Asian Travel Blog

It is said that Emirates Palace was and still is the most expensive hotel ever built, and here are a few more interesting facts about Abu Dhabi’s wonderful iconic landmark, which will make you want to stay there for a few days, and enjoy some time in the United Arab Emirates:

The building has over 114 impressive domes that rise up to 60m in the air and glisten in the sun, resembling pure gold. Additionally, 35,000 square metres of thirteen different types of marble have been used from all over the world.

Talking of gold, 5kg of 24 carat edible gold is used every month on decorating Palace pastries and chocolates. This includes Delice du Palace, and 400 slices of this famous chocolate cake are consumed on average every day!

The Emirates Palace has a magnificent 1,002 Swarovski glittering crystal chandeliers, and 20,000 roses are used everyday to decorate the hotel to perfection.

Sayad is the first restaurant in Abu Dhabi to introduce Pacific Rim cuisine, that unique combination of food inspired by the techniques and flavours of the countries that make up Asia, and the other countries that border the Pacific Ocean.

“Gateway to Arabia” is the most popular spa treatment at the Anantara spa within The Emirates Palace. It is an indulgent celebration of the Moroccan hammam, and costs around £175, lasting 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Emirates Palace employs around 2,600 members of staff who are members of approximately 50 different nationalities. This means that there are around 3 members of staff per guest!

The hotel pampers its guests with a vast array of little luxuries such as ‘bath caviar’ and Prada beauty products in all suites.

See you in Abu Dhabi!

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I have talked a little previously about the exciting city of Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, and today I want to tell you about two of the best places from where to get fine views of the city.

One unmissable sight of Kuala Lumpur is the spectacular Petronas Twin Towers, which, until recently, standing at a magnificent 452 metres, were the tallest buildings in the world. These towers have only recently been superseded in height by the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan, and are regarded by many as a symbol of Malaysia’s modernity. The Skybridge, that connects the two towers, is one of the highest suspended bridges in the world. If you want to get the wonderful view from the Skybridge, entry to this is free, but only to the first 1,200 people who show up, so be sure to arrive early. It is interesting to note that the Skybridge, which is not actually at the top of the Petronas Twin Towers, is the highest point that the members of the general public can go.

If you would like to take in the view of the city from a point even higher than the Twin Towers, then you should try the observation deck on the top floor of the KL Tower. From here you can get really great city views, especially because the KL Tower is built on a hill, and so you are a few meters higher than the Twin Towers. As a bit of extra fun, why not try the revolving restaurant which is just one floor above the observation deck. Here you can get a really excellent all round view while you eat your meal.

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In the midst of forests, the capital city of Bhutan, Thimphu, has a magnificent 17th century fortress monastery known as Tashichoedzong on its northern edge, and this has now become the seat of the Bhutan government. Towards the end of the summer Tashichoedzong hosts a colourful masked-dance festival which attracts both tourists and locals alike.

The main street, Norzin Lam, is full of interesting shops and retail arcades, as well as a fair number of restaurants where you can both sample local cuisine, or get more international dishes. There are plenty of elegant public buildings on this street too, and it is interesting to note that in Bhutan it is the law that all buildings have to be designed in traditional Buddhist style – which gives all buildings, both public and private, old and modern, a certain formal and beautiful air. For example, the National Library, built in the sixties, is in the style of a traditional Buddhist temple.

Thimphu has a market that takes place near the river at the weekend, as well as selling meat and vegetables, there are also plenty of clothes, ornaments and tourist items for sale.

To the north of the city you can find Dechenphu Monastery, Tango Monastery and Cheri Monastery, as well as Dechenchoeling Palace, which is the official royal residence of the King.

It is interesting to note that Thimphu is the only national capital in Asia that does not have traffic lights. The story goes that when a set of traffic lights were installed, people complained that they were too impersonal, so the lights were replaced with hand waving traffic police, who can still be seen today – a sight not often seen in Europe or North American any more!

With its serenity and beautiful architecture, Thimphu is a wonderful place to visit, and still well off the usual tourist track.

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The small quiet city of Luang Prabang, overlooked by Mount Phousi, is in north central Laos, on the Mekong River. Relaxing and beautiful, it was formerly the capital of a kingdom of Luang Prabang, and, until the communist takeover of 1975, it was the royal capital and seat of government of the Kingdom of Laos. The city is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The architecture of Luang Prabang is a combination of Lao traditional wooden houses and the European colonial architecture of the 19th and 20th centuries, Laos once having been part of the French colony of Indochina.

Mount Phousi is really more of a hill than a mountain, and if you climb up it, which makes a great day out for the reasonably energetic, you get a panoramic view over the whole area. From here you will see many shining, golden roofs – these are the temples, also known as wats. Visit one of these and you will find that they are decorated with mosaics and murals of the life of Buddha. The city has some thirty monasteries as well as the old Royal Palace, Haw Kham. The oldest, and probably the most beautiful, monastery isVat Xieng Toung, which is well worth a visit.

For your shopping there is a night market where you can find all the traditional Lao arts and crafts.

Local natural wonders include Kuang Si Falls, which are 29 km to the south. This is a large cascade, with multiple stages and pools at different levels, which makes it very impressive. You can even bathe in the pools. Altogether, besides being very picturesque, this is a great place to chill out and meet other travellers.

Laos is still relatively undiscovered, and Luang Prabang is a good place to start your exploration of this intriguing country.

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China’s northernmost major city, Harbin is a delight for those who love to see a great range of architecture. The city was actually founded as late as 1897 as a camp for the Russian engineers who were building the Trans-Siberian Railway. The demand for workers brought in people from across Russia, Poland and from within Manchuria itself. Russian influence on the city continued due to the fact that after the 1917 Russian Revolution monarchist refugees escaped to Harbin, and the Russian influence is still clearly visible in many ways from the architecture to the food. During World War II the city was captured by the Japanese, and subsequently taken by the Chinese in 1946. Harbin has thus grown from a remote Russian outpost to the tenth largest city in China.

Harbin lies on the southern bank of the Songhua River, and has been alternately called Oriental Moscow, Oriental St Petersburg and Oriental Paris due to its unique European-influenced architecture. It is indeed one of China’s most beautiful cities.

One of the city’s most impressive streets is Zhong Yang Street, which has a fabulous array of varied European architectural styles, including Baroque and Byzantine façades, traditional Jewish architecture, small Russian cake shops and bakeries, fashionable French clothes stores, and Japanese restaurants. Nearby is the Russian Orthodox St. Sophia Cathedral, which has now been made into a museum.

Harbin has an Old Quarter near the Songhua River which is mostly made up of buildings that were constructed by the Russians at the turn of the 19th century. Most of these are built in Baroque or Byzantine style with intricate spires and cupolas, and painted in eye-catching shades of yellow, white, green, and red.

Harbin is also famous for its Russian influenced cuisine, and, unlike the rest of China, has plenty of bakeries producing a variety of differnt types of bread. Harbin is also known for its tasty European-style sausages.

Harbin has been holding an annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival since 1985, and this starts on January 5th and lasts one month. It is one of the world’s four largest ice and snow festivals.

So if you are looking for somewhere unusual to escape to in January, you could consider Harbin.

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Cambodia has a troubled past, but is now starting to recover, and open up to visitors. Visit Cambodia and you can enjoy the magnificent splendour of Khmer temples, wonderful tropical islands, impressive waterfalls and national parks. The best months to visit Cambodia are December and January, because then the temperatures are cooler, and the humidity is more bearable – it is also less likely to rain.

However, Cambodia’s biggest festival, Bon Om Tuk, is held in early November, and is worth seeing.

Sights to see include the capital Phnom Penh, with its beautiful Royal Palace - however the poverty and lack of infrastructure can come as a bit of a surprise to tourists accustomed to better organisation.

Kep is Cambodia’s top coastal resort, and has a fine sweep of beach that tends to be fairly quiet through the week. Kep is only just starting to be discovered by beach lovers, so if quiet stretches of sand are to your taste, it could be worth taking a look.

Angkor is one of the most important archaeological sites in south east Asia, and here you will find the remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire – including great temples, old ruins and intricate carvings.

One thing that you have to be very careful of in Cambodia is landmines – they are still a real danger there, with about six million live mines still dotted around the countryside and near the border with Thailand. So never stray off the proper pathways.

Cambodia will appeal to the more adventurous traveller, who is interested in visiting places that have not yet been overwhelmed with tourists.

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The Heian Shrine, (“Heian Jingu”), is a famous Shinto shrine located in the ancient Japanese capital of Kyoto, and is not far from the city center. The torii, which is a traditional Japanese gate found at the entrance to to Shinto shrines, is one of the largest in Japan.

Japan is predominantly Buddhist, but Shinto is a native Japanese religion, and the two religions seem to happily co-exist side by side, with the Japanese generally making their weddings Shinto, and their funerals Buddhist.

One of the major sights of Kyoto, the striking thing about the Heian shrine is its eye-catching colors of vermilion painted woodwork, and contrasting green-tiled roofs.

The shrine was built in 1895, and hosts the Jidai Matsuri, “Festival of Ages”, which is one of the three main festivals of Kyoto, and which takes place on October 22nd every year. Portable shrines are carried through the streets starting from the old Imperial Palace and ending at the Heian Shrine, and it is an amazing sight to see so many people in traditional, colorful Japanese dress. Around 2,000 people take part in the procession, and so it stretches for some kilometers in length!

The shrine also has beautiful gardens with ornamental ponds, irises, water lilies, cherry trees and other eye-catching detail. The best times to visit the gardens are in the spring when there is a profusion of cherry blossom, and fall, when the leaves have turned to gold and red.

Kyoto has plenty of top hotels, as well as more modest places to stay such as backpackers’ hostels, and a Hostelling International Hostel.

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Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the beautiful Taj Mahal, located at Agra, is one of the most popular sights in India. This wonderful monument is in fact a mausoleum built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his much-loved third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth.

The Taj, made from white marble, with wondrous inlays, and with its distinctive dome, is considered to be one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture, which combined elements from Indian, Islamic, Persian, and Turkish architectural styles. It took seventeen years to build, and was finally completed in 1648, with then a further five years for the completion of the beautifully laid out gardens.

Old documents reveal that Ustad Ahmad Lahauri , who was also involved in the construction of the Red Fort at Delhi, was most likely the chief architect of the Taj Mahal. It seems also that Shah Jahan was closely involved in the construction of the Taj, consulting daily with his architects.

In the right light, the image of the Taj can be seen in the wonderful reflecting pool, which makes for a dramatic view.

Agra, located in Uttar Pradesh in northern India, has a number of top hotels including Hilton, Sheraton and Holiday Inn, and there are also budget places to stay, including bed and breakfast places, and backpackers’ hostels. Agra has other examples of Mughal architecture that you might like to see while you are there, such as the Agra Fort.

The best time to visit the Taj Mahal is at dawn, so be sure to set your alarm clock early.

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