National Parks in Asia

Everest and a cluster of the planet’s highest peaks crown this UNESCO-listed Nepali park, the classic Himalayan trekking arena. The two-week route to Everest Base Camp threads Sherpa villages and glacier-scoured valleys past the golden-roofed monastery at Tengboche. Build in acclimatisation days and hire a local guide.

One of Earth’s oldest rainforests cloaks jagged limestone karst rising straight from an emerald reservoir. The signature experience is sleeping in a floating raft-house on Cheow Lan Lake, waking to mist and the whoop of gibbons. Kayak between jungle-clad towers to hidden caves. December to April is most reliable.

The sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar’s floating mountains rise in their thousands from a sea of forest and drifting mist. Glass elevators, a vertigo-inducing skywalk and a glass-bottomed canyon bridge add adrenaline to the surreal spires. Scenery peaks just after rain; visit spring or autumn to dodge the crowds.

A valley of impossibly coloured lakes, travertine pools and waterfalls unfurls beneath snow-dusted peaks on the Tibetan plateau’s edge. Boardwalks link turquoise and jade waters so clear you can count fallen trunks on the bottom. Autumn sets the golden foliage alight; arrive early for the famous Five Flower Lake.

The Yellow Mountains are the archetypal Chinese landscape of granite pinnacles, gnarled ancient pines and a sea of cloud lapping the summits. Stone staircases climb to ridgetop hotels where an overnight catches both sunset and the celebrated sunrise. Visit in shoulder season, ideally just after rain for classic mist.

One of the world’s oldest tropical rainforests, 130 million years in the making, blankets peninsular Malaysia’s interior. The headline draw is a canopy walkway strung high between giant trees, swaying as you peer into a hidden world. Night safaris pick out glowing eyes; reach it by scenic river boat.

Beneath Sarawak’s rainforest lie some of the planet’s largest cave passages, one chamber big enough for several jumbo jets. Each evening millions of bats spiral from Deer Cave in a smoke-like ribbon across the sky. Adventure caving reveals cathedral galleries; the park is reached only by short flight or river journey.

Central Vietnam’s karst hides a cave system of jaw-dropping scale, crowned by Son Doong, Earth’s biggest passage, complete with its own jungle and clouds. River boats glide into Phong Nha’s illuminated mouth, floodlit formations mirrored in dark water. Expeditions run from easy day trips to the bucket-list Son Doong trek.

Nepal’s lowland Terai jungle is one of Asia’s best places to see the greater one-horned rhino, encountered from a jeep or a silent dugout canoe on the Rapti River. Sloth bears, gharials and the occasional Bengal tiger share the sal forest. Visit the cooler, drier months, October to March.

This vast flooded grassland in Assam holds two-thirds of the world’s greater one-horned rhinos, often grazing calmly in the open. Elephant-back and jeep safaris also turn up wild water buffalo, swamp deer and dense tigers against misty Himalayan foothills. The park opens November to April; take an early safari.

Set around a ruined tenth-century hill fort in Rajasthan, this dry reserve is one of Earth’s surest places to photograph a wild tiger. Big cats stalk between crumbling pavilions, step-wells and lake shores. Safaris run through zones allotted at booking, so reserve ahead; sightings peak in hot April to June.

The only place on Earth to see Komodo dragons in the wild pairs three-metre monitor lizards with some of the region’s finest diving. Guided walks keep a safe distance while manta rays and reef sharks cruise offshore. A ridgeline hike delivers views over pink-sand beaches; dry season is April to November.

A surreal moonscape of volcanic sand cradles the smoking cone of Mount Bromo, one of Indonesia’s most photographed sights. Pre-dawn jeeps bounce to a clifftop viewpoint where the sun rises over the caldera, silhouetting Bromo and towering Semeru. Cross the eerie Sea of Sand; wrap up warm for the bitter dawn.

Wrapped around iconic Mount Fuji within easy reach of Tokyo, this park mixes crater lakes, hot springs and coastal cliffs. Ropeways rise over the sulphur-scented Owakudani valley, where you eat eggs blackened in the springs, while boats glide across mirror-still Lake Ashi. Best on clear autumn or winter days when Fuji shows.

Northern Sumatra’s rainforests are among the last great strongholds of wild orangutans, and treks from Bukit Lawang give an excellent chance of watching them swing through the canopy. This is rare shared habitat for tigers, elephants and rhinos. Go in the drier months and always use accredited local guides.

For a few short weeks each monsoon, this high Himalayan valley in Uttarakhand erupts into a vast carpet of alpine wildflowers beneath snow peaks and hanging glaciers. Hundreds of species bloom, from blue poppies to cobra lilies. The bloom peaks in late July and August; set out early before afternoon cloud.

Southeast Asia’s most prominent peak rises from Borneo’s jungle in a vast granite massif ringed by cloud forest, wild orchids and pitcher plants. The classic two-day climb tackles the bare granite in the small hours to catch sunrise above the clouds. Surprisingly accessible; book permits and hut beds months ahead.

A cool, misty plateau high in Sri Lanka’s hill country, where montane cloud forest gives way to grassland grazed by sambar deer. The loop walk leads to World’s End, a sheer 870-metre escarpment framing views that reach the coast. Arrive early before the mist rolls in; bring warm layers.

The largest island in the Halong Bay area shelters jungled limestone peaks, hidden lakes and the critically endangered Cat Ba langur, one of Earth’s rarest primates. Trails climb over a maze of karst towers, while kayaks explore quieter, equally spectacular Lan Ha Bay. Come in spring or autumn for dry trails.

Thailand’s highest mountain crowns a park of misty cloud forest, tumbling waterfalls and cool-climate flowers a world from the sweltering lowlands. Near the summit stand twin royal pagodas amid manicured gardens with sweeping views. Roadside stops reveal terraced Hmong and Karen villages; visit November to February, when the summit turns chilly.