Hi Marek! Its amazing that you can travel for so long and so frequently. as they dont take the scenic routes, especially between all these major cities or capitals. Im looking to do Thailand+Cambodia, but if I have Work your way down Vietnam, then through Cambodia, and end your trip lazying on the Thai islands. Hey Enza. Yeah definitely doable, as youve picked just a few spots in each country. If you are able to give a ball park figure, please, that would be much appreciated. Your blog is great! thank you! Im sure youll have an amazing experience . It can be nice to book ahead (by a day or two) to ensure a spot in your preferred hostel, but theres always many options. Fortunately you could alternatively go to east coast peninsular Malaysia (where its approaching the high season then) or to Indonesia for sunny beaches. If I did go for a larger pack, what are you experiences with checked luggage on Asian airlines like? It depends on what kind of places you eat, if you take private or public transportation, or if youre one to drink fancy cocktails vs local beers. Backpacking Southeast Asia is easily one of the best things you can do simply as its one of the worlds best regions to travel independently. People often do the Banana Pancake route first and then the other countries, but your sequence makes sense for the weather/climate (Sept = dry in Indonesia, wet in Thailand). At the time this pancake breakfast offered the only alternative from the usual rice-based meals. Hi Marek! Thanks and good luck with your trip! Do you think adding the Philippines would be too much? So my question for you is.. any routes/countries youd recommend where I could run into more solo male travelers? Thanks for the fast response! Lastly, I realize this is quite a list of questions to ask, but you seem to be very much the guy to answer them. Currently trying to plan my route. Best weather is different everywhere for example June is rainy season in Thailand, but dry season in Indonesia. The above map shows the key Southeast Asia backpacking routes. Beginning to plan my travels from September-August, so Ive a full year. Yeah I think that should give you sufficient time. You couldnt ask for a better region to start backpacking! Thank you so much for your reply! Aww gotya. I will only be able to give up one extra week. Hi Marek! Hey Marek, nicely done on helping so many travelers plan their trips better. Its pretty easy (usually). Theres WiFi and good 3G or 4G in most places now. 4. Other segments do have direct connections by bus or train. All other countries have visa on arrival for most passports, Nice article! Thank you so much for the great guide above. Will i have to take some great British pounds with me for visas etc? I consider Vietnam a somewhat underrated destination, the reason for which I explain in these guides. Would it be wise for me to travel solo? You dont want to get caught out when travelling around South Easy Asia. * Can you recommend any local website to book cheaper flights between these countries? Also Im finding organizing things very daunting as I havent really looked into where i want to go or how im going to get from place to place but everything i read on it and everything people have said about it is that its fairly easy to just go out there and go day by day not really having much of a plan! From Bangkok, you could also make an excursion into Cambodia to see the sprawling temples of Angkor Wat, though Thailand also has its own ancient temple ruins at Ayathuya and Sukhothai. I actually visited Hoi An and Pakse on two separate trips, and then connected them in my suggested route after hearing others made the trip between these places. End your trip with some quality beach time on the Cambodian islands, or on Thailands Koh Chang archipelago. Email: Perez418@gmail.com or IG Perez418. Do you want to include Vietnam, or are you just thinking about it because fights go there? I just found your blog and I love your advice so far. Hotels and airfare are taken care of so basically Im just worried about transportation expenses and food. Its a backpacker budget though, so it assumes you avoid the most expensive activities and focus on things that are either free or relatively cheap. Then you can get to spend 3 full days in each and get a proper taste. I might be inclined to focus on a particular part of Vietnam so you can do more side excursions and see the countryside. I was wondering what youd recommend as the best route of travel (and the best modes of transport between countries based on ease/price) for Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Japan? Im getting the sense SEA is a perfect area for a first time travelers though and its exactly what I want so Im having trouble deciding to go somewhere else. For tropical beaches head to Langkawi or the Perhentian Islands, which offer those white sands and azure seas. Hey Laura! Pattaya Thats just a neutral statement, and doesnt mean anything good or bad about the Philippines. Insurance has been the most difficult thing for me in picking. You could consider going to Koh Chang to break up the journey a bit if youre going overland. Ive only done bits and pieces in the rainy season in SEA and not an extended trip during this time. Dont forget your travel insurance!! Are the vaccins really a must do? Main airport: Phnom Penh (Capital) or Siam Riep (for Angkor Wat). Im leaning toward Myanmar simply bc of how untouched so much of it is. Seeing all the highlights would take at least 3 or 4 weeks, so with 2 weeks, you may want to choose to see either the south or north of Vietnam. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links. Its tricky cramming it all in, but if youve got 3 or 4 weeks, this is our recommended schedule, based on a return flight to Bangkok. What do you think about the length of our planned stays in each place? Southeast Asia offers more adventure than you can shake a stick at, and for the most part, its incredibly inexpensive too. Or did you find yourself not needing it as much? Can you advise on what kind of budget I would need . The most expensive part will probably be Phuket, but since youre keeping it last youll have a clear idea at that point of how much money is left, and then spend accordingly. Also, Im not sure if youve done a piece on this yet, but when is the weather the best in the Asian countries? traveling solo, and I am a budget traveler (30y/o woman). I was speaking recently with someone who did Vietnam north to south, then Cambodia, then north into Laos along its spine and on to Luang Prabang, then into northern Thailand and ending on the Thai beaches in the south. I managed to get a ticket a few days before. I have hashed together a rough route and time in each country (for SE Asia so far only) and was wondering your thoughts on if it will be long enough in each place/any places that could, if need be, be omitted. We noticed that on your route map, you seem to be able to travel from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville without crossing through Phnom Penh, but we cant seem to figure out how to manage this via public transport. I am asking for some advice (oh no not another one haha) It does take some discipline in choosing your route and locations. Destinations like China, Sri Lanka, India, or Nepal are not terribly far away. When you advise up to $20 to $40 per day for some countries, did you take into account staying, site-seeing and leisure? After Hong Kong, Im planning to follow this itinerary within 5 months: Hong Kong Singapore Malaysia Indonesia (From Jakarta to Lombok) Thailand/Laos/Vietnam/Cambodia (Banana Pancake trail). Haha thats certainly an original question! Can I ask you a maybe silly but important question for me, which can determines the best time for me to depart. Sorry for my slow reply. Was thinking the following number of days in each country: If in doubt, Bangkok is always a great place to kick off your adventure. I think its an incredibly scenic and underrated part of the region. Using sites such as Viator you can easily book some of the most important things to see and do before you arrive often for a better price than youll pay there. All the information you have provided has really helped me in preparing for my upcoming SE Asia adventure. Thailand has two different rainy seasons on its west and east coast as well, which might enable you to avoid the more rainy area when youre there. It really lit me up. your site is very informative and guides well lay around the beach then keep walking. Flying into Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon, youll need to make the most of your visa, so explore Vietnam in depth. Planning to go on a 2.5-month (May-July) solo trip through the Banana Pancake Trail, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. Yep I normally just figure that stuff out when I get there. Ive had some difficulty over xmas / NYE in Asia, but you will be travelling after that period so not much to worry about. Ill still need your help though. Its not too late to plan a trip. One thing you might consider is your age and what type of male traveler youd fancy meeting. We would start from Taiwan. ANY and all suggestions would be welcomed. The south of Bali is veeeery touristy though so maybe inland/central/north Bali has more of what youre looking for. Hey Mia! Hi Marek, fantastic page and site. Thanks . I am concerned about the weather (I know it will be pretty hot/rainy) and I was wondering what the best places to visit vs avoid are for that time of year. The information this site and your book has given me is brilliant. when and how would you recommend us to get to philippines? This will be my first time travelling and Im going it alone so Im trying not to think of how nervous I am :S my budget is going to be 100 a week do you think this will be enough? Why? I assume the rainy season will make this harder but not impossible? Yes its definitely fine to just wing it! Ive travelled Thailand before but Im going back in January for 3 months, with option to extent further, to spend a little time in Thailand, then Laos, Vietnam and hopefully Cambodia, finishing with a month I hope in the Philippines. Below is probably how Id do things now, adding more focus on nature and rural regions, and a bit less focus on cities or some of the most touristy parts. Hes flying into Bangkok and Im flying into Phuket. Id still keep The Philippines in for consideration, especially given your interests (but thats just my 2 cents ). Both Thailand and Singapore/Bali are great starting points in Southeast Asia, so I probably wouldnt worry too much about this choice. Hi Marek! I am planning on doing the Banana Pancake Trail April 20-June/July. April is a perfect time to start in north Vietnam though. Im goin away for 5 weeks, and planning to do northern thailand, laos and vietnam, then home. We are backpacking newbies. Theres still plenty of wifi everywhere that lets you keep in touch (in cafes, hostels, etc.) Did you have a SIM card for each country? What did you do about this or what would you recommend? Im planning my trip to asia and ive left everything a bit late haha, im leaving england early march and coming back in august so ive got a long old while to explore! So we may end up bypassing 2 weeks of PP and Sihanoukville. Two weeks will allow you to do the essentials, but a month in Malaysia would allow you to really enjoy it. Sounds like a great plan actually. Yeah those estimates do include sightseeing and transportation and such. Im not fussed how long we stay here or where we go so im open to ideas for WOW destinations here. My boyfriend and I are planning a 6 week trip to the Philippines and Thailand this spring. Hey Paula! Though with 4 months you can go with the flow. Chiang Mai Could you clarify this for me? Honestly, these things always depend on the person. I have 12 weeks (3 months) in SEA and landing in Bangkok this October eek. I was wondering if you knew if i could take the 2 day boat to luang prabang and go to the gibbon excperience after? My husband and I are planning to do at least 3 months in SE Asia starting mid-march. Everything is subjective and everyone has different travel goals. Thanks for the wonderful resource. I would love to hear your opinion on it! Personally, I think its fun to mix them with a few less-known places that may have more local character. Hi Krisha! Since youre on a limited budget Id recommend maybe keeping track of your spending with a notebook or an app. excited but I have the interesting fortune to really play around with my I think it might make more sense as Ill be going to Vietnam/Laos afterwards and might have more connections from Siem Reap than from the Southern islands. I wasnt too impressed with the Mekong delta sightseeing tours in Vietnam, but actually travelling the Mekong to Cambodia might be a much better way to experience the river. Thanks! Think beach resorts and relaxation. . Singapore is on the list for consideration for a short few days stay. Monsoon season is something to keep an eye on but if youve got some time (as you will have) then its not necesserily a bad time to travel. Is this something you take into consideration when mapping a route out? And Im back! Take your pick. Great post, Marek! If you continue to use this site, we will assume that you are happy with it. Keep an eye on current events to know if its a good time to go to Myanmar. You could get a single to Bangkok and a single back from wherever, but sometimes its cheaper to just buy a return. Id pick two countries you like most and then plan a trip around that. We are currently trying to plan a 9-10 month trip starting in August. I really dont mind what i see or do! Hey Gina. Reading your description Im counting 1 week northern Thailand, 1 week Laos, 1 week Cambodia, etc. Two things I really want to do while we are there is rock climb and learn to surf (maybe spend a couple days surfing). Do you think the sequence of countries is optimal regarding travel times? Hi Marek. Myanmar also has an e-visa program. Any advice would be really appreciated, as we want to avoid flying and explore by land as much as possible! This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. We will definitely give Koh Rong Sanloem and Cardamom Mountains a look at. Thanks a lot! I am spending 4 months travelling SE Asia and just wanted to know if we will be able to see all the countries listed in the first pic, including Borneo, Bali, Manila etc. Check out my Thailand itinerary for a rough template for a 2 week or longer trip to Thailand. Will be travelling to SE Asia first week in January until probably first week in May. (This does make some assumptions about your nationality by the way. Is there any reason you would advise against doing the normal route (Bangkok to northern Thailand etc) but the opposite way round (Bangkok into Cambodia, Vietnam then fly to Northern Thailand as we are avoiding Laos)? Hmm good question. Im searching other methods of travel and cant seem to find much between these two locations. in this region, never get bored, and still barely scratch the surface. Hmm, thats a specific question! Sorry I spelt your name wrong, Marek! First time for me going to this area so Im spending many hours to figure out routes, destinations, travel periods etc. we want to go to the philippines ad heard the best season is january feb, we are leaving on the 17th for bangkok and will stay i SEA for 4 months, following the circular route bangkok, north thailand, laos,vietnam,cambodia, south thailand Hopefully, this article has helped you get some ideas for your Southeast Asia trip. Peninsula Malaysia is packed full of beautiful colonial cities including Penang. If I were to go, it would be mid-July for around a month and a half. Its become quite an expat haunt in recent years, with all the trappings of a modern cosmopolitan metropolis. and to you have any 5 month budget? Myanmar is another fascinating destination. Southeast Asia is full of them! I am thinking Laos and Chiang Mai regionbut so hard to decidehave never been out this wayhave been to Europe and south America. Many backpackers then like to take the two-day slow boat from the Laos border to Luang Prabang along the Mekong. Hey Nicole. Hoi Mike! My friend and I just booked round trip flights to Bangkok starting in mid July and ending in early August (exactly 3 weeks). Security wise its also OK. For what its worth, one time in Yogyakarta Airport, a luggage handler did keep my backpack hostage for a while hoping for a tip (he waved his hands through the flaps of the baggage carousel), but there was no real threat of me losing my luggage and I dont think this was a common problem. I visited Thailand and Cambodia for 2 weeks earlier this year. Hi! You can cut journey times with flights check out AirAsia and other budget carriers. But its more of a preference than dont do it this way. Heya! Here are a few reasons why: Not to mention, traveling long distances can be tiring! Good luck! I have been trying to find the cheapest ways to travel but its been a complete nightmare figuring out how to jump from country to country. There are fortunately lots of small travel agencies in Sihanouksville that would be able to help you with your onward transportation. Hi Marek, thank you very much for such of wonderful article. Would love your advice! I was in north Vietnam in December and it was indeed a little cold. Gibbon Experience (express tour) Leave a commentYour email address will not be published. . That buys you some time letting you spend at least 3 days in some places (and get the most out of them!). What advice can you give me? Take a look at these tours and attractions in Singapore. If your budget allows, Id highly recommend jumping on a plane from Penang to Kuching on Borneo. Thanks for sharing! Also on the information on bags to purchase and equipment to get really helped. Generally, Id say it doesnt matter too much where you start. So now Im thinking to buy a returnticket to Singapore, and take a local flight from Singapore to Hanoi to start my trip. I will be traveling to S. E. Asia in May 2020, and am looking to fly into Singapore and work my way up. Id like to visit Chiang Mai for Songkran (do you think somewhere else is better?) I just want to live like a local for a week in one kick ass place. Borneo is where to head for jungle trekking and Orangutan spotting. If you just like cities then your route will work well. Theres no problem doing this route in the reverse direction though. You can always keep the Philippines as an option if you find that you still have the time for it, you can book a cheap flight with AirAsia to Manila during your trip and tack this onto your route. I find its usually Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur that have the most / cheapest flights. It depends on where you want to go. These days are 32 full days and exclude days travelling between them so in total about 6 weeks. I am thinking Thailand and VietnamWhat is the best options economically? Im now trying to figure out whether to leave out Southern Vietnam. Both those countries are quite poorly connected to Indonesia with flights though, but you can probably find an indirect flight going via Singapore or Bangkok. If youre new to Southeast Asia, then Thailand is always a safe bet. However I am now reconsidering my route because of rainy season in Cambodia, would anyone have a different route to avoid rainy season at this time or does this sound ok? Dec-Jan has great weather but is normally high season with more crowds at the tourist sites, though after this year I guess that may be less of a factor. Yes I think you could actually manage to add another destination sometimes I have to go contrary to my normal advice! An example of what the Banana Pancake route commonly looks like, more or less. Depends of course on your travel style, where exactly youll be staying (as theres differences per area within countries, e.g. timing. but just realized that its apparently the worst time in terms of weather. We arent sure how much to let time of year dictate where we choose to go and the order of our travels. For these routes, youre unlikely to find info on online bus booking sites or anything (it doesnt work that way yet). Thank you so much in advance. What Ive shared here is merely some commonwisdom for backpacking Southeast Asia. Easiest is probably still to fly in, e.g. Since youll be focusing on cities I actually wouldnt worry too much about the rainy season. I may travel a bit like you. If we were to add Myanmar to your 2 month itinerary, where would you try to add it? I was thinking Thailand-Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam but wasnt sure if thats stretching things our too much. Currently in Cambodia. Bangkok Siem Reap Koh Rong (Sanloem) Ho Chi Minh City. Doing all of Vietnam in a month will be tricky, but if you have a two week itinerary definitely head to Halong Bay and take a cruise. The first two are easily (and often) combined, especially south Vietnam + Cambodia. Think I just need to decide how long and how much I want to spend. Travel guides, Wikivoyage, etc. In the mainland (Thailand, Vietnam, etc.) I am planning 6 months in SE Asia and plan on roughly following your suggested route. The way I like to travel! Is this okay for five weeks or is this kind of killing it? Beach, culture, some adventure and chill is basically what Im after. Can I just book a train or bus out of the country will that be good enough proof? So informative! You can get a 30-day visa-on-arrival when you land in Bangkok. Thank you Marek I am a planner by nature so am already starting on a 6 month trek in 3 years I have gone to many of your pages and all are so informative. I am planning a trip with one of my friends from late december to early february, around 45 days. Head over from Chiang Mai? This party and beach haunt is a popular with Saigonites and backpackers. Hey Freya. Ive only been to Australia once, but I believe the summer there is until Feb, so being in Oz after that for a bit of the summer + autumn doesnt seem bad. Do you have a strong suggestion for either? Fantastic article and very helpful. We are still yet to establish a route but your guides are proving to be very helpful, so thank you! Hey, thanks for the excellent information in this site! We are entering and leaving Bangkok but we dont really have much planned. Glad you find it useful Chris! So you may be overthinking it and you should just go in whatever time is most convenient (Jan/Feb is generally considered a great time to travel Thailand/Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam.). I realise this is all a bit vagueas I said, were struggling to work things out! I know Ill also need a relatively well stocked first aid kit for some of the adventures, as well as a filtered water bottle and spare filters. with 6 months you can be pretty flexible. Not sure if we should fly into Thailand and start from there or fly into Singapore for few days, do Bali for a week then work our way up through the countries to Thailand. For visiting 5 countries, 8 weeks total will give you a lot more flexibility than 6 though. Hi, Marek! You could have a look around for open jaw options but buying two singles can often be quite a bit more expensive, though it does save you some flight time. A few friends and myself are taking some time out from Dec 12th Jan 15th so we have just over 2 weeks (apart from one guy who can only take 2 weeks off). But this is likely too much for our time. I know this might be a how long is a piece of string type question, but what I mean is excluding travel to and from Singapore/final destination, and any internal plane rides, plus any really expensive activities such as diving. But I do think two countries in four weeks will give you a nice unhurried pace, with some opportunity to explore. Were keen to travel overland and have the time to take a couple of days to get there. Im in southern Thailand right now and noticing again how the prices are higher here (in bangkok and tourist areas) than elsewhere in SEA.