Small island of the Philippines
About 300 km away from the capital of the Philippines – Manila
Oceanic Island
Gorgeous white beaches and crystal clear waters
Vibrant night life – variety of bars/restaurants and clubs
Water sport activities – surfing ,swimming, snorkeling, etc.
Divers marine life and abundant flora and fauna
Resort villages
Island- hopping
In the Indian Ocean a small archipelagic state of South Asia , nearby Sri Lanka and India on the northeast
Malé is the capital
White beaches with emerald crystal clear waters
Holliday and honeymoon destination
Luxurious overwater bungalows
Budget-friendly vacation may not be the case
Use Maldivian rufiyaa or USD
Water activities -swimming, fishing, diving, snorkeling, water-skiing, surfing
Independent Island country
South Asian Island located in the Arabian Sea
Made of 1200 small coral Islands
Malé epicenter of Maldivian culture
Beach erosion is a very “on the table”problem
Native language Dhivehi is a mixture of Arabic, English, Hindi, Punjabi, French, Portuguese, and Persian – similar to Sri Lanka’s language
Languages: Dhivehi/Maldivian (Official and native); English, Arabic (widely used) French, German, Russian, Italian and Chinese (basics)
Better prices: July-August
Malay Archipelago’s part lies at the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, 135 km (85 mi) north of the Equator
Singapore Strait separates Singapore from the Riau Islands of Indonesia on the south
Diamond-shaped Island and about 64 small islets – St John’s Island, Kusu Island, Pulau Semakau, Pulau Ubin, Lazarus Island, and Sentosa ( the largest offshore island)
In top 20 smallest countries in the world and one of 3 city-states that exist in the world (including Monaco and Vietnam)
Sentosa – tiny island off the coast of Singapore, largely man–made beaches, natural beauty and amazing water sports
Republic of Singapore is a sovereign country-city-island
City of Singapore is the capital of the Republic of Singapore
75% of Singaporeans are ethnically Chinese
Gardens by the Bay in the heart of Singapore ( 35 m -50 m) – World’s tallest indoor waterfall in Jewel Changi Airport , surrounded by the lush indoor gardens of the terminal
130 species of nocturnal animals in their natural habitat – leopards, lions, coy mountain deer, rhino, flying squirrels, dangling bats
Sunda pangolin’s only home
Singapore Botanic Gardens at Bukit Timah founded in 1859 – UNESCO World Heritage Site
Cavenagh bridge – the oldest bridge of Singapore, built in 1869, originally Edinburgh Bridge in regards to Duke of Edinburgh’s visit
Bukit Timah Hill – the highest natural point
The Tanjong Pagar Centre -the tallest building in the country (290 m)
HSBC Rain Vortex – spectacular site (from 7.30pm to midnight the sound show)
HortPark -a major lifestyle hub in Asia
Singapore Night Safari – the first night zoo
The biggest retractable dome (321m) – shield for about 55,000 spectators from sun and rain
The Singapore Grand Prix Racing Circuit – first one in Asia and the first-ever F1 night race
The world’s highest homeownership rate (92%)
The first man-made 30-metre waterfall in Singapore was built at Jurong Bird Park in 1971
British colony since the 19th century
Was occupied and ruled by Japan from 1942 till 1945 during the II World War
Part of the Famous F1 Singapore street circuit,Anderson Bridge has a morbid past of hanging severed heads of spies and criminals in 1942-1945
In 1613 after becoming an important trading port the city was burned down by Portuguese pirates – for more than 100 years city was wiped out until migrants came to build it from its ashes
In 1819, British trading post was made by Sir Stamford
‘Singapura’ translates to the Sanskrit word for ‘lion city’ as the island was mainly inhabited by Malayan tigers
About 6 times were changing time zones
One of easiest places to do business
Changi Airport is World’s Best Airport at least for the fourth time in a row
Free movie screening 24/7 in the airport
Considered to be the fastest pedestrians in the world ( 6.15 km/hour)
7th November –National Tree Planting Day and 19 November – the World Toilet Day
Severe punishment for littering or discussing sensitive topics
Temperature was never lower than 19 degrees Celcius
Languages: English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay(national); Singlish (27 worlds)
Single Island of the Indonesian archipelago in Southeast Asia
Part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, in the middle of Java and Lombok islands
Beautiful beaches – Kuta Beach
Honeymoon destination
Surfing, meditation and yoga enthusiasts place
Coral reefs
Rich culture
Rice terraces
Bali Swing (part of a theme park)
Luxury hotels/resorts
Bali Safari and Marine Park
Bunut Bolong (banyan tree )
Ganesha Park
Bukit Peninsula
Pura Safari (temple for Hindu people to worship)
Spectacular natural landmark in Bali is located in the idyllic village of Manggisari in Jembrana
Pura Taman Saraswati temple
Mount Batur vulcano – climbing and hiking
Ubud town
Ancient temples
Goa Gajah Cave
Kecan dance
Languages: Balinese (native) and Indonesian; English (basics)
Good to visit: September – November & February
South East Asian Island in the middle of South China Sea and the Sulu Sea
In the southwest stretching to Borneo
Ocean palm-edged white beaches and glassy water
Splendid biodiversity
Puerto Princesa City is the capital
El Nido – popular resort destinations
Puerto Princesa Underground River (UNESCO)
One of the most beautiful coral reefs- Tubbataha reef in the Sulu Sea
15 unique species of birds to watch
Diving destination
Waterfall-swimming, hiking, cave boat-trips
Kayak in Wildlife park
Delicious exotic food
Flora & fauna-“Last Ecological Frontier”
Most visited Island in recent years
Made of 1,780 islands
Cave in where oldest known human inhabitants were living
Ocean views are very affordable
Surfing is possible
Secluded islands for Luxury resorts
Languages: Cuyonon and Palawanon(native); Tagalog, English, and Ilonggo (widely used)
Good to visit: November, February and March
Island country in western Pacific Ocean, placed about 160 km (100 miles) off the coast of southeastern China, for 345 km (214 miles) north of the Philippines and approx. 573 km southwest of Okinawa (Japanese island)
A semi-tropical mountainous island in East of Asia
Bigger than Belgium by 7% in area size and more than double the size of Belgium population
Thought to be a part of the China (according to the People’s Republic of China)
Tobacco leaf or a sweet potato shape of Island
More than 250 peaks higher than 3,000 m – world’s largest number and density of mountains
Taroko and Yushan National Parks
Sun Moon Lake
The National Palace Museum – unique artifacts from China’s long history (Taipei)
Taipei is the capital
Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung – main cities
Taipei 101 was the world’s tallest building before the 2007 – Burj Khalifa was built
Butterfly kingdom– exporting 10 million butterflies annually
Papilio Maraho – national butterfly
Paradise of unique and tasty fruits – dragon fruit, wax apple, starfruit, sugar apple, mango, pomelo, papaya, lychee, longan, etc.
Stinky tofu – national dish
Baseball- national sport
Formosan Mountain Dogs -Taiwan dogs (friendly wild dogs)
The lowest birth rate in the world that is far below replacement rate
Raidly aging population
Made a gay marriage legal (2019),the first Asian country to do so
Official title is the Republic of China
Almost 97.7% are ethnically Chinese
Ruled by Chinese (Qing Dynasty for 200 years – 1683 – 1895), Japan and little bit by Holland
90% of the population lives along a strip of land along the east coast.
Buddhism and Taoism but only 50% of the population is religious
Sports were heavy influenced by the Japanese due to their(Taiwan) colonization by Japan
Garbage trucks like ice cream trucks – playing songs when they arrive
Languages:Mandarin (national), English (basics)
Good to visit: December – February(butterflies migration ) /March – May, mid-September – November
In the Indian Ocean, the southeast of the Indian coast
Surrounded by Indian Ocean, Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait
Pearl of the Indian Ocean – Rich biodiversity
Colombo is the capital city
Warm climate and rich culture
Arugam Bay -east coast special for surfers
Laid back surfing culture
World’s large cinnamon (80-90%) and tea exportation
Stunning wildlife
Known as Ceylon in the past
Island’s cinnamon was discovered by the Egyptians in 2000 BC
Volleyball is the national sport
Adam’s peak– sacred mountain
High literacy rate
One of the oldest flags on Earth (United Nations)
Languages: Sinhala and Tamil (official), English (widely used)
Good to visit: April- October (on the east side -Arugam Bay) November-March (south at Weligama, Hikkaduwa and Ahangama)
Island country on the east coast of Asia in the northwest of Pacific ocean, on the west separated from the South and North Korea by sea of Japan
East China sea located to its(Japan) south, Philippine sea on the southeast
Made of almost 7,000 Islands (6,852 islands, to be pricise)
Okunoshima small island – Rabbit Island is another name for it in regards to the big number of bunnies population
Made up mostly of forest and mountains – 70% of Japan
More that 100 active volcanoes
Mount Fuji -country’s the talles mountain (1,150 m or 3,776 ft)
Tokyo is the capital and the most populated city in the world
The oldest continuous hereditary dynasty in the world -126 monarchs
Hadaka Matsuri festival – 1000 of Japanese men strip naked in public to secure a fortune-filled year (in Okayama there could be more than 9,000 men )
Japanese cherry and Sakura – national flower of Japan
Hanami – cherry blossom ; Koyo – red maple leaves (March – mid-May, and October – late November)
One of the fastest and most punctual trains in the world – 18 sec. delay is max
Interesting and wacky flavours for candies and more (popular candie/chocolate – Ramune, Otokoume, Kit Kat as it near sounds like ‘ good luck’ in Japanese ‘kitto katsu’, Glico Pop, Dars White Chocolate, etc)
Samurai -powerful warrior class with the right to strike down any person who wouldn’t respect them (12th century to the 19th century)
Samurai who brought dishonor to his lord had to do seppuku/ harakiri – suicide through the abdomen/belly cutting
Bowing is an important form of greeting; lower bows show more respect
Kimono – traditional Japanese garment for both men and women
$10,000 the possible cost for a single kimono
Geisha have been a figure of entertaining since the 18th century (about 80,000 women )
Traditional Japanese rooms have Tatami/mats made with rice straw
Japanese macaque /snow monkey
Tsukiji fish market – the world’s largest seafood market (in Tokyo)
Twice hosting the summer Olympics, and its fourth overall
High art of immaculate gardens
4 is not a good number and rather to be avoided
Main religions – Shinto and Buddhism
Languages: Japanese
Good to visit: end of March – April (Sakura blossom in Tokyo, Kyoto Osaka), mid-September – December
Among Sunda Islands of western Indonesia, south of the Malay Peninsula and west of Java
Full of green mountains and smoldering volcanoes
Rugged tropical area– Rafflesia arnoldii- moster flower
UNESCO World Heritage National parks— Kerinci Seblat, Mount Leuser, Bukit Barisan Selatan
Wildlife spotting -Orangutang, elephants, tigers, rhinos.
Surfing and diving destination (April to October)
Lake Toba – the World’s biggest crater lake and the biggest lake in South East Asia
Tribes -The Batak and Minangkabau
One of the biggest Island in the Indian ocean
Diverse economic hub in Medan (largest city)
Great coalfields
Resources of gold, silver, tin and bauxite
Indonesia’s richest oil fields
Production of rubber, coffee, pepper, tea, sugarcane, and oil palms – grown on plantation.
In 2004 the city of Banda Aceh (North of Island)was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami
Languages: Indonesian(native), English (basics)
Good to visit: May- June, September
In the southwest Pacific ocean, placed nearby Java Sea (south) the Celebes Sea (east), and the South China Sea(north)
Part of Greater Sunda Islands group of the Malay Archipelago
Oceanic Island
3rd World’s largest island (after #1Greenland and #2New Guinea)
The largest Island in Asia
Located in Southeast Asia’s Malay Archipelago
Tropical area– Rafflesia arnoldii- moster flower
Wildlife spotting: Orangutang, elephants, tigers, clouded leopards, rhinos, etc.
Surfing and diving destination
11,000 species of flowering plants
Highest mountain-Mount Kinabalu
Administered by 3 countries: Indonesia, Malaysia and a bit of Brunei
Indonesian Borneo has better airport
Southeastern Asia archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
Hottest spot on the Pacific Ring of Fire (means where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur)
World’s largest archipelago and island country
14th-largest country on Earth by land area with 54,720 km of coastline
World’s biggest ‘young’ population and overall 4th largest population after China, India , and the US
17,508 islands of which about 6000 are inhabited.
Made of 5 major islands and about 30 smaller groups of islands
Jakarta is the capital
About 100 active volcanoes
Pristine beaches
World’s biggest flower
More that 600 ethnic groups
About 700 different languages and dialects (2nd most linguistically diverse nation worldwide after Papua New Guinea)
Culture is influenced by multiple religions – Buddhism, Christianity , Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam
The Borobudur Temple – the world’s largest Buddhist Temple with 504 Buddha statues
Most diverse society in the world, influenced by China, India, Europe, and the Middle East
Diving and surfing sites
Hiking trails to active volcanoes
Extraordinary wildlife – Komodo Dragon, Maleo, Javan Rhinoceros, Black Macaque, Pygmy Tarsier and more including species from Sumatra and Borneo islands
Delicious food – Sambal, Beef Rendang, Indomie, Fried rice, Nasi Rawon, Bakso, Satay, Gado-gado and more
Nusantara and East Indies – another names for Indonesia
Yogyakarta Sultan (Sultan Hamengkubuwono X) is the king
Java Man -the first human on the Indonesian archipelago and is the ancestor of the entire Indonesian population
Martial art pencak silat – one of the national sports
Badminton can be called as Indonesia’s most successful sport
Have completely identical flags with Monaco
Unusual history of head-hunting – fierce warriors were beheading their enemies to further preserve the head as a “trophy”
Languages:Bahasa Indonesia, Javanese, Sundanese, Madurese, Batak, Minang, Balinese, Bugis, Banjar, Acehnese, Sasak (native by region); Tamil, Chinese, English (widely spoken)
Good to visit: May – June and September, and October- November (cheapest time)