Now that travel is back, we’ve got some making up for lost time to do. Step out of your comfort zone and try the road less travelled. Eastern Asia is one of the trending destinations for 2022, and we’re about to reveal five of the best cities to visit. Before you book your luxury villa rental, be sure to read this first!
Tokyo, Japan
Food, fashion, and futuristic vibes – Tokyo is a city you can’t help but fall in love with, if only for its originality and sheer brilliance. After all, anywhere that paints smiley faces on buses, and offers private karaoke pods for one, is a city worth visiting! Showa Memorial Park is a good place to get a feel for the lay of the land and appreciate it’s natural beauty, especially its full blossom. This is a city of skyscrapers, so make the most of it from any of the towering city bars, including at the Four Seasons for all the views. When in Tokyo, you simply must try the wagyu beef, and where else than Gonpachi. If it’s tiered seating looks familiar, that’s because it’s straight out of Tarantino’s Kill Bill movie – the beef isn’t bad either!
Seoul, South Korea
Ever since the explosion of K-pop, the world has gone crazy for South Korean culture. This new and exciting world is ready to be discovered, and Seoul is the perfect gateway to it all. Shake off the jetlag with a barefoot walk around the serene and pretty Changdeokgung Palace as you find your bearings. Next, the N Seoul Tower is a must – this iconic building towers 774 metres into the clouds and is the place to go for selfies. A visit to Seoul would be incomplete without experiencing its bustling food scene. Start at Gwangjang market and sample a wide variety of local food and ingredients you’ll be sneaking back to your villa rental to rustle up. For a totally different vibe, two hours away by train is Gyeongju – an open-air museum of historic relics and artefacts that you won’t have seen anywhere else. In all, Seoul is a fascinating city, and with it being so undiscovered, now’s the perfect time to visit.
Taipei City, Taiwan
Named as one of the top cities of 2022 by Lonely Planet, Taipei is the East Asian trending city of the moment and it deserves your full attention. From fascinating religious traditions to a sizzling food scene, you’ll be most surprised with its ever-changing terrain. Spend the morning on the beach, and the evening in the mountains, so vast is its picturesque landscape. A photographer’s paradise, you won’t go a moment without wanting to capture its raw beauty.
Beijing, China
Home of this year’s Winter Olympic Games, Beijing is one of the more popular cities for travel to East Asia, especially for business. Here you can experience traditional Chinese culture within accessible surroundings. For instance, it’s famous tea culture and lesser known opera scene, are all worth sampling. Perhaps though, what makes Beijing so compelling to visit is the contrast between old and new and how they’re interwoven in every sense. From its youthful versus ageing population, to its modern luxury villa rentals alongside maze-like huntongs – nothing can prepare you for the such stark contrasts.
Kyoto, Japan
Sitting on the island of Honshu, the tranquil setting of Kyoto will have you reconnected to the world in no time. Adorned by some 2,000 temples and shrines, as well as geishas and quaint wooden houses, it’s like something out of a fairy-tale. It’s like you’ve stepped into another world and escaped the rat-race forever, in this peaceful, ethereal and serene setting with religious architecture at every turn. Be sure to complete your stay with a visit to Higashi Hongan-ji, where you can hear the faint chant of monks throughout its landscaped gardens. The less crowded and more affordable alternative to Tokyo, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
