‘On the Road to Mandalay’: Soft Adventure in Style
Myanmar currently is one of the most sought after holiday destinations, if not the most. Not only in Asia, world-wide. So much so that the Minister of Hotels and Tourism in a recent interview revealed that the number of international tourists practically doubled between 2012 to 2013, skyrocketing from 1 million to 2 million. Subsequently […]
From Siem Reap to Angkor Wat and Tonle Sap by Bike
The roads leading from Siem Reap to the nearby temples and towns seem tailor-made for bike journeys. Level and mostly shaded by trees, these numerous trails lead you off the tourist-beaten path and into the heart of the real Cambodia: the rice fields, villages, and monasteries where the Khmer people live, work and play. You […]
In Too Deep? Exploring The Caves Of Borneo
When my guide said it was going to be dark once I turned off my headlamp, he really meant it. Even after a few minutes my eyes had not adjusted, because there simply wasn’t any light at all this far into the Racer Cave—one of many caves in Gunung Mulu National Park, this one named […]
Soft Adventure in Vietnam
Vietnam tourism policy is geared towards promoting its abundantly available nature (N) and culture (C) products, next to increasingly more developed and accessible beach (P) facilities. Not counting backpackers who travel the country extensively and have time aplenty, due to the shape of the county and long distances between major tourist attractions, the average overseas […]
South East Asia’s Soft Adventure
A couple of years ago the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) revealed a series of tourism trends in Asia Pacific[1]. A few of those are relevant for South East Asia’s tourism development. To start with, a very positive trend for the region is that Asia’s tourism is growing comfortably above the world average and will […]
Soft Adventure in Malaysia
I once happened to live on a tiny island in the Caribbean, called Saba. It measured 8 square kilometers; had 1,200 inhabitants, three small hotels and one beach that disappeared for most of the year. It was steep and hilly and foremost covered by genuine primary rain forest. Remarkably, despite its size it was possible […]
Cycling Through Wonderful Indonesia
If Cycling is your cup of tea, then Indonesia is your answer for your perfect Cycling holiday. The islands’ imposing lush mountains, blue lakes, white sand beaches, transparent aquamarine seas and green paddy fields, altogether form the perfect countryside to cycle through, both for leisure or as challenging course. While the warm and friendly welcome […]
Thailand’s Sophisticated Array of Soft Adventure
Thailand’s well-deserved reputation as a world class tourism destination with a highly varied product assortment (nature/culture/beach/adventure/entertainment) geared to all walks of life, is corroborated when you take a closer look at the wealth of soft adventure opportunities on offer, countrywide. Whether it’s snorkelling, surfing or scuba diving you are interested in; jungle trekking or bungee […]
Finding Your Face: Climbing Southeast Asia
My first climbs were a means to an end…jumping into a waterfall pool in central New York’s Finger Lakes region. Tourists know this glacier-gouged region for its vineyards and Cornell University, but local kids sneak down farm paths to free climb 20-40 meter walls with plenty of holds and deep water as a net. In […]
Inside the Kingdoms Walls: Climbing in Thailand
Considering a trip to Southeast Asia? The entire region provides a great destination for all types of mountain climbing. However, for a rich and abundant choice of warm climate sports climbs, and some of the best bouldering in the world, many local and international climbers head directly to Thailand. To get your body stretched out […]