Must-Visit Destinations for Solo Travellers in Southeast Asia

Don’t discount Laos on your Southeast Asian adventures. This beautiful country shares borders with Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, but is often left out of gap-year summer plans. We spend the second half of our epic two-week Thai-Laos Rail Trip exploring Laos, starting with a river cruise down the Mekong. We’ll hop off at rural villages to meet whisky-making locals and discover sacred caves, before embarking on a hike to the stunning Kuang Si Falls – the country’s most famous attraction for a reason. After that we’ll catch the high-speed train to Vang Vieng, from where we’ll go kayaking on the Nam Song river, before hopping on the overnight sleeper train back to Bangkok.

You only need one reason to visit Cambodia, and that’s the largest religious structure in the world, Angkor Wat. This surreal temple complex is one of the most spiritually rousing places on the planet, especially if you visit at sunrise, which is exactly what we do on our border-crossing Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam trip. To watch the sun slowly appear from behind the temple’s intricately carved towers, reflecting a striking silhouette onto the surrounding moat, is an experience you’ll never forget. The rest of our time in Cambodia will be spent gorging on the street food of Phnom Penh and watching a local Phare Circus show.