SOUTHEAST ASIA
Southeast Asia
Bare feet and silence in the temples, noise and spice at the night markets: many faiths share one land.
City guides
Start with a city
Every city guide has a timeline, stories of local figures, must-see sights, festivals and local etiquette.
กรุงเทพฯ Bangkok
Bangkok
5 places
Two royal capitals on the Chao Phraya: Wat Arun in Thonburi and the Grand Palace on Rattanakosin
เชียงใหม่ Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai
4 places
Old capital of the Lanna kingdom: a moated old city, more than 300 temples and Doi Suthep
Singapore 新加坡
Singapore
6 places
From Temasek to the Lion City: a garden city where Chinese, Malays and Indians live together
Hội An 会安
Hội An
3 places
An old port lit by lanterns: the Japanese Bridge, Chinese assembly halls and yellow houses
Kuala Lumpur 吉隆坡
Kuala Lumpur
3 places
A tin-mining town where two rivers meet grew into a capital beneath twin towers
George Town, Penang
George Town, Penang
1 places
Britain's first settlement in Southeast Asia: shophouses, clan halls and street food
Bali · Ubud
Ubud, Bali
4 places
An artists' village on the Island of the Gods: rice fields, temples, dance and daily offerings
សៀមរាប Siem Reap
Siem Reap
2 places
Gateway to Angkor: Angkor Wat at sunrise, the smiles of the Bayon and temples in the jungle
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta
2 places
The heart of Javanese culture: the Sultan's Palace, Borobudur and Prambanan
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ภูเก็ต Phuket
Phuket
1 places
An island built on tin: a Sino-Portuguese old town, two heroines and the Andaman Sea
Marina Bay Sands
Three legs holding up a 'ship in the sky': the Lion City skyline's futurist manifesto
Hạ Long Bay
A 'Guilin on the sea' of 1,600 limestone islands: Vietnam's 'where the dragon descended into the sea'
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Hội An Ancient Town
Lantern-lit banks of the Thu Bồn River: an old dream of a Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese trading port
Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur
452-m twin towers of Islamic geometry, the totem of Malaysia's modernisation
George Town, Penang
Murals and Nyonya flavours in a World Heritage old town: a multicultural 'food paradise'
Bali
Island of the Gods, a soul's home of Hindu ritual and sunny beaches
Borobudur
The world's largest Buddhist monument: a sacred sunrise beneath 72 stupas
Angkor Wat
The cosmic centre of the Khmer Empire: sunrise over the world's largest religious monument
Boracay
4 km of white sand: the powder-fine beach of 'the world's most beautiful beach'
Palawan
El Nido's lagoons and Coron's shipwrecks: 'the Philippines' last frontier'
Merlion Park
An 8.6-m water-spouting Merlion, Singapore's 'city totem'
Sentosa
An island of fun with Universal Studios and sunny beaches: the Lion City's 'back garden'
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Chinatown
Pioneering traces of Chinese forebears: an old district where tradition meets trend
Grand Palace
The glittering palace of the Chakri dynasty, a sacred place in Thai hearts
Wat Pho
A 46-m golden Reclining Buddha, and the birthplace of Thai massage
Phuket
Pearl of the Andaman Sea, a byword for southern Thai sunshine and beaches
Chiang Mai
Rose of the Lanna Kingdom: an old northern Thai city of temples, night markets and slow living
Koh Samui
A luxurious island shaded by coconut palms: a paradise for honeymooners and divers
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Phở
A noodle soup that appeared in northern Vietnam only in the early 20th century, shaped by French and Chinese influences.
Nasi lemak
Malaysia's national dish: rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan, with sambal.
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Hội An cao lầu
Noodles said to be made only with water from Hội An's ancient well.
Hainanese chicken rice
Hainanese immigrants brought Wenchang chicken to the Nanyang, where it became Singapore's national dish.
Chiang Mai khao soi
Muslim noodles that came down the trade routes from Yunnan became northern Thailand's signature dish.
Pad thai
A 'national dish' that only appeared in the 1930s, promoted to build national identity.
Prambanan temples
The largest Hindu temple of ancient Java: a soaring Shiva temple, near Borobudur outside Yogyakarta.
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Bayon (Angkor Thom)
The state temple at the heart of Angkor Thom: dozens of stone towers carved with huge smiling faces — the 'smile of Angkor'.
Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest
A sacred forest on the edge of Ubud: hundreds of long-tailed macaques and three Hindu temples built about 700 years ago.
Tanah Lot
A temple on a rock in the sea, surrounded by water at high tide — Bali's most famous sunset spot.
Batu Caves
A Hindu holy site in limestone caves: a towering golden statue of Lord Murugan guards the rainbow steps, and tens of thousands of pilgrims come …
Japanese Covered Bridge (Lai Viễn Kiều)
A covered bridge built by 16th-century Japanese merchants; the little temple on it is said to pin down the giant catfish that causes earthquakes…
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Chiang Mai's guardian temple: a long staircase lined with naga balustrades leads up to a golden chedi holding a relic of the Buddha.
Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn)
A towering prang on the west bank of the Chao Phraya: King Taksin arrived here at dawn, giving the 'Temple of Dawn' its name.
Singapore hawker centres
Singapore's 'community dining rooms': food of many ethnic groups under one roof, inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2020.
Nyepi in Bali
March 19, 2026
Balinese Hindu New Year: the whole island turns off its lights and falls silent for a day — even the airport shuts.
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Loy Krathong
November 24, 2026
On the full-moon night of the twelfth Thai month, people float candlelit krathongs on the river to thank the water and send their troubles away.
Songkran (Water Festival)
April 13 – 15, 2027
Thai New Year: bathing Buddha images at temples at dawn, pouring water on elders' hands for blessings, and in the afternoon whole streets turn i…