Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort Travelling Fast or Slow: What’s Your Style?
Why I choose to let my children travel young? Thambili - the “Coconut King” of Sri Lanka Dive Into Love and Say “I Do” … Underwater! GREETINGS
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Greetings from Exotic Voyages! Welcome to the latest edition of Travel in Style! We are enjoying the holidays here and have had the pleasure of setting up a lot of unforgettable holiday trips and tours for travelers to Vietnam, Thailand and our other magical destinations. There is no greater joy than having a chance to share the holiday spirit of Asia with our customers and readers! Speaking of which, we have plenty to share with you in this month’s Travel in Style! In the pages of this month’s issue, we will take you on a journey of travel discovery: • Plan a luxury stay in Angkor at a premiere boutique resort for the time of your life. • Explore Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, one of the most innovative destinations in Thailand. Here you can learn to ride one of Asia’s most beloved creatures. Take a trek on an elephant’s back for an experience like no other. • Should you hit a dozen destinations in your next Asian tour, or should you take a more leisurely, laid-back approach, planning an extended stay in just one or two locations? Discover your travel style and learn how to pace your vacation to craft the itinerary of your dreams! • Find out what it’s like to tie the knot in an underwater wedding in Thailand! There really is no more unique way to say “I do!” • Learn about the first-ever Vietnam Silk Culture Festival. • Enjoy our advice on Asian fashion, cuisine, and more! Ready to get started? Turn the page to start exploring Samar Villas & Spa Resort, Angkor’s best kept secret. Remember, if you are ready to plan your own vacation to Asia to check out some of the amazing destinations and events we share in our magazine in person, you can reach us anytime at +1 (800) 858-4114. We would love to help you plan your tour. Thank you again for your support—every one of our readers means the world to us. Enjoy our newest Travel in Style!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Travel in Style
5 7 10 14 18
Food Experiences
23 24 28
Asia Insight
33 34 38 42
Women with Travel
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Plan the Ultimate Luxury Getaway in Angkor Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort Travelling Fast or Slow: What’s Your Style? Why I choose to let my children travel young?
Thambili - the “Coconut King” of Sri Lanka The Food Memories of My Childhood
The Vietnam-Asia Silk Culture Festival is Bringing Traditional Silk Back to the Modern Lifestyle Tulip World in Chéngdū Dive Into Love and Say “I Do” … Underwater!
Tokyo: Asia’s Fashion Hub
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TRAVEL I N S T Y L E It’s all about NEW! New hotels. Hot destinations. Trendy activities and experiences. Be inspired by our latest travel ideas and inspirations
Plan the Ultimate Luxury Getaway in Angkor
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s the capital city of the Khmer Empire, the ruins of Angkor Wat are some of the most majestic anywhere in the world. Step into a world drenched in mystery and mysticism, exploring any of a thousand temples. You will find yourself swept away by the
history and wonder of one of the world’s most important holy sites. But where should you stay during your Angkor Wat excursion? Where can you immerse yourself in luxury without removing yourself from the timeless splendor of the Angkor experience? GREETINGS
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There are a lot of options, but with millions of visitors flocking to Angkor every year, you want to choose a resort which stands apart from the crowd and offers you some seclusion. For that, we recommend heading to the charming resort town of Siem Reap and booking a stay at the nearby Samar Villas & Spa Resort. The Samar Villas & Spa Resort is a boutique hotel located just outside the city proper. This puts you comfortably close to the shops and attractions of town, but keeps you removed from the noise and crowds. Steeped in the relaxing beauty of the Angkor region, the 8
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resort’s architecture features stunning traditional accents while the rooms are comfortably appointed with plasma TV, WiFi, air conditioning, a mini-bar and all the other modern amenities you could need. While you are staying at Samar Villas & Spa Resort, you can book a relaxing, rejuvenating spa appointment, dine on traditional cuisine at the hotel’s gourmet restaurant, or even take a Khmer cooking class so that you can take a taste of Cambodia home with you. Those interested in the history of Angkor will be delighted to delve into the records in the hotel’s Archaeological Library. Included in every booking are breakfast, high tea (or ice cream), a free shave or facial, shoe-cleaning, traditional sandals, and your choice of organic soap. Free transfer is available to and from the airport, and if you stay at least three nights, you can enjoy one free dinner of the day or Apsara dinner show. But the most amazing surprise is the price! You might expect a boutique resort like this to charge hundreds of dollars a night, but prices start as low as US$124 off-season. There really is no finer way to take in the magic and allure of Angkor Wat than to bask in the comfort and style of a stay at the lavish Samar Villas & Spa Resort!
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Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort
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f just one hotel in Thailand should be on your bucket list, it is the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort. While there are many beautiful, luxurious hotels throughout Thailand, Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp truly is a destination like no other, because it is here that you can get up close and personal with Asia’s beloved pachyderms! You will find Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort deep in the jungle
in the Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand. This is a popular tourist area, so chances are good there are a few other sites you will want to visit here. The bamboo forests, gardens, and rice paddies are make for lush surroundings with the hotel itself overlooking the Mekong river. The resort is actually an elephant rescue operation founded in 2006. At present, 20 elephants are living at the resort, and when you come to stay here, you get to walk with TRAVEL IN STYLE
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them, ride them, and learn how to take care of them!
through the forest! At the elephant bathing bond or Ruak River, the pachyderms take their bath. You can stay on shore (to stay There are a few different activities available dry) or join in and play with the elephants at the resort, all of which immerse you in the while they bathe! wonderful world of pachyderms: While you are staying at the resort, you also get to enjoy relaxing at the Anantara Spa, • The Elephant Learning Experience: Enjoy a conservation discussion hosted by and at Dining by Design, you can partake an elephant expert, and then visit the Baby of delicious local cuisine. Burgeoning Thai chefs can also learn from a master at Elephant Camp to feed the most adorable Anantara’s Spice Spoons Thai cooking school. little elephants! Learn how elephants eat, bathe, communicate, and more. Many of the mahouts’ wives weave silk as well, and provide complimentary tours of • Walking With Giants: Want to know their traditional silk weaving process. how elephants live in the wild? While the camp’s elephants are of course domesticated For any animal lover, a stay at Anantara and cared for by their mahouts, Walking Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort is unforgettable, a highlight that will stand With Giants allows you to accompany them out forever as one of the most unique and on their daily free roaming time. Stroll on foot with the elephants through the jungle treasured experiences of your life. It is also a or the grasslands and see how they behave in chance to help with the camp’s conservation efforts. When you book a reservation, THB their natural habitats. 2,000 is donated to the Golden Triangle • Traditional Mahout Training: While the Asian Elephant Foundation! experiences above are amazing, the most Ready to book your own adventure at exciting part for most guests is Traditional Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Mahout Training! During training, you are Resort? Call us today at +1 (800) 858-4114 paired with an elephant and are taught the and we will help you to set up your stay with commands to guide the elephant. You learn the pachyderms! how to mount, and then you take a ride
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Travelling Fast or What’s Your Style?
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ith modern technology, business travel has become even more convenient for everyone. However, it has also become the justification for some companies to cut-back on costs spent on business trips for their employees since most business transactions nowadays can all be done online. When I was a child, my parents took me on a lot of trips, which was great—but their idea of travel was very much to spend an afternoon in one city, hop in the car, travel to another, spend an afternoon there, and move on to the next, covering as much land as they could in as little time as possible. I especially remember a cruise we went on—which I loved—but I felt so rushed going from island to island. By the time I got a feel for one locale, it was onto the next. As an adult, I’ve planned my trips very differently. I usually travel to one location and spend a few days or a week there, and then head home.
I love travelling this way, but I also realize it probably would have bored my parents to tears. This is a topic I haven’t seen a lot of people discuss in travel magazines. And when I do see it brought up, it is usually with one person claiming that travelling fast is the way to travel, or travelling at a slow and leisurely pace is the right way. But really, the only “right” way to travel is the way which is right for you! So should you travel fast or slow? Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help you figure out your travelling style. 1. What is your budget? You might think that squeezing a lot of stops into a short trip would be better for your wallet, but ironically, slow travel is usually cheaper, assuming you can afford the time off. If you are staying longer in one spot, you can typically get a better deal on your hotel or hostel. Oftentimes all the
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utilities you need are included. If you are interested in extended trips where you stay in a location for a month or longer, seasonal employment may also be an option. 2. Do you have a big bucket list? If there are a dozen places in China you would love to visit, and you are only likely to visit China once, fast travel may be a better option. That way you can at least hit a lot of sites on your bucket list before you have to head home. 3. Do you like to really immerse yourself in a place and get to know its people? There are so many experiences which a tourist swinging through a location for a few hours or days is going to miss. Only by staying for a few weeks or a month are you able to absorb these experiences for yourself and really get to know a place and its people, its moods and its quirks. Fast travellers never learn what it is like to live in a place and be a part of it, whereas slow travellers get to have that special experience.
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4. Do you get bored standing still? While the idea of spending a month in a seaside village in Thailand or Malaysia might sound exciting at first, many people who are natural fast travellers have a hard time staying entertained after a week has gone by. 5. Would you find it exhilarating to wake up to a new horizon every day? There is a certain thrill to waking up in Thailand one day and Vietnam the next and China the day after that. That is something you cannot experience travelling slowly. 6. What kind of stamina do you possess? For a lot of people who prefer slow travelling, fast travelling can be exhausting! Then again, for those who itch to move on after a short time in one spot, that can be true of slow travel as well. Ultimately the key to enjoying your next vacation is to figure out the answers to these questions so that you can discover whether you are a fast or slow traveller. There is no right or wrong answer here! Which style of travel do you prefer?
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’m a military brat, so I literally grew up travelling. Every three years or so my family relocated. The most memorable assignment was to Okinawa, Japan, which gave me a chance to immerse myself in a foreign culture at a formative age. That experience changed my life forever. When we were given that assignment, my parents were actually offered a choice between Japan and Oklahoma. What really blew my mind (in a bad way) was how many families we knew in the military who were offered a choice like that and turned down the chance to move to a foreign country. Why? The reason they cited was always the same: “We can’t travel abroad for three years with kids!” This is a common attitude I’ve encountered a great deal since. I’m a mother myself now with two young children, and we love to travel as a family! But I still know other mothers who just won’t do it. “Oh, we’ll wait until the kids get older,” they say.
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Why to Let M Trave
y I Choose My Children el Young? There are a number of reasons why parents are chary of travelling with young children. Here are just a few I’ve heard: • “They aren’t old enough to remember.” • “Kids need stability and a sense of home.” • “They are too young to appreciate it.” • “Children should be immersed in their own cultures before others.” • “Travelling with a kid is inconvenient.” In my opinion, that last reason is probably the main real reason that a lot of parents are hesitant TRAVEL IN STYLE
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to travel with young children. Travelling even with older children can be logistically challenging; if you are travelling with a toddler or baby, it will be even tougher. I firmly believe it is worth it though, both for you and for your children. Why? Here are just a few really good reasons: 1. Even if your kids are too young to remember, you are not. Travelling with young children is a wonderful way to build family memories, even if your kids are still toddlers or babies! You and your partner will remember every moment. And young kids do internalize their early experiences. They become part of their development, even if it happens at an unconscious level. 2. Home is where the heart is. Stability and a sense of home are not just tied to a single location— they are woven into what it means to be a family! Travelling is a great way to teach your children that home is something you can bring with you wherever you go—and sometimes discover in unexpected places. 3. Experiences help develop appreciation. How can kids learn to appreciate new experiences if you do not expose them to new experiences when they are young? This is a key part of their development. 4. Children should be exposed to other cultures. In a world where intolerance is rooted at a deep level in many societies, we need more kids growing up with an understanding of foreign 20
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cultures and a deep-seated respect for different ways of life and thinking. Travel builds tolerance and kindness. 5. Your children will grow up with more independence and less fear. When your children are exposed to different perspectives and lifestyles and have a chance to move through the world, they develop independence, learning many important life skills. They grow up less fearful and more willing to embrace diversity and new experiences. So should you let your children travel when they are young? Absolutely, so long as you can do it safely! Yes, the logistics will take some thought and time to figure out, but it is so worthwhile, both for you and especially for your kids. I am so grateful as an adult that I had a chance to travel when I was a child. It opened my eyes and helped make me the person I am today. So consider bringing your kids along with you on your next trip; it can bring the same life-changing value into their lives!
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FOOD E X P E R I E NC E S Taste the world in your way Dining experiences by gourmet travelers. Sharing addresses for good food and authentic gastronomy.
Thambili the “Coconut King” of Sri Lanka
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alk down just about any major thoroughfare in Sri Lanka, and you will notice that the streets are paved in gold—gold fruit, that is. Ranging from gold to orange in colour, the Thembili, known colloquially as the “King of Coconuts,” can be found just about everywhere. You’ll see these hefty coconuts hanging from trees and stacked high on street stands. Anytime you want a delicious refreshment, you need only walk up to a vendor and buy one, insert a straw, and enjoy. It would really be tragic to miss out on this opportunity while you are visiting Sri Lanka. “King Coconuts” are quite distinctive both in terms of appearance and flavour, a delicious local treat you won’t want to miss while you are travelling in Sri Lanka. They still are not widely available around the globe, so you will want to partake while you have the chance. Many westerners are really only familiar with one variety of coconut, the brown hairy type which grows in southern Florida and Hawaii. When these coconuts are young, they are known as “green coconuts.” These are the coconuts that you typically find for sale in western supermarkets. The “Coconut King” Thembili has a crisp, delicate flavour. It is hard to describe this flavour if you have never tried it before, but once you do, you will discover how distinctive it is. Even though coconuts the world over are delicious, there is really nothing to compare with the Coconut King.
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Much like the golden orange colour of a citrus fruit, the colour of the King Coconut is indicative of a higher concentration of vitamin C than you find in the green coconuts common in the west. As with other coconut varieties, Thembili contains a healthy dose of electrolytes. This makes Thembili coconut water the perfect beverage to refresh you when you are dehydrated. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, water from the King Coconut is mixed with Aralu powder. It is believed that this brew is particularly potent for reviving and invigorating the body and mind. The Aralu mixture also works as a laxative, so if you are looking for a cleanse, it is a fast-acting purifying treatment (don’t worry—the coconut on its own will not produce this effect). Up until a couple of years ago, it was virtually impossible to buy Thembili coconut water outside of Sri Lanka and the neighbouring countries. Now there are a few exported ready-to-drink (RTD) products making
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their way to supermarket shelves around the world. These drinks make it possible for people around the globe to enjoy the refreshing flavour and nutrition of the King Coconut, even if they cannot travel to Sri Lanka. It is quite likely that more and more brands of King Coconut water will be exported over the coming years as more and more people discover this revitalizing beverage. Will the fruit itself ever be available overseas? It is certainly possible—more and more fruits are being exported globally these days. But the reality is that the Coconut King is quite heavy, and shipping it would be extremely expensive. So while RTD beverages are starting to crop up around the world, it is unlikely you will be able to buy an actual Thembili coconut in the west anytime soon. So if you are going to be visiting Sri Lanka, you will definitely want to take advantage of the chance to taste this local super-fruit. Thankfully those chances abound on every street corner. Once you try Thembili, the King of Coconuts, you will want to savour as many of these refreshing, hydrating fruits as you can before you head out of the country!
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THE FOOD MEMORIES OF MY CHILDHOOD 28
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hen I was in grade school, I came home one day from school to the exciting announcement from my parents that we would be moving to Japan! My father had just received a transfer to Kadena Air Base, and we would be spending the next three years living in Okinawa.
flavoured with soy sauce which you can now find in western supermarkets.
I was instantly in love. We lived off base for the first month or so before we could be allocated base housing. I was maybe six or seven years old, and was permitted to walk a couple of blocks to the nearby convenience store by I don’t need to tell you that those myself—one of my first childhood tastes three years provided me with abundant of independence. So naturally I went at transformative experiences that helped to every opportunity. shape my lifelong identity in unexpected I can still taste a lot of the foods and ways. But perhaps the first exposure to Japanese culture that I ever received came beverages I tried during that time. Along with arare, I enjoyed senbei rice in the form of food! crackers—which were also sometimes When we disembarked at the airport served in class by my Japanese culture in Japan, someone handed me a bag of teacher, a wonderful woman who had arare rice snacks. For those not in the played her koto for the emperor, and who know, these are the little bite-size crackers played it for us. I enjoyed a number of FOOD EXPERIENCES
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sweets as well. Along with the ubiquitous Pocky sticks (now available in the US), I adored Meiji Hello Panda treats and Choco Boy chocolate and biscuit “mushrooms.” And don’t get me started on mochi, a type of glutinous rice cake confection. In particular, Daifuku, which contains a sweet filling, is utterly delicious. Mochi come in pastel colours, typically white, pink, or green. On that note, another favourite was onigiri. This is a type of rice ball which contains some kind of special filling—usually salmon, kelp, smoked tuna, salted roe, or bean paste. In Japan, you can order onigiri in restaurants, but you can also pick it up at convenience stores. It has truly been a joy to me over the past few years seeing how many of my favourite childhood foods from Japan are now available in the West. I remember pining after rice crackers and udon soba for years, and now I can walk into my local supermarket and pick them up! I was also thrilled at a trade show a few years ago when I came across a stand for Yakult, a yogurt-based probiotic beverage that I loved drinking in Japan as a kid. When I told the representative about my time in Japan, he gifted me with a full case of Yakult. It was like having a taste of my childhood! Perhaps my favourite childhood treat was a brand of caffeinated chewing gum called Black Black, manufactured by Japanese snack giant Lotte. The gum is black in colour and has a sharp medicinal flavour. Since Wired Magazine did a write-up on it in 2003, it actually has become a hit in the US. I still have a pack of uneaten Black Black that I purchased in my childhood, a souvenir of my special time in Japan. The bottom line here is this: If you have a chance to visit Japan, you should take every opportunity available to you to partake of the local food! That includes not just the amazing sushi, but also the snack foods and treats and beverages you can pick up in any Japanese convenience store. While you can now buy some of them in the US, there are a lot of amazing foods you can still only get in Japan. What I wouldn’t give for some onigiri right now! But hey, at least I can enjoy rice crackers and udon. Try Japanese food while you are travelling overseas and you will discover a culinary love for life!
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ASIA INSIGHT Dive deep to listen to the sounds, catch the sights and feel the soul of Asia. A close-up look into Asia’s local life, sharp insight of customs, religion, culture and the rhythm of life and spirit
The Vietnam-Asia Silk Festival is Bringing Tr Silk Back to the Modern Lifestyle
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ietnam is a country known for its beautiful textiles. Walk into a Vietnamese silk shop or clothing store and you will find yourself swept up in a rainbow of vibrant hues: pinks, blues, greens, golds, oranges, and other mesmerizing, prismatic hues.
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But how are these gorgeous silks made? What is the history of silk culture in Vietnam? What modern techniques have taken the silk culture of Vietnam in new directions? And where can you buy the most beautiful silks to bring home from your trip to Asia? One way to discover the answers is to attend the Vietnam-Asia Silk Culture Festival, which is the official event of the Asia Silk Alliance and the International Silk Union. In 2016, the event took place for the first time ever in Hoi An Silk Village in the central Quang Nam province, and ran two
k Culture raditional
days from March 28th through March 29th. Hoi An Silk Village is one of the seven founding members of the Asia Silk Alliance. Nine countries including Vietnam, China, India, Japan, Myanmar, and Thailand sent more than 70 delegates to the event to showcase their work. Next year’s event is expected to be even larger. Silk culture is vital to the culture and economic stability of Vietnam, in particular the Quang Nam region. As Dinh Hai, Director of the Quang Nam Provincial Department of Culture,
Sports, and Tourism explains, “Over the last 10 years, the silk sector has lots its market. Quang Nam province has put in a place a scheme to restore silk craft villages in Nam Phuc, Duy Xuyen, and Duy Trinh districts. These villages have preserved and promoted the craft of silk weaving.” TRAVEL ASIA IN INSIGHT STYLE
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What can you can expect if you attend next year’s festival? 2017’s silk festival will likely feature ceremonies, festivities and seminars similar to those featured during the 2016 event. At last year’s silk festival in Hoi An, guests attended a seminar called “Silk in Modern Life,” where they learned more about the role of silk culture in modern Vietnam. They also had the opportunity to check out the work of young rising stars in the design world as they watched the fashion show “Night of Oriental Silk Fashion.” Attendees at the event were able to discover the traditional silk weaving techniques of the Tan Chau silk craft village as well as traditional Cham techniques for making patterns. Catu traditional brocade weaving was showcased as well. Participants also enjoyed the incense-offering ceremony to Tam Tang Princess. Just how popular was 2016’s silk festival? Reportedly almost 100,000 visitors from Vietnam and countries all over the world descended on Hoi An Silk Village to enjoy all that the festival had to offer. If you attend the Vietnam-Asia Silk Culture Festival in 2017, you will be able to learn everything you could dream about silkmaking as you watch the process firsthand in the village showroom. You will behold many of the most spectacular silk fashions being produced throughout Vietnam today. This really is an unparalleled opportunity to immerse yourself in a beautiful and time-honored world of traditional art and fashion. But just as importantly, you will be helping to revitalize a key traditional industry that 36
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remains essential to Vietnam’s modern society. Last year’s festival was a marvelous success, and next year’s is bound to be even more spectacular. You have a chance to be a part of that! We would be happy to help you plan a tour which includes the next Vietnam-Asia Silk Culture Festival, so please get in touch with us if you would like to attend!
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TULIP WORLD IN CHÉNGDŪ
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capital of the Sichuan province in southwestern China. Chéngdū itself may not seem like much; the weather tends to be grey and the traffic can be a nightmare. But it’s a lively and unique city with a lot to offer.
To experience the wonder of China’s tulip fields, you will want to book a trip to Chéngdū, the
Less than half an hour from the Chéngdū city centre is a region called Pujiang, known as the “garden of Chéngdū.” More than half of Pujiang is covered in forest land, and the government has declared it a national-level ecology county. Pujiang is beautiful at any time of the
hen you think about tulips, what is the first country that springs to mind? For a lot of people, it is the flat tulip fields of the Netherlands. But Holland is not the only place to behold the spectacular colour and beauty of tulips. As it turns out, one of the most remarkable tulip displays on the planet is located in China.
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year, but the best time to visit is in March—the time of tulips! During March, thousands of tourists from all around the world flock to Shixianghu (which translates to “Stone Elephant”) Lake near Pujiang River. Here you can explore grassy lawns, wetlands, and some of the most gorgeous tulip displays you can imagine. This is the largest tulip festival in all of Asia, boasting numerous varieties in a rainbow of hues. Winding pathways lead you through elegantly landscaped tulip gardens. From a distance, the tulips look like stripes of white, red, pink, yellow, orange, and purple gracefully arcing over the gentle rises and falls and falls in the land. In the backdrop, you can behold the spectacular dense green foliage of the surrounding forests. For many people, the tulips are such an incredible experience that
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they easily spend hours walking around without realizing how much time has passed. For a different perspective, you can rent a boat and go out on the water. The reflections of the tulips in the lake are dreamlike, painting the water with vivid colours like running paint. Up close, you will see that many of the fragrant tulips actually showcase multiple hues. Some for example are pink and white, while others feature an elegant spectrum from orange to red. The tulips at Shixianghu Lake in Pujiang bloom between March and May. Later in the year, the park is renowned for its lilies and roses. After you have seen the tulips, heading back to Chéngdū, you will find plenty more to do. If you enjoy art, you can visit the Chéngdū Museum of Contemporary Art, or the Sichuan Art Museum. Other popular sights include the Wénshū Temple,
time to hit the Panda Research Base, Wúhóu Temple, and the Qīngyáng as this is when the pandas tend to be Temple. There are also many most active. delicious restaurants in Chéngdū. If you are looking for nightlife, there are So if you are a flower enthusiast, some incredible clubs and bars. and you want to enjoy an aromatic stroll that will steal your breath away, The most popular destination in make sure that you travel to Chéngdū town is probably the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, which during the Shixianghu Lake Tulip Festival. Tiptoe through the tulips, is currently home to almost 120 take photos, breathe in the beautiful giant pandas and 76 red pandas. Interestingly enough, breeding season redolence of thousands of colourful blossoms, and create memories to last falls between March and May—the a lifetime! exact same time that the flowers are in bloom. If you happen to visit later in the year in the fall or winter, you will probably get a chance to see some newborn pandas. Morning is the best
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DIVE IN LOVE AND SA “I DO”.. UNDERWA 42
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NTO E AY .. … ATER!
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o you dream of a traditional Thai wedding … but at the same time wish you could do something totally different and unique? If so, you may want to think about taking the plunge—literally—and saying “I do” underwater! You will find the district of Trang along the Andaman Coast of Thailand near the border with Malaysia. This area is renowned for its natural beauty, particularly underwater, where you can snorkel and dive in some of the most colourful coral reefs you can imagine. In the 1990s, one adventurous couple requested a wedding underwater at Trang. The governor at the time, Khun Yongyudh Vichaidit, and the President of the Trang Chamber of Commerce, Khun Surin Tohtubtiang, helped to make their dream a reality. They signed their wedding certificate underwater in a legally binding ceremony, and launched a new trend—underwater weddings in Trang. In fact, the underwater wedding ceremony has become an annual event, one which has grown to be quite popular. Each year, couples from all around the world don diving gear and get married in Trang. The weddings are all held jointly on the same day each year, and in 2000, the event was recorded in the Guinness World Records as “The Largest Underwater Wedding Ceremony!”
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If you dream of getting married underwater, you will need to travel to Trang in February. Coinciding with Valentine’s Day, the annual event takes place from February 13th-15th. You do need to be a certified diver to participate. If you show up a few days early, you can book the Discover Scuba Dive Course. This will get you all set up to dive on your wedding day! When you book an underwater Trang wedding, you get VIP treatment. Flying from Bangkok to Trang, you will be met at the airport by traditional Thai dancers who will shower you with flower petals. You will then dress in a traditional Thai outfit and walk as part of a procession with the other couples through town as well-wishers greet you and cheer. You get to enjoy a two night accommodation in a deluxe suite with your loved one. Included in your expenses (30,000 THB per couple) are meals, costuming, hairstyling, makeup, travelling expenses in town, diving equipment, wedding registration, and souvenirs). Travel packages are of course available for guests as well. For 1,500 THB per adult and 1,000 THB per child, your guests can enjoy a welcome dinner on the 13th and a celebration dinner on the 14th. On the day of your wedding, you will travel to the island of Ko Kradan on a speedboat as part of another procession, at which point the traditional ceremony will commence. This involves a blessing by elders of the town and a traditional rod nam sang ceremony. During the ceremony, water is poured over your hands and those of
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your sweetheart from a conch shell. This is followed by a dive underwater where you will sign a waterproof marriage certificate in front of district office witnesses. If you cannot dive, you do also have the option of getting married on the beach. Anyone can participate in a marriage ceremony underwater in Trang, no matter what your religion, sexuality or race is. While gay marriage is not recognized legally in Thailand, both straight and gay marriages are performed at Trang. So if you are dreaming of a wedding under the waves and a truly unique ceremony unlike any you have ever attended, consider booking a February wedding in Trang! If you need help setting up your reservation, get in touch with us at +1 (800) 858-4114. We would love to help you set up your special day!
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WOMAN & T R AV E L Travel tips & Ideas exclusively for travelling women around the world
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Asia’s Fashion Hub 48
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can be intoxicating, the fast pace of Tokyo’s ever-changing landscape can be overwhelming. Where should you shop if you want to pick up Japan’s chicest fashions? • Shibuya: This is the district for youth fashion near Shibuya Station. If you are going to stop in at just one shopping district in Tokyo, this should be it. Here you will find iconic shops like Shibuya 109 which set trends which catch not just in Japan, but around the world. While stores target teens and 20-somethings, if you are young at heart, you will find a lot of amazing clothes here!
hen you think of high fashion, where do your thoughts turn? Paris? Venice? While these European cities may be the first to enter many peoples’ minds, you may not realize that Asia has some incredible fashion hubs as well. If you are going to be visiting Tokyo, you would be remiss to skip out on one of the hottest shopping opportunities on the planet.
• Harajuku: This is another district which is great for shopping for youth and counterculture fashions, specifically along the avenue Takeshita Dori. Here you will encounter the famous “Harajuku girls and boys” with their bright, fanciful clothing and accessories. If you are into alternative fashions, Takeshita Dori is a must-visit destination before you leave Tokyo! Running parallel to it is Omotesando, sometimes called the “Champs-Élysées of Tokyo.” Along this street, you will find high class cafes and boutiques. This is a great place to shop for designer brand fashion.
Tokyo is a vibrant, trendy city where districts seem to rise and fall practically overnight. While the bright lights
• Ginza: This is the first district that many people will name when thinking of Tokyo fashion. It is by far the most
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affluent shopping district in the city—pretty much the equivalent of New York City’s Fifth Avenue. You will find designer stores here like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, but also many other more affordable shops catering to a lower budget. Incidentally, this is also a great place to shop for traditional Japanese crafts. • Shinjuku: If you want bright lights, you’ll find them here—literally. The lights and noise in this district can really flood the senses, and the crowds can be crazy. But there are some amazing department stores here selling fashion and more, not to mention two massive underground malls. • Marunouchi: Like Shinjuku, Marunouchi is an upscale shopping district located next to a train station, in this case Tokyo Station. The district was recently renovated, and is home to numerous shops, restaurants, and cafes. • Odaiba: This is a man-made island located in the middle of Tokyo Bay. Starting in the 1990s, this district bloomed into one of the most well-known destinations for tourists in the entire city. You can shop here for fashion, electronics, and more. You also can book a stay at an Odaiba hotel. • Roppongi: For even more upscale shopping, head over to the Roppongi district. This newly renovated district is home to hundreds of shops and restaurants. Along with high fashion, you will find plenty of household goods in Roppongi department stores. Be sure to hit at least several of these famous shopping districts in Tokyo to shop for designer fashion and update your wardrobe with hot alternative urban trends. But don’t forget that Tokyo is also home to numerous little hole-in-the-wall boutiques, flea markets, and 100-yen stores which are also worth dropping by. Pop in at these shops and markets and you can purchase incredible accessories to jazz up your style even more!
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GREETINGS
A: Suite 226, 33B Pham Ngu Lao, Hanoi, Vietnam T: (844) 39 33 62 60 F: (844) 39 33 62 61 E: inquiries@exoticvoyages.com W: www.exoticvoyages.com