For many people, the joys of winter center on strapping on skis, snowshoes or skates and getting outdoors. Of course, that is no less true in many parts of Asia. But with climates ranging from the famously snowy Japanese island of Hokkaido to the tropical forests of Malaysia, the continent offers a wide variety of wintertime delights for travelers who are seeking something different from a day on the slopes. Fresh-caught mountain trout sashimi, anyone? Here are five festivals to check out this winter.

South Korea

Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival

The chance to pluck a sancheoneo, or mountain trout, from a frozen river draws thousands of visitors every winter to a cold-weather-loving corner of South Korea. The annual ice festival, held in Hwacheon County from Jan. 6 to 28 this year, doubles as a tribute to a cherished local fish.

To join in, first, buy plastic bait and a pole on the boardwalk along the Hwacheon Stream. Then venture onto the thick ice and claim a predrilled hole in the fishing area. Now, it’s time to start luring some trout. Pro tip: It’s all in the wrist. And in case your aquatic adeptness still feels lacking, experts dart about sharing fishing tips. Between their advice and the abundance of trout in the river, even an amateur’s chances of success are pretty good.

Whether or not you fish, you can still get a taste of the fresh catch (alas, not your own) near the fishing area, where a restaurant tent sells the trout fried, grilled and sashimi-style. Order every preparation and savor each with a local beer.

After fishing, warm up with some ice sports. Visitors can skate, sled, pedal the fanciful contraption that is an ice bike, and even scoot around crouched or seated on a wooden plank, steering themselves with two sticks. Some brave souls take a dip in the river, inspiring shivers among the spectators. If you’d rather stay dry, walk about 10 minutes from the river to an indoor ice castle and sculpture landscape. Most guests wrap up their festival visit around the corner from the ice castle site, with an evening stroll up a street bedecked with a canopy of holiday lights — a bright ending to the day. Hwacheon is about a 90-minute bus ride from Seoul. — Farah Flower

Malaysia

Thaipusam

Thaipusam, a Tamil Hindu festival celebrated annually on the periphery of Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, is many things: spectacular, raucous, gaudy, intoxicating and definitely not for the faint of heart.

This year, the three-day festival will climax on Jan. 25, when devotees and their supporting family members and friends make the pilgrimage. Some of the kavadi carriers — who have spent weeks fasting and abstaining from sex in preparation — appear to have worked themselves in a semi-fugue state, appearing not to feel pain from their piercings. The last time I attended, one man carrying a towering kavadi anchored to the skin on his back by several dozen huge steel hooks raised a hand as I passed, flashing a grin and calling out, “Where you from, mate?” — Simon Elegant

Japan

Wakakusa Yamayaki Festival

The ancient city of Nara, once Japan’s capital, wards off the wintertime darkness with an unusual tradition: lighting a local mountain on fire.