| 1) Donsol, Philippines In this little town in southern Luzon just off the coast in a spot where Whale Sharks – the largest fish in the sea come to feed. From here you can go out for a day with a boat and swim with the sharks. As they only feed on plankton they swim close to the surface and swim fairly slowly so you are able to keep up with them. You are only allowed to snorkel with the sharks but it is just an amazing experience to be so close to a shark of this size. |
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| 2) Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia In this town in northern Sumatra there is miles of forest which is inhabited with many orangutans, the treks here are great with some of the best guides I have ever used. After only 4 hours into the trek I had seen 8 orangutans and that included a 6 month old baby one. |
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| 3) Angkor Wat, Cambodia The site of Angkor in Cambodia is a must on anyone’s trip to South East Asia. Angkor Way is the largest temple in the world and seeing the sunrise over it is just a view you cannot view anywhere else in this world. You can spend so much time here looking and the vast amount of temples here and never get bored. |
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| 4) Java, Indonesia. Travelling across Java has many rewards with main highlights being watching the sun rise over Mount Bromo and Yogyakarta which will be your base for seeing two amazing temples of Borobudur, Prambanan and the Dieng temple complex. |
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| 5) Motorbike tour round Vietnam Riding your own motorbike (or if you can’t you can hire a driver) round Vietnam going to villages and towns where no tourists go is one of the highlights of this trip. Do the tour to Dalat on the scenic roads for a truly spectacular view which you can only find in Vietnam. |
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| 6) Palawan, Philippines This Island which is the South West of the Philippines is a hidden gem of all of South East Asia. At any point you will not find more than 50 backpackers on the island and it’s a large island. The locals are the friendliest I have ever met and the beaches are I think the best in the world. Image a cross between the islands around Krabi, Thailand and mix it with Ha Long bay, Vietnam and this makes the coast line of the town of El Nido. There is some of the best diving and snorkeling to be done at the many coral reefs off the many white sand beaches or swim in lagoons with tiny sharks or just relax and soak up the sun. Also the island has the one of the longest underground rivers in the world. |
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| 7) Ha Long Bay, Vietnam This is a must for anyone in the area as it is UNESCO heritage site and is for a good reason. The bay has close to 2000 limestone islands with of caves to explore and a few lagoons to go kayaking in. When you go out to the bay you go out on a traditional junk ship where you will get your own room and dinner and breakfast served. |
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| 8) Luang Prabang, Laos. This very relaxed town with amazing architecture, markets that go on and on and giving of alms each morning. Although the latter is now becoming a tourist attraction. |
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| 9) Gili Islands, Indonesia The Gilis is made up of three islands, with Gili Trawangan the biggest of all. When I say big it will take you ten minutes to walk the entire length of the main beach. There are no cars on this these islands with only horse and cart to get you around. You come here to relax on the beaches and go diving with sharks and manta ray at some on the best site on Earth. |
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| 10) Hanoi, Vietnam. I really like this city, a lot quieter than its southern counter part it seems to have a charm which many big cities lack. Just walking around getting lost it a great experience with each road having something new to offer. Plus with many food stalls and Bia Hoi to relax at on the smallest chairs which are defo not designed for westerners. |
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June 23rd, 2010 
admin 
Posted in Travel Articles
Thank you for this read! South East Asia truly is the most spectacular destination. Vietnam was one of my favorites, especially the more in-land towns like Hoi An, which is near to South Coast of Vietnam.Often over-looked by some travelers, Hoi An,is home to some of the most talented tailors, who are able to make immaculate suites for women and men, dresses, tops, coats and shoes.I was in Hoi An for 4 days and my tailor managed to sew up 22 items of clothing in such a short space of time. Roughly priced between $10-$20 an item depending on the labor required, it is a very cost effective and fun way of being involved in the garment making process as you generally choose the fabrics and style according to your own wants.The food in Hoi An is very unique to the rest of Vietnam with such dishes as Cao Lao, which is a gastronomic delight of noodles in a broth with chicken/beef/seafood and crunchy-like chips. Hoi An is a beautiful place, with friendly locals and an extremely talented tailor workforce and a must-see for travelers journeying across Vietnam.