Perhaps the best cup of coffee in Ho Chi Minh City is at the Windsor Saigon Hotel's Gourmet Royale coffee shop. The hotel, at 193 Tran Hung Dao in District 1, is a beautiful set of rooms and "mini-apartments." And while the Gourmet Royale offers much more than coffee, it is the hot, black liquid that makes it stand out from Saigon's many other restaurants...
01:24 AM#
Melaka is a city frozen in time -- bypassed by the captains of industrialization, over shadowed by more popular tourist destinations in the region. The city has descended from its status as the capital of pre-colonial trade to a sleepy backward of Malaysian society. Somewhere along that route, it has become one of the most overlooked and under-rated destinations in Southeast Asia.
07:48 AM#
Ramadan starts Monday in Asia
The month long Islamic holiday of Ramadan began Monday morning in much of Asia with the first sighting of the new moon. Muslims in the Middle East began the festival/fast on Sunday because the new moon was visible there a day earlier. Ramadan is a religious observance; Muslims fast to mark what they believe is the anniversary of God's revelation of the Koran to Mohammad. The Associated Press describes the emotional nature of the holiday: militant groups see the holiday as an occasion for promoting their causes, while many mainstream Islamic organizations use Ramadan to promote non-violence and religious introspection. The holiday can be hard on tourists in Muslim areas. Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours in the month of Ramadan, so many restaurants are closed.
07:57 AM#
Shanghainese cuisine is seafood. And the place for seafood in Shanghai is Jesse's, a casual two-storey eatery near the intersection of Tianping Road and Huaihai Road. Time declared it to be the city's best restaurant less thana year ago. Try the drunken prawns...
06:59 AM#
Of the many historic sites frequented by visitors to Thailand, the ruins of the ancient Thai capital, Ayuthaya, are among the easiest and most satisfying to take in. Ayuthaya is a mere 50 miles (85 km) from Bangkok. The city is filled with ancient and majestic architecture. Ayuthaya was at one time considered the "Venice of the East" -- with canals, palaces and temples. Today the ruins of the city are still worth seeing.
07:45 AM#
Singapore provides a huge number of possibilities and attractions for any visitor. Eating and Shopping alone could take up most of your time -- especially when you consider that shopping is the national sport in Singapore.
Of course, there's also the zoo and the Jurong BirdPark. Or you could meander through Little India. Singapore has far more to offer. But as things to do go, the half-a-dozen listed in this feature ought to keep you occupied for a little while...
06:55 AM#
The World's Tallest Building...
...is now in Taipei, Taiwan. The Associated Press is reporting that Taipei 101 is now the tallest building in the world, having surpassed Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers by 165 feet. Taipei 101 stands 1,676 feet high now, with the addition today of a 20-foot pinacle on the building.
05:56 PM#
Mai's Coffee House in the city's French Quarter is the place to be if you're looking for a rich cup of coffee. The coffee house is across from Cafe Mai at 96 Pho Le Van Huu in the Hai Ba Trung District. Beans are sold by the kilo at some reasonable prices...
09:35 AM#
The Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar in India's Punjab State is one of the greatest sights India has to offer. Amritsar and the Punjub may have little else in the way of true "tourist attractions;" but the temple alone is worth a trip to Amritsar, and Punjabi culture may provide enough added attraction to counter the lack of monuments in the area. And the Golden Temple (Durbar Sahib to the Sikhs who worship there) is open to all visitors regardless of community, caste, or previous commitment to the Sikh religion.
07:00 AM#
On October 12, 2002, terrorists exploded a bomb at a club in Bali's Kuta Beach area and killed 202 people. Most were tourists; 88 were Australians. And the victims represented a total of 22 countries. But after a year of soul searching and economic catastrophe, Bali is recovering...
10:06 AM#
Gorkha Grill is among the most interesting and affordable places to eat in Singapore. There is a mix of Australian dishes, African and Middle Eastern cuisines, and (naturally) Nepalese food on the menu. Try the Jheenge Papita (a papaya, filled with marinated prawns in thick wine-herb sauce); it is perhaps the restaurants best dish...
07:54 AM#
The Church of Holy Wisdom stands today as one of the great monuments to the history and art of Christianity. It was the Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for more than one thousand years. And it is filled with art...
07:25 AM#
In an article in its October 6 Asia Edition, TIME Magazine is declaring Hong Kong officially back from the SARS scare of earlier this year. And to prove it, Hong Kong has rebooked the Rolling Stones for two gigs in November. The Stones cancelled appearences earlier this year because of SARS...
10:13 AM#
Sip of the Hot Stuff: Manila
The Old Manila Coffee House at 1906 M. Adriatico Street in Manila's Malate District has a reputation for good food and great coffee. The atmosphere is romantic, hearkening back to past centuries. The low lights and dark interior make it easy to imagine that you just climbed of a ship in the bay. And while the atmosphere may not be quite the same, you can find branches of the coffee house in select spots around the city, like the Greenhills Shopping Mall in Metro Manila's San Juan area. And you can get your coffee hot or cold, accompanied with delightful side dishes like French crepes or deep fried ice cream...
07:18 AM#
Bagan (formerly Pagan) is the main tourist destination in Myanmar. The city was the capital of the first empire of the ethnic Myen (or Burmans). Bagan provides perhaps the richest historical and archaeological site in Southeast Asia. There are over 2000 pagodas and monuments in the 42 square kilometer of the old city - most dating from between the 11th and 13th century. It's not the easiest trip to Asia you'll every make, but it may be among the most beautiful...
07:25 AM#
Perhaps the best cup of coffee in Ho Chi Minh City is at the 
Melaka is a city frozen in time -- bypassed by the captains of industrialization, over shadowed by more popular tourist destinations in the region. The city has descended from its status as the capital of pre-colonial trade to a sleepy backward of Malaysian society. Somewhere along that route, it has become one of the most overlooked and under-rated destinations in Southeast Asia.
Shanghainese cuisine is seafood. And the place for seafood in Shanghai is Jesse's, a casual two-storey eatery near the intersection of Tianping Road and Huaihai Road. 
Of the many historic sites frequented by visitors to Thailand, the ruins of the ancient Thai capital, Ayuthaya, are among the easiest and most satisfying to take in. Ayuthaya is a mere 50 miles (85 km) from Bangkok. The city is filled with ancient and majestic architecture. Ayuthaya was at one time considered the "Venice of the East" -- with canals, palaces and temples. Today the ruins of the city are still worth seeing.
The Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar in India's Punjab State is one of the greatest sights India has to offer. Amritsar and the Punjub may have little else in the way of true "tourist attractions;" but the temple alone is worth a trip to Amritsar, and Punjabi culture may provide enough added attraction to counter the lack of monuments in the area. And the Golden Temple (Durbar Sahib to the Sikhs who worship there) is open to all visitors regardless of community, caste, or previous commitment to the Sikh religion.
On October 12, 2002, terrorists exploded a bomb at a club in Bali's 
The Church of Holy Wisdom stands today as one of the great monuments to the history and art of Christianity. It was the Cathedral of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for more than one thousand years. And it is filled with art...
In an 
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