How to Reach Asia

Major countries and cities in Asia have direct flights and if not that, you will have access to connecting flights. This makes travelling to countries in Asia easy and hassle-free. Asia is dotted with major and busy airports such as Hong Kong International Airport, Dubai International Airport, Singapore’s Changi Airport and of course Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Some of the popular Asian destinations visited by tourists are Bangkok, Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Seoul, Phuket and Hong Kong. With the absence of direct flights to some Asian destinations like Phuket, you can always catch a connecting flight through Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore that are known to be the major transit points.

Changi Airport in Singapore is known to be the best airport in Asia for self-connect flights. If you are heading to Southeast Asia, consider flying to Hong Kong or China and then taking a connecting flight to your destination on a budget carrier.

If you are heading to Central Asia, which could get a little unnerving; Tashkent International Airport is recognized as the most central airport in Eurasia and is the busiest airport in Central Asia. If you are traveling from Asia; Bangkok, Hong Kong, Delhi and Seoul comprise useful connections to Central Asia.

Air Asia and Air China are known to be some of the largest and busiest carriers and operate multiple domestic and international routes, you can also catch flights with Air India on a daily basis. Aside from these airlines, Emirates, IndiGo, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines provide flights to and from Asian countries. You can also catch a connecting flight from many of Asia’s cities via AirAsia and Emirates.

Although flights are the fastest way to reach destinations in Asia, there is another option for those wondering about how to reach Asia from India. If you are one of those who deems the journey to be as important as the destination, kiss the skies goodbye and opt to travel by ship. The trip is an experience you won’t forget – particularly if you opt to take a luxurious cruise. If you are heading to Southeast Asia from India, you will have two ports at your disposal; Mumbai and Chennai Ports.

Sea travel from Mumbai to places like Singapore covers a distance of roughly 2454 nautical miles and takes around 11 days at sea.  Be mindful of the fact that the time given on the trip is usually an estimate - a lot depends on where you board from, and the weather conditions during that time.

Airports are well connected with some of the main cities in Asia via trains. Take Singapore for example, the most convenient way to travel is the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT). Take an MRT train from Changi airport and you will be able to reach your desired destination.

If you are in Bangkok, you can take the local trains from the airport to reach the main city. If you are visiting Dubai, you can then take the Dubai metro connecting the International airport to the main city.

Watch scenic locations whisk past you as you travel to certain locations in Asia by road. It is easy to travel by road to China, especially from Nepal, which is considered to be the best route to reach China. Kathmandu to Lhasa; from Lhasa to Xining via the Qinghai railway; from Xining to wherever you want to head while you are in China. You will be requiring a Chinese visa and a Tibet travel permit. It takes approximately 83 hours to reach China by road, covering a distance of 4,165 kms.

While driving in and to some Asian countries is a rather smooth sailing, sometimes you need to watch out for topsy-turvy roads and tricky mountain passes coming your way.  Even though there are bus services available in all Asian countries, you always have an option to drive by yourself, if you have the required permits.