The Best Travel Destinations » South-East Asia

Bodh Gaya, India

ariV — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 02:23:13 +0000

Bodhgaya India (also written as Bodh Gaya) is in northeastern India in the state of Bihar. It is thought that the Enlightenment of Buddha occurred here under an asvatta or bodhi tree (the Tree of Awakening) where the Mahabodhi Temple now sits. It is the most important Buddhist temple of the four holy Buddhist pilgrimage sites, one of which includes the temples and ghats of Varanasi on the mighty Ganges River where Prince Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon in nearby Sarnath.

“Bodhi” means enlightenment, and the tree itself was actually a kind of ficus (or pipal) tree, which has been propagated from a sapling of the original tree under which he sat. The current living tree is 80 feet high and about 115 years old. Under the tree is a red sandstone slab that is said to be the Vajrasana, the diamond throne that Prince Gautama sat on when he attained nirvana.

Singapore the clean city

ariV — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:22:16 +0000

Singapore is the cleanest city in the world. Tourists will be surprised by the strict rules and regulations established by the Singapore government. The Singapore government wants to establish a clean and green country. If you are a tourist visiting Singapore, you should pay attention to your every action. There are many things considered normal in your country but illegal in Singapore.

Chewing gum is banned in Singapore but to bring chewing gum into the country in large numbers is illegal and the sellers of gum can be sent to prison. Therefore, be careful with what you bring to Singapore. Thanks to the strict laws of Singapore, the country is very safe and orderly. Every year a large number of tourists were fined for their stay in Singapore because they are not aware of the rules. (Ezinearticles)

Ajanta Caves, India

ariV — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:45:34 +0000

The Ajanta Caves appear almost as a city carved right out of the rock.There are 29 caves, and in many of them you will find an Ajanta Temple dedicated to one of more of the aspects of the Lord Buddha.The older Caves of Ajanta date to the second century BC, and comprise both Mahayana (based both on the Buddha and other medicine Buddhas, with many rituals) and Theravda (based on the historical Gautauma Buddha, with few rituals) traditions.

Tourists who take Ajanta Cave tours also often visit the nearby Ellora Temples and Caves. As in the Ellora Caves, there are Ajanta cave paintings and sculptures that are masterpieces of Buddhist art. Used by Buddhist monks as monasteries (complete with residence halls), prayer halls, and temples for about nine centuries, they were mysteriously abandoned and lost until rediscovery in 1819 by English tiger hunters.

Mount Koya, Japan

ariV — Sat, 14 May 2011 06:09:07 +0000

On the way to the top of Mount Koya (Koyasan), travelers journey through a cedar valley surrounded by eight mountain peaks. Once on top of the mountain, the highlight is spending a night at a temple. One of the most authentic Japan attractions, tourists can chose from about fifty temples in the area that function as shukubo (converted guesthouses) for overnight stays. A night’s accommodation includes vegetarian cuisine known as shojin ryori, prepared by the resident monks. Guests also have the unique opportunity to participate in the 30-45 minute morning prayer session that starts around 6 am. Among all the Japan attractions it is possible to visit and experience during your trip, a night at a shukubo is both an authentic experience and relatively cheap at approximately 9,500 Yen per person per night including dinner and breakfast.

Mount Koya provides a place for personal meditation, and a chance to interact with local Japanese villagers, and the Buddhist monks themselves. The ideal time to spend on Mount Koya would be two nights. During the day you can saunter quietly through graveyards filled with historical figures and visit the many temples. It would be a good idea to plan a day trip with a guide who is fluent in Japanese and familiar with Shingon Buddhism.

Beautiful Of China

ariV — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:59:46 +0000

China’s climate varies from sub arctic in the North (incredibly cold) to tropical (incredibly hot and sticky) in the South.

In general the best times to travel to the north and northeast part of China are early Spring and late Autumn. Summer is also a good time to visit this part of China if you can handle dry heat. The exceptions are travelling for skiing and the Harbin Snow & Ice Festival.

For southern and central China, Spring and Autumn are the best times. Winter is bearable in the southern parts of China in places like Hong Kong, Macau and Hainan but still very cold in central China in places like Hunan and Sichuan provinces.

Chinese holidays can offer unique and captivating insights into a very rich and fascinating culture and they can also cause night mare holidays. In China the main holidays are Spring festival (the equivalent of western Christmas), Qing Ming festival, Mid Autumn festival and the Dragon boat festival. (ezinearticles)

Osaka Aquarium, Japan

ariV — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:18:55 +0000

Also known as the Kaiyukan Aquarium, it is one of the world’s largest, and a model of Japan tourism at its best. Of all the attractions at the Osaka Wan harbor area, the Osaka Aquarium is still the most famous and unique Japan tourism idea during your stay in Osaka. Kaiyukan literally means, “playing in the Sea Pavilion” and is one of the largest aquariums in the world. Here, marine life is contained within 15 tanks, each representing a region of the Pacific Rim on which Japan sits. The aquarium is centered around a single huge tank holding 5,400 tons of water and containing 580 species and 30,000 Pacific Rim marine animals.

The main attraction in the Osaka Aquarium is an 1,800-pound whale shark named Yu-chan. Whale sharks are the largest fish on earth. Other highlights at the Osaka Aquarium include: sea otters, King penguins, Gentoo penguins, dolphins, jelly fish and sea lions.

Hakone Onsen, Japan

ariV — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 01:54:20 +0000

Hakone is only one part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. In addition to climbing Mount Fuji, travelers can explore the ice caves and mountain lakes of the nearby Fuji Go-ko (Fuji Five Lakes) before enjoying a relaxing Hakone onsen.

With snow-capped Mount Fuji as a stunning backdrop, the Hakone hot springs have long been a popular place of rest and relaxation for tourists and locals. The Hakone onsen (hot springs) are located in a ravine formed by the Kayakawa and Sukomo rivers near the base of Mount Fuji.

Jongmyo Shrine – Seoul, South Korea

ariV — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 02:46:25 +0000

Jongmyo Shrine is a culturally and historically significant landmark in Seoul, South Korea, and one of the most popular attractions for both domestic and international tourists visiting the country. It is the Royal Shrine in Seoul where all but two kings and queens from the era of the Joseon Dynasty are enshrined. The Royal Shrine in Seoul was constructed at the same time as the Gyeongbok Palace and Changdeokgung, and resides on the same grounds. The shrine was built for the purpose of keeping the ancestral tablets of the kings of Korea in a safe place, along with their bodies.

Jade Buddha Temple – Shanghai, China

ariV — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 05:10:15 +0000

Despite the increasing modern outlook in the city of Shanghai, one of the city”s most visited tourist attractions is a throwback to earlier times. In 1882, a monk dragged a 6 ft white jade Buddha all the way to Shanghai from Myanmar, with only a vague idea of how he was going to construct a temple around the precious artifact. His perseverance paid off though, and now thousands of worshippers a day (sometimes over 20,000 a day during the Spring Festival) make it a point to visit the Jade Buddha Temple. Especially as the national government continues to relax restrictions on religious ceremonies throughout the country, few locations have benefited as much as this particular temple.

Another factor that adds to the heavy spiritual element at the Jade Buddha Temple is the classical architecture style in which the temple was designed, and especially unique in the midst of the modern day flourish that is Shanghai. Though the city stays awake deep into the Chinese night, you may want to take note of the closing time, an ever-shifting bit of information on the Jade Buddha Temple that could result in a metro ride for nothing, though the exterior is still quite impressive in the orange of evening.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

ariV — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 05:05:31 +0000

There are many major and minor temples and buildings to explore at Angkor Wat. The Angkor Wat temple Bayon is one of the best known and favorites of many visitors for its enormous Bodhisattva Avilokiteshvara stone head carvings. The incredible contrast of the stone buildings creates a look that seems straight out of a time centuries ago. At the Temple of Ta Prohm, the mammoth tree trunks and roots grown over parts of the structure create one of the most photographed sites in the ancient city. Ta Prohm is the only temple that has not been restored, but left just as it was found. The courtyards, walls and roofs of Ta Prohm have been repaired to prevent further deterioration and the inner area has been unclogged of dense bush and jungle vegetation.