Philippines: Cruise & River-Based Tourism
The Philippines’ rivers lead to all sorts of adventures, from whitewater rafting down wildly bucking rapids to watching fireflies dance in the early evening hours. 1.1. Loboc River Cruise Just off the ruins of Loboc Church stands the jump-off point for the Loboc River Cruise: an hour-long leisurely trip down the Loboc River on a […]
Mind Your Makrut
Lending an essential fragrance and flavour to Southeast Asian cuisine, Citrus hystrix, commonly known as kaffir lime or makrut, is a thorny bushy tree native to the region. Makrut leaves, which grow in figure-eight-shaped pairs, are very hard to substitute from many Southeast Asian dishes. They are used whole like curry leaves or bay leaves to […]
Greetings
reetings from Southeast Asia: How to Say Hello without Offending Anyone Southeast Asia’s famous warmth will increase a degree or two if you demonstrate some effort to learn some manners. As first impressions count for so much, it’s best to start with your greeting! [The following is very general in nature and is based on […]
Deep Calm
A deep calm ensues as the massage progresses; you enter a dreamlike, meditative state; totally trusting even as your therapist walks all over you (literally). Your body relaxes, your joints loosen, your muscles stretch, and a sense of healing takes hold. By the end, you feel both relaxed and energized as if you have undergone […]
The Sweet Sap
The exquisite flavours of wonderful foods and images of swaying palm trees are frequently evoked when people think of Southeast Asia. Perhaps not readily apparent to travellers to ASEAN is that an important ingredient of Southeast Asian cuisine is palm sugar – sugar made from the sap of palm trees. Popular throughout Southeast Asia, the […]
Saucy, Spicy Southeast Asia!
From the Tamil word ‘kari’, meaning ‘spiced sauce’, comes the word ‘curry’, adopted by the British to refer to hot, spicy, gravy-based dishes. A number of different South Asian soup or stew dishes, nearly always containing onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chilli were all referred to as ‘curry’. Curries from Southeast Asia require different seasonings […]
Raise Your Golf Game in Southeast Asia
From Brunei to Viet Nam, golfers wishing to improve their game will find great instructors, excellent facilities and world renown golf courses. Qualified professionals coaches hold programmes for everyone from beginners, to groups and families, to advanced players. Facilities include Arnold Palmer-designed courses, covered and lit driving range bays, simulators, short game and bunker practice […]
Southeast Asia’s Unbeatable Bargain Shopping
Hunting for bargains in Southeast Asia is an experience, so start your hunt today. You can find great deals on everything from clothes, bags, accessories, antiques, to electronic goods, handicrafts and hard-to-find collectables. You can find them at malls, markets and shopping streets. Prepare to haggle in a friendly way, which is all part of […]
Hanging Out with the Hill Tribes
ASEAN hosts hundreds of diverse ethnic groups, some of which are indigenous to Southeast Asia, and others that migrated from South Pacific islands and the mountains of Southern Asia and China. Though the majority settled in the fertile lowlands and river valleys, some decided to remain on higher ground. Most hill tribes reside in northern […]
Farm Stays: Diggin’ Southeast Asia
Farmers have been ploughing Southeast Asia’s fertile soil and raising livestock for thousands of years, and many of their traditional techniques remain in place, especially their rice paddy systems. Visitors are now taking advantage of the growing number of farm stays throughout the region, during which they can experience life on a farm and take […]