Sukhothai Historical Park - Thailand

Constructed during the Sukhothai era in the 13th and 14th centuries, Sukhothai Historical Park is the most visited attractions of Sukhothai Province ( Sukhothai can be translated as Dawn of Happines). It is located in the northern part of Thailand bordering the provinces of Phitsanulok, Kampaeng Phet, Tak, Uttaradit, Phrae and Lampang. It is a World Heritage Site declared by UNESCO and being maintained by Thailand's Fine Arts Department.

While inside, one can see the ruins of several temples, the royal palace, and the Wat Mahathat. The latter is the temple that occupies the largest section with a size of about 200 meters square. Thousands of visitors go to the park each year riding a bike, while others set themselves on foot.

The ruins of the temples and monuments of the inside walls are just as amazing as the remains of the outside ruins. One such structure that depicts the life of the Buddha on its art details testify the cultural contact of Sukhothai kingdom with the Khemer empire (sooo fascinating). The park was officially opened in July 1998 and was declared as World Heritage Site on December 12, 1991.

An almost 2 hour of drive by motorbike of Honda Wave 125 from Phitsanulok. Not a big and fast bike, I know. But you know what? since the ruins were amazing, everything was worth it.

Khone Phapheng Waterfall - Laos

Considered to be the largest waterfall in South East Asia in terms of volume, Khone Phapheng Waterfall is such an amazing thing to feast our eyes on. It is located on the great Mekong River bordering Cambodia in the south. A 49,000 cubic meter per second discharge of the cataract was the highest volume on record. It stands at 69 feet or 29 meters in segmented rapids making the Mekong River unnavigable to China. 

The falls has several rocky outcrops and channels that look spectacular and best viewed before rainy season. Other than that, local people setting fish traps can also be viewed, with numerous restaurants and handicraft stalls around to keep visitors more entertained. 

During the first five months of 2008 according to a tourism official, the provincial authorities of Champassak where the waterfall is located earned 350 million kip ($41,518). Eighty percent of the tourists  are from Thailand and Europe while the locals from other provinces constitute the rest. Entrance fee for Lao Nationals is 3,000 kip ($ 0.36) while 10,000 kip ($1.19) for foreign nationals. Bargain? Visit Laos then..: )

National Monument (Monas) Jakarta - Indonesia

The most famous landmark that dominates the Jakarta skyline is its National Monument or commonly known as Monas. It stands at 134 meters, topped with flame covered in gold that weighs about 34 kilograms. The construction of this massive obelisk that symbolizes the Indonesian independence started in 1961, but was not completed until 1975 under President Sukarno.

To get a birds eye view of the city, one can use the lift to go to the peak of the monument (ladder can be used for emergency). The Javanese Sea and the Salak Mountain can be visible even from afar especially if the sky is clear, while a beautiful garden that surrounds the area and the Monas Museum which is full of information about the Indonesian struggle for independence rest at the bottom.

Monas is a striking attraction in Jakarta. It's not just a place for sightseeing because one can enjoy a reflection massage in the garden or play basketball and football for free. It's also educational especially for tourists to know more of the Indonesian History.

Ayeyarwaddy River - Myanmar

Myanmar has lots of rivers that flow from the north down to the southernmost part of the country. During the earlier times and even today, the rivers played and are still playing an important part to the Burmese people for transporting of goods and merchandises (even rice is produced in the Ayeyarwaddy delta). 

Among the many rivers of Myanmar, the Ayeyarwaddy River (formerly known as Irrawaddy River) is the most important and by far the largest. An about 1,550 km (960 miles) long with a total drainage area of about 158,700 square miles (411,000 square km), the river also serves as a commercial waterway to the whole nation stretching from the north to the south before meeting the Andaman Sea.

 People believed that the name "Ayeyarwaddy" meaning "elephant river" came from a Sanskrit word airavati". However, its name was given to the Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella brevistosus) who makes the river its nesting ground. And just so you know, the dolphin can also be found in the sea not just in the river alone : )

Angkor Wat - Cambodia

Concealed by the forest and  was abandoned for many years, the Angkor Wat in Cambodia  was rediscovered by a French man about 150 years ago. It is one of the country's landmarks that draws huge amount of local and foreign visitors each year. 

                    Thanks to my friend Steve Mercado for the wonderful pics                       

The temple was built for the Khmer kings from 9th to the 15th century and has been a Cambodian pride that appears on its national flag. Its architecture style depicts the life of the devas in Mount Meru in Hindu Mythlogy which can be seen in its carved surfaces. 

Many restorations took place and has been funded by the international community. Today, it is one of the sought after attractions in the whole South East Asian region and is listed as a World Heritage Site. The tourists influx is helping the Cambodian government for the site's maintenance though it caused little damage. It is located exactly 5.5 km north of the city of Siem Reap.

Angkor Wat - South East Asian Prized Possession.