I was on my way out of the Royal Taipei Hotel and was just fresh from the forty-minute ride from the airport.  In one hand, I was holding my dependable tote bag containing my camera, a bottle of water, calculator and my wallet filled with crisp Taiwan dollars that I just exchanged at a nearby bank.  In my other hand, I held a piece of paper with the Chinese name of my destination.  You see, I had to sweetly request the hotel’s concierge to write the Chinese name for me to make sure that the taxi cab driver would know where to take me. I went out the hotel’s door, hailed a cab and confidently handed over the piece of paper to the driver.  The driver nodded and I sighed in relief.  I thought giddily to myself: “Ximending, here I come!”

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Posted in Attractions, Taiwan |

Shaolin Temple has long been honored by countless Kung Fu movies as the center of Shaolin Kung Fu. From the early Shaw Brothers Hong Kong films to the futuristic stylings of The Matrix to the CGI-animated action-comedy Kung Fu Panda, this Buddhist monastery is the progenitor of a system of fighting techniques that involves fists, legs, and an array of weaponry. Situated in Song Mountain near Zhengzhou City in Henan Province, Shaolin Temple is not only the place were the world-famous martial arts style developed but also the birthplace of Zen Buddhism. Shaolin Temple,  whose name literally means “the monastery built by the woods of Mount Shaoshi” was established by Buddhabhadra, an Indian monk who helped spread Buddhism in China. The 5th century monastery has been destroyed and rebuilt many times throughout its history, and has played a role in the many dynasties of the Middle Kingdom. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Attractions, China |

Bangkok is a city that’s well known for its stunning temples, shrines, and religious icons. Contrary to popular belief, it is far from the largest city in Thailand, but it exudes and energy like no other.

Image credit: Stuck in Customs

Whether you’re in town for a day or a week, there’s simply no reason to pay tourist prices for things locals will pay only a fraction for. So where should one go and what should one do? Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Thailand |

The famous Grand Prix Museum of Macau opened its doors to the public in 1993 in time for the 40th anniversary celebration of the Macau Grand Prix, an annual event that is held every November that showcases a variety of car and motorbike events.  The Grand Prix was born in 1954 mainly because of the excitement and eagerness of a select group of people who were into racing.  Furthermore, this museum was established in order to give extra promotion for the Macau Grand Prix in the hope to attracting more tourists to come, visit and join in the celebration.  At present, this event draws in thousands of people, specifically racing fanatics, to Macau.

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Posted in Attractions, Macau |

Korea’s Demilitarized Zone, a tourist attraction? The no-man’s-land that divides communist North and democratic South, the place where that heat ray blasted in the James Bond movie Die Another Day? Who would be crazy enough? If you’re a fan of modern history and warfare, or just curious to experience one of the last remnants of the cold war, then the Demilitarized Zone may be just the attraction for you.

The DMZ is a 4 kilometer-wide zone that stretches along the 458-kilometer long Military Demarcation Line (MDL). The governments of both North and South Korea have agreed to withhold areas occupied by the other back in 1953, at the informal end of the Korean War when the armistice was signed. Now home to some 2 million soldiers, the DMZ acts as a buffer zone between the two sides, and is one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world.

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Posted in Attractions, Korea |

Although visitors can enjoy the rustic simplicity of Palawan to get away from the stresses of modern living, they may experience a culture shock as they try to cope with the less-than-efficient ways of getting there. Traveling to any specific place require the boarding of several vessels and vehicles, and the operators of each these transports need to be approached to engage their services.

There are two primary ways to get to Palawan: by air and by sea.  Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, and ZestAir (formerly known as Asian Spirit) all make daily flights from Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 to Puerto Princesa, which takes more than an hour. From there, smaller airlines can take you to different points in the region, or you may take land vehicles or ferries, instead. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Philippines, Transportation |

It seems that the financial crisis is not enough reason for some people to put a halt to their travel adventures.  Travel fanatics would still go ahead and book those flights and hotel rooms in their preferred destinations.  If you ask them how they do it, they will tell you that the important thing to remember is that those who would like to travel must learn how to be budget and smart travellers.  More and more practical options are being offered to consumers now from budget airlines, to budget accommodations, to package tours, among others.  For those who travel and would like to do some shopping at the same time, then there are also less expensive options such as flea markets.  Hong Kong visitors, specifically, can visit a number of Outlet Shops where they will surely find original trendy merchandise that are originally meant for export or priced much lower as these are already excess inventories of several brands.

Here is a list of Outlet Stores in Hong Kong where you can shop to your heart’s content:

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Posted in Hong Kong, Things to do |

Over the coming days and weeks, we will be featuring seven (7) countries from Asia (chosen at random). There will be an image from each country in a 5 x 5 sliding puzzle game. You will need to solve the puzzle at the least amount of time and determine which post from the AsiaHotels Blog the image is from. Random clues will be given for each puzzle. It is a simple, fun and addicting game to learn more about Asia! Read below for Rules and Mechanics.

Are you ready? Let the games begin!

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Posted in Asia |

The area closest to the Pear River Delta in China doesn’t have the best reputation. It’s polluted, to say the least, and is full of industrial plants and projects. Despite its pitfalls, the area known as Guangzhou (or Canton) has quite a bit to offer the world.

Image credit: jon crel

In ancient times, Guangzhou was the capital of the Guandong province. The city played a huge role in the development of Cantonese culture as well as in the overthrow of the last dynasty. Millions of people visit Guangzhou and nearby Shenzhen to sample some of the finest restaurants and visit the area’s myriad of shrines, museums, temples, and shops. Here are some of our favorite sites. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Asia |

In celebration of the month of love, we ask you, what are the top five romantic spots in Asia?

We will present a special feature for the top 5 so make sure to choose your favorites. If we missed any, kindly indicate in your comments below.

Choose up to 5. Vote now!

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Posted in Polls |