Philippines: Cultural & Heritage Tourism
Rice terraces, ancient churches and “dreamweavers” only scratch the surface of the Philippines’ rich cultural pickings available to every tourist brave enough to venture off the beaten path. 1.1. Ilocandia Heritage and Cultural Tour (Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur) The northern Ilocos provinces are home to an industrious and frugal people who populate a land […]
Temple Run – Visiting Southeast Asia’s Temple Cities
From worshiping at the grand temples of Angkor to meditating at the stupas in Bagan, Southeast Asia’s locals keep the faith in a variety of ways. Most of the region’s most ancient and revered temples draw deeply from traditions brought here over a thousand years ago from India – Bali is Asia’s last outpost of […]
Southeast Asia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Only a few places in the world bear the coveted UNESCO seal of approval: the conferral of World Heritage status on a site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) brings in both prestige and tourism revenue, and thus is hotly contested. But this United Nations body is famously strict concerning awards: even culturally […]
Top Musical Festivals in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia has always been alive with music. But none of the region’s countries has ever begrudged its musical gifts to the rest of the world – we’ve made it a point to give as good as we get. As a result, we’ve got some of the world’s top music festivals happening in our midst, […]
Top Art Destinations in Southeast Asia
The arts of Southeast Asia are intimately tied with the local religion and culture. Each country draws from the region’s abundant natural riches – gold, precious metals, natural pigments and clay – to create cultural treasures without compare. While some cultures share some artistic ties based on their common religious roots, each country’s art is uniquely its […]
Malaysia: Cultural & Heritage Tourism
The sites listed here allow visitors to relive the cultural ferment brought on by centuries of trade and colonization within the sultanates and territories that now make up Malaysia. 1.1. Bandar Hilir, Melaka Fought over by European powers in past centuries, Melaka’s historical quarter still bears reminders of Malaysia’s colonial past. 1.1.1. Porta de Santiago […]
Royal Ploughing Ceremony in Cambodia and Thailand
Many countries in which agriculture still is an important sector of the economy celebrate festivals related to the growing and harvesting sequence of their main staple, such as rice in (South East) Asia. Although those festivals may be characterized as traditional, with histories going back centuries, undoubtedly they too play an actual role in the […]
Indonesia: Cultural & Heritage Tourism
Indonesia’s cultural treasures date as far back as the dawn of humankind, reaching full flower with the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms in Java, whose traces we can still see today. 1.1. Borobudur Temple The world’s biggest Buddhist monument rises some 40-plus meters above a hill on central Java, a multi-terraced mandala covered with over 2,600 […]
3 Questions To Ask Before Volunteering In Southeast Asia
When a major disaster hits the news, everybody wants to visit the affected area and help. And there’s nothing wrong with that per se: it’s difficult to sit in your comfortable living room and do nothing when horrific images of suffering and destruction flicker on the TV. But visiting Southeast Asia to help when disaster […]
Thailand: Community-Based Tourism
Thai communities will welcome you with open arms, once you visit their far-flung villages to see local sights like tea plantations, raging rivers and fruit farms. 1.1. Mae Kampong Village, Chiang Mai Province A visit to Baan Mae Kampong in Northern Thailand takes travelers to a cool, forested settlement over 1,300 meters above sea level. […]