Asia
Green Travel 
Guide

Asia: An Overview

Allow us to inspire you with our Asia green travel guide! Having grown up in the Caribbean, I considered Asia to be one of the most exotic destinations in the world. It is a region with such diverse and foreign cultures (to me, personally).

What’s more, its landscapes are so varied, they seem to rival the diversity of the region’s cultures. All things considered, this is not surprising. After all, Asia is the largest continent on Earth. It also has the highest and lowest points on the surface of the Earth, namely Mount Everest and the Dead Sea.

To clarify, though, I included the Dead Sea in our Middle East green travel guide. Although the Middle East is considered part of Asia, I created its own green travel guide for ease of reference.

From Central Asia to Eastern Asia, Asia is home to majestic mountain ranges, vibrant and colourful forests, lunar landscapes, shimmering waters, mysterious caverns, impressive waterfalls, and coral reefs teeming with life.

Overall, there are a total of 51 World Heritage Natural sites in Asia. Coupled with all the other remarkable non-listed but still remarkable natural sites, Asia offers amazing opportunities for nature-based travel and ecotourism.

Keep reading our Asia green travel guide for more information and get inspired to visit this special part of the world.

When to visit Asia

Similar to all our other green travel guides, the best time to visit Asia will depend on the countries you plan to visit. This is of particular importance because Asia as a continent has almost every known climate in the world.

Further, many countries in Asia experience differences in the landscape based on annual seasonal changes. For example, visiting Japan in spring means enjoying the beautiful Sakura or cherry blossoms.

Meanwhile, visiting in autumn is all about the momijigari or fall foliage. At this time, you can enjoy the changing colours of the season as leaves turn crimson red.

Usually, the dry season in Asia is in winter, from December to February. The wet season comes with summer, between June to October.

Again, I suggest carefully planning your itinerary and then researching the climate within each region you plan to visit. Our Asia green travel guide may provide information to assist you. Keep reading below for more.

What to expect when visiting Asia

Asia makes up a huge portion of the world!

Since it’s such a vast place, I split this Asia green travel guide into the different regions that make up the Asian continent.

The key points for each of these regions are summarised below.

For the purpose of this Asia green travel guide, Western Asia is made up of three countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

Altogether, these countries are full of awe-inspiring nature. From rolling green mountains, alpine lakes, crystal clear waterfalls, rocky outcrops and expansive views.

With over 20 national parks across the three countries, you can immerse yourself in the beauty and serenity of nature.

To help you plan your trip, we’ve included the countries that make up Western Asia in the map below.

There are five countries making up Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Similar to Western Asia, countries in Central Asia abound with nature. The best time to visit Central Asia is between spring and autumn. July to September is ideal for trekking, as well as visiting the mountain regions. However, it will be boiling hot in the lower areas.

The low season happens during winter, where many accommodations close in Uzbekistan. In other countries, many accommodations offer some juicy discounts. If you’re interested in visiting World Heritage natural sites, Central Asia has 3. They are the Saryarka – steppe and lakes of northern Kazakhstan, the Tajik National Park in Tajikistan, and the mountains of Western Tien-Shan.

The map below shows all the countries in Central Asia so you can see how close they are relative to each other.

For the purpose of this Asia green travel guide, Southern Asia encompasses 8 countries. Specifically, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Overall, there are 13 natural World Heritage sites in Southern Asia.

Please be warned that Afghanistan is not considered a safe place to visit due to the country’s current unrest. However, other countries in Southern Asia offer vast opportunities to interact with nature in a sustainable way.

In Bangladesh, for example, you can observe tigers in the wild in the World Heritage Sundarbans. India also has 8 World Heritage natural sites. In Kaziranga National Park you can spot wild elephants, tigers and rhinos. There are also Ganges River dolphins!

If you want to swim with whale sharks, the Maldives is the place to be. Meanwhile, Nepal offers extensive landscapes for adventurous mountain climbing in Sagarmatha National Park – the home of Mount Everest. If you’re after something a little more low-key, the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka might be the place for you.

Check out the countries that make up Southern Asia in the map below.

There are five countries in Eastern Asia: China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, and Mongolia. Personally, out of the 24 countries I’ve travelled to, Japan has been my favourite destination.

The Japanese culture is unlike anything I’ve come across. Similarly, its landscapes are absolutely breathtaking. Overall, there are 23 natural World Heritage sites in Eastern Asia.

China, in particular, has 17! Together, they offer unique opportunities to interact with nature and engage in responsible travel.

An ideal destination for ecotourism and supporting local communities is Mongolia. To get your head around Eastern Asia, check out the countries that make up the region in the map below.

Finally, Southeast Asia encompasses 11 countries. They include Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam.

There are a total of 13 World Heritage natural sites in Southeast Asia. When visiting Southeast Asia, you can expect untouched forests brimming with wildlife (for example, Borneo), multi-coloured coral reefs, and aquamarine rivers with foamy-white waterfalls.

There are also a vast array of ecotourism experiences. They include anything from wildlife observation, cultural encounters, jungle adventures, and mountain hiking.

For a ‘bird’s eye view’ on the countries that make up Southeast Asia, check out the map below.

10 green travel experiences in Asia

Asia green travel guide:
9 eco-friendly accommodation options

To wrap up this Asia green travel guide, I’ve included some eco-friendly accommodation options below.

Full disclaimer: I haven’t actually visited these places. But, after doing quite a bit of research, I concluded that they are the real deal.

Of course, if you have been to any of these places and disagree, please do let me know! Oh, and if you have any further recommendations that I could add to this list, please reach out.

As always, I’m sure there are some other places that could be featured in this Asia green travel guide. So, I suggest you do your research and see what you come up with.

✦ India

✦ Armenia

✦ Vietnam

✦ Malaysia

✦ Sri Lanka

✦ Thailand

✦ Indonesia

✦ Timor Leste