Camel in India's Thar Desert. Photo: Honza Soukup

In Rajasthan, northern India, the starkly beautiful Thar Desert is home to a way of life that few outsiders have experienced. The small but vibrant desert community that thrives there includes chili and mustard farmers,  ranchers, carpet weavers, metalsmiths, potters, and carpenters with a strong folk tradition of music and dance.

At more than 75,000 square miles, the Thar Desert is  a huge expanse of sand and scrub, but hosts a suprising amount of biodiversity. Herds of Indian gazelles, Indian wild asses, and blacbucks make their homes there in large numbers. The Thar Desert is also home to more than 150 species of birds, as well as a variety of trees and other plants. Eleven national parks within the Desert help to protect these animals and plants.

The Thar Desert is also home to Jaisalmer Fort, built in 1156 by King Rawal Jaisal, at a site which Lord Krishna was said to favor. Carved from Rajasthani yellow sandstone, it almost disappears into the desert, which helped to keep the fort safe from invaders.

Click here for stunning photos of the area from Flickr, and here to read more about the opportunity that Smithsonian travelers have to go on a camel safari with local Thar Desert guides, followed by dinner and a night in a tented camp under the stars.

What do you love about the desert? Please share.

A Traditional Geisha in Japan Photo by Tracey Taylor

The beauty and grace of Japan’s geishas are among many reasons visitors travel to certain parts of the Japan, such as Kyoto. The geisha tradition gained prominence in the mid-18th century, as women worked as skilled entertainers after seeing the success of male performers. Their talents included dancing, singing, playing music, and even creating poetry and artistic calligraphy.

While well-known for thir exquisite clothing, one of the most notable identifiers of a geish is her immaculate make-up. The application of this makeup is time-consuming, detailed, and specific, and is an extra effort for apprentice geishas who are required to wear it while in public. For the first three years, the young maiko wear their make-up almost constantly.

The make-up of an apprentice geisha include three notable features – the thick, white foundation, red lips, and red and black highlights around the eyes. The white foundation originally included lead, but when it was discovered how toxic it was, the ingredient was changed to rice powder.

The white foundation covers the face completely except for two notable areas – the hairline, which gives the illusion of a mask, and the nape of the neck, which is designed in a traditional W shape, highlighting and accentuating the area, which is considered alluring. Then the eyes are outlined, originally using charcoal. Today modern eyeliner is used, but maiko still add red around the eyes to show their youthful status.

The woman’s red lips are filled in using a small brush with crystallized sugar added to the color to add texture. The rank of the geisha can easily be identified by looking at her lips. First year maiko only have their lower lip filled with color. Only a full-fledged geisha may have her lips fully colored red. It rare to see the lips filled in western-style as it would make the lips look unusually large; the intent is to give the illusion of a flower bud.

After a maiko has worked for three years, her make-up becomes more subdued because now she has matured to a point where her natural beauty can be seen. After the age of thirty, geisha wear the traditional make up only for formal events or special performances.

Which kind of make-up would you never forget to put in your luggage? Share Below.

Appreciate the cosmetic efforts and performance skills of geisha in person on our Eternal Japan tour. International airfare included!

One of the many things we pride ourselves on here at Smithsonian Journeys is to highlight the amazing and beautiful World Heritage Sites that can be found on our tours. These special sites go through a lengthy and specific process to finally be named on this list. Today, 890 sites have  made the cut: 689 are listed as culturally significant, 176 are natural sites, and 25 are mixed properties. Ha Long Bay, which we’ll visit on our Journey Through Vietnam, is one of them.

Ha Long Bay literally translates to “Descending Dragon Bay” which makes one wonder where such a name originated. The story originates as a local legend when the Chinese were invading Vietnam. To protect the people of the region, the gods sent a family of dragons. But instead of fire, the dragons spit out jewels, pearls, and jade that began to make up the islands that blocked the invaders, and as a result, the country of Vietnam was created. After the battles were over, the dragons weren’t interested in leaving. Instead, they chose to remain for some sightseeing on Earth and eventually made it their home. Ha Long is where the Mother Dragon chose to settle down, while her children comprise the other islands nearby where they could wiggle their active tails violently and freely.

Today, about 1,600 people call Ha Long Bay their home in four fishing villages. Because of the landscape and the nature of their occupations, this community is unique because it is made up of floating houses and markets.  Unfortunately, there haven’t been any dragon sightings recently.

Which legendary mythical creature is your favorite? Dragons, fairies… maybe Pegasus? We want to know!

Enjoy dragon legends, incredible fresh seafood, and shop at a floating market on our Journey Through Vietnam.

The Forbidden City lies in the heart of Beijing, China. Home to China’s Emperors for centuries, it’s arguably one of the greatest palaces ever built. The vision of  Ming Dynastywarrior and dictator Zhu Di, every detail of the palace is related to ancient Chinese ritual and ceremony.

Check out today’s video to learn more about the Forbidden City and its creators, part of the Smithsonian Channel series China’s Forbidden City.

Our advice: don’t miss the Forbidden City on your first trip to Beijing. See it for yourself on any of these opportunities to travel to China with Smithsonian.

If you were going to China, what would you want to see first? Please share!

The Buddhist Temple at Asakusa, in Tokyo

Tokyo, the capital of Japan and its largest city, is a fascinating city – full of crowded streets, unusual dishes, and secret corners. Here’s five things you might not know about Tokyo.

– Tokyo’s greater metropolitan area is the most populous in the world, with more than 35 million people. The city’s population topped 10 million back in 1962. Click here to read Study Leader James Ketelaar’s thoughts on living in Japan.

– Some historians beleive that Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, Asakusa Kannon, dates from c. 745, when the area was a fishing village.

– The National Diet Building, completed in 1936, has nothing to do with Japanese nutrition – it’s the home of Japan’s legislature, which is called the Kokkai, or National Diet of Japan. If you do want to know more about the Japanese diet (the one they eat), click here to read about the Kokumi Sensation.

– Tokyo’s urban rail system is the most comprehensive in the world; its famous Tokyo Metro  has almost 250 miles of track.

– Built in the early 1600’s, Tokyo’s Imperial Palace is still home to the Emperor of Japan and his family. The palace is open to the public every January 2, and also on the Emperor’s birthday. Visitors can walk the gardens year-round.

Have you ever been to Tokyo? How was it?

If Tokyo sounds right up your alley, you’re in luck. Click here for our tours to Japan.