Scarlett Skinner
Southeast Asia is made up of eleven countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, East Timor, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. All of which are blessed with rich histories and vibrant cultures, offering innumerable opportunities via a huge selection of different activities to create life-long memories; this in large part has led it to become a hot spot for both holidaymakers and backpackers alike. Although I could gush about this incredible piece of the world for hours, here are my eight key reasons why YOU should consider traveling Southeast Asia in 2021.
1. FOOD:
Listen, this just HAS to come first. Food is so important and one of the greatest things about exploring different corners of the world is being able to experience the incredible cuisines as well. Even if you can't find any other reason to travel, food is justifiably the only reason you need. Asian food will leave your taste buds wanting more with its vast array of sensational curries, stir-fries, sweet treats, and most importantly sweet food dishes - one of the cornerstones to getting the true experience of Southeast Asia.
Among my favorite personal food and drink discoveries: Vietnamese Coconut Coffee from the streets of Hanoi (or Hoi An, or Danang, or Da Lat), picking up a bargain Pad Thai amidst the Bangkok hustle and bustle, finding a delicious $1 Tarka Dahl in downtown Kuala Lumpur, wolfing down Mie Goreng on a beach in Bali, and devouring Vegetarian Vietnamese Pancakes every single day in Vietnam. If you're looking for something a little rogue and feel like diving in for the full Southeast Asia experience, you can also visit the infamous Bugs Café in Siem Reap to get a more gourmet taste of creepy crawlies.
It's important to remember that the food you will eat in Southeast Asia is also locally sourced. Cooking yourself is easy too, as the fresh fruit and vegetable options in the local markets are always accessible and delicious. You'll find amazing fresh meat and fish BBQs on a lot of the beach locations that are to die for!
2. BUDGET:
In an ideal world, we'd escape home for as long as we possibly can, right? In Asia, you won't believe how far your hard-earned money will go and you can easily get by on $35 per person per day without sparing any expense. This includes day trips, tours, all of your food, a low cost hotel or hostel and all of your transportation. Remember that some of the best viewpoints, temples, and waterfalls across Asia won't cost a penny! The same funds to travel Europe for a month could stretch several months in Southeast Asia and choosing to live either more luxuriously or on a tighter budget is completely up to you! Personally, I traveled Southeast Asia for seven months on no more than $33 per day, but I could have easily spent more or less. An app that I found super useful for budgeting while traveling was Trail Wallet. It is a great app to use to keep up with your spending whilst you're away, and gave me an easy way to keep on top of my finances at every step of the journey.
PRO TIP: Bring multiple accessible bankcards that can be used to withdraw money abroad and spread your money out between them. This will stop any major catastrophes if you misplace your card; furthermore, let your bank know before you go away that you will be using your cards while abroad!
3. CULTURE:
From Angkor Wat in Cambodia to Borobudur temple in Java, you're never short of cultural spots when traveling through these wonderful countries. You'll get lost in the different traditions, fashion, food, languages, religion and history, not to mention, the 31 World Heritage sites that are scattered across this beautiful part of the world. So you're guaranteed never to be short of impressive natural and man-made sights.
An important cultural and historical highlight for me, although having it's roots in a tragic and painful part of Cambodia's past, was learning about the landmine de-mining strategies that have been put in place across the country stemming from the devastation left by the Khmer Rouge during the country's civil war. There are many mines still hidden across the Cambodian countryside! Thanks to amazing humanitarian organizations like APOPO (they use RATS to sniff out mines!), hundreds of thousands of them have now been removed and disarmed. Vietnam offers an absolute treasure trove of endless history and culture, you can find royal legacies in Thailand, the culmination of multiple religious practices in Indonesia and street art stories in Malaysia; these represent only a small fraction of what culture and history there is to experience in Southeast Asia.
It's important to spend your trip immersing yourself in local culture, meeting as many new people as you can, delving into each individual country's history and (obviously) eating all the different local foods along the way.
4. TRANSPORT:
The ease of transport across Southeast Asia is truly wonderful. It's convenient and affordable as well as being lots of fun. Sure, you might find yourself crammed in a minibus with twenty other backpackers, but at least it only cost you $10 right? As convenient as flying is, it's the least sustainable way to get around and you'll find much cheaper options that just take a little bit longer. However, once you've been in the airport for two hours waiting for your flight and paying $5 for a coffee, you could be halfway down the Mekong River on a slow-boat admiring the views and tranquility from the water and chatting to new friends.
The best mode of transport has got to be the Tuk-Tuk, which you'll find all across Asia. The added bonus of this mode of transport is being able to talk to local drivers about their favorite hidden gems or local places to pick up some food and drink.
5. BEACHES:
If you're after the all-inclusive Instagrammable Beach Clubs, then you're in luck! Bali homes some of the coolest beach clubs in Asia and the Gulf of Thailand might as well be renamed 'Happy Hour Every Hour on Perfect Beaches'.. I can't emphasize enough the absolute abundance of tranquil beaches and hideaways across Southeast Asia. For me, I'll always be searching for the quietest beaches with the whitest sand and clearest water. Cherished beaches of mine will always be the sandbanks and pink beaches in Komodo National Park in Indonesia, Saracen Bay on Koh Rong Sanloem in Cambodia, and the quieter islands of Koh Lanta and Koh Ngai in Thailand.
6. PEOPLE:
The welcome you will receive when landing in Southeast Asia might be a little overwhelming, but it will be warm and friendly regardless. The more local you go, the warmer it will be. Make the effort to learn 'Hello' and 'Thank you' wherever you visit, as it will be so appreciated, a little goes a long way when it comes to friendliness! Spending time and money in someone else's home country is a privilege and a blessing, so always be respectful.
PRO TIP: SMILE. I can't stress this enough. Smile, always. Smile when haggling, smile when organizing transport, smile when checking in and out of hostels or hotels, smile when walking through villages or local areas. You'll not only show that you're friendly, but that you're grateful and respectful.
7. PARTIES:
A lot of young people are enticed by the idea of budget drinking and partying across Asia. This definitely isn't far from the truth. Whether it's drinks at your hostel bar in El Nido, a fire show on the beach in Gili Trawangan, rooftop drinks on a sky deck in Kuala Lumpur or a Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan, Southeast Asia is the perfect place to dance the night away with friends old and new.
But if this isn't for you, then do not fear, there will always be a quiet local bar or area where you can pull up a plastic chair, sip on cheap beer, and chat away or as aforementioned, a beach club with more sophisticated Happy Hours.
8. PEACE:
As amazing as partying is, peace and tranquility also runs alongside this as being an important factor when planning a holiday or trip. The nature spots you can find yourself in across Southeast Asia can leave you with an overwhelming sense of peace and contentedness. Our minds often wander and life gets caught up within us, and in many crazy times, we forget our belonging and our calm. Forgive me for being philosophical, but taking yourself away from the chaos is an easy task when you have such incredible and peaceful spots around every corner.
Scarlett Skinner is a travel blogger who made her way around Asia for seven months before heading home to the UK to stay safe during the Coronavirus Pandemic. She'll be returning to finish her trip next year. For more of her travel photographs and stories follow her on Instagram and check out her blog.
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