Destinations : Stories of Asia

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Rescuing those who challenge Nepal's highest peaks

Marc Atchison

Nepal

Dan Stretch is a Global Rescue operations manager and is based in Nepal during the Mount Everest climbing season. He has coordinated hundreds of evacuations and crisis response operations and shares h...
Hong Kong village has a silver lining

Marc Atchison

Hong Kong

Marc Atchison visits the small town of Mui Wo on Lantau Island and discovers its silver mining past and links to China's great dynasties makes it a must-place to visit.
Reaching the peak of perfection in Hong Kong

Marc Atchison

Hong Kong

Marc Atchison joins some dedicated hikers to reach the top of Kowloon Peak, the legendary summit that few tourists ever get to enjoy but one that offers much more than great views.

Digesting the Pros and Cons of Street Food

Hilary Duff

China

BEIJING - I used to eat by the guidebook. Before first travelling to Asia in 2013, I received all the requisite warnings from the local travel clinic — how to avoid malaria, ways to ensure my water w...
'treKKing' through Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu

Dennis Chu

Malaysia

KOTA KINABALU, MALAYSIA — The only thing hotter than the suffocating air hanging over this city’s bustling night market are the flames I see spewing from the mouth of a man standing just a few metre...
Getting Lost in Japanese Culture

Marc Atchison

Japan

TOKYO - From a vantage point 50 stories above Tokyo in the lounge of the Park Hyatt Hotel, it becomes clear that this is a city that sprawls endlessly in every direction. Like Bill Murray’s character...

Archive by author: Marc AtchisonReturn

Marc Atchison is a veteran journalist and a seasoned traveller with more than 20 years of travel writing experience. As the former Travel Editor of the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper, and now Editor-in-Chief and Senior Writer for TraveLife magazine (Canada) and travelife.ca, Marc has been to over 100 countries in the world. Japan is one of his favorite destinations and he's been there on numerous occasions.

Okinawa is Japan's Paridise

Marc Atchison |

NAHA CITY, OKINAWA - We open our umbrellas in what's supposed to be the sunniest place in Japan. Just my luck. I pick the rainy season to visit a place where, on average, it rains 30-60 days a year.

Maldives' Resorts are Truly Magical

Marc Atchison |

NORTH MALEÈ ATOLL, REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES – It’s love at first sight for the honeymooners aboard the Trans Maldivian Airlines seaplane as they crane their necks to get a better look at beautiful KudaHuraa.

Pulling Your Weight While Touring in Japan

Marc Atchison |

KYOTO, JAPAN - The young rickshaw driver doesn't wince when the supersized Canadian approaches and asks to be taken for a ride in Japan's traditional two-wheel hand-pulled cab.

Laos: A Country Lost in Time

Marc Atchison |

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS - The first thing that strikes you about this city is that there are no traffic lights - mainly because there is very little traffic. Quaint Luang Prabang, a 16th century city, appears frozen in time – a peaceful place where ox and motorscooters hog the road.

Drifting Down the Makong River in Laos

Marc Atchison |

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS - A favourite day outing with tourists who come to this remote part of Asia is to take a boat ride down the murky Mekong River - its waters are the colour of a cup of mocha coffee - to the artisan village of Lao Lao and then on to the Pac Cu, or Buddha caves.

Hong Kong's Ultimate Thrill Ride

Marc Atchison |

HONG KONG - The Star Ferry from Kowloon had no sooner docked at the Central Area pier when a wave of passengers rushed for the exits and headed straight for a convoy of brightly-painted double-decker buses parked opposite the ferry terminal.

Lantau is Hong Kong's Fantasy Island

Marc Atchison |

LANTAU ISLAND, HONG KONG - This is known as Hong Kong’s treasured island – a place revered by local residents because of its religious importance to the community.

Hong Kong Horse Racing a Sure Bet

Marc Atchison |

HONG KONG - Every 12 year cycle, according to the Chinese calendar, it’s time to celebrate the Year of the Horse. Bettors in race crazy Hong Kong, can’t wait that long - it's always the year of the horse here.

Resort Protecting Maldives' Ecosystem

Marc Atchison |

BAA ATOLL, MALDIVES — We are lured to this nation of turquoise water and lush tropical islands by lovely brochure photos featuring luxurious thatched-roofed resort villas suspended on stilts and by promises of sun-drenched days and romantic orange glow sunsets.

Sanya is China's Hawaii

Marc Atchison |

SANYA, CHINA - Hainan, the South China Sea island on which this vacation city is located, is often called “China’s Hawaii.”