Where to go in Asia

From ancient temples and samurai castles to the neon-lit streets of trendy Tokyo, Japan is a country of startling contrasts where millennia-old traditions meet futuristic living. Dive into a world where tea ceremonies, cherry blossoms, and traditional ryokans coexist with bullet trains, robotics, and avant-garde fashion. From the snowy peaks of Hokkaido to the tropical beaches of Okinawa, Japan offers an experience that is rich in history, scenery and culinary delights.

Long, thin and incredibly geographically diverse, there are few countries in the world that compete with Vietnam when it comes to versatility. Complex yet charming, laidback yet feisty, staggeringly beautiful yet poignantly historical, the country has an expert way of matching exactly what you’re looking for, without you really knowing it. From teeming markets and buzzing trading quarters to neon-lit cities and hundreds upon hundreds of mopeds, a holiday may be fast-paced and action-packed; but then there’s the whitewashed sands, ethereal bays, graceful architecture, and wonderfully laidback people... Accommodation can range from stylish city abodes to palatial retreats with whisper-quiet spas – and a traditional junk or rice barge thrown in too – and honeymooners, families and travellers all have the world at their feet. Then there’s the multitude of cultures and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the tranquil backwaters of the Delta, the hilltop tribes, and the food. Oh, the food. Entwined firmly in Vietnamese life, it’s some of the freshest and most fragrant on the planet, be it a bowl of steaming pho in the market, or your own rice-paper rolls after a cookery lesson…

They say variety is the spice of life and if that’s the case, Thailand can have first prize. Generous, invigorating, warm and full of flavour (just like its food), the iconic South East Asian nation is as surprising as is expected and as diverse as it is familiar. There are buzzing, beeping cities, rural farmlands and historic kingdoms; places to escape the world and places to discover a whole new world; places to adventure and explore, and places to chill-the-heck-out on a four-poster sun-lounger where the sand meets the sea. Religion, of course, is never far away and golden Buddha and shiny temples sit around almost every corner, serenely watching over the land. Then, there are the eateries. Food is what makes Thailand tick and the island is a microcosm of flavours, from deep fried crab dumplings at a roadside stall to sheer culinary magic in restaurants made for romance. Really what we’re trying to tell you is that Thailand has something for everyone and even when you think you know it, there’s always something unexpected to tempt you back…

Sitting pretty on the southern coast of India, and often described as ‘India light’, the emerald isle of Sri Lanka is the perfect segue between Southeast and South Asia. It’s laidback, utterly beautiful and lately, the whisper on every travel guru’s lips - and definitely ours! So, why add a trip to the mango-shaped idyll to your list? Firstly, it packs quite a punch into its diminutive size and there’s a taste of the continent’s vibrancy around every corner, from ancient, cultural heartlands to exotic forts and mist-covered mountains, to rolling, tea plantations. Secondly, it’s quite the wildlife destination. With the chance to swim alongside blue whales in the ocean, and spot leopards and trunk-swinging elephants on land, it certainly rivals big brother India in the animal stakes – and you won’t be sharing your Jungle-book moments with quite as many others. Lastly, we can’t not mention the weather and with its dreamy, equatorial location, the sun is always shining somewhere. Sri Lanka, we salute you.

There’s not a lot we can say to sum up the Maldives without sounding like another travel brochure, but put it this way – everything you’ve seen, read and heard is absolutely and completely true. Perfect circles of blonde, velvet beaches are lapped by water the colour of lapis; megawatt hotels range from marooned-island dreaminess to mind-boggling ritz, glitz and glamour; and no matter where you look, there’s a hammock to sway in and a cocktail to sip. So far, so beachy – but what else is there to know about this Indian Ocean utopia? In total, there are almost 1,200 islands in 26 atolls, scattered around 35,000 square miles of prime ocean real estate. They range in size from tiny dots of swirling sand to larger, palm-fringed masses, and every one of them is uniformly brilliant. Accommodation-wise, you’ve got around 100 hotels and resorts to choose from, each occupying their own private islands (did someone say James Bond?) and accessed by sea plane or helicopter. The words ‘holiday of a lifetime’ seem to fit the bill rather nicely…

The most vibrant country on Earth inspires wanderlust like you’ve never known it. From the snow-laden peaks of the Himalayas in the north, to the pearly Goan beaches in the south, there’s a blockbuster of things to see and do, smell and experience, love and explore. For many, the first tentative dip into the vast country is Rajasthan where tiger-filled jungles and glorious architecture combine brilliantly with the Taj Mahal. A little further south, the lure of sultry Kerala and the iconic backwaters is hard to ignore, as is the chilled (in more ways than one!) mountain air of the Western Ghats. In the east, you’ll find ancient civilisations, temples and a culture that will make history buffs go weak at the knees – but we still haven’t mentioned the uber-trendy cities, scrumptious things to eat and cool-as-a-cucumber ashrams. Sound incredible, awe-inspiring and like somewhere you’d like to go? It is…

Mysterious, mystical and probably the closest you’ll ever get to Shangri-La (and inner peace), the Kingdom of Bhutan enchants all who are lucky enough to cross its vertiginous borders. Nestled between Tibet and India, landlocked by sky-skimming Himalayan peaks and closed to foreign travellers until 1974, it’s been easy for the country to safeguard its culture from outside eyes – and what a culture it is. This is a land where Buddhist traditions reign supreme and ruby-robed monks chant dawn choruses alongside iconic prayer flags; where archery is a national sport, and where flamboyant festivals and mask-dancing are a way of life. Add to this the tiered, mist-wreathed rice paddies, precipitous, magnificent dzongs, and heart-palpitating journeys along mountain passes and luscious valleys - and you’ve got yourself a unique holiday that you probably didn’t know existed. And really, who can fail to fall in love with a country that measures itself through Gross National Happiness?

Surrounded by the big, bold superstars of Southeast Asia, little Laos definitely sails under the radar – and we get the feeling she’s quite content with that. The landlocked country is laid-back in the truest sense of the word: life plays out slowly in meandering countryside scenes, exploration is gentle and captivating, and you’ll feel infinitely more serene as the days go by. But before you start to think life is dull, let us set you straight. This is a destination that is all about the great outdoors and a mist-blanketed rainforest or karst-spotted plain is never far away. Hand in hand with these drop-dead gorgeous landscapes is, of course, adventure, but you don’t have to have an appetite for knuckle-gripping escapades. We’re talking cycling trips around mystical, minority villages followed by dinner with the headman and his family; island-hopping in the Mekong; picking tea leaves in the morning and clambering through historic caves in the afternoon; swimming in ice-blue waterfalls; and exploring buzzy markets and golden temples. As you may imagine from a country where Buddhist temples and French patisseries sit side by side, Laos is a feast for the senses in every way; but there’s also a sense a calm, of unhurried passion, and blended, vibrant cultures that only those who make the journey will ever truly understand…

Nepal might be small compared to its neighbours, but it’s anything but a dot on the map. A vertical country where you can go from 60 metres above sea level to 8,848 metres without ever leaving the same time zone, it’s also built a little like a layer cake: steamy Tarai plains, forested mid-hills, and then the full-on icy peaks of the Himalayas rising in that photogenic way they do along the northern edge. And it’s not just the scenery that’s as diverse as a well-stocked spice rack. A Nepal trip can be everything and anything you want it to be, from temple-hopping in the royal cities of the Kathmandu Valley to lazy days in lakeside Pokhara, all combined with a little wildlife-watching in the lowland wilderness of Chitwan. And then comes the piece de résistance: the walking. Everest and Annapurna are the big names, but the real joy is choosing how you discover these magical mountains, from comfort-led, shorter routes and epic viewpoints, to quieter regions like Langtang or Manaslu where the trails feel more local, the culture more Tibetan-influenced, and the days are shaped by tea stops and Buddhist rituals.

Indonesia is a sprawling archipelago – 17,000 islands kind of sprawling – that defies expectations at every turn. Each jade-green drop in the sapphire seas of the Indian Ocean offers a varying degree of Edenic bliss, from Bali's famed, soft sand beaches to Java and its eight UNESO World Heritage Sites and intricate temples, and the wildness and deep-rooted traditions in remote Sumba. Wildlife is juicy and unique with Komodo dragons and orangutans the mere tip of the iceberg, and the opportunity for adventure is ever-present – think outstanding hiking on thumping volcanoes, snorkelling and scuba diving with larger-than-life manta rays, and exploring waterfall-dotted rainforests and rice paddies. Wherever you choose, the kaleidoscopic haze of blues and greens will enchant you, flawlessly blending tranquillity and plenty of R&R with a dose of the spiritual and a whole lot of fun.

South East Asia has always been a beguiling place, and if cultural immersion, evocative, heady landscapes, and a good dose of light adventure sounds up your holiday alley, let us spill the beans on Cambodia… An overwhelmingly rural country outside the (surprisingly) forward-thinking capital, Phnom Penh, life plays out on verdant rice fields and on the banks of sparkling rivers. In the highlands, virgin forest hides endangered animals; at its feet are a smattering of untouched beaches and islands; and then, of course, there are the fabled temples of Angkor Wat, one of the most recognised sites in the world and a focal point of many a Cambodia itinerary. Historically, the country hasn’t had the easiest ride, from French colonial rule to the terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge. But despite their hardships, the spirit and charm of Cambodia’s people is incomparable and all part of the draw to this warm and welcoming country. Our conclusion? Tourism is certainly in its infancy, but those who make the journey to Cambodia are infinitely rewarded; here, every road is an adventure and magic is never far away.

Once a historic spice port at the crossroads of Asia, the Singapore of today is a gleaming, futuristic city of sci-fi skylines and robot waiters – with some incense-filled temples and heritage shophouses thrown in for good measure. Down at Marina Bay, lotus-petalled museums and gravity-defying bridges glow against the water, while the Supertrees of Gardens by the Bay stage that iconic nightly light show. But the real soul of the Lion City is on the ground. Follow your nose to the hawker centres where woks crackle, satay smokes and aunties size you up before dishing out laksa, dollops of Hainanese chicken rice and chilli crab. During the day, ride the spotless MRT train and temple-hop in Chinatown, breathe in the spices in Little India and wander past the pretty, pastel Peranakan shophouses. And how will it make you feel? Comfortably out of your depth in the best way. This is a city that is safe enough to wander at midnight, wired on sugar cane juice and curiosity, and giddy on the sheer ease of it all – with something delicious around every corner...