Myanmar Vietnam Indoesia

Spanning few

countries, thousands of islands, and hundreds of traditional cultures and

unique natural wonders, the region of Southeast Asia could take a lifetime to

fully explore. These few destinations each offer something different for the

most discerning travellers.

Bagan, Myanmar

Move over, Angkor Wat. While the ancient Khmer ruins are

undeniably beautiful, the towering Buddhist monuments of Bagan retain a rare

magic unsullied by droves of tour groups. Some 10,000 Buddhist temples,

pagodas, and monasteries sweep across a 42 square kilometre desert-like plain

encircled by the misty Bago Yoma mountain range in the distance. Each of the

structures were built nearly a century ago – between the years 1057 and 1287, at

which point the kingdom fell to invading Mongols – and have been since restored

and protected by Unesco.

Today, the best way to experience this step back in time is

by renting a bicycle or one of Bagans signature electric bicycles to tour the

enormous grounds at your own pace, joined only by passing tourists on their own

routes, groundskeepers and local villagers going about their day, and the

occasional monk.

Sa Pa, Vietnam

High in the Hoang Lien Son mountains of Northern Vietnam is

the remote village of Sa Pa, itself more reminiscent of the South Asian

trekking hotspots than of regional jungles and beaches. Aside from the

breathtaking beauty of the highlands, the culture that has developed over time

in the Lao Chai Province of Vietnam is unlike the rest of the country, home to

several ethnic tribal groups that settled in the region generations ago and

have since established their autonomous identities after decades of strife

among Vietnamese independence fighters and French imperialists. Today, Sa Pa’s grandest

attraction is its crowning peak,

Fan Si Pan – the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143 meters

above sea level. For the casual hiker, however, Haong Lien National Park offers

the picturesque mountain landscape sprinkled with valleys of terraced rice

paddies, and a unique forest ecosystem home to several endangered species and

small tribal villages.

Kuta Lombok, Indonesia

Not to be confused with Kuta Bali, this quiet little surfing

town has all the beachy vibes and coastal charm of its Balinese cousin, but

without the heavy commercialisation and curated tourism industry – at least for

now. Instead the area still retains its legacy as a fishing village, rather

uninterrupted by any uptick in tourism, but has designed itself nicely to

adjust to accommodating its small numbers of visitors.

Surfers of all levels will find it hard to move on from this

world-class destination, with several hotspots offering surf cresting toward

stunning white sand or volcanic rock beaches. Kuta’s coast also is a great

jumping off point to explore deeper into Southern Lombok and nearby Sumbawa. Coron,