Maybe it was the impending year end, but I found myself starting to think about what my “top 10″ places to see or things to do would be of all the topics covered at AsiaForVisitors.com. I’ve spent the last few months thinking about this, keeping notes while I thought of places that should be on the list, and then decided other ideas were better. But now I thought it was time to share it with the world.

First, though, please note that this list is based on places I’ve been and things I’ve done. There are still a lot of places to go and things to do that I haven’t gotten around to yet. I’ll have to save the “1,000 places to go before I die” for another topic.

So, with that caveat out of the way, here’s my top 10, in no particular order:

Angkor Wat

Okay, so this one is a no-brainer. Just remember when you go and see this place that at the same time these temples were being built in the space of a dozen years or so, Europeans were spending hundreds of years building much smaller cathedrals, often with much less detail.

Phang Nga Bay by Sea Canoe

From the wonders of man to the wonders of nature. Phang Nga bay offers some of the most spectacular scenery you’ll find anywhere. It is true that there are similar landscapes around Samui as well as Vietnam’s Ha Long bay, but for me, so far, nothing compares with the experience of touring Phang Nga by sea canoe.

Imperial Tombs at Hue

It’s amazing how many people have never heard of these. Spread out in the countryside around the old imperial capital of Hue are the tombs of the last seven kings of Vietnam, built from the turn of the 19th century up to 1945. They are each a ‘palace’ for the after-life. Go in the early spring, rent a bicycle, and spend a couple of days experience how good it is to be a (dead) king!

Luang Prabang

Hard to resist calling this the ‘city that time forgot’. Although it was the royal capital of Laos, the city retains a very small town atmosphere, yet it is filled with many beautiful temples. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, Luang Prabang no doubt spawned the idea of being ‘laid back in Laos.’

Feeding Eagles in Langkawi

It started out as an ordinary tour of a mangrove forest, but when we stopped to feed the brown eagles, it turned into an event I’m not likely to ever forget.

Central Java

The ancient Buddhist temple of Borobodur is far from unknown, but what a lot of people don’t know is that the area of Central Java around the temple is filled with ancient temples. Some of them are on a scale even more impressive than Borobodur.

Bali White Water Rafting

It’s definitely not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Bali, and maybe that’s one of the things I like about it. I’ve already done it twice, enjoyed it immensely both times, and will probably do it again.

Penang / Georgetown

Singapore has its ‘historic districts’ and many other old cities around Southeast Asia have historic areas, but none of them really compares to Georgetown. The city wins out over its stiffest competition, Hoi An in Vietnam because it is still very much a working modern city, rather than mostly a museum piece.

Vimanmek Mansion

There are lots of sights to see in Bangkok. Everybody goes to the Grand Palace, but let’s face it, you’re not really allowed to see the palace itself. The most you’re allowed access to is a couple of throne rooms, and then only if you visit on the right day. If you really want to see how the kings of old Siam lived, your best bet is Vimanmek Mansion. It’s actually a collection of palaces and royal apartments that takes the better part of a day to see, yet it’s still not on most tourist’s radar.

Bagan

The Insight Guide probably has it right: if it were anywhere else, or if Myanmar wasn’t such a pariah state, Bagan would be as popular and as well known a destination as the Taj Mahal or Angkor Wat. As it is, this plain filled with around 2,000 temples is yet another place that I feel I’ll never have enough time to explore as much as I’d like.