Top 25 travel experiences and destinations in Asia for Australian visitors

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Key details reported by multiple sources:

• Asia has 48 countries according to the United Nations, extending from the Indian subcontinent to Central Asia and the Middle East
• Indonesia ranked as Australia’s top visited destination in Asia last year, driven by Bali’s popularity
• Japan ranked third, China fifth, and Thailand sixth among Australia’s top 10 most-visited Asian destinations in 2023
• Vietnam and Sri Lanka are among Australia’s fastest-growing Asian destinations, with Vietnam expected to rank higher next year
• China extended its visa-free entry policy until the end of the current year
• Smartraveller’s ‘Do Not Travel’ list includes the Middle East war zones, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Jammu and Kashmir (India), and border areas between India-Pakistan and Thailand-Cambodia
• Smartraveller advises reconsidering travel to Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Papua Pegunungan/Papua Tengah provinces in Indonesia
• Air pollution in cities like Bangkok, Hanoi, Delhi, and Jakarta is reported at dangerous levels due to crop burning, poor fuel quality, and climate change
• The Philippines has over 7,000 islands, with Boracay and Palawan archipelago being the most popular destinations
• Turkish Airlines will launch a 17-hour direct flight from Sydney to Istanbul by the end of the year
• Sri Lanka suffered devastation from Cyclone Ditwah at the end of 2023 and is relying on tourism for economic recovery
• Jetstar is launching direct flights from Melbourne to Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 2024
• Khiva, Uzbekistan, has been continuously inhabited for 2,500 years and holds the region’s first UNESCO World Heritage listing
• A bullet train in Uzbekistan will reduce travel time from Tashkent to Khiva from 15 hours to 7.5 hours in 2024
• The Philippines’ Ililo City was recently declared a UNESCO City of Gastronomy
• Lake Toba in Indonesia is the world’s largest crater lake, covering over 1,100 square kilometers and containing an island the size of Singapore
• The Nebuta Festival in Aomori, Japan, attracts over 3 million visitors annually in early August
• The Bangkok Art Biennale 2024 will run from October 29, 2024, to February 28, 2025, featuring works in Wat Arun and the Temple of the Reclining Buddha
• Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station handles over 3 million passengers daily
• The Mogao Grottoes in China, near Dunhuang, date back to 366 BC and showcase 1,000 years of Buddhist art
• Singapore’s Mandai Wildlife Reserve features eight distinct ecosystems, including rainforests and karsts, with free-roaming animals like Malayan Tapirs
• The Hokkaido Garden Path in Japan links eight gardens spanning 250 kilometers, showcasing seasonal flowers
• teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi features 25 interactive digital art exhibits with wet and dry zones
• The Great Wall of China is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, with sections like Mutianyu, Jiankou, and Gubeikou less visited by tourists
• Australia’s direct non-stop flight to the Maldives from Melbourne to Male was launched in 2024 by Luxury Escapes
• The Gulf countries are planning to introduce a Schengen-style unified visa system for tourists
• New airports have been launched or expanded in Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Bhutan, Dubai, and Saudi Arabia in recent years