Trekking in Southeast Asia

Trekking in Southeast Asia takes you far beyond the beaches and temples into a world of misty mountains, terraced rice valleys and remote hill-tribe villages. Trails wind through jungle alive with gibbons and hornbills, climb active volcanoes to crater-lake summits, and thread between minority hamlets where traditional life continues much as it has for centuries.

The region’s diversity is staggering: you can summit Borneo’s granite giant, hike to Sumatra’s orangutans, walk between Vietnam’s Hmong villages, or ascend Indonesia’s smoking volcanoes for a sunrise above the clouds. Treks range from gentle overnight village stays to serious multi-day mountain expeditions.

Cheap local guides, homestays and the chance to sleep in a stilt house or on a volcano rim make trekking here as much a cultural journey as a physical one. These are the routes and ranges that reward walkers with the region’s wildest scenery and warmest encounters.