Innholdsfortegnelse for Asian Geographic Passport 2015 i ASIAN Geographic

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that, the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I marked the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,…

6D Remarkable Adelaide $1760 per couple • 5 Nights accommodation• 1 Day Kangaroo Island (cruise/cruise) with lunch• 1 Day Barossa & Hahndorf with lunch• 1 Day Victor Harbour & Mclaren Vale 3D Port Lincoln & Coffin Bay Safari $1898 per couple • 2 Nights at 4.5 * Port Lincoln Hotel with daily breakfast• Interact with a wide range of Australian Wildlife• Fresh oysters and seafood at Pure Oysters Coffin Bay• Sightseeing at Coffin Bay National Park• Visit Port Lincoln National Park 4D Port Lincoln Ultimate Underwater Adventure $3176 per couple • 3 nights at 4.5* Port Lincoln Hotel with daily breakfast• Cage diving with Great White Sharks• Swim with Southern Bluefin Tuna• Swim with Sea Lions. Book now at www.australiatravelcentre.com.sg!…

Bardhaman, one of the districts of West Bengal, India, is truly ancient, with roots dating back to before 5000 BC. It is where history and the environment intertwine to offer a uniquely quaint, refreshing charm. A stroll through the city will soon make you realise you are in the cradle of Nature and culture. The facades are inexplicably haunting – from the rekha-type deula temples, which are reminiscent of Bengali Hindu architecture, to the weather-beaten Hindu temples evoking religious sentiments belonging to the followers of Shaktism and Vaishnavism. In recent years, they have not only functioned as abodes of worship, but they have also proved to be compelling places of interest for visitors from around the world. The Ramna Garden in the Golapbag area is a rare sanctuary inviting those…

Growing up in a democratic suburb away from the designer labels and big money of Manila’s central business districts has its benefits. I was born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines, a.k.a. QC, named after our second president Manuel L. Quezon and located north of the sprawling, chaotic metropolis that is Metro Manila. Like many QC-ers, I ended up working elsewhere, at the country’s corporate hubs a few kilometres away. Still, if you grew up in densely populated QC, seat of education, home to non-government organisations, and in recent years, a hotbed of independent art and music, you learn to be in less of a hurry. Its residents cut across all socioeconomic sectors, from the old rich in mansions in New Manila, to the government employees in cramped housing projects,…

People Photographer of the Year 2016 This category takes in portraits and persons in Asia, reflecting one of Asia’s greatest offering, the warmth and beauty of its people. Environmental Photographer of the Year 2016 One of the most important constitutions of ASIAN Geographic is conservation. Paying homage to this very important aspect of the geographic, this category hopes to highlight some of the most relevant conservation issues. Photos must be taken within the Asian region. Architecture/ Landscape Photographer of the Year 2016 From the most iconic Asian representation to the most distinctive of Nature’s architecture, the category welcomes the best look at Asia’s structural designs, manmade or otherwise. Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2016 Some of the most unique and rarest of wildlife exist in Asia, topside and underwater. This…

As a child in Tehran, my favourite season was winter, with its heavy snowfalls and clear sunny days. The first day of snow was especially magical: Waking up in the morning to find that the world had turned white overnight, I would rush to listen to the radio announcements to find out which schools were closed due to the snow. If my school was announced, my sister and I would ring our cousins and say excitedly, “They have closed the world!”, urging them to come out to play. A day of snowball fights and building snowmen would ensue, punctuated only by mealtimes in which we would be fed hot aash, a broth made of herbs, vegetables, noodles and legumes and sprinkled with hot fried mint and onion rings. The Iranian…

As far back as my memory stretches, Kabul has been home – one wrecked by years of war. It is not a place for the faint of heart, yet for those who remember the golden days, or their innocent children, who have delighted in the treasures of the city amid the horrors and unrest, the capital does have its strange way of tugging at one’s heartstrings. Many areas have left an indelible mark on my soul, despite it being disappointed numerous times by injustice and false promises. In an uncertain environment like this, it is of utmost importance to find a creative outlet to soothe one’s aching pride. The Institut Francais is one of my favourite places because it consistently holds cultural programmes on a weekly basis. This place prepares…

Lombok has many beautiful places that have inspired me since I was a little kid. I live in Mataram, the capital city of West Nusa Tenggara, on the western shore of the island. The beauty of the natural panorama, adorned with lush hills on one side and golden shores on the other, shelters many enticing wonders that even I haven’t had the chance to explore fully during my 40 years of life here. Starting from the west coast, there is the well-known Senggigi Beach, which has been drawing tourists since the 1980s; the northern territory, with its three main gilis, or small islands, namely Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air, along with beaches lining the bays in Sire, Medana and Tebing; the eastern coast, with its beautiful cape, Tanjung…

It is not well known, I imagine, but Salekhard is officially stated to be the only city on Earth that lies within a polar circle. Why, we even have a monument endorsing this fact. Interestingly, this very spot, located at Stella, has been a favourite hangout of mine over the years. Amidst its glorious spaciousness, I will sit in the evenings and enjoy stunning sunsets that embrace the exceptional view of the tundra. A symbol of the region’s natural gas resources, Salekhard’s Fakel (“Torch”) Bridge, located on Knunantca Street 10 (ул. Кнунянца 10) over the river Shaytanka, also offers spectacular panoramic views. Elevators take visitors to the highest point on the bridge where a two-storey restaurant is suspended 60 metres above the river. It’s an unusual vantage point to experience…

Although I was born in this coastal city, as a child growing up in the interior, Colombo was a place we came to for family weddings or for the annual treat of selecting Christmas presents at the old department stores – when they were still such. In the last 30 years though, since I took up more or less permanent residence in Colombo, the city has grown up, and sometimes I like to think, with me. The commercial capital of Sri Lanka, and by far the biggest city, Colombo is in fact many small towns (including the official legislative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte), now coalesced into a large urban conglomeration of some 4.5 million inhabitants. Colombo is a city of history. Even in the all-engulfing, bustling trading centre that is…

My grandparents from both sides arrived in Israel on an immigrant ship from Bulgaria in 1964, and for them, as for many other European Jews, it was a dream come true, a state where they could finally feel safe and not hide who they were. They set up home in the southern region of Tel Aviv, near Jaffa, where the Israeli government relocated the new civilians from Eastern Europe and North Africa. My grandparents bought a two-room apartment with thin walls where they could clearly hear the conversations of their neighbours. The mixture of people from Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, Yemen, Morocco, Libya and other countries was complicated, but they had no other choice. I was the second of two sons to join the family. I had a wonderful childhood…

PASSPORT TO KAZAKHSTAN LANGUAGES: Kazakh is the state language, while Russian is the official language TRAVEL TIPS: Be sure to have exact change on you when taking a taxi. GETTING THERE: Airports: Almaty International Airport Airlines: Air Astana, Turkish Airlines, Etihad Airways CURRENCY: Kazakhstanti Tenge (US$1 = 187.057 KZT) CULTURAL DOS AND DON’TS: • Remove your shoes at the door before stepping into someone’s home. • Do not refuse a cup of tea or a slice of bread from your host. • Do not initiate physical contact (such as a hug) with a member of the opposite sex upon meeting them for the first time. HOTELS: The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty www.ritzcarlton.com/Almaty Rixos President Hotel Astana http://presidentastana.rixos.com The Dostyk Hotel www.dostyk.kz TOP 3 MUST-VISIT PLACES: • Central State Museum• Kok-Tobe• Khan Shatyr BEST TIMES TO…