The most magical stargazing spots in Asia

Japan may not be the first place that comes to mind when it comes to dark skies. With plenty of light pollution in its capital and popular cities, you would probably expect more starry lights than starry skies. Well, Japan actually has four Dark Sky Places awarded by Dark Sky International, a global authority on combating light pollution and restoring nighttime environments. 

Nicknamed the “Town of Beautiful Stars”, Bisei, part of Ibara City in Okayama Prefecture, is Asia’s first Dark Sky Community and Japan’s first town to implement a Light Pollution Prevention Ordinance in 1989. The town switches off its outdoor lights, including vending machines, at 10pm each night – all the better to observe a galaxy of stars via telescopes or with the naked eye at Bisei Astronomical Observatory, Bisei Space Guard Centre, and Hoshizora Park.

Time Out tip: Chase the Andromeda Galaxy while dining on a midnight wagyu curry at Hoshifuru (or “Falling Stars”) Restaurant that sets up alfresco tables every spring to summer. You may even be able to catch the Lyrid meteor shower, which occurs in April, or the Perseid meteor shower in August. 

Taiwan’s first and Asia’s third-awarded Dark Sky Park is in Hehuan Mountain, also known as Joint-Joy Mountain. The ridgeline at 3,000 metres above sea level is one you can drive along, with no trekking boots required. The mountain range has five major stargazing spots, namely Wuling, Songxuelou, Xiaofengkou, Yuanfeng, and Kunyang. The last two are the best, with 360-degree horizon views and the least amount of light pollution.

Time Out tip: Grab a tour with a local guide to observe the sea of stars, including the Milky Way, constellations, and possible shooting stars. The best time of year to visit is winter, between October and February, when the dry north‑east monsoon winds scrub the air crystal clear and the occasional snow flurries photograph like silver confetti under the stars – very romantic.

Just 4.5 hours from neon-lit Seoul is Yeongyang Firefly Ecological Park, a conservation zone for millions of fireflies and a superb vantage point for viewing the Milky Way arches. Imagine a sky filled with both fireflies and stars! It’s nestled within the Wangpi River Basin Ecological Landscape Protected Zone, and it’s little wonder that this park is so precious, as recent reports indicate that we may be the last generation to see fireflies due to light pollution, pesticides, and climate change. Our advice? Catch them while you can. 

Other recommended places in South Korea for stargazing include Hahoe Hanok Village in Andong, which is 30 minutes away from the Yeongyang Firefly Ecological Park. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its well-preserved “hanoks” or traditional Korean houses. 

Time Out tip: In late July or early August, Yeongyang Firefly Ecological Park hosts summer star parties complete with K‑pop playlists, makgeolli (sparkling rice wine), guided firefly walks, and constellation storytelling sessions. Don’t miss out. 

Bhutan’s highest paved road, wedged between Paro and the remote Haa Valley at 3,988 metres, doubles as a Himalayan star lounge. Watch Orion rise over the 7,000 metre Mount Jomolhari while sipping a butter tea as prayer flags flap in the alpine breeze. Layer up warm when visiting Bhutan post‑monsoon, between October to February. It’s chilly, but the lack of night airglow – a faint emission of light by the Earth’s atmosphere – gives Bhutan one of Asia’s darkest skies. Of course, we can also thank minimal pollution, high Himalayan altitudes, and crisp air, all factors that make Bhutan an ideal destination for stargazing.

Time Out tip: With such great stargazing, it’s expected that astrology plays a major role in determining auspicious dates for key events in the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon. In fact, this propensity goes way back – about 600 years ago, when Bhutan’s oldest monastery, The Druk Phudrangding College for Astrology, was established about eight kilometres outside Thimphu. Today, you can visit to get your fortune read – perhaps a combination of stargazing and star-reading by astrologers will show you a promising path to your travels.

Perched at 4,500 metres above sea level on the Changthang Plateau, Hanle is India’s first certified Dark Sky Reserve, encompassing the Indian Astronomical Observatory. Locals trained as “astronomy ambassadors” run nightly telescope sessions, and guesthouses hand out red‑beam torches instead of welcome drinks. Aim for the new moon weekends between May and October when the high‑altitude paper-thin air turns inky black, where over 300 nights of the year are cloudless, making the Milky Way seem close enough to touch. 

Time Out tip: Stay at Cosmohub AstroStays, a community-run homestay where the proceeds fund village educational projects. Sip on Ladakhi butter tea, wrap up in blankets thick enough for sub‑zero temperatures, and enjoy starry-eyed nightly telescope sessions on the roof. For something extra, visit the 17th-century Hanle Monastery or “Gompa” associated with the Drukpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. 

Nights in Hanle also feature star parties outside the Indian Astronomical Observatory, where visitors have the chance to observe astronomical phenomena, such as meteor showers, the zodiacal light, and even the occasional aurora borealis.

What happens when you combine yurts, an elevation of 3,016 metres above sea level, and 280 cloud-free nights a year? A stargazing jackpot, that’s what! 

Enjoy Song-Kul Lake – located 330km from the capital, Bishkek, in the northern Naryn Region of Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia – by horse‑trekking the “jailoo” (summer pastures), then settling beside a dung‑fired stove, and watching shepherd dogs chase shadows and bark at shooting stars while the Milky Way arches overhead. Some camps carry computerised telescopes that automatically track 40,000 celestial objects, which comes in handy when you can’t feel your fingers. June to September is prime stargazing time, as outside those months the roads on the plateau are snow‑blocked and yurt camps dismantled.

Time Out tip: Experience the freedom of the mountain and nomadic life by staying in one of Nomad Lodge Song‑Kul’s felt‑lined yurts. These cosy accommodations come with solar showers, and the team organises immersive tours via hiking, trekking, or biking. At the end of July, the annual Nomad Festival showcases horse games, local cuisine such as “kumis” tasting (a fermented dairy drink), traditional handicrafts, and folklore shows by Song-Kul Lake, the second-largest lake in Kyrgyzstan.

Palawan’s postcard-perfect lagoons hide a secret after dark – some of the best stargazing in the Philippines. With its remote coves and blackout nights with no artificial light in sight, these are under-the-radar spots to catch the stars mirrored by the water, especially if you’re floating on a boat in the Bacuit Bay off El Nido. Add some bioluminescence in the crystal clear waters, and you have disco ball twinkling lights all around – stars above and below. 

Time Out tip: Book an overnight island-hopping tour with Tao Philippines. Their private boat expeditions include island camping with bonfires, hammocks, and solar lights under wide-open skies. No signal and no distractions mean you get fully acquainted with the celestial above.