The kids of South East Asia
There’s no doubt that kids everywhere are cute, but for some reason the miniature citizens of South East Asia seem to be especially photogenic. Whether they’re peering inquisitively at the stranger in their midst, playing with their friends at the side of a dusty road or just splashing around happily at bath time in the river, there’s something about them that make me reach for my camera every time.
Here’s a selection of shots of those pint-sized people from my travels through the region.
This little guy at a roadside stall in Vietnam could not have been any happier about the piece of food that he’d just pinched off the table. His mother, however, didn’t seem quite so thrilled…
These two little girls in Cambodia interrupted their wrestling match on the kitchen floor for just long enough to have their photo taken. A second later the competition was on again in earnest.
Stopping for a beer at this ‘bar’ near Hoi An, these two kids were absolutely fascinated by my mate. Or possibly the smell of his sandals. It was kinda hard to tell, but either way they couldn’t keep their eyes off him.
En route from Can Tho to Phnom Penh my boat passed this little family on the banks of the Mekong. Conditions were basic to say the least, but the unbridled joy on these kid’s faces couldn’t help but bring a smile to my face.
Lunch time at the shelter I was volunteering at in Cambodia was an important affair, so I didn’t want to interrupt this kid enjoying his lunch. He spotted me, though – but it didn’t seem to put him off his meal for long…
This tiny hustler on the streets of Saigon had all the tricks in the book. Switching from unbearably cute to having a mouth that would embarrass a sailor in the blink of an eye, there was no way that he was going to let my mate Wes away without buying something from him that night.
This little girl was just sitting by herself beside my guesthouse in Laos, watching her brothers splash around in the Mekong a few feet below. There’s something about her expression that just makes my heart melt whenever I see this photo.
Where are the cutest kids that you’ve come across on your travels?
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Kids with nothing but they are all incredibly cute. That last photo says a whole lot more than a thousand words! They are all so innocent (maybe apart from the hustler) – long may it stay that way.
One can only hope…
Aren’t they uber-cute? So far the cutest kids I’ve seen are the Chinese, puffy and with those little eyes, they are just lovely!
These kids are BEYOND precious!!!
That is one thing that I miss about SEA. They children there are so small and always wanting there picture taken. Just for a small glimpse on your LCD screen. Most people in SEA just have a warmness and a willingness to always be smiling if you pass them in the street.
Too cute!!
Super cute
No matter what status they have in life, you will always see them smiling.
The children in Southeasr Asia are great! I found it pretty hard to stomach though, when parents would send out small children holding pretty much new-born babies, begging for money. It’s hard to know what to do in that situation – give them money and encourage that sort of behaviour, or send them away knowing that they could do with the money!?