The Best Rest Stops in Asia

Roadside stations in Japan

Eight roadside stations in Japan appear on this list, in Osaka, Fukui, Hokkaido, Yamaguchi, Nagano, Ibaraki, Mie and Hiroshima prefectures. Roadside Station Chihayaakasaka sits at the foot of Mount Kongo in Chihayaakasaka Village, Osaka's only village, and serves curry in a second-floor cafe. Roadside Station Wakasa Mihama Hamabiyori is beside JR Mihama Station on National Route 27 and has a direct link to the train platform. Roadside Station Obira Nishin-banya, on the Orolon Line in Obira, is built to resemble a herring fishing hut, and the neighbouring Hanada family guardhouse is a nationally designated important cultural property. Roadside Station Senzakitchen in Nagato lies beside a fishing port, where seafood is sold on site and sightseeing boats leave from the same grounds. Roadside Station Kihocho Umigame-park in Kiho-cho is on National Route 42 beside the Kumano Sea and houses a sea turtle aquarium and conservation facility. Saijo Nonta-no-Sakagura, opened in 2022, sells a large range of sake and offers a 24-hour coin shower.

Motorway service area

Awaji Service Area is on Awaji Island and is the first stop after crossing the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge from Honshu. It has a Ferris wheel and looks out over the bridge and Osaka Bay.

Highway rest areas in Malaysia and Indonesia

Rest Area Salatiga Km 456 A is a toll road stop on the Semarang–Solo route, laid out like a small mall across two sides joined by a skybridge. Its views take in rice fields and mountains. R&R Seremban is a large PLUS highway stop south of Seremban at Labu, with a food court, convenience shops, a surau and a children's playground. It was recently renovated and has a high-ceilinged layout.