Early morning
ballooning over Bagan.THE Asian continent brims over wiThexquisite panoramas, taking in everything from ultra-modern metropolises to primal forests and remote relics. For every picture-perfect land-, sea- or cityscape, there is an unsurpassed viewpoint high up. And getting there – by climbing, cable car, aeroplane, elephant or balloon – is all just part of the fun.

MYANMAR MAGIC
Bagan is Myanmar’s answer to Cambodia’s Angkor and a definite highlight of any visit to the country. Built between the 11th and 13th centuries, 2,200 temples are spread across many hectares of treeless flatlands, with the result that one view can encompass hundreds of these ornate buildings. Book an early morning balloon flight to see the red sun rise over the mist and the plain. You may glimpse the gilded, 51m-tall Ananda Temple glinting in the sunlight, or lines of orange-robed monks collecting alms. As the wind chooses the path of the balloon, however, part of the excitement is not knowing exactly what you’ll see – or where you’ll land for the celebratory glass of champagne.

PEAK PERFORMANCE
Before 1888, the civilised way to make the journey up to Hong Kong’s famous viewpoint on top of Victoria Peak was by coolie-carried bamboo sedan chair. But this was before the Peak Tram opened and started carrying passengers up the steep 396m slope. Six million people per year now take the seven-minute ride to the top to be rewarded with a panoramic view of Hong Kong. Huge skyscrapers spike the city skyline, which is dominated by the Two International Finance Centre, a 415m, 80-storey colossus. Beyond lies a postcard view of Victoria Harbour and the green hills of the island of Lantau rising out of the South China Sea. Tel +852 2849-7654, www.thepeak.com.hk

LEAPING LIZARDS

Hong Kong from Victoria Peak.Get a bird’s-eye view of China’s most pristine rainforest from the Bepeng Aerial Skyway Park in Mengla tropical rainforest, 170km south-east of Jinghong. Almost 300 types of birds can be found flying among the canopy, including rufus-necked and great hornbills. Also look out for the park’s clouded leopards, black gibbons and flying dragons – a lizard species that has adapted to life in the trees by using “wings” to glide from branch to branch.

LEAP OF FAITH
“When the people look like ants, pull; when the ants look like people, pray,” says an entry on a skydiving website about Thailand. Not the
most reassuring of introductions, but the team at Pattaya Airpark includes a veteran Finnish skydiver and a British champion who trained Richard Branson, and they strictly adhere to regulations set by the US and British parachuting associations, so you can leap with confidence. From the plane, at 3,000m, you’ll get an overhead view of Pattaya’s jungle, beach and sea before hurtling towards earth at 160kph, slowing down to a more leisurely 8kph as your parachute fills wiThair and you float down toward the people below – who still look like ants. Tel +66 (0)58 330322, www.skydivethailand.com

MEAL ON THE MOVE
While in Singapore, don’t miss the opportunity to go “sky dining” [00e0] deux on the Sentosa cable car, 70m above the southern tip of the island. The first course is served as you board

your private cabin at the top of Mount Faber just in time to enjoy sunset views of the city, harbour and surrounding islands. The cabin descends to nearby Sentosa Island before returning to drop off the empty plates and reload with the next course. By the time coffee has been served, you’ll have completed the circuit three times and the daytime vista will have given way to Singapore’s sparkling night lights. Cabins can fit four – but who’d want to share such a romantic meal?
Tel +65 6270-8855, www.mountfaber.com.sg

SUNSET SPOT Sunset
in Angkor is best viewed from Phnom Bakheng, the nearest of the four hills on the plain. Every late afternoon, visitors to the complex clamber on foot or by elephant up the 76m hill. Lining up on the temple’s terraces, the gathered group turns away from the shrines and guardian stone lions, hoping to see the world’s largest religious relic – Angkor Wat – bathed in a blood-orange sunset. On a clear day the sun sets 47km away, behind Kulen Mountain, where most of the temples’ sandstone came from.

HERITAGE HEIGHTS

Songyue pagoda at
the foot of Mount Songshan.
Named luang (capital) of the Lan Xang kingdom in the 14th century and considered the seat of Lao culture, the world heritage site of Luang Prabang is best viewed from 150m-high Phu Si Hill. From this vantage point, at the heart of the sleepy riverside town, low-rise wats (temples) and French colonial-era houses fill the foreground against a background of emerald-green countryside. The glittering spires of the stunning 16th-century Wat Xieng Th ong lie to the north, while to the west lie the Royal Palace and meandering Mekhong River.

TOP OF THE TOWERS
If you believe people appreciate things more when they’ve earned them, consider climbing one of the region’s numerous karsts (limestone rock outcrops). The reward will be a spectacular view of the surrounding jungle-clad towers. Created 30 million years ago when Indian subcontinent and Asian mainland collided, these rocky features reach up from Thailand to China. There are over 700 climbing routes around Krabi, Railay and Phi Phi in Thailand, ranging from easy to “don’t look down” diffcult. Whether beginner or expert, however, the views will be the same: strange-shaped karsts, coconut palms and white sand beaches. In Yangshuo near Guilin, the climbing centre of China, named routes include Baby Frog, Moon Hill and Twin Gate, and all provide stunning views of the surrounding verdant countryside.

King Climbers in Krabi, www.railay.com China Club in Yangshuo, tel +86 (0)773 881-1033, www.chinaclimb.com

CITY SIGHTS
When it comes to open-air dining with city views to die for, Bangkok is hard to beat, and the stylish Vertigo Grill and Moon Bar on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree is certainly among the best. It offers a winning combination of commanding views and fantastic food – and was recently named one of the city’s top restaurants by Bangkok Dining and Entertainment magazine. Sip a Moon Romance cocktail under the stars while gazing down at the city’s landmarks far below: the Grand Palace, Chao Phraya River, Wat Pho Temple and the Emerald Buddha. Return to enjoy the same sights by daylight over Vertigo’s new sunrise breakfast, served from 6.30am.

HOLY HIGHS
Any visitor to Zhengshuo in China is bound to be captivated by the special views of sacred Mount Songshan from the neighbouring slopes. It’s the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and Shaolin kung fu, and is where Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism have co-existed peacefully for millennia. Its 36 peaks rise vertiginously out of the central Chinese plain to a top height of 1,494m. Ming-era poet Fu Mei was inspired to write of the range’s two ridges: “Taishi is like a dragon sleeping, Shaoshi resembles a phoenix dancing.” If you look closely, perhaps you will see them too.
Tel +66 (0)2 679-1200, www.banyantree.com

Bookmark This Post     Print This Post    Email This Post

Other recent features: