Searching for the Best Paradise in Southeast Asia

Written by Megan Sulistyo

May 26, 2020

El Nido, the Philippines

I had a positive experience teaching at Olifant School. I learned so much from my co-workers and students, and hope that I was able to teach them as much as they taught me during my 5 months working with them.

After completing my semester contract working at Olifant School, my boyfriend Rob met me in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. That was the first stop of our 6-week backpacking trip around Southeast Asia.

We spent one full week in Yogyakarta visiting beautiful beaches along South Java sea and spending time with my relatives. I never get bored of the rich variety of delicious local food.

Then we continued to travel to multiple exciting places such as Bali, Lombok, Singapore, Thailand (Krabi, Phi Phi Islands, Bangkok, Chang Mai, and Pai), Cambodia (Siem Reap and Phnom Penh), Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh), and the Philippines (Manila, Puerto Princesa, and El Nido).

Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia

This was such a special experience for us after spending five months apart while I was working in Yogyakarta and Rob was finishing his undergraduate degree at University of Virginia. We did everything we could to learn as much as possible about each country and city and the culture in each location.

We visited a few museums, took on day-long excursions and tours, and always enjoyed interacting with the locals at the hostels and hotels we stayed at. We learned about their cultures and their daily lives and they were friendly and helpful when we asked for advice on how to best experience the city.

We loved the entire six weeks we spent traveling in Southeast Asia. We will remember this experience for a long time. Our biggest highlights included going to Borobudur Temple in Yogyakarta, hiking Mount Rinjani in Lombok, and ending the trip by staying in a treetop bungalow in El Nido.

Six weeks only gave us a taste of the rich and exotic culture of Southeast Asia. We were lucky to have this opportunity and look forward to visiting again in the future.