Asia attractions

Catch a wave, pose with an elephant, or walk on the ceiling at Kuala Lumpur’s Illusion 3D Art Museum, a fun destination for families or friends traveling together. Snap some amazing photos of yourself and your friends in front of realistic 3D paintings for some funny, surprising, scary, and even confusing effects.

Home to over 150 different species, Zoo Melaka and Night Safari is the city’s longest-established wildlife attraction and one of Malaysia’s largest zoos. It offers animal shows, food outlets, educational talks by keepers, and the chance to feed animals, as well as a night safari on weekend evenings.

The Baipai Thai Cooking School in Bangkok provides a unique approach to Thai cooking that differs from most other classes across Thailand. Using a hands-on teaching method, it offers a home-style learning environment and teaches dishes not usually covered by other cooking schools for tourists.

Song Xian Qiao Antique Market is the country's second-largest antiques market and an excellent place to shop for souvenirs. With more than 500 separate stalls selling exquisite watercolor paintings, fake Buddha statues, and everything in between, it’s a treasure trove for shoppers and people watchers alike.

A tribute to a famed Kadazan-Dusun warrior and headhunter named Monsopiad, the Monsopiad Cultural Village showcases heritage local lifestyles—including skulls allegedly belonging to Monsopiad’s enemies. Locals in authentic costumes go about traditional activities, from pounding rice to making rice wine, while visitors explore: Don’t miss one of the two daily dance performances.

A must-visit for travelers who appreciate the finer details in life, the Museum of Trade Ceramics presents a banquet of colorful pottery from around Asia. As well as stunning examples of ceramics from Japan and China, visitors can expect to admire pottery from Thailand, India, and the Philippines, some of which dates back to the eighth century.

Set along the coast southeast of Qingdao, the Badaguan Scenic Area (Eight Passes) is a historic neighborhood with a colonial past. More than 200 buildings and villas representing the architectural styles of more than 20 different countries can be found here, amid charming tree- and flower-lined streets and several beaches.

Wild Wild Wet, one of Singapore’s largest water parks, has everything you’d want and expect in a water-themed amusement park. The park’s dozen or so rides and attractions range from waterslides and a wave pool to kids areas and the relaxing Shiok River, where guests can float leisurely around the perimeter of the park.

Chaweng Beach (Hat Chaweng) is Koh Samui’s longest, and perhaps loveliest, beach. A clear blue-green sea, palm trees, coral reefs, and a lively nightlife scene come together to create a laid-back party vibe at Chaweng, the second-biggest resort hub on the island. Ideal for swimming and water sports, the 3-mile (5-kilometer) crescent of white sand is bookended by rocky headlands.

Perched in the highlands near Chiang Rai, the Choui Fong Tea Plantation has been producing some of Thailand’s highest quality teas for decades. Benefitting from the rich soil and climate of the region, the plantation grows a variety of teas that are handpicked and then blended by tea specialists from Taiwan.

Larger than you’d expect for an island Langkawi’s size, Underwater World Langkawi is a Pantai Cenang landmark thanks to its striking frontage. With freshwater and ocean aquariums, it’s home to everything from penguins and sea lions to lionfish, catfish, sharks, and turtles—and even a tropical rain forest aviary packed with birds.

Doraemon is one of the most distinctive and beloved of Japanese manga characters: a blue robot cat who time travels back from the 22nd century. He was created in 1969 by manga artist Fujimoto Hiroshi, who used the pen name Fujiko Fujio. The museum named after him is a Doraemon-lover’s dream destination, and a fun activity for other travelers, too.

Built in 1744, the Giac Lam Pagoda is one of the oldest temples in Ho Chi Minh City. A Buddhist structure designated as a historic site by the Vietnamese government, the site boasts an impressive sanctuary filled with gold figures and a fat laughing Buddha. The large gardens surrounding the pagoda also contain a sacred bodhi tree.

The China Aviation Museum (Datangshan Museum is the largest of its kind in Asia. This huge facility, located in an old air force base north of Beijing, displays hundreds of aircraft and missile launchers of various makes, including various Russian and Chinese crafts, two British Spitfires, and a US Starfighter.

This traditional Portuguese-style neighborhood is home to many of Panaji's historic buildings, including the São Tomé Chapel, the old post office, and myriad colonial houses with red tile roofs and colorful facades. Sao Tome is best explored on foot and is often visited in tandem with the neighboring Fontainhas area.

In death as in life, Manila’s rich Chinese like to live large, and the renowned Chinese Cemetery—lined with otherworldly mansions, some complete with air-conditioning and flush toilets—is a tribute to their wealth. Sprawling over 133 acres (54 hectares), it’s one of Manila’s quirkiest attractions: You can even rent a bike to get around.

Originally built during the Tang Dynasty, Huaisheng Mosque is believed to be the oldest surviving mosque in China. According to an ancient manuscript, it was built by a Muslim missionary, Abu Wangus, who was thought to be an uncle of the prophet Mohammed. The structure's 108-foot (32.9-meter) freestanding minaret is a local landmark.

Immerse yourself in the food and culture of Myanmar with a dinner and traditional dance performance at Karaweik Palace. Located on the eastern shore of Kandawgyi Lake facing Shwedagon Pagoda, this glittering restaurant was designed in the shape of a royal barge, and is a landmark in Yangon and popular tourist attraction.

In 1910, the Chinese revolutionary and future president Sun Yat-sen spent six months in Penang. The Sun Yat-Sen Museum Penang occupies the restored historic shophouse where he and his family lived and his political party met. Besides perusing displays about Sun’s activities in George Town, you can learn about historic George Town architecture here.

Colorful wooden rowboats, kids playing ping pong or swinging on the river bank, cyclists cruising along the lakeside, and gorgeous views of Fishtail Mountain are all sights you’ll find at Phewa Lake. This peaceful setting is highly popular with Nepali and foreign tourists alike. Sit at one of the restaurants and cafes at Lakeside, sipping sundowners and watching the pastel sky reflecting in the smooth waters of the lake.

There are over 18,000 islands in Indonesia by some counts, and Bali’s Taman Nusa cultural park pays tribute to the nation’s many different ethnic groups. Enjoy over 60 indigenous Indonesian houses and a scale model of Borobudur temple, plus traditional arts, crafts, dance, and music. Restaurants and a theater share the gorge-side setting.

Established in 1855 as the Madras Zoo and launched at its current location south of Chennai in 1985, the Arignar Anna Zoological Park is India’s first public zoo. Home to over 170 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects, the zoological park is also the largest in the country. It runs a rescue center that rehabilitates animals—including lions and tigers—freed from exploitation.

Built in the year 678, Kamigamo Shrine (aka Kamo-wakeikazuchi Shrine is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in the country. Although it predates Kyoto’s reign as capitol of Japan by over a century, it is believed to protect the city from negative influences. The shrine played host to four Emperors between the 8th and 18th centuries.

Abandoned in 1973, Bukit Brown Cemetery is Singapore’s oldest municipal cemetery—but modern life is encroaching on this eerie wilderness, and the site is set to be completely redeveloped by 2030. For now, you can still wander crumbling paths between overgrown tombs and spy the graves of famous locals who have yet to be moved.

Located on the grounds of a former training camp for hill tribe youth, the Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park houses an impressive collection of art and artifacts from the culturally distinct Lanna Kingdom, including many murals and teak pieces. It’s surrounded by a beautiful expanse of parkland full of indigenous plants.

Built in 1984 on the site of a former imperial palace, Beijing’s Chaoyang Park is the largest park in the city at 714 acres (289 hectares). Visitors enjoy relaxing or boating at Lotus Lake, exploring the artworks and fountains on display, treating the kids to amusement park rides, taking a bike ride, or playing basketball.

A giant MIRI sign and a vintage oil rig known as The Grand Old Lady dominate Canada Hill, a low limestone ridge overlooking Miri. Alongside them stands the Petroleum Museum, which pays tribute to Malaysia’s oil and gas industries: The Grand Old Lady, Malaysia’s first oil well, struck in 1910, led to the foundation of MIRI.

Surround yourself with your favorite comic, anime, movie, and superhero action figures from Japan, Korea, and the United States at the Figure Museum W in Seoul. Located in Gangnam, the 6-story museum houses an extensive private collection of some of the most popular—and some of the rarest—action figures and collectibles in the world.

Running from Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Square to Nampo Station, Nampo-dong is Busan’s hotspot for street food and world-class shopping. Visitors will find the best of both on pedestrian-friendly Gwangbok-ro Fashion Street. Add to this the curious side alleys and nearby attractions like Yongdusan Park, and there’s something to stimulate anyone’s interest in this energetic neighborhood.

Valluvar Kottam was constructed in 1976 as a shrine in memory of poet Thiruvalluvar, author of Thirukkural, a collection of more than a thousand rhyming Tamil couplets that expound simplicity of life and set a moral code for his followers. Thiruvalluvar lived and wrote during the first century BC in what is now Chennai.