Travel
Jaipur: Exploring the Pink City
THE city of Jaipur forms one point of India’s “Golden Triangle” but when I arrived in the Pink City I confess I knew little about the sights to see, apart from it presumably having some pink buildings. The rose-coloured ochre wash was originally applied to the buildings as part of preparations to welcome Prince Albert,…>
In pictures: Boat travel in Asia
RIVERS form much of the landscape and lifeblood of Asia, providing not only vital resources such as water, fish stock and crop hydration but a means of transport too. Boats are essential in places such as the Ganges in India, the Mekong in Indochina, and lakes and rivers in Nepal and China. Here are some…>
What kind of traveller are you? 6 travel personalities unearthed
“SHOULD we book the elephant online?” my friends asked before their planned trip to India. “It might be booked out.” I frowned, straining to keep images of an elephant checking email out of my mind. “Um… I’m sure it can fit you into its schedule,” I finally managed. We’ve all got them – friends that…>
Searching for unspoilt Ubud in Bali
WHEN I first arrived on a hot afternoon in the central streets of Ubud I felt disappointed. My first impression was that 30 years of headlong tourist development have left Bali’s artistic centre a noisy, polluted traffic jam. Yes it is a fascinating mix of east and west, with all the energy that arises from…>
In pictures: Indian railways
THE Indian Railways is one of the world’s largest railway networks. In just one day it moves the entire population of Australia around, or 20 million passengers. While this a small portion of India’s 1.2 billion population, it is some achievement to shunt this mass of humanity around 115,000 km of track to some 7,500…>
Vietnam airline fined for in-flight bikini show
BORED by in-flight safety demos? A group of bikini-clad beauty queens in Vietnam recently strutted through a packed airplane as dance music blasted a song with the lyric “I’m crazy for banana.” State-run media reported Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Administration fined Vietjet Air 20 million dong ($960) for staging the three-minute show on Aug. 3 without…>
Australia’s weird place names – Part 3
COME to Australia and it might not just be the snakes, spiders, weather and roads you have to battle with. Pronouncing the names of places is hard enough with tongue twisters like Chinkapook and Gooloogong on the menu. This is the final installment in this three part series of weird Australian place names. Also check…>
Places to stay
Long Life Hotel
Hoi An, , Vietnam
Set ten minutes from Hoi
Urban Budget Hotel
20 Bedrooms, sleeps 2
1 Bathroom
The Mercer
Hong Kong, Sheung Wan, China
This hotel offers good value
Designer Luxury Hotel
55 Bedrooms, sleeps 2
1 Bathroom
Hotel G
Beijing, Sanlitun, China
A sophisticated haven of sexy
Urban Boutique Hotel
1 Bedroom, sleeps 2
1 Bathroom
La Residence Hue
Hue City, Tha Thien-Hue, Vietnam
La Residence Hue is a
Boutique Hotel
1 Bedroom, sleeps 2
1 Bathroom
Shangri La Bangkok
Bangkok, , Thailand
World renowned luxury and legendary
Urban Luxury
Bedroom, sleeps 2
1 Bathroom
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