Faith in the North: Southeast Asias Popular Religious Festivals
Southeast Asia is a place of vibrant ethnic and religious diversity. The northern region is predominantly Buddhist but ancient spiritual beliefs also play a major role in many people’s lives. In Vietnam, the most important festival is Tet (short for Tet Nguyen Dan, meaning ‘the first day’) which occurs in late January/early February at the same […]
The Rivers Wild: Touring Borneos Liquid Lifelines
Once cave dwelling went out of style, the peoples of Borneo looked towards the liquid highways of this giant island to establish settlements and make contact with the outside world. Having a reputation for being blood-thirsty headhunters roaming jungles infested with equally blood-thirsty wild creatures probably wasn’t the best idea for a public relations campaign, […]
Putting the Art in Jakarta: Indonesias Contemporary Art Scene
The largest and most populous country in SE Asia, Indonesia claims some 17,000 islands that stretch over 5,000km across equatorial Asia to Australia. Such geographic expanse lends to a great wealth of ethnic and cultural diversity. The Islamic state was colonized by the Dutch in the early 17th century as an important trading post, with their rule lasting over […]
Set Adrift: Tubing Vang Vieng
When it comes to popular backpacker japes, “tubing” – floating peacefully downriver on a giant inflatable inner-tube – is up there with debauched “full moon parties” or trekking upon elephant back to “hill-tribe” villages in the Golden Triangle. Indeed, Lonely Planet describes this well-established tourist lark as “one of the rites of passage of the Indochina backpacking […]
Get the Lead Out: Detoxing in Southeast Asia
Contemporary city living is a fast-paced, finely-tuned operation that requires a lot of effort to maintain. Most of us take short cuts just to keep up with our own lives – fast food, sleep deprivation and non-existent downtime are the common time-saving devices – and while some people have a super-human ability to power through […]
Making Tracks Through Southeast Asia
It’s great that air travel throughout South East Asia is as cheap and accessible as it is. And it speaks volumes that, even though it’s possible to take a one-hour flight from Bangkok to Vientiane, many travellers opt to make the trip on a 12-hour sleeper train – so many travellers that private cabins are booked weeks in […]
All Aboard the Reunification Express: Vietnams Romantic Railway
The gentle rocking of the train, the clickety-clack sound of the rails put you and your fellow passengers in a soporific mood and it’s time for another nap. But wait! The panorama of Vietnam unfolds just outside your window. Just when you thought you couldn’t keep your eyes open for another minute another only-in-Vietnam scene […]
Dos & Don’ts in Myanmar
Do Do smile as a way to get in touch with people. Do wear modest clothing when visiting religious sites. Do learn local customs before visiting ethnic minority villages. Do understand the difficult infrastructure situations when experiencing power shortages. Do keep quiet in religious sites and do not disturb people meditating or praying. Don’t Do […]
Boatloads of Fun: Cruises Set Sail in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is a fascinating place. With so many unique countries and interesting cultures to explore, it is difficult to know where to begin. A great way to sample a few destinations in one trip is by taking a cruise. Already a favored mode of travel in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, cruises in Southeast Asia […]
Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky: Southeast Asias Sky Bars
When travelling, there’s no better way to relax after a hard day of shopping and seeing the sights than with a well-made cocktail. It’s even better when the cocktail is served in a bar with a spectacular view and there is no shortage of sky bars in Southeast Asia. These are some of the best […]