Cheap flights to Asia

The world’s largest and most populous continent, Asia is also one of the most fascinating with diverse countries, cultures and landscapes – a real feast for the senses. From the glittering skyscrapers of Hong Kong and Zen gardens of Japan to the temples of India and beaches of Thailand the hardest part of your holiday will be deciding where to go!

Global superpower China has emerged as a popular new travel destination, a vast country with bustling cities and ancient villages that would take years to fully explore.

Thailand is a traveller’s favourite drawing seven million visitors each year, to its idyllic beaches, ancient ruins, luxury resorts and its bustling metropolis, Bangkok.

India is a kaleidoscope of different cultures with more than 1,652 languages, eight major religions and fascinating people with an infectious joie de vivre.

Straddling Asia and Europe is the largest country in the world – Russia. The former communist empire has rebounded as one of the hot new destinations for travellers.

Asia climate

The climate in Asia differs considerably depending on which country you’re visiting and there are extreme variations across the continent. Southeast Asia is tropical, India and Thailand have monsoons, Japan has typhoons and Russia is blanketed in snow in winter. 

When is the best time to fly to Asia?

Given the climate variations across the continent, you need to check each country for the best time to visit. Tropical Southeast Asia is typically hot and sticky year-round, with plenty of rain and seasonal monsoons in different regions at different times. Stick to the dry season as much as possible.

Generally speaking, the best months to visit India and Sri Lanka are from November to March – avoid the monsoon season (May to September).

Japan is beautiful between March and May when cherry blossoms bloom. Although the weather is mostly pleasant late August and September, it is also their typhoon season. In the Philippines, it is also lovely March to May, but from June to October comes the wet monsoon season.

Russia gets bitterly cold during the long winter (November to early April) and unbearably hot in summer. The UAE is generally warm year-round, except for August, when temperatures reach the mid-high 40s.

What is the best way to travel around Asia?

Since Mumbai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo are all coastal cities, you could consider a boat cruise around the various ports. In Tokyo, you'll find that it's well connected by public transport, especially by train, to the rest of the country. Mumbai is also well-connected to the rest of India by train, while Hong Kong has a fast link train to mainland China. The quickest way to travel between major cities is to fly, due to the long distances. Book in advance to find cheap flights to Asia so that you can plan journeys between cities with Asia airfares.

What are some things to do in Asia?

Where do you begin? Check out how much there is to do when you book flights to Asia. Even if you're a Jo'burger, the enormity of Tokyo will overwhelm you. Consider a trip in the northern hemisphere spring to take in the cherry blossoms that the country is famed for. If nuclear energy interests you, then the city of Hiroshima should be on your bucket list. The Genbaku (Atomic) Dome and surrounding peace park are meant to remind you of life's many blessings. Take a trip on the Shinkansen – the Japanese bullet train that was the first of its kind in the world.

What is good to know if travelling to Asia?

• In China, visit Shanghai’s Jade Buddha Temple, built between 1911 and 1918, with its jewel-encrusted Buddha weighing 1000kg.
• Hong Kong’s Museum of History boasts an expansive collection, covering 6000 years of the territory’s history and cultural heritage.
• Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market will  test your bargaining skills, with more than 9000 stalls selling anything from antiques to flowers. Visit Jim Thompson House, a traditional Thai house that was the home of Thailand’s most famous expat, an American adventurer and entrepreneur who went to Bangkok during World War II as a US spy.
• After a hard day’s sightseeing in Kyoto, relax at “Kurama Onsen”, one of the few Japanese bath houses close to the city.
• Elephanta Island, a short boat-ride from Mumbai, is home to the famous cave temples, carved into the rock face. Dating back to 450AD, the Hindi temples feature ornate carvings, including a monumental statue of a deity.
• In Sri Lanka’s hillside city of Kandy, you’ll find the sacred tooth of Buddha in Dalada Maligawa.
• Traditional souks (markets) are a highlight of any trip to the UAE. If you only have time for one, the Deira’s Gold Souk is the place to pick up exquisite jewellery.
• While visiting the Philippines capital of Manila, head to Intramuros, the 16th century walled city built by the Spaniards.
• Half-Asian and half-European, Turkey’s most illustrious landmark is Istanbul’s domed Haghia Sophia cathedral. Once the mother of all Byzantine churches, it was converted into a mosque and in 1935 became a preserved monument and museum.
• Russia’s gargantuan metropolis, Moscow, takes time to fully explore but three things are not to be missed – visiting the Kremlin, strolling around Red Square and a night at the Bolshoi Theatre.

How long is the flight to Asia?

When you're flying to Asia, most flights will have multiple stopovers due to the long distance from South Africa. You might consider visiting three cities when you book flights to Asia: Mumbai in India, Hong Kong, an SAR in China, and Tokyo in Japan. Apart from flights to Hong Kong, there are no direct flights to these cities from Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban. When you compare flights to Asia from Jozi, you can expect one stop in either Dubai or Doha. Emirates offers direct non-stop flights from OR Tambo (JNB), Cape Town International (CPT) and King Shaka (DUR) to Dubai International (DXB). From there, it's a flight to Mumbai, Tokyo or Hong Kong. Cathay Pacific offers direct flights from Johannesburg to Hong Kong and to Singapore with a single stopover at Changi (SIN). Using Emirates as your yardstick for calibrating your cheap flights to Asia, flight times to Tokyo will be about 22h 40min from JNB, approximately 25h from CPT, and around 22h from DUR.

What do I need to do before my flight to Asia?

In most cases, you will need a visa. Even though Hong Kong is part of China, it's a special administrative region, so Saffers don't need a visa to travel to Hong Kong. English is widely spoken as Hong Kong was a British colony for many years. If you plan to visit Macau, you won't need a visa, but you will need one to enter China. Japan and India also both require visas, and your passport must be valid for at least six months after the date of return.