7 diving spots for adventure lovers in Indonesia

Diving is almost a must-try activity for every traveller when visiting Indonesia. This archipelago country surely does not lack islands for a diving experience, and these are the best ones to check out.

Raja Ampat

Synonymous with the diving scene in Indonesia, Raja Ampat is an archipelago of 1,500 small islands and it boasts about 1200 fish species. Raja Ampat is found within The Coral Triangle – the heart of the world’s coral reef biodiversity – which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and East Timor. It is also probably the richest coral reef ecosystems in the world. If you’re lucky enough to be diving in Raja Ampat during the right season, you might even spot some whale sharks.

Togian Island

Located North of Sulawesi, Togian Island is a group of islands that is mostly untouched. You must make it point to dive at the apparently best dive site in the area, B24 Bomber Wreck, located 16 kilometres northeast of Kaidiriri Island. With the high visibility underwater, it’ll be a breeze for you to take in the beautifully coloured coral reefs and black-tail barracudas! Also, check out Una Una, which is a volcanic island that has lava ash sand.

Bali Island

Diving in Bali is something that should be on all of our bucket lists, especially since it is one of the most accessible destinations in Indonesia. Because of the very light or total lack of currents, beginner divers can go to Amed, Padang Bay, and Pulau Menjangan.

Lombok Island

Lombok Island, neighbour to Bali Island, has somehow managed to keep its spectacular dive sites that feature untouched coral reefs and pinnacles very low key. The Gili Islands, located northwest of Lombok, is one of the most popular diving site nearby. While diving around Lombok, keep your eyes out for those hammerhead sharks amongst other spectacular marine life species.

Weh Island

The best time to go diving at Weh Island is during the country’s dry season, from April to November. The Indonesian government has made efforts to preserve a part of this island and its wildlife by declaring two areas as marine parks. Beginners can look to dive at sites like Limbo Gapang, Batee Meuroron, Lhong Angen and Pantee Gua!

See more: Top amusement and theme parks to visit in Jakarta, Indonesia

Source: Internet

The best destinations for snow hunters in Japan

Winter in Japan is also a wonderful opportunity to venture out beyond the urban sprawl and experience the country, its customs, and cuisine like a local. Below are the best destinations for who want to explore Japan in winter, especially, for the snow hunters.

Abashiri Drift Ice, Hokkaido

Head right up north to the Sea of Okhotsk along the coast of Hokkaido, and you would be forgiven for thinking that you are in fact in the middle of the Antarctic. Here massive plates of drift ice known as ryuhyo float atop the ocean surface.

Drift ice season may not be Japan’s most well-known winter vacation opportunity, but it is definitely one of the country’s more unique experiences. Emerging in around mid-January and gone by March, there is a little time to check it out if you do want to see it in action. Occasionally from land you can spot drift ice floating along the coast, but to really explore the area at its peak, it is recommended you hop aboard one of the Aurora Sightseeing Boats. The tour boats depart from Abashiri Port in Hokkaido’s northeastern corner a couple of times daily, and a tour costs around 3,000 yen (£20) per person.

Otaru, Hokkaido

When it comes to winter in Japan, the heaviest snow falls in Hokkaido, where you can enjoy the annual Sapporo Snow Festival. But, take a 45 minute train ride, and you will be whisked away to the port city of Otaru, a city pivotal to the development of Japan’s northernmost island. Brick warehouses and Victorian style street lamps line Otaru Canal, giving it a distinctly European feel. Visit at night and be charmed by Otaru’s Snow Light Path, an event held in February where the streets of Otaru are decorated with snowmen and candlelight.

Shirakawa-go, Gifu

Looking like an idyllic painting come to life, Shirakawa-go is a small traditional village in the heart of Gifu that is stunning year-round. Nonetheless, winter is when it is at its most beautiful. The area is best known for being the home of Japan’s unique ‘gasshou’ houses, a style of old-world traditional Japanese architecture.

Some of the houses here are over 250 years old. The name ‘gasshou’ translates to ‘praying hands’ in English. It was so named because their sharply steep roofs clasped together resemble the two hands of the Buddha in prayer.

See more: 10 best places to go skiing in Japan

Zao Snow Monsters

The best place to see snow monsters is at Zao Onsen, a well-known hot spring and ski resort in the mountains of Yamagata Prefecture. These "monsters" are formed by heavy snow deposited on trees and frozen into shape by chilling winds. The Snow Monsters form around the peak of the Zao Ski Resort and are usually most spectacular around mid-February.

Ouchi Juku, Fukushima

Walk in the footsteps of samurai in the village of Ouchi Juku, a former post town on Aizu-Nishi Kaido that which connected Aizu, Fukushima with Nikko, Tochigi during the Edo Period. Ouchi-juku feels like a living museum, as the town has been restored to its former glory. Traditional thatched buildings, a trademark of post towns, line the unpaved main street, where you will find plenty of quaint shops, restaurants, and Japanese inns.

Warm up with a local specialty - fish grilled at an iriori, or sunken hearth - then head to Ouchi-juku Town Pavilion to explore more of this historic village.

Source Internet

Best specialities you have to try when visiting Beijing

Beijing has so many exceptional dishes and snacks that first-time travelers may not know where to start. To cut through the confusion, we present the must-try local favourites.

Peking Roast Duck at Quanjude

The three things that everyone who comes to Beijing must do: Eat Peking roast duck; climb the Great Wall; and visit the Panjiayuan Antique Market.

Check out Quanjude. Founded in 1864, the restaurant inherited its representational “roast duck in stove” from the imperial court, priced from 238 RMB yuan (36 USD), according to the duck’s quality. Quanjude has nearly 20 locations all over Beijing.

Stewed Liver at the Tianxing Restaurant

Beijingers have a thing for dishes made from intestines. Their famous dishes of pig intestines include luzhu huoshao, baodu and stewed liver. Stewed Pig Liver and Fried Pig Lungs have been around since the Song Dynasty. The stewed pig livers were served in soup thickened with starch afterwards. You can still get the original Huixian taste at the Tianxing Restaurant,.

Xiao Diao Li Tang (Old Beijing Pear Drink)

After having greasy roast duck, how about a refreshing Old Beijing drink? This drink boiled from sweet pears and added edible white fungus, crystal rock sugar, green plums and Chinese Wolfberries is a nutritious drink that is supposed to be good for your throat and lungs. You can try the drink at most of the Beijing cuisine restaurants like Juqi and Xiaodiaolitang, where the drink is served in vintage-style thermos flasks, mostly used in the 1960s.

Qianlong Cabbage

Here’s a must-try dish for veggies. Named after the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, legend has it that the dish was ordered by the emperor at a small, nondescript restaurant during his tour outside of the imperial palaces in disguise and was spoken highly of by him. Though made of cabbage leaves with sesame sauce, vinegar, and honey (and sometimes with black sesame seeds atop the dish), it has been one of the most famous traditional dishes of Beijing and can be found in most of the Beijing cuisine restaurants today.

Zhajiangmian at Hai Wan Ju

Beijing is known for its fried sauce noodles, also known as noodles with soybean paste. It is a dish of thick wheat noodles mixed with sauce made by simmering stir-fried ground pork or beef with salty soybean paste. All locals know Hai Wan Ju has the best fried sauce noodles — you will not only eat the noodles but experience the ritual. It is served in a giant bowl with sauce and garnish, like shredded cucumbers and soya beans, each put in a small plate and laid around the bowl. Compared with this, the DIY burgers they offer are nothing.

The Beijing Mutton Hotpot at Jubaoyuan

If you have taken a stroll in the hutongs in winter, you may have noticed the copper giving off steam in front of some restaurants. Those are the pots that the traditional Beijing Mutton Hotpot uses. If there’s one mutton hotpot restaurant you should go, it must be the Jubaoyuan Restaurant on Niujie. Apart from the top-quality mutton slices, it also offers a limited supply of sesame seed buns. The two Jubaoyuan restaurants on Niujie always have a long queue during rush hour, so you have to make reservations in advance.

See more: Best dimsum restaurants in Beijing

Source: Internet