Feature photo by Tony. Above photo by Nidcha Injai.
Asia is the world’s largest continent, with 17,139,445 square miles (44,391,162 square km) of land mass, and every type of terrain you can imagine.
From the early mountaineers who came to the Himalayas, travelers and adventurers have always sought out new places to explore in Asia. The following roundup outlines some of the recent Asian “classics” for ideas and inspiration on your next trip.
1. Paddling / Rafting on the Pai River, Thailand
The Pai River flows 62 miles through various class IV gorges and long stretches of flatwater through a remote, wilderness section of the Mae Hong Son province in Thailand. Season runs June – January. Mulit-day trips are run out of Pai.
2. Kite-surfing on the Filipino Island of Boracay
Bulabog Lagoon stretching over three bays, with an extended shallow and consistent cross-shore winds perfect for both kite-surfing. Various kite-surfing schools offer courses.
Photo by David Eng.
3. Mountain Trekking in Nepal
Among the numerous trekking routes in Nepal, the most popular is the Annapurna Base Camp Trail. Like most popular routes in Nepal, the Annapurna Sanctuary is a “teahouse trek.” Trails pass through villages, each with its own lodging.
4. Caving and Wildlife Viewing in Borneo
The site of continued international caving expeditions, Gunung Mulu National Park contains over 300 km of mapped caves system, including the largest single cave chamber in the world. It has a well established infrastructure and daily tours.
5. Surfing in Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa is well-known among surfers. The ‘Hawaii of the East’ is blessed with white sandy beaches, huge waves, and an established surf culture. You get to enjoy Japanese culture without the hectic rush of Tokyo or other big cities.
The best waves are found at the North of Nago, but beware of the southern end of the harbor, but this is a hollow reef break, not for novice surfers.
Photo by Oscar López.
6. Sandboarding at Mui Ne, Northern Vietnam
Sunrise is a good time to head up into the White Sand dunes. One of the most fun ways to spend a couple hours exploring the dunes: sandboarding. You can rent a board for 100,000 Dong.
7. Trekking and Climbing in Bhutan
With some of the world’s most spectacular landscapes and trekking routes, and a government that measures the country’s progress in GNH, or Gross National Happiness, Bhutan is good to go. Remember that independent traveling is not allowed by the Bhutanese government; you need to arrange your trip through a local travel agency.
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Looking for more in depth guides on the places mentioned above?
Check out this Comprehensive guide to trekking Bhutan. Want to check out surf in Japan Hit up our crew here.
If you’re just getting started in adventure sports, check out David Miller’s guide to paddling or N. Chrystine Olson’s beginner’s guide to telemark skiing.
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10 Comments... join the discussion!
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Thanks for the additional tip! Rock-climbing in Vang Vieng – with a view of the green rice paddies, that must be astounding!
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I'd give a thumbs-up to rock climbing in Railay, Thailand, as well. You couldn't ask for more scenic crags. Nice list.
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Hey! nice article about adventure sports in asia, Although it could be extended a bit more, Im missing things like surfing in indonesia (Bali is a top) or scuba-diving all around malasia and indonesia (I heard Sipadan is the Mecca for scuba divers)
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Nice list. would like to also recommend Mt Bromo in Surabaya Indonesia. the trip from the village towards the dormant volcano in the wee hours of the night was unforgettable.
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Kite surfing in Borocay sounds like fun and since I live in South East Asia, have bookmarked it as my next destination for a beach holiday. BTW, how do you get there ? Any recommendations on lodging ?
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Good to hear that Bittergourd! Cebu Pacific flies to Caticlan, which is the nearest airport to Boracay. It is a small budget airport, but still works! From there, it's just a 15minute boat ride over to the neighbouring Boracay. Besides that, Asian Spirit also offers budget airfares to Caticlan. There are tons of hotels dotted along the most popular White Beach, but I would highly recommend our quiet little hideout from the tourist crowd- Turtle Inn. It's a resort that's cheap yet comfortable, overlooking the sea, suitable for those on a budget but looking for somesort of comfort. My favourite part is walking through the local village en-route to the resort, you get a feel of local life, just minutes from the tourist scene.
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Thanks Ching. Mt Bromo definitely makes it on the list! Sounds very enticing for the adventure seekers.
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I love your list! Seems to cover a variety of different adventure sports to explore in Asia, which is what I need because I'd only been to trekking in Nepal. Yes, did the ABC trek =D You're absolutely right to include that in this list, absolutely stunning trek. To add on to the ABC route, we stopped at Macchapucche Base Camo too, which is right below ABC. As ot was late April, ABC was covered in snow but MBC is an amazing place too. Lots of myths surround the "Fish Tail" mountain, the nick name given to Macchapucche because of the shape of its peak. Wonderful, I'm glad to chance upon this article! Thanks Nellie!! =D
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Hi, great list. But I think you should add Scuba Diving in the list
Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia & Philippines are famous for their ‘world class dive sites’. I love Raja Ampat in Papua and Komodo National Park, soooo beatiful!!Cheers,
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