THE EXPERT ITINERARY
Astounded by astrotourism? Shoot over to these secluded areas in Asia and indulge in a cosmic spot of stargazing.
ADAM GRAHAM’s star-studded guide to astrotourism across Asia
EVERY NIGHT, about 5,000 stars are visible to the naked eye while some 16 meteors shoot across the heavens every hour. Yet in much of the world, you’re lucky if you can spot the Milky Way. Prospects are especially dim in Asia, with its 24/7 neon-lit cities and widespread air pollution. But beyond the major urban areas, there’s an expanding universe of astrotourism. We zoom in on five of the continent’s best places for stargazing.
1 YAEYAMA ISLANDS, JAPAN
The Yaeyama archipelago in Okinawa prefecture is home to Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park, Japan’s first International Dark Sky Park. Like Polynesians, Yaeyama islanders have navigated by the stars for millennia and much of their folklore centres on celestial objects. The 200-millimetre refracting telescope at Starry Sky Observatory Tower on Hateruma Island furnishes views of the Southern Cross in late spring.
Stay at the Hoshinoya Taketomi Island, a 15-minute express boat ride from Ishigaki. hoshinoya.com
2 BAA ATOLL, MALDIVES
Crystal clear waters, golden beaches and luxury resorts have long lured travellers to the Maldives. Lately, stargazing has become an added draw thanks to the lack of artificial light and air pollution; plus the equatorial latitude means that the sun and moon rise vertically, with the ‘horns’ of a crescent moon facing upwards, creating a floating bowl effect. Stargazers regularly report seeing the Southern Cross, Rigel and Betelgeuse, while the Andromeda galaxy is visible through binoculars. Telescopes can pinpoint even more distant sites like the Crab Nebula and the so-called ‘Ghost of Jupiter’.
Stay at the Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas Resort, with its Sky overwater cocktail bar and observatory. anantara.com
3 LUANG PRABANG, LAOS
Laos recently started a joint Mekong Astronomy programme with Thailand to educate budding astronomers. The night sky is fundamental to Lao culture: Hmong tribespeople believe that spirits reside in the sky and a shaman can visit them by scaling a ladder to the heavens on a magical horse. Khao Phansa, a Theravada Buddhist festival, starts during the full moon in July and culminates at Awk Phansa, when Lao people gather by rivers under a full October moon to release small banana-leaf boats decorated with candles, incense sticks and flowers.
Stay at the Amantaka, which arranges stargazing hikes with monks. In December, you can catch the Geminid meteor shower. aman.com
4 CENTRAL BHUTAN
Bhutan is an astronomer’s arcadia, thanks to its lack of nightglow and its Himalayan altitude. The Pangri Zampa monastery in the capital Thimphu has been home to the College of Bhutanese Astrology since the 16th century. To the east, the ancient capital Punakha is adorned with bright mandalas and paintings of the Buddhist zodiac. The only way to get there is along a road that tops out at the 3,116-metre Dochula Pass – not a bad place to gaze at distant planets like Uranus and Neptune.
Stay at the Sherab Dema Farmhouse homestay and learn about the celestial influence on Bhutanese culture. rebrand.ly/sherab
5 YEONGYANG, SOUTH KOREA
At the mountainous Yeongyang region’s firefly park, visitors can spot meteors and the Milky Way unaided, while on-site telescopes help identify the moon’s craters and planets hundreds of light years away.
Stay at the restored Bukchondaek, where you can watch the night sky from the veranda beside a 300-year- old pine tree. bukchondaek.com