Archives: Places to go

Tibet – Getting to know Gyantse Gyantse is often – unfairly, we think – regarded as little more than a stopover destination en route from Lhasa to Shigatse. This unassuming, laidback mountain town retains a pleasantly authentic Tibetan ambience, and is also home to the Palcho Monastery and its towering Kumbum (Pelkor Chode), an ancient … Read more

Bhutan – Getting to know Phobjikha Valley They call it the Valley of the Cranes. A wide, bowl-shaped glacial channel situated almost 3,000 metres above sea-level, sown with tiny rural villages. To the east, the imposing Black Mountains; to the south, the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park. The floor and lower slopes of the valley … Read more

Paro Travel Guide – Getting to know Paro, Bhutan Flights descend fearlessly through Himalayan peaks – look to your left on a clear day and you might see Everest. The aircraft emerges over a wide, fertile valley, carved in two by the broad Paro Chhu river. Below you lie rice paddies, tiny villages, and forests … Read more

Bhutan – Getting to know Thimphu Bhutan’s lively capital is a strange brew of modern commercialism and ancient tradition. Groups of monks in crimson robes troop past shopping malls, karaoke clubs, and internet cafes with state-of-the-art espresso machines. The pace of evolution gives some people cause for concern about the future, but for many visitors … Read more

Bhutan – Getting to know Punakha No wonder they kept the winter capital in Punakha for centuries and the monastic order still gravitate here in the winter months! Punakha Valley is a true jaw-dropper, even in a country where most of the scenery can be described as ‘epic’ without exaggeration. As one of the lowest … Read more

Cambodia – Getting to know Cambodia’s Southern Islands For many years Cambodia’s southern islands could rightly be accused of under-performing on a tourist level, with idyllic waters and white sand beaches offering little beyond the occasional cluster of backpacker huts and interesting fishing villages. All this changed in 2018 when the last of three new … Read more

Cambodia – Getting to know Tonlé Sap Lake Tonlé Sap is one of the most fish abundant lakes in the world, and supports 360 floating villages and thousands of waterbirds. It’s easily reached from Siem Reap as a day trip, or you can travel through on a boat trip from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap … Read more

Cambodia – Getting to know Ratanakiri Anyone looking to truly get off the beaten track and away from the Angkor Wat crowds should head to Cambodia’s north-east, which has only recently opened up to visitors. Although roads remain poor in parts (we say ‘roads’ – they’re actually more like dirt trails at times) and journeys … Read more

Tsumago: An Introduction Somewhat surreal but undeniably beautiful, Tsumago is a small Edo-era post town that was all but falling apart by the 1970s, when its occupants got together and painstakingly restored the town’s 300 year old buildings to their former glory. All signs of modern life are hidden, new builds are prohibited, and the … Read more

Japan – Getting to know Tokyo Of all our city destinations in Asia, Tokyo is the most urban, not to mention urbane. Sit by the window in a 40th floor Shibuya sky bar, and you’ll see 5,000 square miles of dense metropolis reaching away beneath you, until – right on the horizon – shadowy hillsides … Read more

 Japan – Getting to know Hakone Within easy reach of both Tokyo and Mount Fuji, the hot springs of Hakone have turned this picturesque region into a popular onsen spa resort, not to mention winning it UNESCO Geopark status. Cable cars sway across the green volcanic slopes, and a fleet of painted wooden ships ferry … Read more

Japan – Getting to know Osaka Twice capital of Japan and inhabited for at least seven thousand years, it’s little wonder that Osaka is Tokyo’s traditional rival, with each city taking great pains to point out the other’s flaws and differences. To the visitor, there are significant parallels, too – Osaka is another lively sprawl … Read more