CULTURE
For first-timers: Angkor Wat, Cambodia
The sunset view of the temple of Angkor Wat, glowing gold in the evening rays,
is a showstopper. But Angkor is far more than this much-photographed
monument. When it was built by the Khmer Empire in the 15th century, the
temple lay at the centre of the largest city in the world.
There are still buildings strewn among the surrounding rainforests and you’ll
need at least three days to get an impression of the magnificent ancient
capital. Almost all are as stunning as Angkor Wat. The ruins of Ta Prohm lie
within thick jungle, hidden by the Gaudí-esque shapes of giant fig tree
roots that have cracked the stonework open and entwined themselves around
the bas-reliefs.
Bodhisattva faces watch over the tourists in smiling serenity from the temples
at Bayon, and the stone arches of Banteay Srei are encrusted with filigrees
of floral carving as light and delicate as sculpted icing sugar. Save Angkor
Wat for last and arrive in the late afternoon: climb to the top of the
temple to sit in silent contemplation and watch the sun sink, turning from
orange into deep red.
Get me there: Tropical Locations (0845 277 3310, www.tropical-locations.com)
has a six-night Cambodia Highlights tour, from £499pp, B&B,
including domestic flights, private transfers and English-speaking guides.
Second time around: Hue, Vietnam
The UNESCO-listed imperial city of Hué has a magical setting to rival Angkor.
Towering Indo-Chinese pagodas, fortified citadels and temples lord it over
the Perfumed River on a range of lushly forested hills. Some are pristine.
Others lie broken by the Vietnam War.
Make sure you see the Forbidden Purple City – once reserved for the Emperor
and his retinue – and the seven-storey octagonal Thien Mu Pagoda. The old
Austin car behind is a shrine; it once belonged to Thich Quang Duc – the
Buddhist monk who made international headlines by committing self-immolation
in Saigon as a peace protest.
Get me there: Trips Tailormade (0117 311 6050, www.magicoftheorient.com)
has 14 days in Vietnam from £1,795pp, including flights from Heathrow,
accommodation, transfers and some meals.
SHOPPING
For first-timers: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Arrive in Thailand’s second largest city with plenty of space in your
suitcase – Chiang Mai has the best shopping in Southeast Asia. Activity is
at its most intense after dark when streets fill with hill-tribe villagers
from Northern Thailand, touting kaleidoscopic hand-knitted cotton shawls and
wraps (from £4).
The humid tropical air is thick with the smell of frying Pad Thai, marigolds
and incense. And the pavements are a clutter of fly-by-night street stalls
selling counterfeit DVDs, Swiss watches and fashion from as little as £2.
Rows of smart little boutiques behind them do a brisk trade in delicate
inlaid silver bowls, lacquer crockery, gems, jewellery, silks and ceramics.
Restrain yourself until you reach the night market itself, where you’ll find
the bulk of the bargains. And the next day – if you haven’t run your wallet
dry – head for the back streets. Here you’ll find quirky little shops
stuffed with everything from antiques and Thai fashion, to unusual
hill-tribe handicrafts, such as framed antique tribal Lisu and Akha fabrics
and beautiful rice paper paintings. When you’re ready, Chiang Mai’s numerous
temples and massage pavilions deliver peace for the senses and respite for
sore limbs.
Get me there: Kuoni (01306 747002, www.kuoni.co.uk)
has seven nights from £799pp including flights from Heathrow, transfers,
accommodation and breakfast.
Second time around: Ubud, Bali
This little town, set in forested hills and ringed by Hindu temples, is one
of the best places to shop in Indonesia. Start at the market, a hub of noise
and colour, with bizarre fruits and temple offerings for sale alongside live
chickens. If you’re after a real bargain, save your purse for Monkey Forest
Road and
Jalan Raya Ubud. These streets are full of workshops and stalls, selling
intricate woodcarvings, batik prints and brilliantly painted carved masks.
Browse the serious art galleries for collectable antique temple paintings
and works by contemporary artists – and expect to pay a hefty price.
Get me there: The Flight Centre (0870 499 0040, www.flightcentre.co.uk)
has a 10-night trip to Bali from £695pp, including flights from Heathrow and
accommodation.
SPECTACLES
For first-timers: Sunrise at Mount Bromo, Java, Indonesia
Dawn at Mount Bromo is Southeast Asia’s most impressive natural spectacle. As
the sun rises, it warms the mist shrouding the Tengger Plateau that runs
along the spine of Java. The air clears to reveal a Lord of the Rings
landscape of wrinkled indigo mountains and hulking volcanoes as far as the
eye can see.
The scene is lit by the deep red-gold of the equatorial sun, which
dramatically changes the hues and shadows of the landscape. Base yourself at
Bromo Cottages (www.bromocottages.com)
and begin your day with a wake-up call at 4am. A rickety ride in a pick-up
truck takes you to the rim of the outer crater, where horses await for the
final gallop to Mount Bromo itself – and that spectacular sunrise.
Get me there: East Travel (01473 214305, www.eastravel.co.uk)
has a five-night tour, visiting Mount Bromo, from £338pp, including
accommodation, transfers and some meals.
Second time around: Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysian Borneo
Those who like to work for their views should head for Southeast Asia’s
tallest mountain – Kinabalu. Its rocky summit is at the heart of Borneo’s
remaining wilderness, and the arduous climb takes two to three days. It
involves a trek through the jungles of lowland Borneo, with accommodation in
bamboo huts in Dusun tribal villages and a makeshift camp near the summit.
From here it’s a steep scramble for another magnificent misty panorama.
Get me there: Imaginative Traveller (0845 077 8802, www.imaginative-traveller.com)
has a 14-day tour from £699pp, including accommodation, excursions and some
meals. For flights to Malaysia, see Factfile on page 82.
DIVING
For first-timers: Koh Tao, Thailand
First there was Koh Samui. Then Koh Phangan. Now eyes are turning to
Thailand’s other Andaman Bay island – Koh Tao. It has the same sweeps of
talcum-y white sand, stands of slender palms and bath-warm turquoise seas.
And, unlike its neighbours, it remains relatively low-key.
The nightlife here is as intimate and relaxed as it was in Phangan 10 years
ago. Most visitors to Koh Tao come to dive – this is one of the world’s
favourite novice diver destinations, with astonishingly cheap prices for
your PADI certificate and a calm, safe and shallow sea with good visibility
all year round.
And while the coral is neither as well-preserved nor as abundant as it is
around Indonesia or on Australia’s Barrier Reef, there’s a far better chance
of bumping into the world’s largest fish: the whale shark. They may be as
slow and gentle as a manatee – and interested in chewing nothing larger than
plankton – but at nine metres long, they’re an awe-inspiring sight.
Get me there: Travel Action (0870 111 7300, www.travelaction.co.uk)
has packages to Koh Tao from £709pp, with Heathrow flights.
Second time around: Sulawesi, Indonesia
Once you’ve secured your Koh Tao PADI certificate, you might want to try
something a little more daring. The seas around Indonesia’s Sulawesi islands
permit some of the world’s most spectacular diving. And while Koh Tao is
shallow, Sulawesi’s pristine reefs plunge to the dark depths of the open
Indian Ocean.
The best diving is in the Bunaken National marine park: more than 75,000
hectares of protected reef alive with astonishing biodiversity. There are
plenty of big sharks here, but, happily, vast schools of fish mean that
rubber-clad divers are of little interest to cruising predators.
Get me there: Responsible Travel (01273 600030, www.responsibletravel.com)
has a nine-day dive package from £1,370pp, including flights from Heathrow,
all meals, National Park entrance fee and transfers.
PEOPLE
For first-timers: Homestays with Thailand's hill tribes
The hills of Northern Thailand are swathed in rainforest, which sweeps down
into steep valleys of fast-flowing mountain rivers. Tiny villages founded by
tribes who fled from Southern China after the Cultural Revolution still
preserve a largely tribal way of life under increasing pressure from
modernity.
Food is grown by the community; families still live in bamboo and teak stilt
houses; and, in the more remote villages, residents dress in
brilliantly-hued attire, weaved on hand-held looms. Visits to these outposts
usually begin in the temple-dense city of Chiang Mai.
There are hundreds of agencies competing for business here, but most offer
trips to tribes so exposed to tourism that it can feel like a bit of a
circus. Instead, make the easy trek to Lisu lodge and the Lahu outpost. The
first is in a green valley surrounded by forest and paddy fields, the second
is perched on a high hill with views out over ranks of verdant mountain
ridges. Comfortable rustic accommodation at both is run and staffed by tribe
members, and your money goes directly towards helping the villagers.
Get me there: Transindus (020 8566 2729, www.transindus.co.uk)
has Lisu Lodge as a three-day extension on a visit to Chiang Mai from
£254pp, including accommodation, meals, transfers and English-speaking
guides.
Second time around: Trekking to Laotian villages
Many people who like Northern Thailand head for its less-visited neighbour,
Laos. The trekking here is more strenuous, but the country is far wilder and
the tribes less exposed to tourists. Begin in Luang Prabang, a city of gilt
Buddhist temples on the banks of the Mekong. Then head for the mountains on
a two- or three-day trek.
A walk through more developed Laos villages in the lowlands soon becomes a
sweaty climb. This cuts through teak forests to an overnight camp in Khmu
stilt houses. Then it’s higher still – through fields of opium poppies to
Hmong communities filled with laughing kids and villagers dressed in
distinctive black robes. A final descent brings you to the spectacular Kuang
Si waterfalls and back to Luang Prabang.
Get me there: Explore (0844 499 0901, www.explore.co.uk)
has a 19-day Spirit of Laos trip from £1,625pp, including flights from
Heathrow to Bangkok, domestic flights, all transfers, accommodation, some
meals, guided hill-tribe trekking and sightseeing excursions.
BEST BEACHES
If it’s your first foray or your 50th, at some stage you’ll want to sprawl on
Southeast Asia’s dreamy beaches. Here are some of the finest stretches of
sand
Rai Lae Beach, Krabi, Thailand
Backpackers have been searching for the perfect Thai beach since the 1970s.
And where their rucksacks led, big developments followed. They will, too, on
Rai Lae, but at present this long cove near Krabi – guarded by giant
limestone rocks – remains low-key. Accommodation is in simple beach shacks –
albeit with air-con, mosquito nets and a fridge. Views of the lapping Indian
Ocean are made even more appealing by the lights of resorts, twinkling
reassuringly far away – across the water.
Tioman Island, Malaysia
The perfumed, frangipani-backed sands here were the first in Southeast Asia to
be discovered by Western tourists. Americans flocked to Tioman for a while
after South Pacific, filmed on the island in 1958. But the boom came too
early, and by the time the hippy trail was in full swing, Tioman was all but
forgotten. It still is. Backpackers, and a handful of weekend visitors from
Singapore, make it out here. But it remains devoid of airport, roads, go-go
bars and Bob Marley beach shacks serving banana pancakes, while the
mountainous interior remains swathed in wild rainforest.
Koh Phi Phi, Thailand
Sure, it’s hardly undiscovered – Leonardo Di Caprio and Hollywood blockbuster
The Beach saw to that. But Koh Phi Phi’s twin half-moon bays, towering
cliffs bearded with foliage, and beaches washed by an impossibly aquamarine
sea are so beautiful that it’s still worth making the voyage from Krabi. You
may not have the beaches to yourself, but the views are among Southeast
Asia’s most iconic.
Sabang Beach, Baler, Luzon, Philipines
Aussie surfers may have discovered Sabang beach decades ago – but,
fortunately, the tourists never followed in their wake. A sleepy little
fishing town where foreigners are a curiosity, it has just a handful of
hotels, and nightlife is limited to two laid-back beach bars, where you can
hear great live bands from Manila. At the far end of the beach, little
streams gush straight from the forest onto the black sand, and you’re pretty
much guaranteed the surf and the beach entirely to yourself…
