Whilst the Philippines has a complex geographical make-up and more recently unpredictable political landscape, it can also be defined by its vast rice fields, plethora of festivals (fiestas) and graffiti themed jeeps, all of which are complimented by the charming locals. Indeed, this Lonely Planet guide production is the 12th edition for the Philip...

I thought a lot about showers in Kuala Lumpur – both the climatic and the cleaning kind. ​The former because the quickly changing tropical weather made it highly likely we'd get rain soaked at some point while walking round the city. The latter because if it isn't raining it's hot and humid, which meant we ended up sweat soaked in any case.&nb...

A principal city of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is 700 kilometers from Bangkok, the capital of the Lana Kingdom formed in 1296 by King Mengrai, with its extended land on the banks of the Ping River and surrounding embraced with interesting picturesque of nature and unique cultural identity as well as extraordinary Thai Buddhism. It has a long his...

Pink cherry blossom sweeps Japan each spring and the former capital city of Kyoto is one of the best places to view this seasonal change. For some of the most striking views of the blossom, or "Hanami" as it is locally known, the banks of the Kamo-gawa River are a good starting point for those who are new to Kyoto. The waterway, which runs through ...

Indeed some might be puzzled by the cover image of this Bradt publication by Robert Willoughby, as it shows two smiling kids of North Korean origin.  This alone may leave people pondering questions such as does tourism exist in North Korea? Do the locals live a happy life?  As a starting point it is important to note that officially North...

Vietnam lied on the eastern part of Indochina, border with China to the North, Laos and Cambodia to the West and the East of South China Sea. Three quarters of Vietnam are mountains and hills mainly in the North and central region. The waterways are a convenient means of transports with two major rivers – Red River in North and Mekong River which a...