Asian travel in modern times

Asia is the world's largest continent, both by size and population. China alone has nearly 1.5 billion people - that's five times the size of the United States. That's twice the size of all of Europe! One in six of the world's people is Chinese, and more than half the world's people are asian. No other continent has 1 billion people; two asian countries - China and India - have more than that by themselves.

So as you can see, Asian travel is not your typical drive through the countryside. There is more to see, more to do, and quite obviously more people to meet than you'd find anywhere else on earth.

Some of the best sites to see in Asia are ones you probably already know. The Great Wall of China comes to mind. It stretches nearly four-thousand miles, from the inland empire all the way to the sea of Japan. Built nearly a millennia ago, it was constructed to keep out what were then the most lethal fighters in the world: The Mongol Hordes. It was built over several centuries - how's that for a big government project? - and when the Ming Dynasty (one of the great Chinese dynasties) was at its peak, more than a million soldiers were used to man the walls turrets and towers. And to top it all off, the Great Wall is the only man made object visible from space.

If northern China isn't your thing, then perhaps you could head to the subcontinent - India - and check out the Taj Mahal. Built over the span of twenty years in the mid-17th century, the Taj Mahal isn't actually a palace: It's a mausoleum. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to house the mortal remains of his favorite wife - he had a gigantic herem, so she must have been quite a lady. It's basically the world's most impressive tombstone, and a must for any Asian travel that wants to see the sites.

If going to the Taj Mahal makes you think of other adventures - notably, the Taj Mahal casino in the US - then take a flight south and head to Macao, which is known as "The Las Vegas of Asia." Macao is a tiny protectorate, a small coral atoll in the Indian Ocean that plays home to Asia's rich and famous. It's a different more modern bit of Asian travel, but after seeing the sites and being overawed by the history on display just about everywhere, it's probably a nice idea to relax with a cold drink, some sunshine and a game of blackjack or two.

Of course there are other areas to explore as well. Angkor Wat is beauitful, ancient palace in the heart of the Indochinan rain forest, and one of the star attractions of Asian travel. You can also head to Japan, or Siberia, Malaysia... the list is endless.