the Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort & Spa. It’s not five-star, but the resort is certainly equipped with all the amenities one would need on a holiday, and, here’s the bottomline: room rates start at just $145 a night.
And while you’re in Hoi An, take the opportunity to get a made-to-measure suit or dress. Haute couture for a fraction of the cost!
Interest awakened? Let these pictures whet your appetite for more …read more
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In the last several months, tourists have been flocking to these cities. Alas, there’s more to Asia that lures the tourist than just the stunning tropical beaches. So yes, if you can make it, go and explore before they truly become Asia’s lost gems.
Read Bangkok Chief of Bureau Denis D. Gray’s observations and lamentations on how tourists have taken over these places.
A fusillade of flashing, jostling cameras and videocams is triggered the moment Buddhist monks pad barefoot out of their monasteries in a serene, timeless ritual. A forward surge breaks into the line of golden-yellow robes, and nearly tramples kneeling …read more
Whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day or just wanted to treat a special someone to a truly romantic experience, check out Orient Express’ list of Romantic Getaways in South-East Asia. Among their top-picks:
1. Road to Mandalay, Myanmar
2. Jimbaran Puri Bali, Indonesia
3. The Governor’s Residence, Yangon
4. Napasai, Koh Samui
5. La Résidence d’Angkor, Cambodia
6. Eastern & Oriental Express
7. Ubud Hanging Gardens, Bali
8. La Résidence Phou Vao, Laos
February 14 or not, I hope you get the opportunity to discover Asia’s most romantic destinations, rekindle romance and spend love-ly time together with your significant other soon!
The following entry is a contribution from Alex Kallimanis, who writes political and social humor for the website Sirened. His degree in history has always made him interested in travel and from a young age he vowed to see as much of the world as possible. At 29 he’s visited 29 countries.
Being an American with a degree in history, I was always intrigued to one day visit Vietnam. This came to fruition about 3 years ago when my wife and I were moving from Australia back to the USA. The cheapest flight involved a leg on Vietnam Airways via a …read more
For the last three years, Thailand-based budget airline NokAir has only been servicing domestic routes. Now, they’re flying further out, to Hanoi, Vietnam, operating 2 flights a week to and from the new Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok.
Check out the Bangkok-Hanoi promo fares currently going as low as 3 THB!
Or, if you also need a place to stay, why not consider getting the Nok Hanoi packages. Imagine, round trip airfare, full board accommodations, plus day tours around Hanoi and Halong Bay (a a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Quảng Ninh province, Vietnam. ) for only 13,500 THB per person …read more
International Herald Tribune columnist Denny Lee listed 52 places to go in 2008 and number 1 on his list is Laos. He says:
Vietnam and Cambodia are so 2007. Now, Laos is shaping up to be Indochina’s next hot spot. Ancient sites like the Wat Phou temple complex and the capital city of Vientiane are drawing culture seekers. Luxury teak houseboats are cruising down the Mekong. And global nomads are heading to Luang Prabang to sample the Laotian tasting menu at 3 Nagas or hang out by the infinity pool at the seriously upscale Résidence Phou Vao.
The 3 Nagas Executive …read more
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Think you’ve putted at all the best golf courses in the world? Hm… have you been to Vietnam, then?
Vietnam has just been awarded by the International Association of Golf Travel Operators (IAGTO) as its 2007 “Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year“. This award was voted upon by 85 members of the association based on these criteria:
• To what extent the destination is “undiscovered”
• Qualities that make it an interesting golf destination
• Attractiveness of the region and courses
• Course quality and accessibility
• Standard of accommodation
• Friendliness of the staff
• Value for the money
• Speed of play
And where in Vietnam should …read more
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A dozen Asian hotels made it to the list of the Conde Nast Traveller’s Hot List of the best hotels in the world for 2007.
On 7th place: Banyan Tree Lijiang (photo), at Yunnan Province, China
On 12th place: Commune by the Great Wall Kempinski, at Badaling Mountains, China
On 16th place: Four Seasons Resort Maldives, at Landaa Giraavaru, Maldives
On 33rd place: Mahua Kothi, at Madhya Pradesh, India
On 44th place: Raffles Beijing Hotel, in Beijing, China
On 49th place: The Bulgari Resort, in Indonesia
On 50th place: The Eugenia, in Thailand
On 51st place: The Fortress, in Koggala, Sri lanka
On 57th place: The Luxe Manor, in …read more
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