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OVERVIEW
After a decade of relative stability in the region, an increasing number of travelers are moving beyond perennially popular spots like Thailand and Malaysia to formerly isolated countries such as Laos and Cambodia, and even the far-flung islands of Indonesia. So while Southeast Asia's well-developed infrastructure, low cost, and famously easygoing locals make it a prime destination for first-timers, the biggest challenge will come not in finding your way around but in finding your own way. All prices in U.S. dollars TWO-WEEK ITINERARIES Golden Triangle Circuit Traveling between the royal cities of Chiang Mai in Thailand and Louangphrabang in Laos is a great way to experience the culturally rich, mountainous north. Start in the walled city of old Chiang Mai, with its temples, museums, outstanding cuisine, and busy bazaars such as the Warorot Market. Take a bus about four hours northwest to the bohemian river village of Pai, full of art galleries and nightly music. Budget four days for rafting, mountain biking, and trekking to seldom visited hill tribe villages (www.activethailand.com). From Pai, take a local bus east into the Golden Triangle, where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos converge; cross into Laos at Houayxay. On a two-day freight-boat trip down the Mekong River, carve out deck space amid rice sacks and chicken coops, overnight in a $2 guest house in Pakbèng, and float down to Louangphrabang. Allow yourself several days in this sleepy artistic heart of Buddhist Laos. Breakfast on baguettes and Lao coffee before hiring a three-wheel tuk tuk or renting a motorbike at your sleep spot (Hotel Souvannaphoum; +856 71 212200) and touring the countryside. Kuang Si, a small park of turquoise pools and waterfalls, is a must-see, as are the sunsets over the Mekong. Rock climbers make time for Vangviang, five hours south (www.wildside-laos.com). Surf and Turf Circuit The south of Thailand offers fantastic beaches (and beach bumming), but also active adventures. Take an overnight train from Bangkok to Chumphon, then a morning ferry to Ko Tao, Thailand's dive-training capital. The best conditions are between January and May. Three-day open-water courses here cost around $260, including lodging (Beach Club Diving Resort; www.hotelthailand.com). Island-hop to Ko Phangan and Ko Samui to soak in the party scene before returning to the mainland at Surat Thani. Then catch a local bus to Khao Sok National Park, home of tigers, elephants, Malayan sun bears, and many gibbons. Several trails lead into the backcountry, and the best time to see these animals in the park is during the June-to-October monsoon season. Take a long-tail boat to the floating bungalows on Chiaw Lan Lake (local guest houses can arrange boats and guides), then set off on a predawn canoe trip along the shoreline. From the park, continue by bus to Krabi, where the big draw is rock climbing on limestone headlands and in the nearby karst mountains (www.texrockclimbing.com). You can also go sea kayaking in Phangnga Bay (www.seacanoe.net). For memorable diving, go northwest to Ban Khao Lak and take a live-aboard boat out to the Similan Islands and Richelieu Rock, where whale sharks and huge manta rays abound (Sea Dragon Dive Center; www.seadragondivecenter.com). Return to Bangkok via a flight from Phuket (Thai Airways; +66 26 282000). TWO-MONTH ITINERARIES Island Sampler Circuit The route from Sumatra to Bali includes a good cross section of Indonesia's islands. Head south past the stunning volcanic shores of northern Sumatra's Lake Toba (a favorite travelers' hangout) to the laid-back mountain town of Bukittinggi. Hire a guide—ask fellow travelers to help you navigate the abundant prospects—for a ten-day side trip to the island of Siberut to visit local tribes in their untouched rainforest homeland. Once back on Sumatra, take a plane or long-haul bus with a ferry connection to Java. Yogyakarta makes a good base; the national parks on Java's eastern end, such as Bromo-Tengger-Semeru, are surprisingly pristine and untraveled. Save at least two weeks for Bali's white-sand beaches and traditional dancing. Indochina Circuit With two months, you'll have enough time for an overland crossing of Indochina—Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Take a train from Bangkok to the Cambodian border (six hours) and endure the rugged truck ride to Siem Reap, the staging area for Angkor. Schedule at least three days for the Khmer ruins, with a detour 18 miles [29 kilometers] north to the intricate temples of Banteay Srei. Continue by ferry to edgy, "Wild East" Phnom Penh. Saigon is a few hours southeast by bus; allow a few days to explore the Mekong Delta's islands before busing north to the beach town of Nha Trang. Continue 675 miles [1,086 kilometers] north to Hue; visit the tombs of the Nguyen emperors in this former royal capital. Then head to Hanoi, noted not only for its colonial villas but also for old-quarter markets and the surreal museum housing the body of Ho Chi Minh. From there, branch off to Sa Pa for mountain trekking (ask at a local guest house) among the Hmong people. To enter Laos, you'll have to backtrack to Da Nang by bus before crossing the border at Lao Bao. Go south from Savannakhét to see the ruins of Wat Pho near Champasak, then hang out for a few days at the low-key 4,000 islands area of the Mekong River, where floating markets and rickety footbridges span canals, before returning to Bangkok by bus via Ubon Ratchathani. ONE-YEAR ITINERARY Who'll Stop the Rain Circuit Monsoon seasons can turn a year on the road into a year in the mud, so plan carefully. Begin in March on Thailand's southern beaches. Let the rains push you down through Malaysia and, by late June, to Singapore. From there, hop over to Indonesia, where it's dry season until October. By then, climatic conditions should be right at the Angkor temples. Head next to Hanoi, and then veer left by December toward northwestern Vietnam, southern China, and Laos. By February, you should be back in Thailand, as dry as a bone. —Jim Benning MAP | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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