The Top 10 Tourist Destinations in Asia

Chiang Mai, Thailand - Many travelers prefer Thailand's pleasant northern capital over the hectic pace of life in Bangkok. Most of the tourist action happens within Chiang Mai's Old City, where orange-robed monks from the many temples smile as they pass. From cultural festivals and sprawling night markets to mountain trekking and numerous temples -  Chiang Mai attracts over a million visitors annually who can't wait to come back.

 Penang, Malaysia - Known as the "Pearl of the Orient," Penang is a place to relax, eat to the brink of misery, and appreciate Malaysia in a new way. Malaysians are quite proud of their large island. A legacy of colonization in Penang has produced what is arguably some of the best cuisine in all of Southeast Asia. Penang hawker food combines the best of Malay with influences from Chinese and Indian immigrants to produce mouthwatering creations such as laksa noodles. Superb eating is not the only indulgence on the island. Home to nesting sea turtles, the Penang National Park is Malaysia's youngest national park.

Singapore - Notoriously expensive and needlessly shunned by budget travelers, tiny Singapore is a modern-yet-green city/country well worth a visit for the food, mega-mall shopping, and unique blend of cultures. Yes, Singapore costs far more than neighboring Malaysia or the rest of Southeast Asia, however, the city has a pleasant vibe, lively Indian and Chinese culture, speaks good English, and is pleasant enough just to stroll. You could spend months living in Singapore and still discover hidden                                                                                       places and eateries the guidebooks have missed!

Malaysian Borneo - Sabah, one of two states belonging to Malaysian Borneo, is a natural paradise. Plentiful rainforest, endangered orangutans, and indigenous cultures are certainly worth grabbing a cheap flight from Kuala Lumpur. Sabah is the perfect balance between wild and developed. Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, is a happening tourist city in the shadow of towering Mount Kinabalu.

Islands in Thailand - Some too small to merit a dot on a map, the islands in Thailand are among the world's most beautiful. Imagine white sand and blue water, cheap diving, and your choice of isolated tranquility or savage nightlife. The diversity of the Thai islands is amazing. Phuket and Koh Samui are developed, tourist hot spots with vibrant nightlife, while tiny Koh Lipe barely maintains electricity. Beautiful Koh Lanta is the perfect compromise.

Siem Reap - is the gateway for exploring one of Southeast Asia's most fascinating UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Angkor Wat. Over 900 years old, the temples of Angkor are scattered across 600 square miles of jungle. The jungle is slowly reclaiming the ancient temples as vines strangle ruins and break apart bricks. The picturesque Angkor temples frequently serve as movie sets and bring to life the inner-archaeologist in over one million visitors each year.

Beijing, China - Crowded, polluted, dreadfully appealing - love it or hate it, Beijing is the pounding heart of China. Amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Great Wall and the Forbidden City make navigating Beijing's urban sprawl well worth the effort. Give Beijing a chance; rather than fleeing from the madness, stick around long enough to become a part of it. Wandering the busy streets can actually become quite addictive.

Bali, Indonesia - Bali, with its miles of beaches and volcanic landscapes, is nothing short of magic. Once only a destination for honeymooners and surfers, Bali is now one of the top destinations in Asia. Most of the action culminates in South Bali at hedonistic Kuta Beach. Travelers in search of more than a hangover head for Ubud - the peaceful cultural center of Bali - or even opt to climb a volcano in the Kintamani Region. Excellent beaches, a welcoming Hindu culture, and beautiful scenery make Bali the busiest island in Indonesia.

Tokyo, Japan - Perhaps not the cheapest of places to visit in Asia, bustling Tokyo is the world's largest metropolitan economy, even exceeding New York City. Urban marvels, talking toilets, and an aloof culture begging to be understood await as soon as you exit the airport.

Goa, India - Goa is India's smallest and wealthiest state, mostly thanks to abundant tourism. Once mainly a haven for hippie culture and electronic music lovers, Goa has grown into a sophisticated destination. Today, many excellent beaches ranging from highly developed to relatively untouched lure travelers away from hectic Mumbai and Delhi.

Angkor, Cambodia

The temple complex of Angkor in Cambodia is an architectural masterpiece. It was built in the jungle at the beginning of the XII century, then, two centuries later, by some mysterious circumstances was abandoned by the Khmers (previously it was their the capital).


Cambodia - The Angkor temple complex

Soon the jungle swallowed Angkor, concealing it for several centuries under the dense thickets of the rainforest. The only thing that could not hide the forest, was stony ledge built which was accidentally discovered in 1861 by the French naturalist. Soon archaeologists have revealed the world a magnificent Angkor. Today, visitors are stunned by the architectural decoration and excellent stone carving. Most striking to note exquisite female figures ("apsaras"), located around Angkor.

The temple complex of Angkor is the only facility built man in the past and that the size is equal to the square of Paris. This whole "town" is called Angkor. The main building of the temple complex:

Phnom - looking at it one can tell what a destructive force have jungle. The roots of a banyan tree entangle him like a giant octopus. Banteay Srey - is a tiny "diamond" of Angkor. Sculptures of Banteay are delicious. Angkor Tom - occupies a vast territory and should be much larger than its neighbor, the temple complex of Angkor. But its construction is not as well preserved. This place is more interesting to archaeologists than for the tourists.

Asian Hotels Entice Tourists With Smells

Asian hoteliers lure tourists with fragrances. Smell properly can create memorable moments and awaken emotions. Modern systems for the fragrance for my admission to five odors in the course of the day, depending on time of day. The most popular morning scents are citrus and mint, while jasmine and vanilla, preferably before bedtime. The Scent Hotel on the Thai island of Koh Samui has transformed from a store selling fragrances in the boutique hotel that specializes in fragrances. Marriott International offers a variety of flavors in their hotels, depending on their location - the airport, the city or the beach.

InterContinental Hotels also use a variety of natural flavors in the rooms. It is predicted that in the future smells will play an increasingly important role in attracting customers, strengthening the commitment to the brand. The region has seen sales rise aromatics and flavors the air by 2014 revenue from this business should be up to $ 3 billion and $ 1.5 billion, respectively, the report said WTM on global trends - 2010 (Global Trends Report), made in conjunction with Euromonitor International.

The increasing flow of Chinese tourists

The increasing flow of Chinese tourists on the Indonesian resort of Bali, not only changes the dynamics of the tourist market, but faces figures of the gods. 

Just a few years ago, in this predominantly Hindu island of almost all of these figures depict Hindu gods, among whom the god Ganesh has an elephant head and the god Vishnu, seated on a horse with wings. "Chinese tourists - is the future of Bali, so we adapted to them many things to satisfy their tastes. The problem is that they do include full service, they have their own guides, they stay in their hotels and eat in separate restaurants, "- says Adi Vyayya, a local tourist guide.

Despite the global economic crisis, the number of Chinese tourists overseas has risen in the past year by 5.2% to 42.2 million people in 2000 was less than 7 million, while their spending increased in comparison with 2008 by 16% to $ 42mlrd .

More than two-thirds of Chinese tourists visiting Hong Kong or Macau, the two separate territories controlled by China. But now a group of Chinese tourists armed with cameras and ready to spend a lot of money when you travel, you can see around the world. The appearance of Japanese tourists on the global tourism market in the 80's of last century is nothing compared with the current stream of Chinese.

Analysts say that the emergence of Chinese tourists from almost anywhere - this is significant, a watershed event for the global tourist market. Until 2003, the only place outside Asia-Pacific area, where the Chinese government permitted to leave their visitors, were Turkey and Egypt. Since then Beijing has approved nearly 100 countries as places where the Chinese can go to rest. In June 2008, came permission to travel to the U.S., but only to those Chinese who live in the largest and most affluent areas.

Last year, at a recent French government study of the Chinese were the largest group of tourists in comparison with other countries, spending the most money shops. This is despite the fact that in 2008 about the number of Chinese tourists in France fell by 17%. French tour operators say that they are developing additional shop tours for Chinese tourists. Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, the most famous shopping malls in the heart of Paris, made a special label and introduced special services for Chinese customers.

The Italian government is developing a costly program to attract wealthy Chinese, thus attempting to halt a growing flow of Chinese coming to the country on a tourist visa and then illegally to stay there.

In the U.S., some hotels, including Marriott International, introduced in the Chinese restaurant menu for breakfast and to employ personnel of various ranks who speaks Chinese. "The Chinese tourists have a great desire to travel abroad az, besides a very noticeable increase in their welfare. We in turn try to understand what can bring them to our resorts located throughout the world, "- said Mr. Marriott.

Results of research conducted by host countries, show that the Chinese like most do shopping and the vast majority of them prefer to travel in a group. The bulk of Chinese tourists do not care about the conditions in which they stop, as they prefer to save money on hotels, to spend more in stores. "This is part of culture, when I go abroad I have to bring gifts to parents and friends. There is another explanation: the expensive things, such as bags of firm «Hermès» can not be bought in China, "- said the young Chinese tourists, which often goes shopping in the U.S. and Europe.

This recently formed in the tourist area made the tour operator precedence expensive TourService «DmAfrica» close its sales office in Shanghai that sold safari tours in Africa. "We came to this decision, because the Chinese tourists who want to buy expensive foreign trips there. The Chinese want to spend money on things, but not at hotels, "- said Paul Humphreys, executive director of the company.

He said that the tour operators in China are tied to commissions from shopping, Chinese tourists and tours often sell discount, receiving and then profit from the commission of the retail price. This in turn increases the interest in shopping.

"Today the system is based on commissions received from purchases made by tourists. We have a rather strange situation where the majority of foreign tour operators are losing money or going bankrupt because of the small commission from the purchases of tourists. So on the day on five hits stores account for only one sightseeing. When started traveling the Japanese and Koreans, they too rode groups and focus on shopping. Now, finally, the tourists will go to Paris with a cultural program, visit the Louvre or participate in a master class on chocolate making, instead of running headlong for the purchase of bags in the shopping center "Louis Vuitton", "- said Guy Rubin, a partner of Imperial Tours in Beijing.

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent...

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area (or 29.9% of its land area) and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.

The wealth of Asia differs very widely between and within each region. This is due to its vast size and huge range of different cultures, environments, historical ties and government systems. In terms of nominal GDP, Japan has the largest economy on the continent and the second largest in the world. In purchasing power parity term, however, the People's Republic of China has the largest economy in Asia and the second largest in the world.

Asia is a continent that has been very important to the World. People have been living there for thousands of years. In fact, the first traces of civilization began in Mesopotamia, a part of Asia. Asia is the continent with the huge country of China. In the 15th and 16th century, a great monument in China was being built. It is called the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall is the only man made super structure that can be seen from space. It is also a monument of human advancement considering that it was built in times before our major technological ages.

Today though, many people in Asia live normal lives by American standards. Asian children go to school, while their parents go to work. Though some of their customs may be different, their basic lives are much like ours.

Asia is also the largest continent in size and population with a population that is over half the Earth's population most is in China.