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Asia

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Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Vietnam

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Travel through Asia by popular things to do:

Taj Mahal

Travel through Asia with our writers:

Infiltrating North Korea, Keyhole Into Burma, Band on the Run ... in China, Chinese Buffet, A Canadian in Beijing, Volunteer Vacation: Tajikistan

Learn photography skills while trekking the Himalaya

by Kraig Becker on Sep 8, 2009

A few days back we listed some of the top opportunities for learning new skills while traveling, and today we have a similar opportunity that will give you the chance to build your photography and videography skills while trekking through Tibet next spring.

The Everest Trek 2010 is being billed as “the highest photography and videography workshop in the world” and it is being put hosted by Chris Marquardt and Jon Miller. Marquardt has one of the best known photography podcasts on the Internet in Tips From the Top Floor, while Miller is the producer of the Rest of Everest, a video podcast that is the most comprehensive look at climbing the tallest mountain on the planet that you’ll find anywhere. Both will give their fellow travelers insightful and important tips on improving their skills as photographers and videographers in daily workshops set against the dramatic backdrop of the Himalaya.

The duo’s first trek and workshop combination, was held earlier this year and was a huge success. On that first trek trip, the destination was Everest Base Camp on the South Side of the mountain, in Nepal. This year, the journey will take the team to Tibet, where they’ll explore the North and East Sides of Everest, on a four week long odyssey that will begin and end in Kathmandu.

If you are interested in joining the expedition, registration will open on Sunday, September 20th at 9:00AM MDT (UTC -7). Last year the entire trek sold out in less than a minute, and demand is expected to be high again for the 2010 edition as well. Applications will be accepted on a first come, first served basis, giving those first to apply, the first chance to join the trek.

This is a learning vacation that offers an adventurous trek through one of the planet’s most stunning environments. And while the North Side of Everest gets a lot of traffic in the spring of each year, the East Side of the mountain is seldom visited, and remains a remote, and rugged wilderness. That alone makes this a unique experience, but add in the daily workshops, and you’re sure to have a once in a lifetime vacation.

Photo of the Day (9.6.09)

by Jeremy Kressmann on Sep 6, 2009

Taking good photos of fireworks is no easy feat. The darkness, rapid movement and distance all conspire to confuse your average digital camera. As a result, many fireworks photos come out blurry and disappointing. All the more reason then, for selecting today’s fabulous fireworks shot from Flickr user Aseem01, who caught this colorful burst in Ota-ku, Japan. Fun fact: in Japan, they call fireworks hanabi.

Want your photo considered for Gadling’s Photo of the Day? Upload your best shots here.

Indian company offers “divorce tourism” package to quarreling couples

by Katie Hammel on Sep 5, 2009

For many happy couples, a trip is taken to commemorate joyful events, like a marriage or the impending birth of a child. Then there are other couples – the ones who certainly aren’t happy but who aren’t quite ready to rush off to Vegas for their divorce party. For them, there’s “divorce tourism”.

The Daily Mail reports that a company in India, called KV Tours and Travel, is offering packages to destinations like the Maldives aimed at helping couples on the brink of divorce to reconcile. India has typically had a very low divorce rate – only about one out of every 100 marriages end in divorce – but in India’s largest cities, it is becoming more common. The company offers a few different packages, ranging from local stays to more expensive exotic destinations. Vijesh Thakker, the company’s chief executive told the AP, “We’re trying to send them where they have not been before, where there are not many people – and no relatives”. For couples that don’t want to invest in saving their marriage, the company reaches out to family members and asks them to foot the bill on the couple’s behalf. Experienced marriage counselors accompany the couple on their trip and help them work through their issues and determine if they want to stay together or go their separate ways.

Can a seven-day vacation save a marriage? Not likely, which even the concept’s creator admits. “We’re not destiny changers,” Thakker said, but “we want them to treat the trip like a second honeymoon”.

British man driving himself around the world

by Kraig Becker on Sep 4, 2009

A little more than a year ago, Roy Locock set out from his home in the U.K. with the simple plan of proving someone wrong. He had been told by friends that there was no way he could possibly drive around the world. But now, 14 months later, he’s not only through the most challenging part of the journey, he’s in the home stretch, having reached Regina, Canada yesterday.

Roy left the U.K. and drove across Europe, into Asia, where he eventually arrived in India. From there, he caught a boat to Australia, drove across that country, and caught another boat to South America. Turning is car north, he continued to drive, until he crossed into North America, eventually arriving at his current location in Canada. He’ll head east from Regina, eventually reaching the Atlantic coast, where he’ll grab one last boat back home.

Before setting out, Roy decided he needed to find just the right car to accompany him on his journey. He admits that he wanted to travel in style and look good on his long distance road trip. He eventually settled on a 1977 MG Midget convertible that he lovingly dubbed “Bridget the Midget”, a car that the he says he had wanted since he was a teenager.

The around-the-world drive isn’t just about proving his friends wrong however and it isn’t just about the adventure either. Roy is also driving for a cause, as he has been raising funds for UNICEF, a charity that met his two criteria, of having an international reach, and directly benefited children in the process.

With a little luck, Roy should be home in just a few weeks time. But he isn’t in much of a hurry. He has enjoyed his time on this journey, and admits that he likes the freedom of the open road. The question is, how many others has he inspired to get in their car, drive down the street, and just keep going, in the process.

[via the Lake Powell Chronicle]

Top ten extraordinary hotel pools of the world

by Scott Carmichael on Sep 3, 2009

Hotel price comparison site Trivago, has compiled a list of the most amazing hotel pools in the world. Each of these pools has something amazing to offer – from an infinity edge pool overlooking the Hong Kong Harbor, to a secluded resort pool nestled between the Arizona Boynton Canyon mountains – these are truly the most extraordinary hotel pools in the world.

The top ten lineup is:

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