Things to Do in Asia

When Captain Francis Light landed on this spot in 1786 and took the island from the Sultan he built a wooden fort, Fort Cornwallis, to defend it against the French, Kedah and pirates during the Napoleonic Wars.

Rebuilt in 1808 using Indian convict labour it is the largest and most intact fort in Malaysia. Once protected by a great moat this was filled in after a malaria outbreak in the 1920s.

The famous great cannons guarding Fort Cornwallis date back as far as the 17th century.

The flower market is probably the most colorful and definitely the best smelling of the many Mongkok area markets. The vibrant stretch of road houses over 100 specialty shops and flower wholesalers. Here you'll find everything from delicate orchids to hearty cacti as well as scores of flowers, bonsai trees and exotic plants.

It's easy to walk through the market, buy a local bouquet at a reasonable price and take colorful photographs. The best time to visit is the week before the Lunar New Year when the market is extra active with locals buying elaborate good fortune arrangements. You can also combine this with a visit to the adjacent Yuen Po Street Bird Market and Garden.

This royal structure, which sits at the center of Hue’s Imperial Enclosure, was once reserved for exclusive use by the emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty. Only eunuchs passed through its halls, since even his most trusted servants weren’t allowed beyond the gates. Today, this historic citadel sits mostly in ruins, destroyed during several wars throughout the nation’s history. Despite some recent rebuilding efforts, travelers can easily spend a long afternoon wandering paths that crisscross the grounds, exploring portions of the foundation, now overgrown with foliage, and examining the painting, woodwork and architecture that still remains. A 10 kilometer moat surrounds what was created to resemble the Forbidden City of Beijing, and 10 gates protect these once royal grounds.

The first Spanish settlements in the Philippines were in Cebu City, called the Queen City of the South. After Magellan first landed in Cebu, the Spanish under orders from Miguel Lopez de Legazpi erected Fort San Pedro on what is now Cebu's pier. The first, smallest and oldest fort in the Philippines was originally built as an army garrison to defend against Muslim pirates.

Since its construction, the fort has served as a revolutionary stronghold, American military barracks, a hospital, a school, a zoo and now a museum. Within the crumbling ruins of the fort, you'll find a collection of well-preserved artifacts, documents, paintings and sculptures from the Spanish colonial period, as well as a statue of Legazpi. The gardens within the fort's walls offer a peaceful retreat from often chaotic Cebu City.

With only a minuscule entrance fee, Fort San Pedro is a must for anyone interested in Filipino, Spanish or American military history. A diagram at the entrance gives a summary of the fort's history and shows just how much happened in this small corner of the Philippines.

Perched on top of a hill overlooking the Arabian Sea, Fort Aguada and its lighthouse once guarded the Portuguese colony against Dutch and Marathas invaders. Built in 1612, the fort is the best preserved and most impressive of any in Goa.

While the large moat and 79 cannons once served to protect India’s Portuguese colonies, Fort Aguada, named after the freshwater springs within its walls, also replenished water supplies of passing ships. The four-story Fort Aguada Lighthouse, built in 1864, is the oldest lighthouse of its kind anywhere in Asia.

The fort sits just over 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) south of Sinquerim Beach, and much of the walk is uphill. Unless you plan to take a taxi or bus, get an early start to tour the fort before the sun beating down on the bare stones makes things too hot for comfort. The fort has few shaded areas, so bring plenty of sunscreen and water with you.

Completed in 1879, the three-tiered, off-white tower that is Fort Margherita was commissioned by the most important man in all of Kuching: Charles Brooke, the second Rajah of Sarawak. Named after his wife, Ranne Margaret Alice Lili de Windt, the fortress was meant to guard the rapidly growing town of Kuching from an attack by fearsome river pirates. For an entire century, three generations of Brooke family members formed the “Brooke Dynasty” of Sarawak, native Englishmen who privately ruled as “White Rajahs” over what was once a vassal state of Brunei. During their 100-year rule the White Rajahs constructed many buildings in an architectural style akin to that of 19th century England, Fort Margherita being no exception.

Though the fort saw no major military action, executions of prisoners were carried out in the fortress courtyard up until the Japanese occupation of Sarawak during World War II. At one point a police museum occupied a portion of the fortress grounds, although it has been a number of years since the artifacts and displays were removed.

Though there isn’t much action that still takes place at Fort Margherita, it nonetheless is an important part of Kuching history and a monument to the heritage of Brooke Dynasty rule. To reach Fort Margherita visitors must pay a nominal fee to cross the Sarawak River by sampan boat and then continue down an unmarked footpath before reaching the fortress grounds. Though the fortress has recently fallen into disrepair, it’s still worth the journey simply to climb the spiral staircase of the watchtower for a panoramic view of one of the more curious territories in the history of modern Malaysia.

One of the most important sites for Philippine history in Manila, Fort Santiago was built by the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi as a defensive fortress designed to protect the newly formed city. The fort is a key feature of the famous walled city known as Intramuros — a complex of manicured gardens, fountains, lily ponds, and sunny plazas, as well as the Rizal Shrine museum, located in the building where Dr. Jose Rizal (a Philippines national hero) was incarcerated during the late 19th century.