Nepal has perhaps the world’s most diverse range of outdoor environments. This small Himalayan nation rises from an altitude of only 70m in its southern Terai region, which borders India, all the way up to the highest point on earth atop Mount Everest at 8,848m, forming the border with Tibet to the north. And this dramatic rise all takes place within 230km from south-to-north!

Nepal’s borders contain all five major climatic zones – from tropical to arctic – creating a rich range of locales and a stunning array of outdoor opportunities. There’s something for everyone that has an affinity for the great outdoors. Whether you’re a world-class athlete looking to climb one of the world’s highest peaks (eight of 14 are in the country), a weekend-warrior mountain biker who enjoys casually spinning the wheels, a rafting enthusiast who wants to plough down ragging rapids, or a nature lover wanting to take the beauty in from a balcony or atop an elephant, this nation has you covered.

There are only a few cities in the world that carry the historic pedigree of Stockholm, and certainly not very many this far north that have played such an important role in the evolution Europe. The earliest records of the name ‘Stockholm’ is from when the city was founded in 1252, but as far back as the 10^th century a Norse settlement on the same spot called Agnafit was a major hub in the iron trade. Throughout the centuries the city has played a vital strategic role in the region, and today is one of Europe’s great cultural, political, financial and tourist hubs.

Of course, major European capitals are not known for being cheap to visit, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty you can do without spending much money. In fact, Stockholm is known for its beautiful architecture, clean air & water, and many municipal attractions that mean that there’s plenty to do even if you don’t want to spend a cent! Here are five things you can do in Stockholm for free that will still allow you to soak up the atmosphere, appreciate its beauty, and get to know the local culture a bit closer.

For a little land-locked country, Laos sure has some good grub. It's not as bold or fiery as Thai food but offers more spice and adventurousness than Vietnamese or Cambodian food does. Along the western border of Laos, the Isan culinary map overlaps with Thailand but in Laos, preparations of laab (minced pork salad) and tam mak hoong (som tam/papaya salad), contain far less spice and are friendlier to the traveler with a more delicate palate.

Generally, traditional Laotian foods are fresh, lightly cooked and heavily herbed. There's an abundance of stews, steamed or barbecued fish and meat, spicy aromatic dips and noodle soups, and most, if not all, dishes come with a side of raw greens and kaow niaow (sticky rice). In the home, multiple dishes are served up on a ka toke, a circular rattan platter designed for sitting around and sharing, though as a traveler, your experience will likely be more restaurant and street-stall oriented.

Here are some Laos dishes most deserving of attention, easily identifiable, and available without having to gate-crash any local family's dinner time.

A lot of people in western culture have heard of Feng Shui, and some may even be able to describe how it works, although it’s often in rather broad terms. Most likely you’ll hear it explained as “Something about the way things are arranged…and…the energy of…water? A mountain? The universe?” Well, that’s a start. While Feng Shui isn’t generally considered a hard science, it’s a historic pillar of Chinese culture and has roots that go back over 8,000 years. In that time, it has seen significant study, refinement and expansion in equal measure by practitioners around the world.

The earliest records of something we can identify as Feng Shui date to 4,000 BCE in central China, where buildings were constructed in such a way that their front doors aligned with the sun or certain stars. Later archeological discoveries show its evolution, with shapes and decorations found in tombs that represent celestial objects, and charts that helped early practitioners plan events based on the heavens.

For visitors to Hong Kong the former Portuguese colony of Macau makes for a popular side trip. While the highlight of the city is its well-preserved historic center, for first time visitors to Macau it may come as a surprise as to how many casinos there are. Macau is often called the Monte Carlo of the Orient or the Las Vagas of the east, but with Macau now surpassing Vegas in terms of gaming revenue (by over 400%!) perhaps it will only be a matter of time before people start referring to Las Vegas as the Macau of the west. In Macau there are already a number of impressive casino hotel resorts, but the one building that dominates the skyline is the Grand Lisboa. 

Standing at 261-metres tall (856 ft), this 58 floor tower is the tallest building in Macau and a prominent landmark on the edge of the old town area. This is not your average grey glass box tower though – the building is modeled on a massive lotus flower and sits on an 8-storey sphere of colorful glass.

The good news is that Tokyo has one of the best public transit systems on the planet – truly a gargantuan, mind-blowing monument to human ingenuity and planning. Think about what it takes to provide punctual rail transit to a city of 13 million people spread out across 2,200 sq.km; Tokyo nailed it. The bad news is that it’s the granddaddy of confusing transit systems. The first time you get lost (and this will happen), take solace in the fact that you’re not alone – the same thing even happens to lifelong residents from time to time. But with armed with a good subway map, a transit pass and an independent traveler’s sense of adventure, you’ll be getting around handily in no time.

Walk down almost any Thai street big or small, and eventually you’ll see it – a small little house, usually made of wood but sometimes stone or plastic or glass. More often than not, they’re tucked away in a quiet corner, sitting on top of a pillar a few feet off the ground. To untrained western eyes it seems like a doll’s house, or maybe a model to be used in a movie. In fact, most new arrivals to Thailand utter the question sooner or later – “What are those little houses for?”

Those little houses are one of the most visible and enduring parts of Thai culture. The basics are this: many ancient beliefs are still observed in modern-day Thailand, and that includes the belief in spirits, which inhabit the land, the trees, the mountains and the buildings that we humans make our homes in. In order to ensure prosperity and peace from unhappy spirits, we must make offerings to appease them, and that includes giving them a place to live and a visible token of our respect. Hence, the spirit house, or saan phra phum in Thai.

Considered the national dish of Nepal, dal bhat fills the bellies of nearly everyone in the country at least once per day. Often, people think that dal bhat refers to a single dish, but it’s actually a set meal that normally includes rice complemented with soup, vegetables, and occasionally a meat-based curry. Pull back a curtain to enter a local restaurant in Nepal, ask for dal bhat, and you’ll be given a filling home-cooked meal that’s very satisfying.

In literal terms, dal is a soup made from lentils or other legumes, cooked with onions, tomatoes, and garlic. Compared to an Indian dal, which has the consistency of gravy, Nepali dal is usually thinner and more soup-like. Bhat normally means steamed rice, though it can occasionally refer to other staple starches such as maize, millet, or wheat, boiled with water and thickened into a lump called dhido. Together the combination of dal and bhat makes up the most basic form of a Nepali staple meal.

To western eyes, the cultures of Asia are a weird and wonderful adventure for which an almost endless list of questions can be asked. One of the most common, especially for those newly-arrived, is the topic of naming conventions, which are far more complex than you might think.

In most western countries, our names are easy: First, Middle, Last. John Harold Smith, for instance. From this you can assume that one of John’s ancestors was probably a blacksmith, while the first and middle are usually chosen to honor family or simply because they sound nice. But in Asia, there’s a lot more to consider, so we asked a few of our Asian friends to tell us how names work in their home country.

Cambodian food is a bit of a mystery. After the Khmer Rouge wiped out much of the country’s historical records – including cook books – what remains are recipes passed down through generations of families. Influences come from India, China and, later, France. And, like much of Southeast Asia, noodles and noodle soups are ubiquitous, as are coconut-derived ingredients and fish sauce. You’ll see root dishes, ancestors, of popular Thai and Malay foods, and some very local delicacies you’re unlikely to find elsewhere in the world – and for good reason in the case of fried tarantula.

Cambodia is still rebuilding itself as a tourist destination and while cosmopolitan upscale dining venues are present, they’re the exception. International foods – pizza (famously, the “happy” kind), Mexican, Indian and Pacific Rim – also abound, but for some dishes that represent contemporary Cambodian cuisine and provide a glimpse Khmer culture and history, here’s a quick list of culinary must-tries.

Of all the former colonial trading ports in Southeast Asia, none has retained its architectural heritage as much as Penang, Malaysia. The historical heart of Penang is Georgetown, an entire city listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the northeast corner of the island. It is here that you will find the Eastern & Oriental Hotel, one of the great colonial-style hotels in the region.

The E. & O. (as it is also known) was established in 1885 by the Sarkies Brothers, a family that played a large role in establishing a number of luxury hotels across Southeast Asia, including Singapore’s famed Raffles Hotel. The Sarkies were four brothers, and a cousin, of Armenian descent who hailed from Isfahan in Persia (now Iran.)

In 1885 the Sarkies established their first hotel, the Eastern Hotel on Light Street in Georgetown. The following year they acquired the Hotel de l’Europe on Farquhar Street, which was then renamed the Oriental Hotel. By 1889 the brothers had given up the Eastern Hotel but the name was carried on and added to the Oriental Hotel, thus becoming the Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

Asia is truly is a region that has it all, offering almost any type of adventure that a traveler can imagine. But in between stints doing the most popular activities and visiting the most popular locations, plenty of people are finding new and more meaningful ways to connect with Asian people, culture, and history.

Of course there are plenty of great things to be said about spending time in Bangkok or Tokyo or Phuket or Phnom Penh and the experiences there are no less real or authentic than any other that the average traveler will have. But what happens when you put a bit of effort into going off the beaten path, to digging a bit deeper into the culture of your temporary home?

Hong Kong has long held a fascinating middle ground between east and west. Its British colonial past has heavily influenced everything from its political structure to the double-decker buses that zoom to and fro, while the city’s location in the heart of Asia has given it a spicy, distinctly Chinese personality lit by neon and laced with customs and culture from around the region.

Over the past several centuries, the area that is now generally known as “Hong Kong” – Hong Kong island, several small and large surrounding islands, and the chunk of land that extends down from mainland China called the New Territories – has been fought over, occupied, colonized and finally expatriated due to its strategic location and important role in the development of the region. Today, it’s one of the world’s great cities – a center of finance and shipping, a showcase for cutting edge tech, delicious food and soaring architecture, a travel hub, and a high-profile tourist destination.

Getting around in a city like Bangkok – with its reputation for record-setting traffic jams – is a daunting task for anyone unfamiliar with the system. Standing on the corner you’ll see taxis, tuk-tuks, buses, trains, motorcycles – even boats if you’re near a canal or the river. But if you know a bit about how it all fits together, getting around is actually pretty simple.

The first rule to keep in mind is that Bangkok’s public transportation system is designed to be used in a modular fashion – that is, one single mode of transport is rarely enough to get you where you want to go. Sure, taxis can go door-to-door, but they’re also at the mercy of traffic jams, construction, and VIP motorcades that frequently shut down roads. Real Bangkok pros mix it up a bit – a taxi to the train, the skytrain to station X, a motorcycle taxi to your destination.

When Bangkokians hop on a band wagon, they tend to ride it until the wheels fall off. Sometimes, however, it's worth seeing what the fuss is about – case in point: Sunday brunch. Brunch is not a new thing here – the Four Seasons has been doing one for years – but of late, the phenomenon has really been gathering momentum and we're seeing an increase in luxury food imports, along with free-flow wines, exotic meats and preparations usually reserved for dinner time.

Rather than just a lazy lunch to quell post-Saturday night indulgence, brunch in Bangkok has been elevated to the status of an important see-and-be-seen social event. This is partly because they're so lavish and expensive and partly because a lot of local families use the occasion as an excuse to spend quality time together. Brunch buffets in Bangkok are mostly attended by upper-class Thais and a smattering of expats, and are a bone fide part of the city's contemporary culture – not to mention a great treat if you’re a traveling foodie.

This is the first in a new series on the Agoda.com travel blog called Hotels of Note – a look at cool hotels with interesting histories, unique architecture or hidden stories that make a stay in their hallowed halls even more rewarding. No hotel is too big or too small, and we’ll examine everything from faded, grand classics to rustic, isolated lodges. 

The first hotel we want to look at is the Continental Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. Formerly known as Saigon, Vietnam’s largest city boasts a population of over 7 million people and what sometimes feels like as many motorbikes. As the financial hub of the country, HCMC has been booming over the last decade.

From the moment you arrive in Vietnam, you’ll be immersed in a world where there’s something tempting to eat everywhere you look. Vietnamese food is a diverse blend of healthy herbs, meat and seafood that’s packed with flavor, and delicious bowls of soup noodles that burst with freshness. Along with ancient and traditional recipes, there are numerous

Vietnam has a long and interesting history that has been shaped by the influence of many outside forces. While we won’t tackle everything here, it was during the Nguyễn Dynasty in the 1800’s, when the French established a colony in Vietnam, when things started to change rapidly. Among many things, the French brought their own food, which slowly but surely began to permeate into all aspects of Vietnamese life. Potatoes, asparagus, cauliflower, lettuce, and carrots are just a few of the ingredients introduced by the French that are now used so frequently in local cooking that they are considered a part of Vietnamese culinary culture.

If you are anywhere near New Delhi in late January, then you have a treat in store, for on 26th January India celebrates its Republic Day. In fact, the holiday is celebrated all over the country, in every town, with flag hoisting, parades, military reviews, cultural programs and more, but the Parade To Beat All Parades takes place in New Delhi. This annual extravaganza really is one of the more spectacular events of the year and is a set piece absolutely not to be missed.

The parade takes place along Rajpath, a long, wide avenue that leads from the Presidential Palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, to India Gate, the country’s iconic Arc de Triomphe-like war memorial.

For many westerners, the idea of a salad is pretty simple, and usually revolves around lettuce and other veggies. But once you start exploring other culinary trends, you’ll find that ‘salad’ is a pretty broad term, and nowhere is that more evident than in Thailand. The Thais use a multitude of fresh ingredients to make up a large variety of dishes that technically qualify as salad. I’m a huge fan of all of these, and here are ten of my personal favorites.

Every island has its own personality – one far more complex than its reputation ever suggests. Though these reputations might have been justifiably earned, it's worth setting aside your traveler expectations and exploring the lesser-known aspects of a destination, whether they're topographical, cultural or spiritual. This is perfectly true for the little rocky blob of land that is Koh Tao – Turtle Island – for it is far more than just a scuba diving destination.

However, it is easy to understand why Koh Tao is a renowned diver's destination – the part of the Thai Gulf in which it sits is crystal clear in places, sprinkled with small, uninhabited islands and brimming with marine life. At only 21 square kilometers, this reef-fringed rock that rises out of the ocean like a turtle’s shell is part of the idyllic Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao triumvirate. Each island has its own distinct personality and between the three, you can while away an entire Thailand holiday – or a lifetime, as some have found.

Many locations around the world bill themselves as a “shopper’s paradise” but in India, it’s definitely true. However – as with many things in India – you do have to know the ins and outs to really get the most out of it.

Over the last few years India has opened up its retail sector dramatically, and in most cities, malls abound. New ones are opening up every day – glitzy, air-conditioned, and full of shops selling exactly the same brands you can find in London, New York or Hong Kong. They’re likely of limited interest to the average tourist unless you want some air conditioning or to see a movie, since the best urban cinemas are often inside malls.

But for the visitor looking for a bit of Indian authenticity, there are far better, more traditional and much more interesting ways of finding that perfect holiday memento or handicraft.

The lush, mountainous chunk of land where Thailand, Laos Myanmar and Vietnam meet has long been one of Southeast Asia’s most noteworthy areas for a variety of reasons. There are the inevitable issues with cross-border migration and smuggling, but the “Wild West” image that some like to play up doesn’t really reflect the reality of this beautiful area.

Too many travel operators in Northern Thailand tack a night in Chiang Rai city onto a slapdash tour of the entire region. Visitors whisk in, see the statue of King Mengrai and drive past the brand-new clock tower before heading out to the ‘lawless’ frontier of the Golden Triangle. It’s too bad because there are some spectacular side trips in this laid-back regional hub – hill-tribe treks and elephant rides of course, but there are also a few surprises.

The best way to visit Chiang Rai is to snub the package tours and take a VIP bus from Rose-of-the-North Chiang Mai. You’ll arrive near the Night Bazaar, where there are plenty of Chiang Rai hotels. If you can stomach driving in Thailand, you may want to rent a car to explore the countryside on your own. Otherwise, hire a car and driver.

Browsing a local fresh market is one of the most captivating activities of visiting any foreign country. It’s at markets where the real lifeblood of a country flows, where commerce and leisure meet, and nowhere is this more true than in Asia. Markets are where local residents converse, do business, share meals, and spend time together with friends and family.

Slotted in between Thailand, India, and Bangladesh, and with major influences from both China and Great Britain, Myanmar contains an extremely diverse range of market ingredients and cuisine. Yangon, the capital and most important city in the country, is home to a number of sprawling food markets that not only offer fresh produce from miles around, but also a variety of different pre-cooked meals and treats.

The early morning is the best time to visit a market in Yangon, as the most vibrant trade happens before sunrise when restaurant, street food, and business owners all converge to get their daily supplies. After that, the next wave of traffic comes from people hunting for breakfast and those looking to purchase ingredients for their daily cooking needs.

Durian is the world’s most controversial fruit. Some treasure it like a mother loves her children, others find it so offensive they get angry at even the slightest thought.

But before we get into the reasons why durian makes some people rage with anger and others filled with ecstasy, let’s first go over what a durian really is.

Durian, colloquially known as the King of Fruit, is one of the most prized delicacies in Southeast Asia. Thailand grows and exports the largest quantity of durian, but residents of Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and parts of the Philippines are equally passionate about this divisive fruit.

It’s an exciting time in the mobile hotel booking industry. It was only a generation ago that booking a hotel consisted of searching for a good travel agent, fighting with language barriers, and hoping that when you showed up at the hotel, they hadn’t misplaced the reservation that you made 3 months prior on an expensive long-distance phone call. My, how things have changed.

With the release of Agoda.com’s new iPad app, finding and booking a hotel has never been easier, no matter where you are – or where you’re going to. In fact, a recent survey found that almost half of mobile hotel bookers were already on the road when they made their booking! How’s that for a shifting demographic?

If you’re ever lucky enough to be invited to a wedding in India, the first thing you have to know before going is that it’s a big deal. A very big deal indeed.

Lest you expect an Indian wedding to be simply two youngsters falling in love and exchanging vows with a few family and friends present and then slipping away for a bit of private time…well, that’s not how it works.

In fact, it’s quite the opposite – an Indian wedding is the very public bringing together of two youngsters AND their families. Indeed, you do not marry an individual in India, but rather a family, a clan, an entire interconnected, intertwined inter-dependent network. And as such, everyone is involved in the wedding at every stage, and celebrates with a vengeance over a period of several days.

Siam has always been tied to the Chao Phraya River in some way. The kingdom of Sukhothai was founded on the banks of the Yom River, a tributary of the Chao Phraya, while downstream, another former capital – Ayutthaya – was settled…then sacked. Riverside communities bear the marks of this close bond: wooden stilt houses, floating markets and flood levies among them. Without this twisty, meandering behemoth – also known as the River of Kings – Thailand would simply not be Thailand.

The economic zones of Bangkok are well protected from flooding from the Chao Phraya, which means that trade and leisure on the river continues unabated all year round – commuter ferries, longtail boats, hotel transfers, sand barges and river cruises are the primary sources of all this waterborne activity.

If you find yourself with spare time in Bangkok, whether you're a traveler or a resident, the following pursuits will give you a good idea of both the city's history and its current identity.

In modern Vietnamese society, the presence of coffee permeates the lifestyle and culture of nearly everyone. Elderly men congregate early in the morning at cafes to sip on a few cups of coffee while discussing politics or the daily news, and during lunch hour many office workers stop by their neighborhood coffee shop to get a boost of energy for their afternoon shift. In the evenings and throughout the night, youth and adults alike gather with friends and family to hang out at coffee shops to socialize or even sing karaoke.

But although it may appear that coffee is an essential part of the traditional culture, the beverage has only been popular since it was first introduced by the French in the mid 1800’s. Today, Vietnam is the world’s second largest exporter of coffee, and the local population demands an abundant supply.

If ever you wished to see contrast personified in front of your very own eyes, then head to Macau – it’s hard to imagine a bigger mix of timeless history and frenetic development occupying such a small space.

Macau is geographically part of China, but was historically part of Europe for some 350 years. When Portugal handed back this tiny parcel of land to China in 1999, it was the last vestige of the once-significant European occupation in the country.

Macau, like its bigger glitzier neighbor Hong Kong, is now a special administrative region of China – in effect, it’s China-but-not-quite-China, and that’s what makes it so intriguing.

From the streets of Bangkok to the beaches of Phuket, you can find a tantalizing selection of Thai food that’s freshly grilled and waiting to be eaten. The alluring aroma of grilled meat can be smelled easily in most every village, town or city you happen to be in, and finding a delicious, hot snack is never difficult.

As an example, a trip to Thailand would not be complete without sampling a handful of bite-sized sticks of grilled meat right off the grill. Moo ping (moo=pork, ping=barbecued), are little pieces of pork marinated in sweet soy sauce, pierced by a bamboo skewer, and cooked to juicy perfection. Other choices include chicken hearts, chicken intestines, and even the beloved all-fat chicken anuses (although you won’t find too many foreigners lining up for those). Meat on a stick is often accompanied by a small bag of sticky rice, and alternating bites of smoky meat with little balls of gooey rice makes the perfect on-the-go snack.