Top Southeast Asia Tours & Vacations 2024/2025 [reviews &...

Southeast Asia Tours & Travel Packages 2024/2025

452 Southeast Asia trips. Compare tour itineraries from 126 tour companies. 1,902 reviews. 4.8/5 avg rating.

Small Group Southeast Asia Tours

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Top Southeast Asia Attractions & Experiences

Top Southeast Asia Experiences

    • Touring the ruins of Cambodia’s stunning Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex ever built.
    • Taking an Irrawaddy River cruise through Burma, sailing by a wealth of Buddhist temples, monasteries, and exotic villages.
    • Visiting the extraordinarily ornate Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.
    • Getting to know one of Southeast Asia’s new hot spots, Laos’ beautiful town of Luang Prabang.
    • Discovering the fascinating tribal cultures of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.
    • Exploring East Malaysia on the island of Borneo, where traditional customs and architecture live on.
    • Experiencing the “new Asia” in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, with its twin high-rise Petronas Towers.
    • Joining a wildlife safari in Indonesia to view komodo dragons.
    • Relaxing on a cruise around Vietnam’s gorgeous island-dotted Halong Bay.
    • Dining at one of Singapore’s famous outdoor noodle stands, serving up some of the finest Chinese cuisine in the world.
    • Kicking back on the tropical island of Palawan in the Philippines.

Southeast Asia Tours & Travel Guide

Southeast Asia Attractions & Landmarks Guide

Southeast Asia – comprised of nine major nations and two smaller ones that lie south of China and north of Australia -- is one of the world’s greatest travel destinations. An exotic blend of cultures, religions, art, architecture, history, cuisines and landscapes, Southeast Asia never fails to fascinate, and is deserving of multiple trips to discover its wide array of attractions and people.

There’s a good reason why a visit to Southeast Asia is on the top of many travelers’ bucket lists. When you travel  to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Malaysia and other countries in the region, you’re guaranteed to have experiences and witness sights that you will never forget:

  • A young Vietnamese woman dressed in a white silk tunic cycling past lush green rice paddies through a morning mist.
  • A stream of Burmese Buddhist monks garbed in saffron robes walking to riverside temples to pray.
  • Thai children swimming in the klongs (canals) of Bangkok, as myriad longboats speed past them.
  • Outdoor noodle stand operators (“hawkers”) firing up their woks in Singapore, while their aromas permeate the air.
  • A string of open-air longhouses standing on stilts in East Malaysia on the exotic island of Borneo.
  • Thick tropical jungles teeming with rare birds, plants, and animals.


And so much more that it can be overwhelming deciding where to go first – or next.

Here are some highlights of each country to keep in mind when making your decision:

Touring Thailand

Thailand is the most visited Southeast Asian country, and the one with the best tourist infrastructure. It also has some of the best food in the world – whether it’s a noodle dish from an outdoor stand or a seafood feast served at an upscale restaurant. Bangkok’s traffic and heat can be unnerving, but the fabulous Royal Palace, colorful wats, busy canals and floating markets make up for it and more. Cool off in mountainous northern Chiang Mai, relive some history at the Bridge on the River Kwai on the Burmese border, or experience the beaches and islands of southern Thailand. The Thai people are known for their smiles and hospitality.

Touring Vietnam

While war museums and underground guerilla tunnels are still on most tour itineraries, Vietnam is long removed from the traumas of the 1960s-era Vietnam War. The vast majority of Vietnamese were not alive then, and Americans are warmly welcomed. Busy Saigon is a must stop, but more peaceful Hanoi is more reflective of the traditional culture. Halong Bay – with its wealth of islands and grottoes viewed from cruise ships -- is the top scenic wonder in the country, while the Mekong River is popular for river cruises. Vietnamese food is also exceptional.

Touring Burma (Myanmar)

Burma has been dubbed a “Buddhist wonderland” because of its thousands of temples and throngs of Buddhist monks. Mostly cut off from the world until the last few years, Burma hasn’t changed much for decades, though change will come – a good argument for seeing it now. The best viewing may be via a river cruise on the Irrawaddy, which flows through the country. The cruises typically include time in Yangon (Rangoon) and Mandalay as well as providing unforgettable views of the countryside and a mix of Buddhist and British colonial architecture.

Touring Cambodia

Devastated by the wars of the 1960s and ‘70s and by the subsequent “Killing Fields” rule of the maniacal dictator Pol Pot, Cambodia has rebounded into one of the upcoming tourist destinations in the region. The prime attraction is Angkor Wat, the ruins of the 12th century “City of Temples” built during the Khmer Empire and the largest religious complex ever built. It lies in the jungles near the city of Siam Reap and can be reached via Mekong River cruises that often start or end in Vietnam.

Touring Laos

Another country that suffered from the effects of the Vietnam War, Laos is now coming into its own as a tourist destination. Its capital, Vientiane, is a city of Buddhist temples and of leafy boulevards laid out in the French style (like much of Indochina, Laos is a former French colony). Another jewel now being discovered is the ancient city of Luang Prabang, which occupies a highly scenic spot along the Mekong valley in northern Laos; it’s also known for its wealth of Buddhist temples, French ambiance and variety of outdoor activities.

Touring Indonesia

Southeast Asia’s most populous country stretches across a vast sea of islands large and small. It includes crowded Java, parts of Borneo and New Guinea, Komodo Island (home of the famous Komodo dragons), and tourist haven Bali, known for its beaches, arts scenes, rice paddies, and as the only Hindu-majority island in this predominantly Muslim nation. With as many as 17,000 islands in all – many uninhabited – Indonesia merits multiple visits, each of which may prove very different from the rest.

Touring Malaysia & Singapore

Malaysia is another majority Muslim country that also has a strong Buddhist population, many of them ethnic Chinese. The country is divided into two main sections: Peninsular (mainland) Malaysia and East Malaysia, which occupies part of the island of Borneo. Highlights of the former include the spice island of Penang, known for its cuisine; Malacca, which shows heavy Dutch influence from centuries ago; and the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, home to some of the tallest buildings in the world, a trove of restaurants, and classy hotels.

The east coast of mainland Malaysia is known for its sea turtles, beaches, and offshore islands. East Malaysia is the site of Mt. Kinabalu, Borneo’s highest peak (which can be climbed) and exotic plant, animal, and human life. Singapore, an island nation situated at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, has gone modern in a big way, but is known for its superb Chinese cuisine and attractively designed parks and urban spaces.

Touring The Philippines

Like Indonesia, the Philippines is a nation of thousands of islands. Located in the western Pacific off the eastern coast of continental Asia, the Philippines were once under U.S. and Spanish control, and many residents speak English and Spanish as well as the native Tagalog. The country is a jumble of ethnicities and religions.

Manila, the capital, is traffic choked but a must-stop for its colonial-era center along the waterfront, its atmospheric Chinatown, and the historic island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, where U.S. troops battled the Japanese in World War II. The outer islands offer a varied mix of tropical beaches and traditional culture.

 

Southeast Asia Reviews & Ratings

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Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

What a Fantastic Experience

I signed up for this on a whim, having done the standard Exodus Vietnam trip 5 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed that trip but saw no reason to return. This trip cau...

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Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Fantastic trip to Vietnam

Excellent trip Cycling on the small roads and of the beaten path Fantastic could not have done a better job. Expect the unexpected. Just enjoy the journey Trai...

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Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Very well organise and planned. Our group was friendly and supportive

Enjoyed every day. Great group. Stepping out of my comfort zone in a supported environment. Very good. Worked well with group. Very organised . Take part in the ...

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Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Amazing holiday ! Fantastic leader and support team

Amazing holiday, excellent cycling just at the right level to be a rewarding challenge, extremely well organised, leader Long Le and his support team were 100%....

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Anonymous

Oct 2018

Provided byExodus Travels

Fantastic

There wasn't one moment when I regretted my decision to join this trip - it was wonderful from start to finish. Fascinating country, warm and welcoming people, su...

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