Asia

Cambodia is defined by the Angkor temple complex, but also has a Gulf coast, the Tonlé Sap floodplain and a difficult recent history documented honestly in Phnom Penh. Distances are moderate and buses are cheap. Angkor deserves at least three days rather than the single-day version most itineraries allow.

Georgia sits between the Greater Caucasus and the Black Sea, with 8,000 years of winemaking, a distinctive alphabet and cuisine, and high mountain valleys reachable on rough roads. Tbilisi is cheap, walkable and increasingly well connected, and the country is small enough to combine mountains, wine country and coast in ten days. Shared minibuses cover most routes; 4x4 transfers are needed for the highest valleys.

India is large enough that regions function like separate countries: Himalayan north, desert Rajasthan, Mughal plains, backwater Kerala and the coastline of Goa. Trains connect almost everywhere, slowly and cheaply. Most first trips pick one circuit rather than trying to cross the country.

Indonesia spreads more than 17,000 islands across three time zones, from Sumatran rainforest to the reefs of Raja Ampat. Most trips pick one or two islands: Java for volcanoes and temples, Bali for culture and beaches, Flores and Komodo for boats and wildlife. Domestic flights and ferries do the long-distance work.

Japan pairs neon-lit megacities with silent cedar forests and centuries-old temples. Fast trains make it one of the easiest countries in the world to travel end to end.

Kyrgyzstan is more than ninety percent mountain, with summer pastures where herding families still move to yurt camps, high alpine lakes and long trekking routes that need little permitting. Visa-free entry for many nationalities and low costs make it one of Central Asia's most accessible trekking countries. Almost everything worth reaching is a summer proposition.

Laos is the quietest country in mainland Southeast Asia, built around the Mekong, limestone karst valleys and a slow pace that suits longer stays. A fast railway now links Vientiane, Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang, cutting journeys that used to take a full day. Costs are low and infrastructure outside the main towns is basic.

Malaysia splits between a peninsula of colonial port cities, tea highlands and islands, and a Borneo half of rainforest, caves and orangutans. Its Malay, Chinese and Indian communities make the food one of the strongest reasons to visit. Internal flights are cheap, and English is widely spoken.

Nepal is the world's main trekking destination, with eight of the fourteen 8,000 m peaks and a teahouse network that makes multi-day walking possible without camping. Beyond the mountains, the Kathmandu valley holds dense Newar architecture and Chitwan offers lowland wildlife. Trekking permits, guide requirements and flight reliability all vary by region and season.

The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, with limestone karst bays, rice terraces carved into mountains and some of the world's best diving. Distances between islands are covered by ferry and cheap domestic flights, which shapes every itinerary. English is widely spoken, which makes independent travel straightforward.

Singapore is a city-state of about 730 square kilometres, dense, hot and unusually green, with planned gardens and reserves woven through the built area. Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan food traditions meet in hawker centres that are part of daily life. Everything is reachable by MRT within about an hour.

South Korea packs dense, late-night cities, mountain national parks within reach of every city, and a southern coast of islands and fishing ports into a country the size of Portugal. High-speed trains cross it in under three hours. Palaces, temples and hiking trails sit close enough together that a single week can cover both city and mountain.

Sri Lanka fits beaches, tea highlands, ancient capitals and leopard-bearing national parks into an island you can cross in a day. The two monsoons hit opposite coasts at opposite times, so there is always a good side of the island to be on. Trains through the hill country are slow and among the best rail journeys in Asia.

Taiwan fits a 3,900-metre mountain range, a marble gorge, hot spring towns and some of Asia's best street food onto an island you can circle by train in a day. Night markets are the default way to eat, and public transport is cheap and reliable. Typhoon season shapes summer travel on the east coast.

Thailand delivers street food, island beaches and golden temples on one of the best value budgets in the world.

Uzbekistan holds the densest concentration of Silk Road architecture anywhere: tiled madrasas, caravanserais and desert fortresses across Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. High-speed trains link the main cities, visas were dropped for many nationalities, and costs remain low. Summer heat is extreme in the desert belt, which makes spring and autumn the practical seasons.

Vietnam runs 1,650 km from the karst bays of the north to the Mekong Delta, with distinct climates, cuisines and histories along the way. Internal flights and the reunification railway make a north-to-south route practical in two weeks. Food is the strongest single reason to go, and it changes markedly every few hundred kilometres.