10 Exceptional Experiences In Asia

The unique cultures, varied landscape, and rich history of Asia offer inimitable experiences for travellers. We’ve picked 10 for your bucket list!

- Shibani Bawa

1 FLY OVER BAGAN IN A HOT-AIR BALLOON

The ancient city of Bagan in central Myanmar was once known to have more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries within a 100-square-kilometre area. Most of these were built between the ninth and 13th centuries, when Bagan was the capital city of the Kingdom of Pagan. Today it is estimated that 2,200 of the structures still exist. The best way to view them is from the wicker basket of a hot-air balloon gently gliding over the landscape. When the ancient architecture breaks through the early morning mist, it makes for the most ethereal sight. Three companies— Balloons Over Bagan, Oriental Ballooning, and Golden Eagle Ballooning—offer these flights over the Bagan Plain. visit-bagan.com

2 SHOP IN THE FLOATING MARKETS OF THAILAND

While shopping is an integral part of travel, jumping from one mall to another may mask the local vibe of a destination. Floating through a canal on a long-tail boat, though, makes for a memorable shopping experience, one that Thailand is famous for. From some of the best street food to trinkets, souvenirs, and local art, Thailand’s floating markets offer quite a variety of buys for shoppers. If you’re in Bangkok, take your pick from the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which featured in the Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun, or the all-day Taling Chan. For a quick experience, head to the Bang Nam Pheung Market, which is about 20 kilometres from central Bangkok and has only six boats. Pattaya, however, boasts one of the best floating markets in Thailand. The Four Regions Floating Market (pattayafloatingmarket.com) is spread over 1,00,000 square metres and is divided into four sections housing 114 shops. tourismthailand.org