Gamcheon Culture Village: mountainside cultural neighbourhood. Image by Rob Whyte / Lonely Planet.
“A stunning confluence of scenery, culture and cuisine … with an eclectic offering of activities to suit all travellers.” That is how Lonely Planet describes Busan, South Korea, its pick as the best place to visit in Asia for 2018. Uzbekistan is the global travel authority’s second destination of choice.
Change is afoot there with an e-visa scheme and new air routes, while dreamy mosaic-clad mosques and Silk Road lore beckon. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is third on the annual list. The supercity keeps getting cooler with old apartment blocks transformed into contemporary independent stores. Colourful street food, innovative breweries, a war museum and eclectic local music are key attractions.
The seven other must-visit places named by Lonely Planet are the Western Ghats, India; Nagasaki, Japan; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Lumbini, Nepal; Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka; Sichuan Province, China; and Komodo National Park, Indonesia. Visitors to lonelyplanet.com/best-in-asia can enter a competition for a chance to win either a trip for two to Busan, or a camera drone package from DJI.
Here’s the full list:
Lonely Planet's Best in Asia 2018
1. Busan, South Korea
2. Uzbekistan
3. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
4. Western Ghats, India
5. Nagasaki, Japan
6. Chiang Mai, Thailand
7. Lumbini, Nepal
8. Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka
9. Sìchuan Province, China
10. Komodo National Park, Indonesia
See more here.
