Is there anywhere on earth more misunderstood and exoticized than Southeast Asia? Decades of backpacker lore and lazy travel writing have cemented all the obvious clichés in the public mind: the beaches, the fiery 'street' food in steamy cities, Buddhist traditions and mountaintop temples. But is this image fair? Or even real?

For every staged photo of a deserted tropical beach there are countless others struggling with the burdens of overtourism. In Southeast Asia 'street' food is just called food. Yes, mainstream culture here is grounded in its Buddhist roots, but not to the exclusion of countless ethnic minorities, lively—sometimes violent—political movements, or rocking music and vibrant creative arts scenes. Most of this is whitewashed (or just outright ignored) by mainstream tourism marketing, much to the detriment of both the people who live here and those who come to visit. Instead, Southeast Asia has become a destination that tourists "do" rather than multi-dimensional places with real people living real lives.

Nearly 10% of the world's population lives in this corner of Asia and there's so much more to see and learn than the clichés would have you believe. Slow down, break out of the luxury resorts, pull up a plastic stool and see what contemporary Southeast Asia is all about. You won't regret it!