Rock climbing is surging in Singapore. As of May 2017, it seems that our tiny island city has about at least 10 rock climbing and bouldering gyms, a lot more compared to what was available just a good 3 years ago when I first started.

Great pleasure and fulfillment derived from climbing

And it is not surprising – it is to cater to the growing demand and interest in climbing as a recreational sport, from 20,000 about 6 years ago to 50,000+ till date, according to the Singapore Mountaineering Federation (SMF).

With the influx of climbing available, rock climbing gyms are also aware of the necessary precautions needed to ensure the safety of their climbers, from young toddlers to beginner climbers just coming to give this activity a go.

But one trend we see growing is – more kids starting rock climbing. And why is it so?

Perhaps we should dive deeper into why this is a perfect activity for the inactive ipad addicted Singaporean kid these days.

Benefits of Rock Climbing for Kids and Adults:

1. Work that Body + Brain

Mental challenges push the kids to think and overcome their fear by aiming for the next tile. Photo credited to rockclimbinggym.net

Rock climbing is one of the most holistic sports/ activities you can find around Singapore. Being such a good workout, it engages not just the limbs movements, stronger core as well as..sharper brain development as you have to think and work your way up the rock wall.

2. Rid the gadgets, get active

Rock Climbing for Kids – Trying out the bouldering wall. Photo credited to inflatablestartup.com

Playground for the monkey within all of us. Have we forgotten how we use to be fearless and curious as kids. Well, the best way to enhance that part of your child but pulling him/ her away from their iPad videos, Pokemon Go, and get that young body moving. If they ain’t moving when they are young, what would they be like when they hit your age?!

Climbing Playground. Photo credited to Fractus Learning

Where are the Climbing gyms in Singapore?

3. Mental Growth and determination

Climbing trains the mental capacity, best nurtured when young. I wish I could have started when I am much smaller.

Rock climbing for kids to train their perseverance. Photo credited to New Jersey Family

YES..Everyone needs to train this aspect of their mind, and it should start young! Mental capacity/ strength is very helpful to overcome many challenges/ mental blocks as you get older. While you climb, you are forced to focus and clear all distractions from your head to reach your next step. So forget those tuition classes, bring them out to scale some rocks too.

And once they grow older, they can decide if they want to explore the great outdoors and bring climbing to a whole new level beyond what we envision ourselves to do when we were young.

Moving from indoor rock climbing to outdoor climbing when you get older. To read more about the best climbing gyms in Singapore to start the fun, click here.

Here’s me attempting a post that may be a surprise to some..I do not solo travel.

And, neither am I an advocate for it.

Aside from the many posts I have done featuring me alone in my photos, it is actually, mostly un-solo. I travel approximately 8-10+ holidays a year if I am lucky, but I haven’t planned/ gone on a single solo trip so far. I can count with 1 hand the handful of trips that I had a couple of days solo on my own:

• Canada ( 5 days out of 30+)
• India ( 1 days out of 10)
• Tokyo ( 1 day out of 10)

  

  

  

  
  

Yes, that’s about it. And there are reasons why I prefer it that way.

No doubt solo travel is growing. There has been an increasing trend of female solo travelers across the globe, and I have met many many such travelers during my voyages and travels. Indeed, there is much pleasure from getting to plan your getaways to your preference –  type of attractions, places to stay base on budget/ how much time to spend in a particular place, not to mention the immense amount of people you meet in 1 trip when you solo travel. For my Canada trip alone, despite me only spending less than 6 days in my 23 days trip without a friend by my side, I had made up to 30 over new friends from all over the world over those few days, and some of them I still keep in touch till now.

However having said that, I guess it’s time I jump into why despite such great experiences, I am still not a fan of solo travel, or traveling solo, and here are some reasons why:

5 REASONS WHY SOLO TRAVEL ISN’T FOR EVERYONE

1. Experiences are best enjoyed with friends

I love immersing in the places I go and being overwhelmed by the scenery or bustling energy of a destination/ ciry. Yes, while traveling solo can give you full autonomy to go to places you might find difficult to convince a friend to go, but the pleasure derived from that moment of seeing something spectacular and you stare and squeal in sheer delight with the person next to you, its priceless.

Be it at the top of a ski slope in Japan before you speed down, or witnessing an awesome mountain top sunset in the Philippines, it’s nice to have a friend/ buddy next to you to share that immense joy/ excitement. There is something extremely infectious about that shared moment or memory when you look back on it.

Going crazy on top the jeepney on the way down the rolling hills

2. Better to be safer than safe

Safety is something on a higher yet somewhat reduced priority these days. With travel being so much more accessible and many more countries being more ‘tourist-friendly’ for solo-travelers ( mind you, friends traveling in India and South Africa alone), it has triggered a lot of travelers to visit the more off the beaten track places in the globe. However, there is a difference between being aware/ mindful of the danger in the places you go and negligent of danger that you might bring yourself.

Solo travel, despite making some acquaintances or friends along the road that you spend a day or more with, it will still have you covering quite a fairf segments of your travel – on your own. And doing so, it will put you in a bit more risk versus traveling with another friend where you can look out for each other’s blind spots.

Eg. Doing road trips in South Africa where car theft is a common occurrence. Or squeezing through the bustling streets of India knowing that you have a friend watching your back/ or front, as you immerse in the surroundings. Hitch-hiking in Europe in pairs might also at least ‘help’ – when it is 2 in a car versus 1 driver ( not sure how exactly, but at least you know there is someone who is as serious about getting home in one piece as you. Seriously, try to avoid this unless you are really on a really tight budget.

6 friends glamping in South Africa with a 3 car convoy.

Danger?

Rock climbing or hiking expeditions overseas are also another type of trips you wouldn’t want to risk your safety on a line/ rope with people who you aren’t familiar with/ barely know. So it’s always ideal/ better to go with friends or buddies who are dependable and regard your life as high as theirs.

Rock Climbing with people who you trust. this shot was taken in Taiwan Long Dong, a trip with 6 friends.

Hence, its always good to have someone in your trip having your back. Having said that, I have traveled with some people who have made us more receptive to attracting danger than being on my own 😉 So, do make some discretion what friend to invite on for a slightly more ‘dangerous” holiday.

Dangerous holidays ? Find out some tips on what to take note when going on one.

3. Shared Planning and Decision Making

In my opinion, this is one of the best things one could have when it comes to travel, as I hate having to do all the work and planning in a trip during crunch time. Yes, when you plan the full itinerary yourself, you get to see and to do everything you want, but when trouble comes, sometimes you just want a nice traveling buddy who can help you book a train ticket while you dash to figure out the timings of your hotel shuttle bus. 2 minds can work pretty efficiently, vs just one person who is stuck with worrying about check out and chasing after the shuttle bus at the same time.

Examples of where this +1 resource will come in useful is eg. Europe backpacking trips, bustling cities like Tokyo and Bangkok.

4. Costs Savings

The most practical reason to not travel solo is – shared costs. And I am talking specifically with regards to road trips and campervan-ing trips, where your vehicle rental costs is going to be fixed, regardless of the number of passengers.

Places like New Zealand/ Australia/ Iceland and Scotland are destinations where they are best enjoyed by doing a road trip. For such trips, go with pals or friends who you know is unlikely to be a crazy kidnapper disguised as a fellow traveler.

Get a car with a driver to get around sri lanka is the best option

5. Instagram Buddy 

These days, everybody wants an ‘instagram boyfriend’ 😉 #whynot

Okay jokes aside, it is really quite helpful if you have another friend with you to entrust your camera to – to take great holiday shots for you.

Jump shots with friends capturing photos

Selfies with friends on the rock

Solo travel just makes it too difficult and risky to pass your camera about. Especially so for a person like me who like shots of me taken a distance away from the camera – as a smaller subject in the backdrop, like the examples below.

Hence, I don’t think one would be too thrilled to turn around and see your new-found-friend-aka-new-found-friend-aka-stranger-aka-now-thief scurrying away with your camera.

An amazing shot like this at Mount Rinjani Indonesia was captured by Zac who climbed a tree to take it for us. How many strangers or even friends would do that??

So this concludes my little post about why solo travel isn’t for everyone, and some of the limitations of solo travel or traveling solo. No doubt solo traveling works once a while when you just want some serious personal time to yourself and do some kind of project ( sit by the streets and sketch/ paint the effiel tower). Other than that, I won’t advocate for everyone to jump on the bandwagon straight away unless you have a kind of idea what you are going to experience, as there are a lot of factors that needs to be considered before making that trip – solo.

Share with me your thoughts about this?

To read about my ‘partially’ solo trip in Canada, click to find out more.

Sunsets and sunrises never fail to leave one awestruck. Whether is it a ‘rainbow’ effect sunset on a clear sky, a blazing sunset with rays bursting through the heavy clouds or a sky crimson red from after the rain, all these sunsets never fail to leave me awestruck. If you were to know me personally, you would have known that I have a perpetual obsession with sunsets in every country I visit.

However, there are a few that had left a burning distinct memory and leave you wanting to fly back there just to witness it again. Here it goes.

Presenting the Top 8 Destinations in the World with the Best Sunrises and Sunsets

1. Yukon, Canada

Yukon is situated right at the top most hemisphere of Canada and its a popular place to catch the aurora in certain times of the year. Given the unique geographic location of the place, it is also a great place to catch the Midnight Sun phenomenon when you head over in summer.

I was there at the start of the winter period, but still managed to enjoy the blazing sunset while we had our Yukon wildlife tour to see the mooses, reindeers and fascinating winter animals of Yukon.

2. Maldives

This is my 3rd time on this island paradise, but boy, the sunsets here are absolutely am-blazing, especially so after the passing heavy showers. The sky roars ablaze either fiery orange or crimson pink, with the cloud lining lighted up so distinctly. My greatest memory is to seeing the stunning sunset on a dolphin cruise and seeing the silhouettes of the dolphins as they burst out of the water.

Golden skies everyday? Definitely Dubai. Read more here

3. Capetown, South Africa

Acres and acres of land, safaris with wild animals as we go on long drives in our manual car, just makes this country absolutely picturesque. If you want quantity, this place gives the highest concentration of brilliant golden sunsets all year round, and because there is hardly any mountains, trees or buildings, you get 360 view of the sunset as it hits the barren stretches of plains and land. Brilliant.

4. Meteora, Greece

Monastery of the Holy Trinity. The trail to the left leads to the Monastery, but also splits to the right to lead down to Kastraki.

The sunsets here are absolutely amazing, given the way the sunlight bounces off these huge monolithic pillars and rock formations. These monasteries perched on the top of these rocks really have the most stunning view to remind them daily of creation and how breathtaking it is.

5. Mount Pulag, Philippines

Philippines twin peaks of Mount Cordillera

For those who enjoy mountain trekking/ hiking immensely, this mountain in Philippines has one of the most stunning sunrises I have ever seen witness. At the crack of dawn, the sky lights up all golden and following it is long stretches of cloud slowly ‘crawling’ over the mountain edges, as though a spell is cast over it. It feels almost like a surreal sci-fi movie. For photographers, this sunrise is definitely a must capture.

6. Dubai

Sunsets at the sand dunes in Dubai

Dubai, the magical glittering city that emerged out of sheer desert. This country have the most amazing sunsets when you enjoy it from the sand dunes, where the whole dunes lights up in gold, and looks like fields and fields of golden dust. Magical.

7. Kuta Beach, Bali Indonesia

Sunset Yoga in Bali

After a whole day of surfing, diving and other exciting things to do in Bali, sneak over to Kuta Beach and enjoy the amazing sunset at one of their amazing bars. My favourite would be Potato Head Beach Club, which has some really great ambiance, food and a stunning infinity pool.

What type of Bali traveler are you – Adventurous, cafe hunter, relax junkie? Find out here

8. Shiga Kogen, Japan

Sunset at the top of the ski slope in Shiga Kogen

Last but not least would be the beautiful mountain top view at Shiga Kogen, Nagano Japan. This view can only be seen when you take 2 chairlifts up to the highest point, before we start skiing down a very long route. Absolutely stunning sea of clouds that puts a smile on your face before you dash down the slopes at high speed.

So here concludes the Top 8 Destinations in the World with the Best Sunrises and Sunsets. Have you visited any of them yet?

“If you’re planning to go to Greece, you should go to Meteora – they filmed a James Bond film there once, saw it in a documentary, it looks beautiful.”

That’s what my dad told me when I mentioned I was planning a trip to Greece. Before that, I had never heard of the place before. Usually, when you think of Greece, you imagine the blue waters of the mediterranean and the houses with their blue roof tops in Santorini. A huge rocky landscape with massive monoliths and tiny monasteries perched above would not have come to mind.

My favourite shot of the trip.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, Meteora in Greece is an area with huge monolithic pillars and rock formations.

It’s not easy to describe how magical this place is, so I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking.

Above is a 360 Video I took while there, you can scroll to take a look around.

You can see four of the six monasteries here: Monastery of Great Meteoron, Varlaam, St. Nicholas and Rousanou.

Things to note about travelling from Athens to Meteora:

There are two main ways to get to Meteora in Greece, depending on where you set out from. Assuming that you are traveling from Athens to Meteroa, you can:

• Rent a car. You can rent a car in Athens and drive North-West. It’s a very scenic drive, takes about 5 hours. If you  drive, I highly recommend that you do not end your trip in Meteora, but instead continue on north to Thessaloniki.
• Take the train. The train ride is 5 hours from Athens’ main station, and your journey will end at the main town of Meteora, Kalambaka . You can book your train tickets online here; you may change the language to English by selecting EN at the top left. There is one direct train trip per day; others will require you to change trains along the way. The direct train leaves at 08:27am from Athen’s main station. I recommend you book in advance, as there were some people on the train that did not have a seat. It’s a cheap ticket only 22 euros return. You are able to take a train towards Thessaloniki as well, instead of heading back to Athens.

Where to stay:

Guesthouse:

There are several small guest houses in both Kalambaka and Kastraki, the two towns in Meteora. Both are very close to each other and either are ideal places to stay. Kastraki is a bit quieter.

I stayed at a place called Guesthouse Lithos in Kastraki, with a balcony with a view of the amazing Monoliths. I had a room to myself as it was just 45 euros a night. Plus I wanted a place for a good night’s rest after walking around the whole day. I booked it through Agoda.

Backpackers:

There are a few hostels you can book through either Airbnb or through Hostelworld. Prices range from 12 euros to 24 euros depending.

Backpacking Europe – what about visiting Hallstat in Austria?

Getting around Meteora in Greece:

You have a few options to get around to visit the monasteries. All the monasteries have road access to the bottom of each one, take note however that for most of them, there are still many steps to reach the top. There’s a bus that makes a few stops in either of the towns to pick up passengers, then it makes it’s way to each of the monasteries (you can ask your accommodation for the timings), it goes by hourly intervals. If you drove from Athens to Meteora, then you can have the easy life and drive to each of the monasteries. However, if you truly want to experience the natural beauty of Meteora in Greece, you should do what I did and walk. Be prepared though, it’s up up up-hill. Walking will also give you the best photo opportunities.

Places to see:

Friends with the clouds. You can get some great shots here. I was lucky enough to catch the sun rays and silhouettes towards sunset hour.

The main reason, other than the amazing scenery that people come here for, is to check out the iconic Monasteries perched on top of the rocks.

All together there are 6 active monasteries open to the public:

The Monastery of Great Meteoron. The largest of the six. If you intend to visit only a few of the Monasteries, this should be on your go to list.

The view of the town of Kastraki from Monastery of the Great Meteoron.

Monastery of Varlaam is the second largest monastery in Meteora, with the Monastery of Rousanou behind it.

Monastery of the Holy Trinity. The trail to the left leads to the Monastery, but also splits to the right to lead down to Kastraki.

Monastery of St. Stephen is a Nunnery with 28 nuns as of 2015.

Things to note when visiting the Monasteries:

• Opening hours aren’t always fixed, they depend on the season you visit, for up to date timings you can check this website.
• There is a small entrance free of 3 euros per Monastery.
• Dress modestly, since you are visiting a holy place. Even men will be required to wear long pants to some of the Monasteries. I wore those convertible hiking pants that let you convert them to shorts to make things easier. At the Great Meteoron, shorts were okay. However, at St. Nicholas, you had to wear long pants, so it really depends, just play it safe.
• Access to food and water: At the bigger Monasteries there will usually be a van selling refreshments and light snacks outside. However, do not rely on this and do bring along a lot of water, especially when you intend to walk the whole area.
• Restrooms are available at the Monasteries.
• Some areas in the Monasteries do not allow photography, usually the areas of worship, please respect this.
• Do you have to visit all six? That’s really up to you. To me the monasteries are similar inside, I visited three of the six. The main one to visit would be Great Meteoron. I don’t recommend visiting all in a day as it would just be too rushed.

The Hermit Caves

These caves are mind boggling, some monks spent the rest of their lives living up in these caves to be closer to God.

Some of the hermit caves. Could you imagine living up there for the rest of your life?

A close up. The towns used to deliver food and water to the monks living up here.

The monks lived up on the rocks to enhance their personal relationship with God. Their days were devoted to prayer; and high above the rocks their lives were free of any earthly distractions.

Getting to the Hermit Caves

The Hermit Caves are at a small church called Panagia Church. If you are driving you can park along the main road (yellow circle), the gate could be closed at the front, just walk to the side of it and follow the path. The path to the church lies on a road connecting Kalambaka and Kastraki.

Exploring hidden paths 

There are a few paths scattered around the area, one interesting trail circles around the Monk’s Prison. You can access the trail from Kastraki or from the road near Saint Nicholas. The orange path is a trail that leads up the side of the rock to a nice little hidden alcove, it’s a bit steep, so be cautious.

I wanted to get some decent shots of the stars here at night. However it rained on my second day here and the sky was slightly overcast. The town of Kastraki with the monoliths behind.

Additional Info

• I went there at the very end of October, it’s considered the warmest time of the year. If you are okay with the heat you can enjoy a lot less tourists.
• I was there from Wednesday till Friday. Two full days. Which I would consider slightly rushed. To really enjoy the area I believe 3 days would have been perfect.
• Be prepared to walk a lot if you aren’t driving. Bring good shoes, lot’s of water, sunscreen, a map.

Map courtesy of planetware.com

There is a day trip option from Athens to Meteroa as well. However, if you’re going to spend 5 hours on a train, you should really spend at least a night here.

On a side note, I’m an avid rock climber, and rock climbing in Meteora is available. Climbing the massive monoliths with views of the Monasteries perched above the rock is something I really wanted to experience. There are both sports and trad routes. Sadly, I visited during the hottest time of the year and when I went to check out the climbing areas I wasn’t able to find any climbers. The lady at my guesthouse said that all the climbers only visit during the cooler part of the year. However, if you are willing to spend money on a guide you can check out this link.

To read more articles about rock climbing in Thailand, South Africa or all of Asia

Every traveler will have experienced at least 1 crazy adventure or encounter in their lifetime, whether it is sleeping overnight on the bench at a train station or get attacked by ostrichs in Africa ( okay just kidding, that was just a thought)

But when you put a bunch of travel bloggers, from all backgrounds and travel experiences, you can find some really interesting stories here and there.

So here’s a list of the top 7 craziest things travelers experienced:

1. Hang gliding in Interlaken, Switzerland (Sumti from Small Budget Big Trips)

Hang gliding in Switzerland in 2015 – full of adventure and fun and at the same time you get to see the beautiful earth!

Quoting Sumti ”Doing Hang Gliding is like walking through the sky and see the beauty of mother earth” Am not sure how many people can agree to that! It looks crazy scary and certainly not a walk in the park 😉 But YES..Both Switzerland and Hang Gliding is still on my bucket list.

2. Backpack across world by land and sea ( no flights!) ( Will Hatton, The Broke Backpacker)

3. Entering the Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan ( Daniel and Gina, Sunrise Odyssey)

When I saw this picture of Daniel and Gina, I was like, WHAT, they visited Mordor, how’s that even a real! But hey, this is one astounding image, am surprise the camera didn’t melt!!!

4. Ditch Luggage to Hop onto a Stranger’s Bike to the Airport ( Mar Pages from Onceinalifetimejourneys

This lady has a story to tell! When Mar was working in Uganda, she once had to fly to Paris for a wedding just for the weekend. The trip involved flying via Nairobi and Amsterdam and it was a pretty long journey but it was only made worse by the show-stopping rain that usually clogged Kampala, the largest city in Uganda where she was working. Stuck without moving for almost an hour in traffic, she decided to ditch her luggage, grab her handbag, a pair of shoes, laptop and, in a cream coloured suit, jump on a boda boda, a local motorbike taxi to drive her to the airport!

What an adventure!

5. Climb a Snow Capped Volcano in Chile ( Trisna from Suma Travel)

One of the craziest things Elaine has ever done – climb a snow capped volcano in Chile. The hike took 7 hours uphill with the use of crampons and ice pics. The best part of the adventure was sliding down the ice on plastic disks to get back to the bottom. This sure sounds like a really adrenaline kick!

6. Skydiving on your birthday in Washington  (Robyn Hartzel, Robynaroundtheworld)

For her 35th birthday, her friends wanted her to skydive. So 10 of them went in early March to Kapowsin Skydive, just east of Olympia, Washington. It was snowing as they were driving there, and when they got there, they almost didn’t get to jump because the clouds closed up. After waiting an hour, a patch opened, and they said that the group could only go to 13,000 feet rather than the normal 18,000. But who cares? Its their first jump and they’re not going to know the difference. They did it, and its the best birthday ever! Jumping out of the plane with 9 of her closet friends!

7. Deep Water Solo in Krabi Thailand (Lydia Yang, Lydiascapes Travel)

Attempting deep water solo in Krabi Thailand

Last but not least would be my very own craziest adventure I have ever experience- climbing and jumping off into the sea while attempting deep water solo in Krabi. This is something till now when I think back, have never felt so close to death before. But for this photo, it was so worth it.

Read more on that crazy rock climbing trip here

In conclusion, here sums up the craziest things travelers experienced. Want to share yours too?

Having picked up rock climbing just over 3 years now, this crazy outdoor sport has brought me places I have never thought would be possible. Whether you are a novice rock climber or a beginner who have just gotten your level 2 rock climbing certificate, here’s compiling the Best Asia outdoor rock climbing destinations that’s affordable, popular and most importantly, great for climbing.

Asia Outdoor Rock Climbing Destinations – Top 7

1. Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur

Multi Pitch Point  – at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur. Trembling in fear to take this shot~!

The nearest destination from Singapore just 45 minutes away by flight, this stunning cave nest in Bukit Tukun KL is not just popular for the Grand Hindu cave temple, it is also a hot spot for some great granite rock climbing. There are 3 very popular spots for climbing here, Damai Wall, Nanyang Wall and Nyamuk Wall, and varying degree of difficulty depending on your experience level. If you are a beginner, start off at Damai Wall, with plenty of easy routes with large juggy holds.

Damai Rock Wall with its infamous cave

Climb all day long at Nanyang Wall. Ended up posing for photos

Look out for the occasional monkey with white panda eyes, always curious to see us ‘monkey-like’ humans scaling his grounds.

 2. Krabi Railey Island, Thailand

Rock climbing in Krabi Thailand. Photo credited to Si Ying.

The most popular climbing spot in South East Asia is here at Krabi Thailand. What makes this location so popular with both asian as well as international climbers all around the world is due to a perfect match between amazing climbing routes and lovely island lifestyle – gorgeous beaches, beautiful snorkeling sites and great Thai food.

Stunning beaches and rock formations at Railey Beach in Thailand. Rock Climber’s dream paradise

Krabi has endless climbing spots, but the ones that most people start off with are ABC Wall and Thaiwand Wall, good warming up spots to prepare you for the next few days of climbing.

Krabi deep water solo – a must try for adrenaline seekers

Krabi is also known for deep water solo, a must try for all adrenaline junkies who have a knack for ..craziness. I tried it with a group of 5 friends and it was by far the craziest activity I have ever attempted so far.

Deep water solo needs to be accompanied by a tour group, and safety of deep water solo spots needs to be adhere to. For rock climbing class bookings and half day/ full day tours, you can always book there directly, either on Railay, Ton Sai or Ko Phi Phi.

3. Long Dong, Taiwan

Rock Climbing on sand stone rock in Longdong Jiufen in Taiwan

Known for its stunning coastal views and sand stone rock formations, the next place featured for the Asia outdoor rock climbing destinations is none other than Long Dong Taiwan. This spot is extremely beautiful, especially for people who love the sea breeze and hear the crashing waves.

Downhill to the rock climbing zones in Longdong Taiwan

So far, this climbing spot commands the most beautiful photos, and looking back it still wows me occasionally. To get there, it requires a long train ride followed by a bus to get from Taiwan to Long Dong, Jiufen. Situated at the northern part of Taiwan, this rustic coastal area is still rather remote and not too touristy yet, so the people here aren’t exactly able to speak some basic English.

Scary Selfie at the top of the rock climbing route in Longdong Taiwan

Beautiful view of waves crashing against the shore while resting between climbs

However climbing here was lovely. So much areas to explore, and to get to these climbing spots require a bit of traversing, hiking and small climbing. Quite an adventure I must say.

Crazy stunning sea view as you attempt the different rock climbing routes in Longdong Jiufen

Warning, make sure you go in the correct season and not typhoon season, you can potentially get stranded at the climbing area when the storm suddenly comes.

4. Cat Ba Island, Vietnam

Climbing in Cat Ba in Vietnam. Photo credited to Truly-Traveled.com

Have not set foot on Vietnam yet, but when I get the chance, this Cat Ba Island is on my list. Vietnam, known for its stunning cliff formations, rivers and Padi mountainous field, am not surprise why this country doesn’t have the right climate, rock formations and scenic draw factors to attract climbers from its surrounding neighbouring countries.

Best Outdoor Rock Climbing Destinations can be found in Cat Ba Island Vietnam. Photo credited to cobs.org

One thing that many has tried is also deep water solo at Halong Bay, a major tourist attraction in Vietnam, where many tourists experience live on board cruise experience as they visit all these lovely cliffy spots, looking so tempting to a climber’s keen eye.

5. Yangshuo, China

Yangshuo Grit Route at Moonhill. Photo credited to alexreshikov.com

The pictures people took at this destination is enough to make you burn with desire to go. Here’s the next Asia outdoor rock climbing destinations – Yangshuo in China.

The notorious wall is situated at The Moon Hill ( Yue Liang Shan), one of the major scenic and iconic climbing spot in Yangshuo. We have heard that there are even glass bottle of alcohol places in cracks along the climb as a reward for those who have scaled that high..

Abseiling down from Moonhill in Yangshuo – image credited to topguilintravel

A Must Do – wake up early to catch the sunrise, with a stunning view of the mountains covered in a sea of mist. Sure to leave you spellbound.

Stunning natural beauty of Yangshuo in China. Amazing rock climber’s paradise. Photo credited to lycheetravel

6. Dairyfarm in Singapore

Outdoor Natural Rock Climbing at Dairyfarm Singapore

There is a natural rock climbing wall in Singapore? Who would have thought.

But yes, especially shouting out to Singaporeans, you can check Dairyfarm at Bukit Timah Road area, nearest situated mall is the Rail Mail. This place is popular for bikers, hikers alike, given the natural abundant trails and rich forestry.

View of the forest below at one of the top anchors at Dairyfarm Singapore. The life of a female rock cliimber

Just take note to be careful to check your routes before you embark on a climb here, there is ongoing rock movements due to the climate here in Singapore ( rain and shine all year round), so loose rock is a common occurence.

7. Crazy Horse in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Asia Outdoor rock climbing destinations – Crazy Horse in Chiang Mai. Photo credited to allchiangmaitours

Crazy Horse is probably the most notorious route in Chiang Mai. This popular climbing area has great ‘air condition’ temperature cooling weather at certain times of the year to attract those who do not fancy the sweltering heat of Krabi. Be surrounded by a cool bamboo forest, soak in hot springs and even take a scooter ride to explore the surrounding hills on your rest days.

Rock Climbing at Crazy Horse Buttress Chiang Mai Caves Mae Hong Son Loop. Stunning overhang route. Photo credited to mkwild

The Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Association (CMRCA) has US trained guides for those who are more inexperienced and would feel safer to be accompanied by a certified climbing guide.

So here’s concluding the List of Asia Outdoor Rock Climbing Destinations – The Top 6 everyone should visit if they are in this part of the world.

To read more about my climbing trip in Krabi or outside of Asia like South Africa , click the links.

Thank you!