“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world”
— Gustave Flaubert
They say that travel is the way towards broadening our minds and that through this very experience of travel, we are exposing ourselves to other influences, cultures and experiences, allowing us to have a better understanding of the world we live in. Growing up, I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to explore and travel to different parts of the world, opening my eyes to a world outside of where I was born. For my parents, to be able to give their kids that opportunity to see the world from a different perspective was all they ever wanted – and for that
I am very grateful. They taught me that spending on experiences is going to be a lot more fruitful than spending on materialistic things, and though money can buy you the finest things in life, in the long run, that fancy new bag you bought probably isn’t going to make you smile as often as remembering your first backpacking trip.
Through travel, we are able to seek out new places, meet new people, discover new cultures and create wonderful memories, and though we might not be able to explore the world like we used to right now, we’re hoping that with this special issue of ASIAN Geographic Passport Island Tourism Edition, we can ease your travel itch, and allow you to experience Asia right from your very own couch.
Journeying across the continent, we explore some of the best islands around Asia, uncovering the most interesting activities on offer, and delving into local history and culture. Even though we know these might not quite be the travel plans that you were expecting, we still hope that the issue will entice you all the same. So, why not grab that good ol’ cup of Joe, sit back and join us on this adventure.