South East Asia is one of the best parts of the world to travel in. Whether you are planning an independent trip or a few weeks on a beach, travel in South East Asia is easy and affordable.

Value for Money

Most countries in the region are very affordable to travel around, and the low costs of travel in South East Asia attract crowds of budget travelers. Local transportation, food and accommodation are excellent value for money. With the exception of Singapore, these countries belong to some of the cheapest travel destinations in the world.

Travel Highlights

Highlights include tropical beaches, cities with fascinating architecture, Buddhist temples and great food. The islands and beaches in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are very popular with visitors from around the world. They offer a range of accommodation from bamboo huts on the beach to five-star resorts. Many islands, such as Ko Tao in Thailand, are known for good scuba diving.

There are also ancient cities, such as Ayutthaya and Sukothai in Thailand, and beautiful Buddhist temples. Those who are interested in architecture should visit one of the most famous temples in the world, the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia.

If you enjoy big cities, Bangkok and Singapore have endless opportunities for shopping and for nightlife. Singapore is also famous for its food and especially the street food that is delicious, affordable and safe to eat. Trying out local cuisine is one of the joys of visiting Asia.

Where to Go

Thailand, Singapore and Bali in Indonesia belong to the most popular destinations in the region, but Malaysia attracts more and more international visitors with its peaceful islands. Laos and Vietnam are also seeing growing numbers of tourists. Wherever you plan to travel in South East Asia, you will enjoy tropical weather, friendly culture and great value for money.

Here is a Thailand travel guide to help you get the most out of your trip. This country is a very popular tourist area because it offers so many things to do. Your experience will totally change depending on which part of the country you visit. Here is a description of each area, and who it is best for:

Northern Thailand

Here you will find tall mountains and plenty of forests. Therefore, if you are into backpacking and camping, this is where you want to go. You can find very unique things to do here, one of them being visiting an elephant training camp. You read that correctly. Also, you will find the Me Kong river, which is a river that starts in Tibet and divides much of Thailand.

Central Thailand

Any Thailand travel guide will tell you that this area is noted for its scenic national parks, many of which contain spectacular waterfalls and forests. Like the northern part of the county, these are also great areas for backpackers. Also, there are tons of ruins of older cities in the central part of the nation, so if you are into history then this would be your spot.

Southern Thailand

Any Thailand travel guide would not be a complete without a description of the most popular tourist area of the country-the southern region. It is here that you will find the beaches and water, and the action sports that go along with it. Here you can indulge yourself in scuba diving, snorkelling, rock climbing and kayaking, among other things.

Conclusion

Which part of Thailand you go to really depends on what kind of experience you want to have. Many Thailand travel guide books will tell you to go between November and February if you want to stay dry and cool. March through May is very hot, and June through October is the rainy season.

Of course, if you do not mind the rain or warm weather, you can save money by going during March to October, when most tourists are avoiding the country. You will tend to find the best deals at this time. Hopefully this Thailand travel guide has given you some insight into how to get the most of your vacation.

How to Plan a Trip

Singapore is known as one of the most Westernized countries in South East Asia. It is a safe destination to visit especially if you are planning to travel with children. It is known for good shopping and great food, and there are many opportunities to try both.

To make the most of your visit, get a good Singapore travel guide. If you are visiting for long weekend, there is so much to see and do that a guidebook can help you to make the most of your time.

Things to Do

Highlights of any visit to this small but fascinating country include shopping on Orchard Road (the main shopping street), visiting the many ethnic areas from Chinatown to Little India, and trying the famous street food. A walk or a boat trip along the Singapore River is a good way to go sightseeing.

Every trip to Singapore should include at least one meal in a hawker centre. These are collections of food stalls that sell delicious and affordable local food and regional cuisine, including Malaysian, Indian, Thai, Japanese and Indonesian. You can choose whatever looks best or get a local Singapore travel guide to help you choose from the dozens of great foods available.

Singapore Travel Guide and Tips

Because of its small size, Singapore is easy to get around. The public transportation is efficient and taxis are affordable. The weather is hot and tropical around the year, and as every Singapore travel guide will tell you, it is a good idea to carry an umbrella for protection from the sun and the occasional rain showers.

Lucky people planning a visit to beautiful Macau from Hong Kong get to choose the type of boat, time of the journey and even site of departure. The Hong Kong to Macau ferry is a magical 40-mile water voyage lasting about one hour. With a little planning, this is a very pleasant part of a great adventure.

Types of Water Crafts and Departure Times

The boats in the Hong Kong to Macau ferry fleet range from high-speed ocean going vessels to catamarans with convenient travel times. Being able to customizing this trip to meet the desires of each tourist makes getting there and returning part of the fun. Whether a person leaves on one of the beautiful jettoils, turbo-cats, jumbo-cats or Cotajets, the sparkling, blue Ocean, speed and ever-changing skis make the crossing interesting. These busy cruisers leave the Hong Kong harbor every 30 minutes from early morning, before 7 a.m., until late in the evening, after 10 p.m. Trips even take advantage of special events like sunrises or sunsets.

Planning

With a little preparation, anyone can have a fantastic time. Although there are two places to board these accommodating vessels, the most popular one is at Shun Tak Centre, which is part of the commercial and transit area on the north side of the Hong Kong Island. Located just west of the business district, this is a bustling hub with a heliport and other forms of public transportation including the Mass Transit Railway. As the ferries get very busy on weekends and holidays, visitors travelling at these times should buy their return tickets early. Because of the immigrations process, travelers need an extra 30 minutes for boarding.

Travelling on the Hong Kong to Macau ferry is almost as much fun as any other part of this adventure. Visitors customize this fast-speed, 40-mile sea voyage. They choose the vessel and time of departure.

Renowned as Singapores state of the art cinema complex, the golden village Singapore is one of the best movie theaters in the world.  Plush, red, velveteen seats line the theaters of the GV Max and GoldClass theaters within the village.

Golden Village Singapore was at the forefront of revolutionizing the movie going experience in Singapore.  It is unarguably known as Asias first multiplex.  Each one of the nine theater locations that make up the village is a cinematic explosion in luxury, and movie indulgence.  The Golden Village is a 10-screen, multiplex that boasts the latest and greatest films from the Singapore Peninsula as well as from across the world.  Golden Village Singapore has been around since mid-1992 when they opened Yishun.

Golden Village Singapore is fully equipped with all of the modern conveniences.  Additionally, many of the multiplexes that make up the Village are in malls, and shopping centers.  Patrons have the option of booking their movie tickets online and check the status of their advanced booking.  This amazing feature is readily available to patrons.

Golden Village Singapore has been revered highly due to the management, operational, marketing and public relations skills of the staff.  Additionally, since it started out as a joint venture by Golden Harvest of Hong Kong, the multiplex has firm roots in the Asian film distribution and production market.  This makes it even more attractive to the movie-going public because a film studio is backing the quality of the movie theater.

A movie going experience at the Village is unlike any in the world.  Everything is simply aesthetically appealing which makes it easier for a patron to get lost in the film.  If ever there was a place to escape to, it would be this multiplex where comfort meets luxury and watching a movie is simply incredible.