Top Trips of a Lifetime to Southeast Asia
Unlock diverse religions and cuisines as you discover the best places to go in Southeast Asia with Culture Trip.
You’ve done the ultimate Euro city break. You’ve ticked off a visit to the rainforests of South America and the mountain ranges of North America. Now it’s time for a bucket-list trip to Southeast Asia. Thailand and Vietnam, Bali and Cambodia – the best places to travel in Southeast Asia are waiting to show you a new side of the world. Discover tiger-filled jungles, quiet rice fields and stunning blue seas on these Culture Trips in Southeast Asia.
Kayak through mangroves in southern Thailand
Tanning. Beach massages. Piña coladas. This tempting trifecta may not be all that Southern Thailand has to offer, but it will no doubt add to a relaxing tour of Phuket and Krabi. Earn a pedicure by bar-hopping and dancing the night away on Bangla Road, let a floating raft house rock you to sleep after hiking in Khao Sok, or recover with a massage after kayaking through mangrove forests. You’ll tick off some of the best places in Southeast Asia on this 11-day tour, perfect for sunseeker solo travellers.
Learn to cook like a local in Bali, Indonesia
In spite of popular belief, a vacation in Bali isn’t just about beach bumming and cocktail sipping. Here, cooking tours are just as immersive and palate-pleasing as anywhere else in Asia. This 12-day moderately paced adventure in one of the most beautiful places in Asia lets you attend a Balinese cooking masterclass where you’ll prepare your own dinner. Add a few new recipes to your kitchen’s menu and check off the other quintessential Bali activities like surf lessons, snorkelling and getting those tan lines just right.
Explore the epic trio of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam
Enough messing around with single country itineraries – why not cross multiple borders in just one trip? We’ve put together the ultimate 11-day Southeast Asian adventure, starting in the bustling streets of Bangkok. After blending ancient temples with modern street markets we’ll cross into Cambodia, visiting the extraordinary Angkor Wat complex at sunrise. We’ll also explore Ta Prohm and Angkor Thom by e-bike, before diving into the culinary cultural of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. You’ll get a sobering bit of history at the Killing Fields and Genocide Museum, before crossing over into Vietnam – this time by speedboat down the Mekong River. We’ll explore the river by cruise boat and sampan (kayak-like boats) before ending the trip in Ho Chi Minh City, where you’ll be treated to an authentic Vietnamese cooking masterclass.
Gethin Morgan, Nick Dauk, Louis Rabinowitz and Richard Collett contributed to this article.