So, have you ever heard or read that we all have someone who looks like us somewhere in the world?
How spooky would it be if you turn the corner and run into someone who looks a LOT like you?
I think I would freak out a little bit.
Well, this kind of phenomenon doesn’t just happen among us humans, it also happens in the traveling world, what I’m trying to say is that there are tourist spots in the world that are very similar to others located on a totally different continent.
More specifically European and Asian Travel Destinations
Do you want to find out which? Let’s start this list of comparisons now!!! In this article you’ll also find a section on how to get to the destinations mentioned on this post.
1 Eiffel Tower VS Pearl Tower
Now before someone wants to kill me for comparing an iconic tourist landmark like the Eiffel Tower, to what some (not me) might call an ugly tower in Shanghai, please just have in mind that all I’m trying to point out is that they’re similar, but not the same.
They are both landmark towers in vibrant cities of their respective countries, Eiffel Tower is 324 meters tall and Pearl Tower is 468 meters tall, Eiffel Tower has 3 floors whereas Pearl Tower has 14, Eiffel Tower was built in the late 1880’s , Pearl Tower is just a baby as its construction finished in 1994
In my very humble opinion, they are both impressive and both deserved to be visited and admired.
I think the best view of Pearl Tower you can get is from The Bund area
2 Arc De Triomphe VS Patuxai
This is one of my favorite and the reason why I came up with this European and Asian Travel Destinations comparison idea.
What the Hell is a Patuxai??? If that thought just came to your mind let me help you clear that question.
Patuxai is a monument located in Vientiane, which is a city in Laos, which is a country in South East Asia. This is a war monument dedicated to the brave men and women who fought for freedom against the French imperialism.
Laos Proclaimed independence in 1954
Do you start seeing the similarities? and is not just in structure.
Just like the Arc de Triomphe was built to commemorate all of those who fought in the French revolution and in the Napoleonic wars, Patuxai was built with a similar purpose, to commemorate those who died fighting for a cause.
A Small Tour in Vientiane Laos
One main difference among these 2 arcs is that due to Laos agitated political environment, Patuxai was never fully finished, the last construction activities concluded in 1968.
The Arc de Triomphe was inaugurated in 1836 and has a height of 50 meters, Patuxai is higher just by 5 meters.
Which one is nicer?? Well… even though both are similar in concept-an Arch- Patuxai has a rich and beautiful Laos style decoration which is totally different to the European style decoration of Arc de Triomphe.
3 Big Ben VS Makka
One is one of the most popular landmarks in England and another one is a not so popular colossal structure in the Middle of Asia. Makka is currently the 3r tallest building in the world and is located in Saudi Arabia.
The Big Ben is 90 meters tall and first opened its doors in 1859, Makka is 601 meters tall and its construction was finished in 2012, is completely new in comparison to Big Ben.
Both clock towers are part of a larger structure surrounding them and tons of tourists visit them every year to admire their beauty,
A little known fact is that the designed of Makka clock tower was made by a German company, so there’s a bit of European influence in its design.
4 Santa Claus Village VS Good Stay Elf Spa
These two are not monuments like the ones I’ve shown you so far on this list, nonetheless, many tourists visit them yearly as they are both the perfect winter getaway family, couples and friends are looking for.
One is located in the Arctic circle in Finland, in Rovaniemi, and the other one in Pyeonchang in South Korea.
Rovaniemi, Should I Pay a Travel Agent or Do it On My Own
Both places have a similar structure and are perfect for practicing winter sports, you can book a cottage cabin in any of them and spend some nice winter holidays with your loved ones.
One thing that definitely sets them apart is that, in Santa Village, you can catch a look of the beautiful northern lights.
I guess the fact that snow covers everything in white helps the 2 places look similar too.
Can you guess which is which?
5 Pisa Tower VS Tiger Hill
Let’s start by talking a little bit about the one you most likely have heard nothing of, Tiger Hill Pagoda.
The Tiger Hill Pagoda is located in Suzhou a city to the west of Shanghai, the construction finished in 961 AD, that is some ancient monument right there, it was built of stone and cement, it has 7 floors but no stairways, people used to go from floor to floor using a ladder, it has a height of 47.5 meters and it’s part of a monastery complex.
Is it also leaning? YES!!! in 1957 archaeologists discovered that half of the pagoda was built on a ledge and the other half on softer land, because of this the pagoda started leaning.
It’s exactly the same reason why the Pisa tower is leaning, it was also built on soft ground.
The tower of Pisa was built as part of a larger church complex and has a height of 57 meters, 8 floors and its construction was finalized in 1372.
So, they are both about the same height, belong to a larger religious complex and they are both leaning, pretty much because of the same reason, aren’t those too many similarities?
6 Suzhou VS Venice
Another favorite one for me in this European and Asian Travel Destinations comparison list.
Suzhou is located just an hour away by bullet train from Shanghai, which makes it a perfect one day trip if you are staying in the bustling capital of China.
This city has 8 ancient water towns: Nanxun, Tongli, Xitang, Wuzhen, Zhujiajiao, Qibao, Luzhi, and -the one in the picture- Zhouzhuang.
Suzhou has so much to offer, but the main reason attracting tourists to its doors is the canals, the whole system of canals is way bigger than Venice’s, they go through farms, fields and urban landscapes. Suzhou was founded on 514 BC.
Shanghai and Beijing in 1 Week.
It is said that Venice was officially formed in 421 AD, and their first settlers arrived around 400 AD as they were looking for refuge from the hordes of barbarians arriving from the north of Europe.
As we all know Venice is also famous for its canals, in both places you’ll find restaurants, shopping centers, gondola/boat rides and locals living their everyday life.
Bonus
I know the topic of this post is European and Asian Travel Destinations that are similar, and one of the following places doesn’t fall in this category.
But I want to mention it
There is a place in Asia which is very similar to a place in America and some people say is even better, I’m talking about Macau, the Asian counterpart of Las Vegas.
Macau is famous for its casinos and 5 stars hotels full of luxury and eccentricities, the wealth of this place is such that Business Insider once made an article where it states that casinos in Macau make Las Vegas look like a dump.
How to get to these Destinations?
Eiffel Tower
Once you’re in Paris you can
- Take the metro and get off at Champ de Mars station, other stations near Eiffel Tower include Bir Hakeim and Ecole Militaire
Pearl Tower
Once you’re in Shanghai you can
- Take the metro and get off at Liujiazui station on subway line 2
Arc De Triomphe
Once you’re in Paris you can
- Take the metro and get off at Charles de Gaulle Etoile
Patuxai
Once you’re in Vientiane you can
- Take a Tuk Tuk, just show them a picture of the Patuxai monument
Big Ben
Once you’re in London you can
- Simply use the metro to get to Westminster station
Makkah Clock Tower
Once you’re in Saudi Arabia you can
- As to right now the only way to go from King Abdaluzis International Airport to Makkha clock tower is by Taxi which will cost you around 200 SAR
- You’d have to do the same – take a taxi- to get from anywhere in the city to Makkah.
Good Stay Elf Spa Resort
Once you’re in Seoul you can
- From Seoul or Cheongnyangni station take the KTX to Pyeongchang station, once you are there you can take a taxi to Elf spa resort which will be around 20,000 won.
- For more ways to get from Incheon Airport to Elf Spa Resort please click here
Santa Claus Village
Once you’re in Rovaniemi, Finland you can
- Simply take a Taxi, is 5 minutes away from the airport.
- From the center of the city, you can take a bus or visit as part of a tour.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Once you’re in Pisa you can
- If you’re going directly from the airport (Pisa International Airport) you could just take a short 10 minutes taxi ride.
- You can also go by metro, get to Pacinotti 1station and from there walk for around 10 minutes.
Tiger Hill Pagoda (Also called Huqiu tower)
Once you’re in Suzhou (Jiangzu Province), China you can
- Take bus 32,146 or 816, they all go to the park where Huqiu tower is located, for more info click here
Suzhou-Zhouzhuang Water Town
- This ancient town is reachable from Shanghai and Suzhou, for more information please click here and here
Venice
- From Venice’s Marco Polo airport you can get to downtown by using public buses and taxis that will get you as far as Piazella Roma, from there take a water bus to get deeper into town
- Note: Private water taxis are very expensive so try to avoid them, they’ll charge you around 100 EUROS.
So there you have it, destinations around the world that look a bit alike, if you liked this post please let me know in the comments, and also follow me on social media to get more content like this.
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