[Holly LIVE on Camera]
Hi there and thanks for joining us. I’m Holly, and you’re watching Travel Insights.
In this show, we’ll take you through new destinations around the globe and uncover
the world's favourite holiday hotspots. On top of that, we’ll dive into hot trends
in the travel and tourism space and engage in insightful conversations with industry
experts. So why wait? Let us get started.
[Pause]
[Holly LIVE on Camera]
Capital cities might be first on a tourist’s list, but if that’s all you see, let me
tell you, you’re missing out! In fact, the best destinations might just be the ones you
haven’t heard of. So In today’s show we’re going to count down the 5 best cities in Asia
to travel - other than the capital. Asia is so big and diverse. There are so many options
when it comes to where to travel. Are we talking cultural experiences? Safety? Cost? Friendliness?
Ease of access? Adventure? There are many different factors so there can be no definite
answer. So no doubt it was hard for us to narrow it down to 5 cities. You might not
know that Asia the largest continent in the world and includes 47 countries. Each country
has many cities and each city has its own tourist attractions, symbols, monuments, and
buildings. The cities we have picked for today’s show are very popular and we think they are
worth visiting. So without further ado, lets zoom into the 5 best cities besides the capital
for the best tourism experience.
Starting with Siem Reap in Cambodia.
Siem Reap is a cheerful city that embraces travelers like old friends. This region was
the site of successive capitals of the Khmer Empire from the ninth to the 15th centuries.
The ruins, collectively known as the Angkor Archaeological Park, are located about four
miles north of the city center. The 150-square-mile complex, which includes the famous Angkor
Wat Temple, is Siem Reap’s biggest tourist draw. But in recent years, this ancient yet
dynamic destination has been attracting travelers to stay longer and explore its other facets.
A few days in this Cambodian city shows that Siem Reap straddles the best of both
worlds—a glorious past and a vivid present. The best way to get to know it is to explore
it slowly, one story at a time.
Moving from this ancient city, let’s go to the next on our list - the Island city
of Jeju, on Jejudo in South Korea.
A favourite for newlyweds and of course K-drama fans, this popular retreat is also home to
miles of golden beaches, winding coastal trails, and Jeju Waterworld, the area’s largest
water park.
To tell us more about Jeju Island we have a special guest with us from South Korea – travel
blogger Dorcus Lum. Dorcus has sent us a very special video covering Jeju City. Let’s
dive in!
[Play Recorded Interview South Korea Jeju Island Dorcus Lum]
[Holly LIVE on Camera]
If
Jeju Island captivated your mind, wait till we charm you with a South Asian City
in Sri Lanka known as Kandy. Rising around a scenic lake, UNESCO-listed Kandy is home
to sacred landmarks, landscaped gardens, and cultural museums. Beyond the city, a cloudy
forest and tropical plantations roll across the mountain slopes providing plenty of hiking
and wildlife-watching opportunities, while upscale resorts line the Mahaweli River. If
that doesn’t give you wanderlust vibes, let’s dive further into some of the best
places to visit in Kandy.
The city is the second-largest in Sri Lanka, and is surrounded by mountain ranges and tea
plantations. Due to its 3-hour distance from the capital Colombo, Kandy is a crowd favourite
for travellers wanting to spend a day or two visiting its colonial buildings and religious
sites. While most guidebooks mention Kandy city as the main attraction, there are more
remarkable sights to see outside the city in the rainforest area. Apart from Sri Lanka’s
stunning beaches, it is also famous for its religious sites and spectacular train rides.
This is where Kandy’s role in your Sri Lanka Route comes in, as the gateway to one of the
most epic train journeys in the world and host to a myriad of cultural exhibits. Plan
to spend one or two days in Kandy. This city is beautiful to visit during the monsoon
season in the country. The rain makes skies reveal wonderous imposing colonial-era and
Kandyan architecture, none more impressive than the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic,
one of Buddhism's most sacred shrines. History and culture are on tap. Yes, the city is renowned
for the great Kandy Esala Perahera festival which is held annually in July and August,
but its vibrant cultural life and attractions more than justify a visit at any time of year.
[Holly LIVE on Camera]
Lets turn our attention now to central Asia. In this special edition of Travel Insights
we also had a chance to link up with travel expert who’ll be taking us though the The
Silk Road Route, to Central Asia’s Samarkand in Uzbekistan. A land rich in culture known
for its Islamic art and rich textiles. Let us see what Baha Komilov has to say about
the mesmerising city Samarkand. Just like our South Korea guest, Baha has shared a very
beautiful video covering Samarkand in Uzbekistan. Lets check it out!
[Recorded Interview Samarkand in Uzbekistan Baha Komilov]
Moving on to our next and last city in the list - Osaka in Japan is a confident, stylish
city with shopping hubs, fabulous restaurants and nightlife. Osaka is only a short shinkansen
ride from Tokyo, but has a very different personality to Japan's capital city. One can
hop off the
bullet train into an area of exciting nightlife, delicious food and straight-talking, friendly
locals. Along with plenty of shopping and modern attractions, Osaka also has a historical
side, the highlight of which is Osaka Castle. The castle is a great place to discover more
about Japanese history and to wander the beautiful grounds, especially during cherry blossom
season in April when the sakura blooms and the weather is often at its best. If you find
yourself in this incredible city, please don’t miss The neon lights of Dotombori Bridge and
Osaka’s Minami area. Also be sure to explore Osaka Castle Park and Expo Memorial Park,
the site of Expo '70. You can also partake in major seasonal festivals including Tenjin
Matsuri, Kishiwada Danjiri and Ebessan and also can indulge in famous culinary delights,
particularly in neighborhoods such as Tenma and Ura Namba.
Before we move on to the hottest travel news in the next segment of our show, its time
for a very very short break, but stay tuned with us on Kalkine TV.
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Welcome back, I’m Holly
and you’re watching Travel Insights on Kalkine TV. Hope you’re
enjoying our venture through the Asian continent! - and if you’re wondering when those travel
plans will materialise, all your questions will be answered in this last leg of our show.
Now to some of the latest news from Asia’s travel space.
New COVID-induced lockdowns and restrictions across the East catalysed by the fast-spreading
delta variant are making the region’s attempt at introducing travel bubbles unlikely to
take hold.
For the unfamiliar, travel bubbles are passages that allow movement between countries without
the need for quarantine. And for Asia, these have been largely without success as nations
are sealing their borders once again to contain outbreaks.
A special travel link between Singapore and Hong Kong, first put forward in 2020, never
actually came to light.
Meanwhile, discussions between Australia and Singapore are still continuing, while the
setup between Australia and New Zealand has been rocky from the get-go.
The travel bubble track record underscores just how difficult it will be for Asian travel
to return to its pre-pandemic norm, with some economies hoping for a Covid-zero strategy,
with the aim of ridding themselves of the virus entirely.
With several Asian countries struggling to secure a sufficient supply of vaccine doses,
containment through strict lockdowns has become the default measure of governments across
the continent.
Studies have shown that many anticipate travel recovery in Asia to happen by July 2022, while
some experts have an even less optimistic estimate of the year 2024, Which is still
3 years away.
All that being said however, leisure travel in some parts are indeed already bouncing
back. Tourist hotspots like Phuket are now open to international tourists who don’t
have to quarantine and others like Koh Samui, an island in the gulf of Thailand, are following
suit. And naturally, in these parts of the continent, The hospitality industry is seeing
a solid turn-around, with bookings for luxury rooms and socially-distanced tourist activities.
However, hoteliers are still concerned about slow vaccine rollout in parts of Asia which
may harm the region’s recovery.
The concern is in fact tied to another potential hurdle for recovery in the Asia-Pacific - the
restrictions countries will place on visitors based on their vaccination status. We’re
seeing this being introduced in Europe now, with the green pass, while talks of a similar
‘vaccination passport’ are making the rounds across the anglosphere. So hopeful
travellers might need to have two passports accounted for.
Well, that’s it for Asia travel news, and with that we have reached the end of today’s
show. Before we close up, I’d like to remind viewers that Beauty is subjective, and every
country in Asia has something special to offer. So you can’t go wrong wherever you set foot!
Asia is one of the most diverse and captivating continents on Earth. There's so much to see
and do, it's hard to narrow it down to a shortlist. For those on a tighter schedule or budget,
the secret to discovering the best places to travel in Asia is to see a bit of everything.
Asia is full of diverse cultures and traditions. Between India, China, Middle East, South East
Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia, there is so much to see. People who love modern cities
can go for Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo, Doha, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, or Banglore. And
If you hate crowds, you can check out Central Asia, as well as Mongolia, Russia, Himalayas,
Tibet, Andaman Islands or Polynesia. There are literally thousands of places to visit
in Asia as we’re talking about an entire continent here, so take your time exploring.
And with that, its about time to wrap up, but keep watching Kalkine TV. We’ll bring
the next episode of Travel Insights next week. This is Holly Shields signing off.