A large spiritual cave dug into the limestone cliff that is facing the river is what makes Pak Ou caves so popular. The caves are filled with images of Buddha in various styles and shapes, but the most beautiful is the Luang Prabang model of standing Buddha. There are tours conducted almost on a daily basis to this place, and the only means of transport is by boat from Ban Pak Ou.

Plain of Jars is another popular destination with tourists staying in Laos. The only reason the place is called Plain of jars is because through the coastal region, there are huge jars strewn all over the place. There are three places which are open to public, of which one of them has the most number of jars. Most of these jars are nearly 2000 years old, and the mystery behind them is that they are all filled with bones, or food remains and has no other information on them. Some of the jars are as heavy as 6 tonnes, and made of stone, which was not very common in this area.

Known to be the largest waterfall in all of Asia, Khone Phapheng is beautiful and breath taking. It is located in the south side of Si Phan Don. If you are lucky, you could get to see plenty of dolphins around this region.

A place that is very special to residents of Laos is the Pha That Laung. This is where one sees Budhhism and Lao sovereignty go hand in hand. The monument looks like a missile from afar, and when getting close, one sees that it is a tall structure with small windows on the sides. A major festival happens here every year in November, which is the highlight of the place.

A small structure, which is very tiny when compared to the Angkor era sites, Wat Phu is a monument that is very unique. The ornate shiva sanctuary, and the crocodile stone are what make the place so enigmatic and popular amidst visitors. A three day Buddhist festival takes place here every year, when worshippers make their way up the Wat Phu Champasak, and also leave offerings.

If Asia is Asia, then basically once you have researched one country you have mastered them all, right? Wrong! Asia is a region, not a country. There are so many variances from one country to another that need to be understood — I couldn’t hope to possibly cover them all in this column.

The following are important issues to consider as social conduct rules. They can alter significantly and are often foreign to our upbringing.

* Appropriate strength of a handshake can vary.

* To bow or not to bow?

* Do you initiate a handshake to women?

* What name do you use in an introduction or meeting?

* When should you exchange business cards?

* What should be written on the card?

* Do you understand what can be considered as obscene gestures?

* Appropriate business attire?

* Is gift giving appropriate?

* Are certain colours offensive?

I am not implying that doing business in Asian region means that you need to become an expert on regional customs, but it is important to make a genuine effort to understand local people and their culture.

Following are key extracts taken from the web on appropriate business conduct in Singapore. I don’t know about other executives, but without doing this research, I would be 99 per cent sure to offend in some small way:

* Do not touch anyone on the head — not even a child — as the head is considered sacred;

* Never signal or point at someone with your forefinger;

* Do not pound your fist on an open palm; it is an obscene gesture in Singapore;

* The foot is considered the lowest part of the body, and is thought of as being unclean;

* Never point your foot or the sole of your shoe at anyone;

A common question asked of executives when talking with a new contact is, “What do you know about my business?”. If you don’t know the answer, you go nowhere. If you know about the technical aspects of their business, but demonstrate limited knowledge of their social conduct rules, the result could well be the same.

Macau facing the South China Sea in the south and east has thriving industries such as electronics, textiles and toys. There is also a remarkable Macau tourism industry that features a wide range of hotels, resorts, restaurants, stadiums and casinos. Macau, one of the richest cities in the world, tempts all with the variety of entertainment.

The Templo de A-Má, a temple built in 1448 dedicated to Matsu – the goddess of seafarers and fishermen – has given Macau its name. The following are the must see places in Macau:

* Casino at Venetian Macao
* Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Centre
* Grand Prix Museum
* Leal Senado (Municipal Council)
* Cotai Strip
* Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral
* Lisboa Casino
* A-Ma Temple (Ma Kok Miu)
* Largo do Senado (Senate Square)
* Monte Forte (Fortaleza do Monte)

Macau, an enthralling tourist location with a cluster of entertainment facilities, famous for its locales, casinos and nightlife.

Macau Hotels have a huge spread as far as budget and location are concerned. Hotels in Macau possess a great range of diversity in facilities and entertainment options. Macau hotels range from exotic five star accommodations at Lisboa hotel to the very economical three star accommodations of Fu Hua hotel.

The costs of accommodation in Macau Hotels range from as low as USD 65 to USD 142. Most of the Macau hotels provide air condition, television, radio, telephone as basic room facilities and hotel facilities includes beauty parlour, fitness centre, and laundry cleaning service. Other important facilities available in most of the Macau hotels are sauna, conference facilities and car parking.

Hotels in Macau offer great food and beverages that suits both holiday and business travelers. Most of the hotels in Macau have restaurants and serve a range of dishes in Chinese, Japanese and Continental cuisines. Food in Macau interests foodies from around the world. Macau provides Italian, French, American, Brazilian, Japanese, Korean and Mozambique cuisine as well as dishes from Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Macau hotels offer a great array of entertainment facilities. Lisboa hotel, New Century hotel, Holiday Inn, Royal hotel and many other Macau hotels entertain with a scintillating nightlife.

The hotels in Macau also house busy casinos that are open on all days. Casinos are one of the big attractions in Macau.

In their diverse cultures, they found commonalities.

Film commissioners from all over Asia met in Manila recently to discuss vital issues affecting the movie industries in their respective countries.

Hosted by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the meeting of the Asian Film Commissioners’ Network (AFCNet) was held for three days in June.

Seven delegates from five countries discussed such urgent issues as censorship, dwindling audience patronage due to Hollywood influx, and lack of funds, marketing support and incentives, among others.

“Although we are competitors, we share common problems and can help each other find solutions,” said Philippine representative Digna H. Santiago, executive director of the Philippine Film Export Services Office which is under the FDCP.

“This meeting is an important step in making the Philippines a shooting venue for foreign productions. The event shows that the Philippines is considered a major player among film commissioners in Asia,” said Rolando S. Atienza, FDCP head.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

We’ve got them if you want to read them, tons of them. But rather than take someone else’s word for it, we prefer you to make up your own mind. Buy the eBook and read it. If you are not happy for any reason then you have 14 days to ask for a full refund. There is one question asked (but you get your full refund regardless) and that is why are you unhappy? We think that’s fair because then we can see if we need to lift our game because “PHILIPPINE DREAMS” is just the first in a series of eBooks that tell you how to make a living there, buy or rent property and get around safely not to mention meet, marry and migrate your dream Filipina. We don’t want to take your money off you just once and have you unhappy. We want to take money off you many times and have you tell your friends!

.Reference resource: Click Here.

The Nigerian community in Indonesia celebrated its 49th Independence Day anniversary in a festive atmosphere Friday at the Gran Melia Hotel in Jakarta.

Nigerian Independence Day actually fell on Thursday, but the colorful reception was pushed back to Friday. The Embassy organized a seminar on investment potentials in Nigeria at the same hotel on Thursday.

The hotel ballroom looked like a little Nigeria, as most Nigerian guests wore colorful traditional dresses. Everybody was in a joyous mood, and there was a special Nigerian food corner and free flow of drinks.

Nigerian Ambassador to Indonesia Ibrahim Baba Mai-Sule personally welcomed the guests, most of whom were prominent members of the local Nigerian community, senior government officials, businesspeople, Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto and the Foreign Ministry’s director general for Asia-Pacific and African Affairs, T.M. Hamzah Thayeb, as well as members of the diplomatic community.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

On Boxing Day we brought the kids to the Science Centre to view the exhibitions at Body Worlds. This exhibition has been in Singapore since October.

Body Worlds had received quite a controversial review due to the fact that they use real human bodies as exhibits. It can be a rather gruesome site for some and admission to the exhibition did come with a disclaimer that it may be unsuitable for young kids. Nevertheless we felt that it would be educational for the boys to view these exhibits.

Ryan has been interested in the various parts of the body and had been asking me to borrow more books about the human body from the library.

This was a chance for him to see first hand for himself the various parts of the body and the different systems that made up the body. He kept asking me about how each part of the body interact with the other parts.

Roy too was interested in seeing the various bones. The giraffe and horse exhibit were the most impressive to him. He kept on pointing to these two animals and pulling me over to stand next to him at the exhibits. It must have taken years to create these pieces of art as each piece was painstakingly preserved and carved out to represent the various human body systems.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

The Philippines are a beautiful set of thousands of islands situated in South East Asia. The beauty of these islands is what makes them so popular for residents and holiday goers alike. The Philippines are actually over 7,000 islands but only 2,000 of them are inhabited.

The area of all the islands are split into three main groups; Luzon, Mindanao and Visayas. The hottest beachfront real estate in the Philippines can be found in a variety of places across the whole area.

Luzon has a great range of beachfront real estate in the Philippines and is one of the most popular areas to live. Luzon is the largest and northern most island and is very popular for beachfront property.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

Whoever said only grown-ups could have a fun Singapore vacation? We beg to disagree! Singapore travel guides often highlight shopping destinations and techie hubs perfect for adult travelers. What is often overlooked is the fact that Singapore is a perfect destination for family vacations.

Over the years, Singapore made sure that it is not just a shopaholic’s haven but also the perfect family vacation destination. So while dads checkout the latest gadgets at Sim Lim Square and moms hunt for designer attires at ION Orchard, kids can visit some spots which would make their Singapore travel memorable and full of learning.

.Reference resource: Click Here.