Pete's Wicked Travels

When it comes to a traveler’s dream destination, China has got to come close. With over 5,000 years worth of culturally rich history and a vast expanse of land spanning thousands of miles, what would a traveler not love? With so much to see in do in this large land, it is hard to come up with a list of the top things to do, however, here is my attempt.

No list would be complete without mentioning walking along the Great Wall of China. It is of course one of the most popular things to do in China, as it is the quintessential Chinese landmark. You can climb the wall at a number of locations throughout the countryside. Try to find a remote passage, as you can wander within the guard towers with significantly less interruptions from fellow travelers.

The Terracotta Warriors, first discovered in 1974, were buried in 210 BC. The thousands of life-size figures have individually unique faces and hair and armor styles which are appropriate to their rank.

The Wolong Nature Preserve is located 3 hours outside of Chengdu, and houses the largest panda reserve in China. The center works to ensure the Giant Panda species will continue to exist. Tourists can observe pandas in their natural habitat and can even help researchers feed and play with these beautiful and threatened animals. Another great animal attraction is the Beijing Zoo. It is the largest zoo in China, and used to be a private garden owned by a royal Qing aristocrat before being converted into a zoo in 1901. The zoo holds approximately 6000 animals of different species from all over the country.

In terms of important historic landmarks, Tiananmen Square is it. Forever synonymous with protest and freedom, Tiananmen Square is imbued with a certain quiet power that is essential to any stop in Beijing.

Make a stopover in Tibet to see the Potala Palace, the former seat of the Dalai Lama. It is now a Chinese museum, but is still famous for its imposing white walls surrounding the inner red palace that sits at over 12,000 feet. Also while in Tibet, visit Jiuzhaigou Valley – a nature reserve located in China’s Sichuan Province. It is a beautiful example of China’s varied landscape, as it is famous for its crystal blue lakes and multi-level waterfalls. It is populated by a number of Tibetan villages so it is a superb place to see and experience local Tibetan culture as well.

A trip down the Li River will not disappoint. Starting at the Mao’er Mountain, the Li River flows southeast for about 437km. This area is the largest and most beautiful river scenes in China which attracts millions of visitors each year. The Karst Mountains make this stretch of water the most beautiful scenic area in China. The 50 mile long expanse from Guilin to Yangshuo is the finest section of the river because it is blossoming with rolling hills, limestone cliffs, and mysterious caves.

This list has just scratched the surface of things that you can do while in China, however, these are some of our favorites.

admin Asia Asia, china, things to do, travel, travel lists

After spending a night at Mumbai’s domestic airport, which was not an issue at all, I was in no desire to tackle Indian railways or bus stations so I decided to head for the nearest beach I could find from Trivandrum airport: Kovalam. I suddenly discovered that I could not get any cash out from the ATM. Upon walking to the next ATM an army of auto-rickshaw men descended upon me. One rather insistant one said he would take me to another ATM in Kovalam. A few more attempts and nothing was coming out of any cash machines. Then I get an automated call from LLoyds asking if I was trying to withdraw money in India – well yes as it happened I was. Iain helped me get international numbers in case I did not have any joy. I got my cash and the rickshaw man made enough money to feed him and his family for a month! Had I not been organised and told Lloyds that I was travelling to India I wouldn’t have minded but I had spoken to them the week previous and told them that I was going traveling so I was far from impressed.

Kovalam is best avoided if you want some peace and quiet. Every two seconds someone tries to sell you something: bananas, coconuts, look my shop, sunbed, beads, drums, sarong I made myself. I felt like asking if someone had thought of selling peace and quiet because I would have certainly spent some rupees on that. My little room was basic but fairly expensive for what it was. No towels and the sounds of crashing waves outside managed to wake me up most nights.

The highlight in Kovalam was seeing a turtle wash up on the shore and then head out again. Getting out of the place was equally as stressful as getting there. There was a ladies festival whereby they made sweets in pots and there were thousands of them. I was told that I wouldn’t be able to get to the train station and my guest room owner in kovalam was right but after being quoted a taxi for half the price of a flight I was back on public transport. The rip off merchant auto-rickshaw left me at a bus stop and I was off to Kallambullum to get the bus to Varkala. We hurtled along the main road bullying every other moving object out the way. For 33 rupees (again ripped off because he charged me to a much further destination) I was happy to get to there.

admin Asia Asia, india, south asia, travel stories

Just like a rainbow is filled up with seven distinct colors, similarly India has several mysterious cultures stored in it. We will here disclose to you some of the best places to visit in this beautiful country. India is a dream holiday that rewards every traveler with her endless tourist attractions. To explore India is to discover a land gifted with everything that makes up for a perfect travel package.

The rich cultural heritage which India offers us certainly keeps it in a different category. India, a platform of rich culture and tradition amidst a huge range of diversity and equality, is home to some of the excellent manifestations of art and architecture in various forms and shapes. These special forms and textures will attract you by their first appearance only and you will just not feel like moving from away from there.

A ride through the entire sphere of these architectural masterpieces will help you delve deeper into the country’s cultural bias. East to west, north to south – travel through the vast stretches of the nation to explore the various heritage destinations of India and peep into the range of intricate forms of art and architecture of India. So are you ready to explore it out here? Ok, we lets move further.

Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, this monument of pristine supremacy in terms of artistic connotations is viewed as an epitome of love and romance.

Knak temple, approved as a United Nations (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, this temple is solely dedicated to the Sun God and depicts Orissa’s medieval architecture.

Ajanta Ellora caves: One of the choicest travel destinations for tourists around the world, these caves, outside the city of Aurangabad, about 400km northeast of Mumbai, represent the evolution of Buddhism, from 200 BC to 650 AD. They proudly embody three faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.

There are still more destination like this which you can easily explore in India. This article might not allow me to list all of them right here. But you must not restrict your self, try to explore as much about it as possible because it will change your overall outlook. Go for it and have fun in style in a new and more loving place.

admin Asia Asia, india, south asia, Travel Tips

As an individual who has long enjoyed traveling, particularly traveling abroad, I have got to say that by far, Asia has become my favorite international region. Whether you call it Asia, the Orient, or just “The East”, the continent of Asia as well as the numerous islands that surround it is a vast and abundant land with a diverse culture, climate, and landscape. While visiting, I’ve found everything from mountains to deserts, to ski resorts, and sandy beaches. I’ve visited historic ruins that date back thousands of years I’ve seen the world from the view atop the planet’s tallest sky scraper in one of the most modern cities on the globe. While I was careful to see as much of the region as possible – allowing me to sample as much different Asian cuisine and culture as possible – I have to say that it was not so difficult to come up with my favorite Asian country of them all: China.

In fact, in all the world and of all the sites of interest I’ve seen – be them natural, historical, or cultural in significance – there is perhaps no more impressive sight these eyes have seen than the Great Wall of China. In Chinese, the wall is known as Chángchéng which literally translate to “long city” or “fortress”, and was built between the years 220 and 206 BC by the Chinese emperor Qui Shi Huang. However, the part we are more familiar with today (and the portion I toured while on holiday there) was built during the Ming Dynasty and stretches for more than four thousand miles. In fact, the wall is so massive that is the only manmade object which can be clearly seen from space – no small feat considering how long ago it was built! With that said, I was fully impressed with it from my humble view here on earth and I was truly awed by the fact that the full wall took centuries to complete and that millions of men are said to have died during its construction. At its peak, over one million soldiers guarded the wall and, as far as defenses go, the wall was all but insurmountable. And so, as I said, while I think Asia in general is amazing and while I think China is even more special, within China there is no place quite so as amazing – or worth seeing – as the Great Wall of China.

admin Asia Asia, china, travel, travel stories

A large part of my February trip to Bangkok was dominated by visiting the city’s museums. I don’t think it’s really known for its museums and I certainly hadn’t heard much about them before traveling there but they came as a very pleasant surprise on my trip.

The first one I visited was the relatively new Bangkok Art and Culture Center. The museum opened in July of last year and I when I visited it I got the feeling that not everything was up and running yet. Whether it was completely operational or not, the museum was fantastic. First of all, the building itself is 11 stories tall. It houses the galleries, an auditorium, a library and a host of small businesses. I really liked the modern design of the building and, although I’m no art critic, I enjoyed the contemporary Thai art far more than the American I’m used to. It’s focus on contemporary art contrasted well with the sightseeing I’d been doing at national historic sites and temples. It really gave me something of break from what had been a trip oriented toward Thailand’s past rather than its present.

After visiting the ultra-modern Art and Culture Center, I went to see the Jim Thompson House. I’ve always enjoyed visiting homes with interesting architecture (Falling Water is a particular favorite) so I braved the touring hordes and made my way to this fixture of Bangkok tourism. I was wary of going at first because it’s the second most visited attraction in Thailand and I always chafe at the idea of mandatory guided tours but I’m really glad I ended up going. Jim Thompson was an American entrepreneur who built this home in Bangkok during the 50s and 60s. The home itself is best described as a complex of six buildings that sit on a canal in the center of Bangkok across from the stadium.

The buildings are traditional Thai houses transported from across the country and combined to form a really fantastic home. As impressive as the buildings themselves are, it’s Thompson’s art collection that’s really a selling point of the tour. Much of the art is Buddhist with the typical wooden and bronze images of Buddha but a significant portion of it is secular in nature (there was some really fantastic Thai porcelain). The art comes from all around South Asia including Burma and Laos. Since I wasn’t traveling to either of these nations, it was nice to be in a museum with some of their traditional artwork on display.

The Thompson House was probably the best part of my trip to Bangkok simply because it was absolutely unique to the city. I really enjoyed it and I’ll go back if I ever find myself in Bangkok again. On the downside, I didn’t make it to the Museum of Counterfeit Goods. It was kind of a random choice on my list but I thought it would be fun. But the two museums that I did get to visit were fantastic. Perhaps if I travel to Bangkok again I’ll fit the counterfeit goods museum into my schedule.

admin Southeast Asia Asia, Bangkok, Museums, Thailand