Sudeste Asiático - Sol y Playa

Indonesia

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia and with the capital city of Jakarta, is the fourth most populace country in the world with over 238 million people living in the largely Muslim country. Indonesia borders East Timor, Malyasia and Papua New Guinea and comprises of 17,508 islands and 129 active volcanoes, making it a country with deep and rich cultures with hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups.

Bali

Bali is a province of Indonesia covering a few small neighbouring islands as well as the isle of Bali. The provincial capital is Denpensar and the province has a population of 4.22 million. It is the largest tourist destination in the country and is also home to most of Indonesia’s Hindu minority. Bali is renowned for its highly developed arts, including traditional and modern dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music, as well as its beaches and surrounding coral reefs.

The tourism industry is primarily focused in the south, while significant in the other parts of the island as well. The main tourist locations are the town of Kuta, and its outer suburbs of Legian and Seminyak, the east coast town of Sanur and in the center of the island Ubud. Bali received a drop in tourism after the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005, however the industry has slowly recovered, with a reported 2.88 million foreign tourists and 5 million domestic tourists in 2012, with the majority of foreign tourists hailing from Australia. In addition, Bali received the Best Island award from Travel and Lesiure in 2010 and according to BBC Travel released in 2011, Bali is one of the World's Best Islands, rank in second after Greece.

Kuta

Kuta is dedicated to fun and sun, with a wide array of bars and clubs and a beach with a broad expanse of golden sand that is popular with beginner or recreational surfers. However following the terrorist bombs of 2002 and 2005, the area is not quite as busy as it used to be.

Ubud

Ubud is the island’s cultural centre with dance-and-music shows and some of the best food on the island. Around Ubud are temples, ancient sites and whole villages producing handicrafts and parts of the surrounding countryside remain unspoiled, with lush rice paddies and towering coconut trees.

La isla de Sulawesi

Sulawesi is one of the main islands of Indonesia and the 11^th largest island in the world, with unique cultures, under-explored mountainous hinterland and world class diving spots. It is a mostly unspoilt area of traditional villages, unique architecture and fascinating cultures.

Tana Toraja

Tana Toraja is the most popular destination in Sulawesi and attracts tourists who come to take part in elaborate funeral ceremonies involving animal sacrifices. Funeral season is usually during June to August, and sparks ethical debates.

Pulau Bunaken

Pulau Bunaken is an area with great snorkelling and diving, with more than 300 types of coral and 3000 species of fish.

Togean Islands

The Togean Islands are beautiful coral and volcanic isles with pristine beaches and undisturbed jungles that shelter a variety of wildlife. The islands are difficult to reach and facilities are basic but many travellers fall in love with the Togeans and their lifestyle. It is popular to do a local homestay here.

Papúa Occidental (West Papua)

West Papua is as far west in Indonesia as you can go, with sublime landscapes, extraordinary animals and an ancient and vibrant Melanesian culture. It is the least populous province of Indonesia and is divided in half, with the western half of the island is new guinea, while the eastern half is the independent country of Papua New Guinea.

Jayapura

The capital city with a distinctly contemporary Indonesian vibe. Head for the highland town of Wamena, an hour’s flight away. It’s home to Dani (and other) tribespeople and the gateway to the Baliem Valley.

The island of Biak on the north coast has beaches and many WWII monuments.

Wasur National Park is in the southern township of Merauke and has seasonal migratory birds and wallabies.

VIETNAM

Vietnam is a culturally rich country with a population of 86 million that is rapidly developing. Vietnam has a ravishing coastline, emerald-green mountains, breathtaking national parks, dynamic cities, outstanding cultural interest and one of the world’s best cuisines. The country borders Cambodia, Laos and China and has a tropical climate with two main seasons: cold and dry from November to April, and warm and rainy from May to October. The currency is the Vietnamese dong and there are over 16 million motorbikes in the country.

Halong Bay

Halong Bay is an archipelago made up of 1969 islands, both settled and uninhabited, in Northern Vietnam, 170km east of Hanoi. This unique UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated in 1994, is a popular place for tourists who come to see the islands that vary greatly in size and shape as well as structure and are often included in list of the natural wonders of the world. Ha Long Bay can be accessed from various ports, however the most common starting point is to board a boat in Cat Ba. The best time to visit Ha Long Bay starts is from March to June, however June through September is low season so you can get better deals.

There are many package tours to Cat Ba Island from Hanoi such as day cruises (from US$35 per person) and overnight tours (from US$79 per person for 1 night or US$175 per person for 2 nights), and these tours vary from budget/luxury/wooden cruises. Beyond the breathtaking vistas on a boat cruise through the bay, visitors to Halong come to explore the caves – some of which are beautifully illuminated for the benefit of tourists – and to hike in Cat Ba National Park. There are few real beaches in Halong Bay, but Lan Ha Bay (off the coast of Cat Ba Islands) has more than 100 sandy strips.

Nha Trang

Nha Trang is Vietnam’s most famous seaside resort-town. It's also the scuba diving center of Vietnam. The French recognized that this beautiful bay, with its islands and white sand beaches, made for a perfect bathing spot, and began the transformation into a resort town. American soldiers agreed, and Nha Trang became a favorite vacation stop during the war. The town is now a firmly established favourite of Vietnamese as well as foreign visitors.

Most of the tourist infrastructure is in the southern part of town around Biet Thu. Tran Phu is the backbone of the city, accompanied by a pleasant waterfront promenade, palm trees and the nearly 6km of beach.

Sights include:

-       National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam

-       Long Son Pagoda

-       Fishing village

-       Monkey Island

-       Doc Let beach

-       Bai Dai beach

-       Thap Ba Hot Springs

-       Vin Pearl Land

A wonderful option for seeing the sites is to hire a cyclo-driver for the day. Other activities include a motorcyle country tour, sailing, surfing, biking and rafting tour.

TAILANDIA

Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, coasts the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. It borders Myanmar (Burma) to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Cambodia to the southeast and Malaysia to the south.

With great food, a tropical climate, fascinating culture and great beaches, Thailand is a magnet for travellers the world over. Thailand can be divided into Northern Thailand, Isaan, Central Thailand, Eastern Thailand and Southern Thailand. It is the country in Southeast Asia most visited by tourists and has a population of around 65.5 million. It is largely tropical, so it’s hot and humid all year around with temperatures in the 28-35°C range. It is also among the top gastronomic destinations in the world.

Phuket

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and is in Southern Thailand, nestling in the balmy Andaman sea waters on Thailand’s Indian Ocean coastline 862 kms south of Bangkok. Phuket is hot and humid throughout the year. The hot season is generally considered to be from March to early May. Swimming, snorkelling, diving, yachting, jet-skiing and parasailing are the most popular activities on the island. Other activities include Freediving, windsurfing, kite surfing, wakeboarding and deep sea fishing. Phuket is a fully developed resort island with hundreds of hotels including some that are world renowned. The west coast of Phuket was hit severely by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, but almost no evidence of the damage now remains.

Patong

Patong is the largest beach resort in Phuket, known for its night life. While it is mostly a party area, it does offer the widest selection of watersports in Phuket.

Karon and Kata Beaches

Kata consists of two beaches: Kata Yai( Big) and Kata Noi (Little), divided by a cliff. Both bays are picturesque with rocks along the edges and sweeping fine pale yellow sands in the centre. 

While in Phuket, it is also popular to take snorkelling day trips to Racha & Phi Phi Islands.

Pattaya

Pattaya is a seaside resort on the Eastern Gulf Coast of Thailand, about 150km southeast of Bangkok, and caters for over 5 million annual visitors. The Vietnam War and its warriors made Pattaya a well-known recreational centre, especially among American GI’s. Pattaya is mostly famous for its go-go and beer bars and sex tourism remains the key money earner for Pattaya. However Pattaya is also popular for the broad selection of pastimes it caters for, from golf and horseback riding to bungee jumping, karting and shooting—not to mention a wide variety of watersports such as scuba diving, jet-skiing, sailing, water skiing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. Pattaya is also very popular as a conference, convention, and seminar venue.

Pattaya Beach

Pattaya Beach runs for 3km along the city center. It is full of life with hotels, restuaarnts and shopping malls.

Buddha Hill

One of the highest points in Pattaya. At the summit is the biggest Buddha statue in Pattaya.

Sanctuary of Truth

Sanctuary of Truth is a huge ancient-style wooden temple situated by the sea.

Flight of the Gibbon

For those who want adventure combined with the experience of seeing a rain forest canopy, this adventure tour is ideal. It involves ziplining over the forest canopy and getting a thrill that is in a league of its own.

Day trips to Ko Khrok or Ko Phai

Most dive trips focus on the group of “outer islands” about 25km from shore, which include Ko Rin, Ko Man Wichai and Ko Klung Badaan, where you have a reasonable chance of seeing barracuda, moray eels and blue-spotted stingrays. There are also three rewarding wreck dives in the Samae San/Sattahip area.

Krabi y sus playas cercanas

Krabi Province is a popular beach destination in the Andaman Sea in Southern Thailand. It abounds with countless natural attractions that never fail to impress tourists. Such attractions include white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, fascinating coral reefs, caves and waterfalls, as well as numerous islands. Along with coastal beaches, Krabi has over 150 attractive islands. Many of the islands belong to Hat Noppharat Thara/Ko Phi Phi Marina National Park, including Ko Phi Phi Don (probably the most popular island in this region).

The distinguishing feature of both Krabi and neighboring Phang Nga is the massive limestone karsts, rising vertiginously out of the flat rice paddies on land and as islands from the sea. While less commercialized than neighboring Phuket, Krabi Province cannot be described as undiscovered: it receives two million visitors a year, and the major tourist areas cater extensively for foreigners. The best time to visit Krabi is between the months November to April when the area's climate is less hot than usual.

Rock Climbing

Krabi is a world class rock-climbing destination, with the distinctive limestone karst formations offering a wide variety of climbs.

Diving

Krabi rivals Ko Tao on Thailand's east coast as a centre for diving, with a number of renowned dive sites in the Andaman sea, and with many dive shops in Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta.

Boat Trips

Boat travel is one of the major ways to visit some of the more secluded beaches on the Krabi mainland, as well as the many islands and islets dotting the Andaman sea, such as Ko Phi Phi Don.

Ko Tao

Ko Tao, literally Turtle Island, is an island off the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand. Ko Tao is a small island of approximately 21² km and receives over a 100,000 visitors per year. Peak seasons in Ko Tao are from December to March and July to August. It is a quite popular destination among Thais also, so it can be nearly fully booked on Thai holidays. It is a great place for divers or anybody who wants to get away from the hustle and bustle of Koh Samui. The island is geared towards diving tourists more than backpackers on a budget. Ko Tao is a great place to learn how to dive. There are hardly any currents and a wide selection of dive sites and dive shops, schools and resorts, and it is also one of the world’s cheapest places to get your open-water dive certification. If you’re not into diving, taking a bike around the island, Shark Bay is a good place to go snorkelling for the day.

Ko Samui
Koh Samui is the third-largest island in Thailand, some 700 km south of Bangkok and about 80 km from the eastern coastline of Southern Thailand. Ko Samui is a fairly big island. The most popular and commercialised beaches are Chaweng and Lamai, while the northern beaches and their adjacent villages of Mae Naem, Bophut, Bang Rak (Big Buddha) and Choeng Mon are more peaceful choices, and the west coast beaches are still (comparatively) quiet. In the early 1970s the first backpackers travelling on the back of a coconut boat arrived on Ko Samui. Unfortunately, development on Ko Samui is starting to take its toll and the beaches of Chaweng and Lamai are overcrowded in the high season. Samui's weather patterns are a little different from the rest of Thailand. In April through September, when most of the country has its monsoon. The major reason why people come to Samui is to enjoy the beaches.

Chaweng Beach

Lamai Beach

Wat Khunaram Ko Samui

This temple is the island’s most famous temple for its mummified monk on display.

Other attractions include coral beds at Laem Set and Thong Takhian; the nearby butterfly garden and aquarium; a snake farm; a monkey theatre at Bo Phut, and a massive seated Buddha image on Fan Isle.