Online travel platform YouDiscover, has published a comprehensive list of the 15 best destinations for travellers in Southeast Asia. Out of 93 destinations across 11 countries, the top cities are characterised by a diverse mix of tourist infrastructure, a rich range of activities, fair costs, and excellent proximity to the country’s most beautiful sites.
For this study, cities across Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, East Timor, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam were examined for nine factors across three categories: Accommodation & Gastronomy, Day Trips, and Experiences and Entertainment. The criteria under each category included: cost, distance, time, activities, and sights, to preempt the priorities at the top of a travellers itinerary.
The top 15 cities in the ranking offer tourists the chance to experience their day to day rhythm, and to better understand the lifestyle of local people. Plus, taking a wander off the beaten track allows travellers to discover some unmissable gems. It’s not surprising, then, that Siem Reap in Cambodia (1st place), Đà Nẵng in Vietnam (5th place), and Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei (7th place), earn their positions largely thanks to their proximity to some of the world’s wonders; while Bangkok, Thailand (2nd place), Singapore (3rd place), and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (15th place), secure their spots thanks to their diverse nightlife, activities, and entertainment.
Top 15:
- Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Singapore, Singapore
- Phnom Pehn, Cambodia
- Đà Nẵng, Vietnam
- Huế, Vietnam
- Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
- Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Yangon, Myanmar
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Mandalay, Myanmar
- Nah Trang, Vietnam
- Battambang, Cambodia
- Vientiane, Laos
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Further insights:
- Bangkok, Thailand, has the highest number of accommodation options, with 4,399 hotels. Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei, has the fewest number of hotels, with just 44.
- With an average cost of just 29 € a night, accommodation costs the least inBangkok, Thailand, and at 59 € a night, is most expensive in Singapore.
- Bangkok, Thailand has almost 7000 restaurants, while Battambang, Cambodiahas just 92.
- Singapore has the most convenient travel times. It costs just 3 € and takes only18 minutes to visit the most popular attractions around the city-state.
- A drive from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to the country’s major attractions takes an average of 30 hours, more than double the time of any other city in the top 15. The trip costs an average of 228,94 €.
- On average, 1,052-day trips depart from Siem Reap, Cambodia. Most head to the nearby temple town of Angkor Wat.
- The Thai capital, Bangkok, has about 1,801 activities, ranking highest for this factor. Vientiane, Laos, ranks last for activities, with just 33.
- With 309 sights, Singapore has the most places worth seeing in Southeast Asia, while Battambang, Cambodia, has the least.
