Top Asian Destinations You Have To Try Once

The continent of Asia is so sprawling and massive that you could easily spend your entire lifetime travelling around it and still not quite discover it all. There is a very good reason why so many travellers enjoy Asia above all other parts of the world, and it is because there is just so much to explore other witch you can uncover. It also happens to be a cost-effective way of travelling, as generally you will be paying much less than in other parts of the world. But if you are keen to visit Asia, whether for your first or fiftieth time, you will want to know what kinds of destinations within it are most likely to be the best to visit. In this article, we are going to discuss some of the top Asian destinations which you should consider, regardless of whether or not you have travelled Asia before and how experience you may or may not be.

 

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Thailand

 

Thailand is one of the most visited places in the world, and its beautiful capital city of Bangkok is the number one most visited city anywhere in the world. Clearly, then, it is a relatively tourist-friendly place, and for this reason it can be a great introduction to the world of Asian travel for a newcomer Westerner to the Asian trail. If you want to get into Asian travel easily and slowly, then you will find a brief stint in Thailand is perfect for that, especially if you choose to go to the capital of Bangkok. You can see many Buddhist temples and sights, and you might even find that you are surprised at just how accessible and friendly everyone is as well. There’s no doubt that Thailand is an easy travelling experience, and if you are like many others before you it might be enough to get you a little addicted to the whole prospect of travelling around Asia at all. That being said, for a first-timer it could still be considerably eye-opening, and a small measure of culture shock is no strange thing. But all in all, you are likely to be able to just have a great time exploring this amazing and friendly country.

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Malaysia

 

Ranked ninth in the world for tourist arrivals, Malaysia is in a similar league to Thailand, in that they are not exactly strangers to tourists. But while Thailand is essentially extremely tourist-based, Malaysia is somewhat less so. This means that you are both more likely to feel a little culture shock, and more likely to feel that you are genuinely experiencing something real, and not just a touristy version of something. All of this makes Malaysia a profoundly singular place to visit, and it is likely to be a good place for the new traveller or the experienced traveller alike. With many of the most beautiful natural and man made sites in the world, you won’t get bored of what there is to see, and you will find that they are, on the whole, a welcoming and loving people. If you find apartments for rent Malaysia can be an easy place to stay, and it should be a pretty straightforward kind of travelling on the whole. What’s more, you will be delving into some of the real parts of Asian travels which many other Westerners never truly get to see.

 

Nepal

Many parts of Asia are primarily Buddhist in belief, but only Nepal can rightfully claim a kind of ownership of the Buddha himself, it being his actual birthplace over two and a half thousand years ago. As you would imagine, therefore, Nepal is generally a pretty spiritual and calm place to live, and its people do happen to be amongst the most welcoming and friendlist on the planet. Nepal travel is, however, much more off the beaten track than somewhere like Thailand or even Malaysia; you should expect to have a really eye-opening time of being truly a part of a ramshackled culture, and you will find that it is enormously refreshing as a culture and a way to live. Tourism is the vast majority of their GDP, however, so again it is hardly as though you will be the first tourist they have ever seen. Most tourists to Nepal go for trekking tours around the foothills of the Himalayas, which is the kind of experience that you will be likely never to forget as long as you live.

 

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India

 

For many, India is the jewel in the crown when it comes to Asian travel, and it’s not hard to work out why. It is something of a spiritual wellspring for many people too, and probably you will have heard stories about westerners going to gain enlightenment or find themselves, or many other similar kinds of tales. But whether or not you are eager to achieve such ends yourself, India is still a phenomenal unique experience and something that you should seriously consider at least once in your life. From the busy and famously smelly capital of New Delhi to the many eye-opening slums around the country, and some truly beautiful beach resorts in the stunning towns of Goa and Rikashesh, India has to much to offer that you would do well to give it a proper month or two of travel at least. It’s the kind of experience that may change you dramatically, and you should absolutely prepare yourself for that before you travel.

 

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Japan

 

If you are looking for a truly cultural hit, then you should absolutely consider Japan as well. This is one of the world’s superpowers, and yet is nestled in amongst many of the world’s poorest countries, all of which gives it a certain special feeling which you can’t shake. Because we receive so many ideas about their culture here, it is the kind of destination whose reputation precedes it, but as usual that is likely to be far from your actual experience of the country in question. A great place for technophiles and nature lovers alike, it’s certainly worth putting this somewhere high on your to-do list.

 

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11 Things to Enjoy in Samila Beach, Thailand

Samila Beach is one of the two beaches in Songkhla Province in Thailand, the land of smile. It is famous to locals and tourists alike; one’s visit to Songkhla is never complete without stopping by Samila Beach. It’s a 2 kilometers stretch of beige sand, from the mermaid statue at the south end, near PB Samila Hotel, to the northern end where the magnificent sculpture of Nag the serpent is.

It is a major stop over for tourists coming to Songkhla from Malaysia, Singapore, or nearby provinces. A tour of Songkhla is incomplete without coming here, after all the symbol of Songkhla is found here.  For now, let me share with you some of the things that you could enjoy in Samila Beach.

Here are list of things you can do when in Samila Beach

1. Frolic in the beach, and the best time to do this is late afternoon, when the sun is still out; it’s warm, but not scorching hot. The water is low and calm; it is safe for children, and a perfect time for swimming and sunbathing. In terms of swimwear, there are no rules. Wear whichever you are comfortable in. People are tolerant, courteous, and generally are just minding their own business.

2. Picnic or read a book. A large portion of Laem Samila is shaded by canopies of tall Pine trees. Benches are available, lounging at one of them with your favorite read is another awesome way to relax at Samila beach. If you are with friends be sure to bring a picnic mattress and some snacks from the nearby 7-11 or local food stalls, lie down, relax and gaze up at the blue skies, feel the cool sea breeze, and “chat the noon away.”

3. Enjoy local snacks. Along Laem Son Rod, there are variety of places where you could grab something to eat. As mentioned there’s 7-11 just outside BP Samila Hotel near the roundabout. There’s an Amazon Cafe for coffee aficionados, which is right in front of the beach, on the hillside. And there are plenty of local food stalls along the road selling variety of street food, deep-fried hotdogs, deep-fried shrimp-pancakes, papaya salad, grilled meats, variety of local drinks, and Thai ice cream.

4. Play bubbles. This one is for the kids and kids at heart.  There is no need for you to make your own bubble concoction, you can rent it there for 30 baht (0.91USD or 3.81RM).

5. Horse riding. Yes, you read it correctly. For 150 baht (4.55USD or 19.07RM) you can go on a horse ride, and gallop the whole stretch of Samila beach. I know what you’re thinking, horse manure. Of course, horses do their thing there (they can’t help it ^_^), but it’s owners look after this and see to it that their horse is not soiling the beach. So what they do is they use tissue paper to collect the manure, and place this in a plastic bag (yep plastic bag), and dispose of properly in a bin.

6. Fly a kite. The beach is a nice place to fly a kite. There is no shortage of space and wind. In the afternoon when the water is low, it exposes a vast area of the beach, a totally great place to enjoy kite flying.

7. Beach volleyball. Samila beach has been a regular venue for Beach Volleyball competition which includes the Asian Beach Volleyball Championships and  the AVC Asia Beach Volleyball Championships. Next year, June 19 to 23, 2019  Samila Beach will host the 2019 edition of the men’s and women’s FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships.

8. Take a photo with Samila mermaid statue. One of the most photographed part of Samila Beach is the Bronze Mermaid Statue.  It had been the symbol of Songkhla for over 50 years. Sculpted in 1966, this blackened bronze statuette was the work of master Jitr Buabut who was honored as a national artist and awarded a visual arts award in 2002. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 100.

Another prominent statue found in Samila beach are the Cat and Mouse which represents Songkhla and the Island in front of Samila Beach respectively. There is a bit of wonderful history behind these statues which I will be sharing in the next post.

9. Sunset photography, Wedding photography or selfie. Samila beach can be a sight to behold especially during sunset. Visitors could not help take photos of the beach or take a selfie with the sunset, or the long stretch of khaki sand, or the bright azure sky, or the lush green, shady Pine trees, or mermaid statue at the background.

10. Walk and feel the sand. During the late afternoon when the water is low, it exposes a long, off-white powdery sand, a perfect time and place to re-connect with Earth; ditch your footwear, walk, and feel it. After a days work or a long, cold stay in a conference room, or after long hours of being cramped up in a vehicle, wake your senses up and get your daily dose of vitamin D and “sea” by hanging out on the beach.

11. Dine. And after all these, it is time to fill your growling tummy with fresh, yummylicious seafood or any Thai cuisine of your choice. You don’t have to look far, as there are several seafood restaurants along Laem Son Road just outside the beach shore.

So there you go. I will keep this post updated for what’s up and what’s new with Samila beach.

If you have comments, suggestions, and questions please leave them at the comment section below or you could send me a message at my Facebook page which you could find at the right side bar of the post. Thanks.

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