History & contextFor centuries, the mainland portion of SoutheastAsia was the site of numerous indigenousdynasties, but in the 19th century all but Thailandcame under the control of European powers,notably France. After 1945 they gainedindependence, but they still bear testament tocolonialism in the architectural styles left behind.Southeast Asia today contains many excitingmodern cities, with Jakarta in Indonesia and Manilain the Philippines ranking amongst the ten mostpopulous in the world. Designer shoppingopportunities can be found in the most unlikelyplaces, and Thailand and Singapore have fastgrowing 'tiger' economies. However, much ofSoutheast Asia retains a traditional flavour and itis possible to see cultures and landscapes thathave not changed for centuries.ReligionMany religions are practised across Southeast Asia and you will almost certainly have someexposure to this during your trip, whether givingalms to a Buddhist monk in Laos, attending aHindu ceremony in Bali, or covering your head to enter a mosque in Malaysia. Islam is the mostwidely practised religion, with about 40% of theregion's population considering themselvesMuslim. The majority are found in Brunei,Indonesia and Malaysia. Buddhism is predominantin Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Vietnam andSingapore and in these countries visitors will see a spectacular array of temples. These vary in style from country to country, and in places likeBorobudur in Java, Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Pagan in Burma you cannot help but beamazed at the sheer scale of these monuments.Confucianism is also widely practised in Vietnamand Singapore. Christianity is predominant in thePhilippines, eastern Indonesia and MalaysianBorneo. The Philippines has the largest RomanCatholic population in Asia. In many places it isstill possible to find evidence of animism and spirit worship, particularly Indonesia, Papua NewGuinea, the Philippines, Cambodia and Laos. Local culture & etiquetteEach country has its own culture and etiquette,and the golden rule is to do as the locals do. In Buddhist countries it is usual to remove yourshoes before entering a building. Try not to pointyour feet at anyone, or at any Buddha image, anddo not touch people on the head as the head isbelieved to be sacred. Money is always handedover with two hands as a sign of respect. The best thing you can do to make friends is tolearn some of the local language. This will beharder in some places than in others, but even ifyou just learn to say hello and thank you this willdelight anyone you meet. After you have bookedyour trip, we will send you a brief language guide,which will help you get to grips with the basicsbefore you travel. We will also offer guidance on how to dressappropriately in order to respect local customs.Some areas have been established as traveldestinations for longer than others and you willfind that your experiences vary. This is part of the joy of travelling in this region.Audley in Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia is a vast region of Asia, lying east of the Indian Subcontinent and south of China. It includes the mainland area, made up of Indochina and the Malaypeninsula, and a string of archipelagos to the south and east. The region is inhabited by many different peoples and unique wildlife, and offers the traveller a wide range ofexperiences. Whether you want to discover cultural heritage, meet local tribes, explorerainforests, relax on a beach, sample local cuisine or cruise along a busy waterway; Southeast Asia has something for you. 4Monks, LaosApsara dancer, the Bayon, Siem Reap, CambodiaLady in Mae Hong Son, ThailandTea plantation, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

WildlifeSoutheast Asia is not generally known for itsmammals, and although there are still tigers, bearsand rhinos in some areas, they are very rarelyseen. The major exceptions are elephants andorang-utan. There are a variety of opportunitiesavailable for learning more about the Asianelephant in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia andIndonesia. There is also a pygmy variety found inMalaysian Borneo and this is your best chance ofseeing these gentle giants in the wild. There areonly four places in the world where orang-utancan be found and these are on the islands ofBorneo and Sumatra. Sightings of these 'men ofthe forest' can be combined with spotting otherprimates and reptiles in their natural habitats. The most impressive reptiles in Southeast Asiaare the Komodo dragons of Indonesia, which arefound on Komodo and Rinca islands, east of Bali.BirdwatchingThe most spectacular bird life in Southeast Asia is to be found on Papua New Guinea - home to38 of the world's 43 species of bird of paradise.We use specialist birding guides to help you spotand identify these magnificent creatures. We alsohave specialist guides in Malaysian Borneo,Thailand and Vietnam where there is a diverserange of species. Beaches & relaxationApart from landlocked Laos, every country inSoutheast Asia has coastline, and there arestunning beaches if you wish to include relaxationtime as part of your holiday. Some of ourfavourites are the lesser known Thai islands ofKoh Kood and Koh Samet, and the islands off the east coast of Malaysia such as Tioman andRedang. Accommodation options are alsoimproving in Vietnam, making this a good choicetoo - both Hoi An and the small island of PhuQuoc off the southern coast of Vietnam havehideaway resorts. There are also some excitingnew properties off the south coast of Cambodia.DivingSome of the most popular dive sites are theSimilan Islands, or Koh Tao in Thailand, or theislands around Sipadan in Malaysian Borneo.However, there are many other quieter spotsoffering more unique experiences. NorthernSulawesi in Indonesia gives you the chance to diveamong sunken World War II aeroplane wrecks,Madang in Papua New Guinea has sunkenwarships and diving in the Visayas in thePhilippines almost guarantees the chance to swimwith thresher sharks. Many of our specialists arequalified divers, so will be able to advise on thebest place for you to dive depending on yourlevel of expertise.01993 838 100 ?Introduction5Banca boat, PhilippinesBaby orang-utan, Borneo