10 - Speed through Japan on the new bullet train
Take a ride on the newly extended Shinkansen route.
Whistle through Japan at 199mph
Since it first opened in 1964, the Shinkansen has become just as synonymous with Japan as Mount Fuji, sumo and sushi. With over 2,800km of track, the bullet train line acts as the back bone of the country, linking the northern tip of the main island, Honshu, to the southern reaches of Kyushu Island.
Catching a ride on one of the ultra high-speed trains (up to 320kmph or 199mph) is an experience in itself. You'll form an orderly queue as the train glides into the station, stopping right by the markers, board, take a comfortable seat, and settle in to rocket towards your destination.
The ride is so smooth and noise levels are so low that the only clue to how fast you're travelling is the scenery darting past the windows. The conductors politely bow as they enter and exit each carriage and a refreshment trolley passes through with beautifully presented bento lunch boxes as well as chilled cans of Japanese beer.
Using this iconic mode of transport, it's possible to travel the 280 miles (450km) from Tokyo to Kyoto in just 2 hours 15 minutes. With the line always extending (like March 2024's Hokuriku extension), you can reach new or lesser explored destinations even faster.
"Riding the shinkansen is a really cool way to see parts of Japan in between the places you’re visiting – a glimpse of real Japan, rural life, and maybe even Fuji-san!"
Ali - InsideAsia team
Dan - InsideJapan customer, Japan 2023
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Hakone
Just a hop, skip and a jump (read: a short bullet train ride) from Tokyo, on a good day Hakone offers views of Mount Fuji in all her glory — and it’s your best bet for a good time even if she doesn’t oblige.
Nikko
Welcome to Nikko, where the stage is set for the final showdown between art and nature. Will magnificent pagodas measure up against towering Japanese cedars? Is the beauty of Tokugawa’s mausoleum a match for the majesty of Kegon Falls? We’ll let you keep score.
Can't do April?
Japan has four distinct seasons: spring (March-May), summer (June-August), autumn (September-November) and winter (December-February). Being so far north, Hokkaido experiences the seasons earlier in the year, so is the first place to see the foliage change and snow, and the last to see cherry blossoms. Winter is extremely cold and very snowy.
Where in the world is Tokyo?
11 - Craft your own egg coffee
One for coffee-fiends the world over: introducing your new go-to caffeinated treat.
Fuel a morning's exploring with a syrupy-sweet traditional treat
Wondering what touching down in Vietnam for the first time feels like? Anthony Bourdain said it better than we ever could:
“Going to Vietnam the first time was life-changing for sure. Maybe because it was all so new and different to my life before and the world I grew up in. The food, culture, landscape, and smell; they’re all inseparable. It just seemed like another planet; a delicious one that sort of sucked me in and never let go.”
And it's exactly that deliciousness you'll find if you take part in an egg coffee workshop at any number of Hanoi's charming, backstreet cafes. You'll put your barista skills to the test, learning about how the coffee is grown and prepared, what makes it taste so different, and why on earth egg is involved in the first place.
While you're there, it's impossible not to fall in love with the city's rustic charm and resilient spirit.
In contrast to the more modern, international feel of Saigon’s city centre, Hanoi still retains the flavour of Vietnam in the early twentieth century.
You'll find this particularly true while exploring the city's Old Quarter, where rows of old-fashioned guild shops sell everything from copper pots to cakes, and live music drifts out of grungy bars into alleys crowded with plastic stools and street-food carts. It's a city built for meandering.
"An unassuming cafe, tucked away, turned into an hour of great insight & the best egg coffee I've tasted in Vietnam!" Robyn - InsideAsia team
Where in the world is Hanoi?
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Mekong Delta Buzzing with longtail taxi boats and crowded with barges piled with mangoes, pineapples and fresh fish, a trip to the Mekong Delta is all about getting to know the rhythms of life on the water.
Read more Con Dao A short flight south from Ho Chi Minh City brings you to the remote and spectacular Con Dao Archipelago, a chain of 16 islands ringed with white sand beaches, coral reefs and sparkling azure seas.
Can't do April?
July is the hottest month in Hanoi with an average temperature of 29°C (84°F) and the coldest is January at 17°C (63°F). The rainy season runs from May to September, though downpours are usually short and heavy.
12 – Meet the king of the swingers in Kuching
Rainforest national parks, kayaking through minority villages and orangutan conservation.
The perfect base for all things Borneo
In Kuching, a wide variety of indigenous and immigrant cultures combine to form an unmistakable cultural mélange, expressed not only in its historic architecture and ethnic diversity, but in its legendary laksa, colourful cakes and freshly blended gourmet coffee. Its grand 19th century buildings, riverfront esplanade and chic bistros lend it an almost Parisian atmosphere.
Kuching also offers the best opportunity to blend a cultural city break with day trips into the wildlife-rich and diverse ecosystems that surround it.
Borneo is one of two places in the world with orangutans, so kick off your adventure by visiting the Semenggoh Nature Reserve, home to a semi-wild colony and just 20km from Kuching. Afterwards, you can spend the afternoon kayaking through the Sarawak countryside, passing rainforest, pepper farms, and Bidayuh minority villages.
Don't miss the Bako National Park, the oldest in Sarawak, just 30 minutes from Kuching. Its 27 square km are home to seven distinct ecosystems, an extensive jungle trail plus mangroves and beaches. Most importantly, Bako offers incredible wildlife viewing opportunities, most famously the rare proboscis monkey.
After each rewarding day exploring, enjoy a street-food scene born from a fusion of Chinese, Malay, Indian and European influences in the gastronomic capital. It's the perfect harmony of culture and wildlife.
"Based on our Travel Consultant's experiences, we were able to plan an absolutely incredible holiday, travelling to different parts of the country, and really experiencing life in Borneo" Sital - InsideAsia customer, Borneo 2023
Where in the world is Kuching?
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Batang Ai
Remote Batang Ai is the ancestral heartland of Sarawak’s Iban people and the best place to spot orangutans in the wild. After exploring the jungle, experience life in a tribal longhouse, sharing song, dance and tuak rice wine long into the night.
Kota Kinabalu Beyond its colonial clock towers, lakeside mosques and ocean-fresh seafood, Sabah’s up-and-coming capital is the gateway to the tallest peak in Southeast Asia and one of the most important areas of biodiversity in the world.
Can't do April?
November to January are the wettest months, apart from monsoon season, there aren't defined seasons. Kuching has a tropical climate with temperatures between 27-30°C. April to September are driest, though there can still be showers.