Take me higher! Indeed Nepal will – Himalayan high, in fact. The country has eight of the world’s 10 highest mountains. Steeped in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions – many of the population adhere to one of them – it’s an inevitable outcome that Nepal makes a popular spiritual and trekking destination.
You’ll explore remote monasteries, mountain teahouses, sherpa culture and Himalayan vistas that cannot, literally, be topped. There are more intricate temples, grand old palaces and places to release your inner hippie than you can poke your walking pole at. After experiencing Nepali mountain life and climbing till you drop, your weary body will be deserving of a long soak in hot springs. Food will never have tasted so good when you tuck into Newari soups and curries.
You might be pleasantly surprised to find out that there are Nepali safaris, where you can (hopefully) spot rhinoceros, tigers, wild boars, monkeys and deer, as well as kayaking where you may encounter crocodiles, otters and the endangered Ganges river dolphin.
As the nation recovers from the devastating earthquake that hit in April 2015, your tourist dollars are all the more valuable.
Despite its ability to provide breathtaking, culturally out-there experiences, Mongolia has escaped the mass-tourism radar to a certain degree. All the better for those keen to go somewhere a tad more wild.
Experiencing a Nadaam festival and its colourful traditions – wrestling, horse racing, archery and throat singing among them – will make you feel as though you have really arrived in a foreign land.
The sheer emptiness of the place will also inspire that feeling. This is most sparsely populated independent country in the world, inhabited largely by nomads living traditional lives. Across its huge landmass the country ranges from the Gobi Desert in the south to cold, mountainous regions in the north, so there are plenty of natural pleasures – volcanoes, hot springs, lakes and sand dunes – to be enjoyed.
The past of Mongol hordes, ruling Chinese dynasties and a peaceful Democratic Revolution mean there are lots of palaces, monasteries and museums scattered across the country. Spend a night or two in a traditional ger (round tent), soaking up the locals’ hospitality and eating Mongolian barbecue. It’s a long way from Ulaanbaatar, the country’s capital, with its insane traffic, mix of cultures – business people, monks and nomads who’ve had to head to the city – and crazy energy.
For a stopover or as a stand-alone destination, long overlooked Malaysia is on the rise. And why the hell not? KL is great for a quick shopping sojourn, cities like Penang and Melaka wear their colonial past on their sleeve, and its islands and forests are sublime. You’ll be bowled over as you gorge on curries, noodles and hawker cuisine.
And let’s not forget Malaysia’s administrative share of the island of Borneo, where there’s a mishmash of extraordinary ecosystems. From the world’s largest flower to its smallest elephant, Borneo boasts a biodiversity like no other – not to mention an unforgettable opportunity to get up close and personal with an orangutan. Sabah is its star drawcard – given that it’ll leave beach bums and rainforest junkies alike salivating and hikers heaving to catch their breath as they traverse Mount Kinabalu. You’ll find hanging out in the longhouses along Sarawak’s rivers (most likely slugging rice wine) will give you an appreciation of the traditional ways of the local tribes.
Grab your bags, because this Southeast Asian gem is quickly garnering status as a must-see destination. Sitll, unlike some of its highly visited neighbours, Laos retains much of its traditional existence and heritage. Even the capital city, Vientiane, dubbed Southeast Asia’s biggest village, still manages to maintain its laidback lifestyle.
There’s plenty of excitement to be found though; Laos draws travellers looking for nature and adventure. Forest treks and village homestays offer an opportunity to discover an authentic Asian culture, while rafting and kayaking allow the intrepid to explore the waterways. Or perhaps zip-line across the canopy and stay in the treetops with some furrier natives as part of the Gibbon Experience.
A Mekong River journey is an iconic expedition, as is a stint in the former royal capital, Luang Prabang, with its plentiful temples, faded French colonial architecture and robed monks.
From snowboarding, sumo and sushi to soaking your stresses away in a traditional onsen (hot spring), Japan is as diverse as it is beautiful and unusual. From the weird, wonderful and wacky of ultra-modern urban living to a rich, ancient culture of geishas, precise tea rituals, Shinto worship and emperor warlords, this is a destination that won’t disappoint.
Where else would there be a constant procession of festivals celebrating everything from fertility, where a giant phallus is paraded around Kawasaki, to cherry blossoms, the rice harvest and star-crossed lovers?
Subcultures abound in the realm of cos play and manga, while staid salarymen get loose after dark in tiny bars, many of which boast a karaoke machine. Those who party hard will love the music scene, and the Fuji Rock Festival is unforgettable. For fashionistas and gadget geeks, shopping in some of Tokyo’s better known districts, like Ginza, Harajuku and Akihabara, will be a guilty pleasure. But it’s not just about neon and crazy pedestrian crossings. Visit the seaside city of Kamakura to see the Great Buddha, go to Hokkaido for hiking during summer and skiing in the winter, or experience Naoshima, Japan’s art island.
No doubt the Chinese were tickled pink when the bright lights of Hong Kong were returned to them. Indeed, true to their word, the metropolis remains a confluence of Chinese and British culture and a bastion of world business.
Devouring dumplings until you drop, trawling the shops until your credit limit is reached, oohing and aahing at the firecrackers during Chinese New Year… All of these Hong Kong experiences should be on your must-do list.
It is hard to believe that amid this urban entity is also a massive nature reserve exists in which you can hike, for up to a hundred kilometres, along a trail that traverses beaches, bush escarpments, local villages and mountains. Who would have thought the skyscrapers and stilettos could co-exist so well with hiking and hammocks?
China is a country of contradictions and contrasts. Where else can you find communist soldiers sipping Coca-Cola? But it’s also a country of surprises. Cities like Shanghai may be the poster children for shopping and new-world decadence, but the other extreme – sedate, rice terrace-laden countryside and lush jungle-like hinterland – can still be found.
Living history – Tiananmen Square, the Terracotta Warriors and much more beyond – can be witnessed around every corner. After all, this is China, a country that has been continuously settled for around 4000 years. In a country this size, the regional cultural differences are as supremely varied as is its cuisine, so traversing the vast land is an adventure in itself. From the stark beauty of the Gobi Desert to the white beaches and coconut palms that dot the coast of the South China Sea, there’s more to China than a little red book and a bloody big wall.
With its low-key beach resorts, dense rainforest and mystical ancient temples, Cambodia is fast replacing Thailand and Vietnam as the South-East Asian destination du jour.
Sure, there are plenty of sobering reminders of the country’s dark past under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime, and much of the country is steeped in poverty, but that’s all the more reason to visit – to lift the veil on this unique corner of the world, discover the beauty of its wilderness and people, and explore far beyond famous Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields.
Pleasures include the seaside town of Sihanoukville and the deserted beaches which lie beyond it. Access lesser-known ancient temples at Kampong Thom. Hang about in the chilled river town of Kratie, where you can take in the vista of the Mekong and its endangered river dolphins. Cambodia is a country that may well tempt you to stay longer than you thought you would.
It’s easy for once uncharted corners of the world to suddenly become overrun by tourists searching out the next big thing. That’s not going to happen in this tiny Buddhist kingdom tucked into the Himalayan mountains. There’s a limited number of hotels and tours within the country, and while you can organise a trip independently, there’s a minimum spend of US$250 a day (the price includes accommodation, food, guides and transport). Most would say it is worth every cent.
The landscape is jaw-dropping: rugged mountains topped with snow have spectacular, gravity-defying monasteries clinging to them. Deep, lush valleys carved by rivers provide pastureland for cows and other livestock. And when you travel here, you do it slowly, following mountain passes through forests to towns like Paro, where there’s a impressive dzong (a fortress that serves as an administrative and social centre) and the National Museum, and Punakha, the former capital that sits where the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu – or Mother and Father Rivers – meet. Along the way, there are friendly faces aplenty – Bhutan does, after all, value its Gross National Happiness – vibrant markets and festivals, and some fairly crazy species of wildlife to spot. The national animal is the takin, a kind of goat–antelope hybrid that lives in bamboo forests.
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