Hong Kong (The city for fun)

Hong Kong is truly an international city which blends in the best from the East and West, creating a unique personality. A city of paramount sophistication, Hong Kong sets trends for the world to follow. Hong Kong leads the global resurgence of Chinese culture, and stands at the forefront of an exciting new era where every moment in this exciting city is an unforgettable experience.

Hong Kong offers plenty of options, ranging from a junk cruise to remote islands with century-old Chinese traditions to a breathtaking hike over rolling green hills to stunning white beaches, a trek to charming Chinese fishing villages or a fascinating city tour of art, history and modern museums.

Hong Kong is not just Hong Kong. Hong Kong comprises 235 islands including one with the largest Buddha in the world. There's the Kowloon peninsula teething with shops, temples, markets and restaurants; the New Territories which offers a contrast of scenic beauty and man-made achievements, it's unique gardens and parks bursting with birds, wildlife and plants. Hong Kong offers visitors a motley of options including shopping, swimming, hiking, golfing, sightseeing, dining in world class restaurant, horseracing, within its compact geography.

 Goldfish Market
Aquariums bring luck and natural beauty to many living rooms in Hong Kong. This specialist market is the preferred source for goldfish of every shape and hue, as well as tanks and aquatic ornaments. Head for Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon.

 Ocean Park
Ocean Park is one of Southeast Asia's largest oceanariums and theme parks, and tops the itinerary of many visitors to Hong Kong - especially those with children. You'll need a whole day to see everything. There are funfair rides and dolphin shows, scenic cable cars and sea lions, magnificent shopping, great dining and so much more. The Lowland Gardens are a must-see, featuring the park's most adored attractions - the giant pandas An An and Jia Jia. The animals live happily in a 2,000-square-metre habitat that closely resembles the natural living conditions of giant pandas in the wild. The project provides an excellent opportunity for the public to learn more about this endangered species, the survival problems they face and how they can be saved from extinction. The undersea world is explored at Marine Land. Here visitors journey under water at the Atoll Reef to discover more than 250 kinds and 2,000 fish, including an 80-year-old, 1.8-metre-long giant grouper can be seen. The Atoll Reef also boasts the largest number of Giant Napoleon fish to be found in any aquarium in the world. The young and the young at heart can't wait to jump on Ocean Park's Headland Rides. The Dragon is Hong Kong's largest roller-coaster that flips riders at super high speeds through loops, twists and turns for the ride of a lifetime. The Flying Swing lifts the daring as high as seven metres in a gyrating wave-like motion. Adventure Land is another place for high-octane thrills. You can ride down the Raging River in a boat, navigating through swirling and narrow ravines.

Then test your astronautical skills on the hair-raising Space Wheel. And don't miss out on Mine Train, Ocean Park's newest phenomenal ride with 678 metres of twisting, climbing and dipping exhilaration - definitely not for the faint of heart. It's non-stop excitement as Whiskers, Ocean Park's mascot offers up the latest thrill-a-minute sensation with "Whiskers Wild Ride" an exciting simulated tour by land, sea and air. You won't believe it until you see it and experience the thrill yourself!

Open-Air Markets Yuen Po Street Bird Garden
This delightful garden is the favoured gathering place of Hong Kong's songbird owners, who carry their pets around in intricately carved cages. All manner of beautiful birds can be seen here, as well as a host of traditional bird-keeping paraphernalia. The market is located on Yuen Po Street in Mong Kok. Flower Market One of Hong Kong's most colourful street markets, the Flower Market is a jungle of exotic blossoms, luck-bringing houseplants and sweet scents. You'll find this botanical treat on Flower Market Road, Mong Kok, Kowloon.

Victoria Peak
High above Hong Kong Island on the 'back of the Dragon', Victoria Peak is Hong Kong's premier visitor attraction, providing magnificent harbour and city views. Arriving late afternoon enables you to experience the dazzling panorama of Hong Kong Island, the harbour, Kowloon and the hills beyond. Later, you can thrill to the neon-dotted skyline by night. What's more, The Peak offers visitors a multitude of fantastic entertainment, dining and shopping options.

Peak Tram
The best way to get to the top is via the Peak Tram a funicular railway that carves a steep 373-metre swathe up the lush mountainside. The tram has been in operation since 1888, and once competed with sedan chairs as the most popular way up. Try to get seats at the front of the tram on the right-hand side for the journey skyward. The only way to describe the views from this vantage point is "simply awesome".



Repulse Bay
Primarily a well-to-do residential area, sun-drenched Repulse Bay has a relaxed resort-like atmosphere. The wide, wave-lapped beach is popular with locals and visitors alike and great for sandy strolls - early morning with the waking of another day, when the sun is up and the sunbathers are out in force, or at sunset when all is at peace. As well as sun, sea and sand, there are plenty of diversions nearby. The ornate Life Guard Club is built in a traditional Chinese style, its ceiling decorated with magnificent swirling dragons. The picturesque gardens that lead down to the beach are dominated by towering twin statues of Kwun Yum and Tin Hau, both protectors of fishermen.

The colonial-style, The Repulse Bay, houses designer shops and award-winning restaurants and resembles the luxury hotel that originally occupied the site. This is the ideal place for a romantic dinner under the stars. For something more down-to-earth, several open-air restaurants nearby specialise in the joys of wholesome barbecued food, including the freshest prawns, squid, fish and other seafood. All are cheery hives of activity every night of every week.

South Korea

South Korea is a country that full with green, prodding its stony fingers skyward, and the Koreans are a people obsessed with nature, and with mountains in particular. Wherever you travel, you'll see Koreans out in the open air, clad in the latest adventure fashions, pushing ever onward and upward.

Seoraksan National Park

Top of the charts in the Korean national park scene, Seoraksan is spectacular. Near the DMZ on the east coast, this is a land of high craggy peaks, lush forests, tremendous waterfalls, boulder-strewn white water rivers, beaches and ancient temples. Colourful Autumn is the best time to visit.

Gyeongju

For 1000 years, up until the 10th century, Gyeongju was the capital of the Silla dynasty. Nearly 1000 years later, Gyeongju is an open-air museum masquerading as a small, provincial town littered with ancient rubble. Those keen on Silla culture or archaeology will be in heaven, fossicking through the remains of temples, tombs, shrines, palaces, pleasure gardens and castles, but more ordinary folk will probably find Gyeongju only has a day's-worth of entertainment

Korean Folk Village

It sounds cheesy, but the Korean Folk Village is actually a very tasteful way to immerse yourself in rural Korean life. The village has examples of traditional peasants', farmers' and civil officials' housing styles from all over the country, as well as artisans' workshops, a brewery, a Confucian school, a Buddhist temple and a market place. This is a real village, not just a tourist show - the people you see working here live here all the time. There are regular dance performances and parades held every day. Buses go here every 20 minutes from Seoul.

 

 Samcheok Beaches
The beaches to Samcheok's south are gems set between steep cliffs and rocks. Geundeok Beach has terrific scenery. Yonghwa Beach has a freshwater stream, lots of minbak (rooms in private houses) to stay in, and plenty of seafood to eat. Imwon Beach is small but dramatically set in a cliff-lined cove, with many sea caves.

Dadohae Haesang National Park
Off the southwest corner of the peninsula, this marine national park is made up of over 1700 islands. Hongdo and Heuksando are the most popular. Hongdo is worth visiting for its sheer cliffs, bizarre rock formations, spectacular sunsets and wooded hillsides cut by steep ravines. Heuksando is more populous and flatter.

Taiwan

Taiwan is an island nation of about 36,000 square kilometers located off the coast of southeastern China, southwest of Okinawa and north of the Philippines. The island is governed by the Republic of China or ROC. Shaped roughly like a sweet potato, the nation is home to more than 23 million people and is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Besides its crowded cities and friendly people, Taiwan is also known for steep mountains and lush forests. In addition to the island of Taiwan, the Republic of China also governs the Pescadores (Penghu), Quemoy (Kinmen/Jinmen), and Matsu.

Population: 23 million
Area: 35,801 km²
Capital City: Taipei
Languages: Taiwanese
Currency: New Taiwan dollar

Taipei 101 formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan). The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In July 2011, the building was awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and became the tallest and largest green building in the world.Taipei 101 was designed by C.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture and Samsung C&T. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening, and received the 2004 Emporis Skyscraper Award. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 features prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts and the structure appears frequently in travel literature and international media.

Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition (see Symbolism). Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs.

Taipei 101 is owned by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation (TFCC) and managed by the International division of Urban Retail Properties Corporation based in Chicago. The name originally planned for the building, Taipei World Financial Center, until 2003, was derived from the name of the owner. The original name in Chinese was literally, Taipei International Financial Center

Ximending has been called the "Harajuku of Taipei" and the "Shibuya of Taipei". Ximending is the source of Taiwan's fashion, subculture, and Japanese culture. Ximending is also the main LGBT district of Taiwan, with a host of many clubs and pubs surrounding the area. This area is in the northeastern part of Wanhua District in Taipei and it is also the most important consumer district in the Western District of Taipei. The well-known Ximending Pedestrian Area was the first pedestrian area built in Taipei and is the largest in Taiwan.

Sri Lanka

For a small island, Sri Lanka has many nicknames: Serendib, Ceylon, Resplendent Isle, Island of Dharma, Pearl of the Orient. This colourful collection reveals its richness and beauty, and the intensity of the affection it evokes in its visitors. Head for the rolling hills to escape the heat of the plains in the cool of tea plantations. The entire island is teeming with bird life, and exotics like elephants and leopards are not uncommon. To top it all off, the people are friendly, the food is delicious and costs are low.

Marco Polo considered Sri Lanka the finest island of its size in all the world, and you'll likely agree after exploring the country's fabled delights. What takes your fancy? Beaches? The coastal stretch south of Colombo offers palm-lined sandy expanses as far as the eye can see. Culture? Try the Kandyan dances, a procession of elephants or the masked devil dances. Ruins? You'll find enough ancient and inspiring architecture in the cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa to satisfy that inner archaeologist.

Galle

The port of Galle, thought by some to be the Biblical city of Tarshish, splendidly illustrates the solidity of the Dutch presence in Sri Lanka. The 36ha (89ac) Dutch Fort, built in 1663, has withstood the ravages of time. Its massive ramparts surround the promontory that forms the older part of Galle, and shelters within its walls sturdy Dutch houses, museums and churches. The New Oriental Hotel, built for Dutch governors in 1684, is a colonial gem with a wonderfully atmospheric bar. Nearby is a tiny sliver of a beach suitable for a dip, though most travellers prefer to head along the coast to the fine beaches at Unuwatuna, Weligama and Tangalla.

 Hikkaduwa
Hikkaduwa has been severely affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 26 December 2004. The area has suffered extensive damage and loss of life. Infrastructure is slowly being rebuilt and services restored but check with the relevant authorities before travelling to the area in the immediate future.

Hikkaduwa is the island's most developed beach resort. It has a range of accommodation, good restaurants and pleasant cafe-lined beaches. There's good snorkelling at an attractive and easily accessible coral sanctuary, scuba diving at a number of wrecks in the bay, tours by glass-bottomed boats and pretty good surfing. It's a relaxed place, similar to many Asian beach resorts popular with Western travellers. There are also plenty of handicraft shops catering to tourist whims, a Buddhist temple, a nearby lake with abundant birdlife and some pretty dangerous traffic hurtling down the main road.

Yala West (Ruhuna) National Park map

Yala West (Ruhuna) National Park is well recognised as one of the best parks in the world to observe and photograph leopards. The park covers an area of over 100,000 hectares and is divided into five blocks. Block one is the most visited area since it contains the highest density of leopards. However other areas of Yala such as Yala East had been closed to visitors for some years and it will take time to research leopard numbers in these areas. Yala West consists of scrub jungle, brackish lagoons and stunning rock monoliths scattered throughout the park, its eastern edge is bounded by the South East coast.

An excellent 'Natural World' wildlife documentary was filmed here featuring the 'Leopards of Yala', by Gordon Buchanan. Two local leopard experts, Jehan Kumara and Ravi Samarasinha assisted with the research and filming, Ravi continues his study of the park and its residents. One of the main findings of the film was that Yala has well over thirty leopards, probably the highest density anywhere in the world. It is also thought that Sri Lankan leopards are a distinct sub-species from their Indian neighbours, and the largest leopards in Asia.

It is possible to take full day jeep safaris or to split your day into morning and afternoon drives. Your best chance to see a leopard is generally early in the morning and then again at dusk. You can stay until just after dark inside the park, thus maximising your chances of a leopard encounter. The male leopards in Yala are very confident and are often seen walking the tracks during the day. Young males in particular seem to have no fear of the jeep, which can lead to some excellent photographic opportunities. There are similarities between Yala and the best National Parks in India for photographing tigers, in both cases the big cats have become habitualised to the jeeps thus enabling us to enjoy a privileged view of these magnificent animals.

There is also a substantial elephant population along with spotted deer, sambar, wild buffalo, sloth bear, jackal, mongoose, pangolins and crocodiles. The bird life comprises over 120 species, and ranges from lesser flamingos to Paradise Flycatchers, Crested Hawk Eagles, and Black Bitterns. Outside of the park are several other fascinating birding locations, including the ancient hermitage of Sithulpahuwa, Debarawewa wetland and Palatupana saltpans. The coastline forms a major nesting ground for marine turtles.

Jeeps here have 'soft-tops' to provide a degree of camouflage to humans, as well as cover from the regular showers. The drier season falls between May and August and the park closes for a short time during September and October.