Introduction
Asia is a continent impossible to define. It’s a land of mystery, of colour and of a diverse cultural heritage that plays out everywhere from buzzing cities to palm-fringed islands and jungle-clad riverbanks.
Indeed, across the continent, its mighty waterways have become the lifeblood for ancient civilisations and local communities alike. Combine Cambodia’s mist-shrouded world wonders with Vietnam’s floating markets on the Mekong, showcase Myanmar’s gleaming royal capitals and lost-city treasures with the Irrawaddy, and head off the beaten track with India’s Brahmaputra, spotting tigers and rhinos in between stops at stilted villages and ruined island cities.
Lastly, if you make for open waters, there are the cultural delights of Japan and South Korea, city greats such as Bangkok, Hong Kong and Shanghai, the island gems of Indonesia and even the paradise archipelago of Indonesia’s West Papua. Here, great karst mountains rise out of shimmering blue waters – the backdrop to white-sand beaches and some of the finest snorkelling the world over.
