Best cultural holiday in SE Asia?

UngratefulWhelp

My sister's about to move to Singapore, so I'm going to go out and stay with her for a couple of days later this year. I'd like to spend the guts of two weeks visiting some country in the region, but I'm not sure which to go for.

I'm looking for historical sites, culture and good food. Lying on a beach does not really interest me.

As far as I can see, my options are Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. China too perhaps, but that might be too far away again. Perhaps Indonesia/Malaysia would be other potential choices.

Anyone who has been out that way advise?

cutymonalisa

Wherever you end up you MUST visit Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Without a shadow of a doubt the most awe inspiring of places, especially for a culture vulture!

Badgermonkey

+1 for Angkor Wat and Cambodia.

Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand have a lot to offer also but are in many ways well developed and westernised in some respects.

Cambodia is still in its infancy as a tourist destination and the bustle and vitality of its streetlife gives it an exotic and truly foreign feel.

HenryChinaski

The Angkor complex of temples are amazing but Siem Reap itself isn't great and culture defo wouldn't come to mind when I think about so realistically a max of three days there would be enough. Phnom Penh is one of my favourite cities anywhere but it's not much on culture or food. It's great craic there but like it's a proper third world city and when you go out from the touristy areas you'll have peasants bothering you a lot.

I think a good trip for you would be Bangkok for a day or two, see the sights and sample the awesome street food. Then overnight it on a sleeper train up to Chiang Mai (a city I've been returning to for 8 years) and wander around the old city, check out the temples and the famous night bazaar, head up to Doi Suthep National Park, sample the great nightlife in town. Check out the Elephant Nature Park, it's an expensive day out at 20000Baht but when you get there you'll see why. National Geographic have made two documentaries about the work they do there, it's an amazing day. There's a lot to do in Chiang Next head into Laos and get the two day slow boat down the Mekong where you basically just sit and talk to people and enjoy the scenery (most people who do the slow boat rate it as a highlight of every SE Asian trip), to Luang Prabang for 2-3 days. It's a really nice town on the Mekong famed for it's colonial French cuisine blended with traditional fare of course. The French architecture there is pretty nice too and the town is home to the breathtaking Tat Kuang Si National Park. Two weeks would be a stretch to fit in Vietnam but if you'd time you could try to hit up Hanoi for a day or 2 so you can trip out to Halong Bay before heading down to Hoi An which is one of the only cities in Vietnam that the Americans agreed not to bomb given it's cultural significance. It's famed for it's food and rightly so, and it's also a great place to get clothes tailored very cheap. Then get a cheap flight to Cambodia for the last few days before heading back to Singapore. You'd get a flight out of Phnom Penh no hassles.

Like I said two weeks might be a stretch but if you're going all the way to South East Asia it'd be worth your while to try your best to do a good trip but I mean you could leave out Vietnam easily enough because you would lose a few days on travel time alone. And besides if your sister's moving to Singapore you'll surely be back again. Okay that would be my recommendation based on what you said you're looking for. It'd be a whistle-stop run but it gets done all the time and to be honest I reckon it's an awesome little trip. If you could make it work you wouldn't be disappointed.

P.s. the Prince of Wales on Dunlop Street in Little India, Singapore, is a great pub with good live music almost every night. They also do a seasonal Sunday Session which is usually good fun.

Glowing

elephant nature park is amazing! I'm going back in April and bringing my whole family, last time I was there was 2006!,

ardmacha

+1 for Angkor Wat.
Bangkok + Ayutthaya temples is good and an accessible start to things before moving on.

I haven't been there, but a friend raved about Borobudur in Sumatra. Perhaps harder to get to.
The UNESCO site is good for the biggies http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/592

magentas

angkor is amazing but I would make it a day/2day trip and spend time in Vietnam. So much history and lots of beautiful places to visit...from the Mekong delta and Ho Chi Minhs mausoleum in the south to the stunning hoi with it's french influences to Sapa and hill treking in the north to the breath-taking Halong bay in the north...unbelievable country:)