Southeast Asia: Travel/Tourist Information Guide
Southeast Asia is a collection of countries that are located between the Indian and the Pacific Ocean. It is a great touristic place with perfect beaches, low prices, and tasty cuisine.
Countries of Southeast Asia
Brunei
Brunei is a small country, but not at all poor thanks to the natural gas and petroleum. It is surrounded by Malaysia and it is located on the South China Sea. It consists of four districts: Brunei and Muara, Tutong, Belait, and Temburong.
Cambodia
Even though crime used to be a big problem, nowadays it is not anymore. Now the best cities in the country such as Angkor can be visited without any worries. The country has borders with Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand. It is filled with many beautiful temples that one should definitely see. Cambodia is separated into four regions: Cardamom and Elephant Mountains, North-western Cambodia, Mekong Lowland and Central Plains, and Eastern Cambodia.
East Timor
It is one of the world's newest and poorest countries. It used to be a Portuguese colony, but in 1975 it became an independent country. After that, it was occupied by Indonesia for in 2002 to be internationally recognized as an independent state. It is a really great place for tourists since there are many interesting things to see and to do.
Indonesia
Indonesia has more than 18,000 islands which makes it the world's largest archipelago. It is the biggest country in Southeast Asia. It borders with Malaysia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Palau, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, and India. Indonesia can be divided into a number of regions: Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Papua. The country is filled with natural and historical attractions that are pretty fun to see.
Laos
Laos used to be called the forgotten country, but with the many investments they made in tourism it is now becoming more popular. Since most of the country is mountainous it is a great place for backpackers but remember what looks like a short distance by road on a map could mean hours winding through mountains. The best city in it is the town of Luang Prabang. Laos borders with Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, and China. It can be separated into three regions: Northern Laos, Central Laos, and Southern Laos.
Malaysia
Malaysia is located partly on a peninsula of the Asian mainland while the other part is located on the island of Borneo. It borders with Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. It is currently under development and with all the investments that have been made it has become of the richest nations in Southeast Asia. The main division of Malaysia is into Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. The Peninsular Malaysia consists of three regions: West Coast, East Coast, and South. The East Malaysia has two regions: Sabah, and Sarawak. There are a lot of amazing things that are worth a visit situated in Malaysia.
Myanmar (Burma)
Myanmar is an ancient country whit a rich history. It used to be a part of the British Empire and it used to be an Empire on its own. Nowadays, after the military dictatorship has gone by, the country is undergoing great political changes. It shares borders with Bangladesh, India, China, Laos, and Thailand. It is divided into a number of regions: Irrawaddy, Central Myanmar, Western Myanmar, Northern Myanmar, Eastern Myanmar, and Southeastern Myanmar. Myanmar is filled with spiritual attractions such as temples, pagodas, and historical sites.
The Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago that has more than 7,000 islands. It has the world's longest coastline with amazing beaches. It would take a person 20 years just to spend a single day on every island of the Philippines. It is Asia's largest Catholic country. There is a great number of historical, cultural and natural sites and all of them are amazing and definitely worth a visit.
Singapore
Singapore is actually a city-state, and since its independence it has become of the of the world's most prosperous countries. The modernization of the city has made it a great tourist location, It has many things that are worth seeing and it will definitely not disappoint you.
Thailand
Thailand shares borders with Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. It is a very attractive tourist location with amazing food, tropical climate, interesting culture and beautiful mountains and beaches. It is called the Land of Smiles with energetic cities and amazing beaches. It is the most popular tourist destination in the region.
Vietnam
Vietnam shared borders with China, Laos, and Cambodia. It is on its way to becoming a capitalist country and it is one of the world's fastest growing economies. It is one of the more popular touristic destinations in the region.
Transportation in and around Southeast Asia
Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and East Timor offer visas at the entrance. Vietnam and Myanmar require advance paperwork. The other countries do not require visas at all. Otherwise, getting into some of the countries in Southeast Asia is pretty simple with the number of choices you have at hand. You can get in by plane. The main international gateways are Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. There are a lot of international planes that connect these countries with the world. Another option is by train. This option is only possible from China to Vietnam. However, there aren't any connections from Vietnam to the other Southeast Asian countries. The last option is by boat. There are many popular ports within these counties and many cruises stop at them.
Getting around Southern Asia is also simple. You can do that by plane since much of the counties are covered by an extensive network of discount carriers. You can also get around by train. The most extensive network is found in Thailand. There are also train networks in Indonesia, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Getting around Southeast Asia is also possible by boat. You can travel by boat from Malaysia and Singapore to Indonesia. There are many domestic ferries which link the many islands that can be found in this region, especially in Indonesia and the Philippines. The last option you have is getting around by car. However, keep in mind that the traffic conditions are pretty bad. So if you are thinking about getting a car you could also hire a driver.