Exploring Asia

Check out our Youtube Video! In this video, the Exploring Asia team (Hannah, Michele and Lily) take you on an adventure overseas! First we head to Sri Lanka, then fly over to Hong Kong, and finish our journey in South Korea. The countries we explored are diverse in many ways whether it is the food, the culture, the environment and the overall experience. This is our own personal footage and editing from our time overseas, so we hope you guys enjoy! Shot and Edited by: Hannah- Sri Lanka Michele- Hong Kong Lily- South Korea Edited on: iMovies Compiled by: Michele We ensure that equal contribution was allocated for this video! Love, Exploring Asia Team! xx

Thai Cuisine Thai food is internationally famous, even in Australia. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively blands, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The following are some Thai food that you have to try. Pad Thai : It is one of the most popular dishes to be ordered in any Thai restaurant. Pad Thai was invented in 1930s by Chinese Thai chef, it is the dish of thin rice noodles stir-fried with egg, shrimp, tofu and seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, tamarind and dried chilli has subsequently regined as the poster boy for Thai cuisine. (Reference:http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/best-pad-thai.htm) Tom Yum Gung : This Thai masterpiece soup is teeming with mushrooms, tomatoes, shrimp, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and lemongrass. This soupd truly unifies a host of favourite Thai tastes: sour, salty, spicy and sweet, w

Welcome to Thailand! Thailand (Kingdom of Thailand) is an amazing country in Southeast Aisa with coasts on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It borders Myanmar to the Northwest, Laos to the Northeast, Cambodia to the Southeast and Malaysia to the south. With its delicious cuisine, fascinating and rich culture, tropical climate and wonderful beaches, it is also the magnet for travellers all over the world, which is called the "Land of Smiles". For many travellers, Thailand is a first foray into Southeast Asia and that first trip becomes one of a series. (Reference:http://en.toureast.com/destinations/asia/thailand) Buddhism is Thailand's largest religion with around 94.6% of the population practicing the religion. Thailand is home to the world's largest gold Buddha, the largest crocodile farm, the largest restaurant, the longest single span suspension bridge and the world's tallest hotel.Also, it sets the record for the logest catwalk on April

Sesame Seed Balls  (Jin Deui) Jin Deui is a sesame seed ball that is made of Chinese pastry using glutinous rice flour. The exterior is coated with a light layer of sesame seeds, and the whole ball has a crispy and chewy texture. The sesame ball is often hollow, but sometimes where are variations with fillings such as black sesame or red bean paste. (Reference :  http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/3017676447_f1a55cf090.jpg ) Egg Tart (Daan Tat) (Reference http://68.media.tumblr.com/81c2b570695a05eb954c1fdc4b1a0847/tumblr_ms1cu5mXDA1rx7e2wo1_1280.jpg ) Egg tarts can be found at almost every bakery in Hong Kong! Daan Tat is an egg tart that consists of a custard type filling encased in a pastry cup. You can often find variations such as honey egg, milk or even ginger flavoured ones! Love,  Exploring Asia Team x Follow us on Twitter: @expasiaisys100

Hong Kong Hong Kong is a dynamic city that’s full of life!  Situated in the Southern East of China, it is a vibrant and densely populated place with a variety of attractions, events, shopping and dining options. The city is filled with tall skyscrapers, and HK has one of the best skylines in the world! It is a major shopping destination where you are bound to find what you are looking for. There are plenty of street stall foods available for tourists to try local cuisine. It truly is a place where East meets west, and has everything a city has to offer, with the bonus of beautiful and natural landscapes.  It truly is Asia’s world city! Love,  Exploring Asia Team x Follow us on Twitter: @expasiaisys100

Hi, Today I thought I would tell you a little bit about the meeting and gift giving etiquettes for the Philippines! Below are some tips to help you understand these etiquettes, whether you are travelling in the country for leisure or a business trip, or even if you know someone that has a background of filipino, it is always respectful to know a little bit about how they act and what they expect from a person! Meeting Etiquette Initial greetings are formal and follow a set protocol of greeting the eldest or most important person first. A handshake, with a welcoming smile, is the standard greeting. Close female friends may hug and kiss when they meet. Filipinos are  outgoing  people who don’t consider it rude to ask personal questions. Prepare to be pleasantly interrogated by everyone you meet. Gift Giving Etiquette If you are invited to a Filipino home for dinner bring sweets or flowers to the hosts. If you give flowers, avoid chrysanthemums and white lilies. You

Facts and Statistics Reference: http://www.retire-asia.com/philintro.shtml  Population:  107,668,231 (2014 est.) Religions:  Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3% Languages in the Philippines Filipino is based on Tagalog and is the official language of the Philippines. However, only about 55 percent of Filipinos speak the language. There are about 111 distinct indigenous languages and dialects although only about 10 are used regularly in the region. English is generally used for educational, governmental and commercial purposes and is widely understood since it is the medium of instruction in schools.  Since English is widely spoken in the Philippines, it is common to hear Filipinos use a mixture English and Filipino words or phrases, known as "Taglish" (a mixture of English and Tagalog), in their everyday conversations. Spanish has been an official language in history, it is still used by some people Family values The fami

The Philippines...  The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of the Philippines is crystal blue ocean, tropical weather and smiley happy-go-lucky people. I visited two Islands in the Philippines in 2014 with my Brother and I loved it!  The Philippines is  a Southeast Asian country in the Western Pacific. It c omprises of more than 7,000 islands (so I still have much more to see!) The capital of the country is Manilla, well-known for it's heritage buildings, old-city walled on a waterfront promenade. The Philippines is filled with outdoor adventures such as hiking, waterfall discoveries, snorkelling, swimming and many other water sports. My favourite activity was swimming with the Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu. The  High Season is from  December to April,  Shoulder Season is  May & November and the  Low Season is  June to September.  The Country holds a strong significance for it's history and heritage as well as religion, customs, traditions and culture which I w

Hi, I hope you enjoyed my last post on my first five days in Sri Lanka, now I will share with you my final six days in the country.... DAY 6: ELLA  Today we went on a half day trek to Little Adams Peak which was amazing. In the evening we went to a locals house to learn about Sri Lankan cuisine in a cooking class!  DAY 7: YALA NATIONAL PARK Today we travelled by bus to Yala National Park. We headed out on a jeep safari where we came across the area's native wildlife such as elephants, leopards and aquatic birds. This was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. Then we returned to camp in the evening for a night under the stars. DAY 8: UNAWATUNA Today we travelled to the coast of Unawatuna. A small beach town with a fantastic stretch of beaches with plenty of local restaurants and bars to relax  DAY 9: GALLE FORT Today we went to Galle Fort which is a heritage town about 20 mins south of Unawatuna. It was one of the highlights of the trip. This town was so

My trip to Sri Lanka shared from experience.... I recently went on a trip to Sri Lanka in December 2016.  It was a great trip and I am sharing it with you because I highly recommend it! I travelled with a girlfriend for 12 days through South-West Sri Lanka, our trip consisted of a personal travel plans and a group tour through gecko adventures, the tour was called Sri Lankan Adventure and here is the travel itinerary we followed: DAY 1: Prior to the Gecko Tour we travelled to Adams Peak. Adams Peak (aka Butterfly Mountain) is a mountain in Central Sri Lanka is well known for the Sri Pada , i.e., "sacred footprint”, which in Buddhist tradition is held to be the footprint of the Buddha. This is a sacred pilgrimage only accessible at certain times of the year. We hiked the mountain on Christmas Eve at 2am, reaching the peak at 5am on Christmas morning. The hike was the highlight of my trip and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in Culture, Heritage, Religion  and O

South Korea: Top 2 Attractions to Visit! Nearly half population of South Korean people will travel to another place within South Korea at least once a year. It is quite clear to show that there are many beautiful and wonderful places must visit in South Korea. Now I am going to show you top 2 places that you have to go when you are travelling to South Korea, and I hope that you will like those places and have a good time there. Gyeongbokgung Palace : When translates this palace in English, it is the Palace of Shining and Happiness. And most South Korean people will call it Northern Palace, because it is the furthest north when compared to the neighboring palaces of eastern palace and western palace. The premises were destroyed by fire at the time of Japanese occupation from 1592 to 1598. However, all of the palace's 7700 rooms were later restored. Nowadays, you can also wear the traditional South Korean costumes and take beautiful photos in the palace. And also can imagine whe

Popular South Korean Movies and Dramas Most of you like South Korean K-Pop Culture and I will talk about it in my next post! Now, let's go and have a look at some popular South Korean Movies and Dramas which I also mentioned in the South Korean Cuisine post. The following are one film and one drama that you must watch. And those are only my personal thoughts, if you have any other different ideas or more want to add, feel free to leave your comments and let me know. Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo (My Sassy Girl) : It is the romantic comedy from South Korea begins with Kyun woo who is a good college student, meeting a drunk girl on the metro platform. Then every romantic stories with the girl happens to Kyun woo. Of course the ending is full of happiness. I suggest you all to watch this movie!   (reference: https://nz.pinterest.com/pin/384143043200872740/) The Moon That Embraces The Sun:  If I can only recommand one of South Korean dramas, I will choose to suggest you all to

Nowadays, more and more people are interested in South Korean tasting dishes because of some popular Korean dramas like Descendants of the Sun, King 2 Hearts and The Moon that Embraces the Sun. So today let's know some of the most delicious South Korean dishes. Bibimbap : Bibimbap is one of the traditional South Korean dishes. It is very easy to cook because it's just essentially a bowl of mixed ingredients, including rice, mushrooms, a fried egg, namul, Korean chili pepper paste and meat.However, the ingredients in Bibimbap are not limited, which means you can add others depends on your favour. When I go to Korean restaurant with my friends, most of them will order Bibimbap and put it as one of their favourite food. (reference: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/bibimbap-2/ c361300c-3947-4121-99b1-a9f561d61d9e) Jjambbong : This dish is one of my favourite South Korean dishes, and it is more soupier and spicier than jjajangmyeon which I will mention it after Jjambb

Tempura (Reference: https://media.timeout.com/images/102577198/image.jpg) Tempura is essentially food such as fish and vegetables that are deep fried in a combination of egg, water, wheat flour and vegetable oil. Sushi Sushi can come in a variety of forms such as a roll, in a rice ball with a piece of seafood places on top of it, or in a triangle shape called onigiri. It is most popularly served with pickled radish, omelette and cucumber.   (Reference: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/43/38/ac/4338ac8259deeb023c14aef1a215da3a.jpg) Shabu Shabu Similar to hotpot, it involves submerging thin slices of meat into a pot of boiling water and then dipped into sauces before eating.  (Reference:  https://s3-media1.fl.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/zJr53kCXrQ9EsqpwQQSQig/348s.jpg) Soba/Udon These are noodle dishes. Made from buckwheat flour, soba is served in either a warm broth or with a sauce to be dipped in.  (Reference: https://media1.popsugar-assets.co

Planning to go to Tokyo but don’t know where to start? Here are a few places you might wanna check out! Harajuku Harajuku is located at Tokyo’s Harajuku Station, and is situation between Shibuya as well as Shinjuku. It is a hub for youth, culture and heritage, and offers an array of things you might be interested. Take a tour around the famous streets of Takeshita Dori or Omotesando, where you can find everything trendy in relation to fashion, food, cafes, and boutiques! Around these areas, you will also find the strangest but also the coolest fashion as the streets are filled with trendy teenagers and even cosplayers! If shopping is not your thing, you might be interested in visiting some of the attractions in Harajuku such as Yoyogi Park, Nezu Museum, Togo Shrine or Meiji Shrine! (Reference:  https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/b4/b0/8a/b4b08a8509d1b0e30b0179edc51f8a21.jpg) Akihabara If you’re an anime or manga enthusiast, you definitely can’t

South Korean Customs Before visiting Korea,it is necessary for visitors to know some Korean customs.With 5000 years history, you will find it easier and get much more out of your journey if you know and respect culture of Korea.There are two main social customs and etiquette tips which are showed below to you all who are the first time to Korea or interested in Korean culture. Taking Shoes Off : One of the Korean traditions is that you have to take off your shoes when step into Korean home. If you refuse to do that, it could be a meaning of disrespect.In the past and even nowadays, many Koreans still sit, eat and sleep on the floor at home.That is the reason why must remove shoes when entering to make the floor clean. Most visitors find it strange when they first time come to Korea.                      ( Reference: https://travelnoire.com /life-korea-shoes-inside/?hvid=3Knpg)                                                         Soju : Soju,a clear and vodka-like drink,

Sri Lankan Cuisine Sri Lankan cuisine is not for the timid eater.. one way I would describe it is a smack-you-right-in-the-face mouthful of pure goodness. Sri Lankan cuisine is based on fiery curries, seeni sambal (onion relish) and sour lime pickle and lots of coconut! The flavours of Sri Lanka are big, bold, hearty, swimming with colour. The flavours are known to awaken the taste buds, lucky enough I love a bit of spice and heat and the food culture of Sri Lanka was one of the things I loved about the country most. Considering Sri Lanka's history theres always the option for a Dutch Sweet here and there too. The main ingredients used  around the island are rice (15 varieties to be exact), coconut, fish, lentils and native tropical fruit and vegetables. An addition to curry that was introduced to me in West Sri Lanka was Hoppers; a Local product of Colombo. It is eaten with curry in the form of rice flour pancakes (called Hoppers) or rice noodles (called String Hoppers). Anothe