Ho Chi Minh City Named in The Best Places to Go in Asia in 2025

There are cities evolving at breakneck speed, but also vast, untouched natural landscapes. You'll find some of the best food on the planet—in some of the most unexpected places—as well as rich strands of history and an underlying sense of spirituality wherever you go. Our list of the Best Places to Go in Asia in 2025, informed by contributing writers spread across the regions, celebrates all of the above.

We think 2025 is the year to revisit some old favorites, like Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City as it marks 50 years since the end of the War in 1975; and Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, as it completes several cultural rejuvenation programs, with new exhibitions, workshops, street art installations, and festivals coloring the city's center.

At the same time, improved infrastructure is making intriguing, lesser-known destinations more accessible. The imminent reopening of Karakol International Airport means getting to this remote, rugged corner of Kyrgyzstan—dubbed the adventure capital of Central Asia—will no longer require a grueling journey onboard a cramped marshrutka. And a smattering of new hotels in Saudi Arabia’s Aseer province and Oman’s capital, Muscat, will make these Middle Eastern destinations more attractive to visitors than ever before. All in all, there are plenty of reasons to head east in 2025. —Selina Denman

The Best Places to Go in Asia in 2025

Aseer Province, Saudi Arabia

Go for: an emerging tourism destination rich in culture, refreshingly moderate weather

While Saudi Arabia’s giga-projects may be making news for their sheer scale and architectural ambition, the mountainous region of Aseer, in the country’s far southwest, has long drawn visitors from across the kingdom for its centuries-old villages and palaces, spectacular natural scenery, and cool, rainy weather in the summer, while the rest of the Arabian Peninsula is sweltering. Accommodation options for international visitors have been fairly limited so far, but that is set to change in 2025, with the opening of IHG’s 110-room Indigo Hotel in Abha in late 2025, and two Cloud 7 properties by Kerten Hospitality that include a dedicated wellness hotel.

Sitting above the regional capital of Abha in the Sarawat Mountains, the nearly two-mile Mount Soudah is the country’s highest peak and the ideal launchpad for hiking, climbing, camping, and paragliding. Often swathed in mist and cloud, these mountains are home to strawberry farms, terraced fields that hug its steep contours, and troops of baboons crashing and hooting their way through the juniper forests.

In the valley below lies the 900-year-old village of Rijal Alma’a, surrounded by multistory stone buildings that look like ancient skyscrapers. In the 1980s, the villagers joined together to restore the buildings, turning one of them into a museum in the hope that visitors may follow. Their hard work paid off, and in 2021 Rijal Alma’a was named one of the “world’s best tourism villages” by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

This is road trip country, with stops to pick up hot bread and herbal tea made curbside, soft-serve from the ice cream vans that line major routes, and headdresses made from fresh herbs and flowers, typically worn around Rijal Alma’a. The streets of Abha burst into purple in spring when the jacarandas bloom, and the town’s market, open daily, is filled with piles of dates, honey from the high peaks, and colorful fabrics.

How to plan it: Fly into Abha and rent a car at the airport—Aseer is road-trip country. Summer brings cool temperatures, misty mountains, and refreshing downpours, a relief while the rest of the Gulf sweats in scorching temperatures. Evenings at high altitude are cool—and sometimes cold—even in July and August. To see Abha’s jacarandas in full bloom, plan to visit between late April and mid-May. —Nicola Chilton

Hangzhou, China

Go for: ancient forests, brand-new hotels, international buzz

You know a city is having a moment when Chanel decides to host a runway show there—in December, the French fashion house unveiled its Métiers d’Art 2025 collection in Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang province. This is already one of the country’s most-visited cities, with its snow-dusted Broken Bridge, picturesque West Lake, spring willows along Su Causeway, and Leifeng Pagoda silhouetted against dramatic sunsets.

In 2025, the city will highlight some of these natural attractions as host of UNESCO’s fifth World Conference on Biosphere Reserves, which will address global concerns about environmental issues, sustainable development, and biodiversity conservation. The Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve in Lin’an—one of the first sites in China to achieve UNESCO biosphere reserve status—possesses the world's largest ancient Cryptomeria forest community, as well as the oldest natural ginkgo forest.

As up to 2,000 delegates prepare to converge on the city, a host of new luxury hotels are emerging to welcome them. Drawing inspiration from West Lake's landscapes, Four Seasons has unveiled its second city-center property here, while Mandarin Oriental and Rosewood are poised to make their debut. Additionally, Hyatt’s lifestyle brand Andaz will open in Qianjiang Century City, designed by Dutch architectural firm UNStudio with a "modern urban village" concept.

How to plan it: There are plenty of direct flights to Hangzhou, or visitors can take advantage of high-speed trains from Shanghai’s Hongqiao Station, which reach Hangzhou East Station within an hour. March to May is peak tourism season in Hangzhou, when vibrant blooms and misty rains vividly repaint its natural landscapes. There are plenty of new hotel options emerging, but those looking for a more classic stay should head to the Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake.—Liu Ye

Book a stay at Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou CentreBook a stay at Four Seasons Hotel West Lake

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Go for: celebrations commemorating the country's national reunification; buzzier than ever food and design

This southern Vietnamese metropolis has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing tourism powerhouses, shattering pre-pandemic records by a healthy margin, and there’s no better time to visit than in 2025. Exactly 50 years since the ending of the War in 1975, Ho Chi Minh City—still referred to locally as Saigon—is set to unveil a number of grand events, exhibitions, and celebrations commemorating half a century of national reunification.

Those traveling domestically will be able to take advantage of Tan Son Nhat Airport’s Terminal 3, on track to open April 30; then there’s the HCMC Metro, which, despite numerous delays, is rumored to finally offer its inaugural rides sometime this year. And that’s not to mention the ongoing renovation of the city’s iconic Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel and the numerous others slated to open soon, including IHG's Hotel Indigo and the Kengo Kuma-designed Kempinski Saigon River.

Beyond urban and tourism infrastructure, Ho Chi Minh City shines brightest as one of Southeast Asia’s cultural epicenters—a regional hub of commerce, dining, and fashion. On the shopping front, local brands such as Fancì Club and Latui Atelier have in recent years earned the patronage of K-pop stars and Hollywood A-listers alike. And in 2023, the first Michelin Guide to Vietnam awarded the city’s first star to the new-school Vietnamese restaurant Anan Saigon, whose chef, Peter Cuong Franklin, also recently opened a noodle soup-focused concept, Pot Au Pho. Yet, for all the new and novel, the city, known during the French colonial era as the “Pearl of the Orient”, retains much of its old-world charm, from bustling markets to rustic street vendors hawking hu tieu noodle soup and banh mi sandwiches.

How to plan it: Go between December and April to avoid the rainy season, ensuring you can sit outside at local gastro-pubs grilling fresh seafood such as scallops topped with scallion oil and crushed peanuts. The Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel, on famous Dong Khoi Street, is one of the most iconic places to stay in the city, and offers spectacular views of Saigon River. —Dan Q. Dao

Book a stay at Sheraton Saigon Grand Opera Hotel

Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

Go for: remote outdoor adventure, cultural and culinary diversity

Anyone who has braved seven hours in a cramped marshrutka (the shared taxis common in Eastern Europe and ex-Soviet republics) to journey from Bishkek to Karakol will tell you that the bumpy ride is a small price to pay. Not only is this Kyrgyz city famed for its cultural diversity, it’s also the adventure capital of Central Asia.

Karakol is undeniably remote—about 93 miles from the Kyrgyzstan-China border—but the December reopening of Karakol International Airport is set to make it more accessible than ever. The area has traditionally been a draw for intrepid adventurists. From the rugged Tien Shan mountains to the expansive Issyk-Kul lake, hiking, horse riding, kayaking, and paragliding are just some of the activities on offer here. In addition, Karakol Ski Base is the highest ski resort in Central Asia, at an altitude of 1.8 miles. A new ski resort, Three Peaks, will debut in 2026, in partnership with French ski specialist Société des Trois-Vallées, drawing even more winter sports enthusiasts to the region.

But adventure is only part of Karakol’s appeal. The city is home to Uyghur, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kalmak, Dungan, and Russian communities, translating to unsung cultural treasures like wooden “gingerbread” houses, cold ashlan-fu soup, and the architecturally wondrous Dungan Mosque, which reflects the Buddhist roots of the Chinese artisans who built it in 1907, with a pagoda in place of a minaret.

How to plan it: Let your itinerary steer your visit—June to September is ideal for trekking and cultural tours, while December to April is best for winter sports. Either way, a stay at a traditional yurt camp makes for a quintessentially Kyrgyz experience. Try Happy Nomads Yurt Camp or Arista Travel Yurt Camp. —Samia Qaiyum

Book a stay at Happy Nomads Yurt CampBook a stay at Arista Travel Yurt Camp

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Go for: new cultural festivals, a revived Chinatown

Malaysia is often overshadowed by its glitzier neighbor Singapore, but as the former assumes chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, for 2025, there’s a new sense of optimism and excitement across the country.

In the capital of Kuala Lumpur (KL), all eyes are on Independence Square, the massive downtown plaza known locally as Dataran Merdeka, where Malaysia first declared itself an independent nation in 1957. This precinct is the focal point for several cultural rejuvenation programs, including Kreatif KL, an annual event with exhibitions, workshops, and themed walkabouts in and around the city center. Expect more commissioned street art, along with public music and dance performances, to build on the recently introduced Car Free Sunday program. There’s also a larger cultural pageant on the cards, this one embracing the entire region and masterminded by Joe Sidek, the erstwhile curator of the popular George Town Festival in Penang. The Festival of Asia is poised for its grand launch in 2025 and hopes to shine a spotlight on Kuala Lumpur as a creative hub.

A Local’s Guide to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Singer Yuna on the top curry houses and music spots in the Malaysian capital.

This follows a sprucing up of KL’s Chinatown neighborhood, home to several new bars and speakeasies; Else, an Art Deco hotel built on the site of a 1930s rubber warehouse; and Kwai Chai Hong, an alley brimming with interactive wall murals and street art.

How to plan it: Kuala Lumpur is a year-round destination with world-class shopping and dining, particularly at the recently opened Exchange TRX mall. Whether you are in the mood for chilled tapas at Las Meninas, fine dining at Union Bistrot, or Japanese-Italian fusion at Hokkaido Table, you’ll never go hungry here. The 279-suite Waldorf Astoria is scheduled to open this year, complete with its iconic Peacock Alley lounge and bar, adding even more reasons to visit this under-the-radar Asian capital. —Charukesi Ramadurai

Book a stay at Else

Muscat, Oman

Go for: dramatic landscapes and new luxury hotels

For centuries, Muscat was known to Indian Ocean mariners as a gateway to Oman’s raw, rugged beauty, limestone massifs, formidable castles and wind-sculpted deserts—but tourists have long overlooked this charming city tucked into the wrinkles of the Hajar Mountains.

This is set to change, with a crop of new resorts arriving in the sultanate’s laid-back capital. Two of the most anticipated are in hidden coves just south of the city. The celebrity-loved Nikki Beach Resort and Spa in Yiti Bay opens in 2025, with a beach club, upscale beach villas, and a private marina to follow. In 2026, Anantara will open a resort in Bandar Al Khairan, with chalets, beach villas, and a stargazing majlis. For now, travelers can stay at the Mandarin Oriental, Muscat or the St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort, which both opened in 2024.

If you can drag yourself away from the beachside pampering, wander the historic Mutrah Corniche, get lost in the frankincense haze of its 200-year-old covered souq, or catch Verdi operas, subtitled in Arabic and English, and Lebanese superstar Ragheb Alama in the 2025 spring season of the resplendent Royal Opera House Muscat.

How to plan: Skip the scorch and visit from November to April, when temperatures are perfect. Extend your holiday with a road trip along Oman’s wild south coast or drive north for dhow cruising in the fjords of Musandam, an easy trip with the GCC Grand Tours Visa. This single visa will cover entry to six countries in the Arabian Gulf and is due to launch in the first few months of 2025. You can now fly business and premium economy to Muscat on Emirates’ new A350 aircraft. —Anna Zacharias

Book a stay at Mandarin Oriental, MuscatBook a stay at The St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort

Osaka, Japan

Go for: luxury hotel openings, new eco-urban spaces, and the forward-looking World Expo

Once travelers visiting Japan get a taste of cosmopolitan Tokyo, they often cast their gaze west towards the poised and sagely Kyoto. But make time—nay, dedicate a trip—to energetic and in-your-face Osaka, the thrumming heart of the Kansai region, which is easily accessible from Kyoto via a 30-minute train ride (grab a JR Kansai Mini Pass, which lets you move freely between Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe). Emerge at JR Osaka Station, the largest train terminal in western Japan, to discover new urban developments and luxury hotels that have cut their ribbons in 2024, with more opening in 2025.

Two urban openings are connected to Osaka Station: Food haven KITTE Osaka opened in July 2024 within the JP Tower Osaka, featuring 50-plus new dining spots, embodying the essence of “Japan’s kitchen”. There’s also Grand Green Osaka, a green space project that opened in September 2024. Among its residential and commercial spaces (offices, culinary outposts, shops from local brands), there’s Umekita Park, with public recreation areas, event and exhibition spaces, and verdant lawns with trees that offer color beyond cherry blossom season, and give locals and travelers fresh breathing room in this densely packed city.

Where to Eat, Stay, Play in Osaka, the In-Your-Face Cousin of Tokyo

This buzzing metropolis known as “the kitchen of Japan” takes food and fun to another level.

Part of the Grand Green development are hotels making their debut in the region, including the sure-to-be-slick Waldorf Astoria Osaka in 2025. There’s also the Patina Osaka, which is due to welcome guests this year at its prime location right across from Osaka Castle. If you can’t wait, the Osaka Station Hotel, Autograph Collection and Four Seasons Osaka opened their doors this summer. Not only do these new properties offer more than 1,000 new rooms, but they add a level of elegance and serenity to a city that’s known to overwhelm first-time visitors.

With these urban hospitality openings, it seems fitting that, from April to October 2025, Osaka will play host to the World Expo, themed around the creation of sustainable societies. For the occasion, Osaka created an island in Osaka Bay called Yumeshima, where a new metro station is being built, improving accessibility to the fair. With Japan’s famously efficient public transport system, it’ll be easy to see, do, and eat as much as you can in Osaka and, itinerary permitting, beyond.

How to plan it: Fly into Kansai International Airport (KIX), which has nonstop connections from and to cities like Los Angeles, Paris, Dubai, and Istanbul, then take a 45-minute train to Osaka Station in the city center. Alternatively, if you're coming from Tokyo, take the bullet train for a 2.5-hour trip into town. Aim for the window from February to March, when the New Year's rush is over, for better value and fewer crowds; or in early April, before the cherry blossom peepers rush in (you may get to see the first blooms). Use the JR Kansai Area Pass for unlimited use of local trains and buses, allowing you to take day trips to nearby Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe. —Matt Ortile

Book a stay at the Osaka Station Hotel, Autograph CollectionBook a stay at Four Seasons Osaka

Pererenan, Bali

Go for: an up-and-coming culinary scene away from Bali’s crowds

Sandwiched between the volcanic black sand beaches of Bali’s achingly hip surf spot Canggu and the lower-key Seseh, the rice-paddy-surrounded locale of Pererenan is fast becoming the island’s most interesting corner.

Where established Canggu boasts a number of hotels, as well as cafes, boutiques, and bars, Pererenan is slowly starting to give its neighbors a run for their money on the dining front, with a number of new restaurants and visiting chefs from across the globe. Mexican business partners Alvaro Rosales Machado, Cassandra Escamilla Frutos, and chef Alejandro Urbina Andrade have launched Origen, a restaurant celebrating generations-old recipes and offering the largest range of mezcal varieties in Bali; cofounders of hospitality group Kilo Collective, Joshua Adjodha and Javier Perez, have opened Kilo Kitchen Pererenan, a sophisticated sister to its popular Seminyak venue; Australian chef Benjamin Cross's Bar Vera serves up tonka bean cocktails and sambal-sprinkled steak tartare; and Stephen Moore’s Shelter Pererenan regularly invites world-famous chefs for culinary collaborations as part of Shelter Sessions, with names like Jake Kellie and British chef Tom Brown traveling to the island to host exclusive dinners.

Away from the food, an interesting edit of artisanal fragrance and skincare concept stores (like Our Projects and Oaken Lab); carefully curated fashion boutiques; and contemporary art galleries (such as Seventeen and Sun Contemporary) are helping Pererenan build its reputation as Bali’s one-to-watch.

How to plan it: Fly into Gusti Ngurah Rai airport in Denpasar and take a taxi directly to Pererenan, where a host of luxury villa stays and boutique hotels are available. As traffic in Bali is on the rise, smart travelers do as the locals do and rent motorbikes or mopeds to zip easily around the island. The best time to visit is in May, June, or September, avoiding the busier holiday months of July, August, and December. —Natascha Hawke

Prayagraj (Allahabad), India

Go for: the greatest human gathering on earth

On January 29, a stampede at the Kumbh Mela resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 30 people and injuries to dozens more. If you have upcoming travel to the event, please consider altering your travel plans to avoid key dates and times, avoid overcrowded spaces, and follow the safety advice of security personnel on the ground.

Every 12 years in the city of Prayagraj (previously known as Allahabad), in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, more than 100 million people gather on a strip of sand at the confluence of the rivers Gange, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati. The Kumbh Mela—among the most important Hindu pilgrimages—is touted as the largest human gathering in the world, and the next one falls in January 2025.

Completing its 12-year cycle, the Kumbh will take place in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26, bringing millions of devotees and curious-minded travelers from across the world to witness the power of faith. Believer or not, there is no denying the palpable spiritual energy that pervades the Kumbh: Offerings of flowers and incense sticks drift across the water; the days are filled with chants and drumming; and smoke from earthen lamps curls through the air. For pilgrims, the pinnacle of the festival is a dip in the sacred waters on auspicious days—an act believed to cleanse the faithful of their sins.

To accommodate this throng of humanity, a temporary city of impossible proportions springs up on the sandbanks, featuring tented accommodations, roadways, power supplies, and medical facilities. Holy men hand out blessings, gurus dispense sermons to their disciples, and pilgrims have the chance to be in the presence of normally reclusive ascetics.

Alongside old hands such as the Ultimate Travelling Camp Sangam Nivas, a luxury tented campsite called Shivir will debut at the Kumbh in 2025. Guests can check in to chic tented suites with attached bathrooms and heating. On-site, there will be multiple restaurants and meals catering to various dietary requirements (Sattvic, Jain, vegetarian), as well as activities such as guided yoga and meditation, boat cruises along the sacred rivers, walking tours of the akharas, and audiences with seers and ash-smeared holy men.

How to plan it: Fly into Prayagraj Airport and drive to Triveni Sangam, the site of the Kumbh Mela. A number of luxury tented campsites operate at the Kumbh, including TUTC Sangam Nivas and the new Shivir, a more elevated experience with tented suites, private bathrooms, and heating. —Malavika Bhattacharya