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.
Sail around one of the world’s most picturesque island nations aboard a traditional Maldivian fishing boat with G Adventures. The dhoni will take you to some of the most beautiful of the Maldives’ 26 atolls during this week-long cruise. All you have to do is lie back, relax and enjoy the sensation of floating through paradise.
It’s likely you’ll spend more time in the water than on the boat as you explore turquoise lagoons, coral reefs and uninhabited island beaches. But hey, that’s what visiting the Maldives is all about.
Rise above reality in this lofty haven, 2,438 metres up on the flanks of the Indian Himalayas. With no mobile phones, no television and virtually no contact with the outside world, Shakti 360° Leti provides the ultimate escape. Enjoy beautiful walks, fantastic food and spectacular views of the world’s most impressive mountain range. Or just take in the rare air.
When it comes to a skiing break, those located in the Pacific region can’t do much better than Japan for diversity, location and affordability. Niseko, on Japan’s north island, provides a plethora of powder possibilities, whether you’re a novice dabbling in the white stuff or an experienced snow hound. The region has four main ski resorts offering all the snowboarding and skiing action you could ask for, from gentle groomed powder and steep runs to terrain parks (jibs and jumps) and off-piste thrills.
When the sun goes down the lights come on and Niseko’s luscious curves invite after-dark exertions (we’re talking night-skiing here). The resort has the best-lit runs in Japan, and who could resist a moonlight meander on the mountain?
To celebrate the beauty of winter and Gangwon-do Province’s abundance of mountain trout, tonnes of the plump silver swimmers are released into the river during January to be captured and cooked at the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival. Dubbed one of the “seven wonders of winter” by Lonely Planet, this South Korean festival lures hundreds of thousands of visitors each year with sledding, snow slides, ice hockey and fish, glorious fish.
If wielding a rod isn’t thrilling enough, wade into a frigid pond wearing a T-shirt and shorts and test your skills on a barehanded hunt. Once you’ve snagged the Queen of the Valley, swap your catch with a vendor serving sashimi or trout that’s been cleaned and cooked. Devour with plenty of warming soju (rice liquor).
Hunting for lunch on a frozen river sounds like a macho way to fill your belly. Not in Japan, where ice-fishing oozes cuteness and culminates in bowls full of crunchy wakasagi (tempura smelt fish). Colourful tents rise from Sapporo’s solid Barato River, some with portable heaters offering respite from the cold (find one and make friends with the owners).
Grab a teeny-tiny rod, settle on a low-rise stool and dangle your line in a hole carved in the very thick crust. Once you’ve reeled in a feast, dip your snacks in batter, plunge them into a bubbling pot of oil and give them their marching orders straight to your gob.
(
