Approach Guides to CHINA (see Google map)

He who feels punctured must once have been a bubble.
- Tao Te Ching, The sacred book of Taoism

China is a world unto itself, with an unrivaled cultural legacy and a pervasive belief that the country’s ancient glory is the current generation’s destiny to recapture. We fell in love with the country only hours into our visit (during a walk through the medieval “hutong” neighborhood of Beijing) and ended up spending nearly two months exploring many of the country’s treasures: bustling cities, terraced rice fields, the Great Wall covered in morning mist, and the beautiful and warm Tibetan culture and people. Prepare for an experience unlike no other!

The APPROACH to travel in China
Approach Guides explores China’s deep artistic and architectural legacies which draw their inspiration from the country’s historical ties to countries, many of which entered China via the Silk Road (See ApproachGuides to “Buddhist Caves”, “Wooden Temples”, and “Buddhist Stupas”). Other guides explore the nature of how these Silk Road linkages came into being (“East-West Connections”) and the role that China played in the exchange network. Finally, to give greater insight into the country’s artistic and cultural linkages, as well as what drives the country’s philosophical thinking, we give backgrounds on the country’s primary faiths (“Confucianism & Taoism” and “Buddhism”).

Approach Guides to INDIA (see Google map)

When he sees identity in everything,
Whether joy or suffering,
Through analogy with the self,
He is deemed a man of pure discipline.
– The Bhagavad Gita, Hindu philosophical text

India offers a fantastic cultural ride filled with sights and sounds unlike any other country in the world. No words can convey seeing the Taj Mahal under a full moon or floating down the Ganges in Varanasi as the ritual bathers sink into the waters to watch the sun begin to peak over the horizon. This was our favorite country of all our travels (we couldn’t get enough…we visited three times!). Take a deep breath and jump in — this will be a life-changing experience!

The APPROACH to travel in India
Approach Guides for India first explores the country’s diverse religions that seem to pervade all of aspects of daily life, with a focus on Hinduism and Buddhism. We then proceed to explore the country’s artistic and architectural hertitage, with guides on the diverse, yet often synergistic Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist legacies. We also explore the India’s historical connections to neighboring countries (such as China and the West in “East-West Trade”).

Approach Guides to ITALY (see Google map)

In the heart of every man, wherever he is born, whatever his education and tastes, there is one small corner which is Italian, that part which finds regimentation irksome, the dangers of war frightening, strict morality stifling, that part which loves frivolous and entertaining art, admires larger-than-life-size solitary heroes, and dreams of an impossible liberation from the strictures of a tidy existence.
- Luigi Barzini “The Italians”

Italy has a special place in our heart. When we moved from New York City to begin our adventure, we chose Milan as our home-away-from-home. As a result, Italy is the country we know the best; the breadth and depth of Approach Guides themes with applicability to Italy demonstrate our love for la dolce vita! The food, culture, art, architecture, and history make Italy tough to beat for any culturally-oriented traveler. Buon divertimento!

The APPROACH to travel in Italy
In our Approach Guides to Italy, we explore the country’s culinary legacy with guides on both food and wine — the fact that we could not fit them both into a single guide speaks to how rich this tradition is! We offer detailed guides to both architecture (“Baroque”, “Romanesque”, and “The Evolution of Christian architecture”) and artistic traditions (“Mosaics”, “Florentine Frescoes”). Other guides highlight Italy’s historical role as gateway to the West (“East-West Trade Connections”).

Approach Guides to THE MIDDLE EAST (see Google map)

Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.
-Rumi, Persian Sufi poet

The Middle East provides a crucial link between the East and West: historically, bedouins assured the transmission of trade goods through necessary long desert traverses, Islamic artists and architects influenced and were influenced by cultures on both sides (from Italy and Spain to China, India and Southeast Asia), and the three great Abrahamic religions call these lands their home. We spent many months traveling through the Arabian Peninsula and the Eastern Mediterranean — weeks in Cairo absorbing its unrivaled legacy of Islamic architecture through the ages, a trip to the top of Moses’ Mt Sinai, days wandering through the markets of Yemen and Syria, and an incredible journey through the deep red sands of the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan. These experiences have shaped how we look at the world and helped us appreciate the warm culture of the Middle East…travel here will be an eye-opener, even to the seasoned traveler.

The APPROACH to travel in The Middle East
In our Approach Guides to the Middle East, we use the foundational Abrahamic faiths — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — as a framework to explore the region’s artistic and architectural legacy. This religious focus necessarily turns our guides toward Jerusalem, the religious center; here we explore the most iconic architectural elements in the city, the Temple Mount and the Holy Sepulchre. Our geographic focus widens with a discussion of the arts: we explore the mosaics throughout the Middle East and the Christian icons at St Catherine’s monastery. Finally, we review the role the region played in global trade network.

Approach Guides to SOUTHEAST ASIA (see Google map)

“Are you a god?” “No,” he replied.
“Are you a reincarnation of god?” “No,” he replied.
“Well, are you a man?” “No.”
“So what are you?” they asked, being very perplexed.
“I am awake.”
-The Buddha

Southeast Asia’s breadth of experience is so vast that it offers something for every type of traveler: looking out over Buddhist temples that dot the horizon as far as the eye can see in Burma’s Pagan, seeing (and feeling) a volcano explode before your eyes in Java, feeling dwarfed by the immense scale of Angkor’s temples, or working out your body’s kinks with a traditional Thai massage session in Bangkok. From a cultural standpoint, this is a derivative location, meaning that it’s cultural legacy was in many ways shaped by its neighbors, most importantly China to its north and India to its west. We seek to explore these connections so that you can fully appreciate how the Southeast Asian cultures integrated these incoming influences and made them distinctly their own. This derivative nature means that there is always a new theme to follow, a new adventure to pursue…Southeast Asia keeps you coming back again and again!

The APPROACH to travel in Southeast Asia
Our Approach Guides for Southeast Asia, we explore architectural highlights (in both “Temples of Java”, “Temples of Angkor”, and “The Stupa Form’s Transformation over Time”), the historical influences on the SE Asian aesthetic (“Art & Architecture: Buddhist” and “Art & Architecture: Hindu”) the religious foundations of the region (“Buddhism”), and the role the region played in historical global trade networks (“East-West Trade Connections”).

Approach Guides to TURKEY (see Google map)

The people think of wealth and power as the greatest fate,
But in this world a spell of health is the best state.
What men call sovereignty is a worldly strife and constant war;
Worship of God is the highest throne, the happiest of all estates.
-Suleiman the Magnificent

We returned to Turkey often through our travels, as we continued to find new connections to explore. Turkey offers a modern-day fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, offering a pastiche of both the familiar and the unknown. The capital exemplifies this fusion: Known as Constantinople in medieval times, it carried on the legacy of Rome and served as both a trading center and the Orthodox Christian gateway to the West; as Istanbul, the city elevated Islamic culture to new heights under the Ottomans and serves as a modern day metropolis on par with the world’s greatest cities. The city’s historical synergies and cultural vibrancy combine to make for an unforgettable travel experience.

The APPROACH to travel in Turkey
In our Approach Guides for Turkey, we explore these historical synergies, as they manifest themselves through architecture (“Hagia Sophia” and “Christian Architecture”), mosaics (“Mediterranean Mosaics”), and trade (“East-West Trade Connections”).

Home | Travel Guides | Wine Guide | Local Operators | About | Blog