South Asia includes the southern countries of Asia with a total of 5.2 million km2 area and comprises of a population of almost 1.8 billion people located near Southeast Asia. Hence, it is the most populated region of the world with great religious and cultural diversity. From Muslims to Christians, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, Sikhs, Parses and Jains, the South Asia is the home for people of all the major religions existing in the world.
Major Travel Countries of South Asia
South Asia comprises of countries such as Pakistan, Maldives, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.
Pakistan
Pakistan is truly the “Wonder” of South Asia. Situated along the Arabian Sea, Pakistan is one of the few countries of the world that are blessed with all the geographical structures from sea to hot/cold deserts, lush meadows, green/dry/snow-covered mountains, glaciers, trekking trails, plateaus freshwater lakes and rivers, fertile land, natural water resources and forests. The mountainous range of the Karakoram, Himalayas and the Hindu Kush are also located in the country.
Pakistan
The best Destinations in Pakistan to visist are; Nothern areas, Gilgit Balitstan, Hunza Valley, Fairy Meadows, Astore Valley, Domel, Kumrat Valley, Neelum Valley, Kashmir, Murree, Swat, Chitral, Kalash Valley and lot more. Pakistan is home to the second highest peak of the world i.e. K2, one of the largest warm water ports namely the Gwadar port and the highest paved roads of the world known as KKH or the Karakoram Highway. Pakistan has rich ancient history as indicated by the archaeological ruins of Moenjodaro , Takht-i-Bahi, Sahr-i-Bahlol Thatta and Taxila.
The cost of visa of Pakistan varies depending upon the visa type. It is usually valid for 4-6 months. Typically, $15 to $25 per day are more than enough all the expenditures. Pakistanis are tremendously friendly, hospitable, welcoming and respectful people. Once you step in the country, you would not be able to escape the striking charm of people as they would make you feel at home by their indescribable hospitality.
Maldives
Maldives consist of 1.192 islands that are spread over 90,000 km2. , being the vital tourist attraction in South Asia. The major tourist attraction in the country is underwater life that is remarkably astounding. Generally, tourists visit the resort islands coral atolls in Maldives for surfing, scuba diving or snorkelling.
Maldives are quiet expensive as compared to other South Asian countries. Usually, resorts charge up to $100 per week for a couple. The hotel charges are high too. The visa policy of the country is exceptionally good. Every person gets a free visa for 30 days upon arrival if he/she has proper ticket, travel documents and enough funds.
India
India is situated at the centre of South Asia. It is the 7th largest country of the world with a population of over 1 billion people. India is ethnically, religiously, culturally and geographically diverse country. The country is home to several historic monuments, Mughal architectural sights including the Taj Mahal/Delhi Mosque/Lal Qila, Sangla Valley, Golden Temple, National Park of Kanha, Goa beach, Lake Palace, Tirupati Balaji temple, Gangotri Glacier and Ganges etcetera. Indians are commonly nice people.
India is an economical country but the larger cities such as Mumbai tends to be a bit expensive. The price of visa varies according to the type of visa in the country. It is valid for approximately 6 months.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a small island located at the south of India comprising of a population of 25 million people. Colombo is the capital of the country. Specifically, Sri Lanka is famous for its stunning corals and tropical beaches present on the western and southern coasts, a hill town of Kandy as well as some ancient cities encompassing astounding temples or palaces. The most popular tourist sites in Sri Lanka are beaches like Hikkaduwa, Passekudah, Sigiriya citadel and the ancient cities of Polonnaruwa and Anuradhapura.
The traditional food of Sri Lanka is fantastic yet spicy. Approximately, $30 to $40 per day are adequate for expenses. The visa to the country is available on arrival at the cost of $30 and is valid for about 30 days. Sri Lankans are generally helpful and charming people.
Nepal
Nepal is well-known for its beautiful scenery, historic religious towns, ancient villages, architectural sights, national parks, rafting trips and the best trekking trails considered the cheapest tourist countries in South Asia. Cities like Pokhara and Kathmandu have some of the best restaurants, bars and shopping centres of the world.
Nepal is inexpensive, generally $25 per day can cover all the expenses including trekking as well as rafting. Nepalis are friendly and welcoming. Visa system in Nepal is pretty good. The tourists can acquire the visa upon arrival to the country at $30 for about 30 days. Although, the visas for 15 or 45 days are also available and the cost varies accordingly.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh is situated on the south of the Bay of Bengal, and part of South Asia. It consists of a plain fertile land with a number of rivers originating from the Himalayas and Chittagong Hill Tracts. Bangladesh has the longest beach called Cox’s Bazar, the largest mangrove forest known as Sundarbans, St Martin’s coral Island, Keokradong peak, Ratargul Jolabon forest and ancient Buddhist areas like Bogra/ Paharpur. Bangladeshi people are genuinely friendly and hospitable.
Bangladesh is quite economical. $8 to 15 per day is enough to cover up all the expenses. The visa policy of Bangladesh is varied for different countries. Generally, the visa cost $51.
Bhutan
Bhutan is relatively small country located in the Himalayas. It is famous for its spectacular scenery, monasteries, national parks, natural reserves, wildlife sanctuaries, mountains, fortresses, trekking area, archery and unique festivals. Bhutan is the largest Buddhist kingdom of the world.
The visa to Bhutan cost $250 per day and includes entry fee, all the meals, bottled water, transportation and accommodation. All the tourists except the citizens of Maldives, Bangladesh and India must obtain the visa upon arrival to the country.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan is situated at the heart of Asian continent. It is a war-torn country that has been in chaos since past 30 years. Dry rugged mountainous regions, desert of Kandahar, plains in southwest as well as north, ancient cities of Balkh/Kandahar/ Bamiyan/ Puli Khumri, National park of Band-e Amir, trekking trail of Panjshir Valley, National Museum of Afghanistanand the Blue Mosque of Mazar-e Sharif are the major highlight of Afghanistan.
Visa of Afghanistan is relatively easier to obtain and is available upon arrival to the country.
Southeast Asia Travel
Southeast Asia is a sub-region of the Asian continent. It comprises of two basic regions namely:
Maritime Southeast Asia: It consists of 2,000,000 km2 of maritime region that includes a number of islands with remarkable biodiversity of both the flora and the fauna. Countries like Philippines. Brunei, Indonesia, Timor, Malaysia and Singapore are present in this region.
Mainland Southeast Asia: It includes the mainland area of Southeast Asia that is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Indian Ocean on another. This region consists of Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysian Peninsula, Laos and Vietnam.
Travel to Southeast Asia
Southeast Asian Travel Destinations have something remarkable to offer for the visitors from high skyscrapers to gigantic mountains, scenic landscapes, diverse cultures, mouth-watering cuisines, rich historical/cultural and ethnical history, crazy night-life, calm beaches, floating water villages, modern resorts and high-tech hubs. Traveling to these places is comparatively economical, safe, and easy. People of the region are hospitable and friendly. The visa policies of majority states are lenient for tourists.
Best Places to Travel in Southeast Asia
Following section describes briefly, the Southeast Asian Travel Guide along with the Southeast Asia Travel Budget
Thailand
Kingdom of Thailand is a tourist’s paradise of Southeast Asia due to its tropical climate, captivating culture, delicious food, amazing beaches and gigantic mountains. From crystal blue waters to thick jungles, the country is blessed with every rightful thing. Thailand is inexpensive, safe, yet exotic to visit. The places are equipped with modern facilities.
Bangkok is the capital as well as tourist hub of Thailand. Ayutthaya heritage sites, Chumphon Archipelago, Ko Tao Island, Pattaya sea-side resort, beaches, coral reefs, National Parks, Khon Kaen silk and dinosaur sites, and striking island are the main tourist attractions in the country. Traveling in Thailand is a bit expensive depending upon the places the tourist visit. Generally $25 to $35 per day are required to cover up expenses. Thailand grants free visa to the nationals of a few countries upon arrival.
Singapore
Singapore is the cosmopolitan of Southeast Asia. It is the tourist hub of the region because of its high-tech infrastructure, tropical climate, delicious cuisines, hawker centers, gigantic shopping malls, large skyscrapers, exciting night-life, museums, bars, theaters, clubs, statues, resorts, Marina Bay, Burmese temples, Singapore Zoo, woodlands, Singapore Bird Park, Tampines town, Changi Airport, Singapore Discovery Centre, Geylang Serai, jungles, Singapore Science Centre, Sentosa island and the world’s most active port.
Singapore visa policy is quite easy. National from majority of countries can enter it without a visa and stay till 30 days.
Malaysia
Malaysia is a multicultural hub that consists of two parts namely Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia. They are located on Asian Peninsula and Borneo island, respectively. Malaysia is visited by a large number of tourists every year. It is rich in natural oil reserves and has high-technological infrastructure. Kuala Lumpur is the capital as well as cultural and financial center of the country.
Mostly tourists visit Malaysia for its amazingly delightful food. Malaysia is famous for its Yang di-Pertuan Agong palace, Kinabalu and Taman Negara National Parks, highlands, resorts, Langkawi archipelago, rainforest, mangrove estuaries, beaches, mountains and scenic islands.
Citizens belonging to majority of nations do not require visa to enter Malaysia upto 14 to 90 days. Israeli citizens cannot visit the country because their entry is restricted. The budget to visit Malaysia depends upon your travel destination. Usually, $25 to $35 per day are sufficient to cover your expenses.
Philippines
Philippines is an archipelago that comprises of about 7,641 islands divided into three groups i.e. Mindanao, Luzon and Visayas. It is the largest Catholic country of Asia with one of the longest coastlines of the world. Manila is the capital city of Thailand famous for its parks, historical monuments, scenic landmarks and the metropolitan of Manila. Apart from that museums, restaurants, shopping districts, hotels, beaches, heritage sites, majestic mosques, old churches, historical monuments, lush parks, City of Golden Friendship, Mount Apo, Banaue town, coral reefs, white and black sand shorelines, watersport complexes, skiing sites, scuba-diving places and Taal Volcano are some of the most popular tourist attractions of the country.
Citizens from majority of countries can enter Philippines without visa and can stay there for 30 to 59 days. Traveling in the country is relatively cheap since only $20 to $30 per day is enough for all expenses.
Vietnam
Vietnam is a Socialist Republic of Southeast Asia. Its capital, Hanoi, is included in the top 10 most recommended places to visit in the world. Vietnam is visited by an increasing number of tourists each year to explore its ancient heritage sites, beautiful highlands, Haiphong and Hoi An ports, beaches, resorts, national parks, Cu Chi Tunnels, Ban Gioc Waterfall, Phong Nha-Ke Bang cave and Quang Ngai Museum.
Vietnam is relatively economical and $20 to $30 per day are adequate for expenses. Tourists from a few countries do not require a visa to travel Vietnam from up to 14 to 90 days.
Indonesia
Indonesia is the biggest archipelago of the world. It comprises of 18,110 islands. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. It is one of the most popular country to travel to Southeast Asia. Bali is an Indonesian island famous for the variety of marine species of flora, fauna and corals found at this place. The culture centre of Bali is known as Ubud that has a number of elite restaurants, boutiques, spas, scuba sites, and beaches.
Bali Indonesia
Other must visit places in Indonesia includes; Tsunami Museum, Maimoon Palace, Borobudur And Prambanan temples, Baliem Valley, Bromo-Tengger-Semeru/Kerinci Seblat /Komodo National Parks, and Lake Toba.
The visa of Indonesia is available at the cost of $35 and is valid for approximately 6 months. Usually $30 to $40 per day are enough to cover all the expenses.
Brunei
Brunei is small Muslim Sultanate officially known as “Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace”. It is rich in natural resources like oil and gas which is the basis of economy of the country. Bordered by Malaysia and China Sea, Brunei is separated into two parts.
The Sultanate is well-known for huge shopping centers, inexpensive local markets, Tasek Merimbun lake, large beaches, Kampong Ayer water village, Belalong National Park, resorts, Sumbiling Eco Village, natural reserves like Bukit Shahbandar and theme parks.
The visa policy of Brunei is different for every country. The citizens of some countries can enter the Sultanate visa-free up to 14-90 days.
Cambodia
Kingdom of Cambodia is a small Southeast Asian country. It is a relatively under-developed country in the region. Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh is its geographical center. The country has some stunning natural waterfalls, national parks, beaches, resorts, temples, Angkor Archaeological Park, hill resorts, country-side villages, Angkor pass, sea-side towns, mangrove river system and Tonle Sap Lake. A few luxury hotels are also present in the country. The trip to Cambodia is quite economical as only $20 to $30 per day are adequate.
The visa of Cambodia is available for the tourists at $30 to $35.
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