China Williams - Lonely Planet Southeast Asia

Exotic and tropical, friendly and hospitable, historic and devout, Southeast Asia offers a warm embrace, from its sun-kissed beaches and steamy jungles to its bustling modern cities and sleepy villages.

Buddhist monks travelling by motorcycle taxi, Siem Reap
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The life-giving force of water has sculpted many Southeast Asian landscapes. The jungle-topped islands of the Malay peninsula are cradled by coral reefs that tame the ocean into azure pools. The languorous Vietnamese coastline greets the South China Sea from tip to tail, while inland there are karst mountains evidence of long-vanished oceans. And the muddy Mekong River lopes through tightly knit mountains to flat rice baskets. The traditional highways of Borneo are tannin-stained rivers that slice through the wilderness. And the volcanoes of Indonesia and the Philippines provide a glimpse into the earths blacksmithing core.

Southeast Asia bathes in spirituality. With the dawn, pots of rice come to a boil and religious supplications waft from earth to sky. Barefoot monks silently move through dull-lit streets collecting food alms from the faithful; prayers bellow from needle-tipped mosques calling the devotees to bend to earth in submission; family altars are tended like thirsty houseplants. And the regions great monuments have been built for the divine, from Angkors heaven incarnate to Bagans infinity-bending temple expanse. This is a region in close communication with the divine. Visitors can join in on the conversation on meditation retreats or by hiking into the mist belt to visit a golden-spired temple or sacred mountain.

Rice paddies in northern Vietnam
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Southeast Asian cities grabbed on to the future long before it became the present. Bangkoks masses zip between shopping malls aboard sky-suspended trains. Affluent Singapore shows off its multicultural heritage like a fashion show and Ho Chi Minh City is in a race to the top of the commercial heap. In between these modern marvels are rickety wooden villages filled with yawning dogs and napping grannies, where the agricultural clock measures out the rice planting and harvest seasons. These rural landscapes are best visited via human power: by cycling past sandal-clad villagers and curious children or trekking through high-altitude hill-tribe villages.

In the absence of winter, the earth here is always pregnant with ambrosial fruits, spices once as prized as gold, and the staple, rice, which is concocted into three square meals and dessert. Grazing is a Southeast Asian art, cultivated in the hawker centres of Penang and Singapore or by itinerant vendors in Thailand and Vietnam. The cuisines Indian curries, Chinese dim sum reflect historic migrations, and the flavours flirt with the climate, balancing spicy, sweet, salty and sour.

Bali (Indonesia)

Indonesias 17,000 islands may offer myriad cultural and exploration adventures, but the one island not to miss is Bali (). The original backpackers haven, you can surf epic breaks by day and rub shoulders with supermodels at legendary clubs by night. With one of Southeast Asias richest cultures, Bali also offers a chance to escape party glitz and stay in a family homestay in and around the arts centre of Ubud, where the sounds of traditional dance and music echo over the rice fields at night.

Hindu ceremony on Kuta beach, Bali
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Temples of Angkor (Cambodia)

One of the worlds most magnificent sights, the temples of Angkor () are so much better than the superlatives. Angkor Wat is the worlds largest religious building; Bayon is the worlds weirdest spiritual monument with its immense four-sided stone faces; and at Ta Prohm nature has run amok. Siem Reap is the base to explore this collection of temples and is a buzzing destination with superb restaurants and bars. Beyond the temples are cultural attractions, such as floating villages and cooking classes.

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Bangkok (Thailand)

Southeast Asias superstar city () has it all in supersized proportions: food, shopping, fun and then some It might be a pressure cooker for new arrivals but it will be a needed dose of civilisation after weeks of dusty back roads. Build in plenty of time to load up on souvenirs, refresh your wardrobe, be plucked and kneaded and recount tall tales over a sweaty bottle of beer. Dont forget a sunset river ferry ride, an evening noodle tour of Chinatown and one final round of temple spotting.

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Ko Tao (Thailand)

The divemasters island, Ko Tao () is the cheapest and easiest spot to learn how to strap on a tank and dive into the deep. The water is warm and gentle and the underwater spectacles are not to be missed. Just offshore are rocky coves and coral reefs frequented by all manner of fish, providing a snorkelling aperitif. Its small size means that the island is something of a diving university, with a lively social scene after class.

Ao Leuk beach, Ko Tao
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Halong Bay (Vietnam)

More than 3000 limestone-peaked islands sheltered by shimmering seas make Halong Bay () one of Vietnams top tourist draws as well as a Unesco World Heritage Site. An overnight cruise allows you to adore the scenery through the days dramatic changes of light: rise early for an ethereal misty morn, kayak into the tidal-carved grottoes and lagoons and track the pastel parade of the sinking sun. If youre still hankering for more karst action, move on to less touristed Lan Ha Bay.