This is the Brunei Darussalam chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoe-string guidebook.

Look beneath the surface of this well-ordered and tightly regulated sultanate and you’ll see the underlying warmth of Brunei’s people and the wisely conserved wildness of its natural envi-ronment. Old-growth, primary forest abounds, especially in verdant Ulu Temburong National Park.

• climb high into the rainforest canopy and swim in a cool jungle river at Ulu Temburong Na-tional Park
• maps
• visit a mosque, museum or shopping mall and exploring the restaurant scene in Bandar Seri Begawan
• transport
• spot proboscis monkeys and glimpse royal palaces from a water taxi on the Sungai Bru-nei
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Bandar Seri Begawan, Temburong District, Bangar, Ulu Temburong National Park, Understand Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam Today, His-tory, People & Culture, Survival Guide.

This is the Cambodia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoe-string guidebook.

Fringed by beautiful beaches and tropical islands, sustained by the mother waters of the Me-kong River and cloaked in some of the region’s few remaining emerald wildernesses, Cambodia is an adventure as much as a holiday.

• discover the eighth wonder of the world, the temples of Angkor
• maps
• enjoy the ‘Pearl of Asia’, Phnom Penh, with its impressive museums, a sublime riverside setting and happening nightlife
• transport
• island-hop around the Southern Islands, Cambodia’s next big thing
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Phnom Penh & around, Koh Dach, Tonlé Bati, Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary, Siem Reap, The Temples of Angkor, Battambang & around, Kompong Thom & around, Koh Kong City, Koh Kong Conservation Corridor, Sihanoukville, Southern Islands, Kampot & around, Bokor Hill Station, Kep, Kompong Cham, Kratie, Stung Treng, Ratanakiri Province, Mondulkiri Province, Understand Cambodia, Cambodia Today, His-tory, People & Culture, Food & Drink, Environment, Survival Guide.

This is the Indonesia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoe-string guidebook.

Indonesia defines adventure: the only limitation is how many of its 17,000-odd islands you can reach before your visa expires. Whether it’s an idyllic remote beach, a glorious discovery underwater or a Bali all-nighter, Indonesia scores.

• surf by day, party at night and absorb amazing culture in Bali
• maps
• ascend the ancient Buddhist stupa of Borobudur
• transport
• trawl Yogyakarta’s batik markets
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Java, Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Pangandaran, Batu Karas, Wonosobo, Dieng Plateau, Yogyakarta, Prambanan, Borobudur, Solo (Surakarta) & Around, Malang, Gunung Bromo, Bondowoso, Ijen Plateau, Banyuwangi, Bali, Kuta & Legian, Seminyak & Kerobokan, Canggu & Around, Bukit Peninsula, Denpasar, Sanur, Nusa Lem-bongan, Nusa Penida, Ubud & Around, Semarapura (Klungkung), Sideman, Padangbai, Tirta Gangga & Around, Gunung Batur Area, Munduk & Around, Lovina, West Bali, Pemuteran, Nusa Tenggara, Lombok, Gili Islands, Sumbawa, Komodo & Rinca, Flores, West Timor, Sumba, Suma-tra, Medan, Banda Aceh, Pulau Weh, Bukit Lawang, Berastagi, Danau Toba, Bukittinggi, Danau Maninjau, Padang, Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Makassar, Tana Toraja, Poso, Ampana, Togean Islands, Gorontalo, Manado, Pulau Bunaken, Maluku, Pulau Ambon, Banda Islands, Papua (Irian Jaya), Jayapura, Sentani, Baliem Valley, Sorong, Raja Am-pat Islands, Understand Indonesia, Indonesia Today, History, People & Culture, Environment, Food & Drink, Survival Guide.

This is the Laos chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook.

A land of the lotus eaters amid the bloated development of its neighbours, Laos brings to-gether the best of Southeast Asia in one bite-sized destination, and appears as a favourite in many Southeast Asian odysseys.

• experience Luang Prabang, the ancient city of temples that has it all: royal history, Indo-chinese chic, colourful monks, waterfalls, stunning river views and world-class French cuisine
• maps
• take a boat ride through exhilaratingly spooky Tham Kong Lo, a 7.5km cave home to fist-sized spiders and stalactite woods
• transport
• trek and zip across the forest by day at the Gibbon Experience in Huay Xai, guided by ex-poachers turned forest rangers, and sleep in cosy treehouses at night
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Vientiane, Northern Laos, Vang Vieng, Luang Pra-bang, Nong Khiaw, Muang Ngoi Neua, Phonsavan, Plain of Jars, Sam Neua, Vieng Xai, Northwestern Laos, Udomxai, Luang Namtha, Huay Xai, Central & Southern Laos, Tham Kong Lor & Around, Tha Khaek, Savan-nakhet, Pakse, Champasak, Wat Phu World Heritage Area, Si Phan Don, Don Khong, Don Det & Don Khon, Understand Laos, Laos Today, History, People & Culture, Food & Drink, Environment, Survival Guide.

This is the Malaysia chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook.

Buzzing cities, culinary sensations, beautiful beaches, idyllic islands and wildlife-packed rainforests – all of this can be found in Malaysia. The catchy slogan ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ con-tinues to ring true. The multicultural peninsula tantalises all five senses with Malay, Chinese and Indian influences.

• explore George Town’s heritage district and graze on street food on Penang
• maps
• swim, lie on the beach, snorkel, snooze and eat on Pulau Perhentian
• transport
• hike past moonscapes for sunrise atop Mt Kinabalu
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Kuala Lumpur, Peninsular Malaysia – West Coast, Melaka City, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, Penang, Alor Setar, Pulau Langkawi, Peninsular Malay-sia – South & East Coast, Johor Bahru, Mersing, Pulau Tioman, Kuantan, Cherating, Kuala Ter-engganu, Kuala Besut, Pulau Perhentian, Kota Bharu, Peninsular Interior, Jerantut, Taman Negara, Malaysian Borneo – Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Mt Kinabalu & Around, Kinabalu National Park, Sandakan, Sepilok, Sungai Kinabatangan, Semporna, Semporna Archipelago, Pulau La-buan, Malaysian Borneo – Sarawak, Kuching & Around, Sibu, Batang Rejang, Bintulu, Niah Na-tional Park, Lambir Hills National Park, Miri, Gunung Mulu National Park, Kelabit Highlands, Understand Malaysia, Malaysia Today, History, People & Culture, Food & Drink, Environment, Survival Guide.

This is the Myanmar (Burma) chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoe-string guidebook.

Now is the time to visit this extraordinary, little-known land, dotted with golden pagodas and monasteries, where the traditional ways of Asia endure. Myanmar is fizzing with a new, hopeful energy, but it remains a unique, magical place still unused to mass tourism.

• be dazzled by the country’s most important Buddhist temple, Shwedagon Paya, and the buzz of Yangon
• maps
• spend longer than you planned at Inle Lake, a magical landscape of floating villages, stilt-ed monasteries and aquatic gardens
• transport
• witness the beauty of a misty dawn breaking over 4000 Buddhist temples from the upper terraces of one of the paya (temples) at Bagan
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Yangon, Ayeyarwady & Bago Regions, Chaung Tha Beach, Ngwe Saung Beach, Bago, Southeastern Myanmar, Mt Kyaiktiyo, Mawlamyine, Hpa-an, Dawei, Inle Lake, Nyaungshwe, Kalaw, Pindaya, Mandalay Region, Mandalay, Amarapura, Inwa, Sagaing, Mingun, Pyin Oo Lwin, Hsipaw, Bagan & Around, Western Myanmar, Sittwe, Mrauk U, Mt Victoria, Mindat, Kalaymyo, Tiddim, Understand Myanmar, Myanmar Today, History, People & Culture, Environment, Food & Drink, Survival Guide.

This is the Philippines chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoe-string guidebook.

This far-flung archipelago is defined by its emerald terraced rice fields, teeming mega-cities, mountain tribes, smouldering volcanoes, bug-eyed tarsiers, fuzzy water buffalo and laid-back people. Explore desert islands, descend into world-class dive sites, and venture deep into the mountains to visit remote tribes.

• drift among the limestone cathedrals and azure lagoons of the Bacuit Archipelago around El Nido
• maps
• trek through the skyscraping rice terraces around Banaue and Bontoc in North Luzon’s Cordillera
• transport
• have a night out in Manila, a city that never sleeps
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Luzon, Manila, The Cordillera, Vigan, Bicol, Mindoro, Puerto Galera, The Visayas, Boracay, Negros, Siquijor, Cebu, Bohol, Mindanao, Siargao, Cami-guin, Palawan, Puerto Princesa, Sabang, Port Barton, El Nido, Busuanga & the Calamian Is-lands, Understand the Philippines, Philippines Today, History, People & Culture, Food & Drink, Environment, Survival Guide.

This chapter contains the Southeast Asia, Welcome to Southeast Asia, Southeast Asia’s Top 20, Need to Know, First Time Southeast Asia, If You Like…, Month by Month, Itineraries, Big Ad-ventures, Small Budget Activities, and Countries at a Glance chapters from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook.

Your journey to Southeast Asia on a Shoestring starts here. You’ll find the tools to plan your adventure: where to go and when, how much to budget, plus in-depth info on where to hike, dive, surf and cave.

• tailor-made itineraries, arranged by region, themes and events
• list of highlights and best experiences
• everything you need to know about maximising your time in the great outdoors (and relax-ing afterwards)
• user-friendly country overview ensures you won’t miss a thing

Coverage includes: Southeast Asia, Welcome to Southeast Asia, South-east Asia’s Top 20, Need to Know, First Time Southeast Asia, If You Like: Fabulous Food, Tem-ples, Tombs & Towers, Beautiful Beaches, Markets & Shopping, Cultural Encounters, Coloni-al-Era Architecture, Month by Month, Itineraries, Big Adventures, Small Budget Activities, and Countries at a Glance.

This is the Singapore chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoe-string guidebook.

Beyond the airport transit lounges and shopping malls, Singapore’s multicultural pedigree, Chinese, Malay, Indian and Peranakan, provides travellers with a rich milieu in which to explore, experience and savour all the flavours of Southeast Asia.

• get lost in the futuristic green oasis, Gardens by the Bay, where nature and design col-lide
• maps
• navigate Little India, a jumble of gold, textiles, temples and cheap eats
• transport
• experience the animal magnetism of Singapore Zoo, one of three outstanding open-concept zoos
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Understand Singapore, Singapore Today, History, People & Culture, Survival Guide.

This is the Thailand chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook.

Thailand is an abundant land with naturally good looks and warm hospitality. A stunning coastline lapped at by cerulean seas invites winter-weary travellers, while the northern moun-tains that cascade into the misty horizon invite scenic journeys.

• join the crowds and the chaos in hyperactive Bangkok
• maps
• overdose on sunsets on Ko Pha-Ngan
• transport
• get dive certified on Ko Tao
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Bangkok, Ayuthaya, Lopburi, Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Chiang Mai & around, Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle, Pai, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sariang, Kanchanaburi, Sangkhlaburi, Mae Sot, Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), Khao Yai Nation-al Park, Phanom Rung Historical Park, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, That Phanom, Nong Khai, Eastern Gulf Coast, Ko Samet, Chanthaburi & Trat, Ko Chang, South-ern Gulf Coast, Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumphon, Ko Samui, Ko Pha-Ngan, Ko Tao, Surat Thani, Hat Yai, The Andaman Coast, Ranong, Ko Chang, Ko Phayam, Khao Sok National Park, Hat Khao Lak & around, Surin Islands Marine National Park, Similan Islands Marine Na-tional Park, Phuket, Krabi Town, Railay, Ko Phi-Phi, Ko Lanta, Ko Tarutao Marine National Park, Understand Thailand, Thailand Today, History, People & Culture, Arts, Food & Drink, Envi-ronment, Survival Guide.

This is the Timor-Leste chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoe-string guidebook.

With hardly-touched ‘best-in-the-world’ reefs to dive, dugongs to spot, mountains to climb, and ancient traditions that have survived the ravages of war, Asia’s newest country offers some of the world’s last great off-the-beaten-track adventures.

• check out the world’s best reefs on Ataúro, a short trip from Dili
• maps
• climb to the peak of Timor-Leste’s highest mountain, Mt Ramelau, at dawn to watch the sun rise over the clouds
• transport
• enjoy a day lazing about on Jaco Island’s powder-white sands, with dazzling snorkelling just offshore
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Dili, Ataúro, Eastern Timor-Leste, Baucau, Loi Hunu & Mundo Perdido, Mt Matebian & Around, Tutuala & Jaco Island, Western Timor-Leste, Liquiçá, Maubisse, Hatubuilico & Mt Ramelau, Oecusse, Understand Timor-Leste, Timor-Leste Today, History, People & Culture, Environment, Survival Guide.

This chapter contains the Southeast Asia Today, History, People & Culture, Religion, Re-sponsible Travel, Directory A–Z, Transport, Health and Language chapters from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook.

All the info you need on everything from history, politics and culture to flights, public transport, climate, money, the internet... you name it. Get tips for women travellers, gay and les-bian travellers, travellers with disabilities, and travellers with kids. And get the most out of your conversations with a handy language guide and glossary.

• a rundown on the complex landscape of life in Southeast Asia today
• info on the culinary heaven that you will experience here
• full coverage of the turbulent events affecting this region throughout history
• details on how you can tread lightly in this epic and environmentally rich region

Coverage includes: Southeast Asia Today, History, People & Culture, Religion, Responsible Travel, Directory A–Z, Transport, Health and Language.

This is the Vietnam chapter from Lonely Planet’s Southeast Asia on a Shoestring guidebook.

A kaleidoscope of dazzling colours and subtle shades, limestone highlands and endless rice paddies, full-on cities and laid-back beach resorts, deeply moving war sites and grand coloni-al-era architecture – Vietnam has a unique appeal.

jaco Island
• maps
• explore the colossal caves and outstanding mountainous scenery of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park
• transport
• marvel at the thousands of stunning limestone islands in Halong Bay
• restaurants & accommodation

Coverage includes: Hanoi, Northern Vietnam, Halong Bay, Cat Ba Island, Ba Be National Park, Mai Chau, Lao Cai, Bac Ha, Sapa, Dien Bien Phu, Ha Giang Province, North Central Vietnam, Ninh Binh, Tam Coc, Cuc Phuong National Park, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), South-Central Vietnam, Hue, Danang & Around, Hoi An & Around, Southeast Coast, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Southwest Highlands, Dalat & Around, Ho Chi Minh City & Around, Cu Chi, Tay Ninh, Mekong Delta, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Chau Doc, Ha Tien, Phu Quoc Island, Understand Vietnam, Vietnam Today, History, People & Culture, Arts, Food & Drink, Environment, Survival Guide.