Bordered by the Indian subcontinent to the west, and by China
and Japan to the north and east, Southeast Asia is a
tropical region of volcanoes, rainforest, ricefields and coral
reefs, whose constituent countries - Brunei, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and
Vietnam - together make one of the most stimulating and
accessible regions for independent travel in the world. Here you
can spend the day exploring thousand-year-old Hindu ruins, and the
night at a rave on the beach; attend a Buddhist alms-giving
ceremony at dawn and go whitewater rafting in the afternoon; chill
out in a bamboo beach hut for a fortnight or hike energetically
through the jungle looking for orang-utans. In short, there is
enough diversity here to keep anyone hooked for months, and the
average cost of living is so low that many Western travellers find
they can actually afford to be here for months. In addition, the
tourist infrastructure is sufficiently developed to make travel
reasonably comfortable and straightforward, and there are
recognizable tourist trails that span the region. We have excluded
Burma (Myanmar), respecting the boycott on tourism requested
by Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected leader of the
country.
The most popular destination in Southeast Asia is
Thailand , and the vast majority of travellers begin their
journey through the region in Bangkok, tempted both by the number
of cheap flights from the West, and by the well-established
backpackers' scene there. Thailand offers some of the best beaches
in the world, as well as many moderate hilltribe treks, and has
fast, inexpensive road and rail links to neighbouring Malaysia and
Laos. Conveniently, Bangkok is also the easiest place in the world
to get hold of a visa for Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The most
popular trans-Southeast Asia route takes travellers down to one of
the beaches in south Thailand, from where they get a train or bus
into Malaysia. Slightly less trendy than Thailand, but a similarly
straightforward place to get around, Malaysia boasts equally
nice beaches, particularly on the east coast, good diving, and some
rewarding national park hikes. East Malaysia, which shares the
large island of Borneo with Indonesia's Kalimantan province and the
little kingdom of Brunei, is much more off the beaten track and
offers adventurous (if costly) travel by river through the jungle
and nights in tribal longhouses. Marooned in the middle of
Malaysian Borneo, the tiny independent kingdom of Brunei is
expensive and dull, so most people stop here only when obliged to
by plane schedules. Overland travellers with plenty of time might
stop off for a couple of days in hi-tech Singapore , which
sits at the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia, but as it's
relatively pricey and has no unmissable sights, Singapore's main
appeal is the boat service across to Sumatra, the northernmost
island of Indonesia (travellers who don't fancy Singapore generally
opt for the boats from Melaka or Penang to Sumatra).
Indonesia vies with Thailand as the region's most visited
destination, with fantastic volcanic landscapes, plenty of hiking
opportunities, an unparalleled diversity of tribal cultures, decent
beaches and diving, and lots of arts and crafts. There are so many
islands in Indonesia that it could take you a lifetime to explore
the whole archipelago, but the classic itinerary takes you through
Sumatra, across to Java and then on to Bali and Lombok. With extra
time, you could continue east as far as Flores, from where it's
just a few hours' flight to northern Australia.
The less common route out of Thailand heads northeastwards,
across the Mekong River and into Laos, with the possibility of
continuing overland into Vietnam and Cambodia. Laos, Vietnam and
Cambodia are sometimes collectively referred to as Indochina
, a legacy of the time when all three countries came under French
rule. For many, Laos 's main appeal lies in the fact that
it's a lot less developed and much less touristed than neighbouring
Thailand. Accommodation here is generally basic, and road transport
can be tiresome, but there are memorable long-distance boat
journeys, some fine old temples, and the chance to experience
traditional rural culture. Neighbouring Vietnam offers many
more famous sights, including some impressive old Chinese towns,
plenty of sobering memorials from the American (Vietnam) War and
one or two passable beaches. It's a more popular destination than
Laos, but less mainstream than Thailand. Until recently, a
dangerous and rarely visited country owing to bandits, guerrillas
and mines, Cambodia now figures on an increasing number of
itineraries, mainly because of the fabulous temple ruins at Angkor,
and because it's a new frontier. Cambodia has two legal border
crossings with Thailand, which makes it possible to complete the
entire Indochina circuit overland.
Stuck way out beyond both Thailand loops, the
Philippines is often omitted from Southeast Asia trips
because it has no overland access - most people fly there via Hong
Kong. Once you have made the commitment though, the Philippines
archipelago boasts some of the best beaches and most dramatic
diving in the whole region, along with good volcano hikes, plus
some exceptionally exuberant festivals.