asia posts
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Apr 23rd, 2012 at 2:00PM: Developed sometime before 1915 by Ngiam Tong Boon, a bartender who worked at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel Singapore, the Singapore Sling is a historical cocktail that has made a revival over the past few years. The original recipe used only the best ingredients – gin, Cherry Heering, Bénédictine and fresh pineapple juice. While by the 1980s the quality of the drink had ...
by Alex Robertson Textor (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Apr 6th, 2012 at 7:30PM:
This Bangladesh street scene, taken in 2008 by Flickr user m24instudio, jumped out at me on the Gadling Group Pool page on Flickr. Currently, next to it on the page are photos of flowers, animals, skylines, an island and snowy panoramas. None of these popped off the page quite so intensely as the above image. The colors, the signage, the handbills, the greenery in the background and the ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (1 month ago)
Apr 3rd, 2012 at 4:00PM:
While many cultures celebrate New Year's on December 31 and January 1, Thailand waits until April 13 to 15 to commemorate the holiday. Known as Songkran, it is traditionally very spiritual. Locals visit temples, sprinkle water on Buddha images to pay respect as well as on each other's hands to wish them good luck. There are also cultural performances and delicious street foods to enhance the ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Mar 17th, 2012 at 11:00AM: In the twentieth century, tourism was a major industry in Tohoku, Japan, due to its array of unique cultural offerings and beautiful landscape. However, on March 11, 2011, the region suffered much damage due to a devastating earthquake and tsunami. Now, a year later, the area is recovering nicely, and travelers will have no problem visiting the museums, parks, mountains, hot springs, and heritage ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Mar 14th, 2012 at 3:00PM: One of the most overlooked destinations in Japan is Kanazawa. Although it is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, many tourists have not heard of the city or use it only as a quick stopover to other places. In reality, Kanazawa has a legacy in the arts, a rich cultural heritage, and many unique offerings that can't be found anywhere else in the country. To help you learn a little more about the ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Mar 8th, 2012 at 3:00PM:
For those who've wondered what local life is like in Burma (Myanmar), "Bonsai Burma" by Berlin filmmaker Joerg Daiber can enlighten you. Using tilt-shift photography, Daiber takes viewers on a cultural tour of the country showing daily life, women working in the hillsides, children playing, hawkers selling goods at the market, and fisherman working for their catch. Furthermore, viewers ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (2 months ago)
Mar 3rd, 2012 at 2:00PM: Wondering how to get you or your partner more in the mood for sex? Instead of opting for expensive pills or unnatural remedies, why not learn from the Asian culture and try one of these libido-boosting aphrodisiacs? From dangerously poisonous fish to fertilized duck embryo or snake's blood, it is clear some people really will try anything to have good sex. While these odd ingestants may be useful ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Feb 26th, 2012 at 9:00AM: While travelers often think of Dublin, Ireland, as the must-visit place for St. Patrick's Day, there are many other excellent destinations all over the world to celebrate the festivities. To help you decide where to spend March 17 this year, check out this list of ten excellent St. Patrick's Day destinations.
New York
I've attended St. Patrick's Day in New York many times and can honestly ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Feb 21st, 2012 at 4:30PM: While layovers are often times boring and filled with endless hours of watching the clock, Changi Airport in Singapore believes that airport experiences should be memorable. Not only that, the airport also caters to the budget-traveler with an array of free activities for people of all ages. Next time you're in transit at Changi Airport, make sure to:
Take a free tour of Singapore- For those ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Feb 18th, 2012 at 4:00PM: There are many reasons Singapore makes a great travel destination, from unique architecture to rich cultural experiences to carefully prepared cuisine. In 2012, the Southeast Asian destination has even more reasons to visit, from exciting new restaurants to the opening of their first river-themed animal park. Here are some reasons to put Singapore on this year's trip itinerary.
New cultural ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (3 months ago)
Feb 16th, 2012 at 12:00PM: Singapore is an island-nation in Southeast Asia that has a rich culture, especially when it comes to food. Their unique street food culture can be experienced in the numerous hawker centers: open-air food courts housing authentic, carefully prepared cuisine for a budget-friendly price. Sample delicious options like the local favorite Hainanese Chicken Rice (shown right), peanut sauce-laden satay ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jan 26th, 2012 at 12:00PM: While Thailand isn't typically thought of as a destination for wine-lovers, there are actually various opportunities in the country to experience vineyards, wineries, and tastings. Whether you want to explore a Thai vineyard on the back of an elephant, try a one-of-a-kind local wine, or have a sommelier guide you through a 10-course wine pairing under a candle jungle waterfall, you can use this ...
by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jan 17th, 2012 at 1:00PM:
In Japan, conveyor belt sushi, or kaiten-zushi, is the equivalent of a burger joint or taco stand: a cheap, quick dining option for people from all walks of life. At kaiten-zushi establishments, small plates of sushi, sashimi, and other Japanese specialties are placed on a rotating conveyor belt. Diners select multiple plates to make themselves a meal, and the bill is tallied at the end ...
by Grant Martin (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jan 10th, 2012 at 2:00PM:
Our dear graphic designer and occasional photographer Erin Drewitz had a busy 2011, romping between San Francisco, Dallas, China and the far reaches of the planet. Her most recent series, collected between Hong Kong, Shenzen, Changsha and Zhangjiajie captures some of the everyday life experienced among the country's working class, from the street workers in the central provinces to the ...
by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jan 9th, 2012 at 10:00AM:
Alternately called the Paris of the East and the Next Dubai, Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, is poised to become the Middle East's next big luxury travel destination.
Once the busiest harbor on the ancient Silk Road, Baku is the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. A recent flood of oil money has led to massive development in anticipation of a 2020 Olympics bid, and ...
by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Jan 3rd, 2012 at 5:00PM: Thanks to a new law, visitors to Malaysia's capital city of Kuala Lumpur will be able to enjoy WiFi in all local restaurants and bars starting in April.
The New Straits Times reports that the law, passed yesterday, will make it mandatory for restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, and clubs larger than 120 square meters in area to offer wireless Internet services free of charge, or for a reasonable ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (4 months ago)
Dec 30th, 2011 at 5:00PM: It's truly amazing what architects can do nowadays in terms of innovative design, and the Hangzhou Waves, a new luxury hotel and office complex proposed in China, is a perfect example of this. While the structure is a 5 star accommodation, it is also a work of art, as it actually resembles the natural waves of the ocean.
Hangzhou Waves is a project of JDS Architects, a firm known for its unique ...
by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Dec 19th, 2011 at 3:00PM:
There's no better place in Indonesia to take art classes than in Bali, an island known around the world for its artistic tradition. Indeed, it seems that everywhere you look, you find traces of man-made beauty. From the ornamentation on the temples to the etchings on the sidewalks to the attention and care given to daily offerings set out on the street, art oozes from every crack.
When ...
by Grant Martin (RSS feed) (5 months ago)
Dec 3rd, 2011 at 9:00AM:
Things are going pretty well for United this year. Full approval for their merger with Continental Airlines went through, they became the first domestic carrier to adopt bio fuel and one of their biggest competitors has gone bankrupt. Their media and public relations departments should get the rest of the year off. In fact, they should buy us dinner.
In addition to all of that good news, ...
by Jessica Festa (RSS feed) (6 months ago)
Nov 25th, 2011 at 2:00PM: Accommodations like hotels, hostels, bed and breakfasts, and apartments are often the norm for people going on a trip. When traveling in Japan, however, there are a few lodging options that are a bit out of the ordinary, but are definitely worth checking out.
Ryokan/Minshuku
If you're looking for an authentic local experience, a ryokan can provide that. This type of accommodation is a ...
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