Partners in Asia

Asia is almost too massive and diverse to conceptualize as a digestable travel "destination". Even defining the borders of this continent is difficult - from the mountains around the Black Sea in the west, to the snow fields of Siberia in the east, there are more people and cities in Asia than outside of it.
Asia's highest point is Nepal's and China's Mount Everest, which rises to 8,848 m (29,028 feet) above sea level. Its lowest point is Israel's and Jordan's Dead Sea, whose surface is 400 m (1,312 feet) below sea level. Asia's longest river is the Yangtze, which runs 6,300 km (3,915 miles) through China. Its largest lake is the 386,400 sq km (149,200 square mile) Caspian Sea, which is surrounded by several central Asian nations. Asia is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the east, by Australia to the southeast, and by the Indian Ocean to the south. It is bounded by the Red Sea to the southwest, by Europe to the west, and by the Arctic Ocean to the north.
Travel options range widely, from the desert ruins and modern malls of the Middle East to the magnificient monuments in South Asia, and from the beach bungalows and jungle treks of South-East Asia to the megacities and technology capitals of East Asia. Find out more about regions, destinations, and itineraries below.

Central Asia (Afghanistan,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)
It is home to the 'Stans: rugged countries with limited arable land, historically coveted for their position between Europe and east Asia, rather than for their resources (though petroleum reserves in the region are becoming important). They are home to generally poor, primarily Muslim, historically nomadic, mostly Turkic-speaking peoples. All but Afghanistan (which is sometimes categorized separately for this and other reasons) are former Soviet republics that so far have retained authoritarian, secular governments.
Cities: Almaty in Kazhakstan, Ashgabat - capital of Turkmenistan, Astana - capital of Kazhakstan, Bishkek - capital of Kyrgyzstan, Dushanbe - capital of Tajikistan, Kabul - capital of Afghanistan, Samarkand - UNESCO World Heritage Site, and likely stop in Uzbekistan, Tashkent - capital of Uzbekistan.

East Asia (China (Hong Kong, Macau), Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan)
East Asia is a cultural and geographic region of Asia. East Asia is what used to be known in the West as The Orient, a mysterious land inhabited by a race of inscrutable tea-sipping Orientals. Behind the caricature, though, is a uniting factor in the form of Chinese influence: China, as by far the largest and, historically, the most technologically and societally advanced culture in the region, has given its writing system (Chinese characters), religion (Mahayana Buddhism) and philosophy (Confucianism) to all the countries in East Asia.
However, underneath these superficial similarities lie a vast range of differences. The geography alone covers the gamut, from the arid steppes of Mongolia to the vast deserts of northwestern China, the lush rice paddies of south central China and the beaches of the subtropical islands of Okinawa. The upheaval of the past centuries has also led the countries of the region along strikingly different paths, with the hyper-modern skyscrapers and consumerist culture of Japan having little if anything in common with the Stalinist austerity of North Korea.
Countries and regions: China - the quickly awakening giant of East Asia, with huge cultural treasures among the rising skyline, Hong Kong - China's former British colony - a shopper's paradise, famous for its harbor view, Macau - a former Portuguese colony with liberal gambling laws, Japan - the home of ninjas, Zen, Sushi, Hello Kitty, Pokémon, Nintendo, electronics multinationals and anime.
Mongolia - a nomadic land of vast spaces. North Korea - Orwell's worst nightmares come true. South Korea - the dynamic but undiscovered destination of East Asia. Taiwan (Republic of China) - an island of sharp contrasts: lush mountains, skyscrapers and gentle tai-chi.
Cities: Beijing - smoggy, noisy, and fascinating metropolis capital of China. Hong Kong - island city crowned by Victoria Peak. Kyoto - historic capital of Japan. Lhasa - mysterious capital of Tibet.
Pyongyang - North Korean capital with much communist architecture. Seoul - bustling South Korean capital. Shanghai - skyscraper and art deco strewn port city.Taipei - capital city of Taiwan.
Tokyo - world's largest megalopolis. Ulaanbaatar - capital of Mongolia.

Middle East (Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen)
The Middle East is a world region in south-western Asia that is skirted by South-Eastern Europe and North Africa. The term was created by British military strategists in the 19th century, and definitions of the Middle East vary; it is not simply a geographical term, but also a political one.
Countries: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen
As one of the wellsprings of human civilisation in the ancient and medieval worlds, the birthplace of several world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Bahai) and an area of much modern economic and political importance, the Middle East remains a popular destination for travellers.

Ethnically, the region is extremely mixed. Arabs, Persians and Turks are the largest groups, but there are several substantial minorities ? Kurds, Armenians and others ? with their own languages, customs and sometimes their own countries. Every invading army ? from Alexander and the Romans through Genghis Khan to the 19th century colonial powers ? has left descendants behind. There are also substantial numbers of workers from other countries coming to the region for higher pay ? mainly Afghan, Pakistani for jobs like construction labourer, with Egyptians, Philipinos, more Pakistanis, and some westerners in the more skilled jobs.

A great majority of people throughout the region are Muslim ? with Iran mainly Shia, other areas mainly Sunni, and both with minorities of the other ? and the legal systems in most of these countries are influenced by Islamic Law; a few are entirely based on it.

Russia and the Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Russia)
Russia - more fully known as the Russian Federation - is a vast country in Eastern Europe and northern Asia.
The Caucasus region is a mountain range lying between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, considered part of the natural boundary between Europe and Asia. Geographically it is usually considered part of Western Asia, adjacent to northeastern Turkey and northwestern Iran. But culturally, this portion of Russia and these small former Soviet republics are arguably part of Eastern Europe.
Countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia's Northern Caucasus
Cities: Baku, Tbilisi, Yerevan
Russia comprises much of Asia, a huge country of vast, empty expanses, while the Caucasus is a dense, warm, friendly, and compact travel region.

South Asia (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
South Asia comprises those countries lying between the Himalaya range of mountains and the Indian Ocean (north to south) and between the Ganga and Indus river valleys (east to west). The Indian Ocean shoreline is divided between the Arabian Sea (in the west) and the Bay of Bengal (in the east). The extensive, triangular-shaped landmass of South Asia is sometimes referred to as "the Indian Subcontinent", or simply "the Subcontinent"
Countries: Bangladesh - home of beautiful mangroves and the worlds longest beach, Bhutan - the last Shangri-la, India - Rich and exotic culture , several languages and a billion people.
Maldives - paradise found, Nepal - home to Mount Everest, adventure tourism, and smiling people, Pakistan - rich in culture and history, varying climates and terrains from hot deserts to mountains,
Sri Lanka - pearl of the Orient.
Afghanistan is sometimes considered part of the region. Its recent moves towards joining the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) may some day firmly place it in South Asia.
Myanmar (formerly Burma) may be considered a part of South Asia for long-standing historical and political ties to India.
Some commonalities exist to this area, mainly climate and culture. Apart from the Himalaya, the climate is tropical, with monsoon in summer and dry winter. However, you have the extremes of this climate, i.e. in Western Pakistan monsoon is quite non-existent and in Southern India, it lasts for six months. Sri Lanka even has two monsoons, one in May, one in October/November.
The influence of historical Indian culture can be seen everywhere. Two of the main "world religions" have their origins within South Asia: Hinduism and Buddhism. A third, Islam, was introduced by Muslim invaders starting around the 7th century and rose to prominence during the Mughal Empire.
An additional layer of South Asian cultural unification derives from the influence of British culture, and especially the frequent and growing use of the English language, as a result of India having formed the "Jewel in the Crown" of the British Empire before Independence in 1947.
Population density: South Asia is one of the world's most densely populated regions - approximately 1.6 billion people (or roughly a quarter of humanity) make their home there. The average population density of 305 people per square km is 7 times the world average.
Southeast Asia (Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam)
South-East Asia is a collection of dissimilar but not unrelated states squeezed between the twin giants of India and China. SE Asia has long been a favorite corner of the world for globe-tramping backpackers; well-known for its perfect beaches, tasty cuisine, low prices, and good air connections.
Countries: Brunei - tiny oil-rich sultanate in Borneo. Cambodia - recovering from decades of war and home of Angkor. East Timor - one of the world's newest states, at the eastern tip of Indonesia
Indonesia - the giant of the region, with more than 18,000 islands and a population of over 240 million
Laos - the forgotten, but growing, country of South-East Asia, landlocked by Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam
Malaysia - multicultural country covering the skyscrapers of KL and the jungle headhunters of Borneo
Myanmar (Burma) - military dictatorship open to the adventurous traveller
Philippines - freewheeling former Spanish and American colony with over 7,100 islands and beautiful tropical beaches
Singapore - clean and orderly island-city state
Thailand - the most popular destination in the region
Vietnam - firmly marching down the long road to capitalism

South Beach, Perhentian Islands, Malaysia
Southeast Asia is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, and for a reason. Some of the countries here have it all: a tropical climate, warm all year around, rich culture, gorgeous beaches, wonderful food and last but not least, low prices.
wikipedia.com