Come Away With Me : Asia

Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts

Jan 7, 2016

Taiwan!

Why go...One of the most densely populated places in the world! Mixture of indigenous tribes, Chinese, and Japanese cultures! Night market haggling! Cherry blossoms! Lantern festival! Fireflies! Beautiful national parks! Hot springs! Tea houses! Scuba diving! And extremely safe! Yey!

Taipei, the huge capital city, is divided into sections...

Taipei, Shilin! Awesome museums! Huge night market!

Taipei, Beitou! Mysterious and steamy Hell Valley! Hot springs!

Keelung! Go to the giant and famous Miaokou Night Market!

Pingxi! Beautiful Sky Lantern Festival on Chinese New Year! So dreamy!

Tamsui! A Spanish colonial town, later inhabited by the Dutch with a touristy waterfront!
File:Danshui waterfront.jpg

Yingge!!! This is a town filled with ceramic artists as well as the Ceramics Museum.

Jiufen! The beautiful little town that is the setting for the movie Spirited Away! Ocean views, tea houses, and charm!

Yangmingshan National Park! A famous picnic spot known for it's beautiful silvergrass! The park also has an explosion of cherry blossoms and azaleas every spring! There are also hot springs!

Sun Moon Lake! The largest lake in Taiwan is the traditional honeymoon spot for newlyweds! Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village; learn about a traditional culture! Go in February to see the beautiful cherry blossoms! The Lalu Hotel has pretty views of the lake! Wander through Maolanshan Tea Trail! See the Cien Pagoda! Find hidden garden hide-aways along Songbolun Trail! See the original inhabitants of Taiwan at Ita Thao Village and Tutingzai Trail!

Yilan! Kumquat Farm; this tourist attraction lets visitors see how kumquats are harvested! Traditional Herbal Medicine Garden; this garden/pharmacy displays how traditional medicinal plants are grown and used!

Taitung! A seaside town that has not been inundated with chain shops, etc. So visitors are able to see the awesome mixture of cultures - Chinese, Japanese, and indigenous! Formosan Naruwan Hotel. The town is also home to the National Museum of Prehistory; a museum dedicated to the original inhabitants of the island!

Alishan National Park! The elevation rises and the vegetation changes from tropical to alpine! 2000 year old forest! Alishaun House is a hotel with beautiful views and a firefly tour! Wow!

Kenting National Park! The beachy, southern part of Taiwan! Diverse undersea life to see when scuba diving!

Nantou! Cingjing Farm! This gorgeous place has an abundance of trails and cherry blossoms to soak up all the lovliness of Taiwan!

Taichung! Wuling Farm! Another beautiful farm designed for guests to wander around!

May 10, 2015

Nepal!

Why go...Tea house trekking! Mt. Everest!

Mountain flights! Cultural diversity! Beautiful, historical towns!

*Mt. Everest Base Camp! Mt. Everest is the highest peak in the world! Meet the local Sherpa community! Trek from little village to little village (tea house trekking)! Most climbers spend 4-8 weeks here prepping for their hike up Everest!

*Pokhara. Pretty, lakes in the countryside! Mountain Museum! Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge!
pokhara

*Patan - city of artisans!

Summit Hotel!

*Bhaktapur! Awesome old world ancient city. A great place to see the culture as it is still very prevalent and unchanged. Founded in the 1100s, it is known as the "city of devotees." Squares, temples, pottery. Largely unchanged since medieval times.

*Kathmandu! The capital city! Gardens, the Palace Museum with resident bats! Durbar Square - the ancient city square packed with vendors and temples! It's been in use since 1000 AD. Flights around the surrounding mountains! I

Dwarika's Hotel. A beautiful hotel.

*Dhulikhel. Dwarika's Resort. A very beautiful Aruveydic spa. Salt room and sound chamber! Hike, visit the farm, learn ceramics, paint, do yoga, and take cooking class!

*Boudhanath! Home to one of the largest Buddhist shrines (stupas) in the world. The stupa is a pilgrimage destination!

Visit the Himalayan Singing Bowl Center!

There are also lots of Buddhist monasteries and nunneries to visit, such as the Kopan Monastery. You can stay at the monastery! "Kopan provides integrated education through which people’s minds and hearts can be transformed into their highest potential for the benefit of others, inspired by an attitude of universal responsibility. We are committed to creating harmonious environments and helping all beings develop their full potential of infinite wisdom and compassion. " Wow! You can stay for a retreat or go for the Great Prayer Festival.