Asia Capital Travel Video

ASIA TRAVEL VIDEO

Beijing Video Guide



Beijing, the capital of the People's Republic of China, is the Nation's political and cultural center. The metropolis covers an area of 16,800 square kilometers and enjoys a moderate continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Since the implementation of China's reform and opening policy, Beijing has developed into a modern city that reflects the rich Chinese culture, history and revolutionary tradition.
Beijing is both old and young. It is the cultural cradle of China and also the birthplace of human civilization. It was here that "Peking Man" lived and multiplied in primitive communities 700,000 years ago. Beginning to take shape during the later period of the Shang Dynasty, Beijing existed as a city more than 3,000 years ago, and as a Capital for about 800 years.

Tokyo Video Guide



As a modern city Tokyo, capital of Japan, could be described as too good to be true. People dress in the latest gear, excellent restaurants serve up delicious food of all varieties, and the trendiest nightclubs keep things hopping. The public transport system is punctual and one of the most efficient in the world; and shops and vending machines provide necessities and luxuries both day and night. Best of all, experiencing the best of what this city has to offer is inexpensive and often free. All this is achieved in a city that is home to 12 million people, amid the confusion of bumper-to-bumper traffic, flickering neon signs and a crush of humanity packing subways and sidewalks. In the crush and rush Tokyo remains, remarkably, one of the world's safest cities with a low crime rate and local people who are only too willing to spare the time and effort to assist a stranger.

Bangkok Video Guide



Chaotic, carnal and congested, Thailand's capital is divided by the Chao Phraya River and is nestled in one of the world's most fertile rice-producing deltas. Bangkok's 579 square miles (1,500 sq km) are criss-crossed by a series of canals carrying passengers and cargo, its roads clotted with endless traffic jams, while the city sprawls in all directions with a hodge-podge of urban, commercial and industrial buildings. A new overland metropolitan railway speeds above the city, providing visitors with a relaxed and efficient way to observe the hustle and bustle below.

Delhi Video Guide



Through a sweltering bazaar with each vendor crying out louder than the next, clamouring through a sweaty crowd, a beggar tugs at your shirt as the sticky stench of the city pierces your nostrils. Navigate your way across the road through a perennial traffic jam of blasting horns and angry shouts, and suddenly you'll find yourself stepping through the trees into a deserted courtyard, flanked by gurgling ponds below the huge glittering dome of an ornately patterned mosque.

Kualalumper Video Guide



Kuala Lumpur is the bustling capital city of Malaysia and its showpiece of prosperity and grandeur. Kuala Lumpur means 'muddy estuary', a name coined by the original tin prospectors who arrived at the confluence of the Kelang and Gombak rivers in 1860. Kuala Lumpur has progressed considerably since then as can be witnessed in the reflections of the glittering skyscrapers elegantly rising between the well-preserved colonial buildings of yesteryear.

Hongkong Video Guide



Hong Kong perches on the edge of mainland China occupying an anomalous position as a territory straddling two worlds. Since the handover in 1997 Hong Kong has become a 'Special Administrative Region of China' and no longer a subject of colonial sovereignty. Past and present fuse to create a capitalist utopia embedded within the world's largest Communist country.

Manila Video Guide



Manila, the somewhat daunting capital and pulsating hub of the Philippines, is situated on the east coast of Luzon, the most northerly island, also the largest and the most well developed. The city was founded in 1571 on the site of a Muslim settlement. Its major tourist attraction is the old Spanish walled city, known as Intramuros, which contains some historic buildings and ruins.

Taipei Video Guide



Situated off the coast of mainland China, the mountainous island of Taiwan teems with people in massive urban developments, but at the same time hides some picture-perfect breathtaking vistas behind the scenes. Jet into the airport at the capital, Taipei, and the island below greets you with majestic peaks, rolling hills and plains, basins and inlets, tropical beaches and green forests.

Singapore Video Guide



Singapore is an island off the southern tip of Malaysia, linked to it by a causeway. It evolved from a sleepy fishing village in the early 1900s to become one of Asia's economic tigers. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed on Singapore's northern bank in 1819 and felt that its location made it ideal as a trading station. From here Singapore's landscape was transformed by British colonial rule, Japanese occupation, Communist insurrection and finally, independence. Since becoming a republic in 1965 the island has experienced increased prosperity and exponential economic growth. Shimmering skyscrapers tower above the slick financial districts and elegant colonial buildings preserve a lingering old-world charm.

Seoul Video Guide



Encircled by mountains, containing a population of 10-million, and with more than a million registered motor vehicles inching through its congested streets, one would imagine the metropolis of Seoul, capital of South Korea, to be a polluted nightmare. The city fathers, however, have made a concerted effort in recent years to clean and green this thriving, prosperous city, also ensuring that the mushrooming of gleaming skyscrapers has not meant the neglect or destruction of centuries-old palaces and shrines. The result is a bustling, but organised, city filled with fascination, where old and new co-exist happily.

Jakarta Video Guide



Hanoi Video Guide



Istanbul Video Guide



Phnom Penh Video Guide



Abudhabi Video Guide



THE BEST ASIA BEACH VIDEO

The Best Asia Beach Video Guide



TRAVEL AND SOCIAL ADVICE