Asia's well known for its thermometer-busting temps, especially in summer. So if you're feeling the need to speed away to cooler climes, try these six refreshing breaks, sure to chill you out in more ways than one.
Dalat, Vietnam
They don't call Dalat "Le Petit Paris" for nothing. Just as French colonialists picked Dalat as their summer retreat in Vietnam in the 19th century, tourists and locals nowadays still swarm to the picturesque city to escape the sweltering summer heat.
Sitting some 1,500 meters above sea level, Dalat lures punch-drunk honeymooners all year round for its lush natural landscape, ersatz Euro vibes and moderate climes, which averages 17 degrees Celsius round the year. Many travelers love the city for its French colonial architecture, but if Dr Seuss-like surrounds are not your cup, head down to the serene Tuyen Lam Lake to unwind, or give yourself a visual shock at the Gaudi-like Hang Nga Crazy House.
Chengde Mountain Resort, China
Where emperors came to rest: Chengde Mountain Resort. Construction for the complex spanned the reign of three consecutive emperors.
It's all in the name: Hebei province's Chengde Mountain Resort is known to the Chinese as Bishu Shanzhuang, which literally translates as "Mountain Resort for Avoiding the Heat."
The summer palace provided solace and a whiff of cool air for Qing-era Chinese royalty when it got too hot and sticky in Beijing in the summer. The palace took 89 years to build and it's not hard to see why: at 5.6 square kilometers, it's the largest imperial garden in China, complete with 72 scenic sites that recreate famous landscapes and waterscapes from around the country. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
These days the mountain resort entertains tourists rather than royalty, with a smattering of snack vendors, a small airport outside town, and a kitschy yurt hotel inside the palace.
Manali, India
River Bea at Manali's Rohtang pass, fed by monsoon rains. For centuries, locals, trippers, and British colonials have been hiding away from the Indian summer heat at the Manali hill station.
Even during the summer months, the mercury rarely climbs past 20 degrees Celsius at Manali, which sits 1,950 meters above sea level some 550 kilometers from Delhi.
It's primarily known in the Western world for its adventure sports (there's even "extreme yak sport" on the menu), while honeymooners like it for its verdant mountain landscape, hot springs and Tibetan Buddhist temples.
Furano, Japan
Lavender fields forever at Hokkaido's Furano. Look no further than the city of Furano in Hokkaido for lavender fields, that enduring Japanese postcard motif.
Hokkaido is famous for being a top Asian skiing spot but in summer it's Furano, in all its blossoming glory, that draws travelers. Farm Tomita reliably showcases neat lavender fields every summer, and there are poppies, lupins, lilies and sunflower blossoms around town from July till September.
Hokkaido is the northernmost province in Japan and is generally cooler than other parts of the country, making it hugely popular with summer home buyers and vacationers.
Haputale, Sri Lanka
Hazy charms at Sri Lankan mountain town Haputale. Haputale, which perches on the southern edge of the Sri Lankian central highlands, is 1,579 meters above sea level, so travelers are guaranteed a pleasant chill all year round.
Traces of Sri Lanka's British legacy can be found in the numerous tea plantations around the town, among them the Dambatenne Tea Estate, which still processes tea leaves using Victorian machines.
Haputale is spectacular at dawn, with bundled-up Tamils selling English vegetables on the streets in swirling mist. The sheer mountain landscape also makes it the perfect setting for snap-happy tourists.
Doi Tong, Thailand
The Asian Switzerland? Much of Doi Tong has an Alpine-meets-Thai aesthetic. The hilly region of Doi Tong at the northern tip of Thailand is billed by the government as the "Switzerland of Thailand" and no, it's not an oxymoron: Doi Tong's architecture and greenery do evoke images of the Alpine country.
Make that mini-me Switzerland with a Thai twist. Wat Phra That Doi Tung, a circa-1000 AD Buddhist temple, reportedly contains the Buddha's collarbone. Doi Tung Royal Villa was the final home of Thailand's Princess Mother and was built in fanciful Swiss-meets-Lanna style. Doi Tong's elevation (which peaks at nearly 1,400 meters above ground level) and higher latitude makes it cooler than many other parts of the country.
Source:http://in.news.yahoo.com/
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