9 grand journeys to take across Southeast Asia

From island-hopping in Indonesia to a foodie tour through Cambodia, it’s time to tick these incredible journeys across Southeast Asia off your bucket list.

1. Island-hopping in Indonesia

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

A Phinisi (traditional sailing ship) at sunset. (Image: Nicky Ryan)

There’s a lesser-known Indonesian gem that’s a world of picturesque islands, astonishing wildlife and culinary delights: the Lesser Sunda Islands. And the best way to explore them? On a liveaboard phinisi (traditional sailing ship).

See the infamous Komodo Dragon. (Image: Getty/EyeEm Mobile GmbH)

Get (a little too) close to majestic Komodo dragons, catch a migration of fruit bats as they head out to hunt, dive beneath the waves to spot green sea turtles and manta rays, or spend a day lounging on pink-, black- and white- sand beaches that don’t need a saturation filter.

The iconic ship sails through the exotic regions of Indonesia. (Image: Nicky Ryan)

2. Southeast Asia by rail

Travelling with: Megan Arkinstall

The Eastern & Oriental Express travels between Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. (Image: Ludovic Balay)

When it opened in 2021, the billion-dollar Laos-China Railway transformed travel within the culturally rich Buddhist country of Laos, reducing the travel time between Vientiane and Luang Prabang from a whopping 10 hours to two. High-speed trains have their place, but the real romance of rail travel is found at a slower pace.

A private suite onboard the Eastern & Oriental Express. (Image: Ludovic Balay)

Travel between Singapore and Malaysia on the Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train, on a four-day itinerary that takes in lush jungle landscapes, royal towns, rice plantations and sparkling coast. In Central Vietnam, The Vietage by Anantara skirts along the coast from Danang to Quy Nhon and Quy Nhon to Nha Trang. The five- and six-hour journeys are made incredibly comfortable with bespoke carriages, gourmet dining and free-flowing drinks, relaunching old-world train travel for modern explorers.

The menu features elevated Malaysian cuisine. (Image: Ludovic Balay)

3. Malapascua Island, The Philippines

Travelling with: Emma Ventura

Thresher sharks rise from the deep at Kimud Shoal. (Image: Getty/Soonyoung Han)

Every morning, in the cobalt-blue waters off the Philippines’ Malapascua Island, endangered pelagic thresher sharks rise from the deep at Kimud Shoal, where they are cleaned by resident wrasse. Sharing the water with these elegant, silvery sharks, characterised by enormous, whip-like tails, is a spellbinding experience, albeit one that requires strong diving skills (PADI Advanced Open Water Diver minimum), as advocated by the sustainably minded Evolution Diving Resort. Here, you’ll find expert underwater guiding by a passionate Filipino dive crew, all the mango you can eat, and the thrill of witnessing this keystone species gliding Zeppelin-like overhead, occasionally breaching in great, surface-shattering leaps.

4. Wellness retreats of Bali

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Head to Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan for some chakra balancing. (Image: Roberto Frankenberg)

Gone are the days when visitors to Bali were happy with a morning yoga session and green smoothie. The Global Wellness Institute notes travellers to the Indonesian province are increasingly demanding more restorative retreats.

Seek a peaceful escape at Four Seasons Resort Bali. (Image: Roberto Frankenberg)

These days, holidaymakers seeking transformation might visit Hotel Indigo Bali Seminyak Beach by IHG Bali for reflexology, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan for some chakra balancing, and Asa Maia in Ubud for hydrothermal therapy. It’s a grand journey from within.

5. The Mekong River

Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

A fisherman casting a net in the Mekong River. (Image: Venus VI/Shutterstock)

The Mekong River is one of Southeast Asia’s most mysterious and fascinating destinations. While its full length stretches over 4000 kilometres, a cruise with AmaWaterways along its lower portion from Cambodia to Vietnam is truly unforgettable.

Cruise the mighty Mekong River. (Image: Kassia Byrnes)

Watch as the mighty Mekong changes from a peaceful, almost empty river in Cambodia into a hotbed of life in Vietnam. Stop at small river villages along the way to discover a culture unique from the cities. And do it all in luxury aboard the AmaDara.

6. Thailand’s Golden Triangle

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

A treetop dining experience at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort.

The mountainous region where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet was once infamous for its production of opium. But the Golden Triangle is now drawing travellers for both its blend of natural beauty and unique culture shaped by centuries of trade, conflict, migration and religion.

Canopy pays homage to the region’s rich culinary heritage.

Learn about its complicated past at The Hall of Opium Museum, cruise along the Ruak River and cap it all off with an immersive stay at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort.

7. The Backpacker Trail

Travelling with: Carla Grossetti

Explore stunning karst mountains in Thailand. (Image: Getty/ Oleh Slobodeniuk)

The backpacker trail through Southeast Asia has long been a rite of passage. But the classics on every gap year list are attractions you can return to at any age.

Enjoy street food in Bangkok. (Image: Getty/Radiokukka)

From the transformative experience of visiting the temple complex of Angkor Wat to enjoying street food in Bangkok, Southeast Asia’s charms remain as riveting as ever. Ditch the dorm and stay in a seaside retreat such as Vietnam’s luxury InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort.

8. Singapore’s dining scene

Travelling with: Kassia Byrnes

Have a tipple at Writers Bar at Raffles Singapore. (Image: Ralf Tooten)

Singaporeans will plan their whole day around a meal. And with gastronomical adventures ranging from the famous hawkers to Michelin-starred fine dining, it’s impossible not to share their enthusiasm. With such a melting pot of cultures, the flavours are varied.

Saboteur is a special cocktail with a whimsical twist on the classic martini.

And with such demand, there’s no room for mediocrity. From British-influenced high tea at the luxe Mandarin Oriental to a cocktail with a cult following at Raffles, authentic Peranakan cuisine at Violet Oon’s, and cooked-to-order naan or hearty popiah at a local hawker stall, the true word for Singapore is: mouthwatering.

9. A foodie tour through Cambodia

Travelling with: Lara Picone

Insects fried to a crisp in Cambodia. (Image: Getty/T Bradford)

The food culture in Cambodia is highly approachable, steeped in tradition and redolent of the region’s ingredients, best experienced on Intrepid Travel’s eight-day Cambodia Real Food Adventure from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. Our guide, the liberally smiling Fila Heng, is frequently given to directing our driver to pull over so he can bound off to purchase this or that for us to try, from bags of sugary, fried biscuits to rustic rotisserie pork.

Cambodian yellow noodle soup with pork and pig blood in Phnom Penh. (Image: Getty/Nalidsa Sukprasert)

With each snack is a story, a recounting – national or personal – and a ceaseless spring of exuberance. There is a palpable arc of history, some of it uplifting, some heartbreaking, that canopies Cambodia. But the essence of warmth and light that lives in its people is rich and tantalising and finds its way into the incredible food of this country.