Asian Tourism – Cinderella
A city, town, or other area that is significantly dependent on revenues from tourism, or “a country, state, region, city, or town which is marketed or markets itself as a place for tourists to visit”. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some “tourist traps”.
Asian Tourist Places
Asia is the largest continent by both size and population–a diverse, multicultural melting pot of some of the oldest civilizations on earth. There’s so much to see and do in Asia, it’s hard to narrow it down to a shortlist–it could take you months to truly explore just one country.
For those on a tighter schedule or budget, the secret to discovering the best places to travel in Asia is to see a bit of everything–from the skyscrapers of Hong Kong to the majestic slopes of Mount Fuji and the architectural marvel of places like Angkor Wat in Cambodia.
Regardless of what you truly want to experience in your travels through Asia, there’s surely a spot somewhere to fill that need. To help you plan the trip of a lifetime, take a look at our list of the best places to visit in Asia.
Although Mount Fuji is an active stratovolcano, it hasn’t erupted since 1708. The stunning snowcapped mountain is one of Japan’s “Three Holy Mountains,” which are traditionally considered to hold a particular power–Mount Fuji has volcanic power. While many visitors come here to just photograph this World Heritage List Cultural Site and well-known symbol of Japan, others arrive for the climbing opportunities. Until the late 19th century, women were not allowed to make their way to the summit (which is still considered a sacred site), so visitors of all ethnicities, genders, and ages now arrive to make up for lost time.
There are four possible routes to reach the top of the mountain, and all offer a number of stops along the way in the form of shrines, historical monuments, and even teahouses. You may also want to plan your visit to Japan around the spring cherry blossoms, another popular tourist attraction.
The dark blue waters of the Dead Sea touch the borders of both Jordan and Israel. Actually a lake despite its name, the Dead Sea sits at the lowest land elevation on Earth–over 430 meters below sea level. With a salt concentration of around 31 percent–almost 10 times saltier than the ocean –the Dead Sea is so thick, nothing can sink into it, and everyone who walks into it will naturally float. While the lake is too salty to support aquatic life, there are plenty of animals that call the surrounding desert home–and hikers will run into anything from hares to foxes and leopards when exploring the nature reserves around the Dead Sea.
While the coastline around the lake has become a flourishing spa and resort destination, there is also a large influx of religious tourism in the area. Jericho, the city where Jesus is said to have healed blind beggars, is located just minutes northwest of the Dead Sea–and a number of other cities, including the legendary Sodom and Gomorra, as well as Zoar and Admah, are also located in this area. The area boasts some of the oldest inhabited cities in the world.
Thailand’s biggest island is also a magnet for visitors–and for good reason. Phuket boasts some of the best beaches in the country, with clean, soft, rolling sands and turquoise waters as far as the eye can see. Kata, Hat Karon, and Kamala beaches see a lot of tourists during the high season (November to February) but remain sleepy little villages once the rains arrive. Beautiful coral reefs line up the coastline, offering amazing opportunities for snorkeling and diving but also sea kayaking and island hopping. In between hours of lying under the sun, visitors can head to the white and gold Wat Chalong, the largest and most important Buddhist temple on the island, or climb up a hill to reach the Big Buddha–a 45-meter-tall statue covered with Burmese marble.
The island is also home to a number of unique festivals. The Ghost Festival during the 7th Chinese lunar month is dedicated to ancestor worship, and it entails releasing lanterns into the ocean to help guide lost souls–a sight to behold. The Vegetarian Festival during the 9th Chinese lunar month is another stunning celebration–which, despite the name, is not so much about food but about purification and putting the body through extreme tests, such as fire walking and hanging from hooks.
One of the most populous cities in the world, Beijing is also one of the oldest. You can get a peek into that history by walking the hutongs of Beijing, the narrow alleyways lined up with traditional homes and courtyards. China’s capital is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Imperial Summer Palace and its gardens, the oldest canal in the world, and the Forbidden City–a palace complex that served as the home of China’s emperors for 500 years starting in the 1420s. The Forbidden City–made up of almost 1,000 different buildings–is one of Beijing’s most impressive tourist attractions.The city also offers visitors many unique-looking pagodas and temples, including the 12th-century, eight-sided Tianning Temple, as well as almost 150 museums and galleries.
The Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution and the National Art Museum of China have massive collections and are well worth a visit. Several sections of the Great Wall can also be found within Beijing, including the wall’s most visited site, the 80-kilometer-long Badaling section.
Over 7.4 million people from all over the world occupy the small 1,104-square-kilometer island of Hong Kong, making it the third most densely populated place in the world. Despite having one of the world’s highest per capita incomes, income inequality has become one of Hong Kong’s main issues, and lower-income families often live in crowded tenement buildings. The buildings themselves have become tourist attractions, as many are historic structures dating back over a century. Hong Kong is home to a Disneyland park, as well as Ocean Park, an amusement park with rollercoasters, thrill, and water rides.
Hong Kong also has the largest number of skyscrapers in the world at 355–an impressive 75 more than the city in second place, New York. A good number of these are located around Victoria Harbor, a popular tourist area with one of the most stunning coastal skylines in Asia. For the best views, visitors can climb to the top of Victoria Peak, HK’s highest hill and home to a leisure and shopping complex with an enclosed viewing terrace looking over the city below.
Singapore only gained full independence from the UK and became a sovereign state in 1965, but this brand-new country is now a financial powerhouse and one of the most fun countries to visit in Southeast Asia. Because of its size and location, Singapore doesn’t have a lot of beaches–unless you count the three beaches on Sentosa Island resort, small but with soft white sands and protected lagoons with clean blue waters–but it makes up for it with themed attractions, lush rain forests, and lively coastal fun. From its own Universal Studios park and a 50-meter bungee jump from a tower over the beach to the Marina Bay Sands resort and its rooftop, which includes an infinity pool and a skybridge, Singapore has quickly established itself as a thrilling destination.
But this island-state also has plenty to offer in the form of greener entertainment, starting with the magical Gardens by the Bay, a 100-hectare nature park with the largest glass greenhouse in the world, two cooled conservatories, and plenty of artistically designed trees and flower areas. Singapore’s nature-themed Jewel Changi Airport has been recognized as one of the best in the world–it features not only the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, but also an indoor suspension bridge 23 meters up in the air, four slides, and a butterfly garden.
New Delhi and Mumbai might be India’s best-known cities, but Jaipur takes home the “most beautiful” prize. Known as the “pink city” because of the unique color of the stone used to build many of the structures around, Jaipur is also home to a community of artisans. Here, craftsmen produce everything from block printing and blue pottery to shellac work; stone carvings; and Bandhani, the unique art of decorating tie-dye textile by plucking sections of it with the fingernails. Many of the most breathtaking attractions in Jaipur are architectural marvels, including the stunning Jal Mahal palace, which sits in the center of the Man Sagar Lake.
Many other monuments and pink structures are located within 10 kilometers of the city, including the ancient temple complex Galtaji, built right into narrow hills and surrounded by sacred kunds (small water pools). The world’s largest stone sundial at Jantar Mantar and the 10th-century red sandstone and marble Amer Fort are also just outside the city and attract many visitors.
Nepal’s capital and largest city is also known as the “City of Temples.” A melting pot of Hindu and Buddhist religious influences, Kathmandu is full of stupas–including Nepal’s holiest Buddhist site, Boudhanath, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Swayambhu, home to holy monkeys and one of the oldest temples in Nepal. Both those looking for a religious experience and camera-toting tourists can find much to appreciate in a city where spirituality touches almost everything. Sitting at an elevation of over 1,400 meters above sea level, Kathmandu is a popular gateway to the Himalayas and to nearby destinations like the Ancient City of Patan.
Climbers from all over the world arrive here to set off on their 15-day-long Everest Base Camp trek, but overnight trips around the city are also popular to catch sight of the Himalayas in all their splendor. Even those without a love for adventure can find much to see and do in the capital–from impressive markets to historic monuments to plenty of colorful festivals throughout the year.
Bhutan is a landlocked country surrounded by the Himalayas, Tibet, and parts of India. A nation of steep mountains, green valleys, and swift rivers, Bhutan is home to 7,570-meter-tall Gangkhar Puensum, the world’s highest unclimbed mountain. Some of the most beautiful sights in the country are high up, perched on cliffs–Tiger’s Nest Monastery is a good example, set over 3,000 meters up in the mountains and only reachable after a grueling hike. In an effort to protect the biodiversity and historical heritage of the country, free travel throughout the country isn’t allowed. This means all foreign visitors arriving in Bhutan must travel on a pre-paid package tour organized through an approved operator.
While some agencies will offer pre-arranged stops, others will work with you to help you see what you’re really interested in–places worth a visit include the fortress and Buddhist monastery ruins of Drukgyal Dzong, the Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary (home to the rare black-necked cranes), and a number of dzongs or religious fortresses.
An ancient city and one of the top heritage sites in the world, Bagan was once the capital of a powerful kingdom. Today, Bagan and Angkor are the two most important ancient religious sites in Asia, receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. The Bagan Archeological Zone extends over a 41-square-kilometer area and is home to more than 3,000 pagodas, stupas, and other religious structures tucked away amid dense forests. Exploring the temples and ruins is a big endeavor and can be done on foot (small sections at a time) or on a rented bike. Shwe Gu Gyi is one of the few temples that can be climbed and offers some of the best views–perfect for photo backgrounds. Otherwise, Nyaung Laphat hill and Sulamani hill are a must-visit to watch the sunrise and sunset over the temples.
To see Bagan in all its glory, however, you can’t beat taking a hot air balloon ride over the temples. Outside the Archeological Zone, Bagan is famous for its lacquer and sand paintings, both of which you can find at local markets in most villages. Bagan town also has a busy night market and a traditional Burmese market (Mani-Sithu Market), and you can catch a boat tour or a cruise from the town’s central jetty. Thatbyinnyu Pahto temple–the tallest in Bagan at over 200 feet–is another must-visit, and so is Gubyaukgyi or the Great Painted Cave Temple with its 12th-century frescoes.
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