What’s better: One year, one country or one year, many countries? I definitely agree on the latter, which is why we put together this list to help English teachers in Korea decide how best to use their vacation days while living abroad.

Asia is huge, beautiful, and exploding with must-see destinations.

1. Japan

Japan is one of the closest countries you can travel to. It takes less than two hours to fly. You could even take a ferryboat from Busan to Fukuoka, Shimonoseki, or Osaka and be there in one day or less.

Besides being really close to Korea, it’s typically cheap to get there, too. Plus, Americans, Canadians, and British citizens pay nothing for a visa on arrival (with a time limit). What more can you ask for? Be sure to visit Kyoto and keep your eyes peeled for a Geisha!

2. Thailand

Thailand is not only easy to get to, affordable to travel in, and wonderfully tropical, it’s also full of culture. The food is great, the locals are nice, and there’s a lot of ground to cover.

If you’re with a program that offers you an 8+-day vacation, Thailand is the perfect place to visit. From island life to city shopping, there’s a little bit for everyone. It’s a pretty easy country for Americans, Canadians, British citizens and South African’s to enter. You can even get scuba certified while you’re at it!

3. Cambodia

Cambodia is the perfect country to explore if you want to backpack around South East Asia, or if you have very limited vacation time. It’s fairly small, but just as beautiful and culturally rich as Thailand.

The best part about Cambodia is that the beaches are less touristy. Siem Reap is a must visit destination, so don’t forget to spend a few days exploring the temples of Angkor Wat. Like Thailand, this country also offers a lot in the way of water sports and beach time.

4. Taiwan

I have yet to meet one person who visited Taiwan and didn’t like it. Everyone raves about the wonders of this country. “The food is great,” or “The people are so friendly!” are often remarks I hear from fellow travelers.

Like many of the other countries on this list, Taiwan is very easy to access from Korea (about two hours by plane) and very affordable to travel in. You’ll experience a little bit of old Chinese traditions mixed in with the growing diversity and laid back attitude of Taiwanese people.

5. The Philippines

Almost all of the destinations on this list are great for three reasons: great food, beaches, and friendly faces. The Philippines fits right in with all three of those categories. It’s easy to find affordable flights to the Philippines, but it’s also easy to find very affordable accommodations once you’re there.  You’ll find that locals speak English very well, so finding your way around is also very easy.

Those were my tops picks, but there are a lot of countries in the North East/South East Asia region that are worth visiting.

Here are the runner up’s:

China

China has a lot of ground to cover, but the visa costs can hit you hard. However, traveling within the country is cheap, safe, and delicious.

Vietnam

The only reason Vietnam didn’t make the top five is because of how expansive the country is. Most countries are hard to cover in a measly 10 days, but Vietnam is especially thriving with cities and beach towns that should be on your list, be sure to check out Hanoi.

Malaysia

Many English teachers in Korea visit Malaysia because of the beaches and the allure of Kuala Lumpur. Along with its appealing qualities are the abundance of shisha bars, beautiful skyscrapers, and great shopping.