Your Guide to South East Asia Region

Visiting South East Asia (SEA) can be a nightmare with its vast difference in languages & culture. Likewise, it can also be the ideal getaway experience with its wide varieties of food it offers. Travelling within South East Asia Region allows one to go easy on his wallet with the wide availability of budget accommodations and the relatively lower cost of living as compare to the developed countries.

As SEA covers up to 11 countries, with so many places to visit, here’s a few of the must visit attractions in each country.

MYANMAR (Burma)

Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and located near to China border, Putao is a must for adventure seekers. One can trek over the mountain ranges, choose to do rafting along Namlang river or embrace in nature surroundings spotting birds and variety of orchids.

LAOS

One would need to visit the town of Luang Prabang in Laos. Nested 190km away from Laos capital, Vientiane , this town has both natural and historical sites. Some of the famous tourist attraction which I would certainly say worth a visit would be the Kuang Si Falls, Tat Sae Waterfalls, and Pak Ou Caves.

When in Laos, wake up early in the morning and you will be duly rewarded with the opportunity to observe monks walk in a procession through the streets accepting alms offered by local residents. This is an interesting and humbling sight to witness.

INDONESIA

 As everyone would already have know, Indonesia has fantastic islands. However, I would recommend visiting one of the most important attraction that will be on everyone to do list is: Borobudur Temple. It is the world famous 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Central Java which is also listed under UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be enchanted and marvel at the history behind of the people building it. Beside, in the city of Jogjakarta, there are many attractions such as witnessing the sheer beauty of Mount Merapi, the cravings found on Prambanan & Sewu Temple.

MALAYSIA 

Thinking of conquering the mountain but lack of fitness training, why not consider hiking up Mount Kinabalu, located in East Malaysia State, Sabah.

As the saying goes, if you can climb a ladder, you can definitely walk the torq! It starts at 3,400m and ends at 3,800m above sea level! I had gained many insights and learn more on life values such as not easily giving up while climbing the mountain and overcoming one fear together with sheer determination, reaching the mountain peak have one experience tremendous satisfaction.

BRUNEI 

No doubt Brunei town is relatively small from what I can recalled and the streets are very quiet. Trekking in the jungle would be what usually tourists do when in Brunei. I was blown away from the beauty of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, found in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan. An artificial lagoon that serves as a reflecting pool surrounds the mosque making it one of the must visit places in Brunei.

THAILAND 

Thailand do not need much introduction, the white beaches comes into mind. Together with a wide range of entertainment and cheap beers, Thailand is the perfect getaway for beach holiday. Phuket maybe over hyped with so many tourists, no doubt the water and limestone formation in the area is amazing. Why not visit Krabi, not far away from Phuket but less crowded and accommodation are a tag cheaper. You can still visit the famous James Bond Island from Krabi which stands in between Krabi & Phuket.

TIMOR LESTE 

There are numerous beautiful beaches in and around Dili, the capital of Timor Leste. The star attraction would be Cristo Rei de Dili. Almost similar to Brazil famous landmark: Christ the Redeemer, the one in Dili is equally majestic too. Not many people discover the beauty of this statue, Located at the eastern end of Dili measuring up to 27 meters. The view of the ocean and Dili’s harbour from the top is spectacular and you shouldn’t miss it.

VIETNAM 

Halong Bay is located about 4 hours drive from Hanoi, the closest town being Haiphong. Halong Bay no doubt deserve the title of being a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Strongly recommend to visit and stay in the junk boat for 1 night! People usually visit the caves there and one can do squid fishing late at night in the area. Try out the fresh seafood and witness how the locals go about selling their stuff to tourists paddling in their small boat.

CAMBODIA 

Everyone knows that, the best place to visit is the Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia. Angkor Wat is the ultimate expression of Khmer genius: an awe-inspiring temple that is stunning for both its grand scale and its incredible detail.

If you have not been to this temple which has been voted as world number 1 sight by Lonely Planet readers, you would not have regarded as stepped onto Cambodia. This temple was rather huge in scale and there is an option of 1 or a few days pass entry. My recommendation would be 1 day is enough to take in the essential sights unless you want to learn more of the history in depth.

PHILIPPINES 

Mabuhay ! (meaning “Welcome”  in Tagalog language) . I know I have reached the ever friendly country named Philippines. Often, Mabuhay is commonly used by Filipinos to welcome tourists. Known as the Last Frontier, Palawan Island is the place to head for your Philippines vacation. The water there is crystal clear and once arrived at the Puerto Princess airport, you know the star attraction would be the Underground River, voted as New 7 Wonders of the World. I gave my thumbs up and further validated this claim as we sit on the boat and begin our exploration deep into the mysterious river cave.

SINGAPORE 

The most expensive city among all the South East Asia region. Nicknamed as the Lion City, this cosmopolitan city state had undergo tremendous changes since its independence in 1965. One of the must visit places would be the Marina Sands Bay. The city view from the top amazes one and have been featured in Korean Music Videos. If you are a Korean Craze Fan, this is the place you ought to be in!

Categories: Asia Region