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
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.