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Asia

Pyongyang at Sunset, North Koreaat Mansudae Grand Monument statueStep with an open mind into one of the most closed and unknown countries in the world. North Korea is not only wonderfully interesting, but also surprisingly accessible. In 2013, the curious traveller who wants to experience one of the last Communist dynasties should book a ticket to Pyongyang, the capital of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) aka North Korea. Exclusive travel is an understatement here because less than 5000 western tourists visit this little known Asian country annually. If you are the kind of traveller who likes to come home with original stories and photos that nobody else could have taken then put this destination high on your hotlist. We answer five questions on how to do it. Read more »

What is the result when an Asian country tries to manage the tourism industry by charging a fair amount of entry tax to the adventurous traveller? Plus when it wants to keep far away from the madding backpacking crowds? Take 20.000 visitors a year and mix it with a 100% Buddhist population in a landlocked country with dreamy landscapes that will tantalize every serious travelista. Ok, you have to have a certain budget to get in. But who wouldn’t pay a bit more for a destination where the happiest people in the world live, where chilli peppers are eaten as a vegetable rather than a spice and where the beer, called Red Panda, is devilish tasty? Read more »

monk myanmarballoons over bagan Until very recently a no-go destination for many travellers, Burma aka Myanmar has now become an absolute favourite. With endearing nicknames such as the ‘golden land’ or ‘land of the smile’, everybody wants to go now. Who wouldn’t want to visit a country where until very recently time literally and figuratively stood still, cut off from the rest of the world? Read more »

Sumo Beya Morning Practice TokyoSumo Beya Morning Practice TokyoWitnessing a Sumo morning practice in a Beya, a training stable, is possibly one of the most underground and fascinating things to do when in Tokyo. We experienced an early-morning practice at Sakaigawa Beya, located in a suburb of Tokyo. In the soft light of a new day, the wrestlers start at six in the morning their regular routine: train, eat, sleep all afternoon and train again.In Japan, Sumo is more than a sport. Sumo wresters are no ordinary sportsmen in Japan, they are considered as semi-gods and real heroes. Japan’s religion is even still an integral part of the sport. Read more »