Southeast Asia Activities
Southeast Asia is made up of over 20,000 islands and covers a gigantic area within the tropics where active volcanoes, dense rainforests and large mountains reside. With this comes great scope for activities including trekking, diving, surfing, white water rafting and rock climbing, as well as the chance to spot some of the world’s most unique animals.
Although Southeast Asia might not have the grandeur of the Himalayas, the amazing walks of New Zealand or the vastness of the Amazon rainforest, it does have all of these attributes to a degree and is lots of fun to boot.
The other good thing about traveling to Southeast Asia for an activity-oriented holiday is that most things can be done at relatively little expense, where travel, accommodation and doing things is cheap.
Trekking: the best trekking in Southeast Asia can be had in Indonesia and on the island of Borneo; both Sabah (Malay territory) and Sawarak (Indonesian territory). The thousands of volcanic islands and dense jungle make it special and Mount Bromo in Java has some of the best tracks. Peninsular Malaysia also has some fascinating walking in its many national parks, while northern Thailand is good for that hill tribe trekking experience.
Diving and snorkeling: Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have the best diving and snorkeling in Southeast Asia with many world-class dive sites and a myriad of dive companies. Destinations of note include the Similan islands in Thailand, the Raja Ampat islands in Indonesia, Sipadan in Malaysia and Donsol in the Philippines.
Surfing: most surfers head for the islands of Indonesia where there are some excellent left-handers as well as the popular distractions found on the holiday island of Bali. The Philippines, with its innumerable islands, is also a popular surf destination, while Thailand is best for beginners and intermediates. Popular Southeast Asian surf spots include Kuta Beach, Nias, and Lombok Island in Indonesia, Bardoc in the Philippines, and Phuket in Thailand.
White water rafting and kayaking: Southeast Asia is also one of the best places in the word to go white after rafting and kayaking owing to its swollen rivers in the wet seasons and thousands of kilometres of delectable coastal areas. Everything from grade one to grade five can be ridden and Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have the best options, while Laos, Burma and Vietnam also have enticing waterways.
Mountain climbing / rock climbing: The limestone make up of great swathes of Southeast Asia makes for perfect rock climbing while the volcanic landscape of Indonesia and the Philippines is excellent for mountain climbing. Krabi in Thailand is the main focus of rock climbing with hundreds of marked routes, while Mount Kinabalu on Borneo and Gunung Tahan in Malaysia has some great climbs.
