Nestled in the crystal waters of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Baa Atoll, the Vakkaru Maldives resort takes luxury to the next level. No stranger to accolades, the resort has won numerous awards for its ambiance and service as a destination wedding venue and honeymooners’ paradise.
On the eastern coast of China, a once-bustling fishing village blends seamlessly into the hillside, reclaimed by the ivy and moss of the lush, green landscape. The village, located on Shengshan Island, is part of the Shengsi Islands, a smattering of over 400 islands just south of the mouth of the Yangtze River.
Some people dream of tropical climates and hot, sandy beaches when they plan a vacation – the hotter, the better. For those who prefer a cooler destination, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in Heilongjiang Province, China may be just the place.
For thousands of years, Yuncheng Salt Lake has served as an important source of salt for residents all over China. Located in the Shanxi Province in Northern China, the lake, nicknamed “China’s Dead Sea,” has been the focus of numerous wars, territorial disputes, and religious traditions for over 4,000 years. Ancient people even worshipped “salt gods” in nearby temples to pay homage to the lake.
Nestled just outside of the city of Da Nang, Vietnam’s Golden Bridge may be the world’s most unique footbridge. It connects the nearby cable car station to the beautiful gardens of the Bà Nà Hills Resort. Set against a backdrop of lush, fantastical scenery, the bridge rises from the ground, supported by two giant hands.
The forests of the Jigokudani valley in Japan are surrounded by imposing cliffs and fountains of steaming hot water. It’s a breathtaking contrast to see the steam of the springs against the starkness of the snowy landscape. Locals refer to Jigokudani as “Hell Valley,” both for its appearance of “smoke” and its harsh climate.
For centuries, the Kulung people in eastern Nepal have harvested the honey from the Himalayan honey bees. Not a remarkable feat, except for the fact the harvesters must scale the sheer cliffs of the Himalayas – hundreds of feet or more – to reach the hives.
Vlogger Li Ziqi lives a simple life in the idyllic countryside of Mianyang in southwest China’s Sichuan Province. She has gained fame on Youtube for her beautifully detailed videos that demonstrate traditional Chinese recipes and crafts.
An ancient art dating back thousands of years, tattooing, has helped to shape and show the history behind each civilization and culture. Though tattooing evolved independently throughout various countries, it holds a similar meaning for each culture: the art of story-telling through keeping an ancient tradition alive.
It took just over five years from ideation to finished construction for a South Korean couple to open the Dreamy Camera Cafe, a two-story building modeled after a type of twin-lens camera called Rolleiflex. Inside the cafe, the decor echoes the couple’s love of picture-taking, featuring a vintage camera display and galleries of photography.
