Travel

Buddhist feng shui temple bells are a very significant part of the temple or of the bells depending on how you approach the situation. There is an ancient Chinese proverb that states that if there is a temple, there is a bell and where there is a bell, there is a temple.

Lushan in Jiangxi Province is the location of one of the most crucial conferences in post-war Chinese history, condemning China to several more years of famine and setting the scene for the disastrous Cultural Revolution five years later. By now, it is one of destinations on China's so-called "red tourism" trail, but how long will it take the Chinese government to come to terms with its past?

As I recline on the gold-threaded silk cushions, nibbling on satay sticks, the sound of the mandolin ringing through my ears, silk-dressed geisha’s at my beck & call, it strikes me how small the world has become. I order a bottle of Tiger and reflect on my recent travels. I sit not in some high-class opium den in the mid-Orient, though. This is Soho, London at the aptly named Opium.

Visitors to the Florida Keys always find something unique and exciting to do, especially in the summer and fall. The choices range from watching championship offshore powerboat races to enjoying culinary, musical, historical and cultural celebrations.

My idea of the perfect holiday has never been one where the sole aim is to soak up the sun. I can think of nothing worse than lying on a crowded beach for hours, only to arrive back at the hotel with my face resembling an over-ripe capsicum. Rather, I prefer a little fresh air and excitement when I slip the shackles of my desk – something to remember long after the journey has ended.

Syria is one of the oldest continually inhabited places on earth. Syria is home to many of the world's oldest civilizations dating back to the fourth millennium BC.

Guidebooks don't discuss the single biggest thing that will make your trip a memorable success… meeting people! The joy of connecting, even when it is brief, can make all the difference in how you feel.