Southeast Asia Top Travel Destinations in 2017

Thailand Top Travel Destinations in 2017

Quite predictably, Chiang Mai was the most popular travel destination within Thailand in 2017 with Bangkok being a close runner-up. The islands of the Gulf – Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao – are absolute leaders among the beach destinations, especially if we add tickets to Chumphon and partly – to Suratthani; the former being the gateway to Koh Tao and the latter – to Samui. The Andaman Coast with its two major destinations of Phuket and Krabi shows lower figures but we need to consider Suratthani again as those travelling to Suratthani by train proceed in equal parts to the islands of the Gulf or the Andaman Coast.

Thailand Most Popular Islands in 2017

The ‘Big Three of the Gulf’– Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao – secured themselves the position of the absolute leaders among the most popular islands in Thailand with Koh Phangan selling slightly better than its neighbours probably thanks to the regularly held cult Full Moon parties. As always, Phuket stands strong and Koh Phi Phi invariably attracts crowds. Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe are on the rise and Koh Phayam is probably emerging as a new must-visit island destination in the Andaman Sea. In the Upper Gulf, Koh Chang is the bestseller, while Koh Kood, though has made its way to the top-10, remains a relatively unexplored little island paradise.

Vietnam Top Travel Destinations in 2017

The capital city of Hanoi was the bestselling destination in Vietnam in 2017, far ahead of its very popular rival in the south, Ho Chi Minh City. Strategically located in the very centre of the country, Da Nang and Hue, both a convenient stop on the way either south or north, are solid number 2 and 3. The chilly misty hills of Sapa with its tribal culture are a sure selling point of this northern destination while Nha Trang in the south, an easy gateway to the dunes and waves of Mui Ne, competes in tickets sales with Saigon. A less known destinations like Ninh Binh, Quang Binh, Binh Tuan and Quang Nam made their way to our top-10, surprisingly leaving out of the list the star Halong Bay.

Cambodia Top Travel Destinations in 2017

Phnom Penh, with every second ticket sold to destinations in Cambodia, is an absolute leader. Almost one third of the travellers headed to Siem Reap to see the stunning beauty of Angkor and one fifth preferred unspoiled beaches of Sihanoukville and Kampot. Other amazing places in Cambodia like Battambang with its unique bamboo train; the tropical paradise island of Koh Rong; mysterious ruins of Banteay Chhmar in Banteay Meanchey; pink dolphins of Kratie; unexplored wonders of Vicharey National Park in Ratanakiri; and the bone of contention between Cambodia and Thailand, Preah Vihear, still remain mainly off-the-beaten-track destinations.

Malaysia Top Travel Destinations in 2017

Not surprisingly the top–3 destinations in Malaysia in 2017 turned out to be the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, Penang with stations both on the mainland and on the island, and Negeri Sembilan, mostly due to the compulsory change of trains at Gemas for those heading either down south from Kuala Lumpur or up north from Singapore. Johor Bahru, the main entry point to Singapore from Malaysia, follows immediately after with Perlis and its town of Padang Besar at the border with Thailand being very close. Perak remained very popular with Pangkor island attracting the biggest crowd and the colonial gem of Malacca secured its place in the top, too. Pahang with its chilly Cameron Highlands, Kedah on Pulau Langkawi and Kota Bharu (Kelantan), the gateway to the stunning Perhentian islands, also showed good sales.

Myanmar Top Travel Destinations in 2017

Rather unexpectedly, Mandalay topped the list of the most popular destinations in Myanmar with Bagan being an immediate runner-up. Yangon, though remains the main entry point to the country, comes only third. The fourth member of the ‘Big Four’, Inle Lake, reached via different stations in the region including Taunggyi, and Kalaw, a little trekking paradise, predictably sell well, too. Bago and Kyaiktiyo (Mon) attract tourists with their one of a kind Golden Rock with a pagoda on top. Hsipaw, in the north, and Pathein, in the southwest, the entry point to the beautiful beaches of Ngapali, Ngwe Saung and Chaung Tha, show that more and more Burmese destinations are appearing in the bucket lists of international travellers.

Laos Top Travel Destinations in 2017

Laos, a hidden gem of SEA, is still largely a dark horse for many travellers with quite a limited number of destinations selling well on the permanent bases. Predictably, Vientiane serves as the main gateway to the country as the overwhelming majority of international travellers make their way to Laos from Thailand. The tubing capital of the world, Vang Vieng, though significantly calmer these days, comes very close second. The colonial wonders of Luang Prabang mixed with gilded Asian beauty, are on the third place. In the south, Pakse, and more precisely – Champasak, with their intriguing 4000 islands and stunning ruins of Wat Phu, are two most popular destinations. Though not featured in the chart, we expect Savannakhet, Tha Khaek and Phonsavan coming up soon.