Southeast Asia Travel Guide: Tours in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia
An open guide to planning a trip through mainland and island Southeast Asia, maintained by the team behind JetlyGo, the free trip planner. It covers where to go, when to go, and which tours are actually worth booking in four countries that most travellers combine on one trip.
Everything here is written in plain English and kept short enough to read on a phone at the airport. There is no code in this repository. It is a living set of travel notes, and it gets updated whenever our tour pages, seasons or entry rules change.
What is in this guide
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Vietnam tours guide | Ha Long Bay cruises, Hoi An day trips, Phong Nha caves, Hue, Nha Trang diving |
| Thailand tours guide | Bangkok bike tours, Chiang Mai elephants and rafting, Phuket islands, Khao Sok lake |
| Indonesia tours guide | Komodo liveaboards, Raja Ampat diving, Bali and Nusa Lembongan, Lombok and the Gilis |
| Cambodia tours guide | Siem Reap, Angkor and the countryside by quad bike |
| Multi-country itineraries | Two, three and four week routes that link the four countries |
| Trip planning checklist | Visas, seasons, money, transport and booking order |
Each guide links to the others where a route naturally continues. Vietnam runs into Cambodia overland, Cambodia connects to Thailand, and Bangkok is the cheapest jumping-off point for Bali.
About JetlyGo
JetlyGo is a travel planner that keeps flights, stays, tours and visas in one workspace instead of twelve browser tabs. You can build a day-by-day trip plan in under a minute, then swap activities, check entry rules and book tours from the same page.
The tours side of the site lists operators we work with directly in Southeast Asia. Prices are shown as a total for the group and the dates you choose, so a number always says what it is for. You can browse every listing on the Southeast Asia tours page.
Quick picks by country
Vietnam. Start with an overnight boat in the north. The Ha Long Bay overnight cruises compare cabins, routes and what each boat includes. In the centre, Hoi An is the easiest base for half-day trips, and the guide to Vietnam tours and cruises lists everything from cooking classes to multi-day caving.
Thailand. Chiang Mai is the north’s adventure capital, with ethical elephant sanctuaries, white water and mountain biking. In the south, Phuket island and lake tours cover Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay and the floating raft houses of Cheow Lan Lake. See all options on the Thailand tours hub.
Indonesia. The country is enormous, so pick a region. Divers head east for Komodo National Park liveaboards, while first-timers usually start with Bali day trips and surf lessons. The full list sits on the Indonesia tours page.
Cambodia. Most people come for Angkor and stay longer than planned. Beyond the temples, the Siem Reap countryside tours get you out to rice fields and villages that tour buses never reach. Browse more on the Cambodia tours page.
How we choose what to recommend
- We work with the operator directly. No tour appears here unless we have spoken with the people running it.
- Like-for-like prices. A price is for the trip as described, for your group size, on your dates. No “from” numbers that only apply to a group of twelve in the rainy season.
- Plain language. If a tour description needs a glossary, we rewrite it.
- Honest seasons. Every guide says when a trip is a bad idea, not only when it is a good one.
Frequently asked questions
Which country should I visit first? For a first trip to the region, Thailand is the gentlest start: frequent flights, easy transport and tourism infrastructure everywhere. Vietnam rewards a little more planning with some of the most varied scenery in Asia. Our multi-country itineraries show how to combine them.
What is the best time to visit Southeast Asia? Roughly November to April is dry for most of mainland Southeast Asia, but central Vietnam and parts of Indonesia run on different calendars. The trip planning checklist has a month-by-month table.
Do I need a visa? It depends on your passport. You can check visa requirements by passport on JetlyGo before you book anything non-refundable.
Can I book these tours directly? Yes. Every tour linked in these guides can be booked on jetlygo.com, and you can ask questions before paying.
More guides by destination
Narrower guides for the trips people ask us about most:
- Halong Bay cruise guide
- Lan Ha Bay guide
- Central Vietnam travel guide
- Mekong Delta tour guide
- Labuan Bajo and Komodo guide
- Raja Ampat liveaboard guide
- Luwuk Banggai diving guide
- Laos tours guide
Read this guide in your language
This guide is also written natively, not machine translated, in twelve more languages. Each version links to the matching language edition of JetlyGo.
Deutsch · Español · Français · Italiano · Nederlands · Português · Bahasa Indonesia · Tiếng Việt · Русский · 한국어 · 简体中文 · עברית
Contributing
Spotted an outdated price, a closed attraction or a ferry that no longer runs? Open an issue with the page name and what changed. Local knowledge from travellers who have just come back is the most useful thing anyone can add.
License
The written content in this repository is shared under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. You may quote and adapt it with a link back to JetlyGo.