Asia

The poignant beauty of the Taj Mahal has long inspired writers and artists in and beyond India. Rabindranath Tagore described it as ‘a teardrop on the cheek of eternity’, while Rudyard Kipling referred to it as ‘the embodiment of all things pure’. Built by Emperor Shah Jahan in adoration of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, this milky white marble mausoleum – inlaid with calligraphy, precious and semiprecious stones and intricate floral designs representing eternal paradise – is one of the world's most poetic parting tributes to love.

Spotting it from space is both tough and pointless: the only place you can truly put the Great Wall under your feet is in China. Select the Great Wall according to taste: perfectly chiselled, dilapidated, stripped of its bricks, overrun with saplings, coiling splendidly into the hills or returning to dust. The fortification is a fitting symbol of those perennial Chinese traits: diligence, mass manpower, ambitious vision and engineering skill (coupled with a distrust of the neighbours).

One of the world’s most magnificent sights, the temples of Angkor are so much better than the superlatives. Choose from Angkor Wat, the world’s largest religious building; Bayon, one of the world’s weirdest, with its immense stone faces; or Ta Prohm, where nature runs amok. Buzzing Siem Reap, with a superb selection of restaurants and bars, is the base for temple exploration. Beyond lie floating villages on the Tonlé Sap lake, adrenaline-fuelled activities like quad biking and ziplining, and such cultured pursuits as cooking classes and birdwatching.

Topping many people’s travel bucket list is a two-week-long trek to the base of the world’s highest, and most hyped, mountain. The actual views of Everest itself are partial at best but the surrounding Himalayan peaks are truly awesome, and the half-hour you spend watching the alpenglow ascend beautiful Pumori or Ama Dablam is worth all the altitude headaches you will doubtless suffer.

For centuries, the great civilizations of East and West were connected by the Silk Road, a fragile network of shifting intercontinental trade routes that treaded across Asia’s highest mountains and bleakest deserts. Starting from the former capital of China, Xī'ān, the route winds its way west passing through oases, across grassy steppes and over snowy peaks, finding its stride in Central Asia, whose cosmopolitan cities grew fabulously wealthy thanks to this trade. Travel by bus to really experience the route as ancient traders once did – mile by mile, town by town.

Halong Bay’s stunning combination of karst limestone peaks and sheltered, shimmering seas is one of Vietnam’s top tourist draws, but with more than 2000 different islands there’s plenty of superb scenery to go around. Definitely book an overnight cruise and make time for your own special moments on this World Heritage wonder – rising early for an ethereal misty dawn, or piloting a kayak into grottoes and lagoons. If you’re hankering for more karst action, move on to the less touristy but equally spectacular Lan Ha Bay.

With more than 1000 temples to choose from, you're spoiled for choice in Kyoto. Spend your time finding one that suits your taste. If you like things gaudy and grand, you'll love the splendour of Kinkaku-ji. If you prefer wabi-sabi to rococo, you'll find the tranquillity of Hōnen-in or Shōren-in more to your liking. And don't forget that temples are where you'll find the best gardens: some of them are at Ginkaku-ji, Ryōan-ji and Tōfuku-ji.

The idea of going to the Gobi for a vacation would probably have Marco Polo turning in his grave. The Venetian traveller, and others like him, dreaded crossing this harsh landscape. Thankfully, travel facilities have improved in the past 800 years, and it’s now possible to make a reasonably comfortable visit. There are two-humped camels to ride and dinosaur boneyards to explore. The real highlight is the scenic Khongoryn Els in Gurvan Saikhan National Park – towering sand dunes that whistle when raked by high winds.

Gleaming skyscrapers lined up between emerald hills and a deep-blue harbour with crisscrossing boats – Hong Kong's best-known imagery is of its stunning skyline. Buildings shimmer into view like a hologram from the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade in Kowloon, especially after sundown. Or get above the action by taking the hair-raising Peak Tram, Asia's first cable funicular (in operation since 1888), to the cooler climes of Victoria Peak for superlative views of the city and the mountainous countryside beyond. From this vantage, skyscrapers and apartment blocks recede into the distance, and as the sun sets, Victoria Harbour glitters like the Milky Way on a sci-fi movie poster, mysterious and full of promise, as the city’s lights come on.

Standing silent guard over their emperor for more than 2000 years, the terracotta warriors are one of the most extraordinary archaeological discoveries ever made. It’s not just that there are thousands of the life-sized figures lined up in battle formation; it’s the fact that no two of them are alike – each one is animated with a distinct expression. This is an army and one made up entirely of individuals. Gazing at these skilfully sculpted faces brings the past alive with a unique intensity.

Varanasi: arguably India's most revered sacred city, with pilgrims flocking here to worship, take a holy dip in the Ganges River, or cremate loved ones. Hindus believe the waters of the Ganges cleanse away sins, while dying here is deemed particularly propitious as it offers emancipation from the arduous life-and-death cycle. Varanasi will swiftly sweep you into its dizzying spiritual whirlwind – just take a deep breath and immerse yourself in pondering the meaning of life, death…and beyond.

If it's a month containing the letter 'r', go east; during the other months, go west. Simplicity itself. On Bali you have dozens of great breaks in each direction. This was the first place in Asia where surfing took off and, like the perfect set, it shows no signs of calming down. Surfers buzz around the island on motorbikes with board racks, looking for the next great break. Waves blown out? Another spot is just five minutes away. Don't miss classic surfer hangout Balian Beach.

Despite what your dodgy uncle may have told you, having a fun night out in Bangkok no longer needs to involve ping-pong balls or the word ‘go-go’. The nightlife scene in today’s Bangkok touches on all points from trashy to classy, with a distinct emphasis on unpretentious Thai-style fun. Start your night in a bar perched on a skyscraper, throw in a few roadside beers, and finish up at a basement-level club; in Bangkok, a night out is whatever you want it to be.

No other place in China teems with so much history, legend and good old-fashioned imperial intrigue. Not a city and no longer forbidden, Běijīng’s enormous Forbidden City is the be-all-and-end-all of dynastic grandeur with its vast halls and splendid gates. Further afield, take respite from the city in the gardens of the Summer Palace, where emperors once vacationed, or pray to the ancient gods in the Imperial halls of the Temple of Heaven, where Ming and Qing emperors made annual pilgrimages to intervene for a good harvest.

Cheeky orang-utans swinging metres above your head, a carefree sloth chomping inches away from your nose. It might sound like the depths of some primeval rainforest, but you're actually at Singapore Zoo. Arguably the world's top urban animal sanctuary, its lush 28 hectares ditch soul-crunching cages for open-concept enclosures and faithfully recreated habitats. The result: happy, free-roaming animals and happy humans with unobstructed views. As the sun sinks, neighbouring Night Safari cranks up the atmosphere with its own cast of oh-so-close creatures, from swooping Malayan flying foxes to sneaky alligators.

Taiwan's night markets are as numerous as they are varied. Fulfilling the need for both food and entertainment (to say nothing of socialising), the markets bring happy crowds almost every night of the week to gorge on a bewildering array of snacks and dishes. Check out the Miaokou Night Market in Keelung, in many ways the granddaddy of them all, for the quintessential experience of food and people-watching. The night market snacks in Tainan are copied everywhere but still best enjoyed on their home turf.

It’s known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). But this 4km-wide, 250km-long heavily mined and guarded buffer, splitting a hostile North from South Korea, is anything but. An enduring Cold War symbol, the border has become a surreal tourist draw. The tension is most palpable in the Joint Security Area (JSA), the neutral area built after the 1953 Armistice for the holding of peace talks, which can only be visited on an organised tour. Seven observation points along the DMZ in South Korea allow visitors to peer into the secretive North, while those on an organised tour to North Korea often see a strangely more relaxed version of the opposite vantage.

Hemmed in by the Mekong and Khan rivers, this timeless city of temples is a traveller’s dream: rich in royal history, saffron-clad monks, stunning river views, world-class French cuisine and the best boutique accommodation in Southeast Asia. Hire a bike and explore the tropical peninsula’s backstreets, take a cooking class or just ease back with a restful massage at one of the many affordable spas. Prepare to adjust your timetable and stay a little longer than planned.

From the deep, rugged mountain valleys of beautiful Badakhshan, the Soviet-built Pamir Highway climbs up on to the treeless Pamir plateau to the 'wild east' town of Murgab and on past the dramatic azure lake of Karakol in to Kyrgyzstan's stunning Alai Valley. En route you'll pass ancient tombs, hot springs, remote Kyrgyz yurt camps and some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Asia. It's one of the world's great mountain road trips. Tackle it in a rented Soviet 4WD or as a challenging bicycle ride.

At one point abandoned by locals and seemingly forgotten by tourists, in the last couple of years George Town has emerged to become one of Southeast Asia’s hottest destinations. The 2008 Unesco World Heritage declaration sparked a frenzy of cultural preservation, and the city’s charismatic shophouses have been turned into house museums, boutique hotels and chic restaurants. Aggressive drivers aside, it’s also one of the best cities in Southeast Asia to explore on foot. And did we mention that George Town is also home to some of Malaysia’s best food?

Taking the plunge? There are few better places to dive than the Gilis, encircled by coral reefs teeming with life and visited by pelagics such as cruising manta rays. Scuba diving is a huge draw – there are numerous professional schools and all kinds of courses on offer (from absolute beginner to nitrox specialist). With easy access from beach to reef, snorkelling is also superb, and you're very likely to see turtles. Want to take snorkelling to the next level? Try freediving, it's sweeping the Gilis.

Even from a distance Mt Fuji will take your breath away. Close up, the perfectly symmetrical cone of Japan's highest peak is nothing short of awesome. Dawn from the summit? Pure magic. Fuji-san is Japan's most revered and timeless attraction. Hundreds of thousands of people climb it every year, continuing a centuries-old tradition of pilgrimages up this sacred volcano. Those who'd rather search for picture-perfect views from the less daunting peaks nearby can follow in the steps of Japan's most famous painters and poets.

Hiking is Korea’s number-one leisure activity. There are thousands of trails, with everything from leisurely half-day walks, such as those along the Olle Trail or the heights of Seongsan Ilchul-bong on tropical Jeju Island, to strenuous mountain-ridge treks through the Korean alps, most passing through national or provincial parks. The country’s 20 national parks are beautiful in winter and summer, and snow on trees, and temple roofs provide wonderful photo ops.

Bhutan's most famous monastery, Taktshang Goemba is one of its most venerated religious sites. Legend says that Guru Rinpoche flew to this site on the back of a tigress to subdue a local demon; afterwards he meditated here for three months. This beautiful building clings to sheer cliffs soaring above a whispering pine forest. The steep walk to the monastery is well worthwhile, providing tantalising glimpses of the monastery, views of the Paro valley and splashes of red-blossom rhododendrons.

At the tip of the Krabi peninsula are some of Thailand's most famous natural features: the soaring limestone karsts of Railay, anchored in the ocean. The beaches are sugar white and the forested interior is traversed by foot traffic, not cars. No traffic jams, no transport hassles. Visitors come and go by long-tail boats. Come to lounge, swim, dive or rock climb. Beginners can learn basic skills, and some stay long enough to get good enough to do a free solo on a pinnacle then tumble harmlessly into a cobalt sea.