Angkor is the most popular destination in Cambodia by far, and one of the most iconic and awe-inspiring sacred sites in the world. Its central attraction, Angkor Wat, is proudly featured on the Cambodian flag and it is a major boost to the economy of the recovering country.

Stretching over some 400 sq km, including forests and jungles, Angkor Archaeological Park contains the magnificent remains of the Khmer Empire, from the 9th to the 15th century. Angkor Wat, is believed to be the largest religious structure in the world, and there are many other fascinating temples to explore as well. Allow more than one day to see Angkor — preferably several days to a week. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants and transportation to Angkor in the nearby city of Siem Reap.

On your private sightseeing tour you’ll drive past the elegant Jamek Mosque, which occupies the symbolic birthplace of Kuala Lumpur, and bustling Chinatown before a photo stop at the majestic Royal Palace.

Your journey continues to the National Museum to see historic Malaysian artifacts and take a stroll through the beautiful lake gardens near the National Monument. At the Craft Cultural Complex you may see local artists at work and demonstrations of fine jewelry making at OE Design.

After lunch, you’ll take a drive along Ambassadors’ Row on Kuala Lumpur’s historic Ampang Road. You’ll proceed to Gombak to see the art of batik designing, passing typical Malay homes as you drive.

The last stop on your private sightseeing tour of Kuala Lumpur is the spectacular Batu Caves. This massive limestone outcrop and its cavernous interior is home to Hindu deities and you will need to climb its 272 steps to fully appreciate the caves.

 

Malaysia’s mystical Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur
Visit the spectacular Batu Caves – this massive limestone outcrop and its cavernous interior is home to Hindu deities and one will need to climb its 272 steps to fully appreciate the caves. On this tour you will also witness the art of fine pewter crafting, batik designing & pass a typical Malay house.

Drive through The Ambassador’s row along Kuala Lumpur’s historic Ampand Road, view Malaysian suburban homes as well as rural lifestyle enroute to the internationally renowned Royal Selangor Pewter factory where you will see the art of fine pewter crafting.

Proceed to Gombak and see the art of Batik designing. On the way, you will pass by typical Malay house before coming to your last stop, the spectacular Batu Caves. This massive limestone outcrop and its cavernous interior is home to Hindu deities and one will need to climb its 272 steps to fully appreciate the caves.

 

 

Statues of Hindu deities at the Batu Caves – Kuala Lumpur

The beach of Kuta is one of the first favorite beaches discovered by tourist. On the south, the beach is fenced by the airport’s runway, which gives you a breathtaking landing experience. The beach stretches as far north as the eyes can see. As short walk away north, waves will invite you to test  your surfing
Jimbaran
Jimbaran is directly south of the airport, on the way from Denpasar towards Nusa Dua. The village of Jimbaran is the narrow neck of the island of Bali, and thus it has two remarkably different beaches. On the west, Jimbaran Beach faces the Jimbaran Bay, recently lined by new luxurious resorts. On the east, the beach faces the body of water sheltered by Benoa Harbor.

Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua is a new luxurious resort area where the world’s most sumptuous hotels gracefully integrate into the beautiful white beaches. Crystal clear water provides excellent snorkeling and diving site, and the waves on the northern and the southern part of Nusa Dua allow for great surfing opportunity.

Soka Beach
Further northwest from Denpasar, on the way to Gilimanuk, the ferry port town that connects Bali and Java, there is a small quiet beach called Soka Beach.

Medewi Beach
Continuing along the path towards Gilimanuk, near the village of Pulukan, the beach of Medewi is another beautiful beach.

Lovina Beach
Near the northern tip of the island of Bali lies a stretch of villages by the Bali Sea. Lovina Beach is the name. It is well known as an excellent site for sunset watching, snorkeling, and diving. Night life activities are also abound, as well as chartered boats to go out into the sea. If you like what Kuta offers but do not like the crowd, Lovina Beach is for you.
]]> http://yourholiday.wordpress.com/2008/11/23/the-beaches-of-bali/feed/ 0 yourholiday kuta-sunset1 http://yourholiday.wordpress.com/2008/11/23/amazing-of-thailand/ http://yourholiday.wordpress.com/2008/11/23/amazing-of-thailand/#comments Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:48:19 +0000 yourholiday http://yourholiday.wordpress.com/?p=64 ]]> Thailand has long been known for the rich diversity of its attractions, but the continuing development of the Kingdom’s tourism product means that there are still more waiting discovery.

A land of golden temples, tropical beaches and forested hills, Thailand is truly a veritable oasis in an increasingly hectic world. Secure in its devotion to the Buddhist faith and to its beloved King, it merges a centuries-old culture with way of life that preserves its identity and gracious natural hospitality.

For sightseeing and travel, Thailand has few equals. From dazzling temples and palaces to awe-inspiring World Heritage Sites; from timeless rural settlements to vibrant resort towns; from idyllic beaches to national parks where wild nature rules, the choice of where to go and what to see is limitless.

Soft adventure options blend with eco-tourism in mountainous jungle terrain, with trekking on foot or elephant back, 4-wheel drive safaris, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and meeting with remote highland communities. Away from the upland forests, the blue watersof Thailand’s extensive coastline beckon, offering the relaxing joys of beach life as well as diving, sailing, windsurfing, and sea canoeing, all with expert tuition provided.

Golfers love Thailand and the feeling is mutual. The Kingdom has more than 100 golf courses, most to international standard and located close to major tourism destinations with first-class facilities and friendly fees.

The Thai secret of relaxation is a secret that can be shared by learning and practicing meditation in Buddhist retreats or training centres. The revitalising Thai massage is an ancient tradition that is another part of the secret visitors like to share, while at the many luxury spas, they can experience the most modern, sensual techniques at the firm but caressing hands of a trained therapist.

Thailand’s cuisine is recognised as one of the world’s healthiest. A profusion of fresh produce, fresh-caught fish and seafood with a balanced complement of aromatic herbs and spices, wok-fried or grilled for a dish that is light, nutritious and bursting with flavour.

Dishes from all of Thailand’s regions can be found in Bangkok, as well as fine dining at sophisticated restaurants of world-class quality. The city is one of Asia’s great shopping experiences, too, with gleaming modern malls and department stores with top international brand and specifically Thai names along with smart boutiques and busy street stalls.

Giant markets like Chatuchak and Suan Lum Night Bazaar also sell international brand names, but their fame rests on their diversity. From local fashions and handicrafts at giveaway prices, the range of discoveries to be made there is quite astounding.

Everywhere in Thailand traditional products are hand made by local artisans: weavers of cotton and silk, wood carvers, potters working in the local clay, silversmiths, basket makers, and cooks making local gourmet specialities.

Even in the remotest villages, these cottage industries are being supported by the government’s One Tambon One Product (OTOP) project, and OTOP products from communities all over the Kingdom are now sold in many stores. At the same time, OTOP villages are being developed so that visitors can go to the source and stay overnight in the artisan villages.

From this profusion of location and activity, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is identifying new attractions and promoting niche markets, special programmes with appeal to special interests and needs: to younger travellers, to families, to honeymoon couples, to cultural travellers, to voyagers seeking health and wellbeing holidays.

And the best part of it is Thailand offers this wealth of diversity with the legendary Thai smile — which is not a legend at all, but one of the genuinev delights of discovering Thailand.

As I said, there’s a lot of difference between those groups.  The name “Negrito” suggest, that these people come from Papua New Guinea or East Africa. They also have dark-skinned and frizzy-hair. Other groups of the Orang Asli are more light-skinned and have straight hair.
The Negrito’s live in the North and North East of the Peninsular and mostly they live in the jungle. They are the semi-nomadic tribes of the Orang Asli. Only a few of them also live in urban areas and are engaged in both waged and salaried jobs.
It is thought that the Negrito’s arrived in Malaya 8,000 years ago. Their forefathers were also hunters and gatherers who lived in caves and rock shelters. They knew the use of fire and cooked their food with the aid of crude instruments made from stone. They hunt for food and gather fruits as well as forest products for medical use.

Many Senoi live in the Cameron Highlands. They just look like a real Malaysians, although the dark ones look like Negrito’s. Originally they must have come from the hills in Vietnam, Cambodia or Northern Thailand, about 6000 – 8000 years ago
In the highlands the Senoi live as wage-earners, working on the highland tea estates. Others you can see in the streets of Kuala Lumpur in jeans and a T-shirt. They have obtained jobs as varied as government employees and taxi drivers
When you have left the highway you’ll see a sign with “Orang Asli” village on it.

The Orang Asli ( mostly Negrito),who live in the jungle, hunt with blowpipes for birds and little monkeys. The blowpipe is made from bamboo. The mouth piece is made from damar, a resin obtained from the dipterocarp trees. Darts are made from the split leaf-stalks of Arenga palm cone is made of light weight pitch and the tip is coated with a lethal preparation made from the sap of the lpol tree (Antiaris toxicaria) and carried in a carefully closed bamboo tube. As for the windage, a soft fluffy “wool’ is made from as kind of bark. Blowpipe is deadly accurate within 20 meters.
Fear of the spirits of dead ancestors and hunted animals is very strong amongst them, and it is an unwritten law that all animals caught, in the forest should suffer no pain.
The Orang Asli live in small tribes in the jungle. The tribe we visited had about 10 houses. They were made from leaves (te roof) and the floor was made of wood. They didn’t live far from the river. They always remain living in a place, untill something happens, like a death or severe illness. Then they move to another place. The chief, every tribe has one, decides whether they will move. Building a house takes about two or three hours.
The government built for the tribe we visited long wooden houses. They lived a few days in it and then they decided to move back into the jungle. They never returned to their government houses.

For the brave and adventurous, there are opportunities to take the elephants down to the river and help give them a bath! There really is no better opportunity than this to get in touch with these grey giants.

It is estimated that there are only 1,200 wild Asian Elephants, also known as Elephus Maximus, left in Malaysia and this is the only conservation centre set up to relocate these displaced pachyderms.

The elephants here have been rescued from all over Peninsula Malaysia, providing them a safe sanctuary in the wild.

Get to know Singapore on a morning or afternoon half-day tour. You’ll see all of Singapore’s highlights in one short tour – a perfect thing to do in Singapore if your time is limited. Highlights include Singapore’s vibrant Chinatown, colonial landmarks, Little India and Singapore’s photogenic icon, the Merlion. You’ll see it all on a Singapore City Half-Day Tour.

Your orientation tour of Singapore begins with a drive around the Civic District past the Padang, Cricket Club, Parliament House, Supreme Court and City Hall. You’ll have great views of Marina Bay when you stop for photos at Merlion Park and the Merlion, Singapore’s mythological creature that is part lion, part fish.

The tour continues with a visit to the Thian Hock Keng Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist-Taoist temples on Singapore island, then takes you into Chinatown to a local handicraft centre. Next stop is the National Orchid Garden, within the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which boasts a colorful display of 60,000 orchid plants, with 400 species and more than 2,000 hybrids represented. The final stop at Singapore’s Little India will entrance you with the heady scent of joss sticks, jasmine and spices.

There is an option to combine the Singapore City Tour with a spectacular 30-minute flight aboard the Singapore Flyer. Towering 165 meters above Singapore, the Singapore Flyer is the world’s largest observation wheel and provides more than a veiw, it captures Singapore’s magnificent skyline along with glimpses of neighbouring Indonesia and Malaysia. Please note, if taking the Singapore Flyer option your tour does not include hotel drop off, your tour ends at the completion of your Singapore Flyer experience.