Sights in Asia
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Binh Soup Shop
It might seem strange to introduce a noodle-soup restaurant as a sight, but there is more to Binh Soup Shop than meets the eye. The Binh Soup Shop was the secret headquarters of the VC in Saigon. It was from here that the VC planned its attack on the US embassy and other places in Saigon during the Tet Offensive of 1968. One has to wonder how many US soldiers ate here, completely unaware that the staff were all VC infiltrators. By the way, the pho makes it a worthwhile stop for lunch or breakfast.
reviewed
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B
Jaswant Thada
This milky white marble memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II is an array of whimsical domes – it’s a welcome, peaceful spot after the hubbub of the city, and the view across to the fort is superb. The cenotaph, built in 1899, was followed by the royal crematorium and three other cenotaphs that stand nearby. Look out for the memorial to a peacock that flew into the funeral pyre. There are some beautiful jalis (carved marble lattice screens), and it’s the definitive tomb with a view.
reviewed
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Hal Aerospace Museum
For a peek into India’s aeronautical history, visit this wonderful museum past the old airport, where you can see some of the indigenous aircraft models designed by HAL, sometimes with a little help from other nations. Interesting exhibits include the infamous MIG-21, indigenous models such as the Marut and Kiran, and a vintage Canberra bomber. You can also engage in mock dogfights at the simulator machines (Rs10) on the top-floor.
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Labuan War Memorial
The Labuan War Memorial is an expanse of lawn with row upon row of headstones dedicated to the nearly 4000 Commonwealth servicemen, mostly Australian and British, who lost their lives in Borneo during WWII. The most heartbreaking are the last two rows of memorials on the north end that read merely 'a soldier'. The cemetery is near the golf course, about 2km east of town along Jln Tanjung Purun. A taxi to the memorial will cost around RM10.
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Bach Ma National Park
A French-era hill station, this national park reaches a peak of 1450m at Bach Ma mountain, only 18km from the coast. The cool climate attracted the French, who started building villas here in 1930; by 1937 the number of holiday homes had reached 139 and it became known as the ‘Dalat of central Vietnam’. Not surprisingly the Viet Minh tried hard to spoil the holiday – the area saw some heavy fighting in the early 1950s.
reviewed
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Cho 19-12
Supermarkets and malls are sprouting up all over town as many Hanoians adopt the shopping habits of Western consumers. However, Cho 19-12, found between Pho Hoa Lo and Pho Quang Trung, is an old-style market geared towards some of Hanoi's more traditional residents. It's worth a walk-through, particularly during the busier morning hours. By 12:00, it's a surreal picture of a carnival that's past its peak.
reviewed
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Three Pagodas
Absolutely the symbol of the town/region, these pagodas 2km north of the north gate are among the oldest standing structures in southwestern China.
The tallest of the three, Qiānxún Pagoda, has 16 tiers that reach a height of 70m. It was originally erected in the mid-9th century by engineers from Xī'ān. It is flanked by two smaller 10-tiered pagodas, each of which are 42m high. While the price is cheeky considering you can't go inside the pagodas, Chóngshèng Temple (Chóngshèng Sì) behind them has been restored and converted into a relatively worthy museum.
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Yángshuò Park
Yangshuo Park is in the western part of town, and here you'll find Man Hill (costs extra) which is supposed to resemble a young man bowing and scraping to a shy young girl represented by Lady Hill (Xiǎogū Shān). Other hills nearby are named after animals: Lion Riding Carp Hill (Shīzi Qí Lǐyú Shān), Dragon Head Hill (Lóngtóu Shān) and the like.
reviewed
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C
Fort Cornwallis
For all its size, Fort Cornwallis isn’t particularly impressive; only the outer walls stand, enclosing a pleasant park within. The star-shaped structure houses some vaguely informative exhibits, a poor Malaysian man is made to stand in full British colonial uniform at the gate and a speaker system seems to play the 1812 Overture on repeat loop. It’s all wonderfully surreal.
reviewed
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Hemis Gompa
Hidden behind the timelessly pretty Hemis village, in soothingly green foliage, A 7km detour from Karu, the famous 1672 Hemis gompa is the spiritual centre of Ladakh’s Drukpa Buddhists (www.drukpa.org). Documents supposedly found here support Jesus in India conspiracists’ notion that Christ visited Kashmir. Hemis’ fame rests primarily on its annual Tse-Chu festival.
reviewed
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Bund Sightseeing Tunnel
A 647m voyage with entertainment from budget effects, garish lighting and dreadful props, the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel is a transport mode that guarantees to get you to Pǔdōng in an altered state. Stepping from the trains at the terminus, visitors are visibly nonplussed, their disbelief surpassed only by those with return tickets. Connoisseurs of unabashed cheesiness will love it.
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Python Cave
About 3km out of town on the road to Tamaraw Falls, an unsignposted track winds 2km up to Python Cave. This large cavern is said to be home to a 2m-long python. Jeepney drivers are not likely to know the turn-off, so keep an eye peeled; the ride should cost around P15. A tricycle from town will cost around P400 return, or you could add a couple of hundred and do it on the way to the falls.
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Istana Nurul Iman
The best way to measure the grandeur of a structure is by counting the bathrooms. The sultan’s Istana Nurul Iman has 257, making it the largest residential palace in the world. With a price tag of over US$350 million, this 1788-room behemoth is, if you can believe it, more than four times the size of the Palace of Versailles and three times larger than Buckingham Palace.
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Xīmaò Zhoū
Xīmaò Zhoū, visible off Sānyà's coastline, is a fairly small island, but it's good for a bit of hiking or snorkelling. The Peace Supermarket in Dàdōnghǎi hires out a boat for the trip, which takes about 2hrs. Speedboats from the beach take 30min, but are expensive. A small homestay on the island offers basic accommodation for a good price.
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Zhūhǎi City Museum
Downtown, the renovated City Museum in Jídà has 13 exhibition halls showing old photos of Zhūhǎi, as well as cannon batteries and stelae excavated around the city. The exhibits are not particularly attractive, but the meticulously arranged garden is charming amid the bustling downtown. From Gǒngběi take bus 2 on Yingbin Dadao. Bus 26 leaves from Jiǔzhoū Harbour.
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Damdin Sükhbaatar Statue
The Square now bears Damdin Sükhbaatar's name and features a statue of him astride his horse. The words he apparently proclaimed at the time are engraved on the bottom of the statue: 'If we, the whole people, unite in our common effort and common will, there will be nothing in the world that we cannot achieve, that we will not have learnt or failed to do.'
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Vintage & Classic Car Collection
The maharajas’ Vintage & Classic Car Collection is fascinating for car buffs, with 22 splendid vehicles, including a 1938 Cadillac with modifications for purdah and the beautiful 1934 Rolls Royce Phantom used in Octopussy. If you enjoy a vegetarian thali, it’s not a bad lunch option (lunch 11am to 3pm, dinner 7pm to 10pm).
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Surabaya Zoo
South of the city centre, Surabaya Zoo has a good collection of lions, tigers, elephants, hippos, kangaroos and reptiles. If you’re not planning to visit Komodo, the dragons are worth a visit – 32 mini-komodos hatched here in 2009. The animals look typically nonchalant, but the park is well laid out, with large, open enclosures.
reviewed
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Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
If you’d like to check out the orang-utans, visit to Lok Kawi Wildlife Park is highly recommended, especially for those with children in tow. There are plenty of other animals as well, from tarsiers to rhinos. Don’t miss the giant aviary at the top of hill, with its ominous warning sign ‘beware of attacking birds’!
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Samui Butterfly Garden
Walk slowly among the tropical flowers to spot the colourful butterflies fanning their wings as they sip nectar. At first only a few will cross your path, but search the garden for the sultriest flowers to find an undulating carpet of anxious diners. Butterflies are most active in the mornings. It’s opposite Central Samui Village.
reviewed
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Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock)
The excursion to the incredible balancing boulder stupa, called Kyaiktiyo (or Golden Rock), is a must-do. The small stupa, just 7.3m (24ft) high, sits atop the Gold Rock, a massive, gold-leafed boulder delicately balanced on the edge of a cliff at the top of Mt Kyaikto. This is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Myanmar.
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Likas Bird Sanctuary
Opened in 2000 and protected by the WWF, the Likas Bird Sanctuary sits across from the mosque, covering 24 hectares of mangrove swamp. The preserve attracts a variety of migratory birds, some from as far away as Siberia. To reach the bird sanctuary, see the directions to the City Mosque.
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Chiang Mai Zoo
At the foot of Doi Suthep, the Chiang Mai Zoo occupies a lush park setting and boasts a fairly comprehensive assortment of animals plus two special attractions (pandas and an aquarium) that require separate admission fees. The aquarium reportedly has Asia's longest viewing tunnel (measuring 113m) and replicates the water environments of Thailand, from the northern rivers to the mangrove swamps and coastal oceans, as well as the Amazon basin.
Except for the baby elephant on a walkway for entertainment of visitors (with leg chained, which was disturbing) and some animals obviously in distress (ie walking around in circles) in their concrete enclosures, most animals seem…
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Hunting Museum
The Hunting Museum, on the 2nd floor of the Baigal Ordon (Nature Palace) on the street leading to Gandan Khiid, shows off centuries-old trapping and hunting techniques that are used by both nomads and urban cowboys. It's usually locked so ask for the key from the ladies running the hotel downstairs.
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Cao Dai Temple
After Tay Ninh, this temple is the largest such structure in Vietnam, serving about 50,000 followers in Quang Nam and Da Nang provinces, including 20,000 in Danang itself. As with all Cao Dai temples, prayers are held four times a day: 5.30am, 11.30am, 5.30pm and 11.30pm.
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