There are dozens of incredible tourist attractions throughout Japan, South Korea, and China. While many are historic, some are simply entertaining and others are designed to give visitors some of the most breathtaking views of Asia possible.

We’ve compiled a list of some of Asia’s most popular tourist attractions, as decided by the number of visitors each receives over the course of the calendar year. You might be surprised to see some of America’s favorite outposts on the list along with some of Asia’s most renowned historic attractions.

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Posted in Asia |

One of my all time favorite movies would have to be “River Wild”.  Watching this movie back in 1994 and seeing Meryl Streep’s character brave the strong rapids stirred within me great interest in the extreme sport of white water rafting.  I wondered as to when I can get the chance to try this for myself and where in the world will I get to do this for the very first time.

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Posted in Asia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, 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 |

Valentines Day is celebrated in Western countries as a time when lovers give sweets, cards, and other gifts to each other, spend a romantic dinner together, and enjoy each others’ company. Originally devoted to Saint Valentine’s, it has become an annual bonanza for commercial establishments, and prices for heart-tugging frivolities double in the days leading to this romantic event.

For Asian countries, however, whose non-Christian population do not recognize Saint Valentines, February 14 has become an exercise of cultural mitosis, as different countries have different ways in assimilating a new tradition. From social curiosity to odd adaptation to outright resistance to saying “I Love You“, take time to find out how different eastern nations take on this day of romance.

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Posted in Asia, Events |

Here are New Year greetings in various Asian languages you can use when visiting the east during this festive occasion.

Bengali Shuvo Nabo Barsho

Cambodian Soursdey Chhnam Tmei

Chinese Xin Nian Kuai Le

Gujarati Nutan Varshbhinandan

Hong Kong (Cantonese) Sun Leen Fai Lok

Hindi Naye Varsha Ki Shubhkamanyen

Indonesian Selamat Tahun Baru

Japanese Shinnen omedetou gozaimasu

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Posted in Asia, Language |

One great thing about Asia is that there is always something new to see, cultures to experience and great adventures to test yourself with no matter how many times you’ve visited a particular place.  You can learn a country’s local language and taste the local dishes.

Personally, I try to immerse myself in every country’s culture and way of life.  This is why I also make sure that I get to ride on the various modes of transportation in each country most especially the unique ones.  But I would have to say that it is quite a different experience to get a full view of a thriving city from a cable car.  The wind will be blowing on your face and your eyes will be the ones doing the traveling for a change.

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Posted in Asia, Transportation |

For a Christian holiday, Christmas gets surprising attention in a continent dominated by Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. For some countries, it is an after-effect of centuries of Western colonialism and Christian missionary work. For others, the commercial aspects of gift-giving and festivities encourage department stores and markets to dress up for the holidays. Still others see it as a romantic season, a time for couples and lovers to share intimate moments together.

Whatever the reason, Christmas is still celebrated the world over, and nowhere is this fact more proven than in the following major Asian cities.

Tokyo, Japan - less than 1% of Japan’s population are Christians, and December 25 is not a national holiday here. Christmas is seen more as a commercial season, a time for romance between couples and for corporations to deck their offices in lights. December is also a time for oseibo (end-of-the-year gift exchanges between companies) and boukenkai (”forget the year”) parties, and Christmas-themed parties tend to get mixed in with the celebrations.

Seoul, South Korea – South Korea recognizes Christmas as a public holiday, with 30% of the population being Christians. Even non-Christian Koreans engage in gift-giving, card-sending, and plastic tree-decorating at this time of year, and engaging lights beautify the City Hall area for people to enjoy. What’s surprising is the locals treat the season to be a romantic affair, much like Valentine’s Day.

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Posted in Asia, Events, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam |

As the Christmas Season draws near, prices for everything go up! From Christmas gifts, to holiday packages and even seasonal delicacies! Even Santa Claus, with all the gifts he has to give to all the nice children, need all the savings he can get.

The HotelClub Family for discount hotels, last minute bookings and Asia hotels guide have decided to give everyone an early Christmas present by giving 30 Member Dollars equivalent to USD 30 for one-time hotel booking (per member, not to be used with existing promotions) any time within the next 30 days (or will expire on December 10, 2008).

Treat your family and friends for a discounted hotel stay from anywhere in Asia or the rest of the world and use this 30 USD to buy them more gifts.

Existing DreamClub Members have already received their USD 30 vouchers! All they need to do is claim it by clicking on their email notifications. If you are not yet a member, registration is easy and FREE! Take advantage of this Special Christmas hotels treat now and be sure to tell your friends and family about this great Christmas promo.

*Terms and conditions apply. Please visit http://www.hotelclub.com/christmas2008.asp for more details.

Posted in Asia, Events |

Whether its a zen trickle that soothes the soul or a spectacular gush that arcs in the air, fountains are a wonderful mix of nature and engineering that enchants everyone who witness its splendor. Some fountains rely on the latest technology to create more intricate dynamic sculptures while others are ancient contraptions that still operate to this very day. All of them rely on the notion that life’s basic necessity can be coaxed into becoming one of life’s source for enduring entertainment.

Taj Mahal Water Devices, Agra - the fountains surrounding this tomb for a beloved Indian princess is as astounding feat of irrigation engineering that continues to work after centuries of operation. To maintain and even pressure for all fountains, each were built with a copper pot between the feed pipe and the outlet. This ensures even pressure at all times. It takes 40 minutes to fly from New Delhi to Agra, after which rickshaws may take you to the Taj Mahal.

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Posted in Asia, Attractions, China, India, Korea, Macau, Singapore |