All Destinations

A tear-shaped island of 437 square kilometres in the Pacific-facing eastern Philippines — voted Conde Nast Traveler's best island in Asia in 2019 and the world's best in 2022. Cloud 9 is the country's most famous wave, a hollow right-hand reef break that fires September-November when Pacific swells line up; non-surfers come for Sugba Lagoon's jade-green saltwater swim, the Magpupungko low-tide rock pools, the Three Islands boat day-trip (Naked, Daku, Guyam), the stingless jellyfish at Tojoman Lagoon, and tens of thousands of coconut palms covering most of the island. Super Typhoon Odette flattened most resorts in December 2021 and reconstruction continued through 2024; tourism infrastructure is now mostly rebuilt and often more typhoon-resistant. General Luna ("GL") is the main hub.

Gateway to the magnificent Angkor Wat temple complex, Siem Reap is more than just temples. Pub Street nightlife, floating villages on Tonlé Sap lake, Cambodian cooking classes, and circus performances make it a destination in its own right.

Sigiriya — Lion Rock — is a 200-metre granite monolith rising out of the central Sri Lankan jungle, with the ruined 5th-century palace of King Kashyapa I built across its summit. UNESCO inscribed it in 1982. The climb up takes 60–90 minutes via the giant lion's-paw stone gateway, the spiral staircase past the 1,500-year-old fresco maidens, and the polished mirror wall covered in graffiti from the 8th–10th centuries. The water gardens at the base are among the oldest landscaped gardens in Asia. The neighbouring Pidurangala Rock gives the best view of Sigiriya itself and is a far cheaper climb.

Singapore packs an extraordinary amount into a tiny island — futuristic supertrees next to colonial shophouses, Michelin-starred hawker stalls alongside luxury hotels. It's spotlessly clean, incredibly efficient, and home to one of the world's best food scenes. A melting pot of Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Western cultures.

Baltistan's Indus-valley capital at 2,228m, ringed by 6,000m Karakoram walls and the launching ramp for K2, Concordia, and the Deosai Plains. The bazaar runs along Yadgar Chowk with cantilever wooden balconies and Balti tea houses; Shigar Fort restored by the Aga Khan Trust sits 30 km north on the Shigar River; Lower Kachura (Shangrila Resort) glints emerald against grey scree; and the road south climbs to Deosai National Park, the world's second-highest plateau at 4,114m. Tibetan-rooted Balti culture, Shia hospitality, and the calmest corner of northern Pakistan.

A Pacific east-coast city wedged between the East Sea and Seoraksan, the most photographed mountain range in Korea — Daecheongbong tops out at 1,708 metres, the granite Ulsanbawi formation rises in six fused peaks above the cable car terminus, and Biryongpokpo waterfall threads through the inner park. The town itself runs along Sokcho Beach, the morning fish market at Daepo Port handles the live-octopus and red-snow-crab trade, and the old Russian-Korean Abai Village quarter at the harbour mouth is the only neighbourhood of its kind in Korea. Two and a half hours by express bus from Seoul.

Taiwan's largest lake, an 8-square-kilometre alpine bowl at 748 metres in the Nantou highlands, named for its split shape — a sun-round eastern half and a crescent western half divided by Lalu Island. Wenwu Temple looks down on the north shore, the Ci'en Pagoda crowns Mount Shabalan, and a 29-kilometre cycle path rated by CNN as one of the world's most beautiful loops the entire shoreline. Reachable in about four hours from Taipei via the High Speed Rail to Taichung plus a Nantou Bus connection.

Indonesia's second-largest city and East Java's industrial capital, a 3-million-strong port at the mouth of the Mas River that most travellers treat as a launchpad for Mount Bromo and Ijen Crater rather than a stop in itself. The Tugu Pahlawan (Heroes Monument) commemorates the 10 November 1945 Battle of Surabaya, the first major engagement of Indonesia's independence war, and Arab Quarter alleys behind Sunan Ampel mosque feel transplanted from Hadhramaut. Madura Bridge — Indonesia's longest at 5.4km — links the city to Madura island and its sapi sono cattle races. East Javanese rawon, lontong balap and rujak cingur define the food scene.

The 'Venice of the East' is just 30 minutes from Shanghai by high-speed train — a 2,500-year-old canal city that Marco Polo called 'the great and noble city' in 1276. Nine of Suzhou's classical gardens are inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage list — the densest concentration anywhere on the planet, including the headlining Humble Administrator's Garden, Lingering Garden, Lion Grove, and Master of the Nets. The Pingjiang Road historic quarter preserves 800 years of Song-dynasty street planning along its parallel canal; the I.M. Pei-designed Suzhou Museum is an architectural pilgrimage. Add the historic capital of Chinese silk and Su xiu embroidery, the Tang-dynasty Hanshan Temple, and easy day trips to Tongli and Zhouzhuang water towns, and Suzhou is the deepest cultural day trip from Shanghai — and worth at least one overnight to see the gardens at dawn.

Taiwan's oldest city, founded by the Dutch East India Company in 1624 and the island's capital for two centuries before Taipei was built. Locals say there are more temples per capita here than anywhere else in Asia — over 1,600 inside the city limits — and the food canon (danzai noodles, milkfish congee, coffin bread, beef soup) was largely invented within a few blocks of the old Anping Harbour. An hour and a half south of Taipei by High Speed Rail; quieter, slower, and unmistakably more historic than anywhere else on the island.

Taipei is Asia's most underrated capital — legendary night markets (Shilin, Raohe), world-class museums (National Palace Museum), stunning mountain hikes (Elephant Mountain, Yangmingshan), and some of the friendliest locals you'll meet anywhere. The MRT is spotless and efficient, bubble tea was invented here, and the food scene is extraordinary.

A 19-kilometre marble canyon on Taiwan's east coast where the Liwu River has cut through 1,000-metre cliffs of polished white and grey marble. Eternal Spring Shrine clings to a waterfall, the Tunnel of Nine Turns weaves through the narrowest neck of the gorge, and the Swallow Grotto wall is pocked with caves carved by river spray. The 2024 magnitude 7.4 earthquake closed the central highway and most signature trails, so check current trail status before going.

Uzbekistan's modern capital is a gateway to the Silk Road, with Soviet-era metro stations that rival Moscow's, bustling Chorsu Bazaar, and increasingly excellent restaurants. The high-speed Afrosiyob train connects to Samarkand in just 2 hours.

Georgia's captivating capital tumbles down hillsides along the Mtkvari River with colorful leaning houses, sulfur baths, ancient churches, and one of the world's oldest wine traditions.

Tokyo is a city of striking contrasts where ultramodern skyscrapers stand alongside ancient temples. The world's largest metropolitan area pulses with energy across its distinct neighborhoods — from the neon-lit streets of Shinjuku and Shibuya to the serene gardens of the Imperial Palace. Expect world-class food at every price point, efficient transit that runs like clockwork, and a culture that seamlessly weaves tradition into daily life.

Bali's cultural and spiritual heart, set 200 m up in the foothills above Denpasar — the rice-terrace, monkey-forest, yoga-shala alternative to the surf-and-club Bali of Seminyak and Canggu. The Sacred Monkey Forest sits in the middle of town with 1,200 long-tailed macaques; Tegallalang's terraces are 9 km north; The Yoga Barn runs 15 daily classes; and a hundred warungs serve nasi campur for IDR 25,000. Eat Pray Love did the marketing in 2010, and the digital-nomad wave hasn't really left.

Rajasthan's "City of Lakes" is India at its most romantic — white-marble palaces ring Lake Pichola, with the Taj Lake Palace floating on its own island. Founded 1559 by Mewar king Maharana Udai Singh II. The City Palace is Rajasthan's largest, Bagore-ki-Haveli puts on a nightly folk-dance show, and the Monsoon Palace crowns the sunset hill. James Bond Octopussy filmed here. Day trip to Kumbhalgarh Fort (UNESCO, second-longest wall after China). Cleaner air and saner traffic than Delhi or Agra.

The world's coldest capital city (winter lows −40°C) holds roughly 45% of Mongolia's population on the steppe between Russia and China. Gandan Monastery with its 26m Buddha, Sükhbaatar Square, the Chinggis Khaan Equestrian Statue (40m stainless steel) an hour east, and Gorkhi-Terelj National Park 2 hours northeast for ger camps and Turtle Rock. Naadam Festival (July 11–13) is the peak cultural window — wrestling, horse racing, archery. Gateway to the Gobi Desert by train or flight. Best June–September.

Laotian karst valley town on the Nam Song River that outlived its deadly tubing era — the 2012 crackdown reset it as an adventure hub. Dawn ballooning over the limestone, Blue Lagoon caves, rock climbing, kayaking. The 2021 Laos-China Railway cut Vientiane and Luang Prabang to 1 hour each.

One of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, Varanasi is the spiritual heart of Hinduism. The ghats along the Ganges, evening aarti ceremonies, and silk weaving tradition create an unforgettable experience.

Southeast Asia's most laid-back capital, Vientiane is a charming Mekong River city of golden stupas, French bakeries, and sunset cocktails along the riverside promenade. The golden Pha That Luang stupa is the national symbol and the Buddha Park is delightfully eccentric.

A UNESCO-listed Spanish colonial city on the Ilocos Sur coast of northwest Luzon, founded in 1572 and the best-preserved example of a planned colonial settlement in Asia. Calle Crisologo is the cobblestone showpiece — a strip of two-storey ancestral mestizo houses where horse-drawn calesas still clatter over the stones at sunset. Beyond Crisologo: the Bantay Bell Tower, the St Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, the Ilocano food canon of longanisa sausage and empanada, and the burnay clay-jar workshops. An hour by flight from Manila to Laoag, then 90 minutes by van south, or 8 hours direct by overnight bus.

China's ancient capital at the eastern end of the Silk Road — the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang (8,000+ soldiers, discovered 1974) is humanity's greatest archaeological find of the 20th century. The Ming Dynasty City Walls (1370) form a 13.7km complete circuit you can cycle atop. Xi'an's Muslim Quarter has maintained a 1,300-year-old Hui community whose street food — roujiamo (Chinese burger), biangbiang noodles — is among China's best.

Myanmar's largest city dazzles with the golden Shwedagon Pagoda, faded colonial grandeur, vibrant street food, and a pace of life that feels decades removed from neighboring capitals.