Highlights and Lessons Learned in Southeast Asia

Highlights and Lessons Learned in Southeast Asia

In summer of  '24 myself and a good friend set off for the trip of a lifetime. 32 days in Southeast Asia - Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos.

A group tour booked through G-Adventures consisting of hilltribe trekking, feeding elephants, cookery classes, tribal living, river ferries, and partying - this is a trip worth any amount of money.

It is easy to search for the itinerary that G-Adventures set out for us, so I will link it here: https://www.gadventures.com/trips/trekking-southeast-asia-to-thailand/ATIT/. 

However, the purpose of this blog is to provide honest reviews, travel tips and ideas to advise your trips. So here goes my highlights and lessons learned from each country visited along the tour.

Thailand

Chiang Mai - a bustling hub of culture, fun and activities.

Highlights:

Cookery Class - A highlight of Chiang Mai for me. Khao Soi, mango sticky rice, and a beer to ease the kitchen pressures.

Muay Thai Fighting - I am sure it is great fun to go to a bar and fight strangers in those Muay Thai bars, but a professional event is worth seeing. Skill, movement and precision - these fighters have it all. There are official events held in Chiang Mai and you can grab a drink and enjoy watching high quality Muay Thai. Trigger Warning: It is brutal.

Want to Party? Look no further than Ratchawithi Rd. This area of Chiang Mai is home to some great party destinations such as Zoe in Yellow. It is full of locals and backpackers alike.

Elephant Sanctuary: I cannot remember the name of the sanctuary I visited for the life of me, but do your research and visit an ethical sanctuary. It is very important you do so.

Bangkok

A city like none I have been to before - Bangkok, wow! It is crazy, smelly, fast, and beautiful. I will be back to visit it properly as we only had 2 nights here.

Highlights:

Thipsamai: Known as the birthplace of the Pad Thai and receiving a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, Thipsamai was our first stop in Bangkok. A super tasty Pad Thai accompanied by the incredibly sweet Thai Tea was a meal to remember. And it is cheap.

Grand Palace: A true culture and architectural shock to the Western mind. Beautiful temples, statues and the palace are situated here. Make sure to buy tickets at the counter and not from street sellers. Ankles and shoulders must be covered.

Chinatown: Famous for its street food and massage parlours is Chinatown. After a long day of travelling a massage is well needed. A massage should be no more than €10 and always tip the masseuse/masseur.

Hilltribe Trekking

This activity consisted of a 2 night trip into the jungles of Thailand with local guides and staying with 2 separate tribal villages. This is where my lesson is learnt from Thailand.

Lesson: Be Patient

The idea of a multiple hour trek into the jungle, through rivers and rice fields and constant checks for leaches on your skin sounds like a bushtucker trial. Some may just wish to race to the final destination where comfort lies. 

On this particular trek, I learnt to enjoy that discomfort. I became present with nature and had deep conversations with my fellow trekkers. I learnt about people and their stories whilst enduring some hardship to reach our final destination. This made the reward of reaching our destination in the jungle much more enjoyable and appreciated. The cold beers on arrival helped too.

Vietnam

Hoi An: A historic UNESCO town with stories of the ages.

Highlights

Tailored Suits: Blue Chic Tailor Hoi An provided a fun experience for those looking to get a high quality, low price tailored suit. 

Cycling Tour: My favourite activity of my whole Asia trip was the cycling tour through the rice fields of Hoi An - helping out on the community gardens, seeing water buffalo and snakes and meeting farmers, finishing off with a basket boat tour.

Ho Chi Minh City

Highlights

Cafe Apartments: A simple concept executed perfectly. An apartment block with restaurants, cafés, and bars on the face of the building. Great egg coffee, cocktails and vibes served here. Take your pick.

Cu Chi Tunnels: A must do historic tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels, where you can learn the story behind the Vietnam War, crawl through the tunnels and shoot guns at their shooting range.

Lesson: Be appreciative

Vietnam taught me some very important lessons on appreciation. From talking to tour guides and locals, I learnt the hardship the country has faced in recent years. The standout moment of this lesson was the cycling tour through the rice fields. 

The high energy and love that the Vietnamese show tourists without seeking anything in return is incredible. The stories our tour guide told us from his life was touching and the work ethic of the rice farmers that own such little to their name but are happy in doing the simplest things in life taught me to be appreciative for having access to love and ease of life compared to others.

Cambodia

Siem Reap

Highlights

Angkor Wat: Known as the '8th Wonder of the World' by some, Angkor Wat is by far the most incredible thing I have seen with my own eyes. Bonus points if you do the sunrise tour.

Pub Street: The best party street I have been to. Great bars, great music, and cheap beers.

Killing Fields and S22: A historically valuable and emotional tour of the Killing Fields and S22 Prison were a highlight of Siem Reap. I have never experienced emotions from a tour like this.

Lesson: There are very little worries worth worrying in life

On our first day in Siem Reap, we were walking for a coffee when a boy no older than 10 was trying to light a cigarette but hadn't the strength to generate a flame from his lighter. We laughed at the sight of this and continued to search for a coffee in disbelief of what we had just seen. 

The lesson here arrives from the lack of worry or perhaps the unawareness of the effects of smoking on this child's health. If we are unaware of something that may or may not happen, then why worry about it?

Laos

Luang Prabang

On our visit to Laos we got up to many thrilling activities such as white-water rafting, swimming in the waters of the famous Kuang Si waterfall and the most memory provoking of all - living with a tribe for 24 hours.

Lesson: Enjoy life's simplicity

This particular village we stayed in do not speak the traditional Laos language, they pan for gold, and have probably never seen what they look like in a mirror. They travel across the water once a fortnight to gather supplies from the supermarkets and yet are so accommodating, loving, and giving for having such little. The lesson learnt from spending time here was that no matter how busy life gets, how hard you think you have it, always enjoy the simplest of things in life.