Indonesia Malaysia Vietnam Tours

Southeast Asia is one of the most culturally diverse regions of the world. There are many different languages and ethnicities in the region. Historically, Southeast Asia was significantly influenced by Indian, Chinese, Muslim, and colonial cultures, which became core components of the region's cultural and political institutions. Known for its perfect beaches, tasty cuisine, low prices, and good flight connections, this region has long been a favourite corner of the world for globe-tramping backpackers. Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia are no exception. While Vietnam and Indonesia lie on the two different subregions of Southeast Asia namely following the order as mainland Southeast Asia (or the Indochinese Peninsula) and maritime Southeast Asia. Malaysia is split by the South China Sea into two regions with West Malaysia in the mainland part and East Malaysia in the maritime part.

While Islam is the most widely practised religion in Malaysia and Indonesia, Vietnam embraces a diverse culture with 54 ethnic groups whose beliefs and religions are various, as well as rich of religious heritages influenced by Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Official statistics show that Vietnam has around 40,000 tangible and 60,000 intangible heritages. Most of them are in connection with temples, pagodas, monuments, churches and expressed in religious rituals, traditional festivals and art forms such as the art of Don Ca Tai Tu music and songs in the Mekong Delta, Quan Ho Bac Ninh folk songs in the North, the Royal court music in Hue and the Space of Gong culture in the Central Highlands...

Unlike Vietnam featuring the influence from the sinicization for centuries, Malaysia and Indonesia were heavily influenced by Indian culture. One of Malaysia's most iconic cultural sites is the Batu Caves, a Hindu shrine located in the north of Kuala Lumpur combining an interesting natural landscape with a major place of worship and some striking sights. In Indonesia, Prambanan is a 9th-century Hindu temple compound located in the northeast of Yogyakarta city on Java island. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia, originally consisted of 240 temple structures which represented the grandeur of ancient Java's Hindu art and architecture. Also built in the 9th century, the Borobudur Temple is the world's largest Buddhist monument. Occupying the top of a natural hill, Borobudur temple is built in a pyramid-shape and the experience of watching a sunrise at the temple is a truly unforgettable moment in Java.

Among the three countries, Indonesia stands out the most for its unique natural landscape and exotic wildlife. Its landscapes range from dense tropical forests, home to millions of flora and fauna, to sprawling fertile basins of rice fields. The list continues from massive volcanoes to picturesque beaches, from sky-scraping mountain peaks to extensive dry grasslands. Nestled in the Lesser Sunda Islands, Komodo National Park is a realm of wonders where one can admire the majestic Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. The ancient reptile, dubbed the “last dinosaurs on Earth”, can be seen anywhere in the park while roaming freely across the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar as well as a collection of surrounding smaller islets. One can take a guided tour to see these impressive creatures up close under the support of a local guide at all times as the dragons are wild animals. For adventurers, Indonesia, home to more than 130 volcanoes, is a true paradise for mountaineers. Mount Rinjani, an active volcano in Lombok island, is the country’s second-highest peak and a steep three-day ascent to the top. Further to the west of Java island, Mount Ijen with the mesmerising sight of its sulphurous, turquoise crater lake can be climbed in a single day. Sitting amidst the “Sea of Sand”, Mount Bromo is a relatively easy trek, and the reward is its stunning beauty in an incredible setting.