Taipei City is the capital city of Taiwan, a state in East Asia bounded by China, Japan and the Philippines. It is the political, economic, educational and cultural centre of Taiwan (or more correctly The Republic of China), a modern metropolis with a thriving economy and a vibrant tourism industry. People who flock to Taipei are there for the street food, the night markets, the historical artifacts, the hot springs and its many upscale shops. If … [Read more...]
The Phenomenal Fortitude of Cambodia’s Emerging Capital
Phnom Penh, Cambodia Gray and gritty…these are the two words that rise to the surface when I reflect on our brief 4 days in Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. Gray in the truest sense of the word and color, in that it’s place that is in transition – moving from a dark and clouded past to perhaps a bright and emerging future. However, where the city lies on the gray scale spectrum is open to one’s perception. Some may see it as a place that is … [Read more...]
Mount Koya: Beware of Bears
The story of the Karukaya, wandering the Kongobuji & Danjo Garan and spending the night in a shukubo The hall is now preserved as a hermitage where father and son practiced asceticism together for over forty years. I stop at Karukayado (the Hall of Karukaya). The Karukaya is a story of a boy called Ishidomaru who came to Koya-san in order to meet his father. The boy met a monk, who was in fact his father, but, as the monk had renounced … [Read more...]
Penang – An Embodiment of Creative Disruption
George Town, Penang Much like the street art and street (“hawker”) food that seem to serve as the first definition of modern day Penang, the city is one that is best experienced through the senses. Though the city is still trying to create an identity for itself after it was stripped of such comfort during WWII, it is using vibrant, creative solutions to tell its history, share its beauty and humor, and redevelop itself as Malaysia’s thriving … [Read more...]
Yunnan Province China – An Astounding Culturally Diverse Experience
The Yunnan Province of China has become one of the most sought after travel destinations for those seeking to witness a truly unique cultural experience. Being engulfed by a breathtaking countryside is nothing to sneer at either. This blossoming tourist destination has remained largely obscured and tucked away from outsiders for hundreds of years until modern infrastructure and transportation has allowed access. Located in the southwestern … [Read more...]
Mongolia, Land of the Horse People
It’s almost impossible to tell the story of Mongolia without inevitably mentioning Chinggis (Genghis) Khan. Seven centuries ago, he exploded onto Mongol and world history with a sonorous impact that still reverberates throughout the nation today. But there is far more to Mongolia than our fanciful musings of green, pastoral steppes trampled by marauding hordes of nomadic warriors on horseback. Indeed, Mongolia is a study in contrast, a traveler’s … [Read more...]
The Feel is in the Destination, Baros Maldives
Opening in 1973, the Baros Maldives was only the third island destination resort in the Maldives. It's gorgeous beauty and proximity to Male were among the primary reasons for it's opening. Even though such history is fairly recent - things were significantly different back then. There were no banks on Male, fishing was still the primary income source for the country, the population was less then a 1/3 of what it is today and on Baros the … [Read more...]
Suzhou, China’s floating city
Suzhou is often referred to as “the Venice of the East.” In a less ethnocentric world, we would perhaps call Venice “the Suzhou of the West.” The original canal city, Suzhou was already a over a thousand years old when Venice was founded (514 B.C.E. vs. 421 C.E.) It is also significantly larger than Venice, a full order of magnitude more, in fact. Its canal system is indescribably extensive and complex, spreading through a vast network of fields, … [Read more...]
The Tsaatan Nomads – Mongolia Reindeer Herders
The Tsaatan Nomads, also known as the Dukhan, live high in the Ulaan Taiga mountain range of Mongolia. Russia borders the region to the west, the Darkhad Valley and Lake Khövsgöl (Khövsgöl Nuur) to the east. Through millennia, the Tsaatan livelihood has been tied to their reindeer herd. Today the roughly 500 Dukhan left are some of the last of the reindeer herders in the world. Reaching the Tsaatan camp is a challenging endeavor as it takes … [Read more...]
Xi’an Belongs to the World
Chinese culture belongs not only to the Chinese but also to the whole world,” said former Chinese president Hu Jintao. If Chinese culture does indeed belong to the world, then, without a doubt, the place to explore it is Xi’An. If you’ve never heard of it before, you’re probably not alone. Oddly, one of China’s most interesting and unique cities is not particularly well known to the outside world, especially considering its historical … [Read more...]
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