The sharper edge to traveling in Asia

Archive for the 'By Country' Category

Historic Wat Preah Vihear mines to be cleared as Thai-Cambodian controversy continues

In a story reported in the Bangkok Post of December 21, 2012, Thailand and Cambodia have begun thawing relations related to skirmishes surrounding the historical Wat Preah Vihear temple. Although sitting in Cambodian territory, the temple has been claimed by both countries. At a meeting of the Thai-Cambodian Joint Working Group (JWG) held in Bangkok […]

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Top 5 palaces and shrines in Seoul, South Korea

Seoul’s palaces represent fascinating, colorful, and artistic elements of Korean culture

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Only one day in Seoul? Visit ‘Biwon’ the Secret Garden at the Changdeokgung Palace

Maybe you’ve only got one day in Seoul, a common occurrence for people who find themselves with a free day between layovers at Incheon Airport. If you’ve got a day or even a few hours, the one thing you don’t want to miss is the Secret Garden, located in the back of the Changdeokgung Palace. […]

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WoWasis book review: ‘Brother One Cell,’ Korean prisons by Cullen Thomas

Cullen Thomas’ Brother One Cell makes for compelling reading on both Korea and prison life

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Jeju Top 10: the Best Museums and Sites on Korea’s island of Jeju

Going to Korea’s Jeju Island? You’ll be astounded by the wealth of museums, parks, and historical sites on the island, all within a half-day’s driving distance of each other. In terms of museums alone, Jeju’s offerings constitute the largest concentration of outstanding museums that we here at WoWasis have seen in Asia, and many of […]

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WoWasis book review: ‘Land of Exile: Contemporary Korean Fiction’

If you’re going to delve into the genre of Korean fiction, the Expanded Edition of the compilation Land of Exile: Contemporary Korean Fiction (2007, ISBN 978-0-7656-1810-8), translated and edited by Marshall R. Pihl and Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton, is a pretty good place to start. There are sixteen short stories in this book of 336 […]

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American woman gets financially fleeced by male Asian lover

The Good Manner: Advice on Asia from WoWasis’ Pa Farang Today’s question: Do women ever get financially robbed by male Asian lovers?  Dear Pa Farang,  We’ve all heard dozens/hundreds/thousands of stories about western guys getting cheated out of their money by Asian gals. I’m curious, does the opposite ever happen? Do western women ever get […]

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A magnificent stroll through Jeju Art Park on Korea’s Jeju Island

Korea’s Jeju Island has a wealth of outdoor experiences, so many, in fact that it’s easy to miss several good ones. Here at WoWasis, we feel that the Jeju Art Park is something you shouldn’t miss. The Art Park has more than 160 art works by Korean sculptors, laid out over a large 430,000 square […]

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Walk Korea’s spectacular Yongmeori Coast on Jeju Island

There’s lots of magnificent coastline in Korea, but for us here at WoWasis, the Yongmeori Coast in southwestern Jeju Island is hard to beat. Its rock formations are vivid and particularly colorful with the afternoon sun. To get here, you cross the highway from Sanbangsan mountain and walk a few meters to the ticket booth. […]

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WoWasis book review: Sung Bum-Young’s ‘The Spirited Garden’ (Korean Bonsai Culture)

Sung Bum-Young founded ‘The Spirited Garden’ on Korea’s Jeju island, in 1968. The garden is a world-renowned bonsai venue, and is in Jeju’s Top Ten attractions. You simply can’t miss seeing it when you’re there.  What every visitor yearns to discover is how this garden was built. This book, The Spirited Garden: The Story of […]

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