Spotting Asia

The ranking of my favourite cities in Asia

Bangkok
  • Rank: 1 of 10
  • Bangkok represents Asia
  • Stay 4 to 5 days
  • River
  • Completely different districts such as: Sukhumvit, Khaosan, Silom
  • Sight seeing
  • Nightlife
  • Food
  • Hub
  • Historical sites
  • Awful traffic situation, difficult to get from A to Z
Istanbul
  • Rank: 2 of 10
  • Very scenic, Golden Horn, Bosporus full of vessels, palaces, minarets, a metropolis full of history
  • Stay 4 to 6 days
  • Numerous historical and cultural sites
  • Food
  • Cultural diversity
Beijing
  • Rank: 3 of 10
  • You don't fall in love with Beijing. Still, it is absolutely worth visiting
  • Stay 3 to 4 days
  • Numerous historical and cultural sites
  • Great Wall
  • Shopping
Hongkong
  • Rank: 4 of 10
  • Absolutely scenic, the rock, the high rise buildings, the strait full of vessels
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Skyline
  • Sea
  • Island
  • Shopping
  • Food
  • Lack of historical sites
Kathmandu
  • Rank: 5 of 10
  • Mystic atmosphere. Himalayan range in the horizon (on clear days)
  • Stay 3 to 4 days
  • Numerous historical and cultural sites
  • Traveller's meeting point
Jerusalem
  • Rank: 6 of 10
  • Cradle of 3 religions. Lot of history: Temple Mount, Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre
  • Stay 3 to 4 days
  • Bethlehem
  • Not far from dead sea, close to Tel Aviv
  • Museums
Shanghai
  • Rank: 7 of 10
  • The most beautiful skyline at night
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Skyline
  • Food
  • Nightlife
  • Shanghai Museum
Beirut
  • Rank: 8 of 10
  • Melting pot of Middle East
  • Stay 4 to 5 days
  • Nightlife
  • Food
  • Beach
  • Excursions to all sites in the country within 2-3 hours
  • Mountains
Dubai
  • Rank: 9 of 10
  • The rich city
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Modern architecture
  • Beach
  • Nightlife
New Delhi
  • Rank: 10 of 10
  • Exotic street life
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Historical and cultural sites
Singapore
  • The clean city
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Excellent food
  • Excursions
  • Modern and clean
Phnom Penh
  • Spend evening hours at Sisowath Quay
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • River.
  • Palace, temples and memorial sites
  • Street cafés
Saigon
  • Exotic traffic situation and street life
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Street cafés
  • Day excursions to memorial sites
Siem Reap
  • The gate to Angkor
  • Stay 3 to 4 days
  • Excursions to Angkor temples
  • Tourist hangout
  • Lively nightlife
  • Excursion to the floating villages
Samarkand
  • The city of the Registan
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Madrasas, Mosques and Minarets
  • Ancient silk road hub
Luang Prabang
  • Scenic between two rivers
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Temples and interesting day excursions
  • Traveller's meeting point
Khiva
  • The old town is like a museum
  • Stay 1 to 2 days
  • Madrasas, Mosques and Minarets
  • Ancient silk road hub
Rantepao
  • The place of the cult of the dead
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Participate at a funeral and see the famous tombs
  • Scenic place in the hills
  • Excursions to hilltribe villages
  • Travellers hangout
Bukhara
  • The kalon minaret is one of the biggest in the world
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Madrasas, Mosques and Minarets
  • Ancient silk road hub
Tel Aviv
  • A city which has its proper beach
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Beachlife
  • Nightlife
  • Carmel Market
  • Museums
  • Jaffa
Phokara
  • Scenic small town at a lake
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Tourist hangout where travellers recover from their trekking or rafting excursions
  • Rent a boat and spend a day on the lake
  • Excellent view to the Annapurna range from Sarangkot
  • Restaurants and bars at Lakeside
  • Not a city for sightseeing
Vientiane
  • Peaceful
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Sunset at Mekong
  • River
  • Temples
  • Excursion to Buddha park
Ubud
  • Scenic small town surrounded by rice paddies
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Tourist hangout
  • Excursions to temples and natural sites
  • Excellent food
Yangshuo
  • Surrounded by limestone peaks
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Tourist hangout
  • Excursions to natural sites
  • Nightlife
  • Food
Chiang Mai
  • Charming temple city
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Nightmarket, restaurants, places to meet people
  • Temples
  • Excursions to the Golden Triangle
Bombai
  • Is an interesting boomtown
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
Jaipur
  • Intersting old town. Famous is the palace of winds
  • Stay 2 days
Bhaktapur
  • You feel like being in the middle of the dark age
  • Phantastic historical city
  • Hikes to the countryside
  • Stay 2 days
Xian
  • The city of Terracotta army
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Mount Hua Shan, one of the holy mountains in China
  • Bell tower and drum tower square
Nha Trang
  • Not just a sea resort
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Beach
  • Sights
Da Lat
  • Relaxing place in the hills
  • Stay 1 to 2 days
  • Excursions to hilltribe villages
  • Curiousities like crazy house
Tokyo
  • Is not just another Asian city
  • Stay 1 to 2 days
  • Excellent public traffic system
Luoyang
  • Longmen caves and Shaolin temple
  • Stay 2 days
Agra
  • The city of Taj Mahal
  • Stay 1 day
Amman
  • Spread over 7 hills
  • Stay 1 to 2 days
  • Roman sites
  • Day excursions
Muscat
  • Modern city at montainous coast
  • Stay 1 to 2 days
  • Sights
  • Walking trails
  • Widespread, car needed
Tashkent
  • Former soviet satellite
  • Stay 1 to 2 days
  • Plov center
  • Use the metro system
Dengpasar
  • Beach resort
  • Stay 2 to 3 days
  • Beach
  • Day excursions
  • Nightlife
Manila
  • Tropical city
  • Stay 1 day
  • Nightlife
Fenghuang
  • Beautiful old town, located at a river
  • Stay 4hrs
Colombo
  • Tropical city at the sea. Temples, parks and some historical buildings
  • Stay 4hrs
Trivandrum
  • A lively city in southern Kerala. It has some historical buildings from the colonial period..... You'd rather stay at the beaches or backwaters which are nearby
  • Stay 4hrs
Macau
  • Monte Carlo at far east
  • Stay 4hrs
Abu Dhabi
  • Modern city with lots of high rise buildings along the seafront
  • Stay 4hrs
Chennai
  • Tropical city at the sea. Nice places to stay nearby
  • Stay 4hrs
Ujung Pandang
  • Tropical place at the sea
  • Stay 4hrs