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Southeast Asia

Wrapped in rainforests, edged by golden sands, crowned by volcanoes, studded with ruins of lost civilizations: this is Southeast Asia as you've always imagined it.

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Must-see attractions.

Ko Ratanakosin & Thonburi

Wat Pho is our absolute favorite among Bangkok's biggest sights. In fact, the compound incorporates a host of superlatives: the city's largest reclining…

War Remnants Museum

Ho Chi Minh City

To understand the US invasion of Vietnam, and contextualize its devastating impact on the country's civilians, this remarkable and deeply moving museum is…

Grand Palace

The Grand Palace (Phra Borom Maharatchawang) is a former royal residence in Bangkok that was consecrated in 1782. Today, it’s only used on ceremonial…

Wat Arun is the missile-shaped temple that rises from the Chao Phraya River's banks. Known as Temple of Dawn, it was named after the Indian god of dawn,…

Wat Phra Kaew

Architecturally fantastic, the Wat Phra Kaew temple complex is also the spiritual core of Thai Buddhism and the monarchy, symbolically united in what is…

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

North-Central Vietnam

Designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2003, the remarkable Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park contains the oldest karst mountains in Asia, formed…

Hang Son Doong

Hang Son Doong (Mountain River Cave), located in the heart of Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, is known as the world's largest cave, and is one of the…

Lumphini Park

Named after the Buddha’s birthplace in Nepal (Lumbini), Lumphini Park is central Bangkok’s largest and most popular park. Its 58 hectares are home to an…

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29 Best Places to Visit in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia is a group of diverse countries between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, featuring indigenous cultures influenced by Indian, Chinese and Western culture. The region includes the most populous Muslim country in the world, very prominent Buddhist countries, and quite significant Christian, Hindu and Animist communities.

It has long been a favorite corner of the world for globe-tramping backpackers, known for its perfect beaches, tasty cuisine, low prices, and good air connections.

The countries of Southeast Asia represent a totally different culture for Western travelers. Instead of cathedrals, they’ll find temples. Instead of cold temperatures and snow in the winter, for the most part they’ll be bathed in a tropical climate. They may find simple accommodations in remote fishing villages but also luxurious five-star hotels in the bigger cities and on the more popular islands.

Southeast Asia will appeal to active, adventuresome travelers, who want to trek through steamy jungles, dive in some of the world’s best coral reefs, camp or go whitewater rafting on new rivers. But the region also offers the less active travelers something, who, after a day of visiting temples and other cultural sites, just want to relax in comfort in a luxury hotel. An overview of the best places to visit in Southeast Asia:

29. Vientiane [SEE MAP]

Vientiane, the capital of Laos, is located on the Mekong River near the border with Thailand. A former French holding, it is a graceful city that is now the country’s economic center. Visitors to Vientiane won’t want to miss the Pha That Luang, a a Buddhist stupa that dates back to 1586. Buddhist temples and sites abound, but travelers also will want to walk through the Mekong Riverside Park.

28. Sihanoukville [SEE MAP]

Cambodia’s most popular beach destination, Sihanoukville is where the U.S. fought its last battle in the Vietnam War. Though none of Sihanoukville’s beaches would qualify as Southeast Asia’s finest it is a great place to relax after visiting all the Khmer ruins in the rest of the country.

The beaches are popular with a variety of travelers from backpackers who stay in huts on the beach to those who prefer the luxury of five-star hotels. Snorkeling is popular on some of the offshore islands.

27. Sapa [SEE MAP]

Situated in the remote northwest of Vietnam, Sapa is a quiet town used as a base for trekking in the surrounding mountains, touring rice paddies and visiting traditional villages and hill tribes.

In the town of Sapa itself, there are attractive French colonial sites worth visiting while the various ethnic tribes in the area often gather at the town market to sell their handicrafts, which make excellent souvenirs.

26. Perhentian Islands [SEE MAP]

The Perhentian Islands are a small group of beautiful, coral-fringed islands off the coast of northeastern Malaysia, not far from the Thai border. The two main islands are Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil (Big and Small Perhentian). Kecil attracts more travellers as it has cheaper accommodation, while Besar caters more to families and those who want to avoid the backpacker party scene.

25. Hanoi [SEE MAP]

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, blends the charm of the old world with a pace of life that is quickening as this old city modernizes. Visitors may see locals taking tai-chi lessons in the park in the mornings, while skateboarders zoom by. At the heart of Hanoi is its Old Quarter, an open-air museum of historic Asian and French colonial architecture that has largely remained intact. Ancient temples and art museums share the attractions list with museums devoted to the Vietnamese revolution and military history.

See also: Where to Stay in Hanoi

24. Vang Vieng [SEE MAP]

Vang Vieng is a picturesque town north of Vientiane that is known for its limestone karst formations. Located on the Nam Song River, the town is surrounded by karst hills, making it very scenic.

This town of 25,000 people is popular with backpackers who come to tube and kayak on the river. Visitors also like to hike, explore caves and rock climb in the hills. Textiles are a popular purchase.

23. Phuket [SEE MAP]

Known for its gorgeous beaches and excellent diving, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and most popular destination outside of Bangkok. With resorts, hotels, shops, restaurants and vibrant nightlife, Patong Beach is the most popular beach.

Phuket is also a place for ultimate relaxation and pampering with its numerous options that range from massage tents on the beach to world-class spa resorts in breathtaking settings.

22. Kuala Lumpur [SEE MAP]

Kuala Lumpur is a bustling city that serves as the capital of Malaysia. The country’s most populous city, it has a landscape filled with innovatively designed skyscrapers, including the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the world’s tallest twin towers. Kuala Lumpur also boasts an outstanding Islamic Arts Museum; the Bukit Bintang pedestrian bridge and tunnel that connects the downtown area, and a bird park that is the world’s largest walk-in aviary.

See also: Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur

21. Gili Islands [SEE MAP]

The Gili Islands are three small islands located in northwestern Indonesia off the coast of Lombok. The islands are perfect for travelers who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

Cars aren’t allowed on the islands, with people using horse carriages or bicycles to move about. Relaxing may be the primary activity here, but the islands also are popular with divers and snorkelers.

20. Phnom Penh [SEE MAP]

Once known as “the pearl of Asia,” Phnom Penh is considered one of the prettiest of the cities the French built in Indochina though the city is still recovering from war and revolution. French influence can still be found today in Cambodia’s capital.

Located on the Mekong River, the city actually dates back to the 15th century. Top attractions include the Royal Palace and the National Museum, which contains a large collection of Khmer artifacts.

19. Chiang Mai [SEE MAP]

Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, was founded in the 13th century, and is one of the most culturally significant cities in the country. It’s located on the Ping River among Thailand’s highest mountains.

The region is home to more than 300 Buddhist temples and also hosts a night market that is famous for handicrafts. It’s a good place to take in one of the area’s Thai festivals.

See also: Where to Stay in Chiang Mai

18. Inle Lake [SEE MAP]

Inle Lake, located in southeast Myanmar, is the country’s second largest lake. The Intha people live in small villages round the lake and in floating houses on the lake itself, making for a picturesque scene. Besides fishing, locals also grow fruits and veggies on floating gardens.

Commuter and tourist motorboats and flat-bottomed skiffs navigate the vast lake, the latter propelled by the unique Intha technique of leg rowing in which one leg is wrapped around the paddle to drive the blade through the water in a snake-like motion.

17. Palawan [SEE MAP]

Palawan is an island province in the Philippines that stretches from Mindoro to Borneo between the South China and Sulu seas. Puerto Princesa, which is close to large karst formations with an underground river, is the provincial capital.

Coron Reefs on Busuanga Island is one of the best diving spots in the world, drawing divers who want to explore Japanese shipwrecks from World War II. Another popular destination is El Nido, a town sandwiched between towering limestone karst cliffs and the beautiful Bacuit Bay.

16. Taman Negara [SEE MAP]

Taman Negara is a national park located in Malaysia’s Titiwangsa Mountains. It’s one of the best places to visit in Southeast Asia for ecotourists and travelers who want to get up close and personal with a tropical jungle. Popular activities include walking through the jungle, sometimes on rope bridges through the forests; hiking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, fishing and camping. Travelers will need a high level of energy to tackle all the activities the park offers.

15. Hoi An [SEE MAP]

Hoi An is a charming town known for its great atmosphere at the mouth of the Thu Bon River on Vietnam’s central coast. Also known as Fai-Fo, the town boasts a well-preserved Southeast Asian trading port , which it once was until the river silted up.

The narrow, winding lanes of the old port are lined with beautiful old architecture, traditional wooden houses and hundreds of tailor shops selling everything from clothing to souvenirs.

14. Yangon [SEE MAP]

With more than 5 million residents, Yangon, also known as Rangoon, is a former capital of Burma and Myanmar’s largest city. Once a small fishing village, Yangon was ruled by the British at one time and has the most colonial buildings of any city in Southeast Asia.

Top tourist attractions include the Shwedagon Pagoda, an ancient Buddhist shrine surrounded by parks, a war cemetery, and the city’s only synagogue, Musmeah Yeshua.

13. Boracay [SEE MAP]

Boracay is a small island located less than 320 km (200 miles) south of Manila, the country’s capital. It is most famous for its beautiful beaches, which various travel publications have termed some of the best in Southeast Asia.

Top beaches include Yapak, known for its white shells, and White Beach, known for stunning sunsets. Another top attraction is Wiley’s Rock, which features a statue of the Virgin Mary sitting atop a volcanic formation.

12. Mount Kinabalu [SEE MAP]

Towering 4095 meter (13,435 ft) above northern Borneo, Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and the island of New Guinea. The main peak of the mountain can be climbed easily by a person with a good physical condition, and requires no mountaineering equipment although climbers must be accompanied by guides at all times.

For those with limited time or energy, there are gardens and many short walks through the jungle to enjoy in the vicinity of the entrance.

11. Komodo National Park [SEE MAP]

Komodo National Park is located on an archipelago near the island of Flores. The islands are populated by thousands of giant lizards known as “Komodo dragons” because of their appearance and aggressiveness.

This is the only place in the world where these lizards, the largest in the world, can be found. Although attacks are very rare, Komodo dragons have been known to attack humans.

10. Singapore [SEE MAP]

Singapore, a city-state, lies at the south end of the Malay Peninsula just 137 km (85 miles) above the equator. Chinese are the predominant ethnic group, at 75 percent of the population. Travelers will hear residents speaking a variety of languages: Mandarin, English, Malay and Tamil. Singapore is a former British colony, with its top sights including the graceful Raffles Hotel, gardens and nature trails, the Buddha Tooth Relic Museum, and the city zoo.

See also: Where to Stay in Singapore

9. Ko Phi Phi [SEE MAP]

Phi Phi is a beautiful archipelago located in the Krabi Province not too far from Phuket. Ko Phi Phi Don is the only island in the group with permanent inhabitants while the smaller Ko Phi Phi Leh is famous as the filming location for the 2000 movie “The Beach”. Travelers go here enjoy the beaches and to participate in a variety of water recreation activities, such as snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking. The island was devastated by the 2004 tsunami, but is bouncing back with new construction.

8. Luang Prabang [SEE MAP]

Luang Prabang lies at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers in northcentral Laos. The former royal capital is famous for its Buddhist temples and monasteries, with monks walking through the city collecting alms in the morning.

The old town is popular with tourists who want to shop, visit temples or soak in the atmosphere. There are several waterfalls nearby, as well as the famous Pak Ou Caves.

7. Borobudur [SEE MAP]

Located on the island of Java, 40 km (25 miles) northwest of Yogyakarta , the Borobudur is the largest and most famous Buddhist temple in the world. The Borobudur was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries by the kingdom of Sailendra, out of an estimated 2 million blocks of stone.

It was abandoned in the 14th century for reasons that still remain a mystery and for centuries lay hidden in the jungle under layers of volcanic ash.

6. Ifugao Rice Terraces [SEE MAP]

Photographers will want to have lots of memory cards with them when they visit the picturesque Ifugao Rice Terraces on the island of Luzon. For 2,000 years, people have been growing rice on terraces that follow the contours of the Cordilleras Mountains.

The most famous ones can be found around the town of Banaue. They were created by the Ifugao ethnic people without modern tools and are still used today.

5. Bagan [SEE MAP]

Myanmar’s answer to Angkor Wat, Bagan, on the banks of the Ayeyarwady River, is home to the largest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas and stupas in the world. Bagan was the capital of the First Burmese Empire from the 9th to the 13th centuries.

The site that Marco Polo once described as the “gilded city” was home to around 13,000 Buddhist temples in its 11th-century heyday. Thousands remain, including the famous Ananda temple with its sparkling gold spires.

4. Bangkok [SEE MAP]

What started out as a small trading post in the 15th century has now grown into a city of eight million people: Bangkok , the capital of Thailand. Visitors will find plenty of photo ops at the city’s famous floating markets where they can also buy veggies, tropical fruits and Thai snacks made in a floating kitchen. When travelers grow weary of visiting temples, they can visit a snake farm or just go shopping.

3. Ha Long Bay [SEE MAP]

Located in northeastern Vietnam, Ha Long Bay resembles a scene from a fantasy story with its thousands of limestone karst islands of different shapes and sizes. Some of the islands contain lakes while some are hollow, with a colorful fairyland of grottoes inside.

Four fishing villages composed of floating houses where the occupants fish for 200 different fish and 450 kinds of mollusks, can be found on Ha Long Bay.

2. Bali [SEE MAP]

The undisputed favorite of Indonesia’s more than 17,000 islands, Bali lives up to its reputation as the quintessential tropical paradise. The waters around Bali are known for its high marine diversity and coral reefs while the lush rice terraces provide a picturesque backdrop to its colorful and deeply spiritual Hindu culture.

The island also has several great beach towns, like Kula, as well as other areas, such as Ubud, which are known for performing and artistic arts.

1. Angkor [SEE MAP]

When it comes to archeological sites, travelers won’t want to miss Angkor in northern Cambodia. It contains some of the world’s most important cultural remains. These include the enormous Angkor Wat temple, the Bayon temple with its multitude of massive stone faces and Ta Prohm, a Buddhist temple ruin entwined with towering trees.

Historically, Angkor served as the Khmer capital from the ninth to 14th centuries, which influenced art throughout Southeast Asia.

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Reader interactions.

February 15, 2021 at 4:06 am

Stay away from Sihanoukville, it is now a huge building site ruined by the Chinese building Cambodia’s version of Las Vegas.

Cambodia’s main attraction for you tourists are the Angkor Park temples in Siem Reap, amazing temples built in the 12th century.

February 13, 2018 at 7:49 am

There is also a new Elephant eco-park in Phuket.

February 3, 2018 at 8:37 pm

I just visited an elephant sanctuary park near Chang mai in Thailand where we fed, washed and walked with rescued elephants . Never felt so emotionally rewarded … kindest gentlest giants . Say no to cruel elephant trecking where animals are abused both physically and mentally …

March 8, 2017 at 12:18 pm

I agree with Marie. It would be worth searching to see if there is an eco-tourist elephant park where there is no riding. I went to one in Chiang mai and it was fantastic.

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15 Best Places to Visit in Southeast Asia

Written by Diana Bocco Updated Jul 13, 2022 We may earn a commission from affiliate links ( )

The countries that fall in the Southeast Asia region have so much going for them, it's almost impossible to keep them off anybody's travel bucket list . From white, soft beaches and major cities to the rich history, culture, and the must-try food, this part of the world has something for everybody.

While some destinations, such as Thailand's beaches and islands and the majestic Angkor Wat in Cambodia, are known everywhere, some places in Southeast Asia remain more elusive and off the main tourist radar. This gives visitors a chance to mix things up – to go with the crowds to see the most popular spots, but also make time to discover new and different corners of Southeast Asia.

Whatever your heart is set on, here is a list of the best places to visit in Southeast Asia.

1. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

2. ha long bay, vietnam, 3. koh samui, thailand, 4. boracay, philippines, 5. bagan, myanmar, 6. kuala lumpur, malaysia, 7. bangkok, thailand, 8. singapore, 9. yangon, myanmar, 10. luang prabang, laos, 11. palawan island, philippines, 12. tegalalang rice terraces, bali, 13. komodo island, indonesia, 14. chiang mai, thailand, 15. hanoi, vietnam, map of places to visit in southeast asia.

Located in northwestern Cambodia, the city is best known for being the gateway to the Angkor region, but Siem Reap has much to offer on its own. A mix of Chinese and colonial architecture gives the city a unique vibe, where countryside residents and old motorbikes blend with a vibrant café culture and a modern club scene.

Siem Reap is home to two important museums: The Cambodia Landmine Museum and Relief Center , which offers a chance to learn more about landmines and their ongoing impact on Cambodia and other Asian countries, and the War Museum , which covers the involvement of Cambodia in several wars.

There are also a number of massive markets in the city, including Psah Chas, which caters to both locals and tourists with a variety of souvenirs, fresh food, and more.

Angkor Wat , the largest religious monument and one of the top World Heritage Sites , lies less than six kilometers north of Siem Reap. The ruins of this 12 th -century temple complex cover a space of over 162 hectares, with hundreds of structures built using sandstone blocks. There are a number of other temples, also built in Khmer style, in the area, including Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, and Pre Rup.

• Best Places to Visit in Cambodia
• Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Siem Reap

Ha Long Bay consists of a group of islands and limestone karsts that have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Many of the islands are actually tall monolithic cliffs that cannot be walked on, covered in green, lush jungle. Some of these are hollow and house beautiful caves. Dau Go Cave (Wooden Stake Cave) is a good example, a massive cave with three main chambers, multicolored stalagmites, and rock paintings. Many of the islands also have their own enclosed lakes.

Of the almost 2,000 islands here, less than 40 have permanent residents, often in the form of small communities that live in floating houses and fishing villages.

Ha Long Bay's largest island, Cat Ba , is the most common overnight stop for tourists coming to Ha Long Bay for cruises and tours. Kayaking the turquoise-green waters of the bay is a popular activity here, as well as cruising the bay in traditional junk boats.

• Read More: Things to Do in Halong Bay

While Koh Samui has always been a beloved destination for sun worshippers and snorkelers, the crowd the island attracts has changed over the years.

Once a favorite of backpackers, Koh Samui has undergone a remarkable transformation. It now boasts high-end resorts, posh spas, and some of the whitest palm-fringed beaches in Thailand. Chaweng and Lamai beaches attract the bulk of the travelers and are well developed, clean, and full of activities, including opportunities to sail, scuba dive, and swim.

While most visitors come to Koh Samui for the beach , there's much more to see and do. Take time to explore the mangroves and hidden lakes of Ang Thong Marine National Park ; the 12-meter-tall golden Buddha at the hilltop Big Buddha shrine; and the Na Muang waterfalls, reached after a trek uphill through thick tropical forest.

Read More: Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Koh Samui

The tiny island of Boracay is just across the water from Panay Island, one of the Philippines' largest islands. Despite being only 10 square kilometers in size, Boracay attracts thousands of visitors a year, who come here for the four-kilometer-long beach and its powdery white sands that wash right into the turquoise waters and the sailboats rocking away on the waves. This is one of the best beaches in the Philippines .

In addition to scuba diving and snorkeling, Boracay is well-known for its parasailing, kiteboarding, and swimming-and, perhaps more unexpectedly, its cliff diving . Diving boards ranging from three to 15 meters high over the water are placed on certain parts of the island, with lifeguards waiting and watching as divers fly up in the air over the mirror-like waters below.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in the Philippines

A UNESCO World Heritage Site , the ancient city of Bagan was once the capital of the first kingdom of Myanmar. Between the 11th and 13th century, over 10,000 pagodas and Buddhist temples were built here. Over 3,500 still stand today in the area known as the Bagan Archaeological Zone, which spreads over 41 square kilometers.

One of the most famous temples in Bagan is the Ananda Temple , a Buddhist temple built in a unique fusion of Mon and Indian styles. Dhammayangyi Temple , the largest religious structure in Bagan, is visible from all corners of the city and is famous for its mysterious bricked up interior.

The Bagan Archaeological Museum , located within the Archaeological Zone, is home to artifacts recovered from the area, such as stucco works, lots of lacquer and metal artifacts, and stone sculptures, including a Rosetta Stone dating back 1,000 years.

Just outside the Bagan Archeological Zone sits the sleepy village of Myinkaba, famous for the ancient art of lacquerware. Visitors can stop by workshops to see items being painted by hand, and then grab some souvenirs at the many shops around.

For the most famous sunset-viewing spot in town, head to the white Shwesandaw Paya pagoda. Here, you can climb part of the building to catch the 360-degree views over the hills and other temples around.

Malaysia's capital is a city of contrasts: the cultural and financial heart of the nation, with magnificent skyscrapers and three of the world's largest shopping centers-but also a great example of colonial architecture, Malay Islamic details, and old Chinese shophouses. Walking through the city is a great way to appreciate the eclectic look of this relatively new Asian capital and see the different cultures and styles melting into each other.

KL is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world , the Petronas Towers – architectural marvels of steel and glass that stand 452 meters tall. The towers are surrounded by a large urban park and are home to a massive shopping center with over 350 stores, a theater housing the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, and even an underwater aquarium.

KL is a very green city, with many parks, gardens, and open spaces everywhere you go. The 92-hectare Lake Gardens is a major urban park that contains a butterfly park, the world's largest aviary bird park , and an orchid garden. You'll also find three forest reserves within the city, perfect for trekking and catching sight of rare fauna.

The limestone Batu Caves (which contain several Hindu shrines); the Cameron Highlands with its tea plantations ; and the colorful town of Malacca, established by Portuguese settlers, are all great day-trip destinations from Kuala Lumpur.

• Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Kuala Lumpur
• Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Malaysia

Thailand's capital has lots going for it. Not only is this the main gateway for all major destinations within the country, but this cosmopolitan city also has much to offer on its own. With over 24 million visitors arriving here every year, this is also one of the top cities in the world to visit .

Sitting right on the Chao Phraya River and full of stunning skyscrapers that share the sidewalk with major Buddhist temples and popular cafés and hangouts, Bangkok's multi-faceted sights will please a wide range of visitors, from those looking for excitement and shopping opportunities, as well as those wanting to dive into cultural and historical landmarks.

Even tourists who are only here briefly on their way to the islands should make time to visit the Grand Palace , a former royal residence converted into a museum. For those with more time in the capital city, the royal Vimanmek Mansion (the largest teak building in the world) and the Jim Thompson House, a museum dedicated to the American businessman who revolutionized the local silk industry, are also worth a visit.

For a completely different view of the city, get on a classic tuk-tuk taxi or jump on a water bus.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Bangkok

Singapore is a unique spot in Southeast Asia. This island city-state is modern and cosmopolitan , a place where multi-story shopping centers mix with stunning and unexpected natural attractions.

The Marina Bay Sands , an integrated resort, is a good example of that-it offers not only a hotel, but also a museum, art-science exhibits, and the best terraced views over the city and bay from the infinity pool set on their roof.

Sentosa Island is another example, an entertainment complex that includes everything from a two-kilometer-long beach and a restored coastal fort to Southeast Asia's first 4D theater, a Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom, and even a Universal Studios Singapore theme park.

Singapore's airport has been named the best in the world, and it's an attraction all in itself, home to the world's tallest indoor waterfall, a five-story tall indoor garden, a mirror and haze maze, and a massive butterfly garden with over 1,000 species flying free in tropical greenery.

• Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Singapore
• Best Beaches in Singapore

Up until 2011, Myanmar offered only limited access to tourists because of the five-decade-long military dictatorship that commanded the country-so now that it's finally possible to visit, and before it becomes crazy busy with tourists, you definitely should see this fascinating destination.

Yangon was the capital of Myanmar (or Burma) until 2006, when the military government moved it somewhere else. Since the country was under military dictatorship for so long, the city suffered a lot of issues and still boasts a lot of buildings in decay and with inadequate infrastructure.

Still, Yangon is full of beautiful architecture in the form of colonial-era buildings centered around the 2,600-year-old Sule Pagoda . It is the gilded Shwedagon Pagoda (also known as the Golden Pagoda) that dominates the skyline of the city, however-the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in the country, believed to contain relics of the last four Buddhas.

Visitors should make time to visit the Bogyoke Aung San Market , where stalls sell everything from antiques and local handicrafts to Burmese jade, local delicacies, and even natural medicine products. Another great must-do is the Yangon Circular Train , which runs on a 46-kilometer-long loop around Yangon, offering a unique insight into the real daily life of Burmese people.

This northern city in Laos is surrounded by a number of villages that together form the UNESCO Town Of Luang Prabang World Heritage Site . Recognized for its mix of rural, French colonial, and religious architecture and heritage, the city is one of Laos' most visited and certainly most beautiful.

Luang Prabang sits at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers and is home to many temples-including Wat Chom Si shrine, located at the top of Mount Phou Si and overlooking the town. Alms ceremonies (where monks take to the streets to ask for food) are so common here that in the early morning, the entire town is covered in streams of orange as the monks make their way through the streets.

Just outside the city, the Bear Rescue Centre (which specializes in helping sun bears rescued from poachers) and the multi-tiered Kuang Si Falls are both worth a visit. If you're up for some trekking, head out to the Pak Ou Caves , famous for their hundreds of miniature Buddha sculptures.

Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions & Things to Do in Laos

Palawan has been named one of the most beautiful islands in the world so many times, it's hard to ignore its beauty. Technically speaking, Palawan remains under-developed, which means fewer high-end hotels but also slow, sustainable growth to protect the virgin forests, green jungle mountains, and wonderful wildlife.

Palawan is surrounded by quiet turquoise waters that are ideal for snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking. Lots of smaller islands dot the ocean around Palawan, and you can spend an entire day island-hopping and still not see all the amazing beauty the area has to offer.

Miniloc Island , a rustic escape northwest of Palawan, is home to a number of lagoons and soft sandy beaches you can reach on your own or via a motorized water taxi.

For those who prefer underwater adventures, the waters around Palawan hold six shipwrecks of coral-encrusted Japanese ships sunk during WWII. Divers can slip in and out of the engine rooms, bomb holes, and portholes, swimming with fish and turtles-some of the wrecks are as deep as 42 meters.

• Read More: Best Places to Visit in the Philippines

Say "Bali" and people think soft white beaches, corals, and snorkeling-and while it's true that Bali has plenty of beautiful destinations on the sand (including the Nusa Penida beach, with cliffs that resemble the head of the T-Rex), that's not all you can see here. In fact, the lush, green, terraced rice fields in the province of Ubud are just as stunning.

Bali's farmers have been setting rice paddies on terraces for centuries to deal with the hilly terrain of the area-and these areas make for stunning landscapes.

For a donation entry fee that equals pennies, visitors can walk the terraces here for hours, as the green fields extend far beyond what the eye can see. Those who arrive early in the morning will have the place almost to themselves, the soft sound of the rice fields swishing in the wind.

Visitors to Ubud can also check out the Ubud Monkey Forest ; a macaque sanctuary; the traditional royal palace Puri Saren Agung; and the gardens of Pura Taman Saraswati, a water temple famous for its lotus pond and volcanic tuff sculptures of deities.

• Read More: Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Bali

Komodo Island is more than "just one" of the over 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia. This rugged island of just under 400 square kilometers is home to the world's largest lizard , the Komodo dragon. In fact, the population of Komodo dragons here is double the population of permanent human inhabitants, making for a unique sight as you walk through the island's volcanic hills and forests.

Komodo Island is also home to a wide variety of wet ecosystems, including mangrove forests and coral reefs, both of which attract lots of travelers looking to explore, dive, or kayak around the island.

The main sightseeing attraction here, however, is Pantai Merah , one of only seven pink-sand beaches in the world. The cotton-candy sands are the result of an interesting natural phenomenon-when microorganisms, called foraminifera, that live in the coral die, their bright red shells are washed out on the beach and mix in with the white sand, creating the beautiful hue that attracts so many visitors.

Thailand's northern city of Chiang Mai is often referred to as the cultural capital of the country. Once the seat of the former Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Mai is teeming with centuries-old temples, jungle-shrouded sanctuaries, and mountains in every direction.

A smaller and less chaotic city than Bangkok, Chiang Mai still attracts travelers from all over the world who come for the low-key lifestyle, nature, history, culture, restaurants, and budget-friendly hotels.

Backpackers often make Chiang Mai a main stop on their Thailand travels, as prices are much more attractive than down south on the beaches, and Chiang Mai is a jumping-off point from which to explore the various smaller hill communities that dot the mountains.

One of the must-see temples in Chiang Mai is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a golden hilltop shrine that overlooks the entire city below. One of the most sacred spots in Thailand, this temple complex is simply stunning. Visit just before sunset when the monks begin to chant. It is the most magical time to be at the temple.

From Chiang Mai, travelers often set out to explore Mae Hong Son province to the northwest, one of Thailand's most historic provinces, known for its smaller villages and ancient tribal communities.

Accommodation: Top-Rated Places to Stay in Chiang Mai

Read More: Top-Rated Attractions & Things To Do in Chiang Mai

Vietnam's capital sits at an unusual precipice between historic and modern. The thriving city only opened to tourism as recently as the 1990s. Today, Hanoi is a buzzing, chaotic, energetic, beautiful amalgamation of ancient history, a war-torn past, and a modern future. It's one of the best places to visit in Vietnam to really learn about what makes the country tick.

Start in the old quarter, where you will find a heady mix of street vendors, cafés, restaurants, and more motorbikes than you can possibly count. But in between the zipping, zooming, pulsing chaos are pockets of tranquility and peace. Take Hoan Kiem Lake, for example, a 12-hectare lake in the heart of the historic city center. Around the lake are beautiful pagoda gateways, one of which is How Phong Pagoda, one of Hanoi's must-see sites .

The Temple of Literature is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city, too. It is a Confucian temple that was built as a university that dates back to the 11th century. Hanoi is also the city where visitors will find the tomb of Ho Chi Minh, the Hoa Lo Prison Museum, and the Military History Museum.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

More Great Destinations in Southeast Asia: When it comes to choosing the best places to visit in SE Asia, the list is long and the decision can be tough. If you are traveling through Thailand , consider heading up to Chiang Mai or head over to the Andaman Sea to explore places like the Phi Phi Islands or Phuket , and the beautiful beaches in Krabi .

More on Thailand

Southeast Asia

• 1 Countries
• 3 Other destinations
• 4.1 History
• 4.2 Culture
• 4.3 Religion
• 4.4 Climate
• 6.1 By plane
• 6.2 By train
• 6.3 By boat
• 7.1 By plane
• 7.2 By train
• 7.4 By boat
• 8.1 Landscapes and nature
• 8.2 Museums
• 8.3 Archaeological sites and precolonial heritage
• 8.4 Colonial heritage
• 8.5 Other sights
• 8.6 Itineraries
• 9.1 Water sports
• 9.2 Massage
• 10.2 Shopping
• 10.3 Bargaining
• 13 Stay safe
• 14 Stay healthy

Southeast Asia is a group of diverse tropical countries between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, featuring cultures influenced by both India and China and hosting large communities of Overseas Chinese. The region includes Indonesia, the most populous Muslim country in the world, as well as very prominent Buddhist countries, and quite significant Christian, Hindu and Animist communities. Southeast Asia has long been a favourite corner of the world for globe-tramping backpackers, known for its perfect beaches, tasty cuisine, low prices, and good flight connections.

Countries [ edit ]

The Australian Indian Ocean Territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are both geographically and culturally linked to Southeast Asia. However, as they are Australian possessions, they are covered under Australia .

Parts of southern China and Taiwan have similar nature and cultural heritage to Southeast Asia.

North-Eastern India and Bangladesh are influenced by Southeast Asia, but on Wikivoyage they are covered in South Asia .

Disputed territories in the region are:

• Paracel Islands – administered by China but also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, not visitable by foreign tourists
• Spratly Islands – a bunch of mostly uninhabited islands and reefs subject to a dizzying mess of territorial disputes, but the only destination of note is the dive resort Layang Layang , which is under Malaysian control.

Aside from East Timor, the other ten nations listed above are members of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. East Timor is an observer in ASEAN and is in the process of seeking full membership. Papua New Guinea is also an observer, but is rarely considered to be part of Southeast Asia.

Cities [ edit ]

Nine of the most prominent cities in Southeast Asia include:

• 13.75 100.516667 1 Bangkok — the world's most popular tourist destination, Thailand's capital is justly famous for temples, food, shopping and nightlife
• 10.775556 106.701944 2 Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) — Vietnam's largest city is at the epicenter of the country's frenetic economic boom
• -6.175 106.8275 3 Jakarta — sprawling, congested and vibrant, the Indonesian capital is the largest city in southeast Asia
• 3.147778 101.695278 4 Kuala Lumpur — Malaysia's capital has grown from a small sleepy Chinese tin-mining village to a bustling metropolis
• 19.89 102.134722 5 Luang Prabang — a UNESCO World Heritage City in Laos known for its numerous temples, colonial-era architecture and vibrant night market
• 14.595833 120.977222 6 Manila — the enormous Philippine capital spans the gamut from the Spanish colonial era to skyscrapers
• 11.569583 104.921028 7 Phnom Penh — Cambodia's capital took a battering during the Khmer Rouge years, but is striving to reclaim its old title as "The Pearl of Asia"
• 1.3 103.8 8 Singapore — supermodern, dense, affluent city with a medley of Chinese, Indian, Malay and British influences
• 16.795 96.16 9 Yangon (formerly Rangoon) — the commercial capital of Myanmar, known for its pagodas and colonial architecture

Other destinations [ edit ]

Outside of major cities here are some of the most rewarding destinations:

• 13.433333 103.833333 1 Angkor Archaeological Park — magnificent remains of several capitals of the Khmer Empire
• -7.60793 110.20384 3 Borobudur — one of the largest Buddhist temples in the world
• 4.0425 114.8125 4 Gunung Mulu National Park — fantastic limestones caves and karst formations
• 20.9 107.2 5 Ha Long Bay — literally translated as "Bay of Descending Dragons", famous for its scenic rock formations
• -8.651625 119.576569 6 Komodo National Park — the only home of the komodo, the biggest reptile in the world
• 8.057778 98.916944 7 Krabi Province — beach and water sports mecca, includes Ao Nang , Rai Leh , Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta
• 10 118.833333 8 Palawan — an ecologically diverse and relatively unclogged island at the western fringe of the Philippines with some of the most rewarding diving and swimming sites in the world
• 14.390556 104.680278 9 Preah Vihear — cliff-top temple pre-dating Angkor Wat

Understand [ edit ]

Southeast Asia is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, and for a reason. Some of the countries here have it all: a tropical climate , warm (or hot!) all year around, rich culture , gorgeous beaches , wonderful food and last but not least, low prices . While its history and modern-day politics are complex, most of it is also quite safe and easy to travel around in.

The region is also a very popular destination for retiring abroad , and several governments in the region offer special long-term visas specifically for retirees.

History [ edit ]

Southeast Asia is a very diverse region, with numerous ethnic groups of different origins.

Pre-historic Southeast Asia was lightly populated. The first group of people known to populate Southeast Asia were the Austroasiatic peoples, who were believed to have originated in what is today southern China, and are believed to be the ancestors of today's Vietnamese, Khmer and Mon peoples. Later groups to follow including the Tai people, who are believed to be the ancestors of today's Thai, Lao and Shan peoples, Sino-Tibetan peoples who are believed to be the ancestors of today's Bamar and Rakhine peoples, and the Hmong. The Malay Archipelago and Malay Peninsula were mainly populated by Austronesian peoples, who are believed to trace their origins to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan .

Indian influences would begin to grow among the various Southeast Asian peoples starting from the first century AD, in a process known as Indianization . The exact way through which this happened is disputed, though the most popular theory is that Brahmins travelling in the ships or caravans of traders from India brought Hinduism and later, Buddhism with them and spread it to the elite classes, from whom it trickled down to the rest of the population. The Indic scripts still used to write modern Thai, Lao, Burmese and Khmer have their roots from this process, and those languages, along with others such as Javanese, Balinese, Malay and Cham would adopt many loan words from Sanskrit. Many of these peoples would eventually build powerful Indianized kingdoms, including the Khmer Empire , Champa, Funan, Bagan Empire, Sukhothai Kingdom, Srivijaya and Majapahit. Today, Hinduism is primarily concentrated on the Indonesian island of Bali , though many traditions and stories of Hindu origin continue to survive throughout the region, even among peoples who are Buddhist, Muslim or Christian. Theravada Buddhism, on the other hand, is the dominant religion in Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, albeit still syncretised with Hinduism and local folk religions to varying extents.

Vietnam, on the other hand, would come to be heavily influenced by China, having been occupied by the Chinese Han, Tang and Ming dynasties. While the Vietnamese eventually succeeded in driving the Chinese out each time, the Chinese would leave a deep impact on Vietnamese society, with Confucianism and Taoism being hugely influential in shaping Vietnamese social etiquette, and the Chinese system of bureaucracy being adopted by many Vietnamese dynasties. Mahayana Buddhism also made its way into Vietnam via China, and although the official census today says that most Vietnamese are non-religious, most Vietnamese still practise a syncretic mix of Taoism, Confucianism, Mahayana Buddhism and Vietnamese folk religion to one degree or another. Vietnam also adopted Chinese characters to write the Vietnamese language, though this was replaced by the Latin alphabet during the French colonial period, and today, the old Chinese-based writing system only survives among the small ethnic Vietnamese minority in China.

Islam would arrive with Arab traders in the 7th century, and start spreading throughout much of the Malay Archipelago in the 12th century. The Malacca sultanate was initially founded as a Hindu kingdom, but converted to Islam in the 15th century, thus becoming the first powerful Muslim kingdom in the region, and leading to Islam becoming the dominant religion in the Malay Archipelago. The Arabic script would also be adopted to write the Malay language, though it was largely replaced by the Latin alphabet under British colonial rule. The Arabic script continues to be official in Brunei, and is used by some in more conservative Malaysian states such as Terengganu and Kelantan, though it is far less common than the Latin alphabet in both countries outside of religious publications.

Southeast Asian history is very diverse and often tumultuous, and has to an important extent been shaped by European colonialism . The very term Southeast Asia was invented by American Naval strategists around 1940. Prior to WWII, Southeast Asia was referenced in terms of their colonial powers; farther India for Burma and Thailand , with reference to the main British colony of India, although Thailand itself was never colonised; Indochina referred to the French colonies of Cambodia , Vietnam and Laos , while Indonesia and parts of maritime Southeast Asia were called the Dutch East Indies . Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore were known as British Malaya , while Sabah was known as British North Borneo . Sarawak , on the other hand, was the Kingdom of Sarawak , ruled by a British family known as the White Rajahs . Brunei was also made into a British protectorate, with the British taking charge of its defence and foreign affairs. The Philippines was named the Spanish East Indies during the initial period of Spanish colonial rule, and later came to be known by its current name in honour of King Philip II of Spain, a name which stuck even after the islands were transferred from Spanish to American colonial rule. East Timor was colonized by Portugal for 273 years, then occupied by Indonesia for 27 years before becoming the first nation to gain independence in the 21st century. This massive colonisation effort was fueled by the lucrative spice trade , which in turn encouraged heavy immigration of workers to support the harvest and sale of plantation crops like nutmeg, rubber and tea.

World War II was disastrous to Southeast Asia (see Pacific War for a detailed guide), and also saw the beginning of the end of Western colonialism, as the Western powers surrendered to Japan one by one in disgrace. By the end of 1942, the Japanese had conquered virtually the whole of Southeast Asia, with only Thailand remaining unconquered, as the Thais signed a treaty of friendship with the Japanese that allowed the Japanese to establish military bases in Thailand, and allowed Japanese troops free passage through Thailand. The Japanese occupation was a time of great hardship for many of the natives, as the Japanese took all the resources for themselves, and exploited and in many cases outright enslaved the locals for their own gain. They were also for the most part more brutal than the Western colonial powers to the people under occupation, especially towards the ethnic Chinese. However, the Japanese occupation convinced many locals that the Western powers were not invincible after all, and thereby had the effect of helping the independence movements to gain pace after the end of the war.

After the war, the decolonisation process started in Southeast Asia, with the Americans granting independence to the Philippines in 1946, while the British granted independence to Burma in 1948, followed by Malaya in 1957 and eventually Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo in 1963, which federated with Malaya to form Malaysia. After some ideological conflicts, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia in 1965 and became a sovereign state. In contrast to the relatively peaceful withdrawals by the British and Americans, the Dutch and the French fought bloody wars in an effort to hold on to their colonies, and earned humiliating defeats. Indonesia gained independence from the Dutch in 1949, and Indochina forced the French military to withdraw and separated into the countries of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam in 1954; see Indochina Wars . However, Vietnam would be split into two, with Ho Chi Minh establishing a communist regime with the support of the Soviet Union in the north, and Ngo Dinh Diem establishing a capitalist regime with the support of the United States in the south. This ideological conflict would spark off the Vietnam War in 1955, and it only ended in 1975 when a North Vietnamese tank drove into the Presidential Palace of South Vietnam in Saigon, and unified the country under communist rule.

European colonialism came to an end in Southeast Asia in 1984, when Brunei was granted full independence by the British. Indonesia occupied East Timor in 1975 after it declared independence from the Portuguese following a coup in Portugal, and only left in 1999 following a United Nations referendum. East Timor was then occupied by a United Nations peacekeeping force, before finally becoming independent in 2002. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was devastating to parts of the Indonesian island of Sumatra (especially Aceh , which lost well over 100,000 people to the roiling waters), Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia.

Since the 1990s, Southeast Asia has had a relatively high rate of economic growth, with Malaysia , Indonesia , the Philippines , Thailand and Vietnam often being called the "Tiger Cub Economies" (in reference to the original East Asian Tigers of Singapore , Hong Kong , Taiwan and South Korea ). Nevertheless, despite being one of the most fertile and resource rich regions in the world, widespread corruption means that poverty is still an issue in many countries, with much of the wealth concentrated in the hands of an elite few. In the 21st century, China is increasingly becoming a major player in the region; China is now the largest source of international tourists to most Southeast Asian countries, and has also invested substantially in infrastructure under the auspices of the Belt and Road Initiative.

Culture [ edit ]

Southeast Asia's culture is dominantly influenced by the Indians and Chinese as well as its colonizers, and also natives of the Malay archipelago. For at least 2000 years (and to this day), Southeast Asia has acted as a conduit for trade between India and China. Large-scale immigration, however, only began with the advent of the colonial era. In Singapore, the Chinese form a majority of the population, but there are substantial Chinese, Indian and other minorities, assimilated to varying degrees, across all countries in the region.

Many large businesses in Southeast Asia are owned by ethnic Chinese, who tend to have a disproportionately large economic clout relative to their population. They have long been resented by other segments of the population, and are often the target of discriminatory laws and in extreme cases, even ethnic violence. However, progress is being made, with some countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam having since repealed many of the said discriminatory laws.

Thai, Burmese, Cambodian and Lao cultures are heavily Indian-influenced in areas such as faith, folklore, language and writing, but have also absorbed heavy Chinese influences in their cuisines. Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei are also influenced by the Indians, Malays and Chinese with a touch of Arab culture due to the large Muslim populations. Vietnam is the most Chinese-influenced. East Timor's culture is influenced notably by the Portuguese and the Malays. Singaporean and Filipino cultures are the most diverse: Singapore's is a mix of Malay, Indian, Peranakan, British, American and Chinese cultures while the Philippines is heavily influenced by American, Spanish, Malay, Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese influences with less coming from India, Mexico and non-Iberian parts of Europe, making it perhaps the most Westernized nation in the region.

Although Hinduism used to be dominant in the region, these days most Southeast Asians adhere to either Islam, Christianity or Buddhism. However, vestiges of Hinduism continue to survive in the folk tales and cultural practices of many Southeast Asians regardless of religion, and some nominally Muslim Javanese people practise a syncretic religion known as Kejawen that fuses Muslim, Hindu and animist beliefs.

Religion [ edit ]

Southeast Asia is religiously diverse. Malaysia , Indonesia and Brunei are predominantly Sunni Muslim , while East Timor and the Philippines are predominantly Roman Catholic . Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand , Myanmar , Laos , Cambodia and Vietnam , with Mahayana Buddhism being the dominant form in Vietnam, and Theravada Buddhism being the dominant form in the other countries. Singapore is by some measures the most religiously diverse country in the world and does not have a majority religion, though Mahayana Buddhism forms a plurality.

However, religious minorities exist in every country. The ethnic Chinese minorities in the various countries practice a mix of different religions, including Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism. Hinduism is still observed in parts of Indonesia, most notably Bali , as well as by the Cham community in Vietnam, and a sizeable proportion of the ethnic Indian communities in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar. The southern parts of Thailand and the Sulu Archipelago of the southern Philippines are home to ethnic Malays who mostly practice Islam, and the Philippine island of Mindanao is also home to a sizable Muslim community. Christian minorities also exist in every country, most notably in Papua , East Nusa Tenggara and North Sulawesi in Indonesia, as well as in East Malaysia , and in the border area of Thailand and Myanmar. Animistic tribal religions are also practised, especially by some of the people living in remote jungle or mountainous areas.

Climate [ edit ]

Southeast Asia is tropical : the weather hovers around the 30°C mark throughout the year, humidity is high and it rains often.

The equatorial parts of Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and southern Thailand, have two or three seasons — wet , dry , and a nameless rest of the year when it sometimes rains and sometimes does not — with the dry season somewhat hotter (up to 35°C) and the wet season somewhat cooler (down to 25°C). The wet season usually occurs in winter, and the hot season in summer, although there are significant local variations.

In Indochina (north/central Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, southern Vietnam, Myanmar), the seasons can be broken down into hot , wet and dry , with the relatively cool dry season from November to February or so being the most popular with tourists. The scorching hot season that follows can see temperatures climb above 40°C in April, cooling down as the rains start around June. However, even in the "wet" season, the typical pattern is sunny mornings with a short (but torrential) shower in the afternoon, not all-day drizzle, so this alone should not discourage you from travel.

Northern Vietnam has four distinct seasons, with a climate similar to that of Hong Kong and Taiwan .

Southeast Asia is also home to many mountains, and conditions are generally cooler in the highlands. In equatorial Southeast Asia, highland temperatures generally range from about 15-25°C. Some of the highest mountains in Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar are so high that snow falls every year, and Indonesia and Myanmar are even home to permanent glaciers.

In Malaysia , Brunei , Singapore , and parts of Indonesia (notably Sumatra and Borneo ) and the Philippines (notably Palawan ), haze from forest fires (usually set intentionally to clear land for agriculture) is a frequent phenomenon in the dry season from May to October. Haze can come and go rapidly with the wind.

Talk [ edit ]

English is a traveller's most useful language overall, although for longer stays in almost any Southeast Asian country except Singapore, picking up at least some of the local language is useful, and may be essential outside the cities.

The main language groups are:

• Austroasiatic - Vietnamese and Khmer are spoken in Vietnam and Cambodia respectively. Also includes the Mon language, spoken by the Mon ethnic minority in Myanmar
• Austronesian - Malay , Indonesian , Javanese , Tagalog , Cebuano , Ilocano , Tetum and related languages are spoken throughout the island nations of Malaysia , Indonesia , the Philippines , East Timor and Brunei , and by a significant minority in Singapore . Malay and Indonesian are very similar to each other, and speakers of either language can generally understand the other. Also includes the Cham language spoken by the Cham ethnic minority in Vietnam and Cambodia.
• Kra–Dai (Tai–Kadai) - Thai and Lao are spoken in Thailand and Laos respectively. Both languages are mutually intelligible to a certain extent. Also includes the Shan language, spoken by the Shan ethnic minority in Myanmar .
• Sino-Tibetan - Burmese is closely related to Tibetan, and more distantly related to the Chinese family of languages. Mandarin is an official language of Singapore, and widely spoken by the ethnic Chinese minorities in Malaysia, Brunei and Myanmar. Various Chinese dialects are spoken by the sizeable Chinese communities throughout the region. The Rakhine language of Myanmar's Rakhine ethnic minority is similar to Burmese, and often considered to be a dialect of it.

The Chinese languages have a large influence, with Mandarin being an official language in Singapore and southern variants such as Cantonese , Hokkien , Teochew , Hakka , Fuzhou dialect and Hainanese being spoken in ethnic Chinese communities across the whole region. Many of the local languages contain loan words from various Chinese dialects, particularly when it comes to culinary terms. In addition, due to centuries of Chinese cultural dominance, much of Vietnamese vocabulary consists of loan words from Chinese. Southeast Asia is a prime destination for China's rising tourism industry, and Mandarin is becoming more prevalent in order to cater for it.

Various Indian languages are also spoken by much of the Indian diaspora in the former British colonies of Malaysia, Singapore and Myanmar, the most widely spoken of them being Tamil , which is one of the official languages in Singapore. Other Indian languages that you might hear include Malayalam and Punjabi . Due to a long history of Indian influences in the region, many Southeast Asian languages, including Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Lao, Burmese and Khmer contain many loan words from Sanskrit . Moreover, the Thai, Khmer, Lao and Burmese languages continue to use Indic scripts related to those used by most Indian languages as their writing systems.

Portuguese remains an official language of East Timor , and a Portuguese-based creole is still being spoken in some Malaysian communities.

English the main language of business and administration in Singapore, and a common second language in the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei. In areas popular among tourists in the region such as Bali , Phuket and Luang Prabang , English is widely spoken by people working in the tourism industry, although with varying degrees of proficiency. Business people who deal with international clients generally speak a decent level of English.

French is still spoken and taught in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, although its situation varies by country. In Vietnam, it is known by many educated Vietnamese, especially those schooled before 1975, though today English is the more preferred second language among youths. In Laos, French is widely used among the educated populace and features on most public signage. In Cambodia, French is limited chiefly to urban and elderly elites and a handful of university educated students.

The other languages of the former colonial countries are generally not spoken so widely anymore or at all. You may notice English words in Malay , Dutch words in Indonesian and Spanish words in Tagalog (Philippines).

Get in [ edit ]

Malaysia , Brunei , the Philippines , Singapore and Thailand do not require visas for most Western visitors. Indonesia , Cambodia , Laos , and East Timor offer visas on arrival for citizens of most Western countries at most points of entry. Vietnam and Myanmar require advance paperwork for most visitors, but most Western visitors are eligible for eVisas, thus saving you the hassle to needing to make your way to an embassy or consulate.

Travellers to ASEAN nations (all nations covered in this article except East Timor) may need to be aware of the effects on visas . ASEAN citizens are entitled to visa-free tourist travel to most other ASEAN countries, and agreements are in place with nearby nations such as China which affect visas in either direction. Visa-free travel may be for a shorter period than travel with a visa, limited to as little as 14 days. A common ASEAN travel area, similar to the Schengen Agreement for Europe, is proposed but has not yet been implemented. Visitors from outside the ASEAN area still need to consult the specific visa requirements for the countries they are visiting. Business travellers may wish to take advantage of tariff reductions and other economic measures between the nations. For visitors, however, normal duty free limits on cigarettes, alcohol, perfume and the like, apply when travelling between them.

By plane [ edit ]

The main international gateways to Southeast Asia are Bangkok ( BKK  IATA ), Singapore ( SIN  IATA ), Kuala Lumpur ( KUL  IATA ), and Jakarta ( CGK  IATA ). Other airports with good connections outside the region include Manila ( MNL  IATA ), Denpasar ( DPS  IATA ), Phuket ( HKT  IATA ), Ho Chi Minh City ( SGN  IATA ) and Hanoi ( HAN  IATA ). Hong Kong also makes a good springboard into the region, with many low-cost carriers flying into Southeast Asian destinations.

Travellers from the U.S. and Canada can often find competitive prices on Taiwan's EVA Air, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific, Japan's ANA and Japan Airlines, and South Korea's Korean Air connecting through their respective hubs, while travellers from Latin America, Africa and Europe can often find competitive prices on the Gulf trio of Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways.

Singapore Airlines , Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways are all known for their great service and safety records. Philippine Airlines is the oldest airline in this part of the world still flying under the original name, while Vietnam Airlines and Garuda Indonesia are slowly but surely growing their intercontinental networks. Rapidly expanding AirAsia flies out of its Kuala Lumpur hub to many major East Asian and South Asian cities, as well as long-haul routes to Sydney , Melbourne , Perth and Auckland , with connections available to other Southeast Asian cities through its Kuala Lumpur hub. AirAsia also operates several secondary hubs in Jakarta, Bangkok and Manila, as well as a dense network into Singapore. In addition to AirAsia, long-haul budget flights can be booked into the Jetstar and Scoot hub in Singapore or the Cebu Pacific hub in Manila.

Travellers to ASEAN nations are starting to benefit from the ASEAN Single Aviation Market policy, a gradual process of opening up the markets which is moving slowly but surely.

By train [ edit ]

There is a railway line to Hanoi , Vietnam from Nanning , China . There are no connections between Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries yet, although there are plans for links through both Cambodia and Myanmar onward to the existing Thailand - Malaysia network. A new railway line from Kunming , China to Vientiane , Laos was completed in December 2021, with one international train in each direction daily since April 2023. There are plans to eventually extend the railway all the way to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, but completion is still a long way away. Such plans have existed since the colonial era, but China's Belt and Road Initiative has injected them with new vigor and capital.

By boat [ edit ]

Southeast Asia is a popular destination for round the world cruises, and many of them make several stops in Southeast Asia with the option to go for shore excursions. Popular ports of call include Singapore , Langkawi , Penang , Tioman , Redang , Phuket , Nha Trang , Ha Long Bay , Ho Chi Minh City and Ko Samui .

Get around [ edit ]

With the exception of Singapore , public transport networks in Southeast Asia tend to be underdeveloped. However, due to reckless driving habits, driving is also usually not for the faint-hearted. Most of the time, plane, bus or rail travel tends to be the best way to get around.

There are local means of transport based on converting a motorcycle, truck, van or even bicycle to haul passengers. These include jeepneys , UV Express and traysikels in the Philippines, songthaews and tuk-tuks in Thailand, and similar vehicles elsewhere. Unmodified motorcycles also provide taxi services in various places. All these modes of transport are generally cheap and rather colorful, but somewhat uncomfortable and perhaps dangerous.

Be aware of various scams when crossing international borders. If someone offers to help you obtain a visa for the next country, or tries to direct you to a "health check", you can be certain that that person is trying to scam you. In Thailand , Vietnam , Myanmar , Cambodia and Laos , it is not uncommon for immigration officers to ask for bribes to stamp you in or out of the country; this is usually not a problem at airports, but bribes of up to US$10 per person are often demanded at land borders.

The most popular ride sharing apps with a strong presence in multiple Southeast Asian countries are Malaysia's Grab and Indonesia's Gojek . Uber and Lyft do not have a presence.

Much of Southeast Asia is now covered by a dense web of low-cost carriers, the largest being Malaysian carrier AirAsia and its Thai, Indonesian and Filipino affiliates, making this a fast and affordable way of getting around. Bangkok , Jakarta , Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are the main hubs for budget airlines in the area.

Full-service carriers have spun off their own low-cost airlines to compete, which have taken over many leisure routes completely. Examples include Scoot in Singapore, Thai Smile [dead link] in Thailand and Firefly in Malaysia. These larger multinational budget airlines and most national carriers are respectable, but some of the smaller airlines have questionable safety records, especially on domestic flights using older planes. Do some research before you buy.

Services along the main Jakarta - Singapore - Kuala Lumpur - Bangkok business corridor are extremely frequent, with frequencies almost like a bus service in the daytime, meaning that competition is stiff and prices are low if you book in advance.

Due to the high rates of road accidents in most the region, trains in Southeast Asia are generally considered to be a safer option than buses, especially during the night, although in most cases the journey by train takes longer than by bus. Most of Southeast Asia's railways are relics of the colonial era, meaning that they are mostly single track and use diesel locomotives, so delays are common, and speeds are rather slow.

Thailand has the most extensive network, with relatively frequent and economical (albeit slow, compared to most buses) and generally reliable services. The main lines from Bangkok are north to Chiang Mai ; northeast via Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) to Nong Khai and also east to Ubon Ratchathani ; east via Chachoengsao to Aranyaprathet and also southeast via Pattaya to Sattahip ; and south via Surat Thani (province) to Ko Samui , Ko Pha Ngan , Ko Tao and Hat Yai , through Malaysia via Butterworth , Kuala Lumpur , and Johor Bahru , to Singapore .

Vietnam has a line linking the country from north to south but again, speeds are rather slow.

The networks in Indonesia and Myanmar are more limited and decrepit and perhaps best experienced for their nostalgic value. The sole exception in Indonesia is the new high-speed train between Jakarta and Bandung . The Philippines has a limited railway network in Luzon island, which fell into neglect, but is slowly being rebuilt and expanded through foreign aid. Cambodia 's railways were badly hit by the civil war, but have been rehabilitated in the 2010s; there are two lines radiating out of Phnom Penh ; one to the seaside resort town of Sihanoukville , and the other to the second largest city Battambang .

Malaysia and Laos have relatively fast, modern and comfortable electrified and doubled-tracked railways. The Kunming - Vientiane railway line has trains travelling at up to 160 km/h in the Lao section, which crossing the border into Laos from China at Boten , before continuing through on to Vientiane via Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng . In Malaysia, KTM's ETS service runs along the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia from Gemas to Padang Besar at the Thai border, passing through Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh along the way, and with a branch line heading from Bukit Mertajam to Butterworth (for transfers to the ferry to George Town ). Trains on this line can hit a top speed of 140 km/h.

By bus [ edit ]

Buses are a cheap and popular mode of transport in Southeast Asia. They tend to be faster than the train and serve more cities in countries with limited to non-existent rail networks, but less safe due to the local driving habits and road conditions.

Classes and styles of buses vary by country, but most Southeast Asian countries have luxury or first-class buses on long-haul routes between major cities. Minibuses or buses without air-conditioning are common in poorer regions. Local buses tend to be available only in the large cities. Cross-border bus services are also available.

International ferry links are surprisingly limited, but it's possible to cross over from Malaysia to Sumatra (Indonesia) and from Singapore to the Riau Islands (Indonesia) and Johor (Malaysia). Various cruises also operate between Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, occasionally venturing as far as Cambodia, Vietnam, and even Hong Kong.

Domestic passenger ferries link various islands in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia and the Philippines , but safety regulations are often ignored, boats overloaded and sinkings are not uncommon. Be sure to inspect the boat before you agree to get on, and avoid boats that look overcrowded or too run down.

By car [ edit ]

Getting around continental Southeast Asia as well as intra-island travel in the various islands of Southeast Asia by car is possible, but definitely not for the faint-hearted. While you can drive yourself around Singapore , Malaysia , Thailand and Brunei without any major problems after giving yourself some time to get used to the relative lack of road courtesy, traffic conditions elsewhere range from just bad to total chaos. As such, it is advisable to rent a car with a driver, and not try to drive yourself around.

Traffic moves on the left in Indonesia , Malaysia , Thailand , Brunei , East Timor and Singapore , and moves on the right elsewhere.

See [ edit ]

Landscapes and nature [ edit ].

From active volcanoes to spectacular coastlines, from pristine rainforests to equatorial glaciers, and from impressive rice terraces to great river systems. Southeast Asia has it all. There are fourteen natural UNESCO World Heritage sites in the region, with dozens more on the tentative list, and hundreds of national parks and otherwise protected nature areas.

Most countries in Southeast Asia have impressive mountain ranges . The highest mountains of the region (more than 5,000 m) can be found in the eastern end of the Himalayas in Northern Myanmar , but almost equally high are the mountains of the Lorentz National Park of Indonesia's Papua province, known for their equatorial glaciers. Another high mountain (almost 4,100 m), that is easier to reach and therefore popular for climbing, is Mount Kinabalu in the Malaysian part of Borneo. As Southeast Asia is on the Ring of Fire of the Pacific Ocean, there is a large number of (active) volcanoes , mainly in Indonesia and the Philippines. The highest volcano of the Philippines is Mount Apo . The Indonesian archipelago has more than 100 active volcanoes, with the most active one being Mount Merapi (including eruptions in 2020), and the most popular tourist destination being Mount Bromo .

Tropical rainforests dominate the landscape in much of Southeast Asia, from the monsoon forests of the mainland to the equatorial evergreen rainforests of the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines. Some of the key rainforest national parks on the mainland include Khao Sok and Khao Yai in Thailand and Taman Negara in Malaysia. The rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo are known as the habitat of the orangutan . Many of the rainforests and other landscapes in Southeast Asia are home to (critically) endangered animal species, such as several primate species in Vietnam's Cuc Phuong area, the Javan rhinoceros in Indonesia's Ujung Kulon lowland rainforest, and the Indochinese tiger in several areas of Southeast Asia's mainland, notably the Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries . The Komodo National Park in Indonesia is home to the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon .

The key river of Southeast Asia, often called the lifeblood of the Indochina region, is the Mekong , that flows from China towards the South China Sea, passing five Southeast Asian countries on its way: Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam (the Mekong Delta ). In Cambodia, the Mekong creates the unique ecological phenomenon of the Tonle Sap lake. Also in Cambodia, around the town of Kratie , river dolphins can be found. The second-longest river of the region is the Salween , flowing mostly in Myanmar. An interesting river is the subterranean river of Puerto Princesa in the Philippines, with 8 km in length possibly the longest underground river in the world. Apart from Tonle Sap, other large lakes in the region include the densely populated Inle Lake of Myanmar, and Indonesia's Lake Toba , that is actually a huge volcano crater. In several places in Southeast Asia, rivers and lakes are used for floating markets or villages, with famous examples including the floating villages surrounding Siem Reap (Cambodia), and the floating markets of Thailand including Damnoen Saduak and of Indonesia including Banjarmasin .

Geological formations and landscapes of interest are plenty in Southeast Asia. Prime examples include the karsts of Vang Vieng in Laos, the chocolate hills of Bohol in the Philippines, and the caves and grottos of Phong Nha-Ke Bang in Vietnam. Interesting coastal and marine landscapes include the limestone rock formations of Ao Phang Nga in Thailand, and ocean karsts at Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and Raja Ampat in Indonesia. More information on spectacular beaches (including for surfing) and underwater life (for diving and snorkelling) can be found in the Do section below.

In addition to natural landscapes, also many agricultural landscapes in Southeast Asia are spectacular. The key crop in most of the region is rice, with five Southeast Asian countries in the world's top 10 of rice producing countries. Some regions that are known for their stunning rice terraces include the Cordillera region of the Philippines, the region surrounding Sa Pa in Vietnam, and the Indonesian island of Bali . The cultural landscape of Bali, including the traditional subak irrigation system dating back to the 9th century, is on the World Heritage List. Other common crops in Southeast Asia include coffee, tea, rubber, sugar, tobacco, and a wide variety of tropical fruits. Famous regions with extensive tea plantations include the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia, and the Puncak mountain pass area of Indonesia.

Museums [ edit ]

All of the larger cities in Southeast Asia boast a range of museums, with the capital cities standing out. The region's best-known culture and history museums include Singapore's National Museum (in Orchard ) and Asian Civilisations Museum (in Riverside ). Also most of the other capital cities have a National Museum focusing on the country's culture and history, including Bangkok ( Rattanakosin ), Jakarta ( Central ), Phnom Penh , Hanoi , Manila ( Ermita ), and Kuala Lumpur ( Brickfields ). Also in Brickfields, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia provides the largest collection of Islamic art in the region. The Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, also has several great culture and history museums, such as the Fine Arts Museum and the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. The historical city of Malacca is home to the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum , which showcases the culture of the Peranakans, the descendants of 15th-century Chinese immigrants who married the local Malays.

Throughout the region, there are museums commemorating specific events in the regional and local history . This includes for example the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City on the Vietnam War, the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh on the Cambodian genocide, the Aceh Tsunami Museum in Banda Aceh , Indonesia on the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami that killed about 250,000 people (more than half of them in Aceh), and the Resistance Museum in Dili on the East Timorese struggle for independence.

Among the key places to go for modern art collections are Singapore (for example the National Gallery in the Riverside district) and the town of Ubud in Bali, which boasts dozens of art galleries and museums.

Botanical gardens are plentiful throughout the region. The most extensive and well known among them include the Botanic Gardens in Singapore's North and West district, the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden near Pattaya in Thailand, and the Botanical Gardens of Bogor in Indonesia.

Archaeological sites and precolonial heritage [ edit ]

Southeast Asia has a huge number of archaeological sites , ranging from prehistoric remains of early humans that may be more than 1 million years old to great Hindu and Buddhist temples from the 8th to 14th centuries. Historic sights from the precolonial era are covered in this section, while colonial heritage is covered in the next section.

Three prehistoric archaeological sites in Southeast Asia are on the World Heritage List. The so-called Sangiran Early Man Site can be found near Solo in Indonesia, with fossils of early humans (related to the 'Java Man') that are estimated to be between 700,000 and 1,000,000 years old, possibly older. In Malaysia's Perak state, the Lenggong Valley contains four archaeological sites with tools, weapons jewellery and other equipment from various ages, and the 'Perak Man' skeleton. The archaeological site of Ban Chiang near Udon Thani in Thailand includes pottery that was painted red and dates to 2,000-4,000 years ago.

Nowadays, Hinduism in Southeast Asia is mostly limited to the Indonesian island of Bali , the Cham community of Vietnam , and the Indian communities of Malaysia , Myanmar , Thailand and Singapore , while Buddhism is concentrated in Indochina , Thailand and Myanmar and among overseas Chinese communities throughout the region. However, from about the 4th to the 15th centuries, Hinduism, Buddhism and a combined observance of both were adhered to by the vast majority of Southeast Asians, and this led to the construction of many Hindu and Buddhist temples across the region. Two world-famous Buddhist temples, and major tourist attractions, are Borobudur in Indonesia (8th-9th centuries) and Angkor Wat in Cambodia (12th century, and partly a Hindu temple complex). Major Hindu temples include My Son (4th-14th centuries) in Vietnam, Prambanan (9th century; near the Borobudur temple) in Indonesia, Preah Vihear (11th-12th centuries) in Cambodia, and Vat Phou (11th-13th century) in Laos. All of these temples are World Heritage Sites.

Other key historic sights in Southeast Asia from precolonial times include the Sukhothai Historical Park in Thailand that used to be the capital of the Sukhotai Kingdom (13th-15th centuries), the Pyu Ancient Cities in Central Myanmar (2nd century BCE to 11th century), the ancient town and trading port of Hoi An in Vietnam (15th to 19th century), and the ancient capital of Ayutthaya in Central Thailand (14th century). Myanmar also boasts the archaeological sites of Bagan and Mrauk U , which were once the great capitals of ancient kingdoms of the Bamar and Rakhine ethnicities respectively, and each home to literally thousands of ancient temples. Near the city of Mandalay is Inwa , which served as one of the last capitals of the Burmese kingdom before it was conquered by the British. Two famous old citadels can be found in Vietnam: the 11th-century Hanoi Citadel and the 14th-century Citadel of the Ho Dynasty in the Central Coast region. The Central Coast also boasts the city of Hue , the last capital of the Nguyen Dynasty, which continued to rule in name under French suzerainty until 1945.

Colonial heritage [ edit ]

With the exception of Thailand, all Southeast Asian countries were under European colonial rule for varying lengths of time between the 16th and 20th centuries. As a result, there is a considerable colonial heritage in the region, including fortifications, infrastructure and buildings. Despite remaining independent, even Thailand did not escape European influence, and it too boasts several impressive European-style buildings.

One of the key historic towns of Southeast Asia is Malacca , the capital of the Malacca Sultanate that was subsequently under Portuguese, Dutch and British rule. Some of the highlights of Malacca include the Portuguese fortress A Famosa (1511) and St. Paul's Church (1521), and the Dutch Stadthuys (city hall, 1650). British colonial architecture can be found among others in Central Kuala Lumpur (such as the Government Offices built at the end of the 19th century) and in Singapore's Riverside area. Arguably the greatest concentration of British colonial architecture can be found in George Town and Yangon .

From 1619 to Indonesian independence, the capital of the Dutch East Indies was Batavia (present-day Jakarta ). A huge number of colonial remnants can therefore be found in the city, ranging from the Batavia City Hall (built 1707–1710, now the Jakarta History Museum) in West Jakarta to the Neo-Gothic Jakarta Cathedral (built 1891-1901) in Central Jakarta . Also throughout the rest of the Indonesian archipelago, virtually every city and town has sights from the colonial time, such as the 17th-century Fort Rotterdam in Makassar , the 18th-century Fort Vredeburg in Yogyakarta , and many early 20th-century Art Deco masterpieces in Bandung . In the early 19th century, the Great Post Road was constructed across Java , enabling quick trade and development of the entire island.

A large number of Catholic churches were built in the Spanish Philippines , with four baroque churches listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (among others the San Agustín Church in Manila's historic centre and the Miagao church in Iloilo ). The historic town of Vigan is a Hispanic town well known for its cobblestone streets and unique mixed European-Oriental architecture. After the Philippines came under American rule, many Art Deco civil government buildings were constructed.

French colonial architecture can be found throughout former French Indochina . The former capital of Laos, Luang Prabang , is on the World Heritage List for its well-preserved blend of colonial and pre-colonial architecture. Similarly, the old towns of Hanoi and Hoi An in Vietnam have lots of buildings in French Colonial style, while its largest city, Ho Chi Minh City , is also home to several impressive French colonial buildings such as the Saigon Central Post Office, City Hall and the Saigon Opera House.

Other sights [ edit ]

There are dozens of cities with a population of more than a million in Southeast Asia, and many of these have impressive cityscapes . The main modern city of the region is Singapore, whose Marina Bay area has a particularly recognizable skyline. The other main cities also have a large number of skyscrapers and office towers, notably Jakarta , Kuala Lumpur , Manila , Bangkok , and Ho Chi Minh City . The administrative capital of Malaysia, Putrajaya , is a planned city with a surreal mix of modernity and tradition.

Brunei is the only country of Southeast Asia that is a sultanate , and the residential palace of the sultan, Istana Nurul Iman , is considered the largest palace in the world. However, it is usually not accessible to the public, the exception being the second to fourth days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri (Eid al-Fitr), when the sultan holds an open house, exchanges greetings with male members of the public, and hosts the public to a free lunch. Throughout history, numerous sultanates have reigned over several parts of Southeast Asia, with some of the most powerful ones being the Mataram Sultanate (of which the remaining sultanates of Solo and Yogyakarta are successors) and the Malacca sultanate. Sultan palaces and related museums can be found throughout the region, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia.

With Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia being majority Muslim countries, there are many mosques in the region. Prominent mosques include the Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta (the largest mosque of the region, with a capacity of 200,000), the Blue Mosque in Shah Alam , and the Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan .

War-related sights (apart from the museums mentioned above) can be found in most of the countries in the region. In Cambodia, the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek near Phnom Penh offer a reminder of the Cambodian Genocide. In Vietnam, there are many sights related to the Vietnam War, such as the Demilitarized Zone around the former border between North and South Vietnam, and the Cu Chi tunnel system. In Indonesia, there are numerous sights related to the War of Independence, such as the Monas national monument in Central Jakarta .

Visitors with an interest in military history can find many remnants from the Pacific War and the Indochina Wars .

Itineraries [ edit ]

• Banana Pancake Trail
• Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City overland

Do [ edit ]

Water sports [ edit ].

• Scuba diving is a major draw for visitors to Southeast Asia, with Indonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines and Thailand all boasting world-class diving locations.
• Surfing is also an increasing popular sport especially in Indonesia (with Nias and Bali the top draws) and the Philippines .
• Sailing is popular, especially in Southern Thailand
• Try wake boarding at Southeast Asia's largest wake boarding centre in Camarines Sur , Philippines .
• Explore one of the world's longest underground rivers in the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park located in Palawan , Philippines .

Massage [ edit ]

Southeast Asia, in particular Indonesia and Thailand , is well known throughout the world for its traditional massages. While the conditions of massage parlours vary, those in major hotels in touristy areas are usually clean, though you would generally pay a premium for them. Nevertheless, prices remain much lower than in most Western countries, with 1-hour massages starting from around US$5–20.

Sports [ edit ]

• Southeast Asian Games - Known in short as the SEA Games, it is held every two years among the 11 countries of Southeast Asia in odd-numbered years. It is structured similarly to the Olympics, albeit on a much smaller scale, and also features several sports that are only popular within Southeast Asia such as sepak takraw (essentially volleyball played with the feet instead of hands, known for its spectacular overhead kicks), and silat (a Malay martial art). The last edition was held in Cambodia in 2023, and the next edition will be held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2025.

Buy [ edit ]

Every Southeast Asian country has its own currency except for East Timor. The U.S. dollar is the official currency of East Timor , the unofficial currency of Cambodia and Laos , and (for larger payments) is widely accepted in some Southeast Asian cities. Euros are also widely accepted in the major cities, although rates are rarely as good as for dollars. Thai baht are widely accepted in the border regions of Cambodia , Laos and Myanmar . As Singapore is considered to be the main financial centre of Southeast Asia, Singapore dollars would generally be accepted in major tourist areas if you're in a pinch (and are legal tender in Brunei), though the conversion rate might not be very favourable. Exchange rates for Southeast Asian currencies tend to be very poor outside the region, so it's best to exchange (or use the ATM) only after arrival. Alternatively, Singapore and Hong Kong have many money changers who offer competitive rates for Southeast Asian currencies, so you might plan to spend a night or two in transit for you to get your money changed.

When bringing U.S. dollars, ensure that your bills are in pristine condition. Outside Singapore, even slight creases in U.S. dollar bills will cause them to be rejected by most shops and money changers, and even those that accept them will give you a far worse rate.

Costs [ edit ]

Southeast Asia is cheap , so much so that it is among the cheapest travel destinations on the planet . US $20 is a perfectly serviceable daily backpacker budget in most countries in the region, while the savvy traveller can eat well, drink a lot and stay in luxury hotels for US $100 per day.

Some exceptions do stand out. The rich city-states of Singapore and Brunei are about twice as expensive as their neighbours, while at the other end of the spectrum, the difficulty of getting into and around underdeveloped places like Myanmar , East Timor and the backwoods of Indonesia drives up prices there too. In Singapore in particular, the sheer scarcity of land drives accommodation rates up and you would be looking at more than US $200 per night for a four-star hotel. Also, many countries in the region do not list taxes and service charges in their advertised accommodation prices so your actual room rate is up to 20% more than the what you see in search engines.

Shopping [ edit ]

Southeast Asia is a shopping haven, with both high end branded goods and dirt cheap street goods. The most popular city for shopping in Southeast Asia is Bangkok , although Jakarta , Kuala Lumpur , Manila , Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore all have extensive arrays of exclusive shopping malls stocked with haute couture labels. On the other end of the spectrum, street markets remain a part of daily life (except in Singapore) and are the place to go for dirt cheap or counterfeit items. Some towns like Chiang Mai in Thailand and Ubud in Bali, Indonesia are well known for enormous markets selling traditional artworks, and it's often possible to buy directly from local artists or have dresses, jewellery, furniture, etc., made to order.

Clothes and accessories of international brands are usually just as expensive as in developed countries, or even more expensive. Branded products that seem considerably cheaper (such as Polo Ralph Lauren shirts in Indonesia ) are typically counterfeit , even when they are not sold in the streets but in a legit-looking shop or air-conditioned shopping mall. If you need a good compromise between low price of street sold items and the quality of branded products, look for stores of domestic brands such as Malaysia 's F.O.S or Philippines ' Bench.

For slightly higher-end gifts, Malaysia's Royal Selangor is the world's foremost manufacturer of pewter products.

Bargaining [ edit ]

Bargain in public markets and flea markets where prices aren't fixed. Southeast Asians actually will give you a bargain if you make them laugh and smile while naming your price; if they don't, try saying bye bye and smile and maybe the vendor might change his mind and give you a discount. When bargaining for simple things like watches, sunglasses, and shoes remember that these are often marked up hugely and, given some bargaining skill, can often be brought down to something like 20% of the asking price. If you can't seem to get them down to a reasonable price, then you're doing it wrong. See Bargaining for more tips.

As a rule of thumb, if a price is not explicitly posted, you need to haggle for it. However even posted prices can often be haggled down as well.

Eat [ edit ]

Southeast Asian cuisine reflects the countries' diverse history and culture. It can be roughly split into Mainland Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar ) and Maritime Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei , Indonesia, East Timor ), and even then still differs considerably from area to area. Chinese and Indian influences have been fused with local ingredients, techniques and tastes in many parts of Southeast Asia. The Philippines ' food culture is the most varied due to their additional influences from Spain and America .

Street vendors or hawkers are a culinary cornerstone of the region, offering wonderful food at a very inexpensive cost; if you're scrupulous about hygiene, go for the char-grilled, deep-fried or boiled-silly options. Thai and Vietnamese dishes like the ubiquitous pad Thai and beef pho have been widely exported around the world after the Vietnam War, followed closely by Malaysian restaurants, but a common refrain is that they simply cannot compare with a fresh bowl served by the roadside. Singapore probably serves as the easiest introduction to street food, though Bangkok and Penang have the better hawkers, with Ho Chi Minh City not far behind.

Rice is the main Southeast Asian staple, with noodles of all sorts an important second option. It's common to take a rich soupy bowl of noodles or some congee (rice porridge) for breakfast. Roti canai in Malaysia , known as roti prata in Singapore , is based on the South Indian parotta (layered flatbread) while Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos have a fondness for French-influenced baguettes courtesy of their colonial history, epitomised by banh mi (Vietnamese sandwich), though they often use a combination of wheat and rice flour to make them.

Love of the spicy chilli is also shared throughout the region, and many of its most famous dishes incorporate chilli whether as a core ingredient or as a separate garnishing, from Thai curries and tom yum soup to the Indonesian beef rendang to Malaysia's assam laksa to Cambodia 's amok . The unsuspecting diner may end up downing glass after glass of water to try and quench the burning sensation, but the local advice is to drink hot tea instead. Asking the cook to tone down the spiciness will not always work, and often your eyes will water when eating an adjusted version even as nearby locals happily slurp down their meals. Chilli is just one of the many spices used in Southeast Asian cooking, with lemongrass, tamarind and cloves popular choices to lend strong aromatic flavours to dishes.

Living next to seas and rivers, seafood is a crowd favourite. Fish and prawns feature prominently, with fermented fish sauce and shrimp paste frequently used in everyday cooking, although shellfish such as Singapore chilli crab is much more expensive and usually saved for special occasions or enjoyed by the well-off.

A variety of delicious fruit is available everywhere in all shapes and sizes, and pretty much all year round thanks to the tropical weather. Mangoes are a firm favourite among travellers. The giant spiky durian , perhaps the only unifying factor between Southeast Asia's countries, is infamous for its pungent smell and has been likened to eating garlic ice cream next to an open sewer. Other distinctive Southeast Asian fruits are the purple mangosteen, the hairy rambutan and the jackfruit-like cempedak , whose exteriors hide juicy fleshy insides. Pay attention to what's in season for better taste and prices.

Fine dining is increasingly an option in the more developed countries of Southeast Asia. Bangkok is generally considered to have the best fine dining scene in Southeast Asia, with Singapore not too far behind, and Ho Chi Minh City rapidly catching up, though there are also good options to be found elsewhere. Although fine dining is far out of the reach of the average working class Southeast Asian, with the notable exception of Singapore, prices tend to be a lot more affordable than food of a similar standard in Western countries and East Asia.

Western restaurant review websites such as Yelp are not generally reliable for South East Asian countries, as locals do not often post reviews there. Instead, there are local review websites that cover South East Asian countries, such as Eatigo , Openrice and Zamato . Some countries have their own domestic apps that are generally the most reliable within those countries, with the obvious caveat that almost all reviews are only in the local language; examples include Wongnai in Thailand and Foody in Vietnam .

Drink [ edit ]

Rice-based alcoholic drinks — Thai whisky , Tuba , lao , tuak , arak and so on — are ubiquitous and potent, if rarely tasty. In some areas, notably the Philippines, rum is also common, made from the local sugarcane. As a rule of thumb, local booze is cheap, but most countries levy very high taxes on imported stuff.

Beers are a must try in Southeast Asia, and are often very inexpensive. Check out San Miguel (Philippines), Singha, Chang beer (Thailand), Bir Bintang, Angker Beer (Indonesia), Tiger Beer (Singapore and Malaysia), Saigon Beer, Hanoi Beer, Huda Beer, 333 Beer, Bia hơi (Vietnam), Beerlao (Laos), Angkor and Angkor Stout (Cambodia). Lager is by far the most popular style, although stout (especially Guinness) is also popular and the larger cities have plenty of microbreweries and imported brews. Beer in SE Asia is primarily consumed by locals to simply get drunk, and not for taste. As such, by Western standards, most locally produced SE Asian beers are often of comparable quality to a low-end Western beers. Don't be surprised by the local habit of adding ice to your beer: not only does it help keep it cool, but it dilutes the often high alcohol content (6% is typical) as well.

Hampered by heavy taxation and a mostly unsuitable climate, wine is only slowly making inroads, although you can find a few wineries in central and northern Thailand, Bali, and Vietnam. Don't buy wine in a restaurant unless you're sure it's been kept properly, since a bottle left to simmer in the tropical heat will turn to vinegar within months. The exception is the former French colonies of Laos and Cambodia which have a respectable collection of vintages available in the larger cities of Vientiane and Phnom Penh .

Nearby Australia exports a good deal of wine to this region; it will be found mainly in high-end hotels or restaurants, though places catering to the budget/backpacker part of the tourist trade may have some as well. The cheap local restaurants generally will not have any.

Fruit juices and coconut water are widely available, especially among Muslims, and in other communities where alcohol is not customary.

Tea and coffee are available in different regional styles throughout Southeast Asia. Vietnamese coffee and Thai tea are some prominent examples, as is teh tarik of the Indian Muslim community in Malaysia and Singapore. The Australian chocolate malt drink Milo is also popular in Singapore and Malaysia.

Stay safe [ edit ]

Generally speaking the traveller trail in Southeast Asia is perfectly safe, but there are low-level insurgencies in the remote areas of Indonesia , Myanmar , the Philippines , Thailand , and East Timor .

Violent crime is rare in Southeast Asia, but tourists have been attacked in beach resorts in a few isolated but well publicised cases.

Opportunistic theft is more common, so watch out for pickpockets in crowded areas and keep a close eye on your bags when travelling, particularly on overnight buses and trains.

Major dangers are very poor road safety, as well as little or no oversight of physical activities such as white water rafting and bungee jumping.

In 2004 an Indian Ocean tsunami killed an estimated 230,000 people, with Thailand and Indonesia 's Aceh province being severely affected. Many foreign tourists were injured or killed in this very rare yet very dangerous event.

While plenty of narcotics are produced, distributed and consumed around the region, most countries (especially Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines) have harsh penalties for possession of small amounts, and capital punishment for organized drug trafficking. Neither foreign citizenship nor bribes will save visitors from sentences.

Stay healthy [ edit ]

Singapore and Thailand are two of the world's main medical tourism hubs. In Singapore, the healthcare system is of a high standard in both government and private hospitals, though prices are also the most expensive in Southeast Asia (but cheaper than most Western countries). Healthcare costs in Thailand are much cheaper than in Singapore and Western countries, making it a popular medical tourism destination for people on tight budgets. While private hospitals in general conform to international standards, and some private hospitals in Bangkok are widely regarded as among the best in the world, public hospitals often leave much to be desired.

Malaysia and Brunei in general have high standards in both private and public hospitals. In the Philippines , while the standard of care is uniformly good at both public and private hospitals in Manila, conditions are often bad in rural areas and smaller cities. In Vietnam and Indonesia , while public hospitals most certainly lag far behind the standards of the West, there are internationally accredited private hospitals in the major cities that are run to international standards. Myanmar , Laos , Cambodia and East Timor generally have poor healthcare standards, so you will almost certainly want to travel to Thailand or Singapore for any major procedures; ensure that your insurance covers this.

The Joint Commission International accredits hospitals internationally based on U.S. standards; though you will be paying a premium for these hospitals, you can ensure that the care and treatment you receive will be aligned to Western standards.

Respect [ edit ]

You may be asked to take off your shoes quite often, especially when entering temples, mosques or guesthouses. Wear shoes that can be slipped on and off easily, particularly if you're planning to visit a lot of temples, and make sure your socks aren't full of holes. At Buddhist temples, the areas where you have to go barefoot differ by country; in Myanmar, you will have to take your shoes off before entering the entire temple complex, while in Thailand, you are only required to take your shoes off before entering temple buildings.

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Discover the perfect Southeast Asia travel itinerary for you with a unique blend of cultural immersion, natural beauty, and unforgettable experiences.

If you’re planning a trip to this enchanting region, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we will provide you with nine exciting options for exploring Southeast Asia, each offering a unique blend of cultural immersion, natural beauty, and unforgettable experiences.

As avid travelers, we have visited 8 out of the 11 countries in Southeast Asia. We can’t get enough of this incredible destination. The friendly locals, mouthwatering cuisine, affordable costs, and breathtaking scenery keep drawing us back year after year.

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This post is all about finding the best Southeast Asia Travel Itinerary for your trip!

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Transportation in Southeast Asia

When traveling through Southeast Asia, you’ll find a wide range of transportation options to navigate this diverse region. From budget-friendly choices to more luxurious modes of travel, each form of transportation offers its own unique experience. Here are some popular modes of transportation in Southeast Asia:

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Flights are a convenient option for covering long distances between countries or major cities in Southeast Asia. Budget airlines such as AirAsia and Jetstar offer affordable fares, but be sure to check baggage restrictions and additional fees. You can use booking in advance to help secure better deals, and it’s best to compare prices across different airlines and travel search engines. We personally use Google Flights to search for our flights and then book directly through the airline for the best deals and customer service. However, beware, there is absolutely no customer service through AirAsia. They are so cheap for a reason.

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Train travel in Southeast Asia can be a scenic and enjoyable way to explore the region. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, and Vietnam have well-established train networks. Overnight sleeper trains are available on certain routes, providing a comfortable and cost-effective option for longer journeys. It’s recommended to book train tickets in advance, especially during peak travel seasons, to secure preferred seats or sleeping berths.

• Get all the best prices and routes in Southeast Asia with 12Go!

Buses or smaller shuttle vans are a popular and affordable mode of transportation for both short and long distances in Southeast Asia. Local buses are inexpensive and often the primary means of transport within cities and towns. Long-distance buses, such as VIP or express buses, provide more comfort and amenities for intercity travel. It’s best for you to research reputable bus companies and book tickets in advance, especially for popular routes.

• Find a Shuttle Transfer for your Route!

Tuk-tuks, three-wheeled motorized vehicles, are a common mode of transportation in countries like Thailand and Cambodia. Negotiating fares is customary, so it’s advisable to agree on a price before starting the journey. While tuk-tuks can be a convenient way to explore cities and shorter distances, it’s important to ensure your safety by choosing licensed and reputable drivers.

With its countless islands and coastal destinations, ferries are essential for traveling between islands in Southeast Asia. Popular ferry routes include those between Bali and the Gili Islands in Indonesia or between the islands in the Philippines. Ferry schedules and availability can vary, so it’s recommended to check and book tickets in advance, especially during peak tourist seasons.

• Find a Ferry Route for your Southeast Asia Itinerary!

For convenient and reliable ride-share options in Southeast Asia, the main app to use is Grab. Grab operates in several countries in the region, including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and more. With Grab, you can easily book rides, whether you’re traveling within a city or between different destinations. Just download the Grab app , set up an account, and enjoy the convenience of booking rides with a trusted service provider.

Motorbike Rental

Renting motorbikes in Southeast Asia is a popular and affordable option for exploring the region. It provides travelers with the freedom to navigate through cities, towns, and scenic landscapes at their own pace. However, it is important to have the necessary skills and documents, such as an international driver’s permit with a motorcycle license, to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience on the roads.

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Renting cars in Southeast Asia can be a convenient option for exploring the region, but it comes with its challenges. Driving on the opposite side of the road and navigating unfamiliar traffic laws and customs can be daunting for many travelers. It’s important to familiarize yourself with local driving regulations and consider your comfort level before deciding to rent a car in Southeast Asia.

• Find the best deals on your car rental!

Southeast Asia Travel Itinerary:

1. popular highlights.

• Destinations: Bangkok, Thailand → Siem Reap, Cambodia → Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam → Singapore → Bali, Indonesia
• Countries: 5

This Popular Highlights route through Southeast Asia will get you to some of the most popular and memorable stops in this area. You’ll have the opportunity to explore five diverse countries, each offering its own unique experiences and attractions. Whether you’re a history buff, a food lover, or an adventure seeker, this popular highlights itinerary will allow you to discover the best of Southeast Asia’s rich cultural heritage and natural beauty.

Start your Southeast Asia adventure in Bangkok, Thailand, where you can explore vibrant markets, visit stunning temples, and indulge in delicious street food . From Bangkok, head to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to witness the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat complex, known for its ancient temples and intricate carvings. You can continue your journey to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and immerse yourself in its fascinating history, vibrant culture, and bustling markets.

Next, make your way to the modern city-state of Singapore, where you can experience a blend of cultures, enjoy world-class dining, and explore iconic landmarks like Marina Bay Sands . Conclude your popular highlights itinerary in Bali, Indonesia, a tropical paradise known for its stunning beaches, lush rice terraces, and vibrant arts scene.

Top Activities in Southeast Asia

2. hidden gems.

• Destinations: Chiang Mai, Thailand → Luang Prabang, Laos → Vang Vieng, Laos → Hoi An, Vietnam → Kampot, Cambodia → Georgetown, Malaysia → East Java, Indonesia
• Countries: 6

The Hidden Gems of Southeast Asia travel itinerary takes you on a journey through some of the lesser-known but equally enchanting destinations in the region. There is so much to see throughout the region, so you can easily get off the beaten path. These are enough off the beaten path that most people won’t have heard of, but there is still a general tourism industry built up for accommodations and tours.  

Begin your adventure in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where you can immerse yourself in the city’s rich cultural heritage and explore its vibrant night markets. Continue to Luang Prabang, Laos, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its stunning temples and serene natural beauty. From there, make your way to Vang Vieng, Laos, where you can go tubing along the Nam Song River and marvel at the limestone karst landscapes.

Explore the charming town of Hoi An, Vietnam, famed for its well-preserved ancient buildings and lantern-lit streets. Journey to Kampot, Cambodia , and enjoy its laid-back riverside atmosphere and picturesque countryside. Discover the colonial charm of Georgetown, Malaysia, with its vibrant street art and diverse culinary scene. Finally, venture to East Java, Indonesia, where you can witness the mesmerizing beauty of Mount Bromo and explore the stunning landscapes of the Ijen Crater. 

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3. Island Hopping

• Destinations: Coron, Philippines → El Nido, Philippines → Cebu, Philippines → Phuket, Thailand → Phi Phi Islands, Thailand → Bali, Indonesia → Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia
• Countries: 3

When you think of a tropical (and affordable) vacation, Southeast Asia is the place for you. The Island Hopping itinerary takes you on a breathtaking journey through some of the most stunning islands in Southeast Asia. 

Begin your adventure in Coron, Philippines , where you can explore crystal-clear lagoons and vibrant coral reefs. Continue to El Nido, Philippines, known for its dramatic limestone cliffs and hidden lagoons. From there, head to Cebu, Philippines, and indulge in its pristine white sand beaches and world-class diving spots.

Next, travel to Phuket, Thailand, and immerse yourself in its vibrant nightlife and picturesque beaches. Explore the famous Phi Phi Islands , Thailand, with their turquoise waters and stunning rock formations. 

No island hopping trip is complete without Bali, Indonesia, a tropical paradise offering a blend of lush landscapes, vibrant culture, and stunning sunsets. Finish your itinerary with one last gorgeous island, Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia, where you can relax on pristine beaches, go snorkeling or diving, and witness breathtaking coastal views. 

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4. City Lovers

• Destinations: Bangkok, Thailand → Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia → Singapore → Jakarta, Indonesia → Manila, Philippines → Hanoi, Vietnam

If you’re a city lover and want to experience the vibrant energy of Southeast Asia’s urban hubs, the City Lovers is the perfect Southeast Asia travel itinerary for you. This itinerary will hit all the major cities in Southeast Asia, giving you rooftop views, night markets, shopping, and the steady buzz of city life.

Start your journey in Bangkok, Thailand, where you can immerse yourself in the bustling markets, visit stunning temples, and indulge in delicious street food. From there, head to Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, and explore its modern skyscrapers, diverse culinary scene, and vibrant street markets. 

Continue your city adventure in Singapore, where you can experience a fusion of cultures, enjoy world-class dining, and explore iconic landmarks like Gardens By the Bay . Next, venture to Jakarta, Indonesia, and discover its vibrant nightlife, historical sites, and vibrant arts scene. Fly to Manila, Philippines, and explore its lively markets, colonial architecture, and cultural attractions. 

Finally, end your city exploration in Hanoi, Vietnam, and immerse yourself in its rich history, vibrant street life, and mouthwatering cuisine. 

5. All the countries

• Destinations: Bangkok, Thailand → Old Bagan, Myanmar → Luang Prabang, Laos → Hanoi, Vietnam → Siem Reap, Cambodia → El Nido, Philippines → Brunei → Kuala Lumpur, Malysia → Singapore → Bali, Indonesia → Timor-Leste
• Countries: 11

The “All the Countries” itinerary takes you on an epic journey through Southeast Asia, exploring the diverse cultures and natural wonders of eleven countries. 

Begin your adventure in Bangkok, Thailand, where you can immerse yourself in the vibrant street markets and visit stunning temples. Travel to Old Bagan, Myanmar, and witness the awe-inspiring ancient temples that dot the landscape. Continue your journey to Luang Prabang, Laos, for its serene beauty and stunning temples. From there, head to Hanoi, Vietnam, and experience the bustling streets, delicious street food, and rich history. 

Explore the magnificent Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and marvel at its intricate carvings and ancient ruins. Discover the pristine beauty of El Nido, Philippines , with its crystal-clear waters and stunning limestone cliffs. 

Visit the small nation of Brunei and explore its rich cultural heritage and beautiful mosques. Journey to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and experience the vibrant mix of modern skyscrapers and charming historic sites. Explore the multicultural city-state of Singapore and be captivated by its blend of cultures and world-class attractions. 

End your trip in Bali, Indonesia , where you can unwind on stunning beaches, explore lush rice terraces, and immerse yourself in the vibrant arts scene. 

>> Dive into more of our destination guides, itineraries, and cost breakdowns! 

6. Mixing Pot

• Destinations: Singapore → El Nido, Philippines → Hoi An, Vietnam → Vang Vieng, Laos → Chiang Mai, Thailand → Siem Reap, Cambodia

The Mixing Pot itinerary takes you on a captivating journey through six diverse countries in Southeast Asia. Begin your adventure in the modern city-state of Singapore, where you can experience a fusion of cultures, indulge in world-class cuisine, and explore iconic landmarks. From there, travel to El Nido, Philippines, and be mesmerized by its stunning beaches, crystal-clear waters, and dramatic limestone cliffs. 

Continue your exploration in Hoi An, Vietnam , a town renowned for its well-preserved ancient buildings and vibrant lantern-lit streets. Immerse yourself in the laid-back atmosphere of Vang Vieng, Laos, where you can go tubing along the Nam Song River and marvel at the breathtaking limestone karst landscapes. 

Discover the rich cultural heritage and vibrant street markets of Chiang Mai, Thailand , before concluding your journey in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat complex awaits with its intricate carvings and ancient ruins. 

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7. Explore Borneo

• Destinations: Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia → Mt. Kinabalu → Danum Valley, Malaysia → Brunei → Kuching, Malaysia → Balikapan, Indonesia

Explore Borneo, a captivating destination that promises adventure and natural beauty at every turn. 

Begin your journey in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, where you can soak in the vibrant atmosphere and explore the bustling markets.  Embark on a thrilling climb up Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Southeast Asia, and be rewarded with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscapes. Dive into the depths of Danum Valley, Malaysia, and immerse yourself in the pristine rainforests teeming with wildlife . 

Discover the rich cultural heritage of Brunei as you explore its majestic mosques and historic sites. This will add a unique country to your list that not many have been to. 

Make your way to Kuching, Malaysia, and experience the charm of this riverside city, known for its colonial architecture and vibrant food scene. Conclude your Borneo adventure in Balikpapan, Indonesia, where you can relax on picturesque beaches and explore the diverse marine life. 

8. North Route

• Destinations: Hanoi, Vietnam → Luang Prabang, Laos → Vang Vieng, Laos → Bangkok, Thailand → Siem Reap, Cambodia → Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Countries: 4

The North Route itinerary takes you on a captivating journey through four countries in Southeast Asia, offering a perfect blend of cultural exploration and natural beauty. 

Begin your adventure in Hanoi, Vietnam, where you can immerse yourself in the bustling streets, sample delicious street food, and explore the city’s rich history. From there, travel to Luang Prabang, Laos, for its serene natural beauty and incredible temples. Experience the laid-back atmosphere of Vang Vieng, Laos , where you can go tubing along the Nam Song River and admire the stunning limestone karst landscapes.

Continue your journey to Bangkok, Thailand, and indulge in the city’s vibrant street markets, visit awe-inspiring temples, and savor the mouthwatering cuisine. Discover the awe-inspiring Angkor Wat complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and marvel at its intricate carvings and ancient ruins. To end, the North Route adventure stops in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where you can delve into the city’s fascinating history , explore bustling markets, and enjoy the vibrant nightlife. 

9. South Route

• Destinations: Singapore → Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia → Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia → Jakarta, Indonesia → Bali, Indonesia → Timor-Leste

The South Route itinerary takes you on an incredible journey through four captivating countries in Southeast Asia. Flying between stops will be your best bet since there are so many islands in the south. 

Begin your adventure in the modern city-state of Singapore , where you can immerse yourself in a melting pot of cultures, indulge in diverse culinary delights, and explore iconic landmarks like Marina Bay Sands. From there, travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and be captivated by its impressive skyscrapers, vibrant street markets, and rich cultural heritage. Continue your exploration in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, where you can soak in the beauty of pristine beaches, embark on thrilling jungle treks, and discover the rich marine life in its crystal-clear waters.

Next, venture to Jakarta, Indonesia , and experience the dynamic energy of this bustling metropolis, with its vibrant street scenes, historical sites, and vibrant arts scene. Continue your journey to Bali, a paradise known for its stunning beaches, lush rice terraces, and vibrant arts and culture. Finally, conclude your South Route itinerary in Timor-Leste, a lesser-known gem offering breathtaking landscapes, secluded beaches, and a fascinating blend of Portuguese and Indonesian influences.

This post was all about picking the perfect Southeast Asia travel itinerary for your 3-4 week trip! Happy Travels!

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Thinking of Going to Southeast Asia? Here’s What to Expect.

As the once tourist-dependent region reopens its borders, travelers should expect more paperwork, higher airfares and cheaper hotels — at least for the short-term.

By Patrick Scott

Their flights were more expensive and took longer, their favorite restaurant was shuttered and they had to take coronavirus tests on the first and fifth days of their trip. But the biggest hassle for Brian Lamberty and Paola Laird, retirees from London, in their long-awaited return to Phuket Island in Thailand was the paperwork.

Before their February trip, Ms. Laird spent nearly three hours uploading all the documents — vaccination records, hotel reservations, and proof of health insurance among them — needed for the Thailand Pass , an entry requirement instituted for international travelers during the pandemic. “For many people who are not computer literate, it’s going to be a problem,” Ms. Laird said.

After a long and painful hiatus, and despite rising cases of coronavirus in some Southeast Asian countries and lingering United States government warnings against travel to most of them, international tourism is now gradually returning to Southeast Asia. Mr. Lamberty and Ms. Laird are among the early waves of visitors since the pandemic restrictions turned the region’s tourism playgrounds into ghost towns in early 2020. More countries in recent weeks announced that they are ready to admit fully-vaccinated foreign tourists, or soon will be, though still within limits.

The rollout of vaccines in Southeast Asia and rollback of coronavirus restrictions around the world are prompting the reopening. Now, the war in Ukraine is complicating the travel picture everywhere, as the general unease could make people think twice about booking a big trip — or potentially opt for Southeast Asia, 4,500 miles from Ukraine, instead of Europe.

In November, Thailand and Cambodia were among the first countries in Southeast Asia to fully reopen to tourists. After an Omicron surge, Thailand in December suspended most tourist arrivals, but on Feb. 1 resumed its nationwide “ Test & Go ” program, which requires hotel isolation and a PCR test the first day and a rapid test the fifth day. Days later, Bali fully reopened to foreigners, though with a quarantine of three to seven days (then dropped the quarantine requirement this month). The Philippines followed Feb. 10, with no quarantine but with social distancing in some locations. Vietnam announced that it would open its borders March 15 to international tourists, with a one-day hotel isolation. And Malaysia on Tuesday announced it was reopening April 1 without a quarantine.

As the once tourist-dependent region reopens its borders, travelers should expect more paperwork, higher airfares, cheaper hotels (for the short-term) and less crowds — especially since China, the biggest single source of tourists in the region, has no plans to reopen its borders anytime soon.

Travel operators are grappling with a shortage of labor, lingering uncertainty over the virus and now the war in Ukraine, and impatience — they worry that those deeply missed tourists will go elsewhere in the region unless their own country is the first to fully reopen.

“I think for the next 12 months it’s going to be pretty complicated to travel in Asia,” said Adam Platt-Hepworth, whose Grasshopper Adventures cycling tour company worked with 30,000 travelers in 2019 and fewer than 50 in 2020. “The biggest challenge overall is just going to be restarting after so long, not just with our people but with hotels and restaurants and anyone in travel. It’s been a long time. People are rusty.”

Complications abound for travelers

Before the pandemic, Southeast Asia was one of the fastest-growing regions in the world for international tourism, with a record 139 million visitors in 2019, a jump of about 8 percent compared to 2018, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization . The emerald waters of Halong Bay in Vietnam were crowded with hundreds of cruise boats, rooftops bars in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia teemed with partyers and walking on streets on Thai islands like Phuket meant enduring shoulder-to-shoulder crowds. Tourist attractions across the region were congested with package tours from China, the world’s biggest source of outbound tourism for the past decade. According to the U.N.W.T.O ., about 150 million Chinese travelers spent $277 billion in 2018 alone.

Countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Cambodia were among favorite destinations of Chinese tourists. But as the coronavirus outbreak in China morphed into a global pandemic in early 2020, locations in the region that depended on foreign visitors were deserted. Last year, foreign arrivals to Southeast Asia plummeted to 3.3 million, or around 2 percent of the record number in 2019.

This year, with the incremental revival of international tourism, visitors will encounter a raft of constraints as well as rewards, according to tourists and travel companies in the region.

Mr. Lamberty and Ms. Laird vacationed in Phuket 16 times before the pandemic. They were usually out and about on the island — fabled for its tropical beaches, fiery cuisine, hedonistic nightlife — and enjoyed visiting temples and taking Thai cooking classes. This time, they took it easy, visiting friends and relaxing at their go-to beachfront hotel, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket on the Andaman Sea. They were sad to see that boutiques had closed in a nearby shopping center, now a Covid testing site.

“You have a memory of what’s happened before and what was here, but everybody has to compromise,” Ms. Laird said. “Be brave about travel and go for it; the prize is just being here.”

Travelers going after that prize should be prepared to endure virus tests and even quarantines, and purchase health and travel insurance before their arrival. Other suggestions: Be ready to download government travel apps, upload vaccination and travel documents, and acknowledge that a positive virus test result could send you into a quarantine or cause a missed flight. Don’t be surprised if service at hotels, restaurants and tour companies is spotty or if they are short staffed — or if the government rules change suddenly while you’re on holiday.

Higher flight costs are another unwanted change. Airfares from the United States to Southeast Asia last month were about 30 percent higher than before the pandemic, because fewer planes were flying to the region, averaging $1,150 round trip, according to an analysis for The Times by Hopper, the flight and hotel booking company.

“Generally, as airlines add capacity to these countries, airfares should drop,” said Adit Damodaran, an economist at Hopper .

However, it’s easy to find a bargain on a room as the region’s wide spectrum of accommodations, from hostels to luxury resorts, comes back. Popular tourist attractions and destinations that were suffering from overtourism, like Phi Phi Leh Island in Thailand, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Boracay in the Philippines, will be less packed. And while many Western-style restaurants went bankrupt, the options for discovering local cuisines continue to be seemingly endless.

Online booking platforms like Hopper and Booking.com say searches for flights and hotels are on the rise in Southeast Asia. According to Google’s Destinations Insights , searches on Vietnam grew the fastest of all countries from December to February, by 75 percent. International and regional airlines like Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and Vietnam’s VietJet are returning mothballed planes to the skies.

Slow recovery predicted by operators

Despite these positive indications, most travel operators do not expect a return to the boom year of 2019 this year or even next.

“It may take two years more,” said Le Tuan Kiet, the operations manager for the cruise line Indochina Junk in Vietnam’s Halong Bay.

The company docked all but two of its 16 boats and focused on domestic tourism, which helped keep tourism alive in places like Dalat in the mountains and Vung Tau on the coast. Indochina Junk converted the two luxury cruise ships to domestic day tours with karaoke sound systems and Vietnamese fare, said Mr. Kiet. But those efforts brought only a relative trickle of guests, and most of the company’s 250 workers lost their jobs and went back to their families, he said, and some found work in factories.

Luring them back will not be easy, he said. “They don’t want to move from their hometowns to the city again,” he said.

For Mr. Platt-Hepworth of Grasshopper Adventures, hiring staff is also difficult, as some of the company’s employees pivoted to other work during the pandemic, like opening a bakery in Taiwan and becoming a cycling coach in Vietnam, he said.

During the desolation, his remaining staff of seven, a decimated number from 140 permanent and casual workers, spent months revising an app for self-guided tours, with live-chat messaging, recommendations on restaurants and hotels, and a podcast about the next day’s ride. That was prescient, because as Grasshopper began to offer tours in a handful of destinations last year, “there’s been a surge in interest in self-guided tours, for obvious reasons,” he said.

Keeping tabs on the shifting travel directives for various countries is difficult too. Grasshopper started offering tours first in Sri Lanka, then Thailand, Uzbekistan and Cambodia, where the Nov. 15 reopening was one of Southeast Asia’s least restrictive, just a rapid coronavirus test on arrival.

Varying reopening plans

Despite Vietnam’s March 15 reopening date, Indochina Junk is holding off booking trips until September, mainly to make sure that international airlines restart enough flights, Mr. Kiet said. The company will reopen with only six boats and its three-day cruises will likely be cheaper, he said. If a quarantine is required, he said, guests can do it on the boats.

Vietnam’s reopening announcement came in the wake of a 2021 Delta variant surge that led to a monthslong nationwide lockdown, a switch in policy from zero-Covid to living with the virus, and a stepped-up government push to get the population vaccinated. Its rate of fully vaccinated citizens has reached 80 percent. Even though an Omicron surge in late February was generating a record number of cases, Mr. Kiet was confident the government would stick to the date.

“We need to get the economy going now before the other countries,” he said.

The economic upheaval for Russia brought on by its invasion of Ukraine could mean fewer tourists to Vietnam and Thailand, popular destinations for Russians. For now, “the impact isn’t that clear,” said Nantida Atiset, the vice president of the Phuket Tourist Association.

In Phuket these days, some 2,500 to 3,000 foreigners are arriving daily at the airport, though that’s less than a third of the traffic during prepandemic days, Ms. Atiset said.

“It’s not as packed and crowded as before,” she said. “Now, it’s high season, sunshine everyday, and on average hotels are 35 percent cheaper than before.”

Lush countryside and local dishes still beckon

Ad and Patricia Ketelaars, semiretired Dutch entrepreneurs who moved to Singapore seven years ago, last month decided to take their first adventure trip in the region in two years. They wanted to cycle in Thailand on a self-guided tour, but it was “too complicated,” Mr. Ketelaars said.

They opted for Cambodia and booked a guided tour with Grasshopper Adventures, setting out on Feb. 28 from Phnom Penh and ending eight days later in Siem Reap.

They were most looking forward to returning to the lush countryside, said Mr. Ketelaars just before the trip and in between taking a coronavirus test in Singapore and researching the best hospitals in Cambodia.

“The anxiety of these types of things is, what if you test positive?” he said. “You want to make sure you wind up in a place that can deal with it.”

Michael Williams, a cargo pilot who lives in Wisconsin, plans to travel to Vietnam at the end of this month, to finally meet the woman from Hanoi he has been dating online for a year.

After talking daily for hours on WhatsApp, he and his girlfriend and her daughter will be together to start figuring out the future, Mr. Williams said. They hope to have time for a beach weekend in Danang, and he’s looking forward to trying local dishes and soaking up the history and culture.

He’ll get a booster before the flight, so he’s not worried about an outbreak, and he’s not concerned about Russia’s war on Ukraine as long as it’s contained to Eastern Europe.

“It’s just a matter of making it real and getting there,” he said.

Follow Patrick Scott on Instagram at @patrickrobertscott .

52 Places for a Changed World

The 2022 list highlights places around the globe where travelers can be part of the solution.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places for a Changed World for 2022.

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of a picture caption with this article misstated the number of times a dance performance is being held in Phuket. The perfomance is now held once a day, not once a week. 

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Romania :  Timisoara  may be the most noteworthy city you’ve probably never heard of , offering just enough for visitors to fill two or three days.

India: A writer fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Darjeeling, in the Himalayan foothills , taking in the tea gardens and riding a train through the hills.

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6-Week Southeast Asia Itinerary Guidance for First-Timers

A 6-week Southeast Asia tour could be a wonderful gift for a big birthday, a romantic milestone, or perhaps retirement...

In this article, we offer suggestions on allocating your time, a classic itinerary, and cost ranges to help you plan your dream trip.

How to Spend Your 6 Weeks in Southeast Asia

• A Classic 6-Week Southeast Asia Itinerary

Costs for a 6-Week Private Southeast Asia Tour

Instead of the popular 2–3 weeks in Southeast Asia that many choose, you could take advantage of a slower travel pace, visit more eye-opening destinations, enjoy leisurely days in a tropical paradise, and have a more flexible travel schedule with 6 weeks.

When selecting your destinations, you're suggested to balance adventure with relaxation. Among the 10+ Southeast Asian countries, Thailand, Indonesia (mainly Bali) , Malaysia, and the Philippines are great choices for beach vacations. Thailand is the most popular destination among them for its more comprehensive and diverse experience.

Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar have their hidden gems where you can deeply experience their cultures and rustic life. Meanwhile, if you seek a leisurely feel with some adventure opportunities, Vietnam is an excellent place to go.

For a comfortable tour pace, visiting around 5 countries in 6 weeks is suggested. If you aim to see the multiple facets of Southeast Asia, SE Asia's top five destinations (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar) are the best choice for first-timers. You could get some itinerary ideas from our hand-picked 28-day Grand Indochina tour >>>

By planning changes of pace into your itinerary, you could leisurely refresh/recharge at a spa resort or on a sunny beach after every activity-filled week. Travelling on a private tour with some free days offers the perfect mix of guided exploration and independent discovery as well .

For any other interests, simply contact us to customize your itinerary based on your preferences.

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A Classic 6-Week Southeast Asia Itinerary: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar

If this is your first time visiting Southeast Asia and you are seeking a diverse range of experiences, this itinerary is ideal for you. You would discover the core nations of the Southeast Asia peninsula: Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

With this 6-week Southeast Asia trip plan, you can fully indulge in an awesome range of activities: our well-organized food-hunting tours, exclusive Angkor Wat walking tour, carefully-selected 3-day Ha Long Bay cruise...

In addition, staying at character-filled boutique hotels would make your trip especially memorable (perfect for unique and romantic occasions) : elegant 1920s-style hotels, floating houses, jungle hotels, tree houses, and cliff hotels with infinity pools...

For an energetic-to-relaxing pace sequence, you're suggested to travel Myanmar–Thailand–Cambodia–Laos–Vietnam. Here's a classic 6-week Southeast Asia itinerary that we can customize based on your preferences:

8 Days in Myanmar: Mandalay – Bagan – Inle Lake – Yangon

• Days 1–2 in Mandalay (city tour with temples, witness thousands of monks dining, watch the sunset over U Bein Bridge)
• Days 3–4 in Bagan (underground monastery, local markets, and sunset balloon ride over 2,000 pagodas)
• Days 5–6 at Inle Lake (floating villages, floating markets, stunning lake view, and traditional fishing)
• Days 7–8 in Yangon (an interesting local train ride, museums, and Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset)

In Myanmar, Bagan promises to be a memory-making treasure, particularly for romantic celebrations . You and your partner could find great photo opportunities from the grand pagodas complex to a sunrise/sunset balloon ride.

A trip to Inle Lake would unveil traditional floating-village life to you. In Yangon, visiting Shwedagon Pagoda at sunset would showcase the locals' devout Buddhist faith. Every Saturday evening, you would have a chance to take part in its candlelight-themed grand ceremony.

13 Days in Thailand: Chiang Mai – Phuket – Bangkok

• Days 9–12 in Chiang Mai (foodie tour, flower market visit, elephant sanctuary, hill tribe trek)
• Days 13–17 on Phuket (5 days of beach time, your choice of activities)
• Days 18–21 in Bangkok (Grand Palace, temples, railway market, and a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River, excursion to Kanchanaburi)

Compared with Myanmar, Thailand offers more active and various experiences. You would explore its top three destinations: Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai.

In Chiang Mai, walking and bathing elephants together would be a special and memorable experience. A romantic Yi Peng Festival experience could be an added bonus when travelling around November .

To take you away from the hustle and bustle, a hill tribe trek in Chiang Mai and an overnight floating house stay in Kanchanaburi would definitely be highlights during your trip .

For a tropical getaway, Phuket is a great choice, known for its stunning beaches and abundant water activities. Alternatively, Koh Samui would be better if you're keen on a more romantic vibe.

Check out more ideas about planning your dream trip to Thailand >>>

3 Days in Siem Reap, Cambodia

• Days 22–24 in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat, Apsara Dance Show, 1-hour sunset quad bike ride, sunset cocktail on Tonle Sap Lake)

In Cambodia, Angkor Wat is not to be missed. You could walk through the main complex illuminated by a Khmer scholar, or bike to discover somewhere less crowded with our local guides. Our exclusive sunset cocktail boat trip would help to create beautiful moments for you and your beloved.

4 Days in Luang Prabang, Laos

• Days 25–28 in Luang Prabang (offering alms to monks in the early morning, temples, Royal Palace, waterfall, sunset long-tail boat ride, free days)

Luang Prabang is filled with a romantic and cultural atmosphere. Almsgiving would allow you and your partner to engage with local life , and a sunset long-tail boat ride would be a beautiful journey. During your free days, explore the local streets, sample authentic Laotian food, soak in a traditional spa… make memories your way!

14 Days in Vietnam: Hanoi – Ha Long Bay – Hoi An – Ho Chi Minh – Phu Quoc Island

• Days 29–30 in Hanoi (Old Quarter cyclo tour, museums, water puppet show)
• Days 31–33 in Ha Long Bay (Trung Trang Cave, squid fishing, cooking class, biking around a rustic village near Ha Long Bay)
• Days 34–35 in Hoi An (lantern-making, sunset boat ride, an evening foodie tour)
• Days 36–37 in Ho Chi Minh City (city tour with Vietnamese coffee experience, the Cu Chi Tunnels)
• Days 38–42 on Phu Quoc Island (your choice of beach-time activities)

Two weeks is recommended to discover a variety of Vietnam destinations: from northern Hanoi to southern Phu Quoc Island.

While in Vietnam, we highly recommend a 3-day Ha Long Bay cruise for undisturbed scenery and quality private hours. Escaping from the large one-day groups and regular 2-day travelers, you'll enjoy more fantastic activities onboard or ashore, such as biking in a rustic area.

Hoi An offers an immersive laid-back atmosphere. You could stroll hand in hand around the ancient town, take a foodie tour and take photos in traditional Vietnamese clothing with your partner.

Tranquil Phu Quoc Island is a perfect destination to conclude your Southeast Asia trip. You could indulge in picturesque island scenery, enjoy couple massages, and relax in your boutique hotel with swim-up pool rooms.

If Phu Quoc Island would not be your top choice, Sapa is a more active and interesting alternative. Hiking through the mountain paths presents you with the best countryside views and ethnic life in northern Vietnam. Contact us to customize your own itinerary!

Want More Itinerary Options?

The above-mentioned itinerary has been welcomed by our clients as the basis for many a customized tour, but we are always ready to tailor-make a fulfilling tour for you from your dream-trip ideas.

For example, if you prefer a slower tour pace and in-depth explorations, you could focus on the classic Southeast Asia trifecta — Thailand (2 weeks), Vietnam (2½ weeks), and a Mekong River Cruise (1 week) to Cambodia (3 days).

If you have your own bucket list or want to travel to Southeast Asia along with Japan or China , just let us know . If you don't have enough inspiration yet, check out our Best Southeast Asia Tour Packages .

Southeast Asia offers affordable, premium-quality, and hassle-free private touring, making it an excellent choice for milestone trips.

At around US$200–250 per day per person, you can enjoy 4/5-star hotels, excellent meals, convenient transport, and private, customized touring. Thus, a six-week couple's private tour in Southeast Asia costs about US$16,000–21,000, excluding international airfares.

Seasonal changes impact Southeast Asia's prices, with the highest rates from November to April during the dry season and the lowest from May to October during the rainy season, which is still quite travel-worthy, featuring mostly brief 1–2-hour afternoon rainfall.

For budget-conscious travelers seeking optimal weather, consider inviting friends or family for a shared and memorable experience that makes the same trip season cost less.

Personalizing Your Southeast Asia Trips With Us

You are warmly welcomed to have us customize your own trip based on your group size, interests, budgets, and other needs. Sit back and use our Create My Trip service.

In addition to the above itineraries, we also have other itineraries you may be interested in:

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Our guide lele is a wealth of information, Lele is very professional and very attentive to our needs. Lele is amazing. Lele got everything spot on. It probably helps that Guilin is a brilliant place to visit so Lele has great material to work with but that doesn't take anything away from how much Lele helped make it a great trip.

Our guide for Beijing was super knowledgeable and experienced and able to help us to achieve as much as we wanted within the time given. We had a fun time guided by him as he is also super humorous and you can see how he interacts with the vendors and people whom he comes by. Thank you for a very enjoyable time in Beijing and accommodating to all our needs!

Our China Highlight guide. Michael, was attentive, thoughtful and knowledgeable. He narrated many interesting historical events about Chengdu while touring around the city and having afternoon tea with us. He was thoughtful to provide us with snacks during long hikes at Leshan or walks around the city.

She was very flexible and added extra time when we needed it and we felt extremely well taken care of. She also chose the best restaurants for us,

Our tour guide Helen, was excellent, she was very kind, professional and passionate for her work and she also loves Pandas! She will take you to take the best panda photos and to know more about Chengdu city. Our tour was great, she took us to all our destinations always with the best spots: Temples, pagodas, famous streets, theaters, pandas...you name it! Everything was great.

He picked up our pre-booked boat/other excursions tickets so we were able to avoid all the long lines and chaos. He is knowledgeable of the places we visited, courteous, fun to travel with and well-versed in Chinese classics.

Tom is the guide that will take you to where no other guide will. We pushed for the experience and Tom and the team delivered more than what we could have ever asked for. His English speaking ability and his Chinese history knowledge is second to none.

Our day trip to Hangzhou was phenomenal. Derek, our guide, was impeccable. By far the best guide we have had so far. He is extremely knowledgeable about the country’s history and geography and was always excited to share his insights.

Xian es encantadora, el hotel Eastern house boutique muy buena elección por parte de la agencia, los desayunos muy completos para complacer todo tipo de gusto, lo recomiendo 100%, el itinerario fue muy acertado fueron 2 días en la ciudad xian, compartimos con la guía Susana, la atención, la amabilidad y sobre todo su profesionalismo fue lo que marcó la diferencia, sus detalles, estaba siempre en el lugar y momento correcto para hacer de xian un lugar inolvidable.

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Visa-free travel boosts southeast asian tourism.

Industry bounces back from slump, with Chinese spending habits driving growth

An influx of Chinese travelers in the past few months has enabled Southeast Asia's tourism industry to recover from the pandemic-induced slump, analysts say.

While China has long been one of the key travel markets for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, decisions made by Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand last year to waive entry requirements for Chinese tourists bolstered tourism receipts in the first two months of this year.

Visa-free access for Chinese tourists is a "facilitating factor" in boosting ASEAN tourism industry receipts, said John Paolo Rivera, associate director of the Dr Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism at the Asian Institute of Management in the Philippines.

Chinese tourists are the biggest spenders among travelers in Southeast Asia, Rivera said.

"Alongside the volume of Chinese tourists, the Chinese spending habit has driven consumption spending and the tourism contribution to GDP" in Southeast Asia, he said, noting tourist spending has helped the ASEAN travel industry to recover from losses posted during the pandemic.

Chinese tourists' spending has perhaps created the biggest influence on Singapore.

Official figures showed international visitor arrivals in the city-state reached 13.6 million last year, with China among the top three source markets. Tourism receipts reached $15 billion in the first nine months last year, and Chinese tourists were the biggest spenders with their total receipts hitting more than $1.7 billion, the Singapore Tourism Board said.

Flight connectivity

The board expects the tourism sector's recovery to continue this year through improved global flight connectivity and the implementation of the mutual 30-day visa-free travel between China and Singapore that started on Feb 9.

Yu Hong, a senior research fellow at the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore, said the mutual visa-free agreement has boosted the number of Chinese visitors to Singapore, especially during Spring Festival.

Singapore has always been a popular destination among Chinese tourists because of its geographical proximity, cultural similarities and the presence of many direct flights to and from Chinese cities, Yu said.

In Malaysia, officials welcomed passengers aboard China Eastern Airlines' inaugural flight on March 16 from Kunming in Yunnan province to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

Manoharan Periasamy, director-general of the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board, said in a statement that this new route provides a "great opportunity" to bring in more Chinese tourists, especially after the visa-free policy took effect on Dec 1.

This year, Malaysia is eyeing 27.3 million international tourist arrivals, with 5 million expected to come from China.

Meanwhile, 3.96 million foreign tourists arrived in Thailand from Jan 1 to Feb 8, with those from China topping the list with 730,747 visitors, Thai government spokesman Chai Wacharonke was quoted in media reports as saying.

On March 1, the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand was up more than 30 percent compared with the corresponding period a year earlier, according to the online travel agency Trip.com, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Qin Jing, vice-president of Trip.com Group, said the implementation of mutual visa exemption in March holds significantly positive implications for the growth of tourism in both countries.

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Nestled in Southwest China, Yunnan province is emerging as a pivotal gateway to Southeast Asia and South Asia, bordered by Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam. Its strategic location fuels regional trade and investment, making Yunnan a crucial hub for economic development.

Leveraging its strategic advantages, Yunnan fosters a premier business environment, focusing on resource economy, industrial park economy, and port economy enhancement.

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Jetstar Asia announces direct flights from Broome to Singapore, promises low airfares

Jetstar Asia has this morning announced direct flights between Broome and Singapore, reconnecting Western Australia's north to the bustling south-east Asian hub. 

The Singapore carrier today launched its new route with the seasonal service set to begin operation on June 25.

It will offer two return flights each week until October 26. 

Flights from Broome to Singapore through Silk Air were  previously launched in 2018 , at a time when the state's tourism industry had experienced a drop in spending from overseas visitors.

Last year, the Broome International Airport sought federal government support to recommence the flights between the Kimberley and Singapore.

The primary barrier to run the international flights was approval to establish permanent, regular border services at the site. 

Broome will be reconnected with Changi International Airport, which will expand the hub's network to eight Australian cities. 

Tickets for the new route will be on sale today, including special one-way fares starting at $145, with the flights to recommence in April next year. 

Hopes to boost WA's international visitors 

WA tourism minister Rita Saffioti said the new flight link would expand the state's aviation capacity through the gateway to Asia. 

"This Singapore to Broome service presents an incredible opportunity to turbocharge international visitor numbers to Australia's north west, and inject millions into the region's accommodation, hospitality and tourism businesses," she said. 

Broome International Airport chief executive Craig Shaw said the direct flights would bring the outback town closer to the rest of the world and recognised the region's desirability as a visitor destination. 

"International connections to Broome as the gateway to the Kimberley region have been a long-held ambition for the local tourism industry and the airport," he said. 

"As well as being a game changer for the region in terms of tourism, this new regular connection can support new trade opportunities from the north-west of Australia.

"Connectivity is the key to prosperity and livability for any town."

Jetstar Asia chief executive John Simeone thanked the state government and Broome International Airport for their collaboration and said the route would provide an "incredible" travel experience for visitors. 

"Just over four hours away from Singapore, Broome is an amazing destination for those looking for a holiday of a lifetime," he said.

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Metallurgicheskii Zavod Electrostal AO (Russia)

In 1993 "Elektrostal" was transformed into an open joint stock company. The factory occupies a leading position among the manufacturers of high quality steel. The plant is a producer of high-temperature nickel alloys in a wide variety. It has a unique set of metallurgical equipment: open induction and arc furnaces, furnace steel processing unit, vacuum induction, vacuum- arc furnaces and others. The factory has implemented and certified quality management system ISO 9000, received international certificates for all products. Elektrostal today is a major supplier in Russia starting blanks for the production of blades, discs and rolls for gas turbine engines. Among them are companies in the aerospace industry, defense plants, and energy complex, automotive, mechanical engineering and instrument-making plants.

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Catch up locals' news in English

End of commercial flights at Dinard airport

2021-08-05T07:30:39.232Z

The twenty employees of Dinard airport received their dismissal letter at the end of July No more commercial flights to Dinard airport, located on the Emerald Coast in northern Brittany. The twenty employees received their letter of dismissal, we learned Wednesday from corroborating sources. "Following the shutdown of Ryanair's operations, the platform will no longer accommodate scheduled commercial passenger flights, and we are adapting the organization accordingly," a spokesperson f

No more commercial flights to Dinard airport, located on the Emerald Coast in northern Brittany.

The twenty employees received their letter of dismissal, we learned Wednesday from corroborating sources.

"Following the shutdown of Ryanair's operations, the platform will no longer accommodate scheduled commercial passenger flights, and we are adapting the organization accordingly," a spokesperson for the Operating Company told AFP. from Rennes-Dinard (Seard) airports.

"We were sacrificed for the benefit of Rennes"

However, "this is in no way a closure of the platform and the latter retains its industrial vocation and will therefore remain fully available for aeronautical maintenance activities", assures Seard.

Business aviation flights and medical flights will continue, according to the same source.

According to Cédric Herpoux, one of the spokespersons for the employees, 17 airport agents have already received their dismissal letter at the end of July.

"We were sacrificed for the benefit of Rennes," Cédric Herpoux lamented to AFP.

A drop to 95,000 passengers per year

"Ten years ago when the airport was taken over, we were around 200,000 passengers, then it fell to 120,000 a few years ago and, with the Covid crisis, we fell to 95,000 passengers per year", he said, specifying that there were then lines with Luton or Nottingham, in England.

“Touristically the Emerald Coast is one of the most visited places in Brittany with Saint-Malo, Dinard and Mont-Saint-Michel nearby.

We were an entry point for the English and for tourism, ”he regretted.

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