Asia has it all - beautiful golden beaches, intriguing religions and cultures, magical jungles, a unique wildlife, and a huge population that is both as diverse as it is fascinating. On a journey through Asia, you will have the opportunity to become acquainted with the largest of the world's seven continents – both in land mass and population! It is not unexpected then, to feel that there are people everywhere you turn in this fascinating and captivating continent.
The different sides of Asia
Asia is a continent that offers a little of everything: huge, modern, sprawling cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Bangkok bombard you with the sounds, smells and tastes of their colourful and vibrant streets almost as soon as you exit the airport - letting you know immediately that you've arrived in another world. At the same time, in some strange way, it's also possible to see many similarities with cities back home.
On the flipside, Asia can also be very intimate: small, remote villages where daily life goes on, unchanged, as it has done for centuries. A journey to Asia must include a visit to one or more of these remote places that westerners seldom visit - places where the local inhabitants may look at you in wonder of your fair skin and hair colour.
Thanks largely to the continents' variety of cultural, religious and ethnic groups, there is a fascinating choice of colourful markets and religious centres. Stunning architecture abounds: the lustrous Buddhist temples of Indonesia, Nepal, Cambodia and Thailand; the majestic Taj Mahal in India and the enormity of Great Wall of China.
One should not forget the colourfulness and craziness of the giant cities of India. Mumbai (Bombay) and Delhi - bombard your senses almost day and night. They are living, breathing entities, which will leave you with experiences and memories you will never forget.
Natural wonders of Asia
A journey to Asia can of course also offer the chance to become acquainted with the many natural attractions and wonders the Continent has in abundance. Idyllic, white, sandy, and palm fringed beaches in Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. Lush, green rainforests in Borneo, northern Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Arid deserts in northern India, Pakistan and Iran. Rolling plateaus in Mongolia and China. Majestic Himalayan Mountains in Nepal, China, India, Tibet, Pakistan and Bhutan. Broad, winding rivers of the Ganges in India and the Yangtze in China. Last but not least, one must not forget the smouldering volcanoes of Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, which form part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
If you are into wildlife then Asia is sure to appeal both above and below the surface with tigers, orang-utans, elephants, rhinoceros, manta rays, whale sharks, beautiful coral reefs, and colourful tropical fish all on offer.
You're slowly beginning to imagine yourself there, aren't you? What will it be? Relaxing on one of the Continents many beautiful palm fringed beaches with crystal clear waters that invite you to dive in and explore the underwater world? Getting ready at base camp for some intense trekking or mountain climbing in the Himalayas? The possibilities are almost endless.
