South East Asia

Overview

South East Asia is surrounded by the Indian Sub Continent to the west, China to the North and the Pacific Ocean to the East. It can be geographically divided into three regions, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and the Malay Archipelago.

The area has been subject to conquest as a result of the expansion of regional empires and later through western colonisation. The resulting waves of political and cultural influence have lead to varied societies, languages and religions. In South East Asia, Burmese, Thai, Arabic and the Roman alphabet are all in use. Even in the region's smallest country, Singapore, there are 4 official languages, English, Hindi, Malay and Chinese.

Religion has moulded the identity of the nations. This has produced Indonesia, which has the world's largest Muslim population and stark contrasts such as Islamic Malaysia bordering Thailand which has to have a Buddhist King.

South East Asia is packed with fantastic monuments, museums and natural beauty. In Cambodia you can watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, a temple which had been lost to the jungle for hundreds of years, or explore the magnificent limestone cliffs and caves of Halong Bay, Vietnam. If you are looking for a beach then it is difficult to beat Phuket in Thailand.

The wildlife in South East Asia is an alluring attraction, whether feeding Orang-utans in Borneo or track the Asian Elephant and Sumatran Rhinoceros. South East Asia has much to offer and it is definitely possible and advisable to visit more than one country on a trip. Popular trips include Bangkok-Singapore and Hanoi-Bangkok.