Out of all of the regions of the world that we’ve travelled through, we have to state that we like backpacking in Southeast Asia the most. There is just something about the vibe in this cool area that always has us wanting to return for more. A house away from house for countless backpackers as well as digital nomads around the world, it’s difficult to reject that Southeast Asia has it all!
Here are 10 reasons Why We like Backpacking Southeast Asia!
1. SE Asia Took Our Backpacking Virginity
Back in 2008, when we very first decided to ditch the normal as well as online a life on the road, we opted to backpack Southeast Asia. This was the very best decision we ever made as well as SEA will always hold a extremely special location in our hearts for showing us “the light”. We couldn’t have selected a more fun, adventurous, perfect location to begin our travels as well as while it felt extremely exotic, it likewise felt risk-free as well as secure.
Southeast Asia is the perfect location for novices & virgins (backpacking ones anyway)!
A couple of young Goats, Day 1 in Bangkok 2008
2. The culture Shock Of Bangkok
We’ll never fail to remember landing in Bangkok as well as hitting up Khaosan road for the very first time. Okay, perhaps Khaosan isn’t precisely authentic Thai culture, however there’s a strong feeling of the unknown throughout the hustle as well as bustle of this wild funding city. Bangkok comes at you from all angles as well as it’s a rush for the senses. We still get a bit of deja vu when we show up in Bangkok as well as take that very first whiff of the thick, damp Thai air. We may not feel the crazy culture shock that we did our very first time in Bangkok, however we’ll always keep in mind the effect that this energetic city had on us on that very first visit.
Wild Khaosan Road, Bangkok
3. Awesome Experiences
When we were in Southeast Asia, we liked the range of incredible experiences to select from. With so many backpackers, it’s nice to join a group sometimes. You don’t requirement to take cheesy tours around the region either. You understand the ones we’re speaking about! Where you comply with a tour guide holding up a flag as well as shuffle from location to location like a herd of sheep. We took tours to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, the Komodo Dragons in Indonesia, as well as the orangutans in Borneo. We’re independent travellers at heart, however we still like the occasional tour to show us locations that we would otherwise miss!
4. The People
We state this anywhere we go, the regional people have a significant effect on our general opinion of a country. Southeast Asia has a few of the kindest people anywhere on Earth. This is the perfect location to have random, incredible encounters with the friendly locals. who wouldn’t melt at the sight of a Burmese smile, or join together with the laughter of a group of Cambodians? We like sitting with the residents of whichever town we’re in and attempting to speak their language, while sharing food as well as drinks. Whenever there’s an chance to have an authentic experience with the people, we jump at the chance. costs time with the inhabitants of each country is the very best method to get a genuine feel for their method of life as well as their customs, as well as Southeast Asia is a excellent location to do just that.
A friendly Beetlenut Smile From Myanmar
5. Safety
This is starting to be more important to us the more we travel. feeling risk-free is a significant part of enjoying a trip, as well as we feel that Southeast Asia is one of the safest locations on Earth. Sure, you hear of the strange criminal offense right here as well as there, however compared to many other parts of the world, Southeast Asia is incredibly risk-free for backpackers as well as travellers.
6. getting Off The Beaten Track
It’s widely known that Southeast Asia is a prominent tourist destination. Thailand alone got 26.7 million arrivals in 2013. That’s a great deal of people! specific islands as well as sites are hectic with tourists as well as are prominent for a reason (and you shouldn’t miss out on them), however it’s still nice to get off the tourist path as well as discover a bit piece of Southeast Asia לעצמך. We liked discovering off the beaten path locations in Southeast Asia during our very first trip there, as well as when we return, we’ll be on the search for more.
7. The Food
Thai food is the most prominent throughout the region, however that doesn’t mean it’s the best. The food in Southeast Asia is absolutely delicious. Our favourite cuisine was in Malaysia since it has a spicy mix of Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Singaporean as well as Thai flavours. Laos as well as Cambodia didn’t have the very best food in the area, however there are still some tasty regional dishes to try there, including hot-pot meals as well as fried rice. Vietnam has an incredibly diverse cuisine with a ton of regional meals for travellers to taste. The Philippines has a horrible addiction to American quick food joints, however their regional food is extremely tasty. In Myanmar, don’t miss Lahpet and in Indonesia, try Gado Gado.
Some tasty regional Southeast Oriental Food
8. The Diving / Snorkelling
My favourite diving dive ever was off the coastline of Borneo around Sipadan island. Indonesia has some incredible coral as well as basically any coastal country in Southeast Asia can boast some excellent snorkelling as well as diving. Koh Tao is the #1 area in the world for ending up being a licensed diver, so if you want to discover scuba, there’s no much better place!
9. The Vibe
I can’t explain it… there’s just something in the air in Southeast Asia. There’s this cool aura that emanates around these long-standing backpacker havens, as well as it just keeps drawing us in from afar. We like the sluggish speed of the island life, which stands in stark contrast to the buzzing energy of the huge cities. From the Islamic influence of Indonesia as well as Malaysia, to the Buddhist calm of Thailand as well as Myanmar, Southeast Asia has a extremely special vibe.
10. The Beaches
Alright, even though we’re culture-loving, experience travellers, we still like to laze on lovely beaches from time to time. Southeast Asia has, arguably, the nicest beaches in the world. From the powdery white sands of Koh Rong in Cambodia to the volcanic black sand beaches of Indonesia, if you like to lay by the sea, Southeast Asia will have a location that’s perfect for you!
The stunning Koh Rong beach in Cambodia
Honorable Mention: The Cost!
As much as we try to prevent making the expense of a destination dictate our viewpoint of it… we do appreciate that whatever in Southeast Asia is affordable! affordable spaces for $7, meals for $2 as well as buses at around $1 / hr… you truly can’t beat the cost of backpacking in Southeast Asia!
We might go on as well as on…
Millions of people go to Southeast Asia every year since it is one of the most incredible places on Earth… period. If we’re ever feeling down while on the road, or having a difficult time backpacking through some of the least visited locations in the world, we commonly let our minds roam back to the leisure and simplicity of travel in Southeast Asia. If you’re a professional traveller, very first time backpacker or you’re looking to head out on a space year tour, you couldn’t select a more fun place to travel.
Have you been to Southeast Asia before? What was your experience like? show us in the comments below ?
Like this Post? להצמיד אותו!
Disclaimer:Goats On The road is an Amazon partner as well as likewise an affiliate for some other retailers. This means we make commissions if you click links on our blog as well as purchase from those retailers.