Rich and diverse cultures. Delicious food and entertaining festivals. Friendly people and impressive history. This is just a tiny part of why Asia — especially the Southeast Asian countries, which have long been budget traveler favorite — is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. Over 300 million international tourists visit annually and that number is increasing rapidly every year. (Between 2015 and 2016 tourism to Asia increased 9%!)
It is hard to describe just how many amazing opportunities and adventures await tourists in Asia. No matter what you like, you can find it here. Don’t believe me? Take a look at some of my adventures, tips and travel guides below, then hop on a plane and come witness it all for yourself!
Nothing epitomizes the conundrum that is North Korea better than the Ryugyong Hotel in the capital city of Pyongyang. It would have been the world’s tallest hotel, had it been completed on time. Instead it has merely become yet another symbol of North Korea’s lofty ambitions and subsequent failure achieve them. Ryugyong Hotel History … Read more
I am pleased to announce the return of our weekly interviews with travel bloggers. Presenting the best bloggers you have not yet met…and a few you may already know. 😉 Yes, they all do it differently and for different reasons. The places they visit, the sights they see, the events and excursions they each take … Read more
Having the opportunity, freedom and desire to travel has created endless opportunities for me to visit countries outside of my own, explore different cultures and meet a variety of diverse and interesting characters. Over the years I’ve lost count of the all the profound, inspirational and sometimes most basic of lessons learned from traveling, but … Read more
Every country has hotels and hostels…what does Japan do differently? Just because Japan is constantly looking towards the future does not mean they have forgotten about the past. From traditional ryokan to modern capsule hotels and love hotels, Japanese lodging comes in several unique forms that I could not help but test out. The best … Read more
Translated as “Drunkards Alley” or “Alley Of The Drunkards,” Nonbei Yokocho is two parallel alleys in Shibuya, Tokyo full of miniature bars. Altogether there a grand total of around 50 mini bars here, although sometimes it has mistakenly been cited as having a hundred or more. Sure, the bars are small, but there is no … Read more
I know it has been a few weeks since our last travel blogger interview here at the HoliDaze, but like a fine wine that gets aged just perfectly, this delay has only sweetened this week’s fantastic interview. Yes, it seems like every week the interviewee bar only gets upped, and this one is definitely no … Read more
Have you ever heard of Bangladesh? It’s okay to say no, you won’t be the first one…and I’m sure you won’t be the last. It’s a small country, originally part of Bengal until 1947 when India gained its independence and Bengal was divided along religious lines into East and West sections. West Bengal merged with … Read more
Okay, so they didn’t copy it so much as just use a slightly different version of the same template. But still it made Wired news, which I find hilarious. From The Wired.com Article: The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has a Flash-heavy official webpage in English, to instruct the curious about the peculiar ways of … Read more
So, you’ve been invited to your first traditional Indian Hindu wedding. You are in for a treat, and also some work. Hindu weddings are quite extravagant. What people don’t see at these elaborate celebrations is all the effort, energy, and preparation that go into orchestrating the 3+ days of events, which marry colorful fabrics, robust, … Read more
Warning: The following movies and travel documentaries contain high doses of travel inspiration and are unsafe for consumption if you are currently at work. These movies will suck you in, make you drop whatever you are doing and hit the road for some serious traveling. So no matter what, be advised: do not watch the … Read more
I’ll start in Japan I tried everything that was handed to me 99% good. Then I tried this octopus and I am not sure how it was prepared etc but that thing was nasty. It was hard and rubbery like chewing on a piece of tire. I tried to take one quick bite so I … Read more
It is an honor to present this week’s featured blogger, Samantha Yap, an aspiring travel journalist who also has the fortune of being a global citizen starting at the early age of four. Plus, thanks to her diversified upbringing, she is also a bonafide “Third-Culture Kid” (TCK). “ A TCK is a someone who … Read more
