If you pay the least bit of news to what is going on in this world of ours you know that China is a country on the move. Its economy continues to surge, its cities continue to be rebuilt and its culture continues to change. These are exciting and dizzying times in China. It is an excellent time to see a historic transformation while it happens by visiting the world’s most populous nation.

A unique way to experience China is on a cruise ship. For whatever reason, there aren’t tons ... [read more]

Do you remember the months after Crocodile Dundee came out? Every person and their mother wanted to go to Australia. And then they looked at a map and realized that is was slightly further away than Alabama and slightly more expensive to travel to. Ah, the sound of travel plans shattered by money and distance. It is one that brings sadness to my ears. We’ve all experienced it.

The good news is that even without the Croc man on the big screen Australia is still a desirable place to ... [read more]

SE Asia is a culture that must be experienced at its own pace. While the cities are busy and frantic, the countryside is tranquil and decidedly slower. You will have plenty of time to experience this firsthand during an 18-day adventure trip that follows the Trail of the Khmer through Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

The trip begins and ends in Bangkok, Thailand’s bustling and unforgettable capital. From there you go off the beaten path and onto the Khmer Trail by visiting some of Cambodia’s most amazing spots. You’ll also ... [read more]

We’re a little over a year away from the 2008 Summer Olympics and by all accounts things are full steam ahead in Beijing, China. You better start training if you have any hope to win the speed walking competition. The Summer Games, along with the booming Chinese economy, is helping to transform Beijing each and every day. Gone are the small little alleys and side streets that were unique to Beijing. In are new, modern buildings, an improved infrastructure and an increasing number of residents living a middle class ... [read more]

Even if you live on the West Coast of the United States it is a long way to China, Japan and Vietnam. Modern airplanes have cut the travel time but you’re still looking at a ten-hour plus flight. That is great if you enjoy breathing stale air at 50,000 feet while you are forced to watch a Will Farrell movie (I swear, every plane I have been on for the past three years has shown one), but if you are adverse to flying or don’t have a ton of vacation days ... [read more]

• Bangkok, Thailand
• Beijing, China
• Hong Kong, China
• Shanghai, China
• Singapore

Once known as the Venice of Asia for the network of canals or klongs crisscrossing the city, Bangkok is one of the most vibrant capitals of Southeast Asia. A visual feast of Western influences in an Eastern land, Bangkok or Krung Thep, which means the City of Angels, is considered one of the biggest cities in the world. For a area of this size, Bangkok is surprisingly full of quiet escapes.

The must see attractions include Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Traimit, home to the impressive 3m tall, ... [read more]

Stretching more than 3,000 miles from the western shore of the Pacific Ocean across the face of Asia, China is a country of immense size and variety. Situated in northeast China, Beijing adjoins the Inner Mongolian Highland to the northwest and the Great Northern Plain to the south. Five rivers run through the city, connecting it to the eastern Bohai Sea.

Beijing grew up around its mythic Forbidden City, once home to Chinese Emporers. Also central to the city is Tiananmen Square. Covering 98 acres, Tiananmen is the world’s largest, and perhaps ... [read more]

East meets West in dynamic Hong Kong. This energetic city pulsates 24 hours a day with exuberance and the roar of merchant vessels. Hong Kong offers an ever-changing panorama of sights, sounds, and appealing Oriental magic. Wrapped in a concrete jungle, Hong Kong is a shrine to market capitalism. It’s perhaps the only city in the world where shopping surpasses any monument or historical site as the city’s main tourist attraction.

One of Hong Kong’s unique fascinations is the seamless way in which ancient traditions thrive in this ultramodern city. With 150 years of ... [read more]

Today’s Shanghai weaves the infamous seaport legacy of its past together with impressive new 21st-century architecture and grand 4 and 5 star hotels and shopping complexes. It is an intriguing, fast-paced city, where East meets West. No other city in the world is quite like it. Shanghai is an enigmatic city filled with modern contradictions still struggling to come to terms with its turbulent history. It’s New China – where an Imperial past wrestles with the Communist present and a neo-Capitalist future. It’s an intoxicating fusion. While Shanghai is China’s largest city, with 14 ... [read more]

Singapore is not just one island, but a main island with over 60 surrounding islets which has grown into a thriving centre of commerce and industry. Singapore is the busiest port in the world with over 600 shipping lines sending super tankers, container ships and passenger liners to share the busy waters with coastal fishing vessels and wooden lighters. Singapore’s strategic location, excellent facilities, fascinating cultural contrasts and tourist attractions contribute to its success as a leading destination for both business and pleasure.

Said to be one of the cleanest cities in the world, Singapore ... [read more]