Asia attractions

Stretching along the waterfront in Kuah, Lagenda Park (Taman Lagenda) offers green gardens, tranquil pools, shady pathways, and mangroves, but sculptures are the highlight. Seventeen colorful structures immortalize different Langkawi legends, from friendly giants to Mahsuri, who cursed the island for generations.

Hanwha Aqua Planet on Jeju Island is a state-of-the-art aquarium that boasts marine life from each of the world’s five oceans. The aquarium is home to more than 48,000 creatures (from 500 different species) and also boasts a 3D theater and daily educational talks and shows.

Get up close to an active stratovolcano with an unstable lava dome at Mt. Tarumae (Tarumae-zan), located on the shores of Lake Shikotsu inside Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The trail up Mt. Tarumae is one of the most spectacular and accessible hikes on Hokkaido and offers dramatic, otherworldly scenery and stunning panoramic views.

The epicenter of Harbin’s annual ice and snow festival, Harbin Ice and Snow World is China’s ultimate winter wonderland. This vast outdoor playground features ice slides, ice pagodas, ice bars, ice bicycles, live performances, ski slopes, and more. Up to 1,000 installations illuminated in colored lights deliver an icy razzle-dazzle that’s built afresh on a new theme each year.

Set in the lush jungles of Malaysia, the award-winning Bukit Gambang Water Park is the largest and most spectacular water park in the country. Spanning 45.8 acres (18.5 hectares), the park offers plenty of opportunities for water play in the form of slides, wave pools, play pools, leisure pools, lazy rivers, and beaches.

One of Hangzhou’s most noteworthy landmarks, the Qiantang River Bridge is both an architectural and a historical highlight. The first modern steel bridge to be designed and constructed by Chinese engineers, the landmark has stood for upwards of 80 years. Today, the double-decker bridge serves pedestrians, trains, and vehicles.

Soaking in an onsen—a bathhouse fed by natural hot springs—is an unmissable experience while in Japan. Travelers to the Lake Yamanaka area near Mt. Fuji should check out the Beni Fuji no Yu Onsen. In the winter there are beautiful views of the mountain, and it’s a great place to revive tired muscles after a hike in the warmer months. The onsen is a cultural experience no matter the season.

Chobhar is a small town on the southwestern edge of the Kathmandu Valley, inhabited mainly by ethnic Newari people. Although it’s only about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from Kathmandu, it feels much like a rural village. The main reason to visit Chobhar is to experience rura Nepalil life, and as a biking destination.

As the name would suggest, Melaka Bird Park is a gigantic aviary, home to a wealth of free-flying tropical birds representing more than 20 species, including peacocks and parrots. It’s possible to buy tubs of seed to feed the birds and to observe them from a canopy skywalk, and the park also has dining options and a souvenir shop.

An unremarkable village outside Ubud, Petulu hosts a daily phenomenon that’s a must for bird-watchers and sunset lovers alike: thousands upon thousands of herons and egrets returning from the rice fields and roosting in the trees like so many cotton wool fruit. They’ve been coming since 1965, and nobody knows why.

Home to more than 100 optical illusions, Trick Eye Museum Busan offers opportunities to take a collection of mind-bending selfies and photographs. Interact with all of the 3D-appearing artworks alongside staff who are on hand to ensure your entire group is featured in the photographs.

Located inside Taroko National Park, Zhuilu Old Trail is one of the most spectacular hikes in Taiwan. Plan ahead if you want to hike this popular trail, featuring a steep ascent, narrow path, vertical cliffs with sheer drop-offs, and fantastic views of Taroko Gorge, Swallow Grotto Canyon, and the Zhuilu Marble Cliffs.

As you walk through Little India in Singapore, a large structure topped with minarets and an onion-domed cupola might catch your eye. This impressive building, completed in 1910, is the Abdul Gafoor Mosque (Masjid Abdul Gafoor), a mosque originally built for the community of South Indian Muslim merchants in the area.

Just outside Bangkok, along the banks of the Tachine River, the community-style resort of Sampran Riverside has been welcoming visitors since the 1960s. Sign up for a workshop, treat yourself at the spa, or check out the organic farm—there’s something for everyone at this ecocultural park.

A fun, family-friendly attraction, the Alive 3D Art Gallery in Port Dickson features dozens of colorful, interesting, and downright quirky trick-art paintings divided into different zones: Adventure, Aquarium, Animation, Exotic, and Dark Art. Visitors can pose for photos—the results can be both surprising and hilarious.

One of the 13 old gateways to Delhi that still stand to this day, Khooni Darwaza (Lal Darwaza) is an ancient gate that has long been associated with bloodshed, hence its name (which translates as "bloody gate"). There have been countless brutal murders at the gate over the centuries, and many people believe it to be haunted.

Located southwest of Hong Kong Island, charming Cheung Chau Island has long been a favorite day-trip destination of locals. Known for its beautiful beaches, fresh seafood, traditional temples, and laidback village vibe, Cheung Chau offers an idyllic escape from the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong.

Part archive and part exhibition space, the Penang House of Music focuses on the diverse musical heritage of this historically and culturally rich city. Visitors to the museum, opened in 2017, can play radio announcer, view vintage films, and learn about puppet theater, Chinese opera, local dances, musical instruments, and Malaysian pop bands.

Locally known as "the Kirk" (Scottish for "the church"), St. Andrew's Church in Chennai was built in 1821 for Scottish Presbyterians in the British Army, and today most of its clergy are from India. It was modeled after St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London and features Palladian architecture, complete with pillars with Corinthian capitals.

On the outskirts of the port city of Chittagong, also known as Chattogram, the Bhatiari Lakes offer a pleasant spot to escape the city lights. This sprawling lake is good for fishing, but many people come to enjoy themselves while surrounded by nature.

At Mumbai’s Red Carpet Wax Museum, conveniently located in the R City Mall, you can “meet” Mahatma Gandhi, Barack Obama, the late Queen Elizabeth II, and other celebrities. The museum makes a fun, short break from shopping, with lots of opportunities to take memorable selfies, and you can even make a wax cast of your hand as a souvenir.

The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is a colonial-style villa in Singapore that played a crucial role in the Xinhai Revolution in the early 20th century. Today, the hall is a museum commemorating Sun Yat Sen, the founding father of the Republic of China. It serves to highlight the influence Dr. Sun’s revolutionary activities had on Singapore, as well as Singapore's own contributions. Ideal for history fans, this two-story museum is divided into five galleries and features around 400 artifacts, including paintings, statues, photographs, books, and calligraphy works. Highlights include a bronze wall mural spanning some 60 meters depicting Singapore's history over a 100-year period, from the 1840s to the 1940s. The bronze statues in the hall’s gardens are also particularly impressive. The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is included in the Singapore ultimate attractions pass, which allows you to explore the city’s top attractions at your own pace with a pass that is valid for two, three, or five consecutive days.

Located in the historic Patan area, a short walk through narrow streets from Patan Durbar Square, the Rudra Varna Mahavihar is thought to be the oldest monastery in Patan. Parts date back to the 13th century, although most of the structure isn’t quite that old. It’s a peaceful and impressive place to visit on a walking tour of Patan.

Across from Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Seoul branch of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) focuses on contemporary and modern art from Korea and around the world. It's housed in a 21st-century structure that uses traditional Korean architectural concepts, filled with galleries showcasing ever-evolving displays of art.

Asahiyama Memorial Park dates back to 1970 when it opened to celebrate Sapporo’s 100th anniversary. Loved for its panoramic views, the park sits on a hilltop that boasts vistas of Sapporo, the Ishikari Plain, and on a clear day—the Sea of Japan. Visitors come here for hiking trails, idyllic gardens, and, at night, an illuminated fountain.

Terminal 21 in Bangkok offers a unique shopping experience in an airport–inspired mall. Floors are dedicated to different destinations, staff wear flight attendant uniforms, and there are arrival and departure areas. Shoppers can explore more than 600 stores from Tokyo and Istanbul to Rome and San Francisco, visit the on-site cinema, or indulge in international cuisine at the food court.

Tokyo's underground trains are a major part of the city's enormous and efficient rail network. The two companies operating here—Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway—connect to above-ground lines. Getting around this huge city by underground train is easy, even if you don’t read Japanese. It’s important to know which service you need to use to get where you want to go—the metro or the subway—so you enter and exit the right stations.

Even though it's one of the world’s smallest forest reserves, Penang National Park packs plenty of action into a compact space—including hardwood trees, mangrove forests, and carnivorous pitcher plants. Kerachut Beach (Turtle Beach) is home to a turtle conservation center and a seasonal meromictic lake, while Monkey Beach (Pantai Monkey) has a population of macaques.

Sea creatures are the stars at Aquaria Phuket, a large aquarium on the basement level of the Central Phuket Floresta mall. The aquarium is home to around 6,000 fish and animals, and features a solid schedule of feedings, presentations, and even “mermaid” shows.

Learn about how one of Japan’s most ubiquitous beers is made with a visit to Asahi Beer Suita Factory, the company's first brewery, built in 1891. Asahi offers daily tours, during which guests see, smell, and touch the hops and barley, along with other ingredients that go into brewing one of Japan’s best-known beers.