Best Places to Visit in Asia

Backpacking around Asia has been an absolute dream. Here are some of my favourite places.

Angkor Wat

It is no surprise then that Lonely Planet just voted it the number one tourist sight to see in the world and that it topped my own Top Things to do in Cambodia list…

I could tell you how amazing it is in person, how all the hype is true, or, I could let the pictures do the talking.

I rocked up at stupid o’clock on my first of two visits to Angkor Wat, so much so that my Tuk-Tuk driver took me for coffee at 7/11 on route. Mr Thom was a pretty awesome guy.

Once I had shelled out my $20 for a day pass ($40 for three) and was inside it is fair to say I kinda got side tracked by his conversation and forget why I was there.

I headed to the far corner of the car pack, grabbed another coffee and hung out who Mr Thom and his tuk-tuk driver crew for a little bit too long. I liked these guys, they had good vibes and I didn’t feel I was at a major tourist attraction, just a local coffee shop.

A little word of warning from my coffee error, head there too late or make the mistake of turning around and expect a slightly different view of that historic masterpiece: It is SELFIE STICK INVASION BACK THERE!!! I thought Angelina might have popped back for a cameo…

But, if you get creative you can still grab a good view of that famous Angkor Wat Sunrise (not as creative I hope as the women who went paddling with her TWO selfie sticks and got some serious boo’s, though, credit for multitasking I guess).

The picture above was taken at Bayan Temple by Jeremy of the awesome blog: Travel Freak who headed solo from the group. Gotta say I think he got the quieter dealer and proved that you don’t need the main temple to get an awesome sunrise.

Moving on… Once the sunrise has been and gone it seemed most the crowds did too, which although surprising is certainly not something you want to complain about.

The complex is vast and covers over 400 km2, you could easily spend at least a day exploring them all, perhaps even more. However, if you have had a few in pub street the night before and have not slept so you can hit up sunrise then you might have to miss a few out or come back later again in the day.

Best bit? If you are luck you get Monkeys! MONKEYS!!!! In case you didn’t know, I have a serious monkey obsession…

There are also elephants, with big seats to carry around groups of tourists. I swear I can see a tear in his beautiful eye saying ‘Get off me and look at the temple, I am not the attraction here’

Ha Long Bay

I hadn’t been holding out much hope…

From rip off agents to sinking Kayaks the horror stories of Halong Bay’s well known Junk Boat cruises were nearly as famous as the UNESCO destination itself. Every backpacker I had met around SEAsia seemed to have a story. My friends recommended spending a bit more, enjoying a ‘luxury food’ overnight cruise.

My biggest fear? It wasn’t so much a kayak going down (it’s only water right?) or the food being the equivalent of budget cat tinned crap. It was too many tourists. I’ll never forget my visit to the ‘magical’ Maya Bay in Thailand (yep, the one Leonardo DiCaprio is responsible for making such a hit). The beach was so crowded when we arrived we had to jump ship, water clog our cameras and strategically avoid the beer cans coming overboard from Dave’s Booze Cruise…

If you were expecting another horror story, I’m sorry to disappoint. I booked my tour easily enough from my Hotel front Desk. ‘You really should go for the luxury one’ was the answer. ‘No upgrade. I want cheap, cheap, shit tour’ I replied. I’m sure I could have saved a few bucks if I had hunted around town but it seemed a pretty ok price and my patience with constant haggling in Vietnam was wearing thin.

Like to save $$? Read More: How to do Vietnam on a Budget

For your buck, you get A seven hour round trip on a bumpy but comfortable enough road (The bus was packed, but bearable). A four-hour cruise around the Bay, Lunch, entry to a cave and for a few dollars more one of those awesome Kayaks. All of it was fine, not amazing, but did the job.

Sure, you might be able to do it cheaper DIY. However on the Ha Long Bay Cruise, for the first time I didn’t mind spending a little more to save the hassle. As we cruised off some of those DIY backpackers stood looking on lost, being haggled at from all directions and realising, perhaps, it wasn’t worth the effort.

So, was it impressive? Yes. Was it as boat packed and touristy as I was expecting? No.

Had I been spoilt visiting Raja Ampat the month before? Sadly, Yes. If I hadn’t, perhaps I would have found it that little bit more amazing.

Istanbul

Istanbul is one of a few cities that I fell in love with; it’s also a place I can’t give you specific reasons why. When I first visited, I wrote about how it was a place to be, rather than visit, where hours upon hours of walking around, soaking up the atmosphere and drinking tea brought me so much joy.

The architecture is incredible, for sure, the monuments are mesmerising, and the magic of being at a point where two continents meet is truly special. But, the magic of Istanbul for me was in eating corn in Taksim Square, watching stray cats play, listening to the call to prayer as the sunset, sipping on a mint tea, or finding a little place on a back street to eat Balık Ekmek (a fish sandwich) whilst taking in the general buzz.

The Sultanahmet part of the city will draw you in, with Egyptian and Roman ruins, Byzantine architecture and Christian mosaics in the Hagia Sofia, but the city stretches out, with countless places to just wander and admire completely with an energy, unlike many other places I’ve been. In total, across three visits, I’ve spent 7 days in Istanbul, and I still would love to go back, so embrace now as a time for slower travel and stretch out that city break.

Don’t miss: The Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque for architecture, a visit to the Basilica Cistern for historic waterworks, a cruise along the Bosphorus River for a different angle and the Grand Bazaar for shopping.

Istanbul is one of those places I doubt will ever spit you out but simply chew you back up into its electric life whenever the time comes to return again. The history haunts the streets, the future glides past you with each modern tram, and the call to prayer lifts you up as the scent of sweet corn lulls you in.

Istanbul is everything a city should be and – more importantly –everything you want to return for. As your eyes dart from one grand building to the next, let them wonder. The young boy chases a pigeon with glee whilst his sister shrieks with excitement at the corn truck. The mother looks torn with a smile at which one to follow.

Spending what seems like an eternity staring at the ceiling of a Mosque or palace. Trying to fathom the intricate detail above you that your eye just can’t consume in its entirety. It is the little details in Istanbul that will have you hooked if you allow them. Piecing together the art, the stories and the architecture into understanding such a strategic point that bridges the east and west of this world.

The history and the empires that had called this city home all present themselves alongside the real moments, such as a young boy enjoying the simple pleasures of chasing a bird on a Saturday afternoon. The yellow taxis come to a standstill in the square; drivers laugh with each other whilst grabbing a refreshment from a nearby stall. Modern trams slide by quietly as they catch the reflections of Mosques that tell stories. People drink wine, oh the wine, did you know Turkey has an amazing wine region?  Go wine tasting in Turkey; you’ll see what I mean.

If all cities could deliver old and new together so boldly, yet so effortlessly, in the way that Istanbul could, then I doubt anyone could ever say, ‘I am just not a city person’. Old faces, young smiles, busy markets and small cobbled paths lead you to a handful of men laughing and smoking shisha. The scent of Kebab lingers as you search for that next cup of fragrant Turkish tea. The blue sky lights up the Blue Mosque, and you really don’t want the day to end.

The call to prayer echoes through the city; out of a small door, you can see the man whose lungs carry the call through the wind around you. The crowded attractions somehow manage a return to purpose, to keep their roots true, to somehow still feel real even with the onslaught of selfies and confused dress codes.

Istanbul is electric. Electric – it’s the first and last word that comes to my mind when I have to describe it. The verdant gardens, that Bosphorus river, the flattering red flags, the shades, the shops, the tea… everything wraps up into one bundle of power that explodes around you.

Even after sunset, in the rare spots where there is a stillness of the night, it’s electric. Cats pound the cobbles with you until – often very quickly – you’re in controlled chaos again. If you visit Istanbul, then do yourself a favour and take it slow. A weekend was never going to be enough, and I could have easily spent a week wandering those lanes, sipping on tea and catching the last light of the day lingering on the rooftops and minarets.

Kochi Castle, Japan

Far removed from the controlled chaos of Tokyo or the over-touristed red gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto, the Kōchi Prefecture of Japan provides a much more relaxed, nature-inspired destination to visit in Japan. That said, there is no shying away from mixing modern with tradition in this outward-looking nation, and the teamLab digital art installation at Kōchi Castle is a prime example.

The largest of four regions on Shikoku Island, the Kōchi Prefecture is awash with crystal clear rivers, forests as far as the eye can see, and a coastline that has evolved through thousands of years of aggressive oceans. In the capital of the prefecture of the same name, Kōchi Castle stands proud above the modestly sized city compared to megalopolises like Tokyo.

There is a reason this castle, one of around a hundred in Japan, is so unique. Once upon a time, some five thousand castles could be found across the country, and Kōchi Castle is one of the best-preserved you can find here nowadays. Construction of the Castle dates back to 1601, but following a tragic fire that near destroyed it, it was fully restored to all its glory during the Edo period.

Singapore’s Islands