Three Asian countries among world’s favorite destinations in 2023

Laos capital Vientiane (Hotels.com)

LONDON: British newspaper The Telegraph has joined other international publications in lauding Laos, Japan and Sri Lanka as “must-see” tourism destinations in 2023.

With the lifting of restrictions imposed by the COVID pandemic, international travel is resuming and the search for outstanding destinations is intensifying while travel experts are providing tips.

The Telegraph’s travel experts’ curated collection of 20 top destinations to visit this year features three Asian countries, Laos, Japan and Sri Lanka.

Tokyo (Hotels.com)

“Say hello again to sushi and skyscrapers, high-speed rail and robots, temples and tea ceremonies: after two pandemic years of being strictly off the travel map, Japan is likely to be ablaze with tourism in 2023,” the Brirish daily said.

Explaining the selection of Sri Lanka, The Telegraph said “Whisper it softly, but 2023, surely, is the year that Sri Lanka will reclaim its place in the Premier League of holiday destinations.

Sri Lanka

“Heaven knows that, with its lush, palm-fringed vegetation, sweeping white sand beaches, exotic birdsong and colours, Buddhist and Hindu traditions – and the many traces (including cricket) of rule under the British, Dutch and Portuguese – this gorgeous Indian Ocean island deserves to be there. There are the people too: ever eager to engage, share and make you feel good no matter how challenging the situation.”

Mentioning Laos, The Telegraph lauded the breath-taking views and improved accessibility to various destinations, thanks to the Laos-China Railway that began operations in 2021.

The newspaper said it is convenient to travel on the Laos-China Railway: “It slices through the northern mountains from capital Vientiane, curving along the north bank of the Mekong River to Vangvieng, where the sugarloaf mountains tower over the ragtag settlement on the banks of the Xong River. From there, pinch yourself.”

The Telegraph added: “A journey that takes four to five hours by road on bum-numbing buses now reaches the fabled UNESCO-protected temple town of Luang Prabang in 55 minutes. Further north is Muang Xay, the alighting point for sky-high ethnic minority villages, waterfalls, and a riverfront retreat in the jungle.”