Cultural Encounters

Where travelers go, so must scammers, too – plenty of traps await travelers who trust too much when traveling in Southeast Asia.

Far beyond the well-traveled tourist trails of the lowlands, the mountain towns of Southeast Asia offer a travel experience far more rugged and authentic, though you’ll need to travel much further to get there.

It’s getting more and more difficult to find authentic culture in Southeast Asia – swamped as it is with counterfeits and cheap knockoffs – but you can find it easily if you know where to go.

It might not be apparent at white-hot tourism hotbeds like Siem Reap, Bangkok or Bali, but Southeast Asia has plenty of hidden tourist jewels.

Nothing reveals the tension between tradition and modernity like dance, and so it is with dance performances in Southeast Asia. Yes, many places perform dance moves little changed over centuries,

Travel like an experienced tourist by following these travel hacks – little procedures that can lessen the workload and trouble that go into preparing.

What did the Europeans ever do for Southeast Asia? Spotty history aside, the train systems left behind by colonizers remain a definite plus – some of their routes remain just as busy as they were in the 19th century.

For Bel Around the World's Isabel Leong, traveling boils down to “interesting learning from the destination, for instance by its unique culture or experiencing a new activity.”

Equal parts strange, beautiful, ancient, modern, boisterous, calm: Southeast Asia's massive and diverse range of attractions can be difficult to encapsulate. No list can really do the region justice.

Southeast Asia is awesome… and some spots can be a wee bit too awesome.
It's a high compliment, all these tourists visiting areas that have been lauded in

When Southeast Asia's beaches and temples don't do it for you anymore, consider something more challenging.

You didn't travel all the way to Southeast Asia to just watch the sights go by from behind your bus window.

For the ultimate in authentic experiences, you can't go wrong by staying at a local homestay in Southeast Asia.

For a grittier cultural experience in Southeast Asia, you can hardly do better than take up a local martial arts class.

Not a lot of travel brochures talk about the most rewarding Southeast Asia experience of all: giving time to a cause you believe in.

The “banana pancake trail” is looking a little too well worn. Its formerly out-of-the-way destinations, once much beloved by older backpackers, have since been deluged by crowds of package-tour travelers and flashpackers.

With Southeast Asia's summer season upon us, now's the time to review your beach options: where to go, what you'll find at each step, and a plan to move to the next one. We asked several bloggers to help us piece together a beach-only itinerary, and the resulting work (see below) gives readers a taste of the sunny, sandy landscapes you can explore this coming summer.

Avid hikers will go on and on about Southeast Asia's gorgeous multi-day trails – the hikes up Mount Fansipan in Vietnam and Myanmar's Kalaw to Inle Lake trail come to mind – but even the region's short hikes can give back far more than travelers dish out: amazing wildlife finds and stunning scenery out of all proportion to the effort hikers put in!

It's a big world out there – and Southeast Asia is just the right place for your kids to discover the color and adventure available outside of their comfort zone.

Go ahead, let your hair down: the parties in Southeast Asia give you the chance to let all your ya-yas out with great music, bottomless drinks and wonderful company.