ASIA
“Don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled” -- Mohammed

China
Hong Kong
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India
Agra, Uttar Pradesh
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The Taj Mahal - A white marble tomb built in 1631 - 48 in Agra, seat of the Mughal Empire, by Shah Jehan for his wife, Arjuman Banu Begum

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The Taj Mahal can be approached through an immense gateway with a huge arch and alcoves on either side. Smaller gateways follow the red sandstone towers which are topped with domes in white marble

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Four minarets, each more than 130 feet tall, are set at the corners of the mausoleum. They were designed as working minarets to call the Islamic faithful to prayer

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The Taj Mahal’s large white dome is surrounded by 4 smaller domes. It sits on a cylindrical 'drum' about 23 feet high giving it a height of around 115 feet

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The tall decorative spires add emphasis to the height of the dome. The main finial was originally gold but was replaced by a copy made of gilded bronze in the early 19th century

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Black marble scroll-like borders are inlaid into white marble to frame the architectural features

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Throughout the complex, passages from the Quran in black marble lettering are used as decorative elements. Recent scholarship suggests that the passages were chosen by a Persian calligrapher Abd ul-Haq, who came to India from Shiraz, Iran, in 1609

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The pishtaqs (high arches set within rectangular frames) embrace two storeys and are decorated with bands of calligraphy, glazed tilework, geometric and vegetal designs

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Agra Fort - Built by Akbar in Red Sandstone after his accession to power in 1654, served as both a military strategic point and the royal residence

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The Red Fort of Agra, was completed it in 1573, having been worked on for eight years by some 1,444,000 builders. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal

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Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor and builder of the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned in the fort by Akbar-s son, Aurangzeb. - It is rumored that Shah Jahan died in Muasamman Burj, a tower with a marble balcony and an excellent view of the Taj Mahal

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The fort contains splendid palaces both in red sandstone and white marble

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Of the nearly 500 Akbari buildings only a few have survived, arrayed in a band on the riverfront

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The fort can be more accurately described as a walled palatial city

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The India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens

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Raj ghat, Delhi

Cochin, Kerala
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The elephant is chained!

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The Kochi fishing nets

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The huge mechanical contrivances hold out large horizontal nets of 20 m or more across
Catches can be purchased and taken a short distance to a street entrepreneur who will cook it

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The system is balanced for the weight of a man on the main beam to cause the net to descend into the sea

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Cochin is a major port city on the west coast of India by the Arabian Sea

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Kochi (pop. 601,574) is the most densely populated city in the state of Kerala

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A section in Old Cochin known as Jew Town

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The Paradesi Synagogue

Jaipur, Rajasthan
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Jaipur, The Pink City - The City Palace is a palace complex which includes the Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal palaces and other buildings

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The Jaipur Jars - One of two identical silver jugs kept in the City Palace. - As per the Guinness Book of World Records, these are the heaviest silver artefacts in the world, each can hold 900 gallons

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There are an estimated 40,000 cows wandering the streets. Some are wild but many are allowed to roam free so that owners do not have to pay for feed

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High angle view of the Amber Fort's garden. The Fort was built in red sandstone and marble and the Maotha Lake adds a certain charm to the entire Fort

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Jantar Mantar - The Maharaja Jai Singh was a keen astronomer and had this giant observatory built on the grounds of his palace in 1724. This view is from atop the gnomon of the Samrat Yantra, the world's largest sundia

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The Laghu Samrat Yantra - The small Sun dial of Jantar Mantar is the instrument used for time and to find out the declination angle of the sun

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The Narivalaya Yantra - Two paired sundials used to calculate time by following the solar cycle. - One side is used in winter (when the sun is in the southern hemisphere) and the other is used in summer, when the sun is in the northern hemisphere. The summer dial is shown in this photo

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The Rashivalaya Yantra - One of 12 pieces, each representing a different zodiac sign, used to make horoscopes

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The Samrat Yantra - The large sundial of Jantar Mantar. It is largest sundial in the world with its gnomon rising over 73 feet above its base. At 114 feet in length and with a thickness of 10 feet, it is the largest device in this ancient observatory

Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Maharashtra
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Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay

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The Mumbai Suburban Railway, popularly known as Locals, forms the backbone of the city's transport system. Mumbai's suburban rail systems carries about 6.3 million passengers every day

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Mumbai has over 1.5 million vehicles

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The black and yellow Premier Padmini Taxis are iconic of Mumbai

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Mumbai is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million

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Dhobi Ghat - A well known open air laundromat in Mumbai, India

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The washers, locally known as Dhobis, work in the open to wash the clothes from Mumbai's hotels and hospitals

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There are rows of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone

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The word Dhobi Ghat is used all over India to refer to any place where many washers are present

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Hanging Gardens, Mumbai

Malaysia
Kuala Lampur
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Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque is located in Shah Alam. The mosque has four minarets, one erected at each of the corners

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The Blue Mosque, as it is known, has the capacity to accommodate 24,000 worshippers at any one time. - The main dome of the mosque measures 167 ft in diameter and 350 ft in height from the ground level

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Batu Caves You have to climb 272 steps to reach the main cave which is called The Cathedral or Temple Cave

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The Batu Caves are among the holiest Hindu shrines in Malaysia

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In January or February, the Hindu Festival at the Batu Caves called Thaipusam is held. The festival is celebrated all over Malaysia and in Singapore

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The Cathedral, or Temple Cave, is 180 meters long and 100 metres high. This enormous chamber has some openings in the vaulted ceilings, and the day light creates a magic feeling

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Thien Hau Temple A first class example of the beauty of Chinese architecture, it is one of the largest Chinese temples in South-East Asia

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At the entrance to the main temple area, there will be a large container for burning joss sticks or incense. The container is filled with ash and the joss sticks are placed into the ash

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Thean Hou Goddess, the Goddess of the Sea/Ocean - This main shrine is on the third floor of this four level temple

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Entering the temple grounds you have the fountain of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy and statues of gods and lions

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The fountain of Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy

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The Ram

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Royal Selongor Pewter Factory

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The National Monument is a sculpture that commemorates those who died in Malaysia's struggle for freedom, principally against the Japanese occupation during World War II and the Malayan Emergency, which lasted from 1948 until 1960

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Mahsuri Well is nearby the tomb of Mahsuri. Follow Mahsuri's story below

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Langkawi is a cluster of 99 islands separated from mainland Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca. Only four of the 99 islands are inhabited - Pulau Langkawi (the main island), Pulau Tuba, Pulau Rebak and Pulau Dayang Bunting

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The population of Langkawi is approximately 99,000 of which 90% are Malays

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Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur - One of the most impressive pieces of architecture in the world is the magnificent 1,483 ft high Petronas Twin Towers, that are linked by a walk-bridge at the 41st floor
The Legend of Mahsuri
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Mahsuri was the daughter of a Thai couple who moved from Phuket to Langkawi Island in search of a better life. Mahsuri, the most beautiful woman in all of Langkawi, was soon married to the handsome warrior Wan Darus, brother of the cheiftan

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Mahsuri's mother-in-law, jealous of her beauty, accused her of adultery when her husband went off to war. Mahsuri protested her innocence but the village elders tried the young girl, found her guilty and sentenced her to death by stabbing

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Mahsuri was to be tied to a tree and stabbed to death but, when her cheiftan brother-in-law pierced her with the ceremonial dagger, she bled white blood, a sign of her innocence

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With her dying breath, Mahsuri cursed Langkawi to have seven generations of bad luck. The kingdom was soon taken over by Siam. The villagers at Padang Mat Sirat burned their own paddy fields rather than let them fall into the hands of the Siamese

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Inilah Wan Aisyah The Seventh Generation of Princess Mahsuri. Will she end the curse?

Singapore
Highlights
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Singapore, an island city-state off southern Malaysia

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Jade Market

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Thailand
Phuket
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Phuket, Thailand

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Wat Chalong
The most important of the 29 buddhist temples of Phuket is Wat Chalong

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The abbot is also a herbal doctor and a setter of broken bones, so his skills were called upon to heal those wounded during the fighting

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The Buddhist religion is an important part of the Thai culture. By studying meditation and learning more about the traditional practices, one expands their knowledge and appreciation of world religions

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Toilets!

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Thailand, formerly known as Siam, is a country located at the center of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia


Turkey
Bodrum
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Bodrum is a popular resort and yachting port at the southern end of Turkey's Aegean coast. The tower of The Mosque of Süleyman appears in the foreground

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Bodrum harbor

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The medieval crusader Castle of St. Peter

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Day boat trips offer a relaxing excursion via wind and sails yachting through the Aegean

Kusadasi
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Kusadasi, Turkey - A resort and cruise ship port on the Turkish Aegean coast near Ephesus

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Ephesus - Curetes Street

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The Library of Celsus

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The Great Theater

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The Temple of Domitian

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The Memorial to Memmius


Marmaris
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Marmaris, Turkey - A town along the Mediterranean coast in the province of Mugla. - Marmaris has around 28,000 inhabitants, however the population can be up to 250,000 during the height of the tourist-season

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Marmaris is primarily a resort that caters for British holidaymakers but recently has become popular with Russian and other Eastern European visitors

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Great inexpesive boat excursions can take you out round the bay and to neighbouring towns like Icmeler and Turunc with all inclusive food and drinks all day for as little as 25 TL

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The town of Marmaris is not just for the package holiday visitor as a trip to the harbour area will confirm

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There you can see ocean going yachts costing $10 million and rub shoulders with those who can blow $1000 on a pair of sunglasses in the exclusive upmarket designer harbour shopping area

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Marmaris yacht marina is the biggest marina in mediterranean sea with 1300 yachts on land and 1000 yachts on water

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The women tend to wear traditional conservative clothing, including head scarves and long coats, even in the summer

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