11 Incredible Places in Asia You’ve Never Heard Of Before

As the largest and most populous continent in the world, Asia is a huge stretch of fascinating cultures, cities and some of the most stunning scenery you'll find on earth. While there's a number of different places around Asia that have seen an incredible influx of tourism in recent years, but there are still a number of fascinating places that are still well under the radar of tourism.

Devprayag, India

This colorful valley town nestled in the foot of the Himalayas is an underrated gem of North India. The scenery all around India's Uttarakhand region is incredibly beautiful and only usually visited by the most devout of yoga fans who travel to the nearby Rishikesh. The town is built up the side of hills of three different peaks at the meeting point of two rivers, the Alakananda and Bhagirathi that come together to form the iconic and sacred Ganges River. With one a deep blue and the other a shade of green, the meeting point of these rivers is a picturesque site that shouldn't be missed. That and the quaint idyllic hill-side setting of the town and its vibrant colorful houses make the town of Devprayag such a highlight on a visit to this rarely explored region.

Mrauk U, Myanmar

Myanmar has been in the global spotlight in recent years mainly for its incredibly picturesque ancient city of Bagan, with tourism to the country increasing more than ever. However the this fascinating nation has so much more to offer in both scenery and history. The country also holds another ancient city which hardly anyone but the most seasoned of travelers seem to have visited, Mrauk U.

Here you'll find a number of ancient temple complexes and crumbling stone pagodas that was once a huge city as part of the Arakanese Kingdom. Make sure to head to 'sunrise hill', where you'll get a stunning view over the historic city. In the morning the pagodas and temples are enshrouded with thick layers of mist, which gives the ancient city an eerie, mystical feel to it, perfect for some incredible photos.

Ban Gioc Waterfall, Vietnam

Crossing the border of China and Vietnam sits the incredible Ban Gioc Waterfall, along with its beautiful backdrop of the karst mountain landscape dotted around the area, this is one of the most breathtaking sights in Asia. Being a little more difficult to get to than the more popular sites like Halong Bay however seems to have placed it well under the radar of tourism with hardly any foreign visitors making it out here.

Chulyshman Valley, Russia

Encompassing much of the north of Asia, Russia is home to some incredible scenery, such as Lake Baikal and the sparsely visited Chulyshman Valley. With some of the best panoramic views in the country, this area is perfect for those with a passion for hiking.

Ijen Crater, Indonesia

This incredible phenomenon in East Java comes from an excess sulfuric gas found around the volcano. As the high concentration of hot sulfuric gas escapes into the air it lights up with a intense blue flame, This alien-like, fascinating scenery has to be viewed at night where the flames light up in a fluorescent-like electric-blue color.

Lake Kaindy, Kazakhstan

The huge central Asian country of Kazakhstan is rarely explored by travelers, which is a shame because its home to some of the incredible scenery in the world. One of such places is the beautiful Lake Kaindy, located in the southwest of the country near the border with China. Apart from the picturesque views you'll get from hikes around this mountainous area, the lake is known for its stunningly clear-blue and green waters dotted with the towering spines of dead trees.

Gangtok, India

Nestled between China, Bhutan and Nepal is the Indian state of Sikkim, a region full of dramatic mountain scenery and picturesque sloped valley towns. Being tucked away in the far North-east of the country, there are few tourists here apart from accomplished hikers and some hardcore tea fans who are visiting the nearby district of Darjeeling.

Gangtok however is a beautiful city perched up the side of one of the regions many mountains. Another of India's charming mountain towns, Gangtok is not only known for its incredible scenery but also its main street of MG Marg lined with quaint, colorful buildings hosting a range of trendy restaurants, cafes and shops.

Lake Suwa, Japan

A beautiful lakeside city at the foot of the Japanese Alps, Lake Suwa is popular among locals as a spot for relaxing with its many hot springs that come from the surrounding area. Its popularity is mostly just limited to Japanese however, even most foreigners making the journey to the alps seem to neglect this beautiful location. Along with taking in the charming scenery of the lake, the surrounding highlands make for some incredible hikes, such as around Takabotchi Highlands, where if you're lucky you can even get a view of the incredible Mt Fuji.

Panjin Red Beach, China

Although it might look like a giant brush of red paint has been dragged over this marshland, the unique landscape is actually due to a rare kind of suaeda, a coastal sea plant that grows all over the coast here in North-east China's Liaoning Province. The vibrant shade of crimson stretches for miles along the coastal wetland of Panjin and is usually at its reddest during late September. There's only a few weeks of this rare floral phenomenon each year, the bright red color grows out quickly and is pretty much all gone by the end of November, so make sure to check in advance.

Wat Tham Sua, Thailand

While Kanchanaburi is known for the harrowing Death Railway built during WWII, the region is also home to a number of incredible national parks and rural scenery often missed by tourists visiting the area. An easy day trip from the main metropolis of Bangkok and not far from the iconic River Kwai Bridge, this beautiful temple complex is well worth a visit for its picturesque setting on top of a small hill overlooking the vast rice fields below.

Walakiri Beach, Indonesia

The beautiful island of Sumba in Indonesia is one of the most underrated destinations in the world, with a host of incredible scenery and unique culture. Inland you'll find rugged, rolling hills and tropical rain forests teeming with exotic wildlife. Around its coasts are some of the most beautiful beaches in the archipelago but none more unique than Walakiri Beach with its alien-like mangrove trees dotted around the beach. It's the perfect spot for getting an incredible view of the sunset as it reflects into the shallow waters of the beach.

Conclusion

If you're looking to explore somewhere off the beaten path then you can't do much better than some of these incredible destinations. While they might be rarely traveled to currently, this could change in the coming years as newly opened tourist spots start to become more and more developed.