Why You Need To Visit Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia has everything you want on a vacation – beautiful landscape, friendly people, warm temperatures, and delicious food. It’s one of my favourite parts of the world to visit for those reasons! When you’re in Southeast Asia you can understand why people spend months to a year or more traveling this destination. My first time visiting I only visited Thailand but I met so many travelers who were doing exactly that, traveling around for months. Hearing all their stories of the destinations they visited I knew it would be a place I returned to and I added all their experiences to my own bucket list. Writing this blog post I’m happy to report back that I was able to accomplish many of those items on my recent trip through Southeast Asia with Free & Easy Traveler (FnEZ). Not only did I cross off things I wanted to do but they introduced me to experiences I never knew were possible like bamboo rafting in the jungle! Here are some epic experiences I had with FnEZ and why you need to visit Southeast Asia for yourself:

Thailand

Thailand is the first big destination I’ve had the opportunity to re-visit and it’s still one of my favourite countries in the world. It’s called the ‘Land of Smiles’ for a reason. Everyone is so friendly, I love Thai cuisine and the landscape is stunning. Here are some more highlights on why I love Thailand:

Experience the Craziness of Bangkok

Bangkok is the top city in the world for international travel visitors. From taking tuk-tuks (motorized rickshaws), bargaining a deal at the markets, learning about Buddhist culture at stunning temples, exploring the tourist destination of Khao San Road, visiting rooftop bars, the possibilities of things to do in Bangkok or endless.

Thai Cooking Class

You’ll never have Thai food as good as you did in Thailand so make sure to take a cooking class so you can recreate it for yourself at home. I regretted not taking a cooking class the first time I visited Thailand so I made sure to take one this time. It was well worth the wait because I was blown away with the cooking class FnEZ organized. It was very professional and we each had our own element and got to make our own dishes. We learned all the tips and techniques to make everything from curries to spring rolls.

Hike Through the Jungle

How many times can you say you hiked through the jungle? As you’re walking through you’ll see absolutely unreal views where the jungle seems to go on forever. When you make it to camp you’re greeted with a delicious Thai meal and some Chang beers. It’s the perfect setting for your FnEZ group to bond and grow closer. The second day of the jungle trek you meet the free-roaming elephant sisters who were saved from the logging industry. They’re such incredible creatures and it’s great to see them have a good home and be together.

Bamboo Raft out of the Jungle

This was one of my favourite parts of the trip. I never knew it was possible to do an activity like this but thanks to FnEZ we were able to take a 2-hour bamboo raft ride out of the jungle. You’ll have a blast as your raft glides through the water around all the curves. If you’re brave enough, you can volunteer to be one of the people that helps steers it, otherwise just relax and enjoy the ride.

Chiang Mai Night Market

Chiang Mai is one of my favourite cities in Thailand. If I had to choose a place to live in Thailand it would be here. There is so much to explore and you can experience more of the culture of Thailand than in Bangkok. A popular attraction is the weekend market. It’s packed with hundreds of people enjoying street food or bargaining a deal for a product. Everyone tells you to pack light when you visit Thailand because you’re guaranteed to want to bring things home with you.

Laos

Laos had been on my bucket list after hearing about it from other travelers during my first trip to Thailand. I’m so glad I was able to cross it off my travel list with FnEZ. Among travelers, Laos is known for its party destinations but I was blown away by its beautiful landscape! Everywhere you look you’re surrounded by mountains.

Sunset On Top of Temple on Hill

Luang Prabang was my favourite city in Laos. Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its preservation of exceptional fusion of Lao traditional architecture and colonial-style buildings. You were able to get to know the culture and enjoy activities like a sunset at a temple at the top of Mount Phousi. You could see the whole town from this viewpoint.

Hot Air Balloon Ride

With its mountainous landscape, Laos is a great spot for a hot air balloon ride. Our group took a balloon ride at sunset. The colours were beautiful as the sun dipped down behind the mountains. We flew over Vang Vieng and local children were waving up at us.

Multi-Tiered Waterfalls

Southeast Asia is a great place to see stunning waterfalls. In Laos, we visited Kuang Si Waterfall, a beautiful multi-tiered waterfall. You were able to swim in pools of turquoise water created by the waterfall. Each level of the waterfall was stunning but the top was the most powerful. If you climb to the top you can reach the stream that feeds into the waterfall. It was a challenging climb with an intense incline but so worth it! You get a lookout of the jungle and also a clear pool to cool off in.

Cambodia

Cambodia sure made a place in my heart! The country has been through a lot but the people are so resilient and friendly. Our FnEZ group learned a lot about the history of Cambodia while we were here. It’s a destination that I would love to return to and explore more of. I heard amazing things about the beaches in Cambodia. I was on the 25 day LTC which is landlocked, but the 40 day LTC visits beaches as part of the itinerary.

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Our group woke up early to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument in the world. Millions of people visit this historic site every year. We arrived at Angkor Wat in complete darkness, you could barely see the steps in front of you. We all hurried so we could get a good spot for this famous sunrise. I was so lucky and got a spot right at the front with a kind couple who shared their mat. What an experience seeing more and more of Angkor Wat become visible as the sun rose and catching a reflection in the water.

Cambodian Circus

Not only was the circus very entertaining, but the story of this circus was also so interesting. It was started to give Cambodian orphans a chance to make a living and also a community to grow in. The money the circus makes goes back into arts programs to help more orphans. From acrobatics to music, the show as packed with talent!  The circus does not include any animals, only extremely passionate and talented youth.

Pub Street

This is where you’ll crossroads with many other travelers. Make sure to try a Khmer Curry while you’re there. You’ll find plenty of vendors offering rolled ice cream or selling clothes! A lot of the markets across Asia offer the same products (same same but different) but Cambodia had the best prices for things of all the countries we visited!

Bali

Bali was just as amazing as I pictured! Everything you hear about this destination is true, its paradise! The locals were so friendly and everyone was so interested in hearing your story – where you’re from, what you do! You’ll have a blast exploring Bali by bike and spending days in the water!

Go Snorkelling at the Gili Islands

I loved this activity so much I went two days in a row. I knocked off a bucket list item of seeing the underwater statues by Jason deCaires Taylor. The statue is made from the casts of real people and will soon house lots of coral. There were so many colourful fish swimming around it.

The piece is called Nest and is said to echo the circle of life. While snorkeling we also ran into some sea turtles! It was such an incredible experience to see them in real life as they glide beside you in the water! If I could recreate this day I would do it in a heartbeat!

Bike Around the Gili Trawangan

Our FnEZ group took a sunset bike trip around Gili Trawangan. On the way, you’ll spot the famous Bali swings in the water, bike by beach bars and then find your spot to stop and enjoy the view with a Bintang as the sun goes down.

Visit a Water Temple

I wasn’t kidding when I said people in Bali were friendly. When I entered the Water Temple a man named Kadek asked me where I was from and was happy to answer all my questions about the water temple. I learned about the purification of the water temple and what each stream represented. He said throughout the process you pray for wishes and also take time to be grateful. He said after going through all the streams you want purity, positivity, harmony, and health!

Monkey Forest

This sanctuary houses hundreds of monkeys. It’s an open space where all monkeys are roaming free. It’s a great spot to see some monkeys from afar!

Bike Through Ubud

This was such a fun day and a great way to get around Ubud. We were able to bike through the villages. As we rode by all the children leaving school said hello and waved. We were able to see rice fields and beautiful views of palm trees along the way. Our first stop was to try the famous ‘catpoochino’ one of the most expensive coffees in the world. An animal called a luwak finds the best coffee cherries and they partially ferment the beans as it digests them. Would you try it?

Sunrise at Mount Batur

Would you hike an active volcano? I almost didn’t do this hike but my leader Delaney knew I would regret it if I didn’t go, and boy was she right! It was the hardest hike of my life but I still can’t believe the view we got at the top, something I’ll never forget! We hiked up Mount Batur during dark with only flashlights to guide us where to go. We were so high up I felt like I could pull a star down! The hardest part of the hike was finding your step on the volcanic rock and the narrow paths. We took it one step at a time and cheered each other on. When you finally made it to the top you can a stunning view of Mt Agung above the clouds or the town below if its a clear day! I remember standing there so proud I made it up and also just taking some quiet moments to reflect and take in the view! This is an experience you can’t miss!

I hope hearing about these experiences have inspired you to take your own trip to Southeast Asia! Don’t let any excuses get in the way. Southeast Asia is such a spectacular part of the world worth visiting for yourself! I’ll definitely be back to return to some of these destinations and add on some more!

Ready to book your own trip to Southeast Asia? You can use code ‘LITTLEMISSOTTAWA’ to save 10% off any FnEZ trip to enjoy all these experiences for yourself 🙂