Tour of Some of Asia’s Grandest Giant Buddhas

According to Buddhist belief, Buddha – whose name was Gautama – was a bodhisattva: someone who has attained enlightenment worthy of nirvana (heaven), but hangs around in the human world to help others. Gautama had apparently used up thousands of lives before arriving on Earth to preach his doctrine of detachment and moderation.

Still, his legacy has spawned some of the world's most extravagantly-proportioned statues. In honour of Hong Kong’s upcoming Buddha Day festival on May 10, let's embark on a lightning tour of some of Asia’s grandest giant Buddhas. These monstrous monuments rise up from temples and hillsides, rivalling the sun and moon themselves for sheer 'wow' factor.

1. Sukhothai, Thailand

Thailand is teeming with giant Buddhas. In fact, a blogger could easily write a post purely devoted to giant Buddhas in Thailand. One of the most character-filled specimens stands at the thirteenth-century Wat Si Chum (Temple of the Bodhi Tree) in Sukhothai, halfway between Chiang Mai and Bangkok. One feature that makes the Buddha remarkable is the prominence of his massive but lithe gold-painted hand. More than other giant Buddhas, the Wat Si Chum statue looks real – ready to rise up and greet you with a twinkle.

2. Leshan, Sichuan

The Buddha of Leshan in Sichuan, China, may be the world's most impressive giant Buddha. Words like 'vast' and 'humongous' scarcely begin to do justice to his epic size. Carved out of a cliff face, the Leshan Buddha makes visitors look infinitesimally small. This Buddha survived the Sichuan earthquake unscathed, though, unfortunately pollution has started to mark the Buddha's proud pink features.

3. Tian Tan, Hong Kong

Again mammoth even by the standards of giant Buddhas, Hong Kong's Tian Tan Buddha towers over a plateau amid the spectacular mountain scenery of Lantau Island. The Tian Tan Buddha’s tilted head and general fluidity lend him elegance and character. If you want to get close to him, you must be devoted. His platform is perched atop 200 steps.

4. Wat Pho, Bangkok

A giant Buddha need not necessarily sit facing you like an enthroned king. Some giant Buddhas recline on their sides. Designed to show the passing of the Buddha into nirvana, the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok stretches 46 meters, his feet and eyes engraved with mother-of-pearl. Like the Sukhothai giant Buddha, the Wat Pho statue is both delicate and formidable at once.

5. Todaiji, Nara, Japan

Todaiji is a Japanese Buddhist temple complex equipped with a Great Buddha Hall said to be the world's largest wooden building. Aptly, the building houses Japan's largest Buddha statue, commonly called the Daibutsu (Great Buddha). Built from copper and bronze, the Daibutsu stands 30 meters tall. His elaborate hairdo incorporates 966 bronze balls. What a contrast he cuts with shaven-headed monks.

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Thrills and Chills: Asia’s Top Whitewater

Whitewater rafting is a scream. The exhilarating semi-sport with a party tilt freshens you up and kills calories as you fight to stay afloat while rocketing over bounding rapids and hurtling waterfalls.

Every obstacle presents a mini-drama. If you take a tumble, so long as you keep your legs tucked in, you should avoid sustaining bruises or worse.

Despite whitewater rafting’s 'extreme' status, the exertion and risk are low compared with other extreme sports such as mountain biking or, say, BASE jumping. Here, come with us on an entirely safe virtual whirlwind tour of some Asian whitewater hotspots.

Thrills and chills: Asia’s top whitewater

1.     Mae Tang, Thailand

One of Thailand’s top whitewater streaks lies near northern Thailand’s leading town, Chiang Mai. A typical Mae Tang ride takes two hours as you slice through the spectacular valley scenery. En route, you have to tango with more than 20 tricky rapids including Dragon, Swimmer's Chute and Near the Wall. Around you stand mountains and jungle.

2.     Padas, Borneo

Forget technical niceties like upstream and downstream. At Borneo’s Padas – a remote area that takes 90 minutes to reach by bus from the city of Kota Kinabalu – conventional physics takes a holiday. The river squirms, shudders, indeed does pretty much everything except fold over backward. The rapids that punctuate the Padas River have snappy names like Lambada and Cobra, which reflect the river’s writhing fury.

3.     Sunkoshi, Nepal

Sunkoshi means Golden River. The gleaming sleeve of water flows between the lesser and main Himalayas, forming much of Eastern Nepal’s watershed. Start at Dolalghat – a two-hour drive from Kathmandu. Then roll on for as long as you like. You can continue for longer than a week if you’re in the mood and tough enough. The Sunkoshi breaks you in gently with minor movement, but then the fireworks start.

4.     Yangtze, China

At Stone Drum (Shigu) – a village in Lijiang in northwest Yunnan Province – China’s mighty Yangtze River takes a u-turn for the better. At the bend, the river’s first, the current kicks up a gear. Boosting the wow factor, the Yangtze’s width on this stretch is more than 100 meters, making it feel like the ocean. Strong swimmers only. If you chicken out, the stunning scenery might keep you interested.

5.     Zanskar, India

If you think the Yangtze is grand, try riding on the waters that wind through India’s Zanskar Canyon across the trans-Himalayan Ladakh region. Also called the Grand Canyon of Asia and the rafting magnet is graded 4, which is tricky. Think medium waves, the odd rock, maybe a sharp drop demanding deft manoeuvring. Beware icy temperatures. Wet suits mandatory.

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The Jade Hotel - First Class Service

If you're tired of staying at chain hotels and are looking for a new, unique hotel that gives special attention to all of its guests, the Jade should be on your short list.

Everyone we dealt with was friendly, knowledgeable, and treated us as if we were the only guests there, as opposed to being one of many. I've stayed at other high end hotels in NYC and across the country and the service that we received at The Jade was up there. 

The moment we stepped out of our taxi, the front door gentlemen greeted us and briskly took our luggage inside. The lobby/hotel is a nice change of pace from the cookie cutter national chains. Check in was friendly and prompt and we were on our way to our room. Our luggage was delivered to our room within moments as well. During our stay, the general manager took time to say hello to us, and other guests, and made sure that our stay would be a positive one, which it was.

The rooms are very contemporary and the beds are very comfortable. Brand new HDTV's, along with HD channels. (Some hotels, for some reason, have HDTVs but don't support that technology with HD channels). Plenty of electrical outlets just where we needed it. The bathrooms were supplied with premium bath products, which my wife thoroughly appreciated.

We ordered room service twice, which was fairly prompt, and each time was delivered by a friendly, professional server. One of the times was late at night, when the graveyard shift person handled and delivered our order. Unlike most graveyard shift workers, this one was friendly, alert, and prompt.

The location is ideal - close to transportation option and landmarks, but tucked away on a quiet block. It's just one block away from the 14th St. subway and PATH stations, 2 blocks from Union Square, and a few blocks from the Village/Washington Square Park. The weather was good enough that we walked to SoHo to do some shopping/sightseeing.

We ate at the restaurant for dinner as well and found the food to be very good for the price. We ordered the mussels, pork chop, and strip steak, which were all very good and didn't break the bank.

I have to echo Denizen's sentiments as for who this hotel is an isn't for. 

When you pay good money for a room, it's not just the room that you're paying for. It's the people who work there that make the difference and everything else in between. For a hotel that just recently opened, it seemed like everything was firing on all cylinders.

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Best Five Asian Paradise Islands

Gin-clear water, pearl-white beaches, swaying palms: the idea of the paradise beach has a powerful grip on the imagination. Who is not a bit of a sucker for the dream of a retreat where lazy waves lap at a white stretch of sand edged by palm trees? The image, which graces a billion brochures, evokes a life of carefree leisure, uninterrupted by SMS messages, emails and Tweets.

When it comes to those stress-free paradise islands, the Caribbean springs to mind. But the eastern hemisphere has more than its share of contenders. So, come along on a languid powder-sand stroll across five of Asia's finest.

Five Asian paradise islands

1. Haikou

Called Coconut City, Haikou is the capital of the southern Chinese province Hainan. Thanks to its tropical climate, the island moves at a much slower pace than mainland China. Liable to dress in silk pyjamas, the locals move at a lope instead of a trot. Touts are thin on the ground. Better yet, unlike other parts of China, Haikou is free from smog. In fact, Haikou has the highest-rated air quality in the People’s Republic.

2. Langkawi

Langkawi Island hovers at the point where the Andaman Sea meets Malacca Straits. Strictly speaking, Langkawi is an archipelago that consists of between 99 and 104 islands, depending on the tide. The largest island, Pulau Langkawi, serves as the archipelago’s heart and the stage for picturesque paddy fields, jungle-clad hills and an alluring casuarina-fringed silk-sand beach called Pantai Cenang. Besides, Langkawi has some great tours, notably Irshad's rainforest tour [www.junglewalla.com], Ashraff Zimmerer’s canopy tour [http://www.langkawi.travel/] and a deliciously hedonistic mangrove swamp cruise in a gentleman's yacht called Stardust [www. langkawi-sailing.com]. Better yet, in a drastic break from Sharia law, Langkawi ranks as a duty-free zone – the beer comes incredibly cheap.

3. Koh Lanta

Long a magnet for adventurous backpackers, Thailand's Koh Lanta is inching upmarket. Fancy resorts are supplanting the island’s cheap-and-cheerful bungalow huddles. Despite creeping gentrification and the daily stream of tourists shuttled from Krabi by ferries and minivans, the mellow mood has yet to evaporate. Aside from its sleepy white beaches, Lanta boasts a marine park rich in coral that entices a spectrum of species.

4. Mauritius

If ever an island deserved the description, "much more than an island", it is Mauritius. Situated on the hazy ocean border between Asia and Africa, Mauritius oozes atmosphere mirrored by the names of its settings. The line-up includes Grand Bay, Pereybere beach, Tortoise Bay, Balaclava Ruins, Triolet village and the Labourdonnais Orchards. For romance, Mauritius scores as highly as any drooled-over Mediterranean idyll.

5. Cat Ba

Set on the edge of Vietnam's lovely Halong Bay, Cat Ba Island is vast. Cat Ba covers over 350 square kilometres, but offers a refreshingly calm change from those chaotic urban twins Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Aside from cobalt seas, limpid beaches and plentiful massage spas, Cat Ba has a national park studded with mangroves and freshwater lakes. Plus, Cat Ba serves as a launchpad for 'blackwater' kayak jaunts into cave complexes. What’s more, unlike other paradise islands, Cat Ba has a cultural angle. On 1 April 1951, warrior-statesman Ho Chi Minh visited the Island, which yearly marks the event with a festival. A monument to Uncle Ho stands on Mountain No 1, the hillock opposite Cat Ba town’s pier.

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The Ritz is Wonderful, I Would Stay Here All The Time

Location: Battery Park so in a quiet setting at the bottom of Manhattan.

Check-in & Arrival: late arrival (1am). Nobody at the door or to carry our luggage up the stairs (no ramp)

Check-in: ok but the not the smiling faces you could expect in a 5* place.

Room: large and nice view of the Statue of Liberty. Very quiet and bright.
Beds are comfy and invite you to sleep!
Bathroom is large and has a separate shower and toilet.
No tea maker. No coffee maker. That's a major fail for such a hotel.

Gym: well equipped. No sauna. No steam room. No jacuzzi. Carita spa on the premises.

Food: TERRIBLE! Seriously? an overcooked low-level quality hamburger and oven re-re-rebaked fries (delivered almost cold) with a slice of cheesecake for $54? In&Out has better burgers! Service was also extremely slow!

Lounge: outdated but functional. Service is slow and don't expect a smile. The guys who work there look bored and prefer to look at the TV screen than at the few customers.

Tea is basic Mighty Leaf (nothing you would not find at a corner coffee shop). I would expect something fancier at a Ritz.

Homemade chips with blue cheese fondue: served cold (go figure why on earth a cheese fondue would be eaten cold!).

Tuna tartar is microscopic and the plating is more than basic.
All in all both the lounge food and the room service were way below par.

Concierge: not so smiling either. Must be some NY virus?

ps: if you rent a car with Hertz (across the street) beware: if they give you a time to pick up your car you have no more than one hour to get there or the car will be gone by the time you get there. I missed my time slot by 5 min (!) and had to wait 2 hours on Easter Sunday before I got my reserved car!

Room Tip: Really upgrade to a room with a Statue of Liberty view. It is worth it!

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Ten Point Street Smart Guide for Asia Travels

Let’s start this post with a sweeping statement. Broadly speaking, violent crime in Asia is rare. But low-level opportunism does pose a risk, as it does to gullible or unprepared travelers anywhere. The Asia region also has its share of environmental gremlins and tricky cultural hurdles. With this in mind, save yourself a ton of hassle and find out how to avoid and/or overcome these travel challenges.

A 10-point street-smart guide for Asia travels:

1. Break your money down. For some reason, across much of Asia, nobody carries change. Get in the habit of breaking your money down any chance you get. Make that a bank where you take money out or a big-brand convenience store or supermarket. If you hand a fat note to a taxi or vendor, the recipient will vanish for an unnervingly long time before duly returning your change.

2. Watch out for tiger mosquitoes – the ones with the long stripy legs and a science-fiction feel. The little shysters carry dengue. So squash on sight, ignoring any karmic implications. The best defence is long clothes and mosquito repellent. Never leave a balcony door or window of your room open with the light on. 

3. If your taxi takes you to a hotel that turns out to be suddenly mysteriously full even though you just booked, beware. He might be taking you to the wrong address where a crony of his waves you on. You wind up at another, more expensive hotel where the taxi is getting a rake-off. Always try to get your cell phone running the moment you arrive in a country so you can call the hotel where you plan to stay. There is no need to be gouged by taxi scams.

4. If you are mobbed by children, watch out. While you are paying attention to one cute child, another could be reaching for your wallet or purse.

5. Secreting money safely is a tough one. Whatever people say about money belts, it is hard to beat sticking your wallet or purse in your front jeans pocket – a difficult place to pick.

6. Always agree the ride price before you get in a rickshaw, cyclo or tuk-tuk. If you leave that negotiation until arrival, things may turn ugly with the driver demanding a ridiculous price. Strenuously clarify price and destination. Ideally, have the address on a piece of paper in the taxi’s native language. Or have the establishment’s phone number saved in your mobile phone; dial it and hand it to the taxi driver, who can hopefully do the rest.

7. Walk slowly. A lope beats a trot for three reasons. First, a slow pace means you sweat less and saves you from needing to wash your clothes 10 times a day. Second, Asian pavements can be crazy, featuring all kinds of obstacles from low-slung canopy poles that ram your forehead to slippery white tiles laid outside pharmacies. Third, you are less likely to startle any neurotic dog that might be lurking round the corner.

8. Speaking of dogs. If you venture somewhere remote, it is a good idea to carry a stick or be ready to hurl a stone – the better weapon because it keeps any mad dogs at a distance. Never show fear. Move slowly and calmly and, with luck, they won’t hassle you.

9. When you first arrive at a new town, sample the local yoghurt. Don’t ask exactly how, but apparently a dose of yoghurt works wonders in  boosting your immunity to area bugs.

10. Border crossings can be dismally slow. So, get in the habit of carrying readymade passport photos plus your own pens. Better yet, memorise your passport number and its issue date. The less of your holiday you spend marooned in a customs queue, the better.

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Holiday Inn Express NYC -Herald Square 36th St - Clean, New, Nice, great location

WOW! This will be the only hotel we stay at when we go to NYC. Not only is the hotel in a great location - it was clean, well-maintained, and the breakfast was wonderful. We arrived early on Easter morning. The manager told us to help ourselves to the breakfast - which was delicious! They stored all of our luggage for the day.

Our room was beautiful, quiet, and relaxing - even for an afternoon nap. These are large rooms for NYC.

The best part of the trip was when we returned to leave Monday night at 10:00. My daughter realized that she left her pillow pet in the room. We asked the front desk for help. They searched everywhere, but to no avail. (All of this while still working with other customers.) Just as we had given up hope with a 12 year old in silent tears (as this pillow has been with her for years on many trips - she has never been a night without it) knowing that the pillow pet was gone, the manager, front desk clerk, and another hotel worker decided to try one more place. (Of course, this whole thing went on for over a half an hour and seemed a little silly to put this much effort into a pillow for a 12 year old who will obviously be giving it up soon anyway!) To our pleasant surprise - they found it! What a wonderful way to end the trip! This hotel goes above and beyond to help customers. We were very pleased and will not stay anywhere else again in NYC! They have made loyal customers out of us!

This hotel was chosen due to its location to the Javitz center. Small rooms but adequate for what was needed. Good food near by and the staff was as friendly as any I have encountered in over 40 years of traveling. The complimentary breakfast was good, but the staff in the kitchen was way above any I have seen. 

Only thing I missed was a good work out room. Had to go next door to use a treadmill. Other than that it was very nice.

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