Unconventional Locations: South East Asia
Moving a little further south from our previous location, South East Asia is a cultural melting pot that couples both recent and ancient history in an incredibly dense area. It also offers a plethora of geographic landscapes, from lush tropical rainforests to volcanic steam vents. If partying in Bangkok or visiting Angkor Wat make you wince at the potential tourist overload, some of these locations may allow you to experience the vibrant history and landscape of the region without wading through crowds of people to see it.

Vientiane Buddha Park (Wat Xieng Khuan) — Laos
Constructed in 1958, this sprawling garden is surrounded by a random selection of both Buddhist and Hindu statues in an eclectic mix of gods, goddesses, animals and other deities. You can also take in an awning that combines Alligators, multi-faced Buddhas and king nagas into a single sight, as well as a huge spherical structure that you can climb to observe an amazing view of the entire park, while also being able to see across the nearby river into neighbouring Thailand. If you’re interested in modern sculpture with a mystic twist, this park offers sights that range from beautifully serene to grotesquely surreal.

Bokor Hill — Cambodia
If you want to experience some of the colonial history of the region, while also having a penchant for abandoned buildings, Bokor Palace is a good place to start. Originally a bustling hotel and casino built in the French colonial style, Bokor was a key battleground in both the Vietnam and Cambodian civil wars, with the bullet strewn walls a stark reminder of the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge period. While the buildings themselves are obviously a little degraded, the town offers beautiful ocean views and their location high up on the coastal mountainside is great for panoramas.

Hsipaw — Myanmar
While Myanmar might no longer be the secretive, untouched paradise that it used to be, taking a trek into the villages around Hsipaw is a good way of finding some amazing examples of Shan culture. If you ignore the daily tours of around 8–10 people and go walking into the surrounding villages yourself you’ll be able to experience waterfalls, farmland, natural hot-springs and some local hospitality if you’re lucky. Locals may sometimes invite you in for meals and you can experience the amazingly laid-back lifestyle and maybe even teach them some English if you come across Hope and her school in the village of Naloy.

Wang Saen Suk — Thailand
At first glance, this area outside of Bangkok might appear to be another peaceful garden setting. However if you look closer the true nature of the scene is revealed. It is in fact a depiction of Buddhist hell, with a full array a figures in a variety of terrifying positions including torture and mutilation. If you’re interested in the macabre and want a different theme for your travel diary in Thailand then this place of nightmares is definitely worth checking out, if you’re brave enough!

Kawah Ijen — Java, Indonesia
If you’re a courageous hiker, Kawah Ijen will test you as you’ll have to descend into a pitch black sulphuric crater to reach the sights at the bottom. Once you complete the descent you’ll witness groups of miners working amongst brilliant blue flames as the gases in the rock combust in the atmosphere. As the sun rises, you’ll then ascend for an amazing view of the acid green lake below. The area also contains volcanoes and green forests which offer similarly remarkable vistas. If you want a truly unique hiking experience, Kawah Ijen is the place to go!

Kapas Island, Malaysia
One of the smaller islands that make up Malaysia, being only 2km long and 1km wide, Kapas is less crowded than some of its neighbours and therefore is a great location to relax and enjoy it’s quiet beaches. The island also offers some excellent diving opportunities with sea turtles, numerous fish species and even a sunken WWII Japanese ship just some of sights that can be seen if you want to take a dip in-between sunbathing. If you’re curious about the inland areas, the island also hosts a small number of paths for light jungle trekking.

Plain of Jars — Laos
One of the more mysterious areas of Laos, the Plain of Jars is a vast hilly area with over 2,000 (you guessed it!) stone jars dotted around its terrain. The reason as to why they exist is currently unknown, theories range from the jars being used to brew rice wine to functioning as some ancient form of burial site. They are estimated to have been made around 500BC to 200AD and are well deserving of a tour, if anything to appreciate the fact they managed to survive the heavy bombing of WWII and remain mostly intact.
