Fun Facts about Southeast Asia

• In Vietnam, it's against the law to put your hands in your pockets while visiting Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum in Hanoi.

• Its government is now promoting Laos as an ecotourism destination. Though it's a small country (roughly 600 miles by 150 miles), Laos boasts 20 protected national parks, in addition to two World Heritage Sites. Not a bad step forward, considering that Laos holds record for being the most heavily bombed country in history, thanks to the American (Vietnam) War.

• Limestone caves in Thailand and Myanmar are home to the Kitti's hog-nosed bat - also known as the bumblebee bat. This tiny creature has a body length of only 1.1 inches (2.9 centimeters) with a wingspan of up to 3 inches. It weighs about .07 ounces (2 grams). The bumblebee bat is considered to be the world's smallest mammal and is a threatened species.

• The Marble Mountains in central Vietnam (easily visited during an overland drive from Hue to Danang or Hoi An), really are made of marble. These hillocks, with their beautiful grottoes and pagodas, were once islands.

• Angkor Wat, in Cambodia, is the largest religious temple in the world. Unlike all other Khmer temples, it faces west. It's estimated that it took 30 years to build the temple.

• In Myanmar, the local women wear a yellowish paste on their cheeks and foreheads. The paste, which is made from the ground bark of the thanaka tree, acts as a natural sunscreen and moisturizer.

• Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia that was never colonized by Europeans.

• Craftsmen of Xuan La village, outside Hanoi, are famous for the "To He" toys that they create from dyed glutinous rice powder and bamboo sticks. To He figurines, which represent a variety of historical, cultural and even movie characters, are popular with local children. Food dyes are used to color the rice powder, so that the children can eat their toys. Visitors to Hanoi might see To He toys for sale in the parks or near schools.

• Angkor Wat, the largest temple in the world, has a volume of stone equal to that of the Cheops pyramid in Egypt. It's also the only Khmer temple that faces west.

• Khmer classical dance in Cambodia has its roots in the court dances of ancient India. Apsara refers to the graceful, joyful female dancers whose images can be found on the temples at Angkor and elsewhere. In Hindu mythology, apsaras were female nymphs who danced for the gods. Apsara dances are performed in Cambodia to this day; in fact we include a few on our Southeast Asia Journeys.

• Thailand boasts an up-and-coming wine industry. Northeast of Bangkok, very near Khao Yai National Park, is the Asoke Valley where the cool, dry climate creates excellent conditions for wine grapes. (We're still not impressed with the product.)

• At Inle Lake in Myanmar, the local people load their canoes with huge piles of weeds which they've gathered from beneath the surface of the lake. The weeds are used to form floating islands, which are then anchored to the floor of the lake. Tomatoes and other vegetables are grown on the floating islands.

• During the war in Indochina, for the nine years of aerial bombardment (1964-1973), a "cave city" in remote Viengxay housed many of the leaders and fighters of the Pathet Lao army. In March, 2007, five of the approximately 480 caves were opened to the public, with more caves opening subsequently. Though not easy to reach, visitors to the caves will also see an area of mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, ethnic villages, archaeological sites and a protected forest that's still home to leopards, tigers and other wildlife.

• Visitors to Thailand can visit the famous Bridge on the River Kwai, as a day trip from Bangkok. The target of many Allied bombing raids during World War II, the bridge was rebuilt after the war. However, the curved spans of the bridge are from the original structure.

• Vietnamese religions run the gamut from Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and Confucianism to Tam Giao, known as the "triple religion." Tam Giao combines aspects of Taoism, Chinese beliefs and ancient Vietnamese animism.

• Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, is situated at the convergence of three rivers - the upper and lower Mekong, the Bassac and the Tonle Sap. The site where the rivers meet is known as "Chatomuk," which translates as "four faces."

• The Si Phan Don ("four thousand islands") area of the Mekong River, in southern Laos near the Cambodian border, is home to highly endangered freshwater dolphins.

• The Lao people have a very laid-back attitude, which is reflected in the saying "bo pen yang" (it'll be okay).

• The new, modern Suvarnabhumi airport at Bangkok has the world's largest single passenger terminal and can serve as many as 45 million passengers annually. Travel time from Suvarnabhumi into the city is less than one hour.

• The United States is the world's largest importer of Vietamese goods.

• The Siam Paragon shopping centre in Bangkok is home to Southeast Asia's largest aquarium - Siam Oceanworld. It also has an incredible food court and grocery store - well worth a visit.

• Kuthodaw Pagoda, in Myanmar, is known as the "world's largest book" because of the Buddhist scripture carved onto 729 marble slabs.

• Vietnam is the second largest exporter of coffee in the world. Only Brazil exports more coffee by volume than Vietnam. Most of Vietnam's coffee is exported to the U.S.

• Shwedagon Pagoda, located in Myanmar's capital city, is believed to have been built during Buddha's lifetime. The Pagoda is a solid-gold, bell-shaped structure encrusted with over 4,000 diamonds and 93 other precious stones such as rubies and sapphires. A 76-carat diamond perches at the top of the Pagoda.

• Most people don't think of Cambodia as a beach destination. But, Cambodians, as well as the French during colonial times, have long enjoyed the secluded beaches of Sihanoukville.

• As a day trip from Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, visitors can cross the border into Myanmar (Burma), where they'll tour a Shan-style temple, a local village and its local market.

• Nha Trang is considered to have the best scuba diving in Vietnam.

• When visiting Angkor, in Cambodia, you can ride an elephant from the South Gate of Angkor Thom to Bayon temple.

• Bagan, in Myanmar, is home to more than 2,000 temples; an extraordinary number considering the small area in which they're contained. The temples date from the 11th to 13th centuries.

• On display at the National Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, are over 5,000 works of art from the sixth to the 13th century.

• The Karen hilltribes of northern Thailand are also known as the Long Neck People. Starting at a young age, girls start wearing heavy brass necklaces, to lengthen their necks. Women with long necks are considered to be the most beautiful in their village.

• Thanks to international efforts to restore Angkor Wat, Cambodia's magnificent treasure was recently removed from UNESCO's endangered site list.

• Hua Hin, Thailand may be the best kept secret in the world of golf. Not only are there more world class golf courses in Hua Hin than anywhere else in Thailand, but the green fees and other related expenses are some of the lowest in the world. Hua Hin is also the oldest and most traditional of Thailand's beach resorts.

• Though Vietnam is 1,650 kilometers (1,031 miles) from north to south, the country's most narrow point, traveling east to west, is only 50 kilometers (31 miles) across.

• A golden urn, containing the remains of Buddha, is housed in a stupa (shrine), located on a hilltop in Oudong, 30 miles north of the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh. The site was chosen by astrologers. When the remains were moved to Oudong, in December, 2002, from their previous home in the capital, an estimated one million people joined the procession to Oudong.

• In various places in Southeast Asia (such as Bangkok, Thailand and Luang Prabang, Laos) locals, at dawn, give alms to Buddhist monks. This age-old tradition not only provides the monks with their daily sustenance, but is said to ensure a good life to those who give the alms.

• Playing funeral music is one of the oldest professions in Vietnam. The music is meant to accompany the soul of the deceased person, as it travels to the Land of Buddha. In Vietnam, qualified funeral musicians can earn more money in one month than the average person earns in a year.

• In Thailand the letters "ph" are pronounced as a hard "p" sound. For example, the resort island of Phuket is pronounced "Puket." Another example is Phi Phi Island, which is pronounced as "Pee Pee" Island.

• In Cambodia you'll see carvings and other artwork depicting "Naga." Naga, a water serpent, was the great protector of the treasures of the ancient Khmer empire.

• The Plain of Jars, in Laos, is home to hundreds of huge stone jars, each of which is large enough to hold a person. The largest jar weighs over six tons. Estimated at around 2,000 years old, the purpose of the jars, which were only recently discovered, is still a mystery - though some experts believe they were used in burial rituals.

• The Intha people of Inle Lake, in Myanmar, use a one-leg rowing technique to get themselves around the lake, where they fish and grow crops on tiny islands.

• The people of the floating fishing villages of Vietnam's Halong Bay rarely, if ever, set foot on land. Because the villagers are nomadic (going where the fish are), floating schools also move, so that the children of the bay don't miss their classes.

• Thailand's Khao Sok National Park, a protected wildlife reserve, is home to tigers, clouded leopards, bears, tapirs, gibbons, langurs, pangolin and other exotic creatures.

• The Silver Pagoda, part of the Royal Palace compound in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, has a floor made of 5,000 silver tiles. Among the many treasures housed in the Silver Pagoda is a solid gold Buddha encrusted with 9,584 diamonds and weighing 90 kilos.

• Myanmar is home to 135 ethnic minorities, each of which has its own dialect and traditional dress.

• The city of Luang Prabang, Laos, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1995. After a couple of days exploring the beautifully preserved temples, plan a day trip to the Pak Ou Caves. Inside the caves you'll discover a large and wonderful collection of Buddha images, in a variety of styles and sizes. (We include the Pak Ou caves on each of our Southeast Asia Journeys).

• The largest pagoda in Southeast Asia is the Phra Pathom Chedi at Nakorn Pathom. It's also the highest chedi in Thailand. Visit Phra Pathom Chedi as part of a day trip out of Bangkok to the Damnoen Floating Market and River Kwai.