Best of Southeast Asia

As an avid traveler to Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, I have a huge bucket list of places I wish to visit in Southeast Asia. Above all, Southeast Asia is one of the most enjoyable places to vacation in with breathtaking beaches, hiking trails to tops of volcanoes, mountains and temples, affordable accommodation (hotels, food, travel) and friendly people.  Southeast Asia will be one of the most eye-opening experiences a traveler can have. In fact, these are the places that avid travelers and myself consider the Best of Southeast Asia. Be sure to also read the Ultimate Southeast Asia Travel Budget per Country.

Best of Southeast Asia

Best time to visit Southeast Asia

Although, there isn’t a bad time to visit Southeast Asia as the weather is always warm and humid. The weathers do differentiate though between monsoon seasons (the rainy seasons).  These seasons you are more typically going to see canceled ferry boats and tropical storms. The best time to travel to Southeast Asia is typically between January and September. April and May are usually the hot summer months, although it is always hot, these are the hottest months. Try to avoid traveling between October – December, however, I do travel in December often and have not had any issues with the weather. One year, I did have to change travel plans due to a canceled ferry boat.

BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | CAMBODIA

This is a beautiful country that many people seek out to visit. In addition, there is a lot of history in Cambodia with ancient ruins. Being very close to Vietnam, many Vietnamese inhabit this beautiful country and should be a destination to add to your list when visiting Southeast Asia.

Cities to Visit:

• Angkor
• Siem Reap
• Koh Ker
• Phnom Penh
• Battambang

Things to see:

• Angkor Wat
• Ta Prohm
• Bayon Temple
• Angkor Thom
• Eat Street Food at one of the many markets including local delicacies such as fried cricket, red ant, and spider

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BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | MYANMAR

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is known for the beautiful gold pagodas and temples in their country. The Burmese are very friendly people and have excellent dishes to eat. Although I think a lot of people know about Myanmar, I think it is often overlooked by its neighbor Thailand.

Cities to Visit:

• Yangon
• Mandalay
• Bagan
• Kyaiktiyo
• Ngapali Beach

Things to Do:

• Visit a beautiful Pagoda
• Explore the temples of Bagan
• Stroll on the U-Bein Bridge
• Layout at Ngapali Beach
• Visit Golden Rock

BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | THAILAND

Thailand is a beautiful place to visit and I highly recommend this to be the first Southeast Country to add to your list.  You will typically find this country as an icon for Southeast Asia and is very popular among tourists which is great for beginners who have never traveled.  If you are interested in traveling solo, read this Thailand Solo Travel Guide. It is very friendly, with a lot of locals who speak English making this country an easy one to visit. There is so much to see here and it truly is a tropical paradise.  If you want to read up more about my post about Phuket, click here!

Cities to Visit:

• Phuket
• Bangkok
• Chiang Mai
• Koh Tao

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Things to Do:

• Visit the Elephant Sanctuary in Chang Mai
• Visit Beautiful Temples all over Thailand
• Eat Street Food
• Snorkel in the beautiful clear waters of the Phi Phi Islands
• Layout on the Beach
• Visit the Long Neck Tribe in Northern Thailand

BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | INDONESIA

This place is a beautiful country that most travelers seek to visit.  With the beautiful beaches and the gorgeous sunsets who would want to add this to their bucket list.  The Komodo Dragons are high on everyone’s list to see.  According to Walk My World “The views from the hiking trails would be reason enough to visit Komodo and Rinca Islands, a few hours boat trip from Labuan Bajo. But you really come here for the dragons, and there is nothing like spotting your first one in the wild!”

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Cities to Visit:

• Ubud
• Komodo Islands
• Lombok
• Java
• Sumatra

Things to see:

• Searching for Komodo Dragons, Flores
• Hiking at Mount Bromo
• Snorkeling at Kanawa Island
• Exploring Borobudur
• Festivals in Ubud, Bali

BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | BRUNEI

I feel like Brunei is a very underrated country in Southeast Asia that needs to be highlighted.  They have beautiful mosques and to most people’s surprise beautiful beaches as well. I think this location is often overlooked because most people will think that this country does not have much to see or offer. However, I suggest otherwise.  With the lack of tourists, you get to see the authenticity of this beautiful country and everything it has to offer.

Cities to Visit:

• Bandar Seri Begawan
• Kampung Ayer
• Bangar
• Temburong District
• Batang Duri

Things to Do:

• See the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque
• Explore Kampong Ayer, a large network of stilt villages
• See the Jame’ Asri Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, the largest mosque in Brunei
• Check out the Tamu Kianggeh morning market
• Eat street food at the Tamu Selera Night Market

BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | EAST TIMOR

This country is probably the least visited Asian country which makes it prime for people who want to escape the touristy destinations and explore more off beaten paths. Additionally, this beautiful country has a lot of places that are great for snorkeling and looking at some of the most beautiful coral.

Cities to Visit:

• Dili
• Atauro Island
• Maliana

Things to Do:

•  Maliana
• Swim with the Sea Turtles
• Snorkel and view the beautiful coral
• Visit the Morobo Hot Springs
• Visit the Cristo Rei Statue
• Relax on Atauro Island

BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | LAOS

I feel like the pictures itself can explain why Laos should be on your bucket list.  Laos has some gorgeous waterfalls, delicious food, less traveled and is a perfect place for a relaxing vacation.

Cities to Visit:

• Luang Prabang
• Vang Vieng
• Vientiane
• Paksong
• Konglor

Things to Do:

• Kuang Si Falls
• Climb Mount Phousi
• See Pha That Luang (‘Great Stupa’)
• Climb to the top of Patuxai
• See the Alms Giving Ceremony

BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | PHILIPPINES

Even though I have been to a lot of places all over the Philippines, I still have a small bucket list of places I have yet to experience, El Nido and Borocay being the two that I want to visit.  There is so much to do in this beautiful country from visiting beautiful beaches, celebrating with locals, singing karaoke and more.   To see other posts on the Philippines, click here.

Cities to Visit:

• El Nido
• Borocay
• Cebu
• Manila
• Bohol

Things to see:

•  Visit the many beautiful beaches of the Philippines
• Rent a Beach House for a Weekend
• Check out all of the hidden waterfalls, especially my favorite Tinago Falls
• Snorkel with Whale Sharks
• Travel like a local in a Trike or Jeepney
• Sing Karaoke with the locals

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BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | SINGAPORE

Singapore is a beautiful place to visit and in the short amount of time I was able to see it, I could see why this is an incredible place to add to your bucket list.  I absolutely fell in love the Super Grove Trees and there are so many delicious foods stalls in the Hawker Centers that you won’t even know where to start. Check out my post about spending a night layover in Singapore.

Things to Do:

• Visit the Super Grove Trees
• Visit the Merlion
• Eat at the Hawker Centers
• Explore the Botanic Gardens
• Visit Little India

BEST OF SOUTHEAST ASIA | VIETNAM

This country is a beautiful place to visit and most people have had Vietnamese food include the famous soup dish Pho.  Therefore, Vietnamese food is what makes this location a place to visit along with friendly people, beautiful beaches and why this beautiful country made the Best of Southeast Asia.

Cities to Visit:

• Halong Bay, Hoi An
• Ho Chi Min READ: Non-Touristy Ho Chi Min
• Hanoi
• Phu Quoc Island
• Da Lat

Things to Do:

• Ride a Sampan
• Shop on a Floating Market
• Attend the Full Moon Festival
• Check out the Dragon Bridge Fire Show
• Eat all of the food!

Well, there you have it, my BEST of Southeast Asia and my personal bucket list. Is there anything you would add? Leave your answer in the comments below. Like this post, please pin me!