Yogyakarta
The 16th-century founder of the Mataram kingdom, Panembahan Senopati, is buried in the small graveyard of an old mosque located in the suburb of Kota Gede…
Must-see attractions in Asia
Sikkim
Officially unveiled in November 2018, this huge, four-armed statue of Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) sits around 500m beyond the attractive little Sanghak…
Northwestern Cambodia
Banteay Top (Fortress of the Army) may be small, but its impressively tall, damaged towers are highly photogenic. Constructed around the same time as…
National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation (Miraikan)
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
Miraikan means ‘hall of the future’, and the hands-on exhibits here present the science and technology that will possibly shape the years to come …
Sichuan
This temple is the tomb of local boy Zhang Fei, a respected general during the kingdom of Shu and hero of the Three Kingdoms epics, who administered the…
The East
Just behind the resorts, this attraction is dedicated to the coconut, surely the world's most remarkable plant, and inexorably linked with Sri Lanka (its…
West Sumatra
Impressive waterfalls dot the whole Kerinci Valley. The easiest to find are the Air Terjun Telun Berasap in the ‘Letter W’ village 4km north of Pelompek…
Kochi (Cochin)
Constructed in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars, this is believed to be India’s oldest European-built church. The faded-yellow edifice that stands…
Samarkand
Hidden in the Old Town on unmarked Denau is this working 19th-century synagogue, built in 1891 for Samarkand's Jewish community. The atmospheric hall has…
Bangladesh
This small, neatly arranged museum, located within the grounds of the Shait Gumbad Mosque (admission is covered by the mosque entrance fee), contains…
University of the Philippines Diliman
Manila
If you have a spare half-day, make the trip out to the lovely, leafy University of the Philippines Diliman campus. It has a genuine American university…
Chungcheongnam-do
Though Mallipo is seeing more and more development every year, it's still a fine stretch of sand, a gentle crescent bookended by piney headlands. It's a…
Lampang
Despite having lost much of its character in a renovation, the mon·dòp at Wat Pongsanuk Tai is still one of the few remaining local examples of original…
Kyūshū
Located on the outskirts of Bungo-takada, this National Treasure, made of fragrant nutmeg wood, is the oldest wooden edifice in Kyūshū and one of the…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
If you're interested in the Nilgiris' tribal communities you'll love this slightly scruffy, erratically open museum, with its fascinating exhibits on…
Kyrgyzstan
A small red bridge towards the end of Boom Canyon (en route to Issyk-Köl) leads to the impressive desert landscapes and red-rock cliffs of Suluu-Terek…
Central Mosque of Songkhla Province
Hat Yai
Rising up like an Indo-Asian mirage, the Central Mosque of Songkhla Province – dubbed Thailand's Taj Mahal – is a commanding nod to the region's historic…
Punjab & Haryana
The Sri Krishna Museum features an impressive collection of sculptures, carvings and paintings, and a low-tech multimedia exhibition with dioramas, giant…
Baroda Museum & Picture Gallery
Gujarat & Diu
Within Sayaji Bagh park, this museum houses a diverse collection, much of it gathered by Maharaja Sayajirao III, including statues and carvings from…
Western Honshū
This shrine, with a garden and small complex, was founded in 1890 and is dedicated to Meiji Restoration movement leader Yoshida Shōin. His former…
Kolkata (Calcutta)
Somewhat resembling the US White House, the grand Raj Bhavan was designed in 1799 along the lines of Kedleston Hall, the Derbyshire home of the Curzon…
Heilongjiang
The residents of 'Stone Village' are in fact immobile orbs of rock-hard lava arranged by nature around a forest of white-and-black birch trees. It's…
Nikkō
The main shrine courtyard at Tōshō-gū includes the Honden (本殿; Main Hall) and Haiden (拝殿; Hall of Worship). Inside these halls are paintings of the 36…
Polonnaruwa
In the southeast of the Quadrangle, the Vatadage (circular relic house) is typical of its kind. Its outermost terrace is 18m in diameter, and the second…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
It's hard to imagine, but Shibuya Crossing actually sits on the confluence of two rivers: the Shibuya-gawa and the Uda-gawa, which were diverted…
Tianjin
The vast Shi Family Residence, 20km west of Tianijn, is an intriguing warren of courtyards and enclosed gardens. Formerly belonging to a prosperous…
Hue
Located immediately behind Thai Hoa Palace, on either side of a courtyard, these halls were used by mandarins as offices and to prepare for court…
Northern Honshū (Tōhoku)
Locals flock to this lush, leafy oasis on sunny days. The grounds were originally home to Akita's castle, built in 1604, which was destroyed with other…
Izu Peninsula
A small but refined collection of Japanese and Chinese pottery, paintings and Buddhist treasures spanning a millenia awaits at this museum, built…
Shanghai
This lovely sculpture park fills 87 hectares with over 70 art works, which are curated across the vast green lawns. A mountainous backdrop and the Yue Hu …
Mongolia
Erdenemandal Khiid was originally built in 1830, about 20km from the present site. At the height of its splendour, there were seven temples and 1000 monks…
Jeollabuk-do
An impressive structure built in 1453, Moyang Fortress has a 1.6km-long wall surrounding a complex of reconstructed buildings, worth touring if you have a…
Hong Kong
The world's longest covered outdoor people-mover zigzags from Central's offices to homes near Conduit Rd in the Mid-Levels using an 800m system of…
Kuching
Facing Padang Merdeka (Independence Sq) and its monumental kapok tree, Kuching’s Anglican cathedral (1954) has a mid-20th-century look and, inside, a…
KWPLH Sun Bear Conservation Center
Balikpapan
This informative sun bear conservation centre is surprisingly straight to the point about the heartbreaking plight of all of Kalimantan's animals. Seven…
Srinagar
Looking more Byzantine than Kashmiri, the multidomed 15th-century brick tomb of King Zeinalabdin’s mother was built on the plinth of a much older former…
Northeast States
At 2157m, Blue Mountain in southeast Mizoram is the state's highest peak. It's considered by Mizos to be the abode of gods, but its cliffs are also said…
Ko Samui
Wat Samret, west of Ban Hua Thanon has several standout features, a Mandalay sitting Buddha carved from solid marble, common across India and northern…
Nagasaki
Once the largest church in Asia (1914), the cathedral took three decades to complete and three seconds to flatten. This smaller replacement cathedral was…
Rajasthan
This 11th-century temple is well-known for its fabulous architecture. The carving on the high, red-stone sikhara (towered roof) is very intricate, almost…
