Fort Santiago (Intramuros, Manila, Metro Manila) – this fort marks its entrance on the northwestern entrance to Intramuros, whose construction began in 1571 and was completed nearly 150 years later by Filipino forced labor. The pre-Spanish settlement of Rajah Sulayman was a wooden fort on the ashes of which was built the Spanish fortress (Spain’s […]
Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Magdalena Jalandoni, Malate, Pasay, 1300 Metro Manila) – this government organization (started by President Marcos in 1966) is dedicated to promoting the country’s culture & arts. The Cultural Center (CCP) provides performance and exhibition venues for various local and international productions at its eponymous 62-hectare (150-acre) […]
Coconut Palace (Roxas Blvd., Cultural Center Complex, Pasay City, Manila) – overlooking Manila Bay is the Coconut Palace — a unique work of architecture that is built of 100% Philippines materials, of which 70% are derived from the coconut palm tree. Also known as Tahanang Pilipino (Tagalog for “Filipino Home”), the Palace is part of […]
Jetavanaramaya – located 4 hours (202 km.) northeast of Colombo, this ancient stupa in the Sri Lankan jungle, built with approximately 93 million baked bricks, was one of the tallest structures in antiquity. The Mahavamsa, a chronicle kept by Sri Lankan kings between 543 BC and 361 AD describes how the foundation of this monumental […]
Golden Temple of Dambulla (Dambulla) — dating back to the First Century BC, the Golden Temple of Dambulla (located 4 hours via car northeast of Colombo) has been the center of pilgrimage for Buddhists and Hindus alike for 22 centuries. It is Sri Lanka’s most popular historic site. The Cave monastery, home to Buddhist monks […]
Gangaramaya Temple (61 Sri Jinarathana Road, Colombo) — What was once a swamp adjoining the famous Beira Lake, a landmark in the capital city, is today a vibrant complex comprising the Gangaramaya temple, the ‘seema malaka’ – an assembly hall for monks – in the picturesque Beira Lake and a vocational training institute. The temple […]
Galle National Museum (Church Street, Galle) — This building is one of the oldest structures in the forts and is from the early Dutch period. A long one-story building with a colonnaded front veranda, it is typical of Dutch colonial architecture of the time. This building was once the barracks for junior officials of the […]
Dutch Fort (65A Lighthouse Street, Fort, Galle) — Dutch Fort at Galle, close to the island’s southernmost point, 173km from Colombo, has the distinction of being the best-preserved sea fort in South Asia. A living heritage site, this 90 hectare (222 acre) attraction is a superb blend of architecture, with fortifications that resemble those in […]
Snow City (21 Jurong Town Hall Road, Jurong, Singapore) – since Singapore has tropical weather all year round, many of the visitors to this winter theme park are locals who rarely (if ever) been to a country that experiences real winter weather. Schoolchildren come here just to build snowmen, as well as stage snowball fights. […]
Singapore Zoo (80 Mandai Lake Road, Singapore) – over 3,000 animals from 316 species in their natural spacious habitats await visitors here. One note worthy activity is the “Elephants at Work and Play” show – which demonstrates how elephants are used as beasts of burden in south-east Asian countries. The “Fragile Forest” section has the […]