Asia is a melting pot of beauty. From towering mountains and picturesque beaches to bustling cities with loads of good food, you name it, and the world’s biggest continent has got it.
But sometimes, certain landscapes may not be unique to the region, instead resembling popular holiday spots in Europe, and in some cases, not even whole cities are original (we’re looking at you here China).
Nevertheless, that doesn’t change their appeal as alternative destinations, especially if you can’t afford that plane ticket to Europe. Behold, the most European-looking places in Asia.
Chocolate Ville – Bangkok, Thailand
Shopping paradise and de facto street food capital of the world, Bangkok is teeming with all sorts of marvellous delights. However, tucked away deep in the city is Chocolate Ville – a whimsical, fairytale-like village that’s made up of brightly coloured European-themed buildings, like bakeries, florists, inns, and ice cream parlours.
Down here, you’ll be spoilt for choice for #OOTD locations, while the village’s “Dining in the Park” concept is not to be missed – think al fresco-style dining with all sorts of cuisines, from true blue European dishes to Thai food, and even Chinese.
Santorini Park – Cha-Am, Thailand
Are you jealous of your friends soaking up the sun in Santorini? Well, here’s how you can do that too, for a lot less money and without the hordes of tourists. Introducing Santorini Park in Cha-Am, Thailand, a replica theme park that looks almost exactly like the original with its charming blue and white houses and cobble-stoned lanes.
It may not have the sparkling, turquoise waters like the real deal, but Santorini 2.0 packs more than its fair share of fun – there’s a G-MAX reverse bungee to get your adrenaline on, as well as Thailand’s only WallHolla climbing wall.
Florentia Village – Tianjin, China
Ah, China. Nobody rips off stuff quite like them, and even entire cities aren’t let off the hook. The proof? One only has to take a trip down to Florentia Village near the port city of Tianjin. With Italian-themed architecture like canals, mosaics, and fountains, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you were holidaying in Florence or Milan over here.
Oh, and being an outlet mall, Florentia Village is also home to over 200 shops, with “homegrown” brands like Fendi, Gucci, and Prada. Now that you think about it, a counterfeit Louis Vuitton bag has nothing on this!
Austrian Town Hallstatt – Huizhou, China
Well, what can we say? China really outdid every knock-off product ever produced when they wholesale copied the village of Hallstatt in Austria way back in 2011, with the copycat version in Huizhou now a popular vacation spot for Chinese tourists.
And just as you’d expect, almost everything here is cloned right down to a tee, from pastel-hued, old school buildings to a 900-year old clock. All this went down despite irritation from actual Hallstatt residents, but hey, we suppose imitation is the biggest form of flattery at the end of the day.
Huis Ten Bosch – Nagasaki, Japan
We know the Japanese are known for their innovation, although sometimes, they can be guilty of a little bit of copying as well. Enter Huis Ten Bosch in the city Nagasaki, a residential-styled theme park that’s modelled after every stereotype of the Netherlands, with its brightly coloured flower fields, canals, and quaint windmills.
But of course, with Japan being Japan, you can expect a whole lot of funky tech at this copycat holiday spot. Besides a robot hotel that was launched in 2015, a 3,000-metre long VR rollercoaster was unveiled earlier this year, with a drop of 300-metres and a top speed of 200km/h making it the scariest rollercoaster in the world.
French Village – Bukit Tinggi, Malaysia
The French Village in Bukit Tinggi has everything you wouldn’t expect to find in Malaysia. It’s home to beautiful French-style buildings, and it’s relatively cooling as well, with an average temperature range of 25°C to 27°C; which is way better than what we experience here daily in Singapore in any case.
And if relaxing at one of the cafés or snapping photos in front of the beautifully designed buildings aren’t enough for you, the French village ironically has a Japan section that comes complete with a teahouse, restaurant, spa, tatami suites, and botanical garden.
Khajjiar – Himachal Pradesh, India
It’s pretty rare that any place on earth could look as stunning as the Swiss Alps, although India has its scenic equivalent in the form of the hill station of Khajjiar in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh.
Dubbed as a “Mini Switzerland”, Khajjiar is surrounded by dense pine forests with panoramic views of the snow-capped Dauladhar mountains, with horse-riding, trekking, long walks, and watching animals peacefully graze the best form of entertainment here.
Gurudongmar Lake – Sikkim, India
Iceland may be known for its crazy landscapes and mind-boggling scenery, but the Gurudongmar Lake in Sikkim, India, isn’t too far behind. In fact, it’s pretty bewildering as well (in a beautiful way of course), being one of the highest lakes in the world with an airplane-reaching altitude of 5,430-metres.
Although as gorgeous as it is, the lake is also considered extremely holy by both Buddhists and Hindus, having been named after Guru Padmasambhava, who was the founder of Tibetan Buddhism, while it was also blessed by Guru Nanak; the spiritual leader of Sikhism.
Cover image: Santorini Park Cha-Am Facebook
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