All Destinations

The northern tip of Palawan and the world capital of recreational wreck diving — twelve Imperial Japanese Navy vessels sunk by US carrier planes on 24 September 1944 lie between 10 and 40 metres in Coron Bay, accessible to anyone with an open-water certification. Above the waterline, the Tagbanwa-owned island of Coron itself walls in jade-water lagoons fringed by 200-metre limestone karsts: Kayangan Lake (often called the cleanest lake in the Philippines), Twin Lagoon's swim-through opening, the 38-metre fresh-and-saltwater pool of Barracuda Lake. Reach: a 1-hour AirSwift, Cebgo or Philippines AirAsia flight from Manila MNL into Busuanga (USU).

Vietnam's Central Highlands hill station sits at 1,500m — cool and misty, French colonial villas, an Eiffel-designed railway station, the Crazy House, and the Valley of Love. Easy Rider motorbike tours of the Central Highlands start here. Coffee and flower capital, and the 3-hour spiral up from the coast is worth it for the climate shift.

Vietnam's third-largest city sits on a 30-kilometre crescent of the South China Sea between the Hai Van Pass and the Marble Mountains — the country's fastest-growing urban centre, with the viral Golden Bridge held aloft by giant stone hands at Ba Na Hills, the 666-metre Dragon Bridge that breathes fire and water on weekend nights, and the My Khe (China Beach) resort strip. The five Marble Mountains south of the city hide Buddhist cave temples; the Son Tra peninsula north hosts the 67-metre Lady Buddha statue. Easy day trips to Hoi An (30 km south) and Hue (100 km north via the famous Hai Van Pass coastal route) make Da Nang the natural base for central Vietnam.

India's sprawling capital blends Mughal grandeur with modern chaos — from the Red Fort and Jama Masjid to the bustling lanes of Old Delhi and the leafy avenues of New Delhi designed by Lutyens.

Dubai is a city of superlatives — the tallest building, the largest mall, man-made islands visible from space. Beyond the glitz, there's a fascinating mix of old and new: traditional souks alongside futuristic architecture, desert dunes within driving distance of indoor ski slopes. A major global hub with year-round sunshine.

Northern Palawan's limestone karsts rise from turquoise Bacuit Bay — Tours A through D island-hop the lagoons, hidden beaches, and coral reefs by bangka outrigger. Nacpan's four-kilometer sand strip, Las Cabanas zipline sunsets, and nightly power cuts in town. Reach it by direct ENI flight or the 6-hour drive from Puerto Princesa.

A long volcanic spine of an island in Indonesia's Lesser Sundas chain east of Bali, anchored by the harbour town of Labuan Bajo where every Komodo National Park live-aboard and day boat departs. Inland, the 1,639-metre Kelimutu volcano holds three crater lakes that shift colour independently — turquoise, olive, black — and the cool highland villages of Bena and Wae Rebo preserve thatched conical houses and Ngada megalithic ancestor stones. Days run from dawn dragon walks on Rinca to swim stops at Pink Beach, manta cleaning stations at Manta Point, and the 5km drone-friendly ridge of Padar Island. Christian-majority and overwhelmingly local in feel.

Galle is the Dutch-built fortified port on Sri Lanka's south coast — a 36-hectare walled town inside 17th-century granite ramparts that survived both colonial sieges and the 2004 tsunami almost untouched. UNESCO listed Galle Fort in 1988 as the best-preserved European-built fortified town in South Asia. Inside the walls, gridded streets are lined with white-washed Dutch and British colonial houses, churches, the 1939 lighthouse, and a wave of boutique cafés, design shops, and small hotels that have turned the fort into Sri Lanka's most stylish weekend escape. The southern beaches — Unawatuna, Mirissa, Weligama — are 15–40 minutes east.

Three tiny islands off Lombok's northwest — Gili Trawangan (party), Gili Meno (honeymoon), and Gili Air (balance). Zero motorized vehicles: walk, bike, or pony cart. Turtles guaranteed on the snorkel, diving world-class, Bintang at sunset swings. 2-hour fast boat from Bali Padangbai or 20-minute public ferry from Lombok Bangsal.

India's smallest state packs in golden beaches, Portuguese colonial churches, spice plantations, and a laid-back tropical vibe that draws backpackers and luxury seekers alike.

The Gobi is one of the world's last great empty wildernesses — 1.3 million km of arid steppe, rocky outcrops, and gravel pans straddling southern Mongolia and northern China, ranked the fifth-largest desert on Earth. Only about 5 percent is true sand sea, but the dunes that do exist are spectacular: Khongoryn Els (the Singing Sands) climbs to 200 metres along 100 kilometres of the Gurvan Saikhan range. The Mongolian Gobi delivers three flagship sights — the Singing Sands, ice-filled Yolyn Am canyon, and the rust-coloured Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs where Roy Chapman Andrews unearthed the first dinosaur eggs in 1923. Bactrian camels, ger-camp nights under a black sky, and 4WD steppe drives define the trip.

The capital of Cantonese cuisine and culture, Guangzhou is a megacity where dim sum reigns supreme. The Pearl River night cruise, Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, and bustling Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street showcase the city's blend of tradition and modernity.

The karst-peak landscape that appears on China's 20-yuan banknote — the most photographed natural scenery in China, draped in mist along the Li River and the smaller Yulong tributary. The 4-5 hour Li River cruise from Guilin downstream to Yangshuo (83 km) passes the iconic Xianggong Hill viewpoint and the Ming-dynasty fishing village of Xingping; National Geographic ranked it among the world's top ten watery wonders. Add the 1,300-year-old cormorant fishing tradition, the 700-year-old Longji rice terraces (golden in September, mirror-flooded in May), the labyrinthine Reed Flute Cave, the Zhuang and Yao minority cultures, and the relaxed backpacker scene of Yangshuo's West Street, and Guilin is the most photogenic destination in southern China.

Korea's museum without walls — capital of the Silla Kingdom for nearly a thousand years (57 BC to 935 AD) and home to a UNESCO Historic Areas inscription that bundles together Bulguksa Temple, the Seokguram Grotto on the slopes of Toham Mountain, the royal tumuli rising like grass-covered hills in the city centre, and Cheomseongdae, the small bottle-shaped observatory built in the 7th century and considered the oldest surviving in East Asia. Anapji Pond mirrors its restored pavilions after dark, cherry blossoms line the tomb park in early April, and the Gyeongju National Museum houses the Silla gold crowns. Two hours by KTX from Seoul or one from Busan.

Hạ Long Bay is the postcard image of northern Vietnam — roughly 1,600 jungle-topped limestone karst islands rising sheer out of jade-green water across 1,553 km² of the Gulf of Tonkin. UNESCO listed it in 1994 (and again in 2000 for geology) and it became one of the New 7 Natural Wonders in 2012. Most visitors arrive on overnight junk-boat cruises out of Tuần Châu or Hạ Long City, threading between karsts to caves like Sửng Sốt and Thiên Cung, kayaking into hidden lagoons, and climbing the 427 steps up Ti Tốp Island for the iconic aerial view. The neighbouring Lan Hạ Bay (south of Cát Bà Island) has fewer boats and arguably better swimming.

Mount Fuji's onsen escape — a mountain hot-spring resort 90km southwest of Tokyo inside Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The iconic shot is Lake Ashi's pirate-ship cruise framed by Hakone Shrine's red torii in the water with Fuji behind on a clear day. Owakudani's volcanic valley sells black eggs cured in sulfur springs. The Hakone Open-Air Museum mixes Picasso with mountain views, and traditional ryokans deliver the kaiseki + onsen night. Hakone Free Pass covers the Tozan switchback train, ropeway, cable car, and ship loop.

The ruined capital of the Vijayanagara Empire (14th-16th century) scattered across a surreal landscape of 500 million-year-old granite boulders in northern Karnataka. UNESCO since 1986. The Virupaksha Temple still functions as an active Hindu shrine; the Vittala Temple's musical pillars and Stone Chariot are the postcard images. The Tungabhadra River divides the bazaar-and-temple side from the Hippie Island (Virupapur Gaddi) backpacker scene. Reached via overnight sleeper bus from Bangalore or Goa.

The southern terminus of the Grand Canal and the city Marco Polo called the most beautiful in the world — West Lake (UNESCO 2011) is the cultural template every classical Chinese garden has imitated for a thousand years. The Su Causeway, Broken Bridge, Leifeng Pagoda, and the Tang-era Lingyin Temple anchor the lake. Longjing Village's tea terraces produce China's most prized green tea (Dragon Well, harvested before Qingming). Hangzhou is also Alibaba's home and the country's high-tech showpiece — the bullet train from Shanghai is just 45 minutes.

Hanoi is one of Asia's most atmospheric capitals — a thousand years of history layered into chaotic, charming streets. The Old Quarter buzzes with motorbikes and street food vendors, French colonial architecture stands alongside ancient temples, and Hoan Kiem Lake offers a tranquil escape. Pho for breakfast, egg coffee for lunch, bun cha for dinner.

Heilongjiang's northeastern capital, built up by Russian engineers around the Chinese Eastern Railway at the turn of the 20th century — the result is a Mandarin city with onion-domed cathedrals, Art Nouveau facades, and a Russian-bakery street culture you find nowhere else in China. Saint Sophia Cathedral anchors Daoli district, Central Avenue (Zhongyang Dajie) runs 1.4km of restored European stone storefronts to the Songhua River, and every January the Ice and Snow World turns the riverbank into 600,000 square metres of illuminated ice sculptures up to 50m tall. Pack a parka — January averages around -19C.

A city of resilience and peace. The Peace Memorial and Museum are profound, while nearby Miyajima Island's floating torii gate is iconic. Famous for okonomiyaki and oysters.

Ho Chi Minh City (still called Saigon by locals) is Vietnam's energetic southern hub — a city of roaring motorbikes, French colonial landmarks, and some of the best street food on earth. The War Remnants Museum is sobering, the Ben Thanh Market is overwhelming, and the coffee culture is addictive. Always evolving, always buzzing.

Vietnam's most charming town — a UNESCO-listed ancient trading port where lantern-lit streets meet world-class tailoring, extraordinary cuisine, and bicycle-friendly riverside life.

A dazzling vertical city where bamboo-scaffolded skyscrapers meet ancient temples, dim sum parlors, and one of the world's most spectacular harbors. East meets West at every turn.