Photo by Mr Ullmi on Flickr
This month’s guest post comes from Matt Kepnes, author of Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site. Matt runs a highly successful series of travel blogs and is one of the few bloggers I know that makes a living by blogging about travel. If you’re interested in finding out how he does it, you might want to take a look at his ebook called Earn and Save Money While You Travel. I finished reading it last week and I can vouch for it. It’s a good read with plenty of helpful tips and tricks to producing a travel blog that can make you money.
Now, on with Matt’s guest post…
The backpacking trail in Southeast Asia is very worn down. Travelers have been turning over every corner of this place for decades. However, there are still plenty of hidden gems and exciting activities to be found away from the masses.
Khao Yai National Park – This national park is about 4 hours north of Bangkok. It doesn’t see that many tourists and is a great way to hike the jungles of Thailand without the crowds of that frequent Chiang Mai. You’ll be able to see a lot of wildlife here including wild elephants. The guides here also speak very good English.
Kep – This quiet French colonial town is a nice alternative to Sihanoukville, the fast paced, party capital of Cambodia’s beach scene. You can get to Kep by detouring in Kampot instead of going right to Sihanoukville. This quiet town sees fewer tourists and is generally more Cambodian than Sihanoukville. If you want to relax on the beaches of Cambodia, this place is it.
Bokor – The Bokor hill station is an old French colonial house run down by time and neglect. You can visit it by taking the train from Phen Penh or a day trip from Kep or Sihanoukville. The hill station is hard to get to and surrounded by great jungles making it a lovely countryside trip.
Chuc Phuong National Park – Located a few hours south of Hanoi, this national park doesn’t have many visitors despite the wide number of operators offering day tours from Hanoi. It’s a great way to see the Vietnamese countryside. Though not very big, the park has an abundance of caves, wildlife, and elusive gibbons. If you are lucky, you will see one.
Bay of Islands – Most people tend to skirt through Laos hitting the major destinations on their way to Vietnam or looping back into Thailand. The roads here are pretty rough so most people skip over the really exciting part- the south. Don’t miss a chance to check out this area, especially the amazing Bay of Islands, a large river delta with over 4,000 islands to see.
Bike the Mekong Delta – Many tour operators offer cycling trips throughout the delta. This is a more adventurous way to see the area than the typical bus/boat package. You can get off the main roads and see the rice fields and small villages. If you are an experienced biker, you can do it yourself. Even if you aren’t an experienced cyclist, the tour companies set a pace everyone can follow.
Ko Tarutao National Park – This national park is right across the border from Malaysia. It’s famous for having the now overdeveloped Ko Lipe but all the surrounding islands are untouched. Most of the islands in the park don’t have any tourist facilities and you need to bring your own supplies. The trade if is that you get a whole island to yourself. Not a bad deal! If you want some more services, stay on the main island where the park services are located to get cheap bungalows. If you ever wanted a Robinson Caruso experience, this place would be it.
Day Train to Chiang Mai- Most people take the night train to Chiang Mai in order to save time. However, in doing so, they miss out on a great trip through jungles and little rural towns. During the day, the train is alive with activity. Vendors come on and sell twenty baht meals at each stop. You can snack all day on a variety of delicious local food. There are lots of locals who want to talk to you and you can look out your windows and see beautiful jungle. All things you miss when you take the night train. If you have the time, take the day train instead of the night train.
Southeast Asia may be overrun with tourists but not all parts of it are covered. You can still find many hidden treasures in the area. The next time you go traveling in the area make sure to get off the tourist trail a bit and visit these places.
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Great post, will definitely investigate some of those places before my next trip. A couple of my favourites are Khao Sok, Thailand and Kelimutu, Flores, Indonesia. Both had very few tourists, were very quiet and come highly recommended!
Sigh, the bike trip down the Mekong Delta sounds divine actually…
Hi Kim,
Another idea to add to your ever-growing list of travel dreams, eh?
Hi Carrie and Matt,
I agree that SEA is rundown with backpackers and flashpackers nowadays! It’s great to hear from Matt about these fantastic hidden gems.
Perhaps, I would like to suggest to your readers also…my country…the Philippines. Although technically not SEA, it shares the same Pacific waters, with 7,100 islands that are mostly untouched and undiscovered. I hope you and Matt can come visit the Philippines one day!
Hi Jen,
I am DYING to go to the Philippines! While living in China, I was the lead singer of a Filipino rock band. I sang professionally on stages all over China and met some incredible friends and musicians. One of the reasons I’d like to go to the Philippines is to reconnect with familiar faces. Tell me, is everyone in the Philippines great at being incredibly kind and good at making people happy? Of course, the islands that were mentioned in your comment are also a big draw. I’ve heard that Palawan is the place to go at the moment. Would you agree with that?
Agreed with Jen – I’m in Camiguin, Philippines now and it’s amazing. The Philippines gets about one tenth the tourists that places like Thailand gets. It’s amazing to go places and be the first foreigner the locals have ever seen (though slightly intimidating!!). But soon I’ll be off to discover the rest of Southeast Asia and will hopefully get so visit some of the places Matt suggested!! Cheers and great blog. KK
Hi Kaila,
Thanks for stopping by. Great site and great photos over on Blondetraveler by the way.
Hi Carrie. I am from the Philippines and yes, Filipinos are known to be friendly and hospitable. We make sure visitors have a memorable and enjoyable stay
And yes, Palawan is said to be very very beautiful (never been there though but planning to go soon). Aside from Palawan, there is also Bohol, Boracay (but a little too crowded), Camiguin, Caramoan in Camarines Sur, Batanes just to name a few. Hope you can visit the Philippines soon 
Hi MJ,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I was just over on your site looking at your post about eight things to do in Osaka. Osaka is one of my favorite cities and we ended up doing all eight things that were suggested on your site. A truly great list!
I can see that it’s going to be hard to decide on where to go in the Philippines.
Thanks Carrie:) Same to you.
A really nice place to visit is Maya Baya, phi phi islands, thailand
Have a scan on google, im sure the images of the place will convince you 
Philippines is a great place to go too! Should go visit Boracay, amazing place.
Hi Joel,
Agreed. We’re heading to the Phillippines in January.
I’d love to live in south east Asia but the climate there is terrible. I went there and fell ill twice because of humid climate. I think it is one of the beautiful areas in the world.
Hi Mrugesh,
Just like any other places, it takes some getting used to. I have friends who regularly fall ill when they first arrive at a destination and are fine after that. I admit, coming from Canada, a humid environment does take some getting used to, though. Thanks for stopping by.
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