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Asia

Asia

Distinctive and immediately recognizable

The architecture of Japan is one of the things that sets the country apart from others. It's very distinctive and immediately recognizable, and something whose charm beckons out to many tourists. While in cities like Tokyo, where landscapes change continuously as older buildings give way to new and modern ones, there are areas where you can take a look…

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Wonders worth searching for

Many of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World collapsed into rubble a long time ago. The Colossus of Rhodes and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, both of which were destroyed by earthquakes. Some of these wonders perhaps never existed at all, like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. We are going to take a look at…

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Dome sweet dome

As we travel the world, not only do we become familiar with the unfamiliar, but we also, over time, see past the obvious and start to focus on the unremarkable or the unusual.  Sometimes it's a reflex action, other times it just drifts into our conciousness. One of those times is when you start to…

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Battleship holiday

Here's another article for those who have seen it before and have done it before. You’ve seen it in James Bond's Skyfall and all over the media. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the ruins of Nagasaki Prefecture‘s abandoned Hashima Island, better known as Gunkanjima (or “Battleship Island”), has attracted attention for its post-apocalyptic appearance. Well,as you…

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Some builders would do anything

More than 1,600 years ago, close to the southeastern coast of the Korean Peninsula, laborers were hard at work building a palace for a fledgling kingdom. They finished the foundation layer of the massive western rampart and then paused before beginning the next construction phase, a stone wall. The foundation, made from packed shells and…

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Yangshuo, Dr. No?

Just look at that. Landscapes don’t get more dramatic than the towering rock formations of Guilin, southern China’s most astonishing natural phenomena. And in the shadows of those giant alien mountains you’ll find something much smaller but almost as dazzling – a hotel. And not just any old hotel: a true design marvel loaded with…

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How now, brown cow?

If you visit our site, you will know how much we like and promote India.  It is a massive, crowded, bewildering, lovely and intoxicating place.  The people are uniformly kind and helpful and funny.  The sites are breathtaking.  The cities are a swirl of activity.   If you haven't been, please do so.  And, know that…

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Let’s eat here

After the world has been decimated by Covid-19, now that the fog is clearing somewhat, it's time to focus our thoughts on those businesses and their employees who have been so profoundly impacted.  In other words, when you can, buy local. Eating locally produced food on your travels may seem like small potatoes, but the…

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Red sky at night, traveler’s delight

China is set to enter the space tourism business. This should come as no surprise to anyone who is awake in this day and age.  We wonder why we haven't seen this kind of offering sooner than this:  the Chinese know how to get things moving. ANU astrophysicist and cosmologist Dr Brad Tucker says it…

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We thank-a Sri Lanka

At one point it seemed like the whole world was backpacking and trekking this tropical paradise in South Asia. Never one to miss out, we went to see for ourselves to bring you this guide to Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is roughly the same size as Ireland and sits to the south-east of India. The island…

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Y’know, homophobia, Seoul style

People are people.  It feels (to us, anyway) that as the world gets bigger and, at the same time it gets smaller (social media) it doesn't necessarily get any better.  And who would know better than our LGBTQ+ friends?  And their problems can happen anywhere. This article is about how Seoul’s LGBTQ+ district came back…

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Driving through space

You're in the clouds! China has never shied away from big projects, and this is just one.  Visit Shimian County and drive this amazing feat of engineering yourself. Ganhaizi Bridge is located in Shimian County, Ya'an, Sichuan on the Ya (An) Lu (Gu) Expressway. It has a total length of 1811 meters, a bridge width of 24.5…

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Luxury for cheapskates

Do you cry when you look at the price of flights, and are forced to take the 2:00am option?  Do you find yourself with a black cloud over your head when you are compelled to stay at a 2-star hotel?  And is sitting on a park bench eating out of a bag enough to make…

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India’s golden triangle

Surprise! We kind of tricked you here.  Yes, this article is about India, and one of India's glorious contributions to the world are samosas, but this is about a Golden Triangle of a different kind. Here, we're talking about a glorious tour through India’s Golden Triangle - with Ranthambore National Park via our affiliate friends,…

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Tubular dwells

The tube houses of Hanoi  Narrow residential houses, known as ‘nha ong’ in Vietnamese or ‘tube houses’, found in an urban area of Hanoi. Tall, thin and brightly colored, Hanoi's "tube houses" dominate the city's streets as 9 million people compete for space in Vietnam's bustling capital. Although Vietnam saw a number of villas and…

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Hiking in India

When you start to read this article, you'll ultimately find out that it is about the best places to hike in India.  That's all well and good, as it is an immense country, full of wonderful and kind human beings as well as jaw-dropping sights. But, likely, even if you don't hike, you will be…

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I’ll follow the sun

China doesn't fool around.  When they do things, they tend to go big. Here's an example.  The new Shanghai Astronomy Museum, which recently opened in China, is potentially the world’s most majestic museum devoted to the skies. This elliptical, silvery structure looks part spaceship, part planetary invasion, with angular shapes that “embody some of the…

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