Compass: Asia
“Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”
–Miriam Beard
Explore beautiful Asia, the Earth’s largest continent. Covering more than 30 % of the planet’s land surface, Asia is the most populous region. It has a unique blend of many first civilizations. Asia’s history is vast and the continent is abundant with diverse ethnic groups, cultural heritage, traditions and religious beliefs; all worth learning more about.
The countries within beautiful Asia include: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, North, Korea, South, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor Leste (West), Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam
Discovering Traditional Arts in Thailand’s Golden Triangle
By Katie DundasThe Golden Triangle region of Northern Thailand sits at the intersection of three Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong and Ruak Rivers: Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. A visit to this area is an incredible way to learn about the culture, history, and traditional arts of the region, which have been … Read more Read more
Asia History The Arts Social Responsibility
Exploring Kangra Valley from Rakkh Resort
By Sugato MukherjeeA mountainous land in the Northwestern part of India, the state of Himachal Pradesh has long been a paradise for travelers. Colonial-era hill stations, idyllic rural settlements and verdant valleys dot the expanse of this North Indian state that was once a part of undivided Punjab. However, Kangra Valley, in … Read more Read more
India Off the Beaten Path
Where to Go in Sumatra to Learn More About Conservation
By Nayla AzmiSumatra is known as one of the only places in the world that you can see the orangutan in the wild. But the island can teach you plenty about conservation, too. Read more
Asia Conservation
Reni Pani -The Hushed Archway to Magical Satpura
By Bandita Mukherjee‘Be careful. He is watching us’. Omkar whispers. He is one of the four naturalists of Reni Pani Jungle Lodge, just twenty minutes away from the buffer zone of the Satpura National Park, where we have put up for a couple of nights. This morning we started early from Bhopal, … Read more Read more
India Adventure
Lucknow: A Melting Pot of Architecture, Culture and Cuisine
By Bandita MukherjeeLocated by the Gomti river, a major tributary of River Ganga, Lucknow is a paradise for explorers with its time-honored architecture, lip-smacking dishes, lyrical zubaan (style of conversation), and world-famous garments. Read more
India Food & Drink History
Exploring Comfort Zones and Culture in China
By Alexander GalantLeaving Canada for a three-week cultural adventure in China, I become infected with the travel bug that now fuels my future. Read more
Asia Experiences Transformative Events & Festivals
Dark Tourism in Cambodia: Exploitation and Cultural Insensitivity
By Tara TadlockOver four years in the early 1970s, Cambodia, a Southeast Asian country now frequented by backpacking tourists, faced one of the worst human atrocities imaginable– a state-sponsored genocide wiping out one-third of the nation’s population. Read more
Asia Insights Social Responsibility
Discovering my Roots in Malaysia
By Carmen AngMy first trip was a six-week journey through Malaysia, the country where my dad was born. Not only did this trip ignite the wanderlust that fuels me to this day, it also helped me discover my roots and develop a better understanding of my ethnic heritage. Read more
Asia Experiences History
How South Korea is Painting Its Way out of Poverty
By Rose MundayOn a warm June day, the ocean breeze cools balmy Busan, South Korean’s busiest port city. As I stand overlooking Gamcheon Culture Village nestled on the coast, I shiver as I imagine what it once was: a dangerous slum, ravaged by war. Read more
Asia Architecture History The Arts
Offbeat India: A Pilgrimage to the Source of the Ganges
By Trixie PacisIndia cradles an ancient and spiritual culture that draws visitors from around the globe. Spiritual experiences in the country range from temple visits and yoga retreats to 10-day silent Vipassana meditations. While India is best known by tourists for wonders like the Taj Mahal, our six-month sojourn brought us to … Read more Read more
India Off the Beaten Path Religious Travel History
Mount Ijen: A Tale Of Toxic Trail
By Bandita MukherjeeI have come here in East Java to experience a midnight hike to the volcanic crater of Kawah Ijen and watch the blue fire created by the spontaneous combustion of subterranean gases and toxic yellow smoke. Read more
Asia Nature & Outdoors
When River Ganga Flows by Europe
By Sugato MukherjeeUpstream along the quiet banks of the Ganga, not far from the bustle of Calcutta, lies a string of towns, where a slice of Europe came to roost long before the British did. Read more
India History
Longing for isolation: A demanding journey through Mongolia
By Thomas SpäterWhen I was desperately searching for a new place to explore without hundreds and thousands of other tourists around me, I came across a mysterious and equally attractive country called Mongolia. Read more
Asia Experiences
Volunteering in Sri Lanka After a Tsunami
By Julie HatfieldThe photograph that appeared on the front page of newspapers throughout the world following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was heartbreaking: it sent me to Sri Lanka. Read more
Asia Volunteer Travel
Saving a Species: Palm Oil, Orangutans, and the Leuser Ecosystem
By Jessica BarrettSix and a half million acres. That’s the size of Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem, one of the most ancient and biodiverse places ever documented and the last place on Earth where Sumatran rhinos, tigers, elephants, orangutans, and sun bears roam freely together. Read more
Asia Sustainability