Top 5 Obscure Asian Attractions

Nobody talks about the 'mystique of the Orient' any more. It’s just not PC. What’s more, parts of Asia have been so heavily developed that there's little room left for mystique. Bali's governor recently opined that his lush birthplace might soon become a concrete jungle.

Still, Asia has its share of uncanny and sometimes quite odd attractions. Here come five. Prepare for 'pinch me' Alice-in-Wonderland surreal-ness.

1.     Erawan Museum, Bangkok

Bangkok’s Erawan Museum is housed in a massive 43-meter-high three-headed elephant sculpture. Yes, the opulent three-storey museum exists inside the bronze elephant’s belly. The museum owes its existence to Thai mogul Lek Viriyaphant, who needed somewhere stylish to keep his huge collection of Asian treasures. Erawan is the Thai name of the legendary Hindu elephant, Airavata. The museum is indeed an amazing sight and worth the 25 kilometer journey outside the city center.

2.     Dwarf Empire, Kunming

Set in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming, the Dwarf Empire would never make it past western censors. Which is a shame, because it seems like a lot of fun.  It consists of little people busting kung fu moves, prancing around in medieval knight costumes and generally playing up for the shutterbugs – up to 400 people per sessions on national holidays. The park's performers are paid relocation fees to work there and receive free room and board, plus a monthly wage – something that's difficult to come by for little people elsewhere in the country. The Dwarf Empire is part of the World Ecological Garden of Butterflies – also worth a visit.

3.     Prony the python, The Philippines

Prony is said to be the Philippines’ largest captive reticulated python, captured on October 21, 1996. Since then, she has been growing steadily and in 2008 measured a whopping seven meters in length, weighing in at 250kg. She's still growing and is expected to reach monstrous proportions. Prony lives on the island of Bohol at the Python Sanctuary, where she can be visited and photographed with. Even more amazing, Prony has her own Facebook page where she has posted her 'herstory' and rebuts rumours of her death. Go, Prony!

4.     Sisaket bottle temple, Thailand

Way back last century, the Heineken Beer company toyed with reshaping its beer bottle into a handy building block. When the beer brick failed to materialize, Buddhist monks from Thailand's Sisaket province plugged the gap, amassing a million bottles to build the Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew temple. Even its washrooms and the crematorium are made from bottles: a blend of green Heineken and brown local Chang beer.

5.     Plain of Jars, Laos

The 'Plain of Jars' sounds banal, like a nickname for your grandma's kitchen shelves. Somebody should rename this strange northern Laos space because it radiates mystery. The Plain of Jars is actually a plateau studded with thousands of giant megalithic urns of uncertain origin. Were they burial vats or rice wine tubs? Or what?? As with many megalithic artifacts, speculation abounds. Nobody knows the truth about the Asian Stonehenge.