Best Countries To Visit in South-East Asia

Thailand is the country most Indian travellers should try first. Bangkok is roughly four hours from Delhi and Mumbai, under three from Kolkata, and is served from more Indian cities than anywhere else in the region. The range inside one trip is the real argument: Bangkok's markets and street food, the old capitals at Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, Chiang Mai and the northern hills, then the Andaman or Gulf coast for beaches. Visa-free entry for Indian passports has run in recent rounds, though the terms have changed more than once. November to February is driest.

Known For : Gardens by the Bay Universal Studios Singapore Marina Bay Sands

Singapore is the easiest first international trip for a family, and the one that needs the least planning. It is four and a half to five and a half hours from the Indian metros, English is an official language and the metro goes almost everywhere. It is also the most expensive country on this list per day, and three or four days is enough: Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa, the Marina Bay waterfront, Little India, and the hawker centres for cheap, good food. Indian passports need a visa applied for in advance, so leave time for it. Any month works.

Best Time: February to September

273 Singapore Attractions

Indonesia is the pick when the trip is mainly about beaches, and Bali is where almost every Indian itinerary lands: clifftop temples, the rice terraces and craft villages around Ubud, and surf beaches in the south. Direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Bali run around seven hours. The rest of the country is enormous and mostly skipped, including Yogyakarta in Java for Borobudur and Prambanan, and Flores for Komodo National Park. Bali is driest from April to October, the opposite half of the year to the mainland, which makes it the sensible monsoon-season choice.

Vietnam gives you the most variety for the money if you have eight to ten days to give it. It is a long, thin country: the standard route runs Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in the north, Hue, Hoi An and Da Nang in the centre, then Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta in the south. Flights are direct from Delhi, Mumbai and a few other cities, about five hours to Hanoi, and food and local transport are among the cheapest in the region. There is no one good month for the whole country because the north and south run different seasons, so pick your half first.

Malaysia is the practical middle option. Kuala Lumpur is four to five and a half hours from the Indian metros, food is the strongest single reason to go, and the country pairs easily with Singapore by road or a short flight. Peninsular Malaysia holds the cities, the Cameron Highlands tea estates and the islands of Langkawi and Penang. Malaysian Borneo, across the South China Sea, is where the rainforest and Mount Kinabalu are. Visa-free entry for Indian passports has run in recent rounds, so check what applies now.

Cambodia earns a trip for Angkor alone. The temple complex outside Siem Reap is one of the largest religious sites in the world, built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple to Vishnu before turning Buddhist, and three days there is not too much. Phnom Penh adds the harder recent history at Tuol Sleng. Be clear on the connections, though: there is no regular direct service from India, so most Indian travellers change at Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, or add Cambodia onto a Thailand or Vietnam trip. November to February is driest.

The Philippines has some of the best island scenery in the region: El Nido and Coron in Palawan, the beaches at Boracay, and the Banaue rice terraces inland. It is also the hardest country here to reach from India, with no scheduled direct flights, so budget a change at Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Hong Kong and at least ten days to make the journey worth it. December to May is the dry window and typhoon season runs roughly June to November.

Laos is the slowest-paced country here and that is the reason to go: the monasteries and morning alms round at Luang Prabang, the karst hills and river at Vang Vieng, and the Si Phan Don islands on the Mekong in the south. It is landlocked, so there is no coast. Like Cambodia it has no regular direct service from India and is usually added onto a Thailand or Vietnam trip rather than visited on its own. November to February is driest and coolest.

Known For : Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque Kampong Ayer

Brunei is the smallest country on this list and the one to be realistic about. It is a two day stop rather than a holiday: the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien and Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah mosques, the stilt village of Kampong Ayer on the river, and the rainforest canopy walk at Ulu Temburong. The sale of alcohol is banned and there is very little nightlife. There are no direct flights from India, so it is reached on a connection through Kuala Lumpur or Singapore and makes most sense bolted onto a Borneo trip. Indian passports usually need a visa arranged in advance.

Best Time: January to May

18 Brunei Attractions