The latest and the greatest experiences you can have in Asia right now

From food journeys to scenic fitness, here's what's new across the continent.

A short distance from Sri Lanka's southwest coast, which is garnering a reputation as a sick surf stop, and about seven kilometres from Galle is a destination for anyone contemplating fast-tracking their fitness. Set on a hilltop, Makahiya has just eight bright rooms, an exquisite infinity pool, an all-day restaurant serving nutritious and delicious dishes and trainers who'll kick your butt throughout your stay.

A retreat package (from £1660 - $3216 - for seven nights) includes unlimited access to the huge gym and classes held indoors and out, plus a workout with a personal trainer, a massage and an ice bath session. Between wellness experiences, head to nearby Unawatuna Beach, where you can swim with turtles or tackle Galle Fort in a tuk-tuk. makahiyafitness.com

You'll never go hungry in this buzzing city, but there's now another reason for foodies to hit Bangkok. Gaggan Anand, whose eponymous restaurant was named number five in Asia's Best Restaurants 2023, has gone designer. Gaggan at Louis Vuitton, located at LV The Place Bangkok - the concept store only opened in March this year - is the first restaurant for the luxury brand in South-East Asia. Expect, says Anand, to go on a "food journey" from France to Thailand. There are just 10 marble tables where diners are seated to experience seasonal cuisine centred around the five S's: sweet, salty, sour, spicy and surprise. It's fine dining, but not as you know it, with diners encouraged to eat with their hands during some courses, including one that requires licking the plate. It's not cheap - an eight-course lunch costs TBH4000 ($165) while the 17-course dinner is TBH8000 - but you'll still need to book months in advance. louisvuitton.com

There's a new traveller in town and, sister, she's doing it for herself. Webjet data has solo flight bookings around the world jumping 78 per cent from April 2022 to March 2023 and evidence suggests many of these solitary adventurers are middle-aged women. There's one Asian country they should look to visiting in solidarity: the Kingdom of Bhutan is seeing a rise in female guides. Typically a male occupation, there are now about 500 female guides - 122 of them certified by the country's Department of Tourism - specialising in areas like hiking, bird watching and traditional craft. They're changing the visitor experience in the happy kingdom, particularly for single female travellers, women's travel groups and elderly couples. Says Bhutan's Tourism director general Dorji Dadahol: "They are pioneers, enriching our visitor experiences while championing the role of women in our cultural and economic fabric." bhutan.travel

More than a century after Raffles opened in Singapore, an outpost of the legendary hotel will open in the final quarter of this year on the island of Sentosa. Designed by Yabu Pushelberg, the New York studio responsible for stylish digs including The Londoner and LA's Moxy Hotel, this 62-key villa-only resort is set to shake up the Sentosa scene. Overlooking Tanjong Beach at the southern end of the island, it will have 100,000 square metres of tropical gardens and a world-class spa dedicated to regenerative wellness. raffles.com

As a destination, it has a romantic, unexplored aura so you might think the only way to explore Mongolia is on a small group tour. Wrong! Local company Escape to Mongolia offers self-drive tours lasting from a week to 22 days. You'll be supplied with a 4WD and rooftop tent, itinerary, internet SIM card and access to the

Follow the Tracks app, so you know where you're going. For example, on the seven-day Gobi Bear route, you'll visit the White Stupa, Yolyn Am Canyon, the Flaming Cliffs and the Khongoryn Els sand dunes, camping or staying in gers, hanging out with a camel herder - and exploring at your own pace. escapetomongolia.com

Travelling by train is very much having a moment and when it comes to exploring Asia, there are all types of locomotive, from vintage railways to bullet trains. A new direct journey from Bangkok and Vientiane now connects in the Laos capital with the existing Lao-China highspeed service - already a major tourist attraction - meaning you can follow the tracks all the way from Bangkok to Beijing.

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Wendy Wu Tours has launched a Rail Collection showcasing 14 all-inclusive journeys for train enthusiasts, such as a new 18-day itinerary from Singapore to Bangkok via Malaysia, travelling on a mix of trains, including a funicular railway.

"The rail travel renaissance is undoubtedly one of the biggest trends for 2024," says Wendy Wu's Australian managing director, Simon Bell, who adds that visual social network Pinterest has seen searches for 'train trip aesthetic' increase by 205 per cent in the past year. "Our own experience with client queries is also indicating this trend isn't going anywhere for a while."

1. Seoul is firmly focused on the future - all neon lights, K-pop and late-night barbecue restaurants. Discover another side of South Korea in Gyeongju. Known as a museum without walls, it's a small city crammed with ancient sites dating back to the seventh-century Silla Kingdom. See visitkorea.or.kr

2. At Vietnam's northernmost tip, you'll find the town of Cao Bang. Once the hiding place of Ho Chi Minh, it's popular with Vietnamese travellers and an excellent base for exploring limestone karst systems, the mountainous terrain, villages that are home to ethnic minorities like the Hmong and Tay people, and the incredible Ban Gioc Waterfall. See vietnam.travel

3. If you've always craved seeing the cherry blossoms, but would rather avoid the crowds in Japan, plan to visit the Shillong Cherry Blossom Festival (this year, the dates are November 15-16, although the blooms can normally be seen from early November). Located in northeast India, Shillong is a hill station, the capital of the Meghalaya state and sometimes referred to as the Scotland of the East thanks to its lush natural beauty. See shillongcherryblossom.com