The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia On A Budget (Travel Guide eBook)

Description

Tuk tuks, temples, sizzling street food and remote tropical islands: discover the best of Southeast Asia with Rough Guides. Our intrepid authors have trekked, cycled and snorkelled from Bali to Myanmar, seeking out the best-value guesthouses, activities and restaurants. In-depth reviews of budget accommodation and eating are combined with some choice "treat yourself" options allowing you to rough it in a beach hut one minute or kick back in a hip bar the next. Easy to follow transport advice and budget tips are combined with unrivalled background on all the things you simply can't miss, whether you're beach-hopping in Bali, exploring the ruins of Angkor Wat or venturing to the stilt-villages of Myanmar's Inle Lake. Make the most of your Asian adventure with The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget.

Covers: Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong & Macau, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Sujets

• Southeast Asia

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 05 octobre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 6
• EAN13: 9780241330081
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 72 Mo

Extrait

CONTENTS HOW TO USE INTRODUCTION Where to go When to go Ideas Itineraries BASICS Getting there Getting around Accommodation Health Culture and etiquette Religion Travel essentials THE GUIDE Brunei Cambodia Hong Kong & Macau Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar (Burma) The Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam MAPS AND SMALL PRINT Introduction Introduction Cover Table of Contents
HOW TO USE THIS ROUGH GUIDE EBOOK
This Rough Guide is one of a new generation of informative and easy-to-use travel-guide ebooks that guarantees you make the most of your trip. An essential tool for pre-trip planning, it also makes a great travel companion when you re on the road.
From the table of contents , you can click straight to the main sections of the ebook. Start with the Introduction , which gives you a flavour of the region, with ideas on where to go and what to see, plus suggested itineraries. Next up, Basics provides travel tips, a guide to culture and etiquette, advice on heath and plenty of practical information. Comprehensive and in-depth coverage, country by country follows, with full-colour maps featuring all the key sights and recommendations.
Maps are also listed in the dedicated map section, accessible from the table of contents. Depending on your hardware, you can double-tap on the maps to see larger-scale versions, or select different scales. There are also thumbnails below more detailed maps - in these cases, you can opt to zoom left/top or zoom right/bottom or view the full map. The screen-lock function on your device is recommended when viewing enlarged maps. Make sure you have the latest software updates, too.
Throughout the guide, we ve flagged up our favourite places - a perfectly sited hotel, an atmospheric caf , a special restaurant - with the author pick icon . You can select your own favourites and create a personalized itinerary by bookmarking the sights, venues and activities that are of interest, giving you the quickest possible access to everything you ll need for your time away.
INTRODUCTION TO SOUTHEAST ASIA
With its tempting mix of volcanoes, rainforest, rice fields, beaches and coral reefs, Southeast Asia is one of the most stimulating and accessible regions for independent travel in the world. You can spend the day exploring thousand-year-old Hindu ruins and the night at a rave on the beach; attend a Buddhist alms-giving ceremony at dawn and go whitewater rafting in the afternoon; chill out in a bamboo beach hut one week and hike through the jungle looking for orang-utans the next.

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In short, there is enough here to keep anyone hooked for months, and the average cost of living is so low that many travellers find they can afford to take their time. The region comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. As useful gateways to the region, we have also included Southeast Asian neighbours Hong Kong and Macau . Though the region has long been on the travellers’ trail, it doesn’t take too much to get off the beaten track – whether it’s to discover that perfect beach or to delve into the lush rainforest.
  The beaches here are some of the finest in the world, and you’ll find the cream of the crop in Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, all of which boast postcard-pretty, white-sand bays, complete with azure waters and wooden beach shacks dotted along their palm-fringed shores. The clear tropical waters also offer supreme diving opportunities for novices and seasoned divers alike.
  Southeast Asia’s myriad temple complexes are another of the region’s best-known attractions. The Khmers left a string of magnificent constructions across the region, the most impressive of which can be seen at Angkor in Cambodia, while the colossal ninth-century stupa of Borobudur in Indonesia and the temple-strewn plain of Bagan in Myanmar are impressive Buddhist monuments.
  Almost every visitor to the region makes an effort to climb one of the spectacular mountains , whether getting up before dawn to watch the sun rise from Indonesia’s Mount Bromo or embarking on the two-day trek to scale Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia.
  Witnessing tribal culture is a highlight for many visitors to less explored areas, and among the most approachable communities are the tribal groups around Sa Pa in Vietnam, the Torjan of Sulawesi in Indonesia, known for their intriguing architecture and burial rituals, and the ethnic minority villages surrounding Hsipaw in Myanmar.

SNORKELLING IN PALAWAN, THE PHILIPPINES

Where to go
Many travellers begin their trip in Thailand , which remains the most popular destination in Southeast Asia, with its long, tropical coast, atmospheric temples and sophisticated cuisine. First stop for most is the capital Bangkok, which can overwhelm the senses with its bustle and traffic, but retains beautiful palaces and pockets of traditional Thai life. Travelling north will take you to ancient capitals, elegant hill towns and the cultural hub of Chiang Mai; travel south and you have thousands of islands to explore, from established beach resorts and party islands to diving centres and secluded idylls.
  Neighbouring Laos , with its burgeoning tourist industry, is still perhaps the best country to explore if you’re looking to escape the crowds, and for many people a slow boat down the Mekong here is still the quintessential Southeast Asian experience; journey’s end is the exquisite former royal capital of Luang Prabang, the undoubted jewel of the country. To the west, Myanmar (Burma) is seeing something of a visitor boom, as travellers flocking to explore the country’s remarkable pagodas, landscapes and culture. Start at the historic former capital of Yangon, before venturing to the stilt villages of Inle Lake and the temple-strewn plain at Bagan.
  Heading east brings you to Vietnam , with its two vibrant, and very different cities, with elegant capital Hanoi to the north and headlong frenetic Ho Chi Minh City in the south. You’ll also find impressive old Chinese towns and some stunning scenery, from the northern mountains to the southern Mekong delta. From here it’s easy to cross into neighbouring Cambodia , where the fabulous temple ruins at Angkor remain a major draw – though Phnom Penh’s appeal grows (as does its dining scene), and you shouldn’t miss the low-key charm of river towns like Kampot, while the country’s pocket of coast around Sihanoukville draws in increasing numbers of backpackers.
  South of Thailand, Malaysia deserves a leisurely exploration, boasting beautiful beaches, good diving and some rewarding jungle hikes. The east Malaysia provinces of Sabah and Sarawak – which share the large island of Borneo with Indonesia’s Kalimantan province and the little kingdom of Brunei – offer adventurous travel by river through the jungle, nights in tribal longhouses, and the challenge of climbing Mount Kinabalu. Singapore , along with Bangkok and Hong Kong, is a major gateway to the region; though relatively pricey, it has a fascinating mix of tradition and modernity, and after you’ve been on the road for a while you may find its more Westernized feel quite appealing.
  From Singapore or Malaysia it’s a boat ride or short flight to Indonesia . It could take you a lifetime to explore this vast and varied archipelago, with fantastic volcanic landscapes, an unparalleled diversity of tribal cultures, decent beaches and diving, and lots of arts and crafts. Beyond the capital of Jakarta, Java offers the ancient, culturally rich city of Yogyakarta and the vast Borobudur temple complex, along with volcanoes and surf beaches. Vast Sumatra would take months to do justice to – but is known for its orang-utans and huge lake Danau Toba. To the east of Java, Bali barely needs an introduction as the premier vacation destination in the archipelago, with throbbing resorts to the south and the sophisticated cultural hub Ubud at its centre. To escape the crowds, continue east to discover coastal idylls on Lombok and the Gili Islands, and then on again to far-flung islands like Sulawesi and Maluku.
  Northeast of Indonesia, a flight away from mainland Southeast Asia, and consequently less visited, the Philippines has some of the best beaches and most dramatic diving in the whole region, along with some wonderful Spanish architecture, incredible rice terraces and unique wildlife, making it well worth the detour from the main tourist trail.

FIVE TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR SOUTHEAST ASIAN ADVENTURE
1. Plan around the weather Tropical Southeast Asia has two monsoons , which affect different coasts. Plan your route to take this into account – and consider each country’s regional variations.
2. Budget carefully – but have the odd splurge You can live on as little as $20 a day in some countries, if you’re prepared to stay in very basic accommodation, eat at food stalls and travel on local buses, but think about where paying a little more will really enrich your trip.
3. Take local transport You might be able to buy a budget flight – and even grab an Uber in the big cities – but don’t discount local transport. It’s good value, and is often one of the highlights of a trip, not least because of the chance to meet local people. Overland transport between neighbouring countries is also fairly straightforward so long as you have the right paperwork and are prepared to be patient.
4. Try the street food …This is the home of the world’s tastiest cuisines, and the really good n