Southeast Asia

This pictorial guide is essentially an introduction to Southeast Asia through pictures and is in no way aiming to be a true guide. A plethora of guidebooks can fill in those details. These pages aim to bring together our photographic collection from 1974 to the present, providing inspiration to would-be explorers and inquisitive armchair travellers. Across Southeast Asia the people are as welcoming, charming and helpful as any in the world. Southeast Asia is more diverse than might first be observed from an atlas. There are no vast deserts, but there are mountain regions, lush fertile plains, fabulous beaches and extensive tropical rainforests. Previously known as Indochina, much of Southeast Asia has become a top destination for travellers and visitors, and with good reason. Since the end of the Vietnam War, the region has been safe, prosperous and inviting for tourists. Vietnam is now easy to visit and has a host of varied and amazing sights. Myanmar (Burma) has a wealth of superb historic sites that include Mandalay and Pagan (Bagan). Thailand has long been popular, originally with hippies and then travellers. These days mass tourism has moved in. After the remnants of the Khmer Rouge had been eliminated In Cambodia in the early 1990s, visits to the fabulous remains of Angkor Wat increased dramatically - it's sensational. Laos, once the sleepy partner in the region, has become a 'must see' country, with tranquil hills, colourful temples, surprising historic remains and friendly people. Further south, Malaysia has developed a great tourist industry and Singapore remains a dynamic hub. Indonesia is so vast that few get beyond Bali, Java, Sumatra and maybe Lombok. Its sights are varied, with mosques, temples, animistic villages and tropical rainforest. East Timor sits at the eastern edge of the Indonesian archipelago on the route to Australia.This book is divided into countries, but there is an overlap of the traditions, culture and of new development. Some of the images date back to the 1970s, an era of great adventure to the most recent years. Southeast Asia is magical; a place to inspire and to enjoy.