ZION TRAVEL AND TOURS

 Best Asia & the Pacific’s Top Destination:

1. Puerto Princesa, Palawan -The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. It features a limestone karsts mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world’s longest. At the mouth of the cave, a clear lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water’s edge. Monkeys, large monitor lizards, and squirrels find their niche on the beach near the cave. One of the 7 New Wonders of the World.  
2. Beijing, China – Beijing is still looked over by the famous portrait of Mao Zedong, as though he’s guarding communist austerity and discipline. But the Beijing he stares out upon is hardly the city he left behind. Change is everywhere—in the clothes (you could wear them to the office in any cosmopolitan city); in the increasingly paralyzing traffic (more and more foreign- and Chinese-made automobiles jam the streets); in the electronics (mobile phones, mobile phones, mobile phones); and in the construction (high-rises, high-rises, high-rises). If you scrub off the Gobi Desert dust, which is glued to everything with diesel exhaust, you’ll find Beijing’s true patina—a mixture of old and new. It may surprise you that you can still catch the glimmer of an ancient, lacquered temple or a traditional jadeite bracelet contrasted with the machine-made gleam of chrome and glass. 
3. Hongkong, Hongkong SAR – Hong Kong is a place of contrasts: geographically, socially and economically. Although many Asian cities claim to be where East meets West, the former British Crown Colony is probably the closest the world comes to the genuine article. Travel to Hong Kong and scratch the cosmopolitan, high-tech surface and you’ll discover vestiges of ancient China in Hong Kong’s culture. Residents invariably live in two worlds: Skyscrapers and enormous shopping malls adjoin narrow alleys crowded with traditional vendors’ stalls. Businesspeople use cell phones to consult fortune-tellers before making important decisions. Even as they are deeply into technology, they preserve ancient customs—particularly in regard to the correct feng shui of buildings. Only a few miles/kilometers away, farmers in sleepy walled villages in the New Territories tend their crops as they have for generations.  
4. Jakarta, Indonesia – For most travelers, Jakarta, Indonesia, is either part of a business trip or a pit stop on the way to more popular tourist destinations such as Bali and Yogyakarta. In truth, most find little that makes them want to linger in Indonesia’s capital: A large, crowded city on the island of Java, Jakarta evokes few beautiful or memorable images. One exception is the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, the city’s art building. To appreciate this city, visitors need to seek out Jakarta’s sights that invoke the historical heritage as a meeting place for East and West. These include the remnants of the Dutch colonial era and the old schooner harbor, Sunda Kelapa, still hard at work and looking much as it did in previous centuries.  
5. T0kyo, Japan – Tokyo presents a different view at every turn. It’s one of the world’s main economic centers, and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn. Tokyo was nearly destroyed by bombs and fires during World War II, and by earthquakes at other times, but it has always rebuilt itself. As a result, there is little left of Old Japan, but there’s plenty of New Japan to take its place. The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to help answer questions. 
6. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur (or KL, as it’s known to locals) is the center and symbol of Malaysia and its rapid rise as an economic powerhouse. The rocketlike Petronas Twin Towers soar above a city built to impress, from the modern buildings of the Golden Triangle to massive shopping malls to driverless trains that glide across the bustling city. Yet nestled amid the high-rises you’ll find remnants of the city’s past: enchanting temples and mosques, small whitewashed colonial churches and British Tudor-style clubhouses. At night, markets and lantern-lit streets ring with the sound of Malay, Chinese and Indian hawkers selling tantalizing dishes. Though it’s running hard toward the future, KL still offers a glimpse of its colorful heritage and a taste of traditional, exotic Asia. 
7. Singapore, Singapore – Singapore has always been a crossroads from East to West. Once upon a time, its port swelled with Chinese, Arab, Malay, Indian and European traders who came to exchange exotic wares. Today, the city-state has expanded into one of the world’s busiest ports, and over time, as goods have been exchanged, cultures have mingled as well. To the casual observer, Singapore appears to be a clean and orderly mass of shopping malls and McDonald’s. But the curious who dig a bit deeper will find that the cultures of the original settlers are still very much alive and well in this truly multicultural melting pot. Singapore’s dedication to preserving cultural heritage has created a number of excellent museums and thriving, ethnically distinct neighborhoods. Chinatown and Little India still retain some of their original cultural relevance for Singaporeans while attracting foreign visitors who marvel at the endurance of cultural identity. A wander through any of the city’s neighborhoods will reveal Taoist temples, Muslim mosques and Christian churches cohabitating peaceably side by side.  
8. Bangkok, Thailand – Bangkok, Thailand, can soothe or ruffle, and it often does both. While contemplating the sunrise at a temple or monks collecting alms, you’ll marvel at what peace can be found in the midst of such a chaotic metropolis. A cultural hub in Southeast Asia, Bangkok is a collage of urban squalor, gleaming affluence, mass consumerism and pollution. Most certainly, the city will assault your senses. It’s fascinating and indulgent, but it requires time and patience. Comfort of one sort or another is never far away: When your feet tire of wandering through the Grand Palace, head over to neighboring Wat Pho for an hour-long foot massage; if you exhaust your meager supply of Thai words bargaining for souvenirs, pop into an air-conditioned movie theater and take in an English-language film; if you are overwhelmed by the density of people along Sampeng Lane in Chinatown, drop into a coffee shop or open-air restaurant and enjoy a cool drink; or after the excitement of a bout of muay Thai (kickboxing) at Lumpini Stadium, stroll over to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar for grilled chicken saRead More … tay and browse through antiques, Thai textiles and souvenirs. 
9. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia – Melbourne, Australia, offers a wonderful mix of Victorian architecture with world cultures. From its favored site on the banks of the Yarra River, Melbourne offers travelers the best shopping and theater in Australia, a varied arts scene, top-notch food and wine with restaurants to fit any taste and budget, and excellent hotels. Melbourne also has a thriving fashion industry, sporting and leisure activities, a greenbelt of parks and boulevards with a distinctly European feel and an unrivalled festival calendar. Its dynamic and varied lifestyle, cafe culture, affordable cost of living and low crime rate make it one of the world’s most liveable cities.
10. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia – Melbourne, Australia, offers a wonderful mix of Victorian architecture with world cultures. From its favoured site on the banks of the Yarra River, Melbourne offers travelers the best shopping and theater in Australia, a varied arts scene, top-notch food and wine with restaurants to fit any taste and budget, and excellent hotels. Melbourne also has a thriving fashion industry, sporting and leisure activities, a greenbelt of parks and boulevards with a distinctly European feel and an unrivalled festival calendar. Its dynamic and varied lifestyle, cafe culture, affordable cost of living and low crime rate make it one of the world’s most liveable cities.
11.  Auckland, New Zealand – Auckland is New Zealand’s biggest, most culturally diverse and cosmopolitan city. But its urban credentials—a flourishing cultural life, abundant commerce and multicultural influences—are often upstaged by its breathtaking geography. Sprawled across an isthmus, the city envelops more than 40 extinct volcanoes, several of which stand in green, pastoral parks overlooking a broad harbour, gulf islands and a seemingly endless shoreline. Auckland’s residents appreciate the city’s two-sided personality: They view nature as one of life’s privileges rather than a barrier to development, and the city’s population is dispersed into neighborhoods of manageable size. All in all, Auckland is a gateway to nature and outdoor adventure, with fine dining and culture there for the asking, too.
12. Macau, Macau, SAR – Although its population is primarily ethnic Chinese, Macau—because it was a Portuguese territory for so long—has a distinctly Mediterranean flavor: a languorous pace; balconied, pastel buildings; and open pracas, or squares. Over the years it has maintained a downright raffish atmosphere, complete with warring gangsters. Its character could change, however: After centuries of administration by Portugal, Macau was returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1999. China has promised 50 years of non-interference in Macau’s economic and social systems—but given the mercurial nature of the government in Beijing, all bets are off. For now, though, Macau is a wonderful place to stroll: If you’re feeling energetic, you could walk to almost all of its sights in a day—it covers only 11 sq mi/28 sq km. We loved the feel of the hilly, winding streets and back alleyways. (Although the European-style architecture and plazas are unusual for this part of the world, you could never confuse Macau for Lisbon.) 
13. Shanghai, China – The name Shanghai still conjures images of romance, mystery and adventure, but for four decades it was an austere backwater. After the success of Mao Zedong’s communist revolution in 1949, the authorities clamped down hard on Shanghai, calling it a playground of gangsters and colonial adventurers. And so it was. In its heyday, the 1920s and ’30s, cosmopolitan Shanghai was a dynamic melting pot for people, ideas and money from all over the planet. Business boomed, fortunes were made, and everything seemed possible. It was a time of breakneck industrial progress, swaggering confidence and smoky jazz venues. Thanks to economic reforms implemented in the 1980s by Deng Xiaoping, Shanghai’s commercial potential has emerged again. Stand today on the historic Bund and look across the Huangpu River. The Oriental Pearl TV Tower looms like a space rocket over the ambitious skyline of the Pudong financial district. Alongside the awesome Shanghai World Financial Center, the glittering, 88-story Jinmao Building and the futuristic Shanghai Stock Exchange, the 1,535-ft/468-m tower is a symbol Read More … of this modern city. The 128-story Shanghai Tower—under construction —is poised to take over by 2014 as the largest building in China.