From night trains to mountain trails

Asia

Asia spans icy plateaus, tropical archipelagos and densely populated megacities. Ancient temples, fast railways and deeply rooted food cultures often meet within a single journey.

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Asia cannot be reduced to one route or style of travel. Follow pilgrimage trails through the mountains, move between islands, ride high-speed trains across major cities or spend days eating at stalls and family-run restaurants. Religion, trade and migration have left visible traces throughout the region.

Climate and scale deserve close attention when planning. Monsoons do not arrive everywhere at once, mountain areas have short trekking seasons and regional holidays can fill transport quickly. Build an itinerary around a manageable area and leave room for local trains, boats and buses. The journey itself reveals how sharply landscapes, languages and cuisines change from one place to the next.

From the magazine

Stories about Asia

Editorial stories linked to Asia and to the countries and places within this region.

Article

Three Southeast Asian Cities Worth Staying For

Before dawn, Bangkok’s Pak Khlong Talat belongs to flower carts, garland makers and wet loading floors. After sunrise, sellers arrange stalls as flowers move from wholesale bundles towards temples and household shrines.

T Hamba-redactieTomoko

Article

One Breath at a Time: Jeju’s Haenyeo at Work

Jeju’s haenyeo enter the sea without air tanks, guided by wind, tide and knowledge passed between working divers. Their long, whistling breath at the surface belongs to hard, uncertain work, not a performance along the island’s basalt coast.

T Hamba-redactieTomoko

Article

Durban, Served in a Loaf

At Victoria Street Market, turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic and chilli sit in sacks, packets and spice blends. Several spice stalls have passed through three or four generations of the same families.

A Hamba-redactieAisha

Article

Gold Between Paper

In Kanazawa, gold passes through fire, rollers, hammers and specialist hands before it reaches a Buddhist altar, a lacquer box or the top of a soft-serve cone. The city produces more than 98 per cent of Japan’s gold leaf, yet its finest sheets still rely on bamboo tools, carefully prepared paper and close judgement at every stage.

T Hamba-redactieTomoko

Article

Bowls, Banana Leaves and Peacock Feathers

At Đông Ba Market, Huế’s imperial past sits close to breakfast. Pots of fermented shrimp paste and strings of lotus seeds supply a cuisine that runs from forceful noodle soup to the measured display of a royal-style banquet.

A Hamba-redactieAisha

Article

Jaffna, from Palmyra Palm to Curry Pot

At Jaffna’s municipal market, palmyra tubers sit near lagoon crabs, dried chillies and bunches of moringa leaves. These ingredients trace the dry northern peninsula and lead straight into its Tamil kitchens.

A Hamba-redactieAisha

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