Having spent around a year and a half of my life in Southeast Asia to date, I wanted to share with you my top 10 unmissable destinations in this beautiful part of the world.
Whether you’re looking for a budget backpacking experience, an indulgent holiday or something in between, there is so much variety in Southeast Asia that it can be overwhelming and difficult to choose where to go.
Hopefully this mini guide might help you decide where to visit, or give you some new ideas to put on your bucket list!
For a bit of context, I’m a fairly introverted person who loves being out in nature, isn’t really into partying (but does enjoy a beer on the beach), occasionally enjoys the bright lights of a big city, and places a lot of emphasis on finding great food when travelling.
So before reading this list, bear in mind that we might be totally opposite kinds of travellers and therefore some of these might not be up your street — but regardless, I hope you find something useful here!
1. Malaysian Borneo
One of my favourite places on Earth is Borneo. We only spent a few weeks in Sabah, the eastern region of Malaysian Borneo, so it would be a dream to go back to explore Sarawak in the west, as well as some of the lesser-explored Indonesian Borneo too.
The opportunities to see orangutans in the wild in Sepilok, spot the Borneo Big 5 on a Kinabatangan river safari, snorkel or scuba dive amongst the most colourful coral in the clearest water I’ve ever seen off the coast of Semporna… the list goes on.
Next time, I would add on a 2/3 day hike up Mount Kinabalu and fly across to Kuching to see more beautiful wildlife and natural landscapes in Mulu National Park.
2. Komodo Islands, Indonesia
If you’ve read my blog post about our 4 day, 3 night sailing trip from Lombok to Flores through the Komodo islands in Indonesia then you’ll know why this has got to be on the list.
This experience showed us a whole different side to Indonesia rather than just the busy westernised islands of Bali and Nusa Penida. We slept on the top deck of a boat with no showers and basic supplies for four days. We swam with whale sharks, spotted Komodo dragons in Komodo National Park, watched the sunrise on Padar Island and sunbathed at Pink Beach.
The Komodo islands are truly magical and there are budget friendly options as well as higher-end experiences for this sailing adventure. Read more about our experience here.
3. Ha Giang, Vietnam
Vietnam is always a fantastic choice no matter what kind of traveller you are. It has friendly people, delicious cuisine, cheap beer, beautiful mountains, gorgeous beaches and more.
Ha Giang, in the very far north of Vietnam, is one of my favourite places in the country. Nestled in the mountains, Ha Giang is a 7 hour bus ride from Hanoi, near the Chinese border.
The most popular thing to do in Ha Giang is ride the Ha Giang Loop on an easy rider tour. This activity has grown in popularity in the last year or two and it’s easy to see why — it was one of our top experiences in Southeast Asia for the year that we spent travelling there!
I recommend staying at Lila Inn and booking your easy rider tour with them. We were in a group of just four of us and our riders were amazing. We did the loop backwards so we were often the first group to arrive at viewpoints and the roads didn’t feel too busy. The guys really looked after us and we spent four wonderful days enjoying the most spectacular landscapes in Vietnam.
Look out for my upcoming blog post all about riding the Ha Giang Loop.
4. Koh Lanta, Thailand
It’s no secret how much I love Koh Lanta. We even visited twice on our year in Southeast Asia so that we could take my parents!
If you’re not into partying (but still enjoy a nice, laidback beach bar), Koh Lanta is the perfect island for you. Rent a bike and head to the national park where you’ll find a short hike to the most gorgeous remote beach and a picturesque lighthouse.
Read more about alllll the reasons why I love Koh Lanta in my blog post here.
5. East and Central Java, Indonesia
Another spot that not enough people travel to in Indonesia is Java. It’s the second largest island in Indonesia and home to the nation’s capital city, Jakarta.
While Jakarta is a pretty great city to visit, it’s Central and East Java that you really cannot miss when you’re backpacking Southeast Asia. Yogyakarta, Malang and Banyuwangi are the three cities I recommend you visit when visiting Java.
Yogyakarta is the ancient capital of Indonesia and is known as the ‘cradle of civilisation’ in the nation. Make sure to visit Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, and Prambanan, a complex of over 500 Hindu temples.
Over in East Java, Malang is the best place to base yourself for a sunrise trek up Mount Bromo and a hike to the spectacular Tempak Sewu waterfall. Once you’ve enjoyed the awe-inspiring natural hotspots around Malang, head to Banyuwangi on the east coast. Stay at Snooze Ijen Hostel and do the sunrise trek up Mount Ijen, an active volcano with a milky blue lake at its centre.
Look out for a more in-depth blog post about why you should visit Central and East Java, coming soon!
6. Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Known as the ‘Ha Long Bay on land’, Ninh Binh is a beautiful region of northern Vietnam that few visit. While Ha Long Bay is a stunning place to go, Ninh Binh is a wonderful place to stop off for a few days between Hanoi in the north and Hoi An (or Danang) in central Vietnam.
Discover stunning limestone cliffs from the viewpoint at Hang Múa, cruise down the scenic Tràng An river, explore ancient temples and cycle through quaint Vietnamese villages. We stayed in a beautiful cliffside villa and enjoyed every moment of our time in Ninh Binh so if you have some extra time to spare in Vietnam, make sure to visit!
7. Siem Reap, Cambodia
An absolute MUST if you’re backpacking Southeast Asia is to visit Siem Reap. Not only is it the cultural heart of Cambodia, it’s also a really laidback city with friendly locals and some of the lowest prices we saw in the whole of Southeast Asia.
From the incredible and iconic UNESCO World Heritage-listed Temples of Angkor to the fascinating floating villages on Tonlé Sap lake, this city has so much to see and do. The food scene is so underrated and the nightlife is great if that tickles your fancy — get yourself to a night market and follow it up with $1 cocktails and 50p beers on Pub Street.
To be honest, I also highly recommend visiting Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh. Many people don’t bother with it and it used to have a reputation as quite an unsafe city, but we loved our few days there and found it absolutely crucial to understanding the country’s turbulent (and recent) history with the Khmer Rouge. Even if you just visit for one day, make sure you go to Choeung Ek Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (also known as S21 Prison).
8. Lombok, Indonesia
Don’t sleep on Lombok — it’s going to become the next Bali so you have to get there while it’s still relatively untouched and peaceful!
We got the ferry from Nusa Penida to Bangsal Pier in northwest Lombok for about £12pp on 12Go (one of the best places to buy tickets in Southeast Asia although sometimes a bit more expensive than buying locally).
We stayed near Senggigi Beach for five days, rented a scooter and rode all the way to the south of the island. The sunset in Senggigi was insane, with Mount Agung in Bali visible across the sea, however Kuta is also a great place to base yourself and the beaches down on the south coast were some of the most pristine white sand beaches I’ve ever seen.
9. Cameron Highlands, Malaysia
If quiet mountain escapes, endless cups of tea and great food are your vibe, don’t skip the Cameron Highlands in central Malaysia.
This region of mainland Malaysia is probably one of the greenest places I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting — winding roads led us to Tanah Rata, the ‘main’ town in the centre of the highlands. The home of tea in Malaysia, there are some beautiful hikes which take you through emerald green tea plantations.
We visited Boh Tea and a strawberry farm (the juiciest strawberries ever!) during our stay and spent the rest of the time chilling in cafes, eating incredible Indian food (seriously, Malaysia does amazing Indian food and Tanah Rata was our favourite) and visiting the weird and wonderful Time Tunnel Museum.
I’d recommend spending 3 days here to really relax and soak up all the beautiful nature.
10. Chiang Mai, Thailand
Last but by no means least, the place that felt most like home on all of our travels: Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai truly is a must-visit for anyone visiting Thailand or Southeast Asia as a whole. It’s perfect for a few days exploring temples, mountains and Doi Inthanon National Park (home to the tallest mountain in Thailand!) and for hopping across to nearby Chiang Rai and Pai.
Or, if you’re more into slow travelling or if you’re living the digital nomad life, Chiang Mai is an incredible place to base yourself for a longer period of time. You’ll find loads of affordable apartments to rent, great cafe culture, the BEST food in all of Thailand (seriously, you have to try this khao soi) and just a lovely, low-key, homely vibe. We spent 6 weeks in total in Chiang Mai and didn’t even get to Chiang Rai or Pai because we just loved Chiang Mai so much.
I imagine I’ll change these as I travel to more countries in Southeast Asia and add more destinations to the ever-growing list!
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