58 days in Southeast Asia Itinerary

Encompassing over 7,600 islands, the Philippines offer plenty of vacation ideas for active travelers. Though the island chain's location leaves it vulnerable to typhoons and earthquakes, it also endows it with plenty of natural resources and biodiversity. For most visitors, a Philippines holiday includes outdoor adventures like kitesurfing, mountain trekking, spelunking, and volcano hiking. Those with a taste for something more relaxing can build a Philippines itinerary around beaches, local fiestas, and the island cuisine, which blends influences from around the world and serves up dishes at once sour, salty, and sweet.

Rugged beaches lure many to take their holiday in East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that gained its independence in 2002 after a brutal occupation by Indonesia. With pristine reefs, steep mountains, mysterious jungle caves, and misty hillside villages, the country represents one of Asia's most charming destinations, where it's still possible to have an off-the-beaten-track adventure. Many choose to tour East Timor by car, stopping at various locations to snap photos, dive into the sea, and mingle with the locals at quaint settlements preserving age-old traditions lost to the rest of the world. Those preferring urban experiences concentrate on Dili, the ultra-relaxed capital with access to both sea and mountains.

Boasting over 18,000 islands, Indonesia represents the world's largest archipelago, serving as home to about 250 million people. A kaleidoscope of cultures, the country encompasses some 300 ethnic groups and nearly 750 different languages and dialects--an astounding cultural diversity that makes an Indonesia holiday especially rewarding. Begin your Indonesia tour by discovering the country's big cities, huge melting pots bursting with energy and soaked in centuries of dramatic history. From there, head farther afield: the nation's varied landscapes of volcanoes, white-sand beaches, and sprawling tropical forests draw adrenaline junkies seeking an exotic land offering perhaps the world's last truly great outdoor adventures.

A small but wealthy country benefiting hugely from large deposits of petroleum and natural gas, Brunei Darussalam sits on the vital sea routes connecting the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. While business-minded travelers make the trip to Brunei Darussalam to invest in some of Southeast Asia's biggest oil fields, tourists flock here to explore culturally rich cities and biologically diverse wilderness areas. National parks protect old-growth forests and coral reefs, providing a lush playground for intrepid hikers, bird-watchers, and divers. Well-rounded tours of Brunei Darussalam usually begin in Bandar Seri Begawan, a thriving capital city in which majestic mosques and modern museums contrast with a somewhat chaotic water village, where hundreds of private homes seem to float on the surface of the Brunei River.

An unusual blend of a developing nation and the modern world, Malaysia ranks as one of the richest countries in Southeast Asia, its prosperity largely resting on thriving high-tech industries. Malaysia vacations remain a more affordable alternative to the expensive tourism in some neighboring countries. Take a trip to Malaysia to explore busy cities filled with colonial-era architecture, tranquil tea plantations supporting a large portion of the local population, and dozens of scattered islands happily evading the worst aspects of mass tourism. While there may be fewer visitors, there's no shortage of fine beaches, mangrove estuaries, and verdant rainforests filled with exotic wildlife.

Offering a rich culinary heritage, sun-kissed beaches, exotic culture, tropical climate, and stunning landscapes, a Thailand vacation remains one of the world's greatest magnets for curious travelers. In between the busy and crowded cities, the Asian nation features a quiet countryside: a blend of lush rice paddies, flourishing tropical forests, and tiny villages living according to an age-old agricultural clock that continues to play a major role in the locals' lifestyle. A tour of Thailand reveals a deep devotion to Buddhism, exemplified by eye-catching temples lavishly decorated with golden Buddha statues, simple shrines, and lively religious festivals celebrated throughout the country.

For over six centuries, the mighty Khmer Empire flourished in Cambodia, a scenic land of majestic temples, pristine waterfalls, and dense jungles. A protectorate of France between 1863 and 1953, the country suffered under the Khmer Rouge, a ruling party remembered mostly for its part in organizing the bloody Cambodian genocide of the 1970s. Today, a trip to Cambodia will reveal the region's troubled history, but also some of Southeast Asia's most significant archaeological sites. Few tourist attractions in Cambodia match the splendor of Angkor Wat, a World Heritage-listed temple complex that represents the biggest religious monument on the planet.