Some days ago I was providing some mostly off the beaten path recommendations for South East and Far East Asia t, and later I realized this might well be of interest to anyone else, so here it goes:
Camboya
The Chinese destroyed the litoral with ugly resorts catering to their own citizens, so it’s no longer interesting to go to the usual coastal destinations.
You’ve got the classical Angkor Wat in Siem Reap but if you want to see amazing temples in the jungle without the crowds just try the route north of it, in Anlong Veng, Preah Vihear, etc. There are a couple of nice jewels there, also from the Khmer period.
Avoid the Tonle Sap boat rides from Siem Reap, the organized floating villages are nowadays just a scam. If you are really into it, go around the lake till you find some locals who want to take you on boats and perhaps even host you for a night, that’s the real thing.
If you want an untouched jungle area, try the route from main artery in Krong Pursat down to the sea (Cardamom mountains) via Veal Veaeng. You might need to get into a truck for this one, they cover the route and take people if you pay smth.
Thailand
The most authentic part is the East, few go there but the country is so culturally rich and has so much heritage that even in any random city (Udon Thani, Chanthaburi) or village (around Loei area for example) you will find interesting stuff. Particularly in the south East, close to the border with Cambodia, you will find some beautiful Khmer temples similar to Angkor Wat, but just for yourself and some other locals, such as Phimai or Phanom Rung Historical Parks.
If you want picture perfect white sand islands without the hassle of sharing the sand with hundreds of westerners, try the line of islands that end in Koh Kut, very close to the Cambodia border. That’s paradise, just for you. Avoid weekends as Thais know the trick
For a jungle experience away from the saturated north, you can try the area of Kanchanaburi, Sai Yok National Park, etc. If you head to the North be ready for a pretty ‘developed’ experience, but still nature is amazing and the Mae Hong Son loop is quite a gem.
Laos
All of Laos is worth it. Relaxed, laid-back, beautiful… you’ll meet foreigners, but basically because the route goes north to south and population is small in most villages, so tourists will be easy to spot around.
Muang Ngoy is of special beauty, reachable only by boat, and with some spectacular trekking opportunities through lush green forest and rice fields. The town itself is touristic but as soon as you leave it behind and start walking you’ll be in the real thing. If you have time you can get someone to take you with a canoe to neighbouring villages by the river, where probably nobody has visited before, as the main boat doesn’t stop there.
If you really want to get away from it all, there are some super interesting tribal areas in the south-east of the country. However access is complex and tours do not operate due to lack of demand, you’ll need to find some local guy that takes you there. Best place to find your contact is probably Sekong village, a stop of a typical motorcycle loop. Here you should try to find someone who can take care of you. And in this case you really want to have someone to guide you because this area, particularly as you get close to the Vietnam border, is one of the most heavily bombed in the planet, so there’s still some unexploded stuff around and you don’t want to step on them. Also get up to date with the dam building situation, as some of this communities have been displaced because of reservoirs. Quite tragic, but that’s what it is…
China
To the west of Shanghai you will find Wuyuan. Around this place you can visit plenty of small traditional villages, such as Likeng and many others, that have incredible architecture following Fengshui principles and beautiful scenery. It’s how we all dreamed China would be before we realize it’s a modern society full of skyscrapers. For a taste of good old traditional China, that’s one place to go!
A bit to the North from here, there’s Huangshan, also with pretty interesting villages scattered around and the mountain itself.
For rice terraces, try Ziquejie. Not the usual ones, more remote, but worth every minute of your time to reach there.
Tibetan areas: the best is not Tibet itself (highly regulated by China) but areas around it. Specifically, those areas are called the Amdo and Kham Tibet, and they are basically the same real Tibetan life and impressive monk communities living around monasteries but outside of the borders of Tibet, so no need for permits or organized tours. Example places are Xiahe, Sertar, Larung Gar… Still, I’d say you better visit them soon, the Chinese government is already actively destroying some of the communities and displacing monks living in them.
Silk Road: it’s fascinating but it requires time. Starting in Kashgar and ending in Xi’an, there’s plenty to explore on the way, from the Taklamakan desert (second biggest sand dunes desert in the world, after Sahara) and Uigur muslim villages living all around, to the super tall sand dunes of Dunhuang, to the start of the Great Wall in Jiayuguan (mud wall in fact, as rocks where not found in that area), to the fascinating cliffs with Taoist and Buddhist monasteries in Pingliang.
Mongolian influence: From the Altai region in the north-west, to the east to Inner Mongolia, there are vast steppes and people of Mongol ethnic living there, sometimes in yurts with their animals.
One of my favourite cities is Kaifeng, relatively close to Xi’an, to the east of it. Just a personal recommendation if you ever happen to go around that area. Plus nearby you get the Shaolin temple.
Yunnan has gained a lot of tourism lately and it has become a bit overcrowded, but it still offers an amazing mixture of ethnic groups + buddhist life + beautiful cities + Himalayan views + some traces of the ancient Tea Horse Road that went from Pu’er to Tibet.
Japan:
Hateruma island and islands around, in the south of Okinawa, ideal for an authentic remote homestay experience, such as this one with Kaoru Aizawa: https://www.homestayweb.com/search.cgi?F13=JP&F14=Okinawa
Kumano Kodo pilgrinage trails, if you want you can end with a stay in Mt Koya monastery
I would avoid Hiroshima / Miyajima. Unless you are WWII freak, it’s overrated. Instead, head to Shikoku island, with more unspoilt temples, superb nature and authentic villages.
Try the north coast from Nagano for some fishing villages and local life.
Sand dunes in Japan? Yes! You can get to see them in Tottori, and they are close to the beath, which makes them more spectacular. Plus the towns and area around are quite authentic.
Nakasendo Trail is not only the Magome - Tsumago part that you see promoted everywhere. The whole thing went from Tokyo to Kyoto and there are several parts that you can hike aside from the crowded and heavily advertised section.
Everything north of Tokyo up till the top of the main island is authentic Japan, not developed for tourism. Area around Yamagata for example has potential with some beautiful villages and nice hikes.