Samarkand
The enormous congregational Bibi-Khanym Mosque, northeast of the Registan, was financed from the spoils of Timur's invasion of India and must have been…
Must-see attractions in Asia
Guangzhou
An all-in-one ancestral shrine, Confucian school and ‘chamber of commerce’ for the Chen clan, this compound was built in 1894 by the residents of 72…
Yangon
One of Yangon's, if not Myanmar's, most gorgeous buddha images is this 46ft-tall one at the Ngahtatgyi Paya, sitting in calm gold-and-white repose and…
Flores
About 5km west of Pantai Paga, look for a small, partially paved road that runs for 2km through a cocoa plantation to a stunning double bay. Facing a…
Hokkaidō
Considered by many to be Japan's most beautiful lake, Mashū-ko once held the world record for water clarity. The island in the middle was known by the…
Puri
This mighty temple is home to Jagannath (Lord of the Universe), an incarnation of Vishnu. Built in its present form in 1198, the temple – closed to non…
Bukit Peninsula
One of Bali’s best beaches, Jimbaran’s 4km-long arc of sand is mostly clean and there is no shortage of places to get a snack, drink or seafood dinner, or…
Galle
A beautifully carved British coat of arms tops the entrance to the Old Gate on the outer side. Inside, the letters VOC, standing for Verenigde…
Flores
The greatest local site is actually 20km west of Ruteng near Cara kampung. The legendary Spider Web Rice Fields are vast creations shaped as implied,…
Henan
First founded in AD 555, this frequently rebuilt temple vanished along with Kaifeng in the early 1640s, when rebels breached the Yellow River’s dykes…
Busan
Haeundae is the country’s most famous beach. During the peak August travel season, umbrellas mushroom across the 2km-long beach while frolickers fill the…
Jaffna & the North
This mainland church is Sri Lanka’s most hallowed Christian monument (though it's thought to be have been constructed over an ancient Hindu shrine). Its…
ALZhIR Museum-Memorial Complex
Kazakhstan
During the Stalin years, Akmol, 35km west of Nur-Sultan, housed ALZhIR, a notorious camp for wives and children of men who were interned elsewhere as …
Manila
A poignant and peaceful spot, this sprawling war cemetery on a grassy, beautifully manicured plot is the resting place of 17,206 soldiers killed in battle…
Gangnam & Southern Seoul
Hyundai Development Company commissioned Daniel Libeskind to work with Seoul-based firm Himma on its headquarters opposite COEX Mall. The result, Tangent,…
Hunan
If you've made it all the way to Hongjiang, don't overlook nearby Qianyang, another historic river town with a completely different architectural style…
Yokohama
The focus of the Yokohama Triennale (2020, 2023), this museum hosts exhibitions that swing between safe-bet shows with European headliners to more daring…
Tamil Nadu
The temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram ('City of the Chola who Conquered the Ganges'), 35km north of Kumbakonam, is dedicated to Shiva. It was built by…
Kyūshū
Naka-dake (1506m) is Aso's active volcano – very active in recent years, with fatal eruptions in 1958 and 1979, and other significant eruptions in 1989,…
Gujarat & Diu
This scenic hilltop may have been fortified as early as the 8th century. Today, throngs of pilgrims ascend Pavagadh to worship at the important Kalikamata…
Bukhara
At the foot of the minaret, on the site of an earlier mosque destroyed by Chinggis Khan, is the 16th-century congregational Kalon Mosque, big enough for…
Lhasa
The red, fortress-like structure of Tsongkhapa’s mausoleum is probably the most impressive of the reconstructed buildings at Ganden. It’s above a…
Jaffna
This huge Hindu temple, crowned by a towering god-encrusted, golden-ochre gopuram, is one of the most significant Hindu religious complexes in Sri Lanka…
Kazakhstan
Right on the border between Kazakhstan and Russia, the myth-rich, snow-tipped peak of Mt Belukha (4506m) – Altay's highest – attracts true mountaineers…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
Lovely beaches fringe every side of the island, but for sheer postcard-perfect beauty, it's hard to beat the 1km stretch of white sand on the northeast…
Kamakura
One of Kamakura's most alluring Shintō shrines, which you can enter via tunnel or a trail above; it's located along the Daibutsu hiking trail. Washing…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
Approximately 1km southeast from the port (over the hill) is this stunning 700m stretch of white sand, fronted by clear, shallow water and a bit of coral…
Dushanbe
One of Dushanbe’s most impressive modern monuments, this statue celebrates the 10th-century founder of the Samanid dynasty. With an art-deco quality to…
Federation of Self Employees Market
Colombo
The concentrated and manic commerce of Pettah is concentrated even further in its markets. Stretching along 5th Cross St, this don't-miss market is a hive…
Heilongjiang
Laohei Shan is the humble zenith of a prehistoric landscape washed clean by hardened lava where ghost-like trees snake up from dormant craters, and…
Kuta & Legian
Tourism in Bali began here and is there any question why? Low-key hawkers will sell you soft drinks and beer, snacks and other treats, and you can rent…
Gujarat & Diu
The stunning mausoleum of Nawab Mahabat Khan II of Junagadh (1851–82) seems to bubble up into the sky. One of Gujarat’s most glorious examples of Euro…
Shenzhen
This folksy urban village of narrow lanes and alleys is a pleasure to visit in itself, but what makes Dafen simply unmissable is the hundreds of art…
Nara
This world-class museum of Buddhist art is divided into two sections. Built in 1894 and strikingly renovated in 2016, the Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall &…
Malapascua Island
This glorious stretch of pale sand occupies almost the entire southern part of the island. It's lined with hotels, restaurants, dive shops and massage…
Bac Ha
This Sunday market is Bac Ha’s big draw. There's an increasing range of handicrafts for sale, but it’s still pretty much a local affair. Bac Ha Market is…
Gujarat & Diu
Built in 1027 by Bhimdev I, this is one of the greatest monuments of the Solanki dynasty, whose rulers were believed to be descended from the sun. Like…
Western Mongolia
Üüreg Nuur (elevation 1425m) is 20km long and 18km wide, with an average depth of 27m. Surrounded by mountains of 3000m-plus, and almost entirely devoid…
Malaysia
Just 13km north of Kuala Lumpur rise the iconic Batu Caves, a Malaysian national treasure, Hindu pilgrimage site and wildlife-conservation zone. Behind a…
Bai Tu Long Bay
Most Vietnamese visitors make a beeline for Hong Van Beach – and justifiably so. It's nearly 3km of fine, white sand lapped by blue water and backed by a…
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