More than just a paradise of beaches and cuisine, there’s something about South East Asia that draws Western travellers in…
You hear them talk about it when they return from trips: the food is exquisite. Thai and Vietnamese cooking is an art based on five flavours and the principles of yin and yang. Much like the cooking, philosophy pervades every part of life, from the humble village rice patty to the chaotic urban alleys. Buddha statues and sparkling temples are everywhere. Myanmar and Cambodia are still very much strange new worlds, still partly sheltering in their Buddhist religiosity. But no matter where you go in the region, the locals are smiling and never turn away a chat.
Why we love South East Asia
- The popular image of South East Asia is often of the locals, and no wonder. Whether it’s a saffron-robed monk, conical-hatted farmer or colourful street hawker, wherever you go in the region a smile is always at the ready
- In Burma, our local leaders will show you Rangoon’s golden Shwedagon Pagoda, the bustling U Bien teak bridge at sunset, the silver sands of Ngwesaung Beach and the amazing leg-rowers on Inle Lake
- Hire a bike in Hoi An and cycle to An Bang Beach from your accommodation to relax among the sun chairs under the palm-frond umbrellas. If you feel peckish it’s not unknown for restaurant owners to swim out and check their crab pots, then bring you back a meal
- In Ayuthaya, Thailand you’re hosted in a traditional teak house. And when you take a culinary tour you’ll cook for Buddhist monks in Sukhothai on their morning alms round
- See Borneo’s big drawcard wildlife in their natural habitat, and follow the well-worn Headhunters Trail in the footsteps of the Kayan warriors
- A drink at Phnom Penh’s rowdy Foreign Correspondent’s Club contrasts with a gentle Laotian river cruise and caves with miniature Buddhist statues
Highlights of South East Asia
Trips and tours in South East Asia
Trip Name | Days | Start city | Destination | Style | From GBP |
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South East Asia tour destinations