Destinations known | Bye bye, Bangkok and Bali: why it’s time to try somewhere new in Asia

Sure, the coronavirus might be grounding planes and people across Asia right now, but the region will recover, eventually, and once it does, its residents will be itching to explore beyond their borders again. But before booking that first flight back to Bangkok or Bali, Destinations Known entreats travellers to think carefully about where they want to go – yes, almost everywhere will be desperate for the tourist dollar, but this is an opportunity to spread the love rather than returning to the same, tired destinations as before … and as everyone else.

Perhaps consider a “second city” approach to touring, avoiding the most prominent ports of call in favour of those that perennially fly under the radar. Take the Thai capital, for example. According to British research company Euromonitor International, Bangkok was the second-most visited city in the world, last year, behind Hong Kong, with more than 73 per cent of its 25.8 million arrivals hailing from Asia-Pacific. Which is exactly why you should give it a wide berth.

Bypass Bangkok for somewhere a little less obvious, such as Buriram, in the country’s northeast, to where influencers have yet to lead followers – Buriram has been hashtagged a mere 142,000 times, compared with Bangkok’s 26.2 million posts – and where those elusive “authentic” experiences are still possible.

A one-hour flight from the Big Mango (or an eight-hour coach ride, if carbon emissions are a concern and time is on your side), the eponymous capital of Buriram province might not be as cosmopolitan as the city it is being swapped for, but its Khmer temple complex, a Unesco World Heritage Site hopeful, and fiery Isaan cuisine should more than make up for the pleasures of the modern metropolis left behind. Buriram also lays claim to one of Thailand’s biggest football stadiums, home to frequent champions Buriram United, and a motorsports racetrack, earning the “city of happiness” another moniker, the “city of sports”. Goal!

Of course, in Asia, overtourism affects beaches, bays and resort destinations as much as it does metropolitan settings, making “second city” tourism something of a misnomer when applied to these popular holiday spots. Take as an example Indonesia’s most overrun island, where too many tourists are already taking their toll on the environment. Bali is just one of the archipelagic nation’s more than 17,000 islands, so why not try another? May we suggest instead Sulawesi, which features on Australia-based travel agency Intrepid Travel’s “not hot” 2020 list, a line-up of lesser-visited spots well worth the time it takes to travel to them.