Southeast Asia on a Budget...(part 3)

The Southeast also has a long colonial past. My very own country was under Spanish rule for 333.5 years! If you go around the Mekong region, you can still see the remnants of the European powers which governed it. Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam were collectively called the French Indochine. The Dutch has Indonesia. Portugal has East Timor and the English has Myanmar. Only Thailand remained neutral, I think that’s also the reason why their culture remained intact.

I was amazed when we went around Cambodia and Laos last summer. Even the smallest restaurant or café has a good-sized Wine Rack. So French! In Laos, even the names of the government buildings are still in French and I literally was hungry all the time in Vientiane coz unless I go to restaurants serving traditional Laotian food, the cafés only have breads and pastas!

Laos

If you are coming from Vietnam or Cambodia, you can start from Pakse and the surrounding Champasak province before taking an overnighter to Vientiane. Laid back and quiet, Vientiane can be toured around within 2-3 days then you move northwards to Luang Prabang, the UNESCO heritage site which is so awesome. Although I haven’t been there, some travelers told me that Vang Vieng is really fantastic ( I saw the landscape from my bus window and it really looks awesome!). Oh well, next time!

Malaysia

Can be accessed from Thailand in the north and Singapore from the south, even from Indonesia by ferry! My previous self postcards includes a Petronas background (a must!), inside Batu caves, and some Melaka poses. Malaysia is such an amalgam of cultural and religious divergence, Melaka has the Dutch and Nyonya (local Chinese families) heritage, Penang has Indian and Chinese enclaves, and the rest of Malaysia is predominantly Sunni Muslim.

Singapore

So squeaky clean! And so totally stress free arrival at the airport. You can go to the city centre in no time, either by train (the fastest) or by taxi (they will give you a receipt so no haggling involved!). Despite the skyscrapers dotting the landscape, the city has retained its roots. You can go visit Little India with its Bangalore/Chennai-like atmosphere or go browse through the shops in Chinatown and yes, don't forget to kiss the Merlion!