September 9, 2006

12 Must Visit Asia Destinations

For majority of people, Asia is just a big foreign continent. The Oriental, the Far East, but what exactly to go if you want to visit “Asia”?

Check out this list of 12 Destinations in Asia that make the continent what it is.

1. Guangzhou, China. To the British it was Canton. The city is over 2200 year old. It is littered with temples and pagodas - and with old markets and new shopping malls. If Shanghai is the Whore of the East, this is where she bought her dress.

2. Goa, India. On this former Portuguese colony, 75 miles of its coast line, over 50 miles of it, is beach.

3. Suzhou, China. Perhaps the most beautiful place in China. Suzhou. The city could remind a Westerner of Venice. Canals and street are interlaced.

4. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has become famous in recent years for its seven star hotel, perfect beaches, and relaxed atmosphere.

5. Beijing. Possibly the most visited city in Asia. Places to see in Beijing:

The Confucius Temple
The Summer Palaces
Tiananmen Square
The Ming Tombs
The Western Qing Tombs
The Great Wall

6. Xi’an, China. Six thousand year of history. And perhaps most famous for the Terracotta Warriors discovered there in 1974.

7. Henan Province, China. The cradle of Chinese civilization. The attractions in Henan are numerous. Among them:

The Shaolin Temple
Dengfeng and the Songshan Mountains
The Longmen Grottoes
Kaifeng: Memorial Temple of Lord Bao, the Iron Pagoda (Tie Ta) and Xiangguo Temple.
Luoyang: Guanlin Temple, Ancient Tombs, and the White Horse Temple.

8. Tibet. The roof of Asia. Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, is a fascinating city of history and culture.

9. Bangkok, Thailand. Its reputation for fast living combine with traditional values and easy atmosphere has made it an exciting place to visit. The world comes here to wheel and deal, to shop and relax.

10. Angkor, Cambodia. The great temple-city complex of Cambodia is bigger in reality, the complex alone covers some 500 acres of land and is rich enough to spend much more than a single day at without actually wasting your time.

11. Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam. Famous for slim young girls walking elegantly down the avenues in the white ao dai suits unique to Vietnam - pants with a knee length shirt that has a slit up to the belt line. Despite all the things to do, it is the people, the hospitality, and the street scenes that make this city an essential Asian experience.

12. Bali, Indonesia. The island is Asia in a capsule in many ways: Idyllic beaches and lofty mountains together in one package. Bali is a Hindu culture left over from the days before Indonesia because the world’s most populous Islamic country.