Asia

Iran, formerly known as Persia, is a land of striking natural beauty, breathtaking tiled mosques, and one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations.

Afghanistan is a land of extraordinary history and dramatic landscape — a mountainous, landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, South and West Asia…

The Philippines is an archipelago of more than 7,100 islands strung between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, and it rewards travellers willing to…

Taiwan is a self-governing island nation off the southeastern coast of mainland Asia, a place where dense, neon-lit cities give way within an hour's drive to…

Azerbaijan is where the Caucasus meets the Caspian, a country that wears its contrasts openly: medieval caravanserais and flame-shaped glass towers in Baku…

Often called the "Land of the Morning Calm", the Republic of Korea occupies the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and packs an extraordinary range of…

Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's most rewarding and underrated destinations — a country where soaring skyscrapers, colonial-era shophouses, primeval…

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago — more than 17,000 islands strung across the Equator between the Indian and Pacific oceans, nicknamed the "Emerald…

Cambodia is a small Southeast Asian kingdom that punches far above its weight for travellers willing to look beyond the headline ruins.

The Maldives is, for many travellers, the closest thing on earth to a vision of paradise — a scattering of nearly 1,200 low coral islands strung across the…

Mongolia is one of the world's last great empty places — a landlocked giant wedged between Russia and China, with the lowest population density of any…

Sri Lanka packs an improbable amount of variety into an island roughly the size of Ireland.

The State of Palestine encompasses the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip, two non-contiguous territories in the Levant carrying some of…

Myanmar — also known as Burma — is Southeast Asia's most enigmatic destination, a country where gilded pagodas pierce the morning mist, longtail boats glide…

Yemen is one of the oldest centers of civilization in the Arabian Peninsula — a land of mud-brick skyscrapers, terraced mountain villages, frankincense…

Laos is Southeast Asia's only landlocked nation, a country of mist-wrapped mountains, slow brown rivers and gilded temples that has held onto a gentler pace of…

Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Middle East and, until recently, one of its most closed.

Nepal packs more drama into its modest footprint than almost anywhere on earth.

Uzbekistan is the crown jewel of the Silk Road — the most accessible and rewarding of the Central Asian republics, and home to some of the most spectacular…

Syria is one of the cradles of human civilization, home to some of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth and an extraordinary density of historical…

Iraq is the land of Mesopotamia — "the cradle of civilization" — where writing, cities, law, and large-scale agriculture first emerged between the Tigris and…

Israel packs an extraordinary density of history, faith, landscape, and modern energy into a country smaller than New Jersey.

Bangladesh is South Asia's most underrated destination — a country of immense rivers, emerald rice paddies, ancient mosques and a warmth of welcome that…

Jordan is a compact Arab kingdom in the heart of the Middle East that packs an extraordinary range of experiences into an area smaller than Portugal.

Lebanon is a small Mediterranean country of outsized character — a place where you can ski the mountains in the morning and swim in the sea by afternoon, all…

Bhutan is unlike anywhere else on earth.

Kyrgyzstan is Central Asia's adventure heartland — a small, mountainous, landlocked republic where the Tian Shan and Pamir-Alay ranges fill more than 90% of…

Armenia is a small, mountainous republic in the South Caucasus that packs an outsized amount of history into a country roughly the size of Belgium.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly called North Korea, is one of the most isolated countries on Earth and is often described as the…

Oman is the Arabian Peninsula's quiet counterpoint to its glitzier Gulf neighbours: a sultanate of fjord-like inlets, palm-shaded oasis towns, fortress-crowned…

Kuwait is a compact, oil-rich emirate at the head of the Persian Gulf, sandwiched between Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

Turkmenistan is Central Asia's great enigma — one of the most isolated and tightly controlled countries on earth, and for exactly that reason one of the most…

Singapore is a city-state at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, a sovereign island nation roughly the size of a mid-sized city yet packed with the…

Tajikistan is the roof of Central Asia — a small, fiercely mountainous republic where more than 90% of the land is folded into ranges and over half sits above…

Bahrain is the Gulf's compact contrarian — a low-slung archipelago of 30-some islands off the coast of Saudi Arabia, small enough to cross in under an hour yet…

The United Arab Emirates compresses an improbable amount of contrast into a country slightly smaller than Austria.

Qatar is a small, immensely wealthy peninsula on the Arabian Gulf that has transformed itself from a pearling and fishing economy into one of the world's most…

Brunei Darussalam — the "Abode of Peace" — is a small, oil-rich Islamic sultanate on the northern coast of Borneo, wedged between the Malaysian states of Sabah…