Asia destination guide FAQ
Your Asia questions, answered.
The same ground the Asia destination guide covers — travel tips, the best months, local culture and where to go — set out as the questions people actually ask us before they book.
Planning a trip to Asia
- Fly into the region, then move slowly — what does that mean for a trip to Asia?
- Long-haul into Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore or Denpasar, then treat each country as its own trip. Two bases over ten days beats four; internal flights are cheap and frequent, but transfer days eat a holiday quickly.
- Book transfers with the house, not on arrival — what does that mean for a trip to Asia?
- Bali, Phuket and the Maldives all involve a road, boat or seaplane leg after landing, and seaplane transfers to the atolls only run in daylight. Every house we list arranges the transfer alongside the booking.
- Carry cash in Japan, card everywhere else — what does that mean for a trip to Asia?
- Japan's smaller ryokan, taxis and rural restaurants still prefer cash; Thailand, Singapore and Indonesian resort areas are effectively cashless. Notify your bank before you travel and keep a second card apart from the first.
- Check visas a month out — what does that mean for a trip to Asia?
- Most Western passports enter Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore visa-free or on arrival, but rules move and several countries now require an online arrival card. Confirm with your own foreign office, not a blog.
- Staff are included more often than not — what does that mean for a trip to Asia?
- A private villa in Bali or Phuket usually comes with housekeeping, a cook and a driver in the rate. Japan is the exception: ryokan service is exceptional but tipping is not the custom, and machiya houses are self-catering.
The best time to visit Asia
- When is the best time to visit Asia?
- January – February: Niseko and Hakuba powder, dry season in Thailand and the Maldives, and Bali's wettest weeks. March – May: Cherry blossom through Japan late March to mid-April; hot before the rains in Thailand; Bali drying out. June – August: Japan's rainy season then heat, Bali at its best and busiest, the Maldives cheaper with more wind. September – October: Quiet, warm and good value across Japan and Bali; Thailand still wet on the west coast. November – December: The regional sweet spot: Japanese autumn colour, Thai dry season opening, and festive weeks selling out early. Rates on every house move with these seasons, and the live partner panels on each listing show what a given week actually costs.
- What is Asia like in January – February?
- Niseko and Hakuba powder, dry season in Thailand and the Maldives, and Bali's wettest weeks.
- What is Asia like in March – May?
- Cherry blossom through Japan late March to mid-April; hot before the rains in Thailand; Bali drying out.
- What is Asia like in June – August?
- Japan's rainy season then heat, Bali at its best and busiest, the Maldives cheaper with more wind.
- What is Asia like in September – October?
- Quiet, warm and good value across Japan and Bali; Thailand still wet on the west coast.
- What is Asia like in November – December?
- The regional sweet spot: Japanese autumn colour, Thai dry season opening, and festive weeks selling out early.
Local culture and etiquette in Asia
- Japan: precision as courtesy — what is expected of visitors?
- Shoes off at the threshold, quiet in public transport, and punctuality treated as a form of respect. Tattoos still bar entry to some onsen — private-onsen rooms sidestep the issue entirely, which is why we favour them.
- Bali: the household temple comes first — what is expected of visitors?
- Villas keep daily offerings and staff observe ceremony days, Nyepi above all — the island's day of silence closes the airport and confines everyone, guests included, to the property.
- Thailand: temples, feet and the royal family — what is expected of visitors?
- Cover shoulders and knees at temples, never point your feet at a person or an image of the Buddha, and treat the monarchy as off-limits in conversation.
- Eating is the itinerary — what is expected of visitors?
- Kaiseki in Kyoto, a warung lunch in Ubud, a boat-caught dinner in Phuket: book the restaurants that matter before you fly, especially anything Michelin-listed in Tokyo or Kyoto.
Where to go in Asia
- Which places in Asia should I build a trip around?
- Kyoto — Temples, kaiseki and machiya houses; the blossom and autumn fortnights are the two hardest weeks to book all year. Tokyo — The best restaurant city on earth and the natural first or last night of any Japan trip. Hakone — An hour and a half from Tokyo, for ryokan with private onsen and Fuji on a clear morning. Ubud — Rice terraces, temples and staffed villas in the hills; pair it with a coast base for the second half. Phuket — Beachfront estates with cooks and boat crews, and island days out to Phang Nga Bay. Bangkok — River hotels, markets and the best domestic flight hub in the region. The Maldives — Overwater villas and house-reef diving, an hour's seaplane from Malé — best December to April.
- How do I book a house in Asia?
- Every house on Asia estates shows live partner rates for your dates. Choose the dates and party size on the listing, and the booking completes with our partner — Booking.com, Expedia or Hotels.com — at the partner's own price. We never take a deposit ourselves.