SOUTHEAST ASIA

Southeast Asia

Pies descalzos y silencio en los templos, bullicio y especias en los mercados nocturnos: muchas creencias conviven en una misma tierra.

Foto: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0
Marina Bay Sands · photo 1

ClásicoMarina Bay, Singapore

Marina Bay Sands

Three legs holding up a 'ship in the sky': the Lion City skyline's futurist manifesto

Hạ Long Bay · photo 1

ClásicoQuảng Ninh, Vietnam

Hạ Long Bay

A 'Guilin on the sea' of 1,600 limestone islands: Vietnam's 'where the dragon descended into the sea'

Hội An · photo 1

ClásicoQuảng Nam, Vietnam

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 · photo 1

ClásicoKuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

452-m twin towers of Islamic geometry, the totem of Malaysia's modernisation

George Town · photo 1

ClásicoPenang, Malaysia

George Town, Penang

Murals and Nyonya flavours in a World Heritage old town: a multicultural 'food paradise'

Bali · photo 1

ClásicoBali Province, Indonesia

Bali

Island of the Gods, a soul's home of Hindu ritual and sunny beaches

Borobudur · photo 1

ClásicoCentral Java, Indonesia

Borobudur

The world's largest Buddhist monument: a sacred sunrise beneath 72 stupas

Angkor Wat · photo 1

ClásicoSiem Reap, Cambodia

Angkor Wat

The cosmic centre of the Khmer Empire: sunrise over the world's largest religious monument

Boracay · photo 1

ClásicoAklan, Philippines

Boracay

4 km of white sand: the powder-fine beach of 'the world's most beautiful beach'

Palawan · photo 1

ClásicoPalawan, Philippines

Palawan

El Nido's lagoons and Coron's shipwrecks: 'the Philippines' last frontier'

Merlion Park · photo 1

ClásicoMarina Bay, Singapore

Merlion Park

An 8.6-m water-spouting Merlion, Singapore's 'city totem'

Sentosa · photo 1

ClásicoSentosa Island, Singapore

Sentosa

An island of fun with Universal Studios and sunny beaches: the Lion City's 'back garden'

Chinatown · photo 1

ClásicoChinatown, Singapore

Chinatown

Pioneering traces of Chinese forebears: an old district where tradition meets trend

Grand Palace · photo 1

ClásicoBangkok, Thailand

Grand Palace

The glittering palace of the Chakri dynasty, a sacred place in Thai hearts

Wat Pho · photo 1

ClásicoBangkok, Thailand

Wat Pho

A 46-m golden Reclining Buddha, and the birthplace of Thai massage

Phuket · photo 1

ClásicoPhuket Province, Thailand

Phuket

Pearl of the Andaman Sea, a byword for southern Thai sunshine and beaches

Chiang Mai · photo 1

ClásicoChiang Mai Province, Thailand

Chiang Mai

Rose of the Lanna Kingdom: an old northern Thai city of temples, night markets and slow living

Koh Samui · photo 1

ClásicoSurat Thani, Thailand

Koh Samui

A luxurious island shaded by coconut palms: a paradise for honeymooners and divers

Beef phở

GastronomíaHanoi, Vietnam (north)

Phở

A noodle soup that appeared in northern Vietnam only in the early 20th century, shaped by French and Chinese influences.

Nasi lemak on a banana leaf

GastronomíaKuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Nasi lemak

Malaysia's national dish: rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan, with sambal.

Hội An cao lầu

GastronomíaHội An, Vietnam

Hội An cao lầu

Noodles said to be made only with water from Hội An's ancient well.

Singapore-style Hainanese chicken rice

GastronomíaSingapore

Hainanese chicken rice

Hainanese immigrants brought Wenchang chicken to the Nanyang, where it became Singapore's national dish.

Chiang Mai khao soi

GastronomíaChiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai khao soi

Muslim noodles that came down the trade routes from Yunnan became northern Thailand's signature dish.

Pad thai

GastronomíaBangkok, Thailand

Pad thai

A 'national dish' that only appeared in the 1930s, promoted to build national identity.

Prambanan temples

ClásicoSpecial Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Prambanan temples

The largest Hindu temple of ancient Java: a soaring Shiva temple, near Borobudur outside Yogyakarta.

Faces on the stone towers of the Bayon

ClásicoSiem Reap, Cambodia (centre of Angkor Thom)

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'.

Sacred Monkey Forest

ClásicoUbud, Bali, Indonesia

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 on its rock in the sea

ClásicoBali, Indonesia (Tabanan Regency)

Tanah Lot

A temple on a rock in the sea, surrounded by water at high tide — Bali's most famous sunset spot.

The statue of Lord Murugan and the steps at Batu Caves

ClásicoSelangor, Malaysia (northern outskirts of Kuala Lumpur)

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 …

The Japanese Covered Bridge in Hội An

ClásicoHội An Ancient Town, Vietnam

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…

The golden chedi of Doi Suthep

ClásicoChiang Mai (Doi Suthep), Thailand

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.

The central prang of Wat Arun

ClásicoBangkok, Thailand (Thonburi, west bank of the Chao Phraya)

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.

Inside a hawker centre

GastronomíaSingapore, island-wide (Maxwell Food Centre)

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.

The ogoh-ogoh parade on the eve of Nyepi in Ubud

Fiesta de Año NuevoBali (whole island), Indonesia

Nyepi in Bali

19 de marzo de 2026

Balinese Hindu New Year: the whole island turns off its lights and falls silent for a day — even the airport shuts.

People floating krathongs on the river in Chiang Mai

Fiesta de luna llenaThailand (nationwide) (Chiang Mai, Sukhothai)

Loy Krathong

24 de noviembre de 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 on Silom Road, Bangkok

Fiesta de Año NuevoThailand (nationwide) (Silom Road, Bangkok)

Songkran (Water Festival)

13–15 de abril de 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…