There is no denying that a high percentage of backpackers are dreaming of putting Asia on their bucket list for their next voyage. Well, who wouldn’t? Asia is the largest continent and the most geographically diverse part of the planet.
The continent comes with vibrant culture and extraordinary landscapes that are aesthetically pleasing in various ways.
Vietnam, home of the famous Ha Long Bay. Here lies the island’s number one destination for tourist hubs wanting for a soothing picturesque scenery as they chill.
Across East Asia is the Great Wall of China, it escalated to have 20-23 feet above the ground, and still one of the most appealing sites that have 2,700 years of history.
Meanwhile, if you feel a bit more outgoing, consider heading out to the islands of the Philippines, they are famous for tourist who has a zest for snorkelling and scuba diving.
And if you are also a person obsessed with sunsets and sunrise, considering electric cycling in Bagan over the dawn has to be a good option for you.
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WHAT TO INCLUDE ON YOUR ASIA BUCKET LIST
Asia has multiple underlying countries travellers already distinguished as the best places to go now and then. Of course, you want to visit places worth the time and money. Reading up will give you more insights into the best Asia bucket list that can ease your wanderlust.
Motorbiking in Vietnam
You’ll be surprised by how many motorcyclists, whether foreigner or local who relies on a motorbike in Vietnam as a means of daily transportation in running errands and travelling.
Motorbiking has been part of the culture of Vietnamese since the 1960s. As the tourists find Vietnam as a great travel destination, the British show Top Gear made a discovery of how exciting it is to make a motorbike trip through the Hai Van pass.
The pass that goes from the old town of Hue, up the mountains, over the clouds with almost zero visibility, ride down to the beach town of Da Nang and then reaching the charming place called Hoi An.
Not recently that motorcyclists have been pouring popularity in a travel route connecting from Hanoi all the way to Ho Chi Minh City.
It was the exquisite terrain and majestic mountains that made motorbiking in Vietnam enjoyingly viable. But as a first-time traveller, how much does a motorbike, food, and accommodations will cost you?
REMEMBER: Check if you need a visa for Vietnam
Accommodations
You can find accommodations from $5-$7/dorm room or $10-$15/private room(double occupancy). You can read this list of best hostels in Vietnam
Motorbike cost
You can buy a motorbike for $280-$450 (buying in the south can be pricier) the repair costs between $1-$10 depending on the problem or even more.
How long will it take if riding through Sapa
It takes 2-4 days to experience the nature view of Sapa fully. It is located in the northern district of Vietnam. The terrain overlooks terraced golden rice fields and majestic mountains.
Passing through the Hai Van Pass
About 6-8 hours depending on how many stops you will do. You can also spend a night in Da Nang and continue the trip to Hoi An or to Hue (depending on where you’re coming from) the next day.
Food
Around $5-$8 for budget meals good for three times a day. Most hostels and hotels offer free breakfast. While there is a lot of convenience store in the big cities which offers a quick meal and snack.
Travel time in a motorbike
3 weeks, from north to south of Vietnam or vice versa. If you don’t have the time, you can also get to the central of Vietnam and take an international or domestic flight from there.
Gas expenses
You can buy $6 for full motorbike tanks that has the capacity of 7 litres. Average distance you can go to is about 150km/day or a maximum of 6 hours a day.
Rickshaw Run India
One of the great travel adventures in India is the Rickshaw Run. Indians have been travelling across India three times a year with various routes driving a rickshaw – a vehicle with a very tiny engine.
The event began on December 2006; the first route travelled was Ernakulam Kochi to Darjeeling. Rickshaw run is commonly traversing with 3000 km with just a rickshaw. The rickshaw doesn’t have the capabilities to withstand the long distance.
Along the way, you’ll tremble in the ground, get stuck, breakdown, and overheat in multiple times. This is the part where Rickshaw Run gets exciting, and adventurous for such, getting lost midway has definite possibilities.
REMEMBER: You probably need to apply for an Indian visa
Cost of a Rickshaw
$2000 for buying a rickshaw vehicle.
Accommodation
You’ll have to find lodging every day, and that will cost you $15-$25 for cheap hotels with a double room and air conditioning.
Food
You can eat along the road, there are tons of family-owned restaurant, stalls, and stores which will cost you $ 1.5 for a meal in a family-owned restaurant.
Gas Expenses
Consuming 10-15 litres per day. $11 each day for rickshaw petrol.
Travel time in a Rickshaw run
The travel time usually lasts for 14 days or more if you travel slower.
Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries in Thailand
Elephants are scattering around places in Thailand. This huge majestic creature grows a big business for Tourism. In most cases, it is sad to encounter mistreatment to these creatures in Thailand.
Hence, if you want to see and play with the elephants, you have to do extensive research which sanctuaries and rescue centres you should visit to make sure that the place is putting the welfare of the elephant as the top priority.
Ethical elephant sanctuaries help to rescue and rehabilitate them after maltreatment the from the previous owner such as riding them, pushing the elephants to perform for hours under a drug, training them using cruel tactics. They are mostly located in the Northern part of Thailand.
Many retreats engage in saving animals lives and ending the mistreatment of wildlife in Thailand. Remember, elephants have fantastic memories; being mistreated will scar them forever.
Responsible tourism should be equally beneficial to you as a tourist, to the locals, and the animals and nature.
Estimated Cost
The Cost may vary on the length of stay. Travellers can stay for more than one day for $46-$142 a single day visit to up to $1,000 for 1 – 2 weeks of accommodation
How long will it take
One day to a full two weeks
What to remember
If the place offers a ride or a performance from the elephant, you must avoid this place. Best to read reviews online or ask Thailand traveller forums to get some insights before signing up for this activity
Full Moon Party in Thailand
Partygoers are positive that the most beautiful place to experience a full moon was in Koh Phangan. 10,000 – 30,000 people were getting on party vibes as the moon shines bright in the crescent-shaped white sand beach of Thailand.
Mayhem is avoidable in this night, being the largest and most infamous party over the world. This late-night event is always fully booked and gets first-timers pumped up with a tremendous amount of booze and techno, house, trance, metal kinds of music.
Estimated Cost
You can buy $3 for an entrance fee, and $5-$7 for liquors. The cost now depends on how drunk you are planning to be in this extraordinary party.
How long will it take
It usually takes one night and one full day.
Electric Cycling Through Bagan/Sunrise Over Bagan
E-bikes and motorcycles are extremely popular in Bagan, however, travellers or if you look like a foreigner, it is illegal for you to own and drive a motorbike in Bagan. Sure, it sounds disheartening, heads up because there is something much better for you, E-bikes.
Myanmar, home of more than 100 ethnic groups, in the region is an ancient city recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site. Expect temples and infrastructure which resemblance of old civilization in Bagan. A town built by kings in late 1050-1290.
There are about 2200 temples today, and getting over in feet is a fierce battle, locals suggest to rent up an E-bike instead as a means of travelling. One characteristic that keeps on attracting the most tourists in Bagan is the perfect geographical location in its view over sunrise.
TIP: Get your Myanmar evisa online
Estimated cost
$33 for daily travel expenses, including accommodation, food, water, local transportation, and entertainment.
How long will it take
Three and more days are good enough to enjoy around Bagan.
Best tip
Go in a group if you’re catching the sunrise because the map that your receptionist will hand is not accurate (there are no post lamps in Bagan), there is a big chance that you will get lost in the dark and miss the sunrise
Visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan
Memories will always hunt Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. The first-ever atomic bomb (little boy) was dropped and killed thousands of innocent people’s lives. Today, locals and tourists are always free and welcome to commemorate the death of its people in Peace Memorial Park.
You can also walk around and learn more about the melancholic history in the solemn Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. Like the City of Bagan, in 1996, Hiroshima was also declared as a UNESCO World Heritage.
After the bombings, Japanese starts converting its lands solely for parks and memorialize the aftermaths of this tragic bombings.
ALSO READ: Things to know before travelling to Japan
Estimated Cost
185$ for three days accommodations, destination entrance fee, and a complete itinerary trip that covers top destination in Hiroshima. Excluding airfare and food. Prices of foods vary each type.
How long will it take
Three days is a good amount of time.
Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields, Cambodia
It may be difficult to digest the information you’ll receive on a trip to Angkor Wat to Killing fields; it is important to spend at least three days in Phnom Penh (Killing Fields and Genocide Museum) and another three days in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat).
You can see stone temples across jungles and monuments of the fallen heroes that have been killed by a communist party that took power in the country in the year 1975. Khmer Rouge appeals to be responsible for the death of more than two million Cambodians.
Despite the tragedy, Cambodians have chosen to forget and reflect on this event by pouring its past horrors in its Museums and prayers on temples. Meanwhile on the side of Angkor War lies the most excellent 12th-century ancient university and Asia’s largest lake.
ALSO READ: What you need to know before arriving in Cambodia
Estimated Cost
Visiting these two places will cost about $80-$150 including the tickets and transportation.
How long will it take
It should take about a week, which should be enough without hurrying to see the two places.
Good ‘ol Great Wall of China
In line with the Chinese defence, dynasties fortified a massive wall and high mountain watch towers in protecting them from raids following invasions. Throughout 475-221 BC, north Chinese men begin developing these walls and start joining it in various states that collectively known today as The Great Wall of China.
Today, the wall is a top-rated tourist site that gets too crowded on the top. The wall is 20-23 feet above the ground, and you could be overlooking a whole nation and experience moderate hiking.
Estimated Cost
It will cost you $30 for entering the wall, including minibus transportation.
How long will it take
The most famous and fully restored section of the wall is Mutianyu. Driving will take 2 hours reaching the entrance. You can spend a whole day walking, running and hiking 4000 stairs to the wall.
Snorkelling and Diving in the Philippines
Thanks to the Gods, the Philippines remains to be the top seductive places to visit when planning to take a dip in the bluest oceans and far-off white sand coastlines. The Visayas, one of the three Philippine islands are primitive in terms of bodies of water.
Wherever you are in the three islands Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao your always close to my home – the beach. Meanwhile, the Philippines are top-rated to divers and snorkelers. There is a myriad of places to visit when expecting to see marine life. Siquijor is one of the islands that attracts travellers the most. And always in the best Asia Bucket List in a travellers journal.
Estimated cost
$30 for one little dive per day, including gear. $28 for a snorkelling course with equipment.
How long will it take
1 – 2 days should be enough or long if you (just like me) can’t have enough of this activity.
Travelling through Borneo
Borneo is one of the most eco biodiverse regions on the planet. It has the oldest far-reaching rainforest and home to multiple kinds of chimps and exotic wildlife.
There over 1100 types of species living in the mountainous centre of Borneo. And interacting with them is possible, especially when you’re on a trip. Sabah is one of the provinces that are rich in ecosystems.
Tourist keeps on growing. Today, tourism in Borneo evolves in ways that they already offer bird tours, wildlife sanctuaries, and many more enjoyments that can leave you speechless with your jungle life experience.
Estimated cost
$8 – 15 for a dorm bed, $6 a day for food, and $7 for park admissions
How long will it take
1-2 weeks is enough in exploring the entire Sabah Region.
Train Travel Across Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka runs every railway across nations. A train trip is a spectacular, and sensational experience you can have when planning for Asia’s bucket list. This trip is popular for its scenic view but also for a chance to get the coolest photo from Asia.
You’ll have your ultimate me time and try reflecting on life while overlooking far-reaching fields of tea plantations. A scenic Sri Lanka train expedition is just like Before Sunrise, and the ride can be very romantic and personal.
Estimated cost
$1.5 for a 4 hours ride on a train.
How long will it take
A lot of travellers would travel the entire country of Sri Lanka on a train. You can either do this just once or multiple times.
These are some of my Asia’s bucket list, tell me yours. I’d also love to visit lovely places that can shake your whole world overview.
If you have comments, suggestions, insights or more outputs, leave a comment below! I’d be happy to hear something from a fellow traveller.
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