A forum for discussions, questions, comments, observations, and more re the world's biggest, most varied continent.

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Equal parts handsome, historic, and cutting-edge, Taiwan is terrific

GoranQ Officially the Republic of China, this island with a population of around 24 million – just a bit larger than the state of Maryland and just under half the size of Scotland – has been in the news lately both thanks to its controversial January 13 presidential elections and to its perennial potential (and especially in the context of other current crises in Ukraine and Gaza) as a world flashpoint due to mainland China´s obsession with eventually and forcibly annexing it. Taiwan is both…

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The case for Kiribati

 burdemIts name pronounced “Kiribass,” this nation comprised of 33 atolls and reef islands (population around 121,000) is spread over more than a million square miles out in the central Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia (some 3,107 miles southeast), as well as 2,175 north of Fiji (in fact, it´s served internationally by Fiji Airways and Qantas, and its currency is the Aussie dollar). Kiribati is known for its laid-back vibe, stunning waters and marine life, as well as the…

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In 2023, the Maldives continued to be the world´s premier destination brand

  Visit Maldives Over the past decades, destinations in Europe, North America, and the Caribbean have been the stars in both destination branding and popularity among travelers. And while all the above certainly remain among the world´s most powerful performers in tourism, the World Travel Awards (dubbed “the Oscars of travel”) in 2023 have underscored strong showings outside these traditional areas, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. Here´s a quick rundown of this year´s winners: At…

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Burmese, if you please: 6 musts in Myanmar/Burma

  pxfuel After spending nearly a half century walled off under military rule from the rest of the world, from 2011 to 2021 Burma (renamed Myanmar) experienced a decade of progress in its political system, economy, and society – including finally opening up to tourism. Sadly, though, just over a year and a half ago the military took control again and the ruling junta has since then been cracking down – sometimes brutally – on all of that progress. Yet the same time tourists have continued to…

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  • I recently came across CNN Travel's look at a dozen and a half destinations across Asia which are lesser known gems. I'd heard of (and have even been to) some, but others were new to me. An interesting read! https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/asia-underrated-places-intl-...
    https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/asia-underrated-places-intl-hnk/index.html
  • Singapore-based website TheSmartLocal.com just published an overview of more than a dozen visitor attractions which opened in the city this year: https://thesmartlocal.com/read/new-attractions-singapore-2022/
  • The hangover from the pandemic is having a dampening effect on the region's visitor arrival numbers, and of course the tourism industry: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/21/paradise-paused-asia-...
    Paradise paused: Asia-Pacific tourism continues to lag after the Covid induced freeze
    Foreign arrivals slowly return, but cost of living pressures and China’s zero-Covid policy weigh on visitor numbers
  • One of six UNESCO sites in Pakistan, in southeastern Sindh province a bit over six hours from Karachi, Moenjodaro dates back some 5,000 years to the Bronze Age, and is one of the world's oldest preserved human settlements: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/moenjodaro-pakistan-floods-i...
    Pakistan UNESCO site Moenjodaro badly damaged by flooding
    One of the world's oldest preserved human settlements has been significantly damaged by torrential rain in Pakistan as the country battles the worst…
  • Came across an interesting item about an off-the-beaten track region and city, both called Kochi, on the second smallest of Japan's four main islands, Shikoku. (south of the western end of Honshu), with plenty of eco/adventure travel options, water sports, authentic regional cuisine, and historic sites. Check it out! https://mothership.sg/2022/07/4-reasons-to-visit-kochi-japan/
    4 reasons to visit Kochi, a lesser known part of Japan, once Japan relaxes travel restrictions
    A hidden gem in Japan.
  • Earlier this year, the London-based travel-site BigSevenTravel.com came out with "The best cities in the world for art and culture in 2022", including of course several Asian cities - find out which: https://bigseventravel.com/best-cities-for-arts-culture/
  • I've always been fascinated by this Mongolia - even though I haven't yet gotten to travel there - and on YouTube found this superbly edited, montage of scenes (fairly brief, just over five minutes long) from popular South African travel filmmaker MrBrynnorth. No narration, but very eloquent indeed!! https://youtu.be/KwQvyYzcOJU
  • A onetime Buddhist pilgrimage track, in disuse for some 60 years, the new, 250-mile Trans Bhutan Trail is to be inaugurated in April - coinciding with the reopening of the whole of Bhutan to tourists after pretty much closing its border since spring of 2020 - connecting for hikers and mountain bikers some 400 historic/cultural sites as well as countless natural wonders. Read more details in CNN Travel: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/trans-bhutan-trail-reopening
  • Just saw Crazy Rich Asians - pretty cool movie, and I'm sure it'll do wonders for Singapore tourism. Then just today read an interesting piece in The Atlantic about how some non-Chinese (Malays, Indians - the name Singapore actually comes from Malay and Sanskrit) are a little miffed at how it papers over their home's ethnic diversity. Plus, most Singaporeans are far from rich! Makes interesting reading: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/08/singapore...

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