South East Asia

Evenstevens

Am thinking of heading that direction for 3 or 4 weeks. I'm drawn to seeing Malaysia but not sure if there are other countries more worth seeing eg Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos/etc. Really want to see good scenery, rainforests, rivers, temples.

Has anyone travelled a bit over that direction. Would be interested to hear any feedback on countries you enjoyed most or any sights you'd recommend.

Thanks

Arbiter of Good Taste

Haven't been to Malaysia (yet!) but we were in Vietnam/Cambodia last year. Both are definitely worth seeing.

I loved both. Unfortunately we only had a couple of weeks, so had to stick to the popular sights.

Vietnam - started off in Saigon and toured around the city - the Vietnam war museum was very good. The photography exhibition on journalists and photographers who were killed in the war was very moving.

We did the Chu Chi tunnels - incredible

We cycled the Mekong Delta one day - probably the highlight of my trip if not the year.

Saigon is quite a cosmopolitan city, so there are some great restaurants in the city

Hanoi - as a city I liked this less, but it was still enjoyable. We did an overnight boat tour of Halong Bay - just wonderful

We would have loved to have gone to Hoi An, but the time of year we went (November) was flood season so we left that out - luckily as it was under a couple of metres of water at the time

Cambodia - we just did Siem Reap. I loved it. Quite a funky little city with a laid back vibe. A couple of really good restaurants. Angkor Wat was amazing. Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm are two other must sees. The night market is fun and great to pick up little souvenirs.

Thailand is always a good spot to visit with good connections to Bangkok and Phuket

Ed_Stephens

If you're into temples then go to Thailand and Cambodia. Angkor Wat certainly is spectacular but do get a good guide, Siem Reap is a nice place but 4 or 5 nights would be plenty. Try Phnom Penh for another 4 or 5 nights. Bangkok has a lovely river with plenty of temples within easy access including the amazing reclining Buddha at Wat Pho and Wat Arun, the temple of the dawn. Combine with a trip to Phuket or Ko Samui for some relaxation and nightlife. Lots to do and see and easy to get around.

Evenstevens

Thanks a lot for the tips

Meathlass

Burma is fantastic and in 4 weeks you can cover most of the main touristy areas. It's nowhere near as well-developed though as other south-east Asia countries though so if you're looking for nightlife and backpacker type tours and hostels you won't get them.

Def reccommend it though.