Asia

Surrounded by alleys of old car parts and streets stained with motor oil, Bangkok’s Yaowarat plays host to Chinese opera, a cultural event that reaches back to Thailand’s ties to the Middle Kingdom.

Hiding just a few kilometers outside of China’s capital is one of the most beautiful rural libraries in Asia, a treasure best found by motorcycle.

The 800 tropical islands that make up the Mergui Archipelago were once an unexplored frontier for intrepid divers looking for adventure.

Few experiences match that roaring between the thighs and the singular sense of freedom in the jungle footpaths and winding alleys of the Southeast Asian countryside by motorcycle. For the sheer thrill of open-road exploration there is nowhere quite like Laos.

There are a lot of reasons to travel by private jet, but it’s the unique experiences, the once-in-a-lifetime journeys, that draw discerning travelers yearning for luxury and seclusion.

Flying over vast, rolling steppe for three and a half hours without seeing anything so much as a village, let alone a city, is a powerful reminder that Mongolia is the most sparsely populated country on the planet.

They have shorter trunks, rounder faces, longer tails, and smaller tusks than their Asian cousins, but what really sets the Borneo pygmy elephant apart  from the herd – apart from a reputation for friendliness – is no one is really sure how it got there.

Today the great orange ape of Asia is found only in a few remote reserves. Tanjung Puting in Indonesian Borneo plays refuge to these gentle, intelligent beasts, a chance to swing back from the brink.

Lurking furtively among the coarse, weathered mountains of the dry Ladakh region of India is one of the most elusive creatures in the natural world, a majestic beast of stealth and solitude.

Home to ancient legends and a modern mix of cultures, Sri Lanka is a land of intriguing dichotomies, but, it is her beaches that will enchant and captivate.

Tokushima is home to some of the best natural wonders in Japan, and it is a place I have long wanted to explore.

Well, it’s that time of year once again. We’re back with some of Asia’s most exciting destinations for the coming 12 months, places that are guaranteed to awaken your adventurous spirit and leave you mesmerized by the planet’s beauty, diversity and fascination. We’ve rounded up some of the most interesting, undiscovered and jaw-dropping locations from …