Special Sub-Topic: Asian Compass Authored by: daaardvark Sub-topic of: Asia

If I am in Beijing and I want to go to Tokyo which direction should I take?

East. In Chinese, Beijing means 'north capital', the word for Tokyo means 'east capital' so logically Tokyo is to the east of Beijing. China has Beijing, Nanjing and Xian, three cities that represent north, south and west capitals. Tokyo (the east capital) is in Japan.

After a few sakes in Tokyo I decide to head to Manila. Which direction do I have to go?

South. Manila is the capital city of the Philippines and, like Japan, the Philippines is made up of several islands on the Pacific rim. It is south of Japan.

From a friend in Manila I hear that Bangkok is also a great city to visit. To get to Bangkok from Manila in which direction should I go?

West. Bangkok is the capital of Thailand. These two cities are warm and sunny for most of the year. If you are planning a trip to Asia, these are two places that you definitely want to visit. There are lots of good, cheap bars in both.

There are too many tourists in Bangkok, so I set out for Rangoon where I have heard that it is somewhat quieter. Which direction will take me to Rangoon?

North West. Rangoon is the capital of Burma (formally Myanmar). The infamous Burma railway between Bangkok and Rangoon was built in WWII by 260,000 Allied prisoners and Asian workers and resulted in 116,000 deaths.

Which direction will take me from Rangoon if I wish to travel to Chengdu?

North East. Chengdu is in central China and famous for its hot Szechuan style food.

After burning my mouth in Chengdu I decide to burn my skin in Singapore. What direction is Singapore from Chendu?

South. Singapore is also famous for being HOT, the weather that is. This is because Singapore is just one degree north of the equator. Singapore is 100% urban so the name of the capital is also the name of the country.

I changed too much money in Singapore so I decided to travel to Bangar Seri Begawan where the Singapore dollar is also used. What direction will my flight take?

North East. Bangar Seri Begawan is the capital of Brunei and they also use the Singapore dollar as well as their own currency. There is a free amusement park in the city for its citizens so if you want to have a great day out it doesn't cost too much anyway.

From Bandar Seri Begawan I decide that I want to visit Angkor Wat. To get to Angkor Wat I need to go via Phnom Penh. Which direction should I take?

North West. Angkor Wat is in Cambodia and contains the ruins of an ancient temple and one of the most amazing places in the world. The temple has been placed on the World Heritage List. Cambodia has sadly been ravaged by war for centuries and the infrastructure is very poor. The best way to get to Angkor is to take a flight from the capital. Phnom Penh is the capital city of Cambodia.

Full of the adventure spirit I return to Phnom Penh from Angkor Wat to board a flight to Ulan Bator. In what direction is Ulan Bator?

North. Whilst Phnom Penh in Cambodia is nice and warm, Ulan Bator in Mongolia is a long way north and very cold. Mongolia is a great place to visit but don't visit in winter.

Ulan Bator is too far from the water so I decide to head to the port of Pusan. In which direction do I need to travel to get to Pusan?

South East. I think Pusan in Korea is one of the nicest cities in Asia. It is also the biggest port in South Korea and at the end of December 2006 it boasted a population of over 3.6 million people.