South East Asia is increasing in popularity as countries such as Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand invest more in tourism and holiday makers become more familiar with the destinations on offer. With the rise in tourism and the ambitious outlook of the major countries in South East Asia leading to the increase in luxury hotels - many of which our perfectly affordable compared to Western hotels - you can certainly have a great alternative holiday, and South East Asia should be a stop on your golden gap year, no matter what size your budget is. Here's our guide to two different types of holiday.
South East Asia destinations such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok offer superb luxury city break opportunities, and there are some truly amazing beach holiday destinations which you shouldn't miss. For this budget busting exercise we picked a typical city break, multi stop holiday.
If money is no object why not up the accommodation to five star hotels such as those in the Shangri-La or Le Meridian portfolio and travel in style. Fly direct from London Heathrow with the very impressive Singapore Airlines into the capital of shopping - Singapore - and spend a couple of days soaking up the rays whilst letting your credit card soak up the purchases. Other airlines flying direct from LHR to Singapore include British Airways and Qantas. After you are done in Singapore, we recommend Malaysia, and you can take a luxury train up to the Capital, Kuala Lumpur - home of the world famous Petronas Towers. Kuala Lumpur, or KL to seasoned travellers, is a thriving city with some very impessive luxury hotels (you will be spoilt for choice), superb shops and a great nightlife. From KL you can take a short 2 hour flight over to Kuching in Sarawak where you can stay in a charming boutique hotel and spend a few days exploring this fantastic city – there’s some great restaurants here and craft shops to please even the most die-hard shopper. If you have money, Sarawak is a great place to explore as public transport is not too great so getting to national parks without a personal guide and a stay in a top hotel may be a problem. Travel by coach to Batang Ai national park to trek pristine rainforest looking for wild orang-utans.
Southeast Asia is the original budget destination and can still be extremely good value if you choose to eat what the locals eat (within reason – we’re leaving the fried tarantulas and pigs innards to the experts!) and travel how the locals travel. There is also a surprising amount of decent cheap accommodation out there should you wish to not rough it too much! Try www.airasia.com for cheap flights around Asia once you’re there too.
Our recommended route for those on a budget is to stick to Laos, Cambodia and lesser known parts of Thailand. The major tourist destinations in Thailand and Vietnam are increasingly creeping up in price. Plus this route will take you to lesser known places in the region.
From London Heathrow you can fly via Singpore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Seoul into Phnom Penh, Cambodia (tip: some airlines will offer free or reduced price stopovers in these cities - ask your travel agent!). Spend time exploring the waterfront markets on an evening and don’t forget to make the effort to visit Tuol Sleng – part of Cambodia’s history whether you like it or not. Take public transport up to Siem Reap and spend three days exploring the magnificent temples of Angkor. Carry on North and cross the border into Northeast Thailand. This part of Thailand is often forgotten off tourist’s lists for the more exotic beaches but Northern Thailand has a lot to offer including ancient temples, super cheap and super delicious food, national parks to trek and spot wildlife in, silk villages and elephants. Venture across another border into Vientiene, Laos’ laid back capital. Savour the French feel with baguettes and riverside cafes to while away the hours. Your final stop is Luang Prabang in North Laos for World Heritage status colonial charm and monks at dawn.
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