Spirituality

Bali’s innate Hindu spirituality is to the fore at its array of sacred Hindu spaces. From dramatic sea temples to shrines that cling to mountainsides, here are some of our favorites.

A divergence in the world’s most populous Muslim country, Bali traces its Hindu heritage to the Majapahit kingdom that once held sway over much of Indonesia.

Hanoi’s contemporary face belies the fact that the city comprises a collection of disparate villages, many of them with their unique specialism.

With red tape constraining travel in Tibet, visitors can imbibe a heady swig of its vivid culture as well as breathtaking scenery in neighboring enclaves like Western Sichuan.

Kyushu and Shikoku offer charismatic cities, a wealth of spiritual intrigue, and some of Japan’s most heartbreakingly beautiful nature.

With epic landscapes and lore that is ancient, complex, and tragic, Armenia offers a visceral historic bonanza that takes in some of Christianity’s most sacred symbols.

Sharp-fanged and sword-wielding, Fudo Myoo inspires Japan’s feared Yakuza. Yet the deity is also worshipped by Buddhists worldwide.

Remote and subject to harsh Himalayan weather conditions, Spiti Valley was the desolate main link between Tibet and India for centuries. Its seclusion has helped preserve the authenticity of one of the world’s most threatened cultures

Before sunrise, devotees go to the slopes of Mount Bromo to pray and throw their sacrifices on the festival of Yadnya Kasada.

Hiroshima’s 1,200-year-old Mitaki-dera temple is tranquil but it’s also, a pilgrimage site for the victims of the nuclear age.

For more than 1,000 years, Kumaris have been a central part of Hindu and Buddhist culture in Nepal, particularly in Kathmandu.

Those who visit the White Temple of Chiang Rai are struck by its beauty and then its irreverence – from Hello Kitty on the inside to Pinhead from Hellraiser on the lawn.