Girl at wall in China

“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


chiang mai temple

Discovering Traditional Arts in Thailand’s Golden Triangle

By Katie Dundas

The 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
01. Darkness descends gently over Rakkh Resort with the inly blue Shivalik Range in the backdrop

Exploring Kangra Valley from Rakkh Resort

By Sugato Mukherjee

A 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
Maimoon Palace owned by Deli Sultanate scaled

Where to Go in Sumatra to Learn More About Conservation

By Nayla Azmi

Sumatra 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
Quiet flows the River Denwa

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
Ancient red house in Lucknow

Lucknow: A Melting Pot of Architecture, Culture and Cuisine

By Bandita Mukherjee

Located 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
hangzou China garden

Exploring Comfort Zones and Culture in China

By Alexander Galant

Leaving 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
Cambodia field

Dark Tourism in Cambodia: Exploitation and Cultural Insensitivity

By Tara Tadlock

Over 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
Carmen Ang in Langkawi Rice patties

Discovering my Roots in Malaysia

By Carmen Ang

My 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
korea Busam

How South Korea is Painting Its Way out of Poverty

By Rose Munday

On 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
Holy Man at Gangoyti river

Offbeat India: A Pilgrimage to the Source of the Ganges

By Trixie Pacis

India 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
1

Mount Ijen: A Tale Of Toxic Trail

By Bandita Mukherjee

I 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
1. Durgachourone Roquitte pavilion the iconic landmark of Chandannagar Strand

When River Ganga Flows by Europe

By Sugato Mukherjee

Upstream 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
Yurt in Mongolia

Longing for isolation: A demanding journey through Mongolia

By Thomas Später

When 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
sri lanka

Volunteering in Sri Lanka After a Tsunami

By Julie Hatfield

The 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
Adult Male Orangutang photo by MatildeSimas

Saving a Species: Palm Oil, Orangutans, and the Leuser Ecosystem

By Jessica Barrett

Six 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