Ski holidays in Asia

Asia

If you’re travelling here, we recommend that you take a good guidebook. We like the layout and content of the Lonely Planet book. It provides an excellent mix of travel information and practical advice. Click below to purchase. You won’t regret buying it!

Share an independent review of your favourite ski resort in Asia

What’s your favourite ski resort in Asia? Let us know by giving us the name of the ski resort and the reason why this tops your list as your best ski resort in Asia! You can login with Facebook to leave your review.

Ski holidays in Bahrain

Bahrain 

Bahrain has announced the development of another multi-million dollar attraction, representing a first for the Middle East with a US$175 million indoor ski resort. The concept involves the construction of a 1.5 kilometer ski-track in a multi-storey building with a total area of 150,000 square meters. The tower, to be called the Iceberg Tower, will be built on an island south of the Sheikh Hamad Bridge between Manama and Muharraq.

It is a unique idea to facilitate indoor-skiing on the island and will strengthen the Kingdom’s objectives of becoming the Gulf’s sports entertainment centre, while building on the Formula One project. Facilities will be provided for skiing, ice climbing, snow-boarding, ski-jumping and sledging.

Being built in two phases with final completion expected in late 2012, the project will also include a convention hall, science park, ice-sculpture park, arctic zoo, shopping mall, medical centre and seaside resort.

http://www.bahraintourism.com/

Ski holidays in Burma

Burma 

Hkakabo Razi is the highest mountain in Myanmar at 19,294 feet (5,881 metres and Myanmar was, until 1987, known as Burma.) The summit tip borders Tibet and India, also. The mountain is an extension of the Eastern Himalayas. Although low in comparison with Himalayan giants, Hkakabo Razi is perennially snow capped.

Hkakabo Razi lies in the Hkakabo Razi protected area, established in 1996 which covers over 3812 square kilometres. Before 1993 this area was not accessable to foreigners. The first recorded attempt at the peak was made in 1995 by Takashai Ozaki, from Japan. He failed due to persistent bad weather. A year later he returned, and this time succeeded. Nyama Gyaltsen from Myanmar made it too.

Like the main Himalayas, these mountains are heavily affected by the monsoon. Hkakabo Razi is certainly not a walk up. Huge cliffs with D+ climbing, hanging glaciers with large crevasses, and cornices, makes it a mountain not to be toyed with. The approach to the mountain is a major obstacle: there are unstable bridges, over huge gorges. For the most part, journeys are made on foot along footpaths that hug the mountainside and wind through dense jungle undergrowth. Ozaki demands four weeks walking to approach the base camp above 3000m/10000ft.

http://www.myanmar-tourism.com/

Ski holidays in China

China 

Despite the fact that China’s ski resorts are still relatively unheard of among foreign tourists, the ex-pat community living there, especially Britains, Australians and Americans, have long since discovered that China not only has some decent ski slopes, but that the slopes are in fact a fun place to meet others and understand about Chinese culture.

Although Skiing and China may not be the first word association to come to mind, China’s ski industry is growing. Ten year’s ago it was estimated that 200 people in China had skied. Today over a million people are estimated to have skied at least once. Although skiing has in no ways reached the popularity levels in the West, more and more young Chinese, especially those in big cities and with high-income levels are taking up skiing. Having skied is becoming a symbol of a modern outlook for young urban people. Chinese business managers as far away as Fujian and Zhu Hai, not to mention Shanghai and Hong Kong, ski regularly.

The ski industry in China will continue to progress. Currently virtually all of the ski equipment is imported into the country. Yabuli has purchased over 700 complete sets of skis, boots, poles, ski clothing, etc. from Switzerland and promises to purchase an additional 2,200 sets in the years ahead. Other resorts are looking at similar purchases although often being more economical on price and quality. As China’s numbers of skiers grows, more incentive will exist for development of a ski equipment industry in China.

Yabuli will continue to maintain its lead as the premier resort. This is because the resorts geographical position and climate give it the best snow within relatively close distance to major population areas. The central and provincial government has continued to support infrastructure development in the region.

Prices in China are still reasonably cheap. A one-day adult lift pass at one of the more popular ski resorts in China costs around $US20.

The decent ski resorts in China can be tricky to get to, which means that tagging on a day’s skiing or boarding to a short break in one of the major centres just isn’t possible. If you say you want to go skiing or snowboarding in China, you’ve got to really mean it.

Getting to China’s largest ski resort (Yabuli) in Heilongjiang Province, for example, involves a 90 minute internal flight from Beijing, a two and a half hour train ride and a bus transfer.

There are more convenient ski resorts in China. Beijing Nanshan International Ski Slope and Resort is only an hour and a half’s drive from Beijing and even has an international-standard half-pipe. Just don’t expect to work up too much of a sweat. With its highest point just 600 metres (1,968 feet) above sea level, most of the runs are over pretty quickly.

http://www.cnto.org/

Ski holidays in Georgia

Georgia 

Georgia is a small country in the Caucasus mountains, formerly part of the USSR, but independent since the early 1990′s. It’s just south of Russia, and contains several of the highest peaks in the Caucasus mountains including Kazbek.  The capital Tbilisi is  very close to the mountains. The Caucasus mountains have some extensive glaciers, and they get heaps of snow in winter. Best season is probably Easter, maybe a bit later for the highest peaks.

There are apparently only two ski resorts in Georgia. The bigger and more famous of these is Gudauri which lies in the Caucasus about two hours north of Tbilisi. It’s a pretty small place, with only four chairs and a piste map so small they just print it on the back of your lift pass! It’s quite deceptive as the chairs access a huge open hillside, so there is certainly plenty of space to ski. There is another resort in Georgia, about 3 hours west of the capital at a place called Bakuriani.

Georgia has some of the world’s most spectacular mountains and finest powder, and is undoubtedly one of Europe’sbest-keptski secrets. With nearly 500 square miles of mountains to explore, from the picturesque village of Gudauri – with its variety of accommodation, bars and restaurants – a number of ski options are available: adventure ski touring, heliskiing or regularlift-assistedskiing.

http://www.georgia.travel/