Southeast Asia is the best tourist destination for both short and long-term travelers. For years, low-budget travelers have chosen countries like Cambodia, Vietnam or Thailand to discover Asian culture. That’s because the region is incredibly affordable for those traveling on a low budget.
However, Southeast Asia is more than just an affordable destination for people on a tight budget to choose to visit. Southeast Asia is also incredibly diverse and culturally rich, with many incredible sights to explore. Not to mention the unique local cuisine that has a great variety of vegetarian and meat-based dishes.
Southeast Asia is comprised of 11 countries:
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Singapore
- Indonesia
- Laos
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- East Timor
Most of the 11 Southeast Asian countries have been a magnet for tourists for years now. That’s because they are safe to travel to, affordable, and tourist-oriented.
Why Southeast Asia is the best tourist destination
VALUE FOR MONEY
Your money goes a lot further in Asia. You can get a three-star city hotel that is comfortable, well-located, and staffed by friendly locals, whilst luxury resorts are generally half the price of a European equivalent.
Dine at world-class restaurants (without London prices), or for the savvy, hit the street stalls and use your small change to fill up on freshly-cooked rice and noodle dishes washed down with a local beer.
THE PEOPLE
Beaming smiles, bountiful waves, and the warmest of welcomes await you in Southeast Asia.
You will be spoilt by the region’s unrivaled service and hospitality and if you learn a little of the local language you may well find you are invited into someone’s home.
ICONIC SIGHTS
Boasting 31 World Heritage Sites, Southeast Asia isn’t short of impressive landmarks.
Stand in awe at the temples of Angkor, Borobudur, and Pagan, be charmed by the riverside towns of Luang Prabang and Hoi An, and marvel at the scale of Mt Kinabalu.
WILDLIFE
Southeast Asia is not generally known for its mammals, and although there are still tigers, bears, and rhinos in some areas, they are very rarely seen.
What it lacks in mammals, however, it makes up for in other areas: Komodo dragons east of Bali, and of course the famous orangutan in Borneo and Sumatra, the region has countless possibilities for memorable wildlife encounters.
BEACHES
Apart from landlocked Laos, every country in Southeast Asia has a glorious coastline providing some of the best beaches in the world. You’ll find luxury resorts on Phuket and Bali and exciting new island hideaways in Cambodia and Vietnam.
For divers, the vast underwater playground won’t disappoint either with World War II plane wrecks in Northern Sulawesi and swimming with whale sharks in Donsol in the Philippines.
SAFE FOR TRAVEL
The main concern of solo travelers, especially solo female travelers is safety.
As a solo female traveler, Southeast Asia is one of the safest regions you can travel to. Being such a safe destination for travelers makes Southeast Asia one of the best tourist destinations.
However, like everywhere else, there is criminality, and one must use his/her gut feeling to assess situations. However, as a solo female traveler who visited The Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam by herself, I can say that I never felt in danger or targeted when traveling in Southeast Asia.
VISA APPLICATION IS EASY
Applying for a tourist visa pretty much anywhere in Southeast Asia is a straightforward process. Most passport holders (I can only speak of Western passport holders) are granted a (tourist) visa on arrival immediately.
Some Southeast Asian countries might require an approved tourist visa before entering the country. However, processing such visas is usually dealt with online, meaning you do not even have to make an in-person appointment with the embassy. The visa fees for online tourist visas are generally speaking affordable.