Heading to Southeast Asia? Don’t miss these unforgettable experiences
Mekong, Laos
I’ll tell you one simple fact about this ribbon of water: the Mekong is seriously good-looking. Mist rises from its banks as dawn breaks in the shadow of limestone bluffs; fishermen shyly nod while panning through the shallows; and the jungle closes in on passersby; its blend of greens as intoxicating as the rice whiskey knocked back in villages along the way.
I’d quickly realised this while journeying down the mighty meandering river on a two-day boat trip, having thrown my backpack onto the long-tailed boat at Huay Xai on the northern Thai border, bound for the quiet Laotian town of Luang Prabang.
Serene from a distance, it churns up pockets of whitewater that had us veering from one side of the river to the other as we headed to the little town of Pakbeng, our halfway point, where we were to bed down for the night.
That evening, after a couple of chilled beers and a chicken curry, I gazed, spellbound, as fireflies bounced across the inky sky and the gurgle of water competed with croaking frogs and chirping crickets. For less than £20, this is one extraordinary water-bound experience.
Meet the Sultan, Brunei
Totems of grandeur aren’t hard to find in this tiny sultanate. But there’s nothing quite as illustrious as the royal seal of approval: during the festival of Hari Raya, there’s a chance to greet the Sultan himself, Hassanal Bolkiah, inside the world’s largest residential palace. A tour of Buckingham Palace suddenly doesn’t quite cut it.
Two-wheeled tour, Indonesia
For a real challenge, slog up Sumatra’s volcanic craters around the hill town of Berastagi; cut a path through the jungles of Bukit Lawang — home to orangutans — and glide past Bukittinggi’s rice paddies, stopping at roadside markets before bedding down in homestays.
Cocktail hour, Singapore
Inject some serious sophistication into your trip by mingling with the stylish set over a Singapore Sling where it was invented in 1915 — in the revered Long Bar at Raffles Hotel. www.raffles.com
Perhentian Islands, Malaysia
Off the northeast coast of Malaysia, the sand-fringed, jungle-topped islands of Kecil and Besar have long been a hub for savvy backpackers. If you want affordable beach huts, seafront hammocks and technicolour sunsets, there are few more perfect Southeast Asian destinations.
Kayaking, Indonesia
Swap the beaches of Bali for a kayaking trip around the Komodo National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s home to the Komodo dragon. Snuggle up and stargaze on uninhabited islands by night, with days spent paddling, plunging into waterfalls, and searching for these fearsome lizards.
Chaul Chnam Thmey, Cambodia
Shun the commercialism of water-mad Songkran in Thailand for a soaking at the Cambodian New Year festival of Chaul Chnam Thmey, held in pockets of the country. Dodge talcum powder bombs and rise early for temple trips and processions. (13 April).
Nan, Thailand
Until the 1980s this was a government-designated ‘remote province’, thanks to border issues and bandits. Roads and infrastructure have vastly improved but this friendly rural region still has a wonderful, secluded atmosphere. Explore sleepy villages with traditional Hindu/Khmer architecture and trek to low-lying hill tribes to experience a Thailand of yesteryear.
Hot air ballooning, Burma
Moments don’t get much more atmospheric than this. Hit a new high and float above the pagoda-filled landscapes of Bagan as the sun melts into the horizon, with distant views of the Ayeyarwaddy River beyond. Spellbinding.
Meet the monkhood, Laos
Take time out in the town of Luang Prabang, beside the Mekong, where backpackers wax lyrical about their Asian adventures and orange-robed monks arise at first light for tak bat — the silent dawn walk to collect alms.
Road trippin’, Vietnam
‘Get your motor running, head out on the highway, looking for adventure and whatever comes our way.’ Steppenwolf’s Born to be Wild captures the liberating feel of a road trip. And nothing quite beats burning tarmac atop a motorbike. Hire a Belarusian Minsk for less than a fiver a day in Hanoi and cruise north west, to the cool climes of Sapa — a former French hill station in the Hoang Lien Son range, where villagers traverse mountain paths and buffalo pick through rice terraces. Often cloud-shrouded at 5,000ft, it’s an enchanting spot to relax in for a few days before revving your engine all the way down to Hanoi.
Diving, East Timor
East Timor’s tourism infrastructure may be seriously lacking, but isn’t that the point when following the road less travelled? Under the thumb of Portuguese and Indonesian rule until independence in 2002, it exudes an unforgettable charm and cultural rhythm. Charter a boat from Dill towards Pulau Atauro Island and sink below the surface, eyeing schooling barracuda, dazzling fish shoals, and weirdly shaped coral gardens in one of Southeast Asia’s most pristine dive sites.
Singapore’s food markets
Singapore… boring, right? Not for food. Case in point: Tiong Bahru Market in the Art Deco district. Try dao suan, a sugar-syrup-drenched porridge (yummier than it sounds), chwee kueh (glutinous rice cakes topped with preserved radish as oily sweet as caramelised onions) and superb examples of the classic Singapore Chicken.
Island-hopping, Philippines
Boracay and its famous White Beach may be the archipelago’s darling, but that’s all set to change — travellers are slowly starting to take note of sedate Palawan, the enigmatic, rocky islands stretching between Mindoro Strait and Borneo, with a coastline largely devoid of people. Jump in a dug-out canoe and hop around the Calamian Islands, with their blissful beaches, volcano-heated lagoons and unforgettable wreck diving.
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Pull up to one of Southeast Asia’s most photographed bays and hop on board one of the traditional wooden junks for an overnight cruise. Spend the day sailing or kayaking around Halong’s floating villages, as postcard-perfect as the mossy-topped, limestone mountains and green waters that surround them, then bed down at night on deck, under a canopy of stars.
