Blogs from Asia - page 13066

Hello, Well we have now completed our trans mongolian train journey and are in China. We spent our week out in the desert which was amazing, we drove for seven days through complete nothingness in the snow and the scenery changed everyday, we saw snow peaked mountains, sand dunes and rolling hills. Each night we stayed with a different family, who survive on there sheep and goats so the meals were very basic, mutton and home made noodles most days which looses its appeal after you just seen this lady peeling the last bits of raw meat of the bone and eating it with her hands which are probably covered in goat poo! Everynight we go to bed sweating because the stove was so hot and wake frezing in the middle of the night in about ... read more

Kodaikanal, where i have lived for nearly a year. A sweet hill resort with restricted construction and exploitation compared to its close counterpart in the south, Ooty. Though tourists throng as much as ooty, thanks to the the local authorities which prohibits any major constructions or developments that could spoil the serenity of the place. Kodaikanal still remains the same since 1970's despite minor alterations here and there. No new constructions are allowed around the lakeside or in the town. So its a must visit place for retreaters. Its still a quiet hill station as lonely planet quotes but only during weekdays and offseason and dont think anywhere close to the word quiet during season or weekends. 58kms of upward climb from Vatlagundu (Batlagundu) via Ghat Road would take you to Kodaikanal. On the way to ... read more

WOOHOO, So, I packed up and made my way to Hainan with a pack of students on a trip that was paid for by my university in Beijing. We went to Hainan for 5 days and four nights. The trip sounded awesome. A paid for vacation away from Beijing's bitterly cold, windy, dirty winter. We got onto a plane and made the trek to China's island paradise. When we got off the plane and wandered through the airport one of the first thing's that I noticed was that there were palm trees. There were palm trees. It was also warm enough not to wear thermal underwear. Wearing thermals had been a necessity in Beijing during the previous weeks. We all crowded into a bus and headed to the hotel. I was put in a room with ... read more

Back in Delhi we are reunited with the 'West' team who have their own set of incredible experiences and stories to tell. The morning is spent reviewing the visit, comparing thoughts and reflections, sharing feedback. I now feel like the trip itself is over. I have seen what I came here to see, a small sample of life in one of the poorest parts of India, and now I want to go home. It's been physically tiring and emotionally draining, a rollercoaster of highs and lows. Instead, there is another day and a half of shopping and sight-seeing before Friday's flight back to London. It is very easy though, to slip back into tourist mode. Most of the group depart to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal this afternoon, returning tomorrow. Having seen that wonder of ... read more

We left Tioman on the 7.45am ferry back to Mersing, where we were going to take bus to Melaka, on the west coast of the mainland. The journey was around 3 to 4 hours and was uneventful - well I can't remember any of it so it must have been! We arrived in Melaka early evening and checked into the Taveller's Inn Lodge. The plan was to spend three nights here before moving on. First day - we did the usual tour of museums - although I am not sure museum is the right word for these! Some only existed of posters and hardly had any artefacts, others had replicas and could not seem to put correct dates to these! Anyway, we gathered that Melaka was a historically important trading port, being positioned between India and ... read more