Creative Tourism

South East Asia is the generally accepted name for a series of island and peninsulas which lie east of India and west of China. South East Asia is blessed with abundant sunshine and plentiful rain. With the exception of North Vietnam and a few mountain locations, virtually all of South Asia falls within the 27-360 C annual temperature range. There are, however, seasonal variations in rainfall and temperature due to changing wind and pressure systems. Warm, humid climatic conditions have given rise to lush tropical rain forests teeming with a wide variety of plant and animal life. Beside the climate, South East Asia nations shares similarities on the archeological background. Archeological evidence for the origins of some prevalent South East Asian decorative motifs may be seen in beautifully ornamented ritual bronze artefacts, such as kettle drums, weapons and bells, which have been uncovered from many sites throughout the regions. The highly stylized designs found on bronze objects from the late Chou period of China (eight-third century BC) also had some influence on South East Asian decorative motifs in terms of asymmetrical layout of design and the merging and modification of motifs to fit in with an overall schema. This influence is most evident on some textiles from Borneo and Sumatra. This corner of the world is also remarkable for its incredible diversity of ethnic groups, each of which has its own language, customs, mores, and religious belief. South East Asia today has a sprinkling of hunting-gethering Negrito people, such as the Atea of the Philipines, The Semang of Malaysia, and the Orang Kubu of Sumatra. Austroloid people are also thought to have passed through South-East Asia during the early migration period. Traces of these people may be seen in the current racial stock of Timor and Flores. Meanwhile the majority of the present day indigenous population are basically Mongoloid, consisting of various people who migrated from South China and the Tibetan border areas at various times. The earliest and most far reaching influence which was to permeate South East Asia was that of India. Many local rulers adopted such Indianized ideas as a belief in a god-like king at the head of a hierarchical administration system, an ancestral genealogical pedigree system, the lunar-solar calender, astrology, and various of Hindu ritual worship. Buddhism was brought from India by traders. The basic proportions and much of the iconography for South East Asia religious art come from India cannons of design. Classical Indian art motifs, such as crowned snakes, the Makara water monster, the Kala monster face mask, the garuda bird (the mount of the Hindu God Vishnu), peacocks, the lotus, the 'vase of plenty' and the wishing appear on South East Asia textiles. Local languages have been greatly enriched by the loan from Sanskrit, the ancient and sacred language of India. Indian epics, such as the Mahabarata and the Ramayana and the Buddhist Jataka Tales, form the basis of classical theatre in South East Asia. The Ramayana is performed as a puppet play in southern Thailand, northern Malaysia and Java, and as a dance drama in Burma, Laos, central Thailand and central Java. Puppet figures from these epics (called wayang) appear on the textiles of Bali and Lombok in Indonesia. During the early years of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), China took a more active interest in South East Asia. The influence of China culture can be seen in ceramics. Chinese ceramics have been imitated in brassware by the Maranao people of southern Philipines, while some ceramics motifs have been widely copied on South East Asian textiles. Images of Dragon from stoneware jars may occasionally be seen on warp ikat clothes from Sumba. In Bali and Thailand, the banji, or swastika, motif is a pattern regularly encountered on silk weft ikat. It may also be seen in a supplementary weft on Lao, Shan, and Kachin textiles. Meanwhile the influence of Muslim to South East Asia may be seen in the soft, loosely woven double ikat-pattern patola cloth, sometimes called cinde. Patola textiles became symbols of wealth and prestige. The royal weft ikat cloth of Thailand and Cambodia is similar with the weft ikat cloths from Inle Lake in Burma and some sarongs, such as the malong andong of southern Philipines. The European influences by the spread of Western hygiene, improved sanitation, and health care have led to a decreased death rate and lead to the increase in population. While education and the spread of Western ideas and technology have been responsible for much material progress, they have contributed to a cleavage between new and traditional ways of life. The influence of the textile motifs can be seen in the use of garden flowers in cloth from Arakan and Amarapura in Burma, Laos, Javanesse Batik and Timor. South East Asian shares some similarities from the ancestors, artefacts up to the influence brought by India, China, Muslim and Europe. However, the South East Asia nations have the same backgrounds. The similarities lead to the unity among the nations.

Known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka lies like a teardrop, falling from the tip of India's South Coast. Once a little-known treasure, thousands of travellers stumbled upon the island by some 'fortunate accident' and so began to call Sri Lanka the Isle of Serendipity. Known for its white-sanded beaches and turquoise sea, its abundance of rare wild-life and rich foliage, its precious gem mines, its rolling hills carpeted with the best tea in the world, and its rich history and cultural heritage, Sri Lanka is a breath-taking get-away MORE INFORMATION ON SRI LANKA• Population • Religion • People & Languages • Geography & Climate • History & Culture POPULATIONSri Lanka's population is a colourful mosaic of different ethnic and religious groups. The Sinhalese people form the largest ethnic group in the nation, composing approximately 74% of the total population. Sri Lankan Tamils form 18% of the population, and are concentrated mainly in the northeastern part of the country. "Indian Origin" Tamils, brought from India as indentured labourers by British colonists to work on estate plantations, are distinguished from the native Tamil population that has resided in Sri Lanka since ancient times. These "Indian Origin" Tamils still reside mainly in Sri Lanka's hill country where Tea is grown. There is a significant population of Muslims, who trace their lineage to Arab traders and immigrants and they are concentrated in the eastern provinces. There are also small ethnic groups such as the Burghers, of mixed European descent, and Malay people. Sri Lanka also has a unique community of indigenous people called the Veddahs. They are believed to be the first inhabitants of Sri Lanka and are thought to be related to the aborigines of Australia, the Nicobar Islands and Malaysia. Top RELIGIONAs a result of its ethnic diversity, Sri Lanka also is home to various religious faiths and is one of the few countries to celebrate every religious holiday as a national holiday. Buddhism is considered the official religion of Sri Lanka. The school of Buddhism followed in the country is the Theravada School and it was first brought to Sri Lanka in 2nd century BC by Mahinda, the son of Ashoka, the Indian emperor of that time. Buddhism is an important part of Sinhalese culture and the two are strongly linked. Hinduism is practiced by 18% of the population, whom are almost exclusively Tamil-speaking, as well as immigrants from India and Pakistan such as the Sindhis, Telugus and Malayalees. Hinduism is dominant in the Northeastern province, where Tamil people are in significant numbers. Christianity is practiced by 7-8% of the population, especially by the Portuguese and Dutch Burgher people. The Portuguese first brought Christianity to the island in 1618 when many Tamil Hindus and Sinhala Buddhists were encouraged to convert to Catholicism. While most Sri Lankan Christians are Catholics, there are also significant numbers who adhere to Dutch Reformed Church and the Anglican Communion. A significant portion of Sri Lanka's population is Muslim. The Muslims of Sri Lanka claim descendancy from the Arab traders who made Sri Lanka their home even before the advent of Islam. They can be categorized into two groups, the Moors and the Malays.Top THE PEOPLE & THE LANGUAGESFor a small island, Sri Lanka has quite a large population of 19.8 million and its adult literacy rate is a little over 86%. The life expectancy is 70 years for men and 75.4 years for women. Sinhala and Tamil are both the official languages of the nation, with 80% speaking Sinhalese and 18% speaking Tamil. Veddahs The Veddahs, also called the Wanniyala-aetto or the People of the Forest, are the original inhabitants of the country. The exact numbers of this unique group are highly disputed today. Some reports count as few as 200 Veddahs in Sri Lanka, while others suggest a collection of communities, including Sinhalese and Tamil speaking groups, numbering in the thousands. Some even believe that due to inter-marriage and integration into Sinhalese culture, the Veddahs no longer exist and can no longer claim to be a distinct ethnic group. Only a small and diminishing number of people identifying themselves as Veddah have retained a semblance of their old culture, stressing a hunting lifestyle and maintaining close relationships with nature and their ancestors. Although Sinhalese legends characterise the Veddahs as partly descended from evil spirits, the Veddahs are related to South Indian tribes such as the Vedas of Kerala and even thought to be related to the aborigines of Australia. Sinhalese The actual origins of the Sinhalese are shrouded in myth. Most believe they came to Sri Lanka from northern India during the 6th century BC. According to their tradition, the Sinhalese people trace their origins back to the union of a lion, or a "sinha", and a North Indian princess, whose descendants became the bloodline of Sinhalese Royalty. Buddhism arrived from the subcontinent 300 years later and spread rapidly. Buddhism and a sophisticated system of irrigation became the pillars of classical Sinhalese civilization (200 BC-1200 AD) that flourished in the north-central part of the island. The Sinhala language is related to Sanskrit, as is Hindi. The first Sri Lankan kingdom had its capital at Tambapanni, but later shifted to Upatissagama and then to Anuradhapura. The Buddhist religion reinforces the solidarity of the Sinhalese as an ethnic community. In 1988 approximately 93 percent of the Sinhala speakers were Buddhists, and 99.5 percent of the Buddhists in Sri Lanka spoke Sinhala. The most popular Sinhalese folklore, literature, and rituals teach children from an early age the uniqueness of Buddhism in Sri Lanka, the long relationship between Buddhism and the culture and politics of the island.

Long before the coming of the Spaniards, there already existed an extensive region (consisting of the present provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra and La Union) which was renowned for its gold mines. Merchants from Japan and China would often visit the area to trade gold with beads, ceramics and silk. The inhabitants of the region, believed to be of Malay origin, called their place "samtoy", from "sao mi toy", which literally meant "our language". In 1571, when the Spanish conquistadors had established the Spanish City of Manila, they began looking for new centers of administration to conquer. Legaspi's grandson, Juan De Salcedo, volunteered to lead one of these expeditions. Together with 8 armed boats and 45 men, the 22 year old voyager headed towards the north. On June 13, 1572, Salcedo and his men landed in Vigan and then proceeded towards Laoag City, Currimao and Badoc. As they sailed along the coast, they were surprised to see numerous sheltered coves ("looc") where the locals lived in harmony. Consequently, they named the region "Ylocos" and its people "Ylocanos". As the Christianization of the region grew, so did the landscape of the area. Vast tracks of land were utilized for churches and bell towers in line with the Spanish mission of "bajo las campanas". In the town plaza, it was not uncommon to see garrisons under the church bells. The colonization process was slowly being carried out. The Spanish colonization of the region, however, was never completely successful. Owing to the abusive practices of many Augustinian friars, many Ilocanos revolted against their colonizers. Noteworthy of these were the Dingras uprising (1589) and Pedro Almasan revolt (San Nicolas, 1660). In 1762, Diego Silang led a series of battles aimed at freeing the Ilocanos from the Spanish yoke. When he died from an assassin's bullet, his widow Gabriela continued the cause. Unfortunately, she too was captured and hanged. In 1807, the sugar cane ("basi") brewers of Piddig rose up in arms to protest the government's monopoly of the wine industry. In 1898, the church excommunicated Gregorio Aglipay for refusing to cut off ties with the revolutionary forces of Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo. Unperturbed, he established the "Iglesia Filipina Independiente". Aglipay's movement and the nationalist sentiment it espoused helped restore the self-respect of many Filipinos. In an effort to gain more political control as a result of the increasing population of the region, a Royal Decree was signed on February 2, 1818 splitting Ilocos into two provinces: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Soon thereafter, the provinces of La Union and Abra likewise became independent.

Welcome to Bhutan- the Land of the Thunder Dragon - one of the most sought after travel destinations today. The thunder dragon is a trekker’s paradise and an environmentalist’s dream. With 72 percent of the country under forest cover, Bhutan’s pristine ecology is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna. This spiritual land is the last bastion of the Vajrayana school of Mahayana Buddhism which provides the essence of a unique identity for the 750,000 people. Bhutan is a unique blend of the old and new. Here is a country that is slowly opening up to the modern world in a fine balance with its ancient traditions. Those fortunate enough to visit Bhutan describe it as a unique, deeply spiritual and mystical experience. This kingdom is an adventure like no other. CULTURE and TRADITION A Glimpse of Living Buddhism As a tiny landlocked Himalayan kingdom, Bhutan remained sovereign and self-sufficient but unknown to the world outside for most of its existence until the mid 20th century. The country’s heritage of rich culture and environment has remained almost completely untainted. The daily life is influenced strongly by Buddhism and like nowhere else one can experience Living Buddhism in Bhutan. The Middle Path and the concept of Gross National Happiness are a strong basis for the Bhutanese way of life. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tsechus Colourful Festivals The Buddhist festivals or Tsechus are one of the prime examples of the living culture of Bhutan that many have come to admire and to treasure. The tsechu is a festival in honour of Guru Rinpoche, the saint who brought Buddhism to Bhutan and the Himalayan world. These Tsechus are held in almost every district attracting hundreds of Bhutanese people in a spirit of festivity, celebration and deep faith. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARCHITECTURE Picturesque Ancient Monuments The architecture of Bhutan is one of the Kingdom’s most visible distinctive features. The massive Dzongs (fortresses) with their upward sloping walls, the ancient monasteries and the humble farm house stand out as an important part of the country’s landscape. Each valley in Bhutan retains its own architectural character in terms of the type of building material used, ranging from mud to stone, and the special ambience of its most famous monasteries and Dzongs.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, a land of friendly people, a land of the million pagodas, to name a few, is rich in natural and cultural resources. For its long history and big size, it is an ideal place to experience the archeology as well as flora and fauna. There are a lot of existing and newly-developed destinations in Myanmar. Not only natural and man-made places but also its friendly people itself are also uniquely attractive. Myanmar is situated in the South East Asia. It is between Thailand and Laos on the east, Bangladesh to the west and China and India to the north. It is a country of 676000 square kilometers. It lies between latitude 10 and 28 degrees north, and longitude 92 and 101 degrees east. To the south are the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. Myanmar has a population of 53 million. There are 135 different ethnic groups and 8 main national races in Myanmar. Physically, Myanmar consists of seven states and seven divisions. The History Myanmar has a long vibrant history. Myanma history began when races of Mongoloid stock from central Asia descended to the plains, probably in the mid-9th century. They came into contact with Pyus and Mons who had already attained a higher level of civilization before 11th century. King Anawrahta (1004-77) welded into one kingdom a group of formely independent states, with Bagan as capital. But Bagan succumbed to the onslaught of the Mongols in 1287. Myanmar split up into small principalities unit at last she was totally annexed by the British imperialists in the year 1885. Myanma people unitedly and consecutively fought against the British imperialists and the Japanese fascists who ruled Myanmar from 1942-45. Thus Myanma independence is really hard-won with the strength of the entire mass of people. People Myanmar has a population of about 53 million. There are 135 different ethnic groups and 8 main national races in Myanmar. All of them have their own traditional cultures, customs and believing systems. The 68% of the population are ethnic Bamar. Other ethnic groups are Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Chin, Mon, Rakhaing and Shan. There is also a significant of Chinese and Indians in the country. The Culture Like every nation else, Myanmar has its own culture. Albeit flanked by the two greatest civilizations of the world, China and Indian, Myanmar culture is unique and exotic. Myanma culture consists of religion, literature, dress, architecture, painting, wood carving, martial art, handicrafts, weaving, fine arts which are all really adorable. The Shwedagon Pagoda and the numerous stupas and temples of Bagan manifest the ancient status of Myanmar culture. Myanmar music is melodious, and Myanmar literature is deep and wide with its verses, poems, epics and prose. Myanmar archeology is popular across the south-east Asia. Religion Theravada Buddhism is professed by the great majority of the people of Myanmar. About 87% of population are Buddhists, 5% are animists, 4.5% are Christian, 4% are Muslim and 1.5% are Hindu. Climate Myanmar has three seasons: the rainy, the cold and the hot seasons. The rainy season is from May to mid October. Average temperature will be 25-30 C. The cold season is from November to January. Average temperature will be 20-24 C. The hot season is from February to April. Average temperature will be 30-35 C.

Welcome to Myanmar It is a great honour of us to introduce our Home Land Myanmar, the golden land and our Sri Asia Travels and Tours which was established in 1991. Myanmar, know as Suvanna Bhumi (the Golden Earth) in the olden days for its fertile land and rich natural resources is the largest country in the South-east Asia Peninsular sharing borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. With a total land area of 676,577 sq.km, it is about the size of Texas and the size of United Kingdom and France combined. The country stretches over 2090 km from north to south and over 925 km east to west. It has a 2832 km long coastline on the Indian Ocean. Over 50 percent of the total land area is covered with forests. Myanmar is a union of 135 ethnic groups with their own languages and dialects. The major races are Bamar, the Chin, the Kachin, the Shan, the Kayah, the Kayin, the Mon and the Rakhine. The name Myanmar embraces all the ethnic groups. The population of Myanmar is over 47 million with the Bamar, the majority race, making up about 70 percent. Myanmar lies between two great civilizations, India and China, but it has developed its own distinctive culture. Myanmar is one of the most attractive countries for investors and tourists. Myanmar hospitality and sincere friendliness invite visitors. Inside you will find a tempting selection of long established favorites together with a host of thrilling new destinations. After more than 10 years operating tours, we realize it is only natural when travelling to far away places to want to see as much as you can while you are there. We take great care to plan our holidays so you will enjoy the right balance between touring and rest days. So, If you are thinking of travelling to Myanmar and choosing Sri Asia Travels and Tours for the first time, we are confident, you really will experience the holidays of a lifetime. If you are one of our many thousands of clients,