The Southeast Asia Travel Specialists Since 1999
Current Sites Laos’s latest addition to UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List – inscribed in 2019 and to our minds, long overdue – is the Megalithic Jar Sites of Xiengkhuang, commonly known as the Plain of Jars. Usually associated with adjectives such as mysterious or enigmatic the site consists of over 2,000 giant jars, carved out of solid rock and scattered…
We have covered this topic in earlier posts but, with several Southeast Asian sites having been added to UNESCO’s list in recent times, here’s a brief update of Cambodia World Heritage Sites, as well as some of the candidates on its Tentative List. Current Sites Considering the wealth of unique archaeological and historical sites across the kingdom we can’t help…
As you’ll discover on our Beyond Angkor tour there are myriad, spectacular, lesser-known Angkor temples (as well as pre-Angkor) lying the length and breadth of Cambodia just waiting to be explored. Of course, iconic Angkor Wat, Bayon’s mysterious carved faces and the roots and creepers of atmospheric, jungle-clad Ta Prom are justifiably world-famous but some of these remoter and far…
A new online, Lao E-Visa system is now in place and valid for entry at the following immigration points: Wattay International Airport Vientiane, Luang Prabang International Airport, Pakse International Airport and land crossings at the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge Vientiane and the Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge II Savannakhet. (Note it is not available at the Friendship Bridge IV which connects Thailand’s Chiang…
Located in north-central Vietnam’s Quang Binh Province, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park consists of over 1,200 square kilometres of primary and secondary forest set amid a particularly rugged and spectacular stretch of the Annamite Mountains. Happily, the area is now protected by both the Vietnamese government and UNESCO who granted it World Heritage status in 2003 as “one of the…
We confess this is just an excuse to compile a few pretty pics of south Thailand’s Khao Sok National Park which, with it’s turquoise, jungle-fringed lake and jagged limestone scenery, certainly features some of the country’s most awe-inspiring and iconic landscapes. The park lies in Surat Thani Province in the south, central section of the peninsula approximately halfway between the…
Although certain purists may turn their noses up, some of the Flower Hmong gear to be seen on show these days at local markets such as Vietnam’s Bac Ha Sunday Market is quite remarkable. (The colourful Flower Hmong of Bac Ha are a subgroup of the Hmong ethnic group – in Vietnam often spelt H’Mong – who inhabit the area…
A few images of some of the hard-working women in Phsa Prahok, Battambang’s fish market, taken over the course of several recent visits, To point out that topping and tailing fish all day long, every day, is extremely laborious, dirty and tiring would be rather stating the obvious and certainly a very tough way of earning a living. We can…
The lush tropical island of Phu Quoc, lying between the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, is our choice for a beach extension to our existing Vietnam tours; Hanoi to Saigon and World Heritage Sites of Vietnam. The island is easily accessible, with its own airport offering several daily Saigon, (Ho Chi Minh City), plus Bangkok flights. Alternatively,…
Cambodia – Street Photography by Jeff Perigois. Getting those picturesque photographs of Cambodia’s sublime landscapes or spectacular, atmospheric shots of jungle-clad temple ruins is a relatively straightforward task. You’ll need someone to ensure you get to the right place at the right time then hope for a fortuitous monk to stroll past the stone carvings or an old ox-cart to…
Extend your Malaysia tour with a stay at a beach resort on the delightful Malaysian tropical island of Langkawi. Langkawi Island is located off the northwest coast of the peninsula close to Penang as well as southern Thailand and lies in the Andaman Sea at the northern entrance to the Straits of Malacca. Our accommodation recommendation on the isle is…
Surprisingly, some of the most spectacular and best-preserved of all Angkor period temples aren’t even in Cambodia. The magnificent 11th and 12th-century sites of Phnom Rung and Muang Tam – the former spectacularly perched atop an ancient volcano, the latter surrounded by delightful lily ponds – are actually situated in northeastern Thailand’s Buriram Province. Furthermore, one of the most attractive…
As paradisical tropical islands go, Southeast Asia provides a lot of serious competition but we can think of very few that are so easily accessible and such great value for money as Malaysia’s Perhentian Islands. The twin islets, Besar and Kecil, (large and small Perhentian) are reached by a 30 to 40-minute speedboat ride from the small port of Kuala…
Although far less well-known than the justifiably reputed cuisines of neighbouring Thailand or Vietnam, we reckon the rich and varied Cambodian, or Khmer, cooking more than holds its own amid Southeast Asian fare and local food is generally a serendipitous and tasty discovery on any of our Cambodian tours. Here then is just a short a selection of some of…
This is a round-up of Thai visas and passport regulations for anyone embarking on a tour of, or short break in Thailand and does not pertain to long-stay visitors or ex-pats. Although in so far as most nationalities simply receive a 30-day stamp on arrival and you can dispense with visa on arrivals, e-visas etc, etc in terms of the…
In the light of a few recent incidents we’ve encountered, we’d like to reiterate some essential passport requirements to check prior to any travel in Southeast Asia. They may seem minor and are easily overlooked but aren’t necessarily so in the eyes of immigration officials or airline staff. We do already mention such requirements on our site but it is…
Discovering the remote Banteay Ampil Temple Cambodia. We’d been wanting to check out the rather remote and very rarely visited 12th century ruined temple of Banteay Ampil for a long time and so a free (and sunny) day after finishing a Highlights of Cambodia tour seemed like a good opportunity to have a go at reaching what are certainly some…
Perched atop a nearly 5,000 ft mountain the old French hill-station of Sapa in Vietnam’s far northern reaches can get a bit stuck in the clouds from time to time so a big cheer all round as we awoke on the morning of our projected one-day Sapa trek to this magnificent view. This was the breakfast vista from the restaurant…
This 4-day Kanchanaburi tour, starting and finishing in the Thai capital Bangkok includes visits to the famous Maeklong ‘Railway Market’, the – even more famous – Bridge on the River Kwai itself and travel by local train along the route of the infamous ‘Death Railway’. (So named as it was constructed by the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World…
Our 4-day, 3 night Chiang Mai tour will show you just a few of Thailand’s northern capital’s highlights from the picturesque, narrow lanes, ancient temples and lively street markets of the old town to a circumnavigation of nearby Doi Suthep National Park by scenic mountain roads. Visits include the famous Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens, Doi Suthep temple and a wander…