Southeast Asia is such an alluring region that it can be extremely hard to know where to go — especially if you only have a few days. In its cities, ancient temples glow gold beneath glittering skyscrapers. In the more rural areas, dense jungles lead to virgin white-sand beaches.
Whether you travel for relaxation or adventure, history or culture, we’ve rounded up six weekend vacation spots you won’t want to miss.
As always, check for travel restrictions and closures before planning your trip.
Chiang Mai, Thailand
If Bangkok is the face of Thailand’s future, then cooler, calmer Chiang Mai is the face of its past.
This laid-back hub in the northern hills is the nation’s second-largest city, but it still contains the walls and moats of its former life as a cultural and religious center, with all the lavish temples and intricate sculptures to prove it, too.
While it’s emerged as a hub for digital nomads, that just means you’ll find more juice bars and third-wave coffee shops than you used to.
The sprawling traditional markets, including the Night Bazaar and Gate Market, aren’t going anywhere, and they make Chiang Mai a fantastic place to shop for authentic souvenirs, including Thai silks and intricately painted rice boxes.
Singapore
For a fast-paced city escape in Southeast Asia, there’s nowhere as easily reached or tuned in to global trends as Singapore.
Start your weekend with some shopping at the boutiques on Orchard Road; then stop for lunch in Little India or Chinatown, depending on your mood. In the afternoon, discover the city’s greener side at Gardens by the Bay nature park or the beaches of Sentosa.
The futuristic skyscrapers of Marina Bay light up like Christmas trees come nightfall, making the neighborhood an iconic destination for an evening stroll.
Gunung Mulu National Park, Malaysia
This protected rainforest on the island of Borneo is perhaps best known for its spindly karst features and boundless caverns, including the largest-known cave chamber in the world: the 2,000-foot-long, 1,425-foot-wide Sarawak Chamber.
Visitors also flock to Gunung Mulu for hikes into its brilliant old-growth rainforest, swims in its waterfalls and canopy walks in the trees above, searching for gibbons and hornbills.
Is it remote? Yes, but the park is easily reached via Mulu Airport and houses an exceptionally comfortable base at the Mulu Marriott Resort & Spa, where you can rest your head before the next day’s adventure.
Guimaras Island, Philippines
With pure white-sand beaches, prismatic coral reefs and aquamarine seas, Guimaras Island is the very definition of paradise.
Located in the Panay Gulf, this largely undeveloped island is renowned in the Philippines for its mangoes, which are reputed to be the sweetest in the world. Judge for yourself as you sip on a mango smoothie on Guisi Beach, kicking back under the swaying palms. Or take that smoothie with you on a boat tour to the even more pristine islets just offshore.
Many visitors base themselves in Iloilo City (a 15-minute ferry ride away) for more creature comforts, including excellent eateries such as Wawa Heritage Restaurant, which is tucked behind a fading colonial facade.
Da Nang, Vietnam
Da Nang is a best-of-both-worlds destination for anyone who enjoys the buzz of urban life alongside easy access to nature. Sure, it’s one of Vietnam’s largest cities, but you can just as easily find yourself lazing on a pristine beach one day, and then hiking into the Marble Mountains the next.
Instagrammers light up their feeds with images of Da Nang’s 500-foot-long Golden Bridge, which is held up by two giant fiberglass hands.
The city is also within easy day-tripping distance of two Unesco World Heritage Sites: Hoi An (with its crumbling port town architecture and romantic sidewalk cafés) and Hué (with its ornate gardens, temples and palaces of the Nguyen Dynasty).
Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Fiercely independent Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, is Indonesia’s artiest city and the most important hub of classical Javanese crafts, including batik and silversmithing.
The cultural heart of the city, still run by a sultan, is the city’s walled palace complex. There are museums with royal artifacts, as well as open-air pavilions where you can listen to percussive gamelan music, watch a wayang shadow-puppet show, or enjoy the songlike macapat poetry.
Most visitors pass through Yogyakarta en route to the World Heritage Site of Borobudur, which lies about an hour north of town. The largest Buddhist structure in the world, it holds 72 openwork stupas and more than 500 Buddhas.
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