Kevin Coulson
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With the tourist industry thriving in Asia, there are fewer and fewer places to travel that aren’t littered with tourist groups and too many fellow backpackers. Here is the Times Student's top 10 places that offer something unique for the young traveller - get there quick before the hordes arrive.
1. Japan: Hot springs and ‘hells’ of Beppu
With the majority of travellers sticking to tried and tested cities like Tokyo, Osaka and Hiroshima, often the view of Japan is skewed. Although buzzing metropolises are numerous, there is another side to Japan.
Beppu is a town on the island of Kyushu and is best known for its natural hot springs which supply numerous baths around the city. They include ordinary hot water baths, mud baths, sand baths and steam baths.
You can also visit the ‘hells’ which are boiling ponds created by volcanic activity. Seven of the nine hells are clustered close together in the Kannawa area.
2. Indonesia: dive in the Gili islands of the coast of Lombok
Gili Trawangan is one of a trio of tiny coral-fringed islands just off the North West coast of Lombok. Gili Air and Gili Meno are the others which are just a few minutes away by boat.
All three islands are free from cars and motorbikes and have some incredible diving with the full range of PADI courses.
Trawangan is also known as the ‘party island,’ particularly over peak times from July-August and December-January.
For a more sedate and laid back time, Gili Meno is the smallest of the islands and has fewer tourists but still has some great coral reefs to explore.
3. China: Caves, climbing and kayaking in Yangshuo
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