The world is filled with picturesque monuments, each natural and artificial. These wonders represent a culture and chronicle lost in time. The list of the Seven Wonders of the World changes every so often. In addition to the wonders of the world, there are also wonderful monuments near us. Below is a listing of seven hidden gems of Southeast Asia, based solely on personal taste. Source : World Cultural Heritage Sites in Southeast Asia
- Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba Island, Vietnam
Limestone karst isn’t a rare phenomenon on Earth, however the unique scale of the limestone karst pillars in Ha Long Bay is unparalleled. Along the Gulf of Tonkin, these stones rise from the waters with fewer than 1,600 earthen spikes. The stones create a skyscraper of islands and islets beyond the boundaries of living things, apart from the native seabirds that make them home. In 1994, UNESCO included your entire area of Ha Long Bay. Many years later, the place doesn’t undergo significant changes, but slow erosion that has carved phenomenal arches within the stones of the camouflaged caves. Lying on an old boat, admiring the magnificent stalactites and stalagmites, and kayaking past floating villages and oyster farms are one of the best ways to experience Ha Long Bay.
2. Luang Prabang, Laos
Surrounded by lush mountains, the town of Luang Prabang is situated in a valley on the confluence of the Nam Khan and Mekong rivers. Luang Prabang was once the capital of Laos before the late nineteenth century, when the monarchy became obsolete and was forced to realize patronage from France. The pact left crumbling colonial architecture amongst temples with gold and red roofs. These ruins provide a fin-de-siècle atmosphere.
The fusion of cultures is in every single place, from the combo of fresh coffee and the scent of frangipani wafting through the morning air to the looks of monks in saffron-colored robes strolling along the faded European-style facades. This historic site offers various interesting activities similar to an enthusiastic morning market, driving to Tad Se to stare upon its cascades and swimming pool, floating along the river to the Pak Ou Buddha Caves, and having fun with the sunset over the golden stupa of Phou Si Sacred Hill.
3. Gunung Mulu National Park, Borneo, Malaysia
Gunung Mulu is a highly diverse national park in Southeast Asia with ancient forests, deep caves and high karst. In 2000, the park was added to the UNESCO list, highlighting its extraordinary landscape and the distribution of wildlife from Mount Mulu (2,376 m) to Mount Api (1,170 m). It takes about three people to climb these two mountains that rise high above the bottom.
4. Sukhothai and related historical cities, Thailand
Sukhothai was the capital of the unique Kingdom of Siam. It was about 750 years ago that Siam entered the Golden Age of Thailand, when Theravada Buddhism reached the country. The kingdom only lasted a couple of centuries before it was defeated by the Ayutthaya Kingdom and occupied by the jungle.
Currently, the attractions are the Sukhothai Historical Park, Wat Mahathat – the most important preserved temple in Sukhothai, and the Wat Sra Si temple, where monks still live today. Outside the walled city, there may be also Kamphaeng Phet, a former military outpost, and Si Satchanalai, the pottery production center of the traditional kingdom.
5. Ancient Cities of Pyu, Burma
In 1996, Burma included eight sites on the UNESCO list, which was then removed for about 20 years. Pros and cons influenced the fame of those places. Today, different social conditions have modified the face of Burma. UNESCO is working to guard monuments within the country.
The Ancient Pyu Cities are certainly one of the primary parts of Burma to be awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status. Halin, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra are three walled cities which might be remnants of the Ancient Pyu Kingdom, which triumphed for over a thousand years between 200 BC and 900 AD. Dating back to 2 BC, the Ancient Pyu Kingdom was related to the language (Hindi), which later initiated the spread of Buddhism within the region. The ruins of ancient cities provide the earliest surviving Buddhist artifacts in Southeast Asia. Therefore, this religious site is always visited by Buddhist pilgrims.
6. Preah Vihear Temple, Cambodia
Preah Vihear Temple is an ancient temple situated on a cliff edge high within the Dangrek Mountains. It was founded across the eleventh century in honor of Shiva. It was built to rejoice the Khmer victory over the Cham invasion. From the start, the temple has had conflict in its bones. It becomes the middle of a fierce land dispute between Cambodia and Thailand, which erupted in 2008, when UNESCO included it on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Tensions escalated around 2011 when locals began shooting. Tensions eased when the UK Foreign Office lifted the travel ban in 2018.
7. Komodo National Park, Indonesia
Who doesn’t know the Komodo dragon? The world’s largest living lizard with its low haunches, scaly skin and venomous saliva is dangerous enough to scare us. The Komodo dragon is a creature whose fame has reached the ears of everyone around the globe. Of all of the places on the planet, this creature inhabits only Indonesia, precisely five islands of the Nusa Tenggara archipelago, two of which – Komodo and Rinca – are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The principal attraction of Komodo National Park is (in fact) the Komodo islands scattered throughout the island. Starting from Komodo Island’s port, Long Liah, to the Poreng Valley, visitors can spot a komodo here and there on the five-and-a-half-kilometer hike. In addition, the National Park offers the chance to remain overnight and spend time mountaineering to Mount Ara, with cockatoos and megapodes strutting along the way in which.
