Insight To Asia
Five great natural experiences on Borneo
Five great natural experiences on Borneo facebook twitter google+ pinterest The island of Borneo – which is divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei – is home to some of the world’s best diving sites, along with a huge variety of plants, birds and mammals, some unique to the country. Yet it is also the land of the super-logger and oil-palm plantations that are eradicating the island’s natural forests. Ecotourism is one of few economic activities that can make a convincing case for protecting these habitats while supporting indigenous communities. The following five experiences get under the skin of Borneo and […]
Explore Hanoi with a local student as your guide
Explore Hanoi with a local student as your guide facebook twitter google+ pinterest The best way to explore Vietnam’s beguiling capital Hanoi is with a local student, who can give you a unique insight into the local life, the culture and traditions, as well as the sights. Hanoikids, established in 2006, is a student-run organization based in Hanoi, Vietnam. By voluntarily taking city tours in Hanoi, they hope to bring travellers from all over the world an insight into their culture, tradition, as well as great sight-seeings. Each member of the club seek to explore their full potential through cross-cultural […]
The inside track on Hanoi
The inside track on Hanoi facebook twitter google+ pinterest The best way to explore Vietnam’s beguiling capital is to get a local to give you the inside track, says Alex Whittleton. I arrived at my hotel in Hanoi’s brash and beautiful old town in a state of bleary-eyed excitement. My flight had been long and sleepless, but I’d just had one of the most entertaining taxi rides of my life. The 45-minute trip across town from the airport felt like a kaleidoscopic dream – dazzlingly colourful, deafeningly loud, and the perfect primer for a stay in the animated capital of […]
Exploring the riceterraces of Banaue in the Philippines
Exploring the rice terraces of Banaue in the Philippines facebook twitter google+ pinterest The Banaue rice terraces were once a colourful collage of winding fields that clung onto a mountain-side in Ifugao province in the Philippines. After being almost completely abandoned by the locals, these plantations are now being revived as young farmers return to work on the paddies. While researching the new Rough Guide to the Philippines, Kiki Deere was awestruck by the sheer beauty and functionality of the Banaue rice terraces. I follow my guide Elvis along a narrow path that snakes its way through verdant scenery. We […]
The hanging coffins of Sagada in the Philippines
The hanging coffins of Sagada in the Philippines facebook twitter google+ pinterest Members of the Igorot tribe of Mountain Province in northern Philippines have long practised the tradition of burying their dead in hanging coffins, nailed to the sides of cliff faces high above the ground. Comfortably predating the arrival of the Spanish, the procedure can probably be traced back more than two millennia. To this day, the age-old tradition continues to be performed, albeit on a much smaller scale than before. While researching the new Rough Guide to the Philippines, Kiki Deere went to find out more. Traditional burials […]
Five secret horrors of elephant tourism in Thailand
Five secret horrors of elephant tourism in Thailand facebook twitter google+ pinterest The number of elephants used in tourism has increased over the last decade, as people continue to include elephant riding as a ‘must do’ item on their bucket list. As demand is increasing, more and more elephants are being kidnapped from the wild and smuggled across borders so they can be trained for the tourism industry. It originated in Asia when elephant logging was banned and mahouts turned to tourists to earn money for themselves and their elephants; but now, elephant safaris are spreading to Africa and larger, […]
The truth about elephant treks in Thailand
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Tiger Temple – A must for tourists OR a front for animal abuse ?
Tiger Temple – A must for tourists OR a front for animal abuse ? facebook twitter google+ pinterest Every year, hundreds of foreign tourists flock for the chance to view and interact with tigers at the Tiger Temple Thailand. Here, visitors are given the once in a lifetime opportunity to frolic with tiger cubs and pose alongside larger cats. Guests can also help feed cubs and exercise the lazier adults … something you rarely get to do in the United States! Maybe there’s a reason for that … when you understand the fact that tigers are endangered and that holding […]
Village homestays helps community economy in Thailand
Village homestays helps community economy in Thailand facebook twitter google+ pinterest Ten years after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami devasted communities and their livelihoods all the along the Andaman coast, ecotourism is booming – and bringing the area back to life. Like so many villages on Thailand’s south-west coast, Ban Talae Nok – “faraway village of the sea” – was engulfed by the Indian Ocean tsunami which devastated the area 10 years ago this 26 December. About 20 houses were swept away and 46 people died, 16 of them children. But this Muslim community is resilient and adaptable. Their ancestors […]
A lifetime of misery – travel experiences with animals
A lifetime of misery – travel experiences with animals facebook twitter google+ pinterest Travel experiences that harm animals are under the spotlight like never before. But are you a part of the problem or the solution ? “It’s five seconds of fun for you, but a lifetime of misery for the animal,” says Philip Mansbridge, CEO of international animal charity Care For The Wild. It’s the controversial Tiger Temples he’s talking about, but the same applies to animal-related activities for tourists around the world, from monkeys forced to play guitars to bike-riding elephants, from captive killer whales to cock fights. […]