Asia - Ασία

THE Asia it is too large and too diverse to consider it as a single "destination". Even defining the borders of this continent is a difficult task - from the mountains around the Black Sea to the West, to its vast snow-covered plains Siberian in the East, there are more people and cities in Asia than outside it. The highest point in Asia and the world is Mount Everest, along the border of Tibet (China) and Nepal, which rises 8,848 m (29,028 ft) above sea level.

Asia's largest river is the Yangtze, flowing 6,300 km (3,915 m) across China from the Tibetan Plateau to Shanghai. The largest lake, the Caspian Sea has an area of ​​386,400 square kilometers (149,200 square meters and is surrounded by several ethnic groups in Central Asia. The continent is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, the Australia southeast, and the Indian Ocean south. It is bathed by the Red Sea southwest, it borders it Europe and the Urals west, and from the Arctic Ocean north.

Travel options vary widely, from desert ruins to modern shopping malls. Middle East, to the magnificent ancient monuments in South Asia, and from the beaches with bungalows and hiking in the jungle Southeast Asia with its megacities and technology capitals East Asia. In any case, Asia offers rich travel options available to even the most avid traveler. On the one hand, there are state-of-the-art countries / territories such as Japan and the East Asian tigers, i.e. the Singapore, the Hong Kong, the Taiwan and and South Korea. On the other hand there is the Afghanistan, the People and East Timor, extremely poor countries, where people even fight for a few grains of rice every day. Of course, there are also intermediate situations, such as emerging superpowers China and India, with their own internal contrasts, but also the wonderful destinations with a long cultural history. THE Thailand It is also a special attraction for travelers, with high gastronomy, tropical climate, fascinating culture and great beaches.

Areas

Cities

• Bangkok —The bustling, cosmopolitan capital of Thailand full of temples and nightlife
• Beijing —The capital of the People's Republic of China with Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City
• Dubai - The most modern and progressive Emirate in the UAE, with a significant growth rate
• Hong Kong A truly world-class metropolis with a unique blend of Chinese and British heritage
• Jerusalem - The holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims with the Ancient City UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Mumbai —The most eclectic and cosmopolitan city in India, known for its Bollywood film industry
• Seoul - Beautiful palaces, gastronomy and nightlife. In Seoul, the old and the new are combined with frantic rhythms
• Singapore - The modern, prosperous city-state with a panspermia of Chinese, Indian, Malaysian and British influences
• Tokyo - The largest city in the world. A fascinating metropolis, where the high-tech visions of the future are combined with the splendor of ancient Japan.
• Shanghai - largest city in the People's Republic of China with modern skyscrapers alongside old British and Chinese buildings.
• Manila - vibrant city of Spanish and Asian culture with smiling, friendly and courteous inhabitants
• Lhasa- Sitting in the Lhasa River Valley, the central city of Tibet Autonomous Region, and the largest city in the region. The center of Tibetan Buddhism for more than a thousand years

Other destinations

Some of the biggest and most famous destinations outside of the big cities.

• Angkor Archaeological Park - magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire
• Bali Unique Indian culture, beaches and mountains in island of the gods
• Dead Sea - Float fearlessly in this extremely salty sea with healing properties
• Great Wall of China - several thousand kilometers long, its maintenance ranges from excellent to non-existent
• Lake Baikal - The largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world, containing more than a fifth of the world's water supply
• Everest - The highest mountain in the world on the border of China and Nepal
• stone - Ancient city carved in sandstone and one of the 7 new wonders
• Registan - Its impressive historical heart Samarkandis, a large commercial city on the Silk Road
• Taj Mahal - The incomparable marble mound in Agra

Arrival

Asia's largest intercontinental airports include Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, New Delhi, Mumbai and Singapore. For the Middle East, Dubai is by far the largest hub, with Doha and Abu Dhabi having reasonably good connections.

If you come to Asia by train, you will probably come via Russia or Turkey, although there are other options. For an exciting experience, try the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Languages

Many languages ​​are spoken throughout Asia, including many families and some unrelated executives. Although local languages ​​are always better, some languages ​​may be useful in many countries. In the Middle East, classical Arabic is widely understood, while knowledge of Russian will help you in Central Asia and the Caucasus. Hindi and Urdu are useful in South Asia and Malaysia / Indonesia will help you in Southeast Asia. Chinese Chinese mandarins are spoken more by China and Taiwan and, to a lesser extent, by Singapore. English leads to a relatively easy time in India, the Philippines, Singapore and Hong Kong.

See

• The births of the ten most important religions in the world: Bahai, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Zainism, Judaism, Shinto, Sikhism and Taoism.

Routes

• Burma Road
• Istanbul to New Delhi over land
• Hajj
• Ho Chi Minh City to Shanghai overland
• Karakoram Highway
• Moscow to Urumqi
• On the trail of Marco Polo
• Silk Road
• Trans-Siberian Railway
• Russia to Japan via Sakhalin

What to do

• Go fishing for barracuda and marlin in Otres, Cambodia
• Take part in one of the many "festivals" in the Philippines
• Travel with unique transportation options such as tuktuk in Thailand, scooters in Vietnam or jeepneys in the Philippines
• Cruise between the dramatic limestone Karsts, the islets and the island, in the blue-green sea of ​​Ha Long Bay.
• Lie down in a boat house in the Kerala countryside in India.
• Learn diving at some of the cheapest diving schools in the world.
• Climb Mount Everest, the highest point on earth between Nepal and China.
• Enjoy the beautiful sunset at Borobudur in Magelang, Central Java
• Explore the Sunday Bazaar in Kashgar, Far West China

Food

Asia is known as one of the best cuisines in the world

Drink

Usually the bigger cities or the capital have the best clubs.

Stay safe

Security in Asia may vary wildly, but it is generally safe. Almost all the tourist attractions on the mainland are far from the conflict, but there are some areas where there is conflict and / or general lawlessness.

The most obvious examples are Afghanistan and Iraq. Afghanistan is at war with insurgent groups such as the Taliban, al-Qaeda and various other armed forces. These countries are considered non-functioning areas and should be completely avoided by travelers (if one has to leave, consult your seat belt security and country authorities before you go). Yemen could also be added to the list of countries that have not signed, due to a very high threat of terrorist attacks, kidnappings, racial violence and general lawlessness. As of January 2011, Syria should not be visited due to civil unrest, including some indiscriminate attacks on or in cities and checkpoints.

Other Asian countries can generally be visited, although some countries have regions and areas to avoid. The Middle East is generally known for its political tensions and, although true for some, most of the region can be visited without significant risk. The Gaza Strip is in fact a war zone between Palestinian factions and the Israeli army, where foreigners have been abducted. Israel has faced rocket attacks as well as suicide bombings by Islamist militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. Lebanon and the West Bank (Palestinian National Authority) generally face an unstable political situation and internal conflicts. Some parts of the Caucasus are considered dangerous due to active guerrilla groups, especially in the North Caucasus (Chechnya), Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Bahrain has also experienced some political violence, so check the current situation before you go.

The Iran and Pakistan face a low-level conflict in the Balochistan region against the Baloch rebels. More dangerously, Pakistan is engaged in a full-scale war on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Tribal Areas, which should not be visited. Kashmir, which claims both Pakistan and India, is also a region with tens of thousands of victims since 1989 due to political conflict and insurgency. In 2009, the Naxalite-Maoist uprising in India has returned, especially in Chhattisgarh and other parts of East India. Northeast India also faces dozens of rebel groups, some of which have armed factions.

THE Southeast Asia is a great travel area and most of it is absolutely safe to visit. A notable exception is East Timor, which still faces sporadic internal ethnic and political tensions and may experience relative violence. But even in some popular countries, there are some areas that need to be avoided. The Mindanao Autonomous Region in the southern Philippines is a hotbed of conflict with several Muslim and communist rebel groups fighting the Philippine military. The Committee for the Protection of Journalists was declared the most dangerous area for journalists in 2009. Eighteen journalists were killed in a massacre in Maguindanao that claimed the lives of about 60 people. The rest of the country, namely Luzon and the Visayas, is safe, as is the rest of Mindanao (including the Davao and Cagayan de Oro areas). Thailand, the most visited country in Southeast Asia, is generally safe, with the notable exception of four deep southern provinces, where fighting between Thai military and Islamic rebel groups continues to this day. In 2014, a young British couple was then raped and both were murdered on a southern island, and the suspect is said to be loose.

THE Indonesia is a very different country, with armed groups fighting for independence in Papua. Maluku is relatively safe now, but there were periodic outbreaks of violence between 1999 and 2003. Indonesia also faces Islamic extremist groups across the country. Bali, the country's most popular tourist destination, dealt with Islamic terrorist attacks in Kuta in 2002 and 2005. The island can be visited, but we will avoid large gatherings and crowded nightclubs.

THE East Asia It is probably the safest area on the continent, but there are also political tensions in this area. You may want to avoid the border between North Korea and South Korea, as these two countries are technically still at war with each other. China, a vast and diverse country, is surprisingly safe in size, but the troubled provinces of Tibet (and the neighborhoods and provinces that accompany neighboring provinces) and Xinjiang are often restricted to foreign travelers at all costs.

Crime

See your country pages and country authorities for more information.

Stay healthy

Many parts of Asia, especially Southeast Asia and South Asia, are wet tropics and there are some health risks associated with traveling to these areas - such as dengue fever and malaria. Consult country articles for specific information.

High altitude sickness is a common problem for tourists in Tibet, but high altitude sickness is not the worst, you can take some precautions and follow the instructions you do and are not given by local agents. Apart from this, you can take some altitude sickness medicines with advice to your local doctors and there is also a simple way to do the treatments as soon as you get the symptoms.