Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka are the major Buddhist countries with over 70% of the population currently practicing the rituals while in Japan, Laos, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam they have a smaller but strong minority status.
I was intrigued when visiting one of my Brazilian, Portuguese teachers in the early 90s in her Itaim Bibi apartment. A shrine shone in her living room as the main feature-furniture. Not one to nose into other peoples’ affairs, I let it be. However, Buddhism has always intrigued me.
The Buddhist countries, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia share a wealth of ancient sites, lush locales abounding with tropical flora and fauna, national parks sheltering endangered species, stunning traditional and French Colonial architecture all packaged with Asian graciousness. In the unique blend of temples, touring, arts and crafts, are part of an experience that few travelers have encountered.
Vietnam, a fascinating slice of a nation enjoys a rich and varied history, stunning art and architecture, a justly famed cuisine and a wide-range of high-quality fabrics and crafts. Custom trips can be designed to expose visitors to the best of these elements in the comfort of elegantly designed boutique hotels and with a pace that is never harried. Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country on the South China Sea known for its beaches, rivers, Buddhist pagodas and bustling cities. Its beautiful beaches, cheap accommodations, and amazing food secured the country on the top of most travelers' lists for the region.
Written by Carl Boniface
Vocabulary builder:
Flora and fauna (n) = The flora and fauna in India are diverse with a variety of plants and animal varieties. The popular fauna of India includes 500 different varieties of mammals, 2000 species of birds, 30.000 types of insects and several varieties of fish, amphibians and reptiles.
Harried (adj) = harassed, bothered, agitated, hassled, stressed