Taiwan Travel Deals Taiwan

Taiwan - Reviews and Travel Information - TripAdvisor Taiwan Sign in • Sign up Home > Asia > Taiwan > All reviews of Taiwan Taiwan tourism: Overview Hotels Flights Attractions Deals Forums Maps, etc. All Taiwan reviews Search (e.g., Boston hotels, Las Vegas, Paris art museum) Taiwan Taiwan Overview All Taiwan Reviews Taiwan Hotels Flights to Taiwan Taiwan Deals Taiwan Attractions Taiwan Forums Taiwan Maps Taiwan Discount Hotels Taiwan Vacation Packages e-mail this page to a friend Popular cities Changhua Hotels Chiayi Hotels Chungli Hotels Hsinchu Hotels Hualian Hotels Hualien Hotels Kaohsiung Hotels Keelung Hotels Kenting Hotels Lotung Hotels Nantou Hotels Pingtung Hotels Taichung Hotels Tainan Hotels Taipei Hotels Taitung Hotels Tamsui Hotels Taoyuan Hotels Read more Taiwan tourism Taiwan Sponsored links * Taiwan Travel Deals Taiwan Hotels Discount AsiaRooms.com Book Now your Hotel Room in Taiwan Extra Low Rates Guaranteed ! Taiwan Hotels taiwan-hotelguide.com 90+ Taiwan Hotels. 75% Discount. Book online with Wired Destinations Experts in Taiwan hotels www.xcessasia.com Big Savings - Discount up to 70%. Quality hotels at wholesale rates. Hotels www.Travelocity.com Find Low Rates, Nearby Attractions & Dining, Hotel Pics, Maps & More! All results: View all 800 Taiwan travel deals TripAdvisor Traveler Reviews 2 Traveler reviews (English) Show: All languages English (2) Here are the newest user reviews about locations in Taiwan. To read even more reviews, search for a specific city, hotel or attraction at the top of the left column on this page. Taipei: Les Suites Taipei Da-An: " Is this a boutique hotel or its a boutique Motel??" A TripAdvisor Member, Paris , Dec 27, 2005 This nicely decorated boutique hotel has a good frame , friendly and professional staffs and yet has... Taipei: Royal Castle Hotel: " Highly recommended" A TripAdvisor Member, Singapore , Dec 26, 2005 Extremely satisfied with the hotel. Saw the good reviews posted on this forum and thus decided to stay... Guidebooks (3) "Taiwan" wordtravels.com "Taiwan" wordtravels.com / Globe Media Ltd. "Country profile: Taiwan" bbc.co.uk Articles (10) "And Now, Taiwan" Washington Post , Mar 14, 2004 Formerly skeptical tourists take heart in Taiwan's traditional Chinese spirit. "A Young Taipei Finds Its Groove" New York Times , Jan 23, 2005 Taipei has come into its own as a major tourist destination. "I Slept With 200 Monks in Taiwan" TravelLady , Nov 1, 2003 Visit the Fokuangshan Monastery to experience the great food and the relaxing environment. "This holiday's a cracker" Sydney Morning Herald / The Age , Jul 24, 2005 The annual Lantern Festival is a great reason to visit the city of Yanshui. "Taiwan" TravelLady , Feb 1, 2005 Taiwan offers a true Asian culture in a destination that is both traditional and modern. "This adrenaline holiday's a cracker" Sydney Morning Herald / The Sun-Herald , May 15, 2005 In Yanshui the fireworks can get a little out of hand. "Crossing the Street" BootsNAll.com , Jul 1, 2003 This visitor is able to see Taiwan in a positive light after becoming more familiar with its culture. "A winding ride on Taiwan's remarkable forest railway" findarticles.com / International Travel News , Jan 1, 2004 The Alishan Forest Railway takes riders on a trip through a variety of remarkable landscapes. "Where heaven is a many splendoured spring" Sydney Morning Herald / The Sun-Herald , Aug 28, 2005 Indulge in a hot or cold spa at Tien Lai Spring Resort. "Motorcycles and Madness in Taiwan" BootsNAll.com , Apr 1, 2001 These motorcycle riders find great beauty and a bit of danger in their trip through Taiwan's countryside. Web comments (7) "Keeweechic's Taiwan" VirtualTourist.com , Mar 16, 2004 "Taiwan Root" IgoUgo.com , Nov 15, 2003 "Kaohsiung's Local Feel" IgoUgo.com , Aug 20, 2003 "Taiwan - Jewel of the East" VirtualTourist.com , Aug 15, 2003 "Taiwan at a glance" IgoUgo.com , Aug 20, 2003 "Something funny happening in Taiwan..." VirtualTourist.com , Jul 1, 2003 "Taiwan" VirtualTourist.com , Apr 1, 2003 Free Newsletter Interested in Taiwan ? We'll send you weekly updates with new articles, reviews and special deals. Just enter your e-mail address: About TripAdvisor TripAdvisor provides unbiased reviews and travel information for Taiwan. Recommendations for hotels, resorts, inns, vacations, travel packages, travel guides and lots more! Visit TripAdvisor in another language: About Us | Membership | Site Map | Become an Affiliate | Top Cities | Hotel Reservations | Hotel Deals | TripAdvisor Gear Popular Hotels: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , by city TripAdvisor Recommends: Las Vegas hotels , London hotels , Paris hotels , Rome hotels , New York City hotels , Chicago hotels , Orlando hotels © 2005 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved. TripAdvisor Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . * TripAdvisor, Inc. is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site... ( more ) TripAdvisor, Inc. is not responsible for content on external web sites.

Italy travel Capri -

Capri guide - Capri travel guide - Capri - guide to Capri - Italy travel Capri - airport Capri - Italy Capri guide - Capri travel guide - Capri - guide to Capri - Italy travel Capri - airport Capri - Italy - travel links Wednesday, 28 December 05 - 11:43 pm Top destinations Art Cities Beaches Lakes Mountains Spa Resorts Regions guides Abruzzo & Molise Alto Adige Apulia Basilicata & Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardy Marche Piedmont Sardinia Sicily Tuscany Trentino Umbria Valle d'Aosta Veneto Cities guides Aosta Asiago & 7 comuni Asolo Assisi Belluno & Dolomiti Venete Bologna Bolzano Brescia Bressanone Caorle & Bibione Capri Catania Cervia & Cesenatico's Beaches Chianti, Valdelsa, Valdarno Comacchio's Beaches Cortina d'Ampezzo Courmayeur M.Bianco Elba & Capraia Florence Garda Lake - Eastern Side Grosseto & Maremma Ischia Jesolo & Eraclea Como Lake & Lecco Lucca & Garfagnana Madonna di Campiglio Merano Milan Monte Cervino Montecatini Terme Naples Padua Palermo Pisa Portofino & Tigullio Gulf Ragusa Ravenna's Beaches Ravenna City Rimini, Riccione, Cattolica Riviera dei Fiori: Sanremo & Imperia Riviera del Brenta Rome Rovereto Rovigo e Delta del Po San Martino di Castrozza, Primiero, Val Venoi Siena Siracusa Sorrento & Amalfi Taormina Terme e Colli Euganei Turin Trento Treviso Val di Fassa Val di Fiemme Venice Verona Versilia & Viareggio Vicenza Capri Hotels Reserve Capri Hotels: save up 70% on rooms! Compare offers & book on line at hotel's web sites. About Campania Pompei: in search of a lost civilization The city of Pompeii was established in the XII century B.C. and enjoyed great prosperity from the point of view of culture, economy and city planning until 79 A.D. when the terrible eruption of Vesuvius covered everything in lava and small stones... The Cilento, discover its charm and beauty The Cilento is the southernmost part of Campania, before Basilicata, between the plains of the river Sele to the north... The Sorrento Peninsula, between the mythical sea and romantic land. The setting of a scene from the Odyssey and a land crossed by Grand Tour poets and scholars, the Sorrento Peninsula is a magical place... Teatro San Carlo - Napoli In this site you will find the complete schedule of the famous Neapolitan Opera House ... Capri Guide Italy THINGS TO KNOW Getting there History and culture THINGS TO SEE Churches, Palaces and Monuments Places and charm THINGS TO TRY Eating and Drinking Shopping Hotels and lodgings THINGS TO EXPERIENCE Events La Dolce Vita ITINERARIES Walks on Capri Visiting the island by boat Directories of Web Sites Capri Italy Capri Hotels Downloads Capri Guide in PDF format “Capri, queen of rock/ in your dress/ the color of amaranth and lily/ where I lived, experiencing/ happiness and pain, the vine brimming with/ splendid bunches of grapes/ that I conquered on land...”. These intense, passionate verses were written by the Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, describing the island that hosted him and has enchanted hundreds of illustrious figures across the centuries, from the Emperor Tiberius to Lenin, and from writers such as Graham Greene to Hollywood stars. Getting there The island of Capri is connected to the mainland by many navigation companies that provide links to Naples and other cities on the coast like Sorrento, Amalfi and Positano... >>> History and culture The island has been inhabited since the VIII century B.C., when the Greeks and Phoenicians settled there, although the first person to really appreciate Capri was the Emperor Tiberius , who built 12 sumptuous villas there... >>> Churches, Palaces and Monuments The villas built by the Emperor Tiberius, the Charterhouse of San Giacomo, the Phoenician Steps... >>> Places and charm All the most and spectacular spots on Capri, from the Faraglioni to the Blue Grotto... >>> Eating and Drinking From Caprese salad to wine: the island’s wine and food tradition combines peasant roots with modern sophistication... >>> Shopping Top fashion boutiques and artisanal workshops selling creative sandals and beautiful wooden objects... >>> Hotels and lodgings All the solutions for a holiday on society’s favorite Italian island: villas, rooms and hotels on Capri ... >>> Events From social events to religious festivals: all the island’s most important events... >>> La Dolce Vita It is a though nothing has changed when sitting in one of the cafes beneath the Clock Tower... >>> Walks on Capri Some relaxing, attractive walks on the trail of the island’s most enchanting spots and most interesting monuments... >>> Visiting the island by boat Hire a boat and go right around the island, stopping in the most interesting places... >>> More guides on: Region: Campania Campania Cities: Sorrento & Amalfi Ischia Naples Click to view the map Servizi per le aziende Acquista la tua visibilità su Travel Plan Netplan Travel Network Travel Guides ItalyTravel Guides | VeniceTravel Guide | FlorenceTravel Guide | RomeTravel Guide | MilanTravel Guide | NaplesTravel Guide | Palermo Travel Guide | Taormina Travel Guide | SicilyTravel Guide | Cortina Travel Guide | VeronaTravel Guide | JesoloTravel Guide | Lucca & Garfagnana Travel Guide | Treviso Travel Guide | Ischia Travel Guide | Capri Travel Guide | Sorrento Travel Guide | Amalfi Travel Guide | More Italy Travel guides ... Hotels & Lodging Italy Hotels | Venice Hotels | Florence Hotels | Rome Hotels | Milan Hotels | Naples Hotels | Taormina Hotels | Verona Hotels | Morehotels ... Italy Hotels | Venice Hotels | Florence Hotels | Rome Hotels | Milan Hotels | Naples Hotels | Taormina Hotels | Capri Hotels | Ischia Hotels | More Italy Hotels ... Hotels | Italy Hotels | Venice Hotels | Florence Hotels | Rome Hotels | Milan Hotels | Naples Hotels | Taormina Hotels | Verona Hotels | Mestre Hotels | Treviso Hotels | More Italy Hotels ... Venice Hotels | Cortina Hotels | Asolo Hotels | Hotel Golden Rome | Hotel San Niccolò - Chianti | Hotel Il Granduca Florence | Venice Travel Guide | Venice Booking Center | Venice Hotels Servizi per le aziende - Netplan Travel Network Links A1 A2 B1 C1 D1 E1 F1 G1 H1 H2 I1 I2 J1 K1 L1 M1 N1 O1 P1 Q1 R1 S1 T1 U1 V1 W1 X1 Y1 Z1 AA1 AB1 AC1 AD1 AE1 AF1 AG1 AH1 AI1 AJ1 AK1 AL1 AM1 AN1 AN2 AO1 AP1 AQ1 AR1 AS1 AT1 AU1 AV1 AW1 AX1 AY1 AZ1 BA1 BB1 Italy Travel Guide © 2004 Fatto da: Netplan

Disney Vacation Other Disney

MouseSavers.com - Working with a Travel Agent Great deals on all things Disney! Find out how to save on: Walt Disney World Disneyland Disney Cruise Line Transportation for Your Disney Vacation Other Disney Travel Savings Discount Disney Shopping Mall Live Disney Shows Disney Freebies Disneyland Resort Paris Disney Parks in Asia Disney's Vero Beach/Hilton Head Non-Disney Theme Parks & Attractions More information: About MouseSavers Frequently Asked Questions Trip Reports and Articles Links Testimonials Privacy Policy & Legal Stuff Contact Mary Working with a Travel Agent The amount of research necessary to plan all the details of a Disney vacation can be too time-consuming or even intimidating for some people. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the options, a great solution is to use the services of a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel. Be sure to ask if the agent has completed the College of Disney Knowledge, a comprehensive course offered by Disney that covers Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line. How it Works Travel agents make their living from a small commission paid by Disney for the resort hotel rooms, theme park passes and packages they book. The agent is compensated by this commission for the time, effort and attention he or she provides to the client. For that reason, it's unfair to ask a travel agent to do a lot of research for you, and then book elsewhere. Likewise, a reputable travel agent will not take over the booking of a trip from another travel agent. What to Expect An agent who specializes in Disney travel should be able to provide you with accurate information, including pricing, for Disney resorts, theme park passes and packages. He or she will book your trip and seek out the best deals for you -- even rebooking your trip when better rates come up, if possible. Once you book with a travel agent, he or she becomes your single point of contact for all changes in your travel plans -- you cannot make changes or cancellations directly through Disney if you are working with a travel agent. For most people this feature is convenient, but if you prefer to control everything yourself, booking with a travel agent is not for you. Travel agents are generally geared toward long-term planning (1 month in advance or more). That's primarily because it can take 3-4 weeks for them to get the paperwork from Disney once they've made your reservations, and then they have to get that paperwork to you. If you're planning a last-minute trip, it's usually better just to do it yourself. My Personal Recommendation The travel agent I use personally, talk with all the time, and can recommend wholeheartedly is Sue Pisaturo , whose company is called Small World Vacations . She is a Disney Specialist and College of Disney Knowledge graduate. Small World Vacations is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, a special designation given by Disney to its top booking agencies. Sue has contributed to The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World . Here's how the process works. Small World Vacations uses a quotation system that helps them offer the best discounts available and also directs your request to the best agent for your needs. Y ou submit a request for a price quote through their web site. Based on your needs and your location, Sue partners you with a specific agent who will work with you right up through the time of your trip. (Sue is located in the Northeastern US, but she has agents around the US and works with clients around the world.) The agent will contact you by e-mail with your quotation and provide you with a toll-free number that allows you to reach her directly and discuss the details of your vacation. From that point on, your contact will be one-on-one with the agent and will be highly personalized. Sue's agents are extremely knowledgeable about Disney travel and wonderful to work with. They are very oriented toward saving you money and will constantly monitor your reservation to make sure you are getting the best available deal. They understand and use the various discount codes that may be available, and they know all the best tricks for maximizing your time and money when planning a Disney vacation. You will always receive helpful planning information and literature when you book with Small World Vacations . There is never any charge for their services. They often offer special gifts and incentives as well. To see Small World Vacations ' current Walt Disney World promotions, click here . To see Small World Vacations ' current Disney Cruise Line promotions, click here . The agents at Small World Vacations are genuinely enthusiastic and knowledgeable about all things Disney, and I know they'll take great care of you. I have received dozens of "thank you" e-mails from readers who had a wonderful experience working with this agency. To get a vacation quote from Small World Vacations, click here ! Back to the home page Back to top Content of MouseSavers.com is © Mary Waring & MouseSavers 2001-2005. No part of this website may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission.

Ski Vacation

Ski Salt Lake Vacation Deals Customer Care | My Stuff Home Travel Info Center Flight Status Destination Guides Travelocity Business About Travelocity Flights Search Flights Top Deals Web Fares Low Fare Alert Last Minute Packages Hotels Search Hotels Top Deals Trip Ideas Popular Cities Cars/Rail Search Cars Search Rail Top Deals About Neighborhood Search Popular Car Destinations Vacation Packages Search Vacations Top Deals Disney Vacations Trip Ideas Cruises Search Cruises Search by Destination Search by Cruise Line Top Deals Ship Finder Last Minute Packages Search Deals Top Deals This Weekend Next Weekend Need Ideas? Activities Activities by Destination Book Your Ski Salt Lake Super Pass for $48 a day! Book Your Trip to Salt Lake City Flight + Hotel Hotel Only Departure Airport: Arrival Airport: Salt Lake City Hotel Area: Salt Lake City Cottonwood Canyon Resort Area Depart: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Return: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Adults 0 1 2 3 4 5 Children 0 1 2 3 4 Seniors 0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 Maximum connections Property: ------Resort----- Alta Peruvian Lodge Goldminer's Daughter Lodge Inn at Snowbird Inn at Solitude Lodge at Snowbird Alta's Rustler Lodge Cliff Lodge and Spa at Snowbird Condos at Solitude Village Alta Lodge -- -----Downtown----- Crystal Inn Downtown, A Rodeway Inn BW Plaza Hotel at Temple Square Radisson Hotel Ramada Limited South Salt Lake City -- Red Lion Salt Lake Downtown Shilo Inn Little America Hotel Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown Embassy Suites Quality Inn - Airport Hotel Monaco Salt Lake City Marriott University Park -----South Valley----- Crystal Inn Midvalley, A Rodeway Inn Super 8 Midvale Midvalley SLC Area Best Western Executive Inn Days Inn South Courtyard by Marriott - Sandy Fairfield Inn By Marriott, SLC Draper Residence Inn by Marriott, SLC Sandy Comfort Suites Sandy Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Residence Inn by Marriott, Cottonwoods Check In: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Check Out: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Ski Salt Lake Maps View the Salt Lake Valley Map View the Salt Lake Resorts Map Ski Salt Lake Resorts Snow Report Alta Ski Area Brighton Resort Snowbird Solitude Mountain Resort Weather Conditions Salt Lake Downtown: 53° F/Mostly Cloudy Photo Gallery View photos of Salt Lake City More about Salt Lake Dining Live Webcam Resorts Upcoming Events Through Dec 24 THEATRE Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Pioneer Theatre Company (801-581-6961) Through Dec 24 EVENT Christmas at Temple Square. Enjoy amazing lights, concerts, tours, and exhibits. December 17 EVENT Winter Solstice Festival at Salt Lake City's beautiful mountainside botanical gardens, Red Butte Garden December 24 EVENT Santa and Mrs. Clause ride Snowbird! Torchlight parade, interfaith Christmas Eve candlelight service, and lots of other fun holiday activities! December 31 EVENT First Night Celebration. A New Year's Eve Celebration with several great activities and attractions all over the city! Check out Salt Lake's Calendar of Events . Ski Salt Lake Vacation Deals Resorts Hotel Ratings Alta Peruvian Lodge 3 Nights + Airfare From $542 Goldminer’s Daughter Lodge 3 Nights + Airfare From $723 Inn at Snowbird 3 Nights + Airfare From $369 Inn at Solitude 3 Nights + Airfare From $476 Lodge at Snowbird 3 Nights + Airfare From $388 Alta’s Rustler Lodge 3 Nights + Airfare From $965 * Snowbird Cliff Lodge 3 Nights + Airfare From $407 Condos at Solitude Village 3 Nights + Airfare From $657 Alta Lodge 3 Nights + Airfare From $542 -- Downtown Hotel Ratings Crystal Inn Downtown 3 Nights + Airfare From $296 BW Plaza Hotel at Temple Square 3 Nights + Airfare From $271 Radisson Hotel 3 Nights + Airfare From $271 Ramada Ltd. - South SL 3 Nights + Airfare From $??? -- Red Lion Hotel Salt Lake Downtown 3 Nights + Airfare From $290 Shilo Inn 3 Nights + Airfare From $323 Little America Hotel 3 Nights + Airfare From $312 Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown 3 Nights + Airfare From $323 Embassy Suites 3 Nights + Airfare From $371 Quality Inn Airport 3 Nights + Airfare From $267 Hotel Monaco 3 Nights + Airfare From $464 Marriot University Park 3 Nights + Airfare From $296 South Valley Hotel Ratings Crystal Inn - Midvalley 3 Nights + Airfare From $287 Super 8 Midvale Midvalley Salt Lake City Area 3 Nights + Airfare From $262 Best Western Executive Inn 3 Nights + Airfare From $246 Days Inn South 3 Nights + Airfare From $243 Courtyard by Marriott, Sandy 3 Nights + Airfare From $365 Fairfield Inn - Draper 3 Nights + Airfare From $293 Residence Inn by Marriott - Sandy 3 Nights + Airfare From $379 Comfort Suites Sandy 3 Nights + Airfare From $299 Country Inn and Suites South Towne 3 Nights + Airfare From $643 Residence Inn by Marriott, Cottonwoods 3 Nights + Airfare From $381 Prices are per person based on double occupancy - air out of LAX for 12/5-12/8 (except where indicated otherwise). Our real-timedynamic Flight + Hotel packaging engine is constantly updating prices and availability. Pleasecheck pricing and availability for your travel dates and departure city on this site. * Alternative Dates Shopped: 12/12-12/15 Adding Travel Extras to Your TotalTrip SM Package is Easy! Select travel extras when booking your flight+hotel Ski Salt Lake Super Pass One Pass. Four Resorts. - From $48 '+' Means Some Taxes & Fees Additional | About Travelocity | Security Guarantee | Affiliate Program | Jobs | Site Map Partners and International Sites: IgoUgo | lastminute.com | Odysia.fr | ShowTickets.com | Site59 | Travelchannel.de | Travelocity Canada Travelocity Denmark | Travelocity Norway | Travelocity Sweden | Travelocity United Kingdom | World Choice Travel | ZUJI © 1996-2005 Travelocity.com LP. All rights reserved. Travelocity and the Stars Design are trademarks of Travelocity.com LP. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the Travelocity User Agreement and Privacy Policy . CST# 2056372-50. prom.3050.dest_main|Promotions|TRAVELOCITY|ST||||| --

Japan Travel Photos Japan

Japan (attitude Travel) Guide, Advice, Photos and Resources for Independent Travel You are here: attitude Travel > Japan Japan Independent Travel Guide Have your say: Your questions! Associated Resources: Japan Low Cost Airlines attitude Travel Japan is a resource for independent travellers planning a trip to Japan and a space for backpackers to share original writing & photos Matsumoto Castle Matsumoto Photos Iya Valley Shikoku Photos More maps of Japan... Banzai! Travelling on a budget in Japan is far from easy. But third degree culture shock can set in when you realise that the country might not be the same place you heard about back at home... Forget about the revolving sushi bars and manga-inspired images of techno-cities - for the most part Japan means bad suburban planning, uncovered drains, and endlessly dull highways flanked by pachinko parlours and love hotels . And lose any exotic ideas of ninja castles, tip-toeing geisha and wooden rice-farming villages. About ninety-eight percent of modern-day Japan is nearly as far removed from the rural images adopted by romantic orientalists as it is from the futurist apocalyptica of anime fans. Just about the last thing Japanese society does is revolve in harmony around elusive zen principles. Most of the country is cluttered with telegraph wires and convenience stores , the rail network is overrated, the cities overcrowded and nobody in the countryside speaks English. Welcome to the rather less than serene reality of 21st century Nihon . "It should be understood that the sea in which the Island of Zipangu is situated is the sea of Chin, and so extensive is this eastern sea... it contains no fewer than 7,440 islands, mostly inhabited... It is impossible to estimate the value of gold and other articles found in these islands." The Travels of Marco Polo, Marco Polo, 1300 AD Have your say: Original Travel Articles Travellers' Cafe Associated Resources: Japan Travel Photos Japan Maps Japan: East of the Orient? © Alan Lansdowne, Joetsu City, May 1999 More books... First time arrivals in Japan, might be forgiven for expecting the country to feel oriental in the same way as China or Vietnam. But the island nation keeps a wary distance from the East Asian countries it eyes across the cold waters of the Nihonkai (Sea of Japan). In Japanese newspapers or on television there is occasionally debate over whether the country is even a part of Asia, or if it is something other. Japan cultivates an awareness that it is distinct from other nations but the boundaries of the distinction are unclear. Nevertheless, there is an endless fascination in Japan about the country's place not just in Asia but in the wider global community. Japan is almost certainly the only country in the world to claim that it is uniquely unique. The Japanese archipelago is, in fact, a patchwork of separate, insular cultures with strong regional loyalties which the central government in Tokyo attempts in vain to unite. Perhaps this is why successful descriptions of Japan's overarching national identity are rare and elusive. Travelling around Japan is likely to challenge the way you think about the country and indeed whether you continue to see it as just one country. Discovering a different Japan © Alan Lansdowne, Joetsu City, May 1999 Takada Park Beyond the hi-tech city sprawl along the Pacific coast, Japan conceals an astonishingly beautiful volcanic hinterland. Here, away from the neon hum of crowded shopping malls, you can discover beautiful retreats like the castle town of Matsumoto in Nagano-ken, only two hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen . But even further from the urbanised Pacific coast there is a poor, unseen Japan. Hidden away on the northern side of the Alps, farming villages and small ugly, industrial towns stretch out in a thin ribbon along the shore of the Japan Sea. To browse through more travel articles about Japan, please turn to the Japan Travel Articles page. © 1997-2004 attitude Travel a rounin media publication Last update: September 5th, 2004 Resource: attitude Travel Questions on Highlights of Travel Advice Background on Getting to Low Cost Airlines Getting around Where to stay in Where to go in Culture Shock! Journals from Articles on Photos of Books about Resources for Maps of Language of Websites about Country: Austria Belgium Bosnia Bulgaria Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Malaysia Montenegro Morocco Netherlands Norway Poland Russia Serbia Singapore Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Thailand Turkey Uzbekistan Japan Home Travel Services Cheap Hotel Rooms in Tokyo Travel Insurance from InsureandGo Car Hire Japan from carhire.co.uk Find cheap plane tickets on Yahoo! Travel Free Ranking and URL submission at siteranking.com Reading up on Japan Travel Questions Highlights of Japan Background on Japan Japan Travel Advice Consular Travel Advice | | | Planning your trip to Japan Getting to Japan Getting around Japan Low Cost Airlines Where to Stay Japan Guidebook Japan in words and images Japan Travel Photos Japan Bookshop An insight into Japan Culture Shock Japan Japan Travelogues Japan Travel Articles Travel Resources Japan Travel Tools Maps of Japan Japanese Phrasebook Japan Links - sitemap - SiteSearch attitude Travel Search the Web Japan Profile Country Profile UK Foreign Office Japan Briefing The Economist Japan Profile BBC News Study of Japan US Library of Congress Background Notes US State Dept More Travel Resources Independent Guides Guide to Japan A & S Archer A Cynic's Guide Joe Larabell The Japan FAQ Robert Murphy Japan Update Jan Dodd Japan WikiTravel Japan World 66 Professional Guides Japan Lonely Planet Japan Rough Guide More attitude Travel Open Source Guides Austria | Belgium | Bosnia & Herzegovina | Bulgaria | Croatia | Czech Republic | Denmark | Estonia | Finland | France | Georgia | Germany | Greece | Hungary | Italy | Japan | Latvia | Lithuania | Malaysia | Morocco | Netherlands | Norway | Poland | Russia | Serbia & Montenegro | Singapore | Slovenia | Spain | Sweden | Switzerland | Thailand | Turkey | Uzbekistan home | free backgrounds | bookshop | travel centre | features | travellers' cafe Language: English