ASIA
Neon cities. Ancient temples. Tropical islands. And enough extraordinary food to justify a trip all by itself.
ASIA
Asia has a habit of making every travel plan feel slightly inadequate.
You might begin with Japan because you've always wanted to see Tokyo and Kyoto. Then Thailand starts tempting you with beaches and street food. Vietnam suddenly looks incredible, Indonesia has approximately a million islands to choose from and before long you're wondering whether three weeks is enough to cross an entire continent.
Asia is enormous, wildly varied and home to some of the most exciting travel destinations in the world. One trip might involve neon-lit cities and bullet trains while the next could mean temples hidden in jungle, tropical islands, mountain villages or beaches where the sea is a shade of blue that feels a little unnecessary.
There are destinations for luxury, adventure, culture, food, wildlife and complete relaxation. Quite often, you can get several of those in the same holiday.
Thailand
Thailand is one of those countries that makes travel look very easy.
Bangkok is energetic, colourful and wonderfully chaotic, with temples, rooftop bars, floating markets, enormous shopping centres and food stalls seemingly appearing every few metres.
Once you've had enough of the city, the rest of the country opens up in completely different directions.
Head north to Chiang Mai and you'll find temples, mountain scenery, night markets and a much slower pace. Travel south and the islands take over.
Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi, Koh Phi Phi and countless smaller islands offer beaches, boat trips, snorkelling and those limestone cliffs that somehow manage to make every photograph look dramatic.
Thailand is also one of the great food destinations.
Pad Thai, curries, satay, mango sticky rice and street food you confidently order despite having absolutely no idea what half of it is.
Japan
Japan is one of those places that can feel completely futuristic and deeply traditional at the same time.
You can spend the morning wandering around an ancient shrine and the afternoon surrounded by enormous digital screens, vending machines and train systems that make British public transport look like a group project nobody prepared for.
Kyoto offers a completely different atmosphere with temples, gardens, traditional streets and beautiful seasonal scenery.
Then there's Osaka for food and nightlife, Hiroshima for important history and Hokkaido for mountains, skiing and winter landscapes.
Japan is particularly lovely during cherry blossom season, although unsurprisingly everybody else has also noticed.
Sushi, ramen, tempura, yakitori and countless dishes you'll start missing almost immediately after you come home.
↑ BACK TO TOP
Indonesia
Indonesia is slightly ridiculous when it comes to choice.
The country is made up of thousands of islands, so deciding where to go is going to require more thought than simply booking "Indonesia".
Bali is the obvious favourite and combines beaches, rice terraces, temples, waterfalls, yoga retreats and more beautiful cafés than any one island really needs.
Ubud gives you jungle scenery and culture while areas such as Seminyak and Canggu offer restaurants, beach clubs and a livelier atmosphere.
Java brings volcanoes and ancient temples while Lombok offers quieter beaches and mountain scenery.
Then there are the Gili Islands for snorkelling and relaxed island life and Komodo National Park where you can see the famous Komodo dragons.
Indonesia can be relaxing, adventurous or completely chaotic depending on where you choose.
Vietnam
Vietnam is brilliant if you like your holidays to feel busy, colourful and full of things to eat.
Hanoi is packed with old streets, cafés, markets and scooters moving in ways that suggest traffic rules are more of a general idea.
Ho Chi Minh City has a completely different energy with modern buildings, historic landmarks and excellent nightlife.
Between the two, Vietnam gives you some extraordinary landscapes.
Ha Long Bay is famous for limestone islands rising from the water while Ninh Binh offers similar dramatic scenery amongst rivers and rice fields.
Hoi An is one of the country's prettiest towns with lantern-lit streets, old buildings and a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere.
Further south, you'll find beaches, the Mekong Delta and tropical islands.
And the food is enough reason to travel there on its own.
Pho, banh mi, fresh spring rolls and strong Vietnamese coffee tend to become habits very quickly.
↑ BACK TO TOPSingapore
Singapore is one of the easiest places in Asia to visit if you like everything organised, clean and extremely efficient.
The city is modern and glossy, but it still has plenty of character.
Marina Bay gives you the skyline everyone recognises while Gardens by the Bay somehow manages to make giant artificial trees look completely normal.
Neighbourhoods such as Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam bring colour, culture and some excellent food.
Hawker centres are one of the best parts of visiting Singapore because you can eat brilliantly without needing a very generous holiday budget.
Singapore works particularly well as part of a wider Asia trip.
It's also one of those places where you may find yourself admiring an airport.
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur brings huge shopping centres, rooftop views, street food and the famous Petronas Towers.
Head north and Penang is one of Asia's great food destinations with colourful streets and historic neighbourhoods.
Langkawi is popular for beaches and resorts while the Perhentian Islands are brilliant for clear water, snorkelling and diving.
The Cameron Highlands offer tea plantations and cooler mountain scenery if you need a break from the heat.
Malaysia is an excellent choice if you want variety without having to cross several borders to find it.
↑ BACK TO TOP
Cambodia
Cambodia is home to one of the most extraordinary historic sites in Asia.
Angkor Wat near Siem Reap is enormous and genuinely impressive, particularly if you drag yourself out of bed early enough to see it at sunrise.
The wider Angkor complex contains dozens of temples spread across a huge area and you can easily spend several days exploring.
Phnom Penh offers another side of Cambodia with markets, riverside areas and important sites connected with the country's recent history.
Further south, you'll find beaches and islands where the pace becomes considerably slower.
Cambodia can be incredibly beautiful and deeply moving in the same trip.
↑ BACK TO TOP
Philippines
The Philippines is where you go if your idea of a holiday involves far too many beautiful islands.
Palawan is one of the biggest draws with dramatic limestone cliffs, clear lagoons and beaches that look almost suspiciously perfect.
El Nido and Coron are particularly popular for boat trips and snorkelling.
Boracay is better known for resorts, restaurants and its long white beach while Cebu and Bohol offer waterfalls, diving and wildlife.
The Philippines is fantastic for island-hopping, but you do need to accept that travel between islands can occasionally take longer than expected.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka packs an extraordinary amount into a relatively small island.
You can visit ancient cities, tea plantations, beaches, national parks and mountain towns without spending days travelling between each one.
Sigiriya's ancient rock fortress is one of the country's most famous landmarks while Kandy offers temples and traditional culture.
Head into the hill country and places such as Ella bring tea plantations, waterfalls and some of Sri Lanka's best scenery.
The train journey through the mountains is an attraction in itself.
National parks such as Yala give you the chance to see elephants, crocodiles and possibly leopards.
Sri Lanka is particularly good if you want a holiday that feels varied without needing several flights to make it happen.
↑ BACK TO TOPIndia
India is impossible to sum up neatly because every region feels completely different.
The Golden Triangle is one of the most popular routes for first-time visitors, linking Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
Agra gives you the Taj Mahal, which manages to be every bit as impressive as people say it is.
Jaipur brings palaces, forts and colourful streets while Delhi gives you a mixture of enormous monuments, busy markets and modern city life.
Rajasthan is filled with desert landscapes and historic cities while Kerala offers tropical scenery, backwaters and beaches.
Goa is popular for a more relaxed coastal holiday and the Himalayan north gives you mountains and completely different landscapes.
India can be overwhelming, fascinating and absolutely unforgettable.
Maldives
The Maldives are for people who have looked at a photograph of an overwater villa and thought, yes, that will do nicely.
Tiny islands sit amongst clear turquoise lagoons with white sand and coral reefs just offshore.
Many resorts occupy their own private island, which means the entire holiday can feel wonderfully removed from normal life.
Snorkelling and diving are major attractions thanks to the marine life while some resorts are entirely designed around doing as little as possible.
There isn't a huge amount of sightseeing in the traditional sense.
The Maldives are ideal for honeymoons, special occasions or those moments when your main ambition for the week is to decide whether to swim before or after lunch.
↑ BACK TO TOP
South Korea
South Korea offers a brilliant mixture of huge modern cities, traditional culture and beautiful landscapes.
Seoul is energetic and packed with things to do, from palaces and markets to shopping districts, rooftop bars and neighbourhoods that seem to stay awake permanently.
Busan brings beaches, seafood markets and a more coastal atmosphere while Jeju Island offers volcanic landscapes and hiking.
South Korean food is another major part of the experience.
Barbecue, bibimbap, kimchi and street food are everywhere and meals often become an event rather than something squeezed between sightseeing.
If you've developed even a mild interest in Korean culture, music or television, there is a fair chance you'll return considerably more enthusiastic.
↑ BACK TO TOP
China
China is enormous enough to offer several completely different holidays within the same country.
Beijing gives you the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven and easy access to the Great Wall.
Shanghai is modern, glamorous and dramatically different with one of Asia's most recognisable skylines.
Further inland, Xi'an is home to the Terracotta Army while areas such as Guilin and Yangshuo are known for extraordinary limestone scenery.
Then there are mountains, ancient towns, enormous cities and vast rural landscapes.
China takes planning because the distances are huge, but it rewards you with some of Asia's most famous historic and natural sights.
↑ BACK TO TOPNepal
Nepal is the obvious choice if mountains are the entire reason you travel.
The Himalayas dominate the landscape and attract trekkers from all over the world.
Everest Base Camp is one of the best-known routes, but there are plenty of alternatives if spending several weeks climbing towards the world's highest mountain feels slightly ambitious.
Pokhara is a popular base for trekking and offers beautiful lake and mountain views while Kathmandu combines temples, historic squares and a wonderfully busy atmosphere.
Nepal isn't only for serious hikers, but if you do enjoy walking, it is difficult to beat.
↑ BACK TO TOP
Bhutan
Bhutan is one of Asia's most unusual destinations.
Tourism is deliberately controlled and the country has focused heavily on preserving its culture and environment.
The result is a destination filled with mountain landscapes, monasteries and traditional architecture.
The most famous sight is Tiger's Nest Monastery, which clings dramatically to the side of a cliff above the Paro Valley.
Bhutan isn't a cheap or spontaneous destination, but that's part of what makes it feel so different.
For travellers who want somewhere peaceful, culturally rich and far removed from mass tourism, it is fascinating.
↑ BACK TO TOP
United Arab Emirates
The UAE is where everything seems to come with an extra level of ambition.
It has the Burj Khalifa, enormous shopping centres, luxury hotels, beach clubs and enough extravagant attractions to make "normal" sightseeing feel slightly underwhelming afterwards.
Abu Dhabi offers a more relaxed atmosphere with beautiful beaches, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and cultural attractions such as Louvre Abu Dhabi.
You can also head into the desert for dune drives, camel rides and sunset dinners.
The UAE works brilliantly for winter sunshine, luxury hotels and stopovers.
Jordan
Jordan is one of those destinations that gives you several bucket-list experiences in one trip.
Petra is the headline attraction and it is every bit as dramatic as the photographs suggest.
Walking through the narrow Siq before the Treasury suddenly appears in front of you is one of those travel moments that sticks.
Wadi Rum brings enormous desert landscapes while the Dead Sea gives you the rather strange experience of floating without really trying.
Jordan is compact enough to see a lot within a relatively short trip, which makes it particularly appealing.
↑ BACK TO TOPSO, WHERE IN ASIA
SHOULD YOU GO?
This is where choosing becomes annoyingly difficult.
If your perfect trip involves food, cities and culture, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore are excellent places to start.
For beaches and tropical islands, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and the Maldives give you almost too much choice.
If ancient history and temples are the priority, look towards Cambodia, India, China, Sri Lanka and Jordan.
For mountains and serious adventure, Nepal and Bhutan are difficult to beat.
And if you're looking for somewhere that combines several different types of holiday in one trip, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam are particularly good at making that happen.
One holiday could involve wandering through temples in Kyoto while another could see you sailing between islands in the Philippines, eating street food in Bangkok, trekking through the Himalayas or doing absolutely nothing in an overwater villa in the Maldives.
You can travel for culture, beaches, food, adventure or complete luxury and still feel as though you've barely scratched the surface.
Once you start looking, one trip is never going to feel like enough.
