I understand that “everyone” is a big word but I LOOOOOVE Southeast Asia and so I like to talk about it. A lot. My first time visiting was to Thailand in 2012 and every time I go back I love it more. I hope to go to Vietnam in the next few years.
1) Budget Friendly
Yes this is for you cheap-Os out there. Tickets can be expensive to get to Southeast Asia but once you get out there, your day to day costs are much cheaper than you would find in Europe, Australia, Canada or the US.
When we go to Southeast Asia we are able to stay in accommodations for a fraction of the price we would pay elsewhere. In Thailand we could buy giant plates of Pad Thai for less than $2 a person.
A solo person can get by easily on $30 a day (including transportation, accommodations, entertainment and meals). THAT is not bad!
2) The People
Really this should be first, but the first thing I thought of was cheap food so I kind of went in order of my thought process haha.
If you like traveling to places where people are excited to see you and do not just want to rip you off, go to Southeast Asia. The people in Cambodia are actually known for their smile. I heard that before I went but I had to laugh when I arrived because it really seemed like everyone smiled all of the time! Not the smile of hi-you-are-a-tourist-and-I-want-to-do-business but people that just seem genuinely happy and grateful to be alive.
I have always felt so safe and warmly welcomed in every country I have visited in Southeast Asia and that has everything to do with the people who live there.
3) The Culture
Something I love about traveling is going some place that does not feel like home. I love being surrounded by new sounds, smells and sights. Southeast Asia does that for me. Their spoken and written language is so different from anything I know. They dress different and have extremely different food. Their temples and music are different. The landscapes and scenery of the rice fields are so incredibly different.
If you want to be completely blown away by things you have never seen, smelled or heard before, Southeast Asia is for you.
4) The Food
Yep. Hands DOWN my favorite food on this earth. Vietnamese food is my actual favorite, but Thai is right up there. Oh the curryyyyyyy. Not only is the food so incredibly delicious and cheap, it is so fresh. My body feels so light and trim when I travel to Southeast Asia. Even when I stuff myself full of food every day (which I do not necessarily recommend) I leave feeling great.
Tip: The more local, the better! Go where the locals go!
5) The Solitude
Though Southeast Asia is becoming an increasingly popular place to travel, there are still many places to explore away from the crowds. While I am 100% a people person and I love nothing more than to be surrounded by a ton of people, there is something about finding yourself in a place where no one else is around. It’s just you, your thoughts and nature.
You find that in Southeast Asia.
