Southeast Asia, which is a sub region of Asia, comprises of 11 countries including Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippine, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore and Laos. Southeast Asia covers the area of 4,500,000 km2, consisting of many interesting places located in all the countries. Among all those interesting places, there are top 10 places where you should visit if you are going to have your holiday in Southeast Asia.
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia: is known as the largest religious building in the world. This temple was constructed to delicate to Hinduism in the early of 12th century by King Suryavarman II and remains until nowadays as a popular place visited by many foreign visitors every year. Angkor Wat features high classical styles of Khmer architecture, along with amazing artistic sculptures and decoration. This archaeological park was also inscribed in World Heritage List in 1992.
- Halong Bay, Vietnam: is located in Quang Ninh province in Vietnam. Known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay is a popular travel destination ever. Halong Bay is well-known for the limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes. It is also a home of over 3,000 islands, 14 endemic floral species and 60 endemic faunal species. Since it is a natural bay surrounded by natural view, Halong Bay is one of the best places ever to visit in Southeast Asia. Take a cruise and enjoy your best holiday there!
- Luang Prabang, Laos: is 300 km north of Laos’s capital city—Vientiane. Laung Prabang is mostly known for its numerous religious building—Buddhist temples and monasteries. Besides, Laung Prabang is a natural site which exists of impressive places such as Kuang Si Falls, Tat Sae Waterfalls and Pak Ou Caves. Also, a 100-metre-high hill, Phou Si, allows you to watch the sunset over Mekong River. You can also visit The Haw Kham Royal Palace Museum and the Wat Xieng Thong temple which are most well-known for its historical sites. The city of Laung Prabang was also one of the listed World Heritage Sites.
- Kinabalu, Malaysia: is a national park which covers an area of 754 km2 surrounding Mount Kinabalu located in Sabah, Malaysia. Kinabalu Park was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2000 for its outstanding universal values. Kinabalu Park is one of the most important biological sites in the world, consisting of more than 4,500 species of flora and fauna which include 326 bird species and around 100 mammal species.
- Bali, Indonesia: is nicknamed as an island of Peace, island of love or Morning of World due to its stunning scenery. Bali is the largest tourist destination in Indonesia, renowned for its highly developed arts such as traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting and music. Since Bali is also an island of Hinduism, there are many temples such as Tirtha Empul temple, Pura Taman Ayun temple and Tanah Lot temple which are popular tourist destinations. Besides, you can visit Kuta Beach, Gitgit Waterfall, Legian, Seminyak and east coast of Sanur. Bali is one of the world’s best islands and inscribed in World Heritage Site as well.
- Boracay, Philippines: is a small island along with white sand beach, which is one of the world’s best tourist destinations for relaxation. Boracay allows you to enjoy many activities such as windsurfing, kitesurfing, scuba diving, snorkeling, helmeting diving, cliff diving and parasailing. You can visit Boracay during Amihan season which prevailing wind blows from the east and the beach is glassy-smooth.
- Ko Lanta, Thailand: is located in Krabi province, Thailand. It was an unpopular area, but the development has turned this to be one of the major tourist destinations. In Ko Lanta, there is Ko Lanta national park consisting of two major islands—Ko Lanta Yai and Ko Lanta Noi. You can visit a cultural old town of Lanta, Khao Mai Kaew Cave, Sea-Gypsy village and Orchid Nursery Farm. Similar to Boracay, there are many things to do in Ko Lanta such as scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, trekking and so on.
- Singapore, Singapore: Even though Singapore is just a small country covering an area of only around 716 km2, Singapore is a developed country which consists of many interesting places to visit. Singapore is an enchanting garden city which more than a half of it is covered by greenery, over 50 major parks and 4 nature reserves. It is a modern city containing a lot of skyscrapers and modern subways. You can also visit Sentosa which is a popular island resort featuring a two-kilometer long sheltered beach, Fort Siloso, Merlion Statue and many other interesting places.
- Yangon, Myanmar: is the largest city in Myanmar, and it’s also the most popular tourist destination in the country. You can visit Kandawgyi Lake which is the most popular recreational area in the city. In addition, the Yangon zoological garden allows you to visit its aquarium, zoo and amusement park. Yangon also consists of Inya Lake Park, Hlawga National Park and Allied War Memorial which are very popular for tourists.
- Dili, East Timor: Dili is the capital city and a nice place to visit in East Timor. You can visit Cristo Rei de Dili which is a 27-meter high statue of Christ. Moreover, you can visit a giant dinosaur which is situated in Presidential Palace. Dili also has beautiful beaches such as Areia Branca Bay and Jesus Backside beach.
To sum up, Southeast Asia is a large region which consists of many wonderful places to visit. Those places should be visited once in your life, so you will see how amazing those places are. If your favorite place is not listed, hopefully you will not mind since people come up with different ideas!
