Katie Lockhart

Close your eyes and think back to your favourite family holiday. Maybe you were sipping hot chocolate après-ski with your parents or throwing a ball on the beach with your sibling? There were undoubtedly tears at some point, but family trips remain among our most cherished memories. So, when you’re looking for family-friendly holiday options to please even the pickiest kids, Asia is a goldmine. Don’t worry; we’ve narrowed down some of the top destinations, from marine-packed Maldives to blissful Bhutan. Start looking at flights; here’s where to go on your next family trip. RECOMMENDED: The best solo travel destinations in Asia and The best wellness resorts and retreats in Asia

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Nope, we’re not talking about Oz. In Asia, animal lovers can spot this trifecta of wild creatures in the myriad biomes from Mongolia to Borneo. And while there are plenty of zoos and “sanctuaries” to view the region’s famed endemic animals, they’re best seen while living freely in their natural habitat. So, skip the questionable animal tourism centres sprinkled around Asia and head to these wildlife destinations instead. RECOMMENDED: The best scuba diving destinations in Asia and The most spectacular places to visit in Asia

Some call cycling meditative, others the world’s most fun form of exercise. For many, it's a sustainable mode of transport paired with the ultimate feeling of freedom. But then, you’ve got the people who’d say it’s just plain masochism. If you fall into the latter, don’t read on. Ignore our list of Asia’s most stunning—wind in your hair—cycling routes from Singapore to Sri Lanka. RECOMMENDED: The most spectacular scuba diving spots in Asia and Awesome road trips in Asia you have to try at least once

Snacks? Check. Playlist? Check? Route? Well, that depends. Cue the eye roll, but it’s true what they say: it’s not about the destination; it’s about the journey. And in a continent as big and diverse as Asia, choosing the right road trip is key.  From the swaying rice fields of Vietnam to the craggy coastal cliffs of South Korea, we’ve rounded up Asia’s best road trips. And don’t forget, in Asia, you can get creative with your transportation. Whether it be a car, motorbike, bicycle or tuk tuk, take to the open road and explore some of Asia’s most beautiful corners. READ MORE: One month in Southeast Asia: The ultimate itinerary and The best hikes in Asia

The dreaded layover. What’s that, eight hours to kill? In an airport? Yikes. The romance of The Terminal quickly wears off in a blur of uncomfortable seats, stale sandwiches, and those internal discussions about whether it is okay to drink a beer at 8am in the morning. You’re at an airport, and time is an abstract concept. As for the rest? Luckily, not all airports are created equal; some are better than others. The coolest airports in the world understand the needs of the modern traveller. Why wouldn’t they? There’s absolutely no reason why any airport worthy of the name shouldn’t be home to an indoor garden, an art museum, a massive waterfall or anything else. At the very least, it should have a wide variety of food and drink options and some pretty friendly staff, right? Right. Some of these airports are so awesome that they are becoming destinations in their own right, which is an extremely strange sentence to type. Eight hours to kill in the airport? Forget the booze; let’s get exploring. Here are the best airports in the world according to us. RECOMMENDED: Full guide to the best things to do in the world

You’ve probably never heard of the Anambas Islands, but that’s by design. This super remote cluster of lush islands is home to the ultra-luxe Bawah Reserve. Indonesia’s answer to the Maldives, this hideaway has 36 villas, split between overwater and beach. Arguably one of Asia’s most sustainable resorts, it has its own recycling, bottling and desalination plant, as well as a massive floating solar farm that powers 50 per cent of the resort. The cherry on top? The stay here is all-inclusive; yep, that means laundry and a daily spa treatment too.

Combining the best of both, The Datai is sandwiched between an ancient tropical rainforest and a postcard-perfect bay on the Andaman Sea. Its 121 luxe rooms, suites, and villas have thatched roofs, teak flooring, soaking tubs and ethereal canopy beds. Spend days here swimming in the bay’s gentle waves, taking nature walks through the flora, or enjoying a muscle-melting massage in the streamside spa. Creatures and critters are no strangers to The Datai, so keep your eyes peeled for the Dusky langur, a local monkey that is equal parts cute and cheeky.

Surrounded by working rice paddies and swaying palms, this resort is an hour and a half outside Phnom Penh. Its 24 rustic rooms and ten mod suites are built inside traditional Khmer stilted bungalows. But besides the shocking levels of tranquillity, a stay here does some serious good for the local community. The Farmhouse resort works in conjunction with the non-profit Smiling Gecko, a training resort where Cambodian children learn various skills, including farming, cooking and English.

Swaying palm trees and sunset evenings personify this open-air beachside bar in Hiriketiya. Arguably Sri Lanka’s best place to drink, Smoke & Bitters’ tiki-inspired tipples pair perfectly with the food menu, highlighting smoked meats. Comprising local liquors like arrack, combined with ingredients like smoked wild bee honey, Ceylon vanilla and local pineapple, cocktails here are  a true sip of Sri Lanka. Given its reputation, this place is always packed, so book well in advance for a seat under the stars.

Upping Jakarta’s cocktail scene since 2021, The Cocktail Club is reminiscent of an old-school gentleman’s club. Leather chairs, billiard table lights, handmade tiles, and stained-glass windows decorate the space. More importantly, cocktails are grouped so you know exactly who among the expert bar staff is the mixologist.. Sample the Unjung Pandan, made with kaffir lime gin, housemade pandan liquor, absinthe and housemade coconut syrup from Kiki Moka. Or try the Surf & Turf Martini made with beef seasoning distillate, lobster bisque distillate, vermouth and absinthe by Erik Opung. You can’t go wrong with whichever bartender’s elixir you choose.

Hybrid Saigon is a true speakeasy – you’ll need a map and a microscope to find this secret bar. Hidden down an alley and inside another bar, Hybrid Saigon is cosy and calming; however, its drinks are anything but. Innovative and slightly chaotic, its cocktail menu is a masterclass in wacky flavours. Try the Black Tomato with white chocolate, tomato, mint, and Bacardi or the Maestro Mushroom with mushrooms, honey, chicken fat, and whisky. Hybrid is a place where being adventurous pays off and gets you drunk.

We’re less than two minutes from the airport, and a pack of goats is already blocking the road. “Sumba is very different from Bali. The only traffic we have here is animals,” jokes my driver as the herd scurries off. Twice the size of Bali, this predominantly Catholic outpost in the Lesser Sunda Islands is a welcome alternative to its scooter-packed roads and rowdy beach clubs. Largely undeveloped, the island is a mix of cornfields, rice paddies, rolling green hills and palm trees dusted with ocean spray. Its traditional architecture, animistic culture, stellar surf and burgeoning luxury resort scene are perfect for those looking to get a bit off the grid. Here’s everything you need to know about this dreamy Eastern Indonesia island. Photograph: joeymono/Shutterstock How to get there OK, so you’ll need to brave Bali for a bit to get to Sumba. There are four daily one-hour flights to Tambolaka (TMC) from Bali’s Denpasar (DPS) airport with Wings Air and Nam Air. On the east side of the island is Umbu Mehang Kunda Airport (WGP), but the vast majority of travellers fly into Tambolaka for its proximity to the island’s best resorts. Once you arrive, your resort will escort you to a private car for transportation to your resort, which is likely located one to two hours away via winding roads. Best time to visit Sumba is tropical year-round, but peak season on the island is from July through September, when the rain has subsided, the surf swell is high, and skies are blue. I visite

I was washed up on the beach, my tears mixing with the salt water. Snot trickled down my face as I mumbled to my surf instructor, “I need a break.” My body was tired, and my arms were starting to ache after what felt like the 800th pop-up and subsequent wipeout off my big plastic surfboard. He walked over to me, begging me not to be upset, reassuring me that if I just keep taking baby steps, I’ll become a surfer. But after watching first-timers, ranging from six to 60 years old, stand up and ride waves without issue, I was starting to have serious doubts. Photograph: Shutterstock Popular surf spots in Sri Lanka Surfing always felt like a pipe dream given my upbringing in chilly, shark-infested New England waters. So, after years of putting it off, I decided to spend a month in Sri Lanka learning how to surf.  The south coast of Sri Lanka is a bona fide surfer’s paradise. It feels like the Bali of yesteryear, where perfect baby waves roll into its myriad bays on a continuous loop. There are plenty of bohemian surf towns to choose from, including Weligama, Mirissa, Ahangama, Unawatuna and my personal favourite, Hiriketiya. Hiri, as locals call it, has a crescent bay, sandy bottom and clean waves, meaning easy, safe surfing. Nearly a dozen surf schools line the beach, piled high with surfboards and locals in rash guards asking if you want to take a lesson. Costing between 5,000 and 6,000 Sri Lankan Rupees for an hour-long session (most surf schools are open to bargaining), it’