People Are Sharing The Best Asian Countries To Visit, And I'm So Sorry If Your Favorite Isn't On The List
by Morgan Sloss · BuzzFeedPosted 3 minutes ago
For someone wanting to explore Asia, it can be prettyyy tough to narrow down where to visit.
So, we recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to share their favorite Asian countries they've traveled to, and their responses have me ready to book a flight ASAP. Here's what they said:
We also included responses from this and this Reddit thread.
1. Vietnam
"Vietnam is AMAZING! Hanoi in particular, but the entire coastline is something special. I purchased a tour and went from the south (Ho Chi Minh City) to the north (Hanoi) and everything in between. Unreal culture. Beautiful."
—Anonymous
"Great food and nightlife, plus everything is cheap by our standards."
"Both Vietnam and Japan are magical, must-see countries."
2. Taiwan
"The country was beautiful, the public transport was amazing, and everyone was so nice and helpful. The convenience stores were just as nice, if not better than those in Japan, and everything was so cheap. I really recommend Taiwan as a place to discover. I felt so safe, too — not once did I feel the need to guard my purse or my body like I would in other countries."
—Anonymous
"I have been to Taiwan. I highly recommend it. I spent three weeks there in Taipei. However, I went in June, and it was so hot, so I wouldn't recommend going in the summertime. It might be nice in the autumn or spring. It's easy to get around. The people are nice. It has good public transport. It's very safe. I had no trouble."
3. Japan
"Japan has been fun for me with the variety there. Tokyo and Kyoto have a totally different atmosphere. You've got ancient and modern. Variety of food. Super easy to get around on public transport. I'd love to get up to Hokkaido for trip number three."
"I went to Japan alone in September/October, and it was great. It can be a little chaotic, especially in Tokyo. If you go there, you could start in Kyoto, which is super walkable and has something to see around every corner. I stayed there a week and could’ve stayed longer. I’d just go aimlessly wander around and stumble upon so much.
Also, it’s super safe. As a woman, I never felt afraid walking around alone at night, and there were always other women doing the same. For me, this is a huge indicator of safety."
"Japan is really user-friendly and has so much to do. Just went there for six weeks, and it was amazing. The best time is either October-November or March-April, unless you want to ski/snowboard, and then it’s February."
4. Indonesia
"Indonesia is beautiful and amazing. The people are the friendliest I have met anywhere."
—Anonymous
"Indonesia for the nature, culture, and history."
5. South Korea
"My mom's Korean, so I spent a lot of time traveling to Korea during the school holidays when I was young. Definitely recommend, but I advise that you go to some of the smaller rural cities/districts instead of Seoul or Busan because they tend to be less busy, have more historical/cultural landmarks, and are less likely to have tourist traps. On that note, don't go to Gwangjang Market — it's waaaay too expensive now. Go to Gyeongdong instead; it's way bigger, cheaper, and better quality."
—Anonymous
"South Korea is a beautiful place to visit. It is incredibly clean, with caring and helpful people. A diversity of local foods is reasonably priced, but be aware that Korean-style pizza can be different than the rest of the world's.
As for transportation, the public options are clean, safe, and affordable. Intercity buses are plentiful; just go to any convenience store and purchase a reloadable bus pass for that area. Intra-city transportation (I must encourage visiting country parts of the country) is also very affordable. South Korea is about the size of the state of Indiana. Travel times are short. There are mountains, beaches, lakes, streams, and quiet, smaller communities located within an hour of the megacity of Seoul that are worth your time to explore."
6. Singapore
"If you've never been outside of the US and want to visit a global Asian city, I highly recommend Singapore for your first trip. English is an official language, and everyone speaks it. It's also a great city with a very interesting mesh of cultures and a very large expat community."
"Singapore. Everything is within walking distance. The malls are nice, very worth visiting. The food is delicious, and they have both cheap and expensive foods. Taiwan may have night markets, but Singapore has hawker centers."
7. Laos
"It’s cheap, safe, clean, friendly, and beautiful. A real hidden gem."
—Anonymous
"Laos for being small and the laidback pace of life."
8. China
"Thailand and Sri Lanka are really cool, but if I had to pick one, it’d be China. It’s just so massive and diverse with endless things to see and stuff to experience and learn."
"China! I went as part of a two-week school program I signed up for, and extended the trip to see other parts of the country. Everyone was so nice and helpful, and it was shockingly affordable. I felt incredibly safe there as a woman alone and found locals always willing to help me figure things out. I saw so many gorgeous sights, cultural and scenery-wise (although, for many, I was the tourist attraction haha)."
—Anonymous
9. Malaysia
"Malaysia for being a cosmopolitan crossroads with a bit of everything."
"Easy to travel there, friendly people, great food, stunning scenery, lots of fun things to do."
"Malaysia is underrated, especially for English or Chinese speakers. Just way too hot at certain times of the year."
10. And finally, India
"For me, my favorite country I've visited of 53 countries is India. I think people's answers can be really hit or miss regarding India, and it depends on how they did it. We had a private tour with a driver and local guide who took us to Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur, and I absolutely loved every bit of it. The palaces were absolutely incredible — some of the most amazing I've seen in the world, and the people were lovely, friendly, and kind. The food is top-notch.
However, I've heard of folks who tried to do India on their own and hated it. I think it's one of those places where having a local take you around really helps because it is chaotic and difficult to navigate. You also have to go in with the right expectations because you will encounter poor infrastructure in many places and a huge wealth gap that is evident in the luxury of many of the places there. But overall, I was absolutely obsessed and had the best time there. I went to Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam on this same trip (spent about five weeks in Asia) and loved every single one, but India was the favorite for both my partner and me."
—Anonymous