Race to the Top at Kinabalu Climbathon
The sport of sky-running may be in its early days yet, but its enthusiasts look to Sabah’s Mount Kinabalu for one of the major events of the calendar: the Kinabalu Climbathon that takes expert sky-runners to the peak and back, in the space of four hours. The International Skyrunning Federation places the Kinabalu Climbathon as […]
Heaven on Two Wheels: Bicycle Tours in Southeast Asia
Bike in Sukhothai, Thailand. Image courtesy of Nancy Nguyen If seeing the best parts of Southeast Asia from behind glass is your thing, then by all means, go on that tour bus. But if you prefer coming down from the antiseptic atmosphere of the bus, instead meeting face-to-face with the region’s temples, villages and people […]
Sports Activities in the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam
PHILIPPINES: In the Philippines, the most popular sports refer to a list of sports that enjoy a significant following among majority of Filipinos either as actual participants or as avid spectators. These sports are either individual or team in nature and have become part of the Filipino way of life. These are basketball, boxing, billiards, football, chess, bowling and volleyball. Other sports […]
Going Solo: Exploring the Indonesian City of Surakarta
It didn’t take long for me to wish that I was back in Solo. The neighboring city of Yogyakarta—a mere 40 miles away—may attract tourists with its kraton (palace), taman sari (water castle) and cultural performances, but it isn’t exactly a restful place. Walking down a typical street means turning down half a dozen cycle rickshaw drivers asking inflated […]
Mandalay by Bike: History & Culture on Two Wheels
Using the historic town of Mandalay as a takeoff point, bikers can venture into the heart of truly authentic Myanmar: from the city’s narrow alleyways and bustling markets, to temples, rice paddies, and the world’s oldest teakwood bridge further afield. The city centre is only a short bike ride away to Mandalay’s cultural treasures, including […]
Rise to the Mount Apo Boulder Face Challenge
Every summer, the country’s highest peak Mt. Apo in Davao del Sur poses a challenge to extreme sports enthusiasts: can your bodies take a treacherous 120-km race to the menacing boulder face at the peak and back within 24 hours? The Boulder Face Challenge requires competitors to bike to the Tibolo-Kapatagan Junction, trek up to […]
Thousands of Temples, 42K: the Bagan Temple Marathon
Imagine a marathon that winds through thousands of temples and pagodas, alternating with pristine views of the countryside. That’s what you get when you undertake the Bagan Temple Marathon – a destination race set in Central Myanmar’s most breathtakingly scenic city. Using historic Htilominlo Temple as the start and finish point, runners proceed through paved […]
Singapore Sails: Sailing Along on Marina Bay
The bustling Singapore city centre is just about the last place you’d expect to find a vibrant sailing scene, but Marina Bay is nothing if not a hotspot of the unexpected. Against a spectacular backdrop comprising the Marina Bay Sands, the Gardens by the Bay, Singapore Flyer and the rest of Marina Bay’s city skyline, […]
Dance with the Dragon: Kayaking on Halong Bay
For centuries, Ha Long Bay’s sheltered cove and karst landscape have provided shelter to both storm-weary sailors and pirates avoiding capture. Boats within the bay enjoy an unparalleled view of thousands of elliptical islands jutting out of the waters; fearless travelers can disembark the boats and explore caves and lagoons carved into the islands by […]
Rapid Descent: Rafting the Khek River, Phitsanulok
From its source in the Phetchabun mountains, the Khek River travels through a turbulent series of waterfalls and rapids before it empties into the Nan River. An eight-kilometre stretch of the river has been designated for whitewater rafting – the course contains 11 rapids and takes about two to three hours to complete, with each […]