The museum also houses displays of Zoroastrian and Buddhist artifacts. Khujand is the country’s second largest city and an ancient Silk Road trade center. Located at the entrance to the fertile Fergana Valley, Khujand is cited as the easternmost city established by Alexander the Great. As such, it has a rich history and many preserved architectural and cultural sites. It also happens to be a popular mountaineering center in a country where half the land lies higher than 9,000 feet above sea level and which has a number of peaks taller than 20,000 feet. Near to the border with Uzbekistan is Penjikent, which lay on the only route from the East to Samarkand and flourished from the 5th Century. Arabs destroyed the city in the 8th Century and the ruins were discovered in the last hundred years.

Today, the excavation site has been turned into a memorial reserve where tourists can visit a medieval citadel, palace, public buildings, dwellings and a necropolis. Midway between Penjikent and Dushanbe lies the emerald gem Iskander Kul (lake). The lake is at an elevation of 7,000 among the 4,000 plus peaks of the Fan mountains, which contain many other hiking, fishing or skiing spots for Dushanbe’s residents. To the east is the larger Kara Kul situated amongst high, barren highlands that, with their errie atmosphere and yak herds, are reminiscent of Tibet. The lake is often accessed from Kyrgyzstan, heading west from Osh.

The Ancient Dynasties cruise lasts for two full weeks and includes trips to Honk Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, China, Taipei, Taiwan, Kagoshima, Japan, as well as offering an “Adventures In Beijing” land tour once the cruise has completed. The Mysteries of Asia excursion includes overnight stays in many cities including Nagasaki, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Osaka. Optional land tours are also available with this particular cruise package. The Kingdoms of Jade & Gold will take the traveler from Hong Kong to Singapore with several stops included, and this adventure lasts for a total of eleven days. The Exotic Asian Odyssey goes to Thailand, Myanmar and India. It lasts for an extensive sixteen days and many land excursions are also available.

While cruising through the open sea you can enjoy the many amenities offered aboard the cruise ship. The ship can accommodate 940 guests, and features a full service fitness facility, a Jacuzzi and two swimming pools, a Caesar’s Palace casino, a teak Promenade Deck, and a wide variety of live entertainment and exquisite cuisine. On any given night, or during the day for that matter, the entertainment choices seem virtually endless. On board entertainment choices include Broadway style shows, classical musicians, jugglers, ventriloquists, comedians, live jazz in the piano bar, dancing in a choice of lounges, a movie theater which features new and recently released motion pictures, as well as offering lectures on such topics as golf, gambling, health & fitness and so much more.

Some cruises that travel to Asia also have stops in Hawaii, and these will allow you to enjoy island life for a day before setting off on the Pacific Ocean as you head towards Hong Kong. While many cruises that offer a stop over in Hong Kong have predetermined land excursions that all passengers must participate in, other cruises allow passengers to plan their own day trips while in Hong Kong. If your cruise affords you this worthwhile opportunity, one of the things that you must see is Victoria Peak. Victoria Peak is in essence a mountain that features magnificent restaurants, wonderful shopping, and the most gorgeous views in all of Hong Kong. The top of Victoria Peak can be reached by taking the Peak Tram, which will afford you the opportunity to see all that the Peak has to offer as you make your way to the top.

There are really so many options. Exclude those countries that are at war or have a high level of violence associated with them at the moment. Then, break down the possibilities according to what interests you most. Is it religion, cuisine, architecture, art, crafts, natural phenomenon, history, a particular event, or even a particular animal? Choose a category or come up with your own and then consider further breaking down the chosen category.

Building On An Idea

For instance, an interest in the religions found in Asia could center around Hinduism and a trip focused on visiting the various areas where Hinduism is concentrated. Building on this idea add the category of architecture. Now you can locate and visit the Hindu temples in the regions you have identified. Further add the crafts that are associated with the Hindu religion and you now have something to collect on your trip.

Lets try another one. Start with cuisine. Maybe you love hot, spicy food. What makes food hot and spicy? What if your whole trip centered around chili? Discover which country has the kind of spicy food you love best and not only eat your way through the trip but visit the farms and people where these chili’s are grown and harvested. Build this trip further by learning about the history of the plant and discover whether there are particular tribes, a person or a location connected to the cuisine and worth adding to your trip.

Triggering The Travel Bug

In taking the first steps to plan a trip, you may stumble upon a new idea or path to follow. If a topic tugs at your interest, read up on it and see where it takes you.

Another way to choose an Asian destination is to plan a trip based on a favorite region. Even a trip like this can be overwhelming to plan due to the vast landscape of Asia. Each country, each city, each street corner is filled with something worth traveling to see.

Known as the ‘sunny republic,’ Uzbekistan is arid with annual rainfall between only 4 and 8 inches. But its heavily irrigated river valleys make it the second largest cotton exporter in the world. It also contains important mineral resources and is a world leader in gold production.

Historically, Uzbekistan is exceedingly rich, making it a truly great tourist destination. More than 4,000 historic sites dot the country, and thus its stature as the pearl of the ancient Silk Road. Civilization was already ancient here when Alexander the Great conquered the region in the 4th Century BC. Up until the discovery of ocean routes to India and China, Uzbekistan lay at the crossroads of communication between East and West and was the center of trade and exchange of ideas.

The conqueror Tamerlane (1336-1405) was born near present day Shahrisabz and created an empire that extended throughout Central Asia to Turkey and south to the Ganges. Tamerlane was also a patron of the arts and transformed Samarkand into a magnificent capital for his empire. Importing artisans from conquered territories, He and later rulers commissioned majestic buildings many of which still stand.

Central among them is the Registan, which was the heart of the city. Madrasahs or Muslim religious academies face three sides of the square, giving, one built by Tamerlane’s grandson who also built an observatory which he used to advance the science of astronomy during his reign.

Another legendary city is Bukhara, lying to the west. Another oases for Silk Road caravans, Bukhara became one of the great learning centers in the Muslim world and spawned the mystical Sufi sect of Islam. The city today still contains 350 mosques and supports more than 100 religious academies. With narrow streets, many parks and gardens, numerous historical sites and lively bazaars, a visit to this ancient city will satisfy a diverse range of interests. Travel here and you are sure to find something that resonates with your spirit.

Two of these wonders of the Asia are also included in the Seven Wonders of the World list. These are Taj Mahal in India and the Great Wall of China. The former, the Taj Mahal is called as the “Symbol of Love” and is simply a superb sight for the tourist. The Great Wall of China is the protective wall which 6400 km along the border of the country. In addition to these, there are sites too which include the Petronas Twin Towers of Malaysia, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Mount Everest, Dead Sea, Flaming cliffs, Baikal lake, Ajanta Ellora, Shanghai Financial Centre, Osaka Castle, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Phang Nga Bay, etc. Some of these wonders are natural sites, others are man made. But they all have one thing in common which is great aesthetic beauty with which these are beautifully endowed.

Should you travel to Southeast Asia, you are going to need a place to make your base. Thailand is an excellent choice based on my trips to the region. It is very inexpensive, yet the infrastructure is excellent. It simply makes a great place to launch any exploration of the region.

Vietnam has become quite the tourist destination. Of course most people want to go to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, which was a focal center during the Vietnam War. Although modernized now, just the history of these popular cities attracts people from all over the world. You will need a tourist Visa before entering most of Vietnam. Indonesia is another hot spot, more specifically the Island of Bali. Interestingly, you can bring almost anything to Bali except for CD players, which are prohibited.

Asia is the largest continent in the world by a considerable margin, and it is rich in
natural resources, such as petroleum and iron. When you travel Asia, you want to make sure
that you have the flexibility for an occasional adventure. If you are planning to travel to
Asia within the next year, and are looking for some fun festivities to attend, then we have
some incredible Asian festivals for you to check out during your travels.

Asia is one of the most extraordinary and diverse continent in terms of people and travel
destinations. Asia is one of the seven continents in the world. But even though it is the
seventh continent but it is the largest continent among all. Asia has about more than half
of entire of the world’s population, which mostly they are in China and India. Different
Asian festivals are listed below which you must see if you visit Asia anytime.

* The Monkey God Festival This deity has been celebrated during the month of September at
Kowloon’s Sau Mau Ping Temple. The Monkey God first appeared in Chinese literature during
the Ming Dynasty in the book, “Pilgrims to the West”.

* The Festival of the Hungry Ghosts Hong Kong hosts this unusual yearly event, held on the
14th day of the seventh moon.

* Asakusa Samba Tokyo’s version of the Rio Carnival happens every August, in the Asakusa
district.

* Yasothon Rocket Festival In the middle of May, things get very noisy for Asian travelers
to the Phaya Thaen Park in Thailand.

* Parade of the God of Medicine On the 15th day of the third lunar month, the city of Taiwan
is taken over by this world-renowned Asian festivity – a must for travelers in the area
because of its spectacular parade.

Asia offers travelers a huge variety of places to visit, things to do and, cultures to see.

If you are visiting Asia for the very time then we insist you to visit following places.
* India: It is Asia’s largest and most heavily populated countries.
* Korea: It is one of the most westernized of all Asian nations.
* China: China is rapidly emerging as the top destination for travelers to Asia.
* Vietnam: Vietnam is reshaping its image among world travel destinations.
* Thailand: Thailand is the most popular tourist destination. Thailand is one of the most popular in all of Asia, as well.
* Japan: Japan has something for every traveler who visits. The hardest thing is fitting it all in.
* Philippines: Those who do visit will enjoy beautiful spots like the Boracay beaches and Lake Sebu.
* Indonesia: Indonesia will show you an exciting and wonderful Asian travel destination.