Astounding Asia!

7th June 2010

Asia is Astounding, Sublime, Incredible and Amazing; the largest and perhaps most diverse continent on the planet. It is so large that there is no agreed definition of which countries are in it and which actually belong to neighbouring regions. What is certain is that whichever of its countries you decide to spend time in, you will be richly rewarded by the experience.

The rich culture of the region has built up over thousands of years and is evident in everyday customs, religion, cuisine, language and architecture both old and new. We all know, or have heard about Cambodia's mind-boggling temples at Angkor, China's silent but impressive Terracotta Army, India and the Taj Mahal or the peaks of the Himalaya in India, Nepal and Tibet.

But who has explored the markets at Skuon where deep-fried spiders are served for breakfast, stood swathed in the bright neon lights of Shinjuku, watched masked dancers at one of the many unique festivals in Bhutan - the Land of the Thunder Dragon, or sat silently while your mahout guides your elephant through the wilds of Bandhavgarh National Park in search of a magical glimpse of a tiger.

If you are after culture, wildlife, wilderness, trekking, cycling or sightseeing, there is no doubt in our minds that Asia has something for you.