Asia Travel Weblog


October 31, 2006

Must-visit Places in South Asia

This list is for you that have always been wanting to explore South Asia.

The list of course not a complete one, but it’s a start that can give you an idea where to go in South Asia.
South Asia region includes:

  • Most of India
  • Pakistan
  • Bangladesh
  • Nepal
  • Bhutan
  • Tibet
  • Sri Lanka, and
  • The Maldive Islands.

The major cities in South Asia: Mumbai (Bombay), Karachi, Kolkota (Calcutta), Chennai (Madras), Kathmandu, Lhasa, Dhaka, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Delhi, Lahore


PLACES TO VISIT

hanging a curtain in Kathmandu

» KATHMANDU - Kathmandu and its sister-cities of Patan and Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley are sometimes overlooked as travel destination because of all that Nepal has to offer. This capital city of Nepal and it is also the largest city in Nepal. It stands at an elevation of approximately 4,265 ft (1,300 m). It is an urban and suburban area of about 1.5 million inhabitants in the tri-city area in the Kathmandu Valley in central Nepal, along the Bagmati River.


» THE TAJ MAHAL
- The Taj Mahal (sometimes called “the Taj”) is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Indian, Islamic and Persian architectures. Located in Agra, India, with white marble brought from Rajasthan, the building took 22 years to construct between 1631 and 1654 by a workforce of 22,000.

golden temple

» GOLDEN TEMPLE
is the focus of the Sikh religion. Its official name is Harimandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib (also Hari Mandir, Harimandar and other variants) is the most sacred shrine in Sikhism, located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is a place of peace and scenic beauty well worth seeing; but it also has a history of bloodshed and, possibly, a future that includes a renewed struggle for an independent Sikh state.


» GOA’S BEACHES
- Of the 75 miles of coast line in the Indian State of Goa, over 50 miles of it is beach. Internationally renowned for its beaches, Goa is visited by hundreds of thousands of foreign and domestic tourists each year, and has become one of the most popular holiday destinations for European travellers. Warm, inviting, near-tropical beach. And while the rest of Goa - its culture, food, inland scenery, and cities - are all well worth visiting, Goa’s beaches are what makes the state one of India’s major tourist attractions.


» LHASA
is the gate way to one of the most fascinating places on earth. Lhasa literally means “place of the gods”, although ancient Tibetan documents and inscriptions demonstrate that the place was first called Rasa, which means “courtyard place” or “goat place”. Its altitude is about 3,650 m (12,000 ft), making it one of the highest cities in the world. The city is home to about 200,000 inhabitants.

End in sight

» MUSTANG - It is the Forbidden Kingdom. Or, at least it was forbidden until 1992 when the government of Nepal decided to reopen it to tourists — in very limited numbers. Once an independent kingdom, although closely tied by language and culture to Tibet. From the 15th century to the 17th century, its strategic location granted Mustang control over the trade between the Himalayas and India. By the end of the 18th century, the kingdom was annexed by Nepal.


» CHANG TANG WILDLIFE PRESERVE
- also known as the Qinghai-Tibetan (Qingzang) Plateau, is a vast, elevated plateau in East Asia covering most of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Qinghai Province. It occupies an area of around 1,000 by 2,500 kilometers, and has an average elevation of over 4,500 meters. Called “the roof of the world,” it is the highest and biggest plateau in the world, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers. Located in Northwestern Tibet, the Chang Tang Wildlife Preserve is the second largest wildlife preserve on Earth. Some 300,000 square kilometers of Tibet’s wilderness have been protected by the preserve since it was created in 1993.

More info from GoAsia.About.com: South Asia 101

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  • September 13, 2006

    March 22, 2006

    Nepal: Mecca for Trekkers

    Filed under: Asia Travel, India Travel, Nepal Travel — nita @ 11:28 am

    Nepal is a mecca for trekkers, with the world’s 12 highest peaks and unparalleled combination of natural beauty attracting them. While trekking on these paths, you will come across many people and places and get to see their way of life and live a part of their culture.

    If you came overland from India by plane, these flight offer a panoramic view of the Himalaya, in just one hour.

    During the flight you will see the mightiest Himalayas including Shisha Pngma (8,013m.), Dorje Lakpa (6,966m.), Phurbi-Ghyachu, Choba- Bhamre (5,933m.), GauriShankar (7,134m.), Melungtse (7,023 m), Chugimago 6,297 m), Numbur (6956 m), Karyolung (6511m), Cho-Oyu (8,201m.), Gyachungkang (7,952 m), Pumori (7,161m), Nuptse (7,855m), Mt.Everest (8,848+2m) - the highest peak in the world (also known as ‘Sagarmatha‘ in the Nepali Language) and many more, including a glimpse of Kanchanjunga.

    Trekking Seasons:
    Although it is possible to trek at any time of the year in Nepal, the main season begins in Autumn (October and November), when there’s minimal rainfall and crystal-clear, mountain views.

    During the Winter (December to Febuary), it’s freezing above 4,000 metres and the high passes may be snowbound. Winter is an ideal season for a lower trek.

    March to May marks the beginning of the Spring trekking season, which peaks around mid-April.

    Other options for trekking:

    Heli Trekking:
    While the whole point of trekking is using your feet, not everyone can climb the heights to appreciate wonderful, panoranic views of the Himalayas.

    For those who are restricted by time (or other constraints) from going trekking, helicopters fly swiftly into the core of any trekking zone.

    Ballooning:
    Ballooning is quite a popular sport in Nepal and a good enough reason to view nature at its best, from a height of 1,200 to 1,500 metres.

    From this altitude, the entire Himalayan range will be in sight, with 360 degrees of visibility and fantastic downward views of the Kathmandu valley itself.

    For more information on visiting Nepal, visit Himalayan Glacier Travel Advice.

    Source: Himalayan Adventures in Nepal

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  • February 3, 2006

    World Destinations 2006

    New York Times Editors’ picks for the most intriguing places in the world to go in 2006 is listed here: The Destinations of 2006

    From the list, destinations in Asia:

    travel, world, china, himalaya, india, malaysia, kuala lumpur

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