Asia for Visitors
Around Asia A vicious temple dog about to spring into action, in a clan house in Hoi An. |
Welcome to Asia for Visitors, a site devoted to bringing you a comprehensive and easy to use guide to traveling to and around Asia. The site features articles of useful information and suggestions about what to see as well as links to other web sites that we've found can be the most useful for visitors to Asia.
Asia for Visitors' editor is Michael Holland, who has lived and worked in Asia for more than ten years. The site is affiliated with Chieng Fa Travel Writing.
Cambodia
 |
Emerging from nearly two decades of civil war, Cambodia is slowly taking its place on the Southeast Asian tourist trail. Although the country boasts one of the most monumental temple complexes in all of Asia, Cambodia is still much less travelled than its neighbors Thailand and Vietnam.
There's no doubt a concern by many travellers that Cambodia is not a safe place. The reality is that the main destinations such as Phnom Phen and Angkor Wat are probably just as safe as any other place in today's world.
Indonesia
 A garuda guarding a Balinese temple. |
Indonesia presents a unique challenge to the traveller. It consists of more than 10,000 inhabited islands spread across about 3,000 miles of ocean from the Asian mainland well into the Pacific. A tradition of trade stretching back nearly 1,000 years has given the many islands a diverse set of cultures to explore. Although events of the last few years may lead many to believe that Indonesia is a place rife with unrest, the fact is that in most of the country its business as usual.
With so much area to cover, it can be difficult to know where to start. We've focused this guide on the main tourist centers of Bali and Java.
Laos
 Xieng Thong temple in Luang Prabang. |
After two decades of isolation following the Vietnam war, Laos began to open up to the outside world late in the last century. For centuries, although ruled by its own kings, this mountainous land formed a sort of buffer between more the powerful kingdoms of China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Siam.
Now this landlocked nation is open to tourism, although this openness is on its own terms. Development of large scale facilities for visitors has proceeded at a very slow pace. This means Laos is still relatively unspoiled by mass tourism.
Malaysia
 Petronas Towers, the modern symbol of Malaysia. |
Malaysia is the often over-looked neighbor of Singapore. Occupying the Malaysian peninsula between Singapore and Thailand, as well as the Northern part of the island of Borneo, Malaysia is a federation of 13 states, plus the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur.
For the tourist, Malaysia offers everything from colonial buildings to ultra modern skyscrapers in a very accessible package.
Myanmar
 Swedagon Pagoda in Yangon (Rangoon) |
Myanmar, or Burma as it was once known, presents both a unique opportunity and a challenge to the prospective visitor. The opportunity is the chance to see a country and culture still largely untouched by mass tourism. The challenge is whether or not to go to a place where the government has such a questionable human rights record. Setting aside for a moment whether or not it's "right" to go, let's discuss why you may want to go there in the first place.
Unlike its neighbors in Southeast Asia, Myanmar has yet to experience mass tourism. While there are tourists visiting the country, they mainly consists of couples and individual independent travelers. Currently, there are few, if any package group tours to Myanmar. This means that every place you go still retains a unique sense of place. There are no "could be anywhere" destinations such as you'll find in Thailand and Indonesia. In many respects, Myanmar is still very much a place where the past is still a real presence, rather than a sanitized and commercialized version of it.
Singapore
 The skyline of Singapore's central business district |
Around Asia you will often hear some good-natured jibes at Singapore. Its often referred to as the "nanny state" for the government's apparent interest in the minutiae of it's citizens lives. However, there's no doubt a little jealousy behind the sarcasm. Singapore is, by just about any measure, a highly "successful" country. Its citizens enjoy a standard of living that is at or near the top of Asia. They have one of the best educational systems anywhere, with English as the common language. The heart of Singapore is a modern city center very much in the western style, with an efficient and integrated transportation system. One business associate of mine even refers to Singapore as "Asia for beginners." Perhaps, given the recent trend in self help books, it should be "Asia for dummies."
Thailand
 View of the temple of the Emerald Buddha, just inside the gates of Bangkok's Grand Palace. |
Thailand offers the tourist a somewhat unique experience in all of Southeast Asia. Unlike all of its neighbors, the country was never colonized by Western powers. At least not in the traditional sense. A long history of openness and adaptation means that the capitol of Bangkok in particular is a very western city.
However, you only have to scratch the surface to find old traditions and a style of doing things that isn't seen much any more. A very tourist-oriented economy insures that Thailand has something for just about every one. Explore the many regions and cities below, or start planning your trip using the resources further down the page.
Vietnam
 A street scene in Hoi An, central Vietnam. |
Vietnam -- Just the name conjures up all kinds of images. After years of relative isolation, Vietnam is opening up to the tourist trade, sort of. There is quite a bit on offer, and it doesn't all necessarily have to do with recent history.
Between the rich cultural heritage, tropical beaches, rural villages and shopping opportunities, Vietnam has something for just about everyone.
