Asia attractions

It takes a little imagination to see how Dilumacad Island got its nickname, Helicopter Island, but as your boat sails in you’ll likely detect a tail rotor to your left and the cockpit to your right. However, it’s the golden sand beach, one of the Bacuit Archipelago’s longest, that draws island-hoppers. Scuba divers come for the green sea turtles that graze offshore.

Situated next to the Jindaiji Temple, the Jindai Botanical Gardens are famous for having one of Tokyo’s biggest rose gardens, featuring over 5,200 rose bushes. Divided into 30 themed areas, gardening enthusiasts and nature lovers flock to this natural wonder to see everything from azaleas to aquatic plants and over 100,000 trees and shrubs. It also plays a key role in conservation, protecting native trees from the Musashino Plain.

Shizuoka City’s Kunozan Toshogu Shrine is one of the city’s most important historic sites, and a must-visit attraction. The shrine houses the remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu, a 16th–17th-century shogun who played a significant role in Japanese history. Visitors can stroll the grounds, admire the paintings and sculptures, and learn more about the shogun at the on-site museum.

Noah's Ark Hong Kong was the world’s first full-size replica of the famous biblical vessel and remains a Hong Kong attraction for Christian families. The centerpiece of the park is the full-scale replica ark, which houses a collection of smaller ark models, an interactive children’s museum, plus a hotel, a cinema, and restaurants. Outside in the garden, guests walk among 67 pairs of life-size animal sculptures.

Following renovation in 2018, Boracay's most famous stretch of sand, the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer) White Beach, delivers exactly what you want a beautiful beach to. Its sand is powdery and bright, and its water is warm and translucent. It’s also one of the best places on the island to catch the sunset.

The annual Nebuta Matsuri is a major festival in Aomori, but if you’re visiting the northern city outside of early August, you can see the Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse instead. Learn about the colorful festival’s historical and cultural significance, watch footage and listen to music, and admire several full-size floats that have participated.

Coron’s top sunset viewpoint, Mt. Tapyas looms over Coron Town, adorned with a Coron sign and a giant crucifix that lights up after dark. As the sun sinks into the Sulu Sea and tints it bronze, rolling hills and offshore islands shade into silhouette. You can also hike up before dawn for a less crowded trek, and a mellow, ambient light for photos.

At an altitude of 8,960 feet (2,730 meters) in the Kashmir Valley, the hill station of Sonamarg is a popular getaway spot for fishing enthusiasts, hikers, white-water rafters, and travelers looking to see and play in powdery white snow. It's an easy day or overnight trip from the Kashmiri capital of Srinagar, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) away.

Famous for its lush countryside and strawberry orchards, the Bandung region of Ciwidey provides a respite from West Java’s humid lowlands with its cool climate. Its biggest claim to fame is the White Crater (Kawah Putih), a crater lake filled with turquoise water and surrounded by tree-covered cliffs.

Learn about World War II’s Battle of Okinawa in the place where it came to a brutal end. The military site, where thousands of Japanese soldiers died by suicide or were killed, was reopened by the Okinawans to show the futility of war and to promote peace. Visitors can walk through some of the pickaxe-dug tunnels, and learn about the site’s history through museum exhibits.

One of the three “Living Temples” protected by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites (along with Airavatesvara and Gangaikonda Cholapuram temples), Brihadisvara Temple has been a site of Shiva worship in Tamil Nadu for over a millennium. Built in the 11th century during South India’s Chola dynasty, it still draws millions of devotees each year, while tourists come to admire its intricate stone carvings.

The smell of fresh-off-the-boat seafood and the singing calls of vendors tempt early risers to Hakodate Morning Market, a local institution. The bustling market offers a delicious way to start your day and immerses you in Hakodate’s food culture.

Not far from the coral-encrusted Lusong Gunboat Wreck, the bright hard and soft corals of Lusong Coral Garden glisten in the warm water. Butterflyfish, damselfish, shy clownfish, and more flicker amid sponges, anemones, and staghorn coral, with excellent visibility even as you descend the steep drop-off on the ocean side.

Spread out across 32 square miles (83 square kilometers), the Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary provides a refuge not only for sloth bears, but for all sorts of other creatures, from porcupines to monitor lizards. The sanctuary is also home to more than 70 different bird species and lots of butterflies.

Banul Beach is an idyllic strip of pale gold sand backed by soaring, jagged limestone cliffs. Shady palm-thatched huts provide a spot to eat lunch and a shack sells cool drinks. It’s a great jump-off point for a kayak adventure, with caves, coves, and a mangrove forest to explore.

The Ancient City of Pingyao is one of the best-preserved ancient cities in China, dating back to the Zhou Dynasty, and rebuilt in 1370. Over the centuries, it served as a financial center during different dynasties, kind of like the Qing Dynasty’s Wall Street. The architecture here dates to Imperial China, and there are photo opportunities at every turn in this UNESCO-protected ancient city.

Yebisu Garden Place is a multibuilding commercial complex in central Tokyo’s Ebisu neighborhood, where you’ll find restaurants, shops, hotels, and museums, including the Museum of Yebisu Beer and the small Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. Like other cities-within-the-city, it offers a convenient way to enjoy several kinds of experiences in one location.

With colorful colonial architecture standing over bold, swirling pavement, Senate Square (Senado Square or Largo do Senado) is the beating heart of Macau’s UNESCO-listed historic center. Highlights include the 18th-century Leal Senado (Municipal Council), once the seat of the Portuguese government, and St. Dominic’s Church.

Standing at around 80 feet (25 meters) tall, the Great Buddha Statue is one of the most recognized attractions in the Buddhist pilgrimage city of Bodh Gaya. It was consecrated in 1989 with the Dalai Lama's blessings on the grounds of the Daijokyo Buddhist Temple.

One of the largest mosques in Central Asia, the resplendent, Bishkek Central Mosque wouldn't look out of place in Istanbul—in fact, Turkey funded its construction. Completed in 2018, the Ottoman-style building has quickly become a major hub for Islamic worship and learning. The exterior has silver domes and striking minarets, while the interior is decorated with Islamic calligraphy and tiles.

At Ginza Mitsukoshi in Tokyo’s Ginza district, experience one of Japan’s oldest surviving department store chains, founded in 1673. This upscale shopper’s heaven features 12 floors of luxury fashion, accessories, toys, childrenswear, cosmetics, and household goods. Don’t miss the large food hall with gourmet items, offering both a visual and culinary feast.

The remote Miyakojima archipelago is made up of eight inhabited islands, known for their soft white sand, clear turquoise waters, and abundant opportunities for swimming, snorkeling, diving, and sunbathing. Miyakojima beaches are considered some of Okinawa's best, though plenty of gems lie beyond the sand. Vast coral reefs, coastal rock formations, lush greenery, and scenic cycling routes round out this tropical Shangri-La.

Many Fuji Sengen shrines are located throughout Japan—they’re Shinto shrines dedicated to the deity of Mt. Fuji. The Fuji Omuro Sengen Shrine is the oldest of its kind in the Mt. Fuji area. Originally established more than 1,300 years ago, it has been rebuilt over the centuries following Fuji eruptions. The current building dates from the early 17th century.

Negombo—and its spectacular beaches—serve as the first port of call for many international visitors arriving in Sri Lanka. Located a few miles from Bandaranaike International Airport, Negombo Beach is a golden sand coastline popular with tourists and locals. It’s a great place to hang back and get acclimated.

Just south of Darjeeling, the Batasia Loop is a scenic turnaround point on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. As the name suggests, it’s where the track—on the Darjeeling Toy Train line—makes a big loop. In the middle of the track stands the Batasia Eco Garden and a war memorial to Gorkha soldiers at its center.

The Tharu people are the Indigenous inhabitants of the Chitwan region and much of the Terai, the plains and forests bordering India. Tharu culture, language, and cuisine are rather different from hill or mountain Nepali cultures you’ll see elsewhere in the country, so visiting the Chitwan Tharu Village near Sauraha is a good way to learn more.

Flowing from Lake Towada in Aomori’s Towada-Hachimantai National Park, the Oirase Gorge is a popular destination for hiking, biking, and spending time in nature, especially in the fall season. Tohoku in general is known for its autumn foliage, and the Oirase Gorge is a top spot thanks to the contrast between the green moss and the blaze of leaves.

Among Bhubaneswar's oldest attractions, the Khandagiri Caves are a grouping of 15 rock-cut cave temples that date back to the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. The caves were built by Kharavela, who was the ruler of the Meghavahana Dynasty at the time, as a refuge for Jain monks.

Located in West Kowloon, the 118-story International Commerce Centre (ICC) is the tallest building in Hong Kong, rising a dizzying 1,588 feet (484 meters). A landmark in Hong Kong, it’s part of the Union Square development and houses offices, a 360-degree observation deck, a 5-star hotel, and a multilevel luxury shopping mall.

A former international settlement, the small island of Gulangyu charms visitors with its colonial-era heritage buildings, tree-lined and car-free roads, pretty gardens and beaches, and various attractions, including the world’s largest piano museum. The UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site is a popular day trip destination from Xiamen.