Top 10 Beaches in Asia Pacific : Recommended by Agoda

Top beaches in Asia Pacific - Maldives

There was a released article I found few months ago from Agoda.com – the Asian leading online hotel reservation company, which could be a good hint for anyone who are planning for year-ended holidays. This interesting article provides all information about the top 10 recommended beaches in Asia Pacific. As beach vacations are everyone’s favorite, the ideal trip to shake away the stresses of everyday life, let’s check out the list of 10 of the most stunning beaches in the region.

Agoda’s Top Beaches in the Asia Pacific Region Include;

1 ) White Beach, Boracay Island, Philippines

White Beach is an amazing stretch of shoreline spanning nearly four kilometers and at points it is almost 100-meters wide. This famous stretch of powdery white sand is the premier attraction of Boracay Island. Agoda has nearly 50 Boracay hotels listed on its site but for those who want to be close to the world famous White Beach travelers choose Pearl Of The Pacific Hotel, Friday Resort or the Discovery Shores Hotel. Agoda’s customers have recommended these magnificent retreats as the most peaceful places to stay on Boracay Island.

2 ) The Maldives

With so many atolls to choose from, picking one perfect beach from so many stunning ones is tough. The Maldives is the ultimate getaway with private islands, stunning beaches and crystal clear waters.  A great choice for beach accommodation is on Velassaru Island. The Velassaru Island Beach Hotel is a popular spot to relax, with 129 rooms; this 5-star resort offers water and beach bungalows and beautiful villas. The resort is a true beach escape in every sense of the word. Cocoa Island Hotel is another 5-star hotel that has garnered excellent review by Agoda’s customers. 33-secluded villas, all with sea access, allow guests to jump into clean and clear water, right from their own private patio.

3 ) Sanya Beach, China

Sanya Beach is seven and a half kilometers of pearly white sands located to the southeast of Sanya City. Known as China’s Hawaii, because it shares the same latitude and similar weather, Sanya Beach is the country’s only tropical beach. With a long coconut fringed coastline and warm temperatures throughout the year, Sanya Beach is an ideal place to enjoy the sun, sea, and sand. The Yalong Bay Mangrove Tree Resort, Ritz Carlton and brand-new Mandarin Oriental are recommended for those who love to be pampered. Potential visitors can view nearly 30 other discounted Sanya Beach resorts along with informative descriptions and customer reviews at Agoda.com.

4 ) Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe, Thailand

Koh Lipe floats out on the southern Andaman Sea with wide sandy beaches and turquoise waters circling this small Thai island. Sunrise Beach is the pride and joy of this idyllic getaway and The Idyllic Concept Resort is a highly recommended accomodation to enjoy this unspoiled beach. Featuring chic modern beach bungalows, the Idyllic Concept Resort is the perfect choice to chill-out and enjoy island life.

5 ) Phu Quoc Beach, Vietnam

Situated on Vietnam’s largest island in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc Beach is a hidden treasure. First time visitors to Phu Quoc are often taken aback by its sugary-white coastline and crystal-clear waters. Agoda recommends the Grand Mercure La Veranda Resort, a modern luxury property located on a 12-mile stretch of Phu Quoc Beach and the Chen La Resort, a newly opened eco-friendly beach bungalow complex.

6 ) Teluk Pauh Beach, Malaysia

Located on Malaysia’s northwest island of Perhentian Bezar, Teluk Pauh Beach is one of its most beautiful private beaches. The sea here is crystal clear and teeming with marine life. Agoda recommends the Perhentian Island Resort as an ideal place for a family vacation. The stunning beach and warm clear water and nearby dive sites entice travelers to the nearby National Marine Park of Malaysia.

7 ) Tubkaak Beach, Krabi, Thailand

As Thailand’s beaches become more and more crowded, Tubkaak Beach is still a refreshing escape from the crowds. Situated on a small corner of Krabi province, the white sand beach here goes on forever. Home to local seabirds, rock pools full of marine life and some of the most stunning sunsets on earth, Tubkaak Beach is the beach travelers dream about. The award-winning Tubkaak Boutique Resort, is a 4.5 star hotel loaded with luxurious amenities, perfect for a beach holiday and The Amari Vogue Resort, a highly rated resort, is tucked away in a very secluded portion of beach, giving guests the utmost feeling of privacy.

8 ) West Rarotonga Beach, Cook Islands

Located directly South of Hawaii the Cook Islands are often over shadowed by their popular northern neighbors and this long stretch of toe-tingling, white-sand beach is located on Rarotonga, the most popular island in the Cook Islands. The Manuia Beach Boutique Hotel , is set right on the beach overlooking a lagoon, barrier reef and the Pacific Ocean with lush mountains as the back drop and the Edgewater Resort, set amidst six acres of tropical gardens, swaying palms and bordered by a white sand beach. Additionally, a sparkling blue lagoon with panoramic vistas of a lush mountain rainforest, have made these getaways highly rated by Agoda’s customers.

9 ) Tanjung Rhu Beach, Langkawi, Malaysia

This secluded bay of white sand is massaged by the gentle breezes blowing in from the gleaming blue Indian Ocean. Tanjung Rhu Beach is located on the northernmost tip of Langkawi. Safely sheltered by the curve of the bay, Tanjung Rhu features shallow waters and calm seas perfect for taking a break from the Malaysian sun. The Tanjung Rhu Resort and its scenic location offers guests unobstructed views of the brilliant white sands and stunning rock formations rising up from the sea. Fringed by lush rainforests, emerald waters and a mountain landscape, the Four Season Resort is also highly recommended by Agoda’s customers.

10 ) Whitehaven Beach, Australia

Untouched beauty best describes Australia’s crown jewel. The whitest (98% silica), most pristine beach on our list is also the most remote. Only accessible by boat with no actual accommodations on the island, guests usually stay on nearby Hamilton Island. The 5+ star Qualia receives high praise from Agoda’s customers with a choice of luxuriously designed villas showcasing private balconies, and unrivalled views of the surrounding islands. The other recommended resort is the Hamilton Island Beach Club, a five-star boutique style accommodation that sits on the beachfront, allowing for views of the Whitsunday Islands, home to the treasured beach.

For more information regarding Agoda, please go to the website at http://www.agoda.com

How Asian Angels Perform on Miss Universe 2009

Miss Photogenic Award 2009 - Chutima Durongdej, Thailand

Once again that a little angel from South America has took the crown under remark of the most beautiful woman in the world. It was Miss Venezuela – Stefania Fernandez – who was named Miss Universe 2009. Although, we’re not going to describe about how gorgeous she is to lift up this 6^th time title for her country, but let’s have a look on how other angels from Asia Pacific region performed on the Miss Universe 2009 competition, shall we?

The 58th Annual Miss Universe competition was held at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas on Sunday, August 23^rd. It was also the first time that the Miss Universe telecast was introduced by the American billionaire – Donale Trump. There were 12 out of 84 delegates from Asia Pacific region on this year’s contest who namely are;

Australia – Rachael Finch

China – Wang Jingyao

India – Ekta Choudhry

Indonesia – Zivanna Letisha Siregar

Japan – Emiri Miyasaka

Korea – Ree Na

Malaysia – JoannaBelle Ng

New Zealand – Katie Taylor

Philippines – Pamela Bianca Manalo

Singapore – Rachel Kum

Thailand – Chutima Durongdej

Vietnam – Võ Hoàng Yến

Even though many Asians would have something to be proud of from the competition a few years ago when Miss Riyo Mori of Japan won Miss Universe 2007, but all seems to be an unfortunate year for Asian this time around. None of a delegate from Asia took place in the final night and this was the first time since 1991 that Asians didn’t place into the Top 15 final.

However, there were some controversial achievements from Asian contenders. While Miss Wang Jingyao won the Miss Congeniality award and with Miss Chutima Durongdej who was able to claim the Miss Photogenic award from this year occasion.

The achievement would be the second time for a girl from China to win the Miss Congeniality award, since Miss Ningning Zhang won in 2007 and also coincidently the second time for Thailand as well to win the Miss Photogenic award, since Passaraporn Chaimongkol won in 1990.

Well, no matter how many times, they won or not won on these proudly awards, all Asian women is still considered best charming with soft and cheery attitude, which I’m sure that everyone can easily fall in love with.

Introduction to the 4 new Asian sites in World Heritage List

UNESCO World Heritage Site - Shushtar, Iran

If you still haven’t heard from the news, there was a recent release from the 33rd Session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Seville, Spain last month on the new sites addition to UNESCO’s world heritage list. Four sites from Asia region were among the thirteen newbies which were categorized into two on natural sites and eleven on cultural sites making a new total of 890 properties around the world on the current list.

Below are some descriptions on these latest Asian culture heritage sites from UNESCO. In case you’re about to find place to go during this mid-year vacation;

Mount Wutai (China). With its five flat peaks, Mount Wutai is a sacred Buddhist mountain. The cultural landscape numbers 53 monasteries and includes the East Main Hall of Foguang Temple, the highest surviving timber Building of the Tang Dynasty with life size clay sculptures. It also features the Ming Dynasty Shuxiang Temple with a huge complex of 500 statues representing Buddhist stories woven into three dimensional pictures of mountains and water. Overall, the buildings on the site present a catalogue of the way Buddhist architecture developed and influenced palace building in China over more than one millennium. Mount Wutai, literally, the five terrace mountain, is the highest mountain in northern China and is remarkable for its morphology characterized by precipitous sides with five open treeless peaks. Temples have been built on the site since the 1st century AD to the early 20th century.

Shushtar, Historical Hydraulic System (Iran) A masterpiece of creative genius, can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C. It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Kârun one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over an area of 40,000 ha. known as Mianâb (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salâsel Castel, the operation centre of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, damns, bridges, basins and mills. It bears witness to the know-how of the Elamites and Mesopotamians as well as more recent Nabatean expertise and Roman building influence.

Sulamain-Too Sacred Mountain (Kyrgyzstan) dominates the Fergana Valley and forms the backdrop to the city of Osh, at the crossroads of important routes on the Central Asian Silk Roads. For more than one and a half millennia, Sulamain was a beacon for travellers revered as a sacred mountain. Its five peaks and slopes contain numerous ancient places of worship and caves with petroglyphs as well as two largely reconstructed 16th-century mosques. One hundred and one sites with petroglyphs representing humans and animals as well as geometrical forms have been indexed in the property so far. The site numbers 17 places of worship, which are still in use, and many that are not. Dispersed around the mountain peaks they are connected by footpaths. The cult sites are believed to provide cures for barrenness, headaches, and back pain and give the blessing of longevity. Veneration for the mountain blends pre-Islamic and Islamic beliefs. The site is believed to represent the most complete example of a sacred mountain anywhere in Central Asia, worshipped over several millennia.

The Royal Tombs of the Joseon Dynasty (Republic of Korea) form a collection of 40 tombs scattered over 18 locations. Built over five centuries, from 1408 to 1966, the tombs honoured the memory of ancestors, showed respect for their achievements, asserted royal authority, protected ancestral spirits from evil and provided protection from vandalism. Spots of outstanding natural beauty were chosen for the tombs which typically have their back protected by a hill as they face south toward water and, ideally, layers of mountain ridges in the distance. Alongside the burial area, the royal tombs feature a ceremonial area and an entrance. In addition to the burial mounds, associated buildings that are an integral part of the tombs include a T-shaped wooden shrine, a shed for stele, a royal kitchen and a guards’ house, a red-spiked gate and the tomb keeper’s house. The grounds are adorned on the outside with a range of stone objects including figures of people and animals. The inscription of the Joseon Tombs completes the two earlier series of Korean Peninsula royal tombs inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List: the Gyeongju Historic Areas, Republic of Korea, and Complex of Koguryo Tombs, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

For more information about UNESCO’s World Heritage list in Asia regoin, visit UNESCO World Heritage centre’s official website – http://whc.unesco.org/