Myanmar
Myanmar, the former Burma, is more original than any other country in Asia. According to Countryaah, there are 11 countries in Southeastern Asia. Myanmar is one of them. Every Myanmar traveler raves about the warmth of its residents and the fabulous sights of former royal cities, from dreamy beaches and evergreen mountain landscapes. The former capital of the largest Southeast Asian country, Yangon, is usually the gateway to the country and has the most extensive inventory of colonial buildings in the entire region. Located on the Indian Ocean and with the mighty Irrawaddy, which flows through the country like a lifeline from north to south, a visit to the “big four” Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and Lake Inle offers a multitude of cultural sights and unspoiled nature.
Climate:
Myanmar is characterized by a warm tropical climate with a monsoon season between May and September. Due to the sheer size of the country, however, the monsoon phase migrates and so there is always at least one region throughout the year that is pleasant, warm and dry. Temperatures range on average between 25 degrees Celsius in December and up to 30 degrees in April.
Best travel time:
There are three seasons. The high tourist season coincides with winter and is between October and February, as the weather in Myanmar at this time corresponds to European high summer. From March it will be very hot, sometimes up to 40 degrees Celsius, depending on the region. After the water festival in mid-April, there are the first rains, which finally lead to heavy monsoon rains from mid-May in the rainy season that lasts until September. It is a common misconception that the rainy season is unsuitable for tourists. On the contrary: only those who spend most of their time in Yangon can expect heavy rains there. The further you go inland, the more you will be surprised by the green landscapes and the clear, clean air. In addition, the prices for overnight stays are significantly cheaper in this off-season, the sights are less visited, and a short downpour then comes as a pleasant refreshment. A trip in the mountainous Shan State becomes a special experience when the tropical vegetation blossoms while you go hiking in the vicinity of Inle Lake or near Hispaw, for example.
Indonesia
The island kingdom of Indonesia is one of the most diverse, interesting and densely populated countries on earth. On the around 17,000 islands of the archipelago, there is an abundance of ways of life, animal species and natural phenomena that are rarely found in such a bundle in a single state. Located on the infamous Pacific Ring of Fire – directly on the Sunda Arch – active volcanism in particular shapes the image of the islands and people’s lives, while the seas and coasts are populated by an incredible variety of fish and marine life.
The islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, West Papua and Java are the largest land areas in the archipelago. The relatively small Java can be seen as the beating heart of the Indonesian multi-ethnic state, as the capital Jakarta is also located there. The last refuges for the red-skinned orangutans are on Sumatra and Kalimantan. In addition, many animal species on the islands are endemic. The bizarre proboscis monkeys can only be found on Kalimantan, as well as the black crested monkeys of Sulawesi. A multitude of Asian tigers, rhinos and elephants still live in the forests of Sumatra, and the cute tarsier can be seen on Sulawesi.
West Papua (also Irian Jaya) – the Indonesian part of the island of New Guinea – is considered one of the least explored areas of our planet. Covered by impenetrable rain forests and swamps, a number of ethnic groups still live here. In West Papua, isolated tribes are suspected to this day.
In addition to these large Indonesian main islands, Bali should be mentioned above all, which is a destination of longing for many travelers due to its Hindu character and good tourist infrastructure. But the Moluccas, Raja Ampat or the Lesser Sunda Islands are definitely worth a visit.
Climate:
In Indonesia there is an equatorial-tropical or monsoonal-tropical climate. A distinction is made between two seasons, which are determined less by temperature and more by the amount of precipitation. Because the specific weather events are very complex and vary from region to region.
Indonesia is one of the largest rainforest areas in the world. Borneo, Sumatra, West Java, Papua, the Moluccas and Sulawesi have an always humid tropical climate. Temperatures hardly fluctuate in the course of the year and averages between 25 ° C and 27 ° C. With a relative humidity of 95% and prevailing calm one also speaks of tropical humidity. In the rest of Java, the Lesser Sunda Islands and the Aru Islands, the monsoons determine the climate. It ensures consistently high temperatures, but these can fluctuate from 6 ° C to 12 ° C within 24 hours. The northeast monsoon predominantly carries dry air and thus triggers a dry season (called winter monsoon). In this time of low precipitation, the trees shed their leaves and go through a kind of rest phase, in which the so-called monsoon forests (light, green forests with a pronounced herbaceous layer) arise. The southwest monsoon absorbs moisture over the warm sea and leads to high precipitation over the mainland, which can reach up to 50 mm per day and often lead to flooding.
The best time to travel to Bali is from April to October. During the rainy season or the monsoon, there are short and heavy rains that are even stronger and longer in the interior.
Best travel time:
Pleasant temperatures and rarely rain can be expected in Indonesia between April and October. In the rainy season, the precipitation can sometimes restrict progress on site.
Thailand
Thailand is a country located in Southeast Asia. It is a kingdom with around 64 million inhabitants. It borders the countries of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia. The Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand also form natural borders. Thailand, which was called Siam until 1939 and for a short time after the Second World War until 1949, is the only state in Southeast Asia that was able to defy colonialism. For this reason, the name Thailand was adopted, which translated means “land of the free”.
Climate:
The north of the country belongs to the humid savanna climate with tropical features, the more humid south is determined by the tropical monsoon climate. The extreme south of Thailand even has a humid rainforest climate. In the north there is a dry season between November and April, which is subject to the northeast monsoon, while the southwest monsoon brings enormous amounts of rain and oppressive humidity from June to October.
Best travel time:
After the rainy season, the Thai landscape blooms and the temperatures go back to pleasantly warm values of 25 to 30 degrees. It is therefore advisable to travel between November and March. In April and May it is simply too hot in Thailand, between June and October it rains in large parts of the country.