Running the gamut from the icy Himalayas to the tropical Golden Triangle, the scenery on our Asian journeys takes some beating. In this week’s story, we share a few wonderful scenic drives in Asia…
The working title for this article started life as “Our favourite scenic drives…”, but once we got going our list quickly grew too long for a single article – there are too many beautiful drives to choose from! Below we present a few wanderlust-inducing roads from our shortlist:
1. Tibet: Lhasa to Gyantse
This drive contains all the elements of a quintessential Tibetan experience. A quick view of the Potala Palace, yaks, holy lakes, icy mountains and glaciers, high passes and prayer flags, and even a hilltop dzong or fort.
The route traces the Kyi Chu River from Lhasa downstream to its confluence with the braided waters of the Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibet’s most important river. Once across the river, the road zig-zags up to Gampa-La (4,800m), the first of the day’s three high passes. On the far side lie the kingfisher-blue waters of Yamdrok-Tso, arcing away to 7,200m-tall Noijin Kangsang at the lake’s western end. The road winds down to the water’s edge and follows the indented lakeshore as far as the day’s lunch stop.
Once refuelled, it’s back on the road for the climb to Karo-La (5,040m), where a thick slab of grey-and-blue glacier can be admired from the road. After Karo-La, it’s almost all downhill to Gyantse. Once Tibet’s third largest city, today Gyantse feels like a quiet country town, set amidst barley fields and with cows tied up outside the old town’s whitewashed houses. An impressive fort and monastery watch over the sleepy town below – all of which should just be catching the golden evening light as you arrive.
This drive is part of Roads on the Roof of the World and our Tibetan photography itinerary, Tibet through a Lens.
2. Burma/Myanmar: Nay Pyi Taw to Inle
This drive takes you from the spacious and slightly surreal streets of Myanmar’s capital, Nay Pyi Taw, to the lush landscape of Inle Lake, famed for its floating villages and leg-rowing fishermen.
Nay Pyi Taw sits at the eastern edge of Myanmar’s arid Central Plain, and after leaving the city on wide and seemingly never-ending “Autobahn”-style roads, it’s not long before you enter lush countryside. Before starting the climb up onto the Shan Plateau, we stop at a local family’s home for a homemade lunch.
The road between Nay Pyi Taw and Inle is a winding single lane that alternates between smooth asphalt and rougher stretches, but it’s a pleasure to drive and very quiet, allowing drivers and passengers plenty of time to enjoy their surroundings-fantastic views over the Shan mountains, to pagoda-topped hills – you’ll find yourself slipping into the gentle rhythm of Burmese country life as you go.
Pass pretty villages of teakwood houses as the road curves between rice paddies and through stretches of forest. Eventually, the road reaches the southern tip of Inle Lake, before leading up the lake’s western shore to Nyaungshwe (the lakeshore’s main settlement) with the lake to one side and the Shan Hills to the other.
We drive from Nay Pyi Taw to Inle on A Burmese Journey: From the Lanna Kingdom to the Bay of Bengal.
3. Sichuan: Ganzi to Dege
Dawn in Ganzi is always a chilly affair, but with luck, warm light will spill over the hills as you begin your drive west along the Yalong Valley. The road curves along the broad valley with the Trola Mountains (雀兒山) hemming in the valley to the south. At the functional crossroads town of Manigango it’s time to stock up on water and essentials before following the road into the mountains.
A short drive down the valley is at Yilun Lha-tso, an impossibly scenic holy lake where the boulders are carved with prayers. After a picnic lunch here, you’ll need to tear yourself away (though not all manage this feat – one hermit monk has lived in seclusion on the far side of the lake for almost two decades) for the remainder of your beautiful drive. The road now leads deep into the jagged Trola Mountains and up to the main pass across them.
The dramatic road tops out at 5,050m before dropping down on the mountains’ far side to Dege, one of Sichuan’s most remote towns right on the province’s border with Tibet, where the main attraction (after people-watching) is a fascinating sutra-printing monastery.
4. Laos–Thailand: Luang Namtha to the Golden Triangle
The drive from Luang Namtha to the Thai border crosses the beautiful Nam Ha Ecological Reserve. With a ridge of forested mountains running the length of the reserve and the route studded with tiny villages, this is a wonderful way to get a taste of rural life in Laos. You might see rare birds or hear gibbons whooping from the forest, and in each village you’ll see the activities that fill everyday life; farmwork and weaving for the adults and play for the children.
Eventually the road winds down from the hills to the modest town of Huay Xai (though even this feels like a big city after the morning’s drive) on the Thai border. Once the border crossing has been completed, it’s across the Mekong and into Thailand. The last part of the drive is a beautiful one, past temples and through fields basking in the golden light of late afternoon. Looking out at the peaceful countryside, it’s hard to believe that this is the formerly infamous Golden Triangle, where Laos, Burma and Thailand meet. Before long, you will reach the day’s destination – the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort. A beautiful way to end a beautiful journey!
We use this route on our journey from Shangri-La to Chiang Mai, as well as on our 11-day journey FromYunnan to the Lanna Kingdom.
5. Yunnan: The Back Road from Shangri-La to Tiger Leaping Gorge
The first time we drove this route, we weren’t sure what to expect. The road barely shows up on Google Maps, and was represented by a single brown line on our Chinese road atlas. Our curiosity was amply rewarded by magnificent views over ranks of misty hills, deep and thickly forested valleys, and apple tree-shaded villages. The road leads past Baishuitai, where a quirk of geology sees turquoise water spilling down terraces of dazzling white limestone, making it a pretty pit stop on a beautiful road.
Until the late 1990s this drive dead-ended outside the town of Sanba. Today, the road continues, skirting around the 5000-metre Haba Shan to joining the Yangtze and eventually snaking towards to Tiger Leaping Gorge’s spectacular “back door”. Our first research trip down this road was brought to a premature halt by some unexpected roadworks (we had to backtrack all the way to Shangri-La), but today a good road leads right through Tiger Leaping Gorge, high above the young Yangtze River that churns, twists and jumps below. A dramatic end to a beautiful drive!
We drive this route on our 9-day journey, Searching for Shangri-La.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this armchair trip along a handful of Asia’s wonderful scenic roads. Did we miss one of your favourites? Please let us know – we’re always looking to add to our list!
Warm wishes and happy travels,
