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Exotic Escapades
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: JACKY LYNNE A. OIGA
Date: 2009-10-31
 
A new travel show uncovers Asia’s forgotten gems and awe-inspiring past

Heaving with eccentric attractions and unworldly charm, Asia remains to be the most mystifying and enthralling place in the world. From the desert ruins of the Middle East to the beach bungalows of the Southeast, the megacities of the East and the magnificent monuments of the South, each Asian region has a unique facet that makes the continent all the more fascinating.

However, for writer, lifestyle consultant, and travel host Anita Kapoor, the best thing about traveling in Asia is discovering obscure and forgotten places within the regions’ famous cities. Unfortunately, she deems that regardless of Asia’s vast scope of destinations, there isn’t much material to tell people what a great continent it is and how much there is to be discovered.

With this in mind, Kapoor shares her travel spirit and enthusiasm of discovery to everyone through Discovery Travel and Living’s new show, Exotic Escapades.

A journey to rediscover the romance, mystery and spirituality of Asia’s many cultures, Exotic Escapades showcases places of discreet understatement that offer travelers a range of interesting experiences.

But what really makes a destination exotic? Kapoor explains that people should look beyond the word’s meaning to actually appreciate it.

“To be honest, I think it’s been an overused term but exotic as in unique upon that scope, isn’t just finding something way off the charts in terms of being something ancient yet still unusual and slightly kooky,” reveals Kapoor.

Kapoor begins her journey in Kuta Kinabalu, Malaysia, then travels to the island of Lombok in Indonesia, and then makes her way westward to China and India. During her trip, Kapoor gets to visit both famous and unknown places. She reveals that the best sites are always the obscure and almost forgotten ones.

“I am always more fond of visiting obscure towns because it has less tourists and less information which force people to find the inner workings and the inner souls of the area. Of all the places I’ve been to during the show, Chongqing (China) and Varanasi (India) are two of my favorites,” she shares. “China is just mind-boggling, it’s so enormous you can’t manage to grasp it at first go. As for Varanasi, I just can’t believe how an over-grown, over-inhabited eight thousand year old city could be so enthralling.”

If given a chance, Kapoor also wants to explore the Philippines and immerse herself in its diverse cultures and historical heritage. She’s very interested in the Filipinos’ tribal culture and she wants to go into the villages and see how people live in a traditional way.

In a nutshell, Kapoor wants Exotic Escapades to be remembered as the tip of an iceberg because there’s always a lot more to come. “Asia is beyond traditional exotic. It’s got so much going for it. From the moment I started doing television, one of the things I’ve always wanted to do is to be in a position to bring Asia to Asia and to the rest of the world and to open people’s eyes to the fact that there is so much going on and this is such a thriving, amazing, beautiful continent,” she says.

Anita was the winner of Discovery Travel & Living’s search for a host for SECRET SINGAPORE, and now returns to the channel to host Exotic Escapades. Born in Mumbai, India, she has lived in Singapore since 1978.

Exotic Escapades airs every Monday at 10 p.m. on the Discovery Travel & Living channel.
 

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