Many years ago, we were in a car in India, dodging cows and camels and cars and bicycles on the road back to Delhi. We hadn’t yet made it to the Taj Mahal, but there was no way we were leaving India without seeing it. Time was tight, but we figured that we could spare 45 minutes. It was a ridiculously short amount of time to see one of the world’s most beautiful, enduring, enchanting structures, but we did it in a mad rush, and barely made our flight. Was it worth it? You bet it was.

Point is, travel must sometimes bend to the reality of scheduling. Sure, an entire day at the Taj would have been magical, but it was 45 minutes or nothing, and it was fantastic.

Doing what we do, one of the more common questions we hear is if Angkor Wat can be done in a single day. That’s a really hard question to answer, because ‘Angkor Wat’ is often used to describe the entirety of Cambodia’s majestic 12^th century temple complex, which is around 400sq.km. You certainly can’t do that in a day. However, ‘Angkor Wat’ is also used to refer to several of the most-visited temples, as well as the single main temple of the complex, which, is technically the only one called Angkor Wat. So, the answer is yes. Probably. If you plan accordingly you can certainly see Angkor Wat (the building) and many of the most important temples with only a single-day pass from the park.

[Tweet “If you plan accordingly you can only see the most important Angkor temples with a day pass.”]

There are a few tips and tricks you’ll want to employ to get the most out of your day. First, you’ll need to rent a tuk-tuk. In Cambodia, these are two-wheeled carts pulled by motorcycles. You’ll get the most bang for your buck if you hire a driver for the whole day, and if you avoid trying to bargain him down to nothing he’ll usually go out of his way to make sure you have a great time. A few bucks goes a long way in Cambodia.

We suggest starting off by watching the sunrise at the main Angkor Wat temple. Yes, it’s crowded and the cameras are clicking away by the dozens, but the place is huge, and there are plenty of vantage points (and more than a few secret spots that your Smiling Albino guide can lead you to). This will be the main part of your day, and can easily take you right up to late morning, when you should treat yourself to a nice meal and a cool drink, as by this time it’s probably quite hot.

Realistically, you’ll probably have time to see about three more locations during the afternoon, as long as they’re not too far afield. There are dozens to choose from – the stoic stone faces of Bayon, the steep staircases of Baphuon, the overgrown majesty of Ta Prohm, the remote but beautiful Roluos, the intricately carved Banteay Srei, and many more. Do some research, ask around, and choose the ones you want to see the most.

By the end of the afternoon, you’ll likely be “templed out”. Let’s be honest – as magnificent as they are, there are only so many temples one can see in a single day before fatigue – both physical and mental – sets in.  While it’s certainly possible to see the key temples in a day, it’s important to stress that the temples are not Cambodia, and though they are found on their flag, there is more to Cambodia then just the temples. For a full Khmer experience, multiple days in the Kingdom are required.

A few quick tips:

Drink lots of water and take plenty of mini-breaks. Some tuk-tuk drivers will even have a cooler that you can stash your own drinks into. Despite having limited time, pace yourself and enjoy it.

If you want to squeeze a little extra time out of your ticket, buy it after 5pm the day before your main trip. These tickets are good for the last few hours of the first day, plus the entirety of the second day.

[Tweet “Get extra time out of an Angkor ticket, buy it after 5pm and get the rest of the day and the next!”]

For more information about Smiling Albino and what makes what we do so special, contact one of our travel enthusiasts today to ask about your next holiday.

The post Angkor Wat in One Day first appeared on Smiling Albino.

There’s something primal and ageless in seeing the sun rise or set. It’s one of the few connecting tissues that crosses all barriers – time, class, age, race, location. For as long as we’ve been here, humans have been staring at that huge ball of fire in the sky and going “Whoa.”

Don’t get us wrong – watching the sun rise is pretty awesome too, but if you’re anything like us, you’ve seen plenty more sunsets in your life than you have sunrises. With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite spots to kick back and watch day become night.

Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

Yes, it’s overloaded with tourists, but they come for a reason – Kuta is a truly spectacular beach that just happens to face directly west. Come sunset, that ball o’ fire in the sky starts to dip toward the horizon, and if the conditions are just right, your entire field of view gets lit up as if the sunset is actually happening inside your eyes. Great photo ops too, especially the ol’ ‘silhouetted-people-walking-on-the-beach’ kind.

Bagan, Myanmar

Did you know that in 1286 Kublai Khan – Genghis’ grandson – sent his Mongol forces into Myanmar and defeated the Bagan army? Perhaps they came for the sunsets. A few centuries later, the thousands of temples that remain scattered across the barren, grassy plain make for a superb backdrop as the sun drops behind the Arakan Mountain range, with each successive ‘layer’ of temples and hills fading into shadow the further away they get. Truly an amazing sight.

[Tweet “Did you know that in 1286 Kublai Khan sent his Mongol forces into Myanmar & defeated the Bagan army? Perhaps they came for the sunsets”]

Ko Lanta, Thailand

Because most of Lanta’s best beaches are on the west side of the island, almost any place with a view gives you a superb sunset. Our favorite is the rocky outcropping at the northern end of Kantiang Bay, where you can stand on a cliff overlooking the ocean and watch as the sun turns the sky from blue to purple to orange to red. It also helps that there’s a bar right there. You know, for soda and juice and healthy thinks like that.

Vang Vieng, Laos

This popular backpacker town used to be like the Las Vegas of Laos, but after a social order crackdown, things have calmed down a bit. If you’re able to head up into the hills to the east of town, you’ll be rewarded with a superb view across houses and temples, over the Nam Xong River, and into to the Luang Prabang mountain range as the sun dips behind the limestone peaks. Just make sure you bring a flashlight for the trip back home.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Let’s be honest – this stunning, massive temple complex would be amazing even if you had to explore it by touch alone. But standing on top of a centuries-old temple looking across a thick jungle canopy to the setting sun is a pretty spectacular way to experience the end of the day. The bad news is that everyone knows it’s awesome and lines up with cameras ready. The good news is that Smiling Albino knows a few secret spots that the masses don’t…

Ngwe Saung Beach, Myanmar

It’s hard to find an awesome beach with a great sunset that allows you a people-free picture (see Bali, above), but when you do, oh mannnnn, it’s great. Whenever SA heads to Myanmar, we try to make it to Ngwe Saung Beach, which is in the southwest corner of the country. Only recently opened to tourism after decades of isolation, this part of the country has almost no development, thus, no buildings or huge crowds to cramp your style as you watch the sun set.

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

The endless, rolling tea plantations of Malaysia’s central highlands are a stunning place to watch the end of the day. If you manage to get to a place where there’s no traffic (which is fairly easy up here) you can enjoy the event in almost total silence as the light filters through clouds and casts mountain shadows across the tea leaves in striking, changing patterns.

[Tweet “The endless, rolling tea plantations of Malaysia’s central highlands are a stunning place to watch the end of the day”]

Plan For the Perfect Sunset

Have someone on the ground plan the perfect trip and help with knowledge of the best spot and best time to watch the sunset. Contact Smiling Albino info@smilingalbino.com.

Check out our upcoming Myanmar tour “Asia’s Golden Land” with founder and Adventurer-in-Chief Dan Fraser this November 2014.

The post Best Spots to Watch Sunset in Southeast Asia first appeared on Smiling Albino.