Travel Places That You Need To Go To: Asia Edition
Written by Grace Anne Dela Cruz, Edited by Asic, & Researched by Karen Lin
With the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of us are stuck at home, stuck in our own part of the world. It’s definitely challenging to travel because of all the restrictions and guidelines. As much as we want to go somewhere, it’s just not feasible at this time. In the meantime, we can plan our future vacations for when we can travel safely. There are lots of amazing places all over the world, and today, we will be focusing on travel destinations that you NEED to go to in Asia. When you do get the chance, hop on a plane and head over to some of these places!
The first stop we will be making is the Maldives. The Maldives is composed of nearly 1,200 islands and is known for its luxurious water villas, beautiful blue oceans, and sandy white beaches. Many of the people who vacation there spend a lot of their time at the beach, but aside from that, they also participate in various water sports activities such as surfing, canoeing, windsurfing, and so much more! The clear water and diverse marine life creates the perfect environment for visitors to scuba dive or snorkel. Snorkeling excursions are also offered if you’d like to explore deeper waters.
Another amazing thing to note about the Maldives is that every resort is on its own private island and there are over 100 of them to choose from. We now make our way to the capital of the Maldives, Malé. Here we have popular tourist attractions like the National Museum where you can find collections of artifacts, royal antiques, coins, and other significant memorabilia. Another location near the National Museum is Sultan Park. This park has playgrounds for kids, sculptures, greenery, and fountains.
We have another stop at Japan’s capital, Tokyo. Tokyo is known for its numerous attractions, the most prominent being the Imperial Palace. The Emperor of Japan lives in this palace, but this area is also a park that is open to the public. Another significant tourist attraction is the Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and the Empress. The shrine is surrounded by an evergreen forest that is 175 acres, the number of trees amounting to 120,000. Out of all of those trees, there’s one called the “wishing tree” where visitors can write their wishes and hang them.
Our last stop in Tokyo is the Ueno District. Here we find one of the most popular attractions―Ueno Park. You can find a great number of museums and temples here, along with various nature sites like ponds, shrines, and gardens. Another activity that you can check out in Ueno Park is at the Shinobazu pond. At this pond, you can take a little trip and sail around a small island where the Bentendo Temple can be found.
Our last stop is Bali, Indonesia. Indonesia has many islands, and Bali is one of the most popular among tourists. In Bali, visitors can find oceans, volcanic mountains, temples and so much more! One of the most common activities is the hike up Mount Batur, which is 1,700 meters up. Many like to hike up Mount Batur to see the sunrise. The hike usually takes about two hours, but the view at the top is definitely worth it. This active volcano can be found in Bali’s central highlands in the Kintamani District.
Aside from natural landscapes, temples are some of Bali’s notable tourist attractions. One of the most known temples is the Uluwatu Temple. This temple is situated at the end of a cliff, which allows tourists to watch the sunset over the ocean. Visitors can also watch the Kecak dance performances that are hosted here.
The last tourist attraction we will be highlighting in Bali is the popular area known as Kuta. Kuta Beach is the heart of tourism in Bali. Some of the activities include but are not limited to surfing and swimming. Surfing lessons are also offered for those who want to hit the waves but don’t know where to start.
All three of these places are wonderful in their own ways and truly showcase the beauty of Asia. In Asia alone, there are so many places you can go to. Covering all of them at once wouldn’t do any justice to the beauty of these destinations. This is it for our quick staycation and hopefully one day, we will be able to visit these places in person. Until then, stick around for some more Populasians content as we continue to highlight topics similar to this one!
Have a safe trip!
Sources
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/maldives
https://travel.usnews.com/Maldives/Things_To_Do/
https://travel.usnews.com/Maldives/Things_To_Do/Male_62543/
https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/tokyo-jpn-kn-t.htm
https://www.touropia.com/tourist-attractions-in-tokyo/
https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/tokyo-jpn-kn-t.htm
https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/bali-ina-b-b.htm
Graphics by Denny Mae Villegas, Althea (Nicole) Ocomen, & Zoe Cannon
