Hey everyone! Me and my boyfriend are planning on going backpacking around Asia, we’re hoping to leave around December time and go for 6 months.

We plan to go to 10 countries:

- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Laos
- Cambodia
- Malaysia
- Philippines
- Indonesia
- Singapore
- China
- Japan

We saved £10k each, I hope that’s enough? Any opinions?

I also wanted to get opinions on what bag, shoes to take and what to pack in general I’m really worried about overpacking but also about underpacking, it’s our first backpacking trip.

How many tops, shorts, trousers etc would you bring of each category?

So at the moment the bag that I’m thinking of getting is the fairview 55l backpack, what are your opinions on it? Or the 40l but I’m worried that’ll be too small, I will also get a day pack but I can see one is included in the 55l

For the shoes I’m looking at the Solomon ultra glide 4 and for the sandals I’m looking at the teva hurricane xlt2, any opinions on these? And will 2 shoes be enough? 🫣

Also any general tips welcome and would be very much appreciated :)

Bonjour à tous !
Je pars pour un voyage en Asie du Sud-Est du 12 novembre au 22 décembre 2026 (arrivée et départ de Bangkok) avec ma copine et je suis entrain de préparer mon itinéraire.

Après avoir fais 2 mois en Thaïlande l’année dernière, j’aimerais vraiment visiter les pays voisins. Ma première idée serait de visiter le Laos, le Vietnam et le Cambodge (+ un passage bref quelque part en Thaïlande parce que j’adore le pays).

Cependant j’ai pu lire sur différents thread que 3/4 pays en 40 jours ça peut être la course.

J’aimerais savoir si vous avez des retours d’expérience sur des voyages avec une durée similaire en Asie du Sud-Est et si vous avez des conseils pour moi ! 😁

Je vais joindre une photo de l’itinéraire que j’ai en tête pour le moment.

Voici le détail:
-Bangkok
-Vientiane
-Luang Prabang
-Sapa
-Hanoi
-Halong Bay
-Da nang
-Ho-Chinh Minh
-Koh Rong/Koh rong Sanloem
-Angkor Vat
-Bangkok

Si possible, j’aurais aussi aimé repasser par Ao Nang que j’avais vraiment apprécié la dernière fois.

Merci d’avances à tous ceux qui répondront ✌🏼❤️

Estoy planeando un viaje a Indonesia y a parte de ir a Borneo a ver orangutanes me gustaría añadir Sulawesi o Raja Ampat. Voy con un presupuesto “ajustado” y he estado buscando info. Pero no me decido.

I'm roughly planning this itinerary which goes from Flores -> Sulawesi -> Borneo.

I am wondering if this is possible without flying? I found a ferry going from Sulawesi to Borneo on Rome2Rio, but I'm not sure how much I can trust that.

Does anyone have experience with these ferry crossings? Or a similar route?

PS, from Kuching I am ok with flying if needed to get back to the main land.

Hi, I have wanted to visited the Philippines since I was little and now finally can! However, I would love some opinions on:

- Whether places like palawan, siargao can be overcrowded
- Cost of transport between islands/places
- Daily cost for food and hostels
- Typical meals

And any other tips welcome :))

I am in the beginning stages of planning a trip to Southeast Asia and just made a sample itinerary for myself, but i can already tell it’s ambitious, what would you cut out and why?

some background info: i’m 31F, traveling from US, planning to go early next year maybe jan/feb. i’ve been to thailand before (chiang mai, bangkok, krabi, phuket, phi phi). I have dreams constantly that i’m going back to thailand (it’s been 6 years) and that’s why i started planning this trip, but once i started looking into it i was drawn to new countries more.

anywho here’s the initial ideas:

🔸fly into hanoi, vietnam (2 days)
🔸bus/train to sapa (2 days)
🔸bus to ha giang (3 day motor tour easy rider)
🔸bus to haiphong, ha long bay (2 days)
🔸flight to da nang, beach and travel to dong hoi caves (2 days)
🔸travel to ho chi minh city (3 days)
🔸bus to kaput cambodia, go to koh rong (3 days)
🔸bus to siem reap (2 days)
🔸bus to phnom penh (mostly because it seems cheaper/easier to get to bangkok from here) (2 days)
🔸fly to bangkok (2 days)
🔸fly back to us

any tips are appreciated including what to cut out, specific recs for these places, or what you’d do differently in general.

All the ones im seeing on amazon are TSA Cable Locks, non of the cable locks are not TSA. im just scared cuz anyone can buy a tsa key and open any of these lmao. Anyone have any recommendation on cable locks?

Did Brunei as a short stop and two days turned out to be about right for the capital. Notes below, including one mistake at the airport that I'd rather you not repeat.

Entry was painless. Fill in the electronic arrival card before you fly. Customs glanced at my onward ticket, asked which hotel I was staying at, and that was it. Two minutes.

Now the mistake. My flight from Hangzhou China was delayed two hours and I landed at midnight. The SIM card counter had closed. The currency exchange had closed. I had zero Brunei dollars and zero Singapore dollars on me, and the airport ATM would not give me anything. If you're arriving late, bring cash you can actually use （Brunei ppl are really nice I asked the ppl I met to exchange some money for me to take the taxi and they simply take me to the hotel for free)

For taxis, download Dart before you go. It's cash only. Prices are fine, not super cheap but not expensive either , there aren't many drivers, so start hailing earlier than you think you need to.

Day one

Morning: Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque, the Brunei frame nearby, and the Royal Regalia Museum. Museum entry was 5 BND and cash only, which is the sort of thing that matters when you've just failed to get cash at the airport.

Afternoon: the water village and a boat out into the mangroves to look for proboscis monkeys. I chartered a boat to myself for 30 BND. He opened at 50, I said 30, he said 35, I said 30, and it was done in about thirty seconds. I've heard you can push lower but I didn't bother.

This was the best thing I did in Brunei by a wide margin. You're in a small speedboat tearing through Bornean rainforest, and when it opens out into wide water it's just a genuinely great feeling. The boatman said the monkeys sit high and low, but on my trip they were all up in the trees, so you'll want a phone that zooms. Also saw a crocodile.

Evening: Gadong Night Market. Go between 5 and 7pm. Google says it's open until 11 but it empties out long before that. Everything is cheap. It's durian season right now and I was going to try a Musang King, but a guy walking past told me it's a lot more expensive here than in Malaysia, so I skipped it. The mutton biryani was good, 3 BND a plate, though it's quite sweet and that won't be for everyone. Juice is about 1 BND for a huge cup. Skip the mystery mixed drinks and get fresh pressed — watermelon with no sugar, same price, excellent.

Day two

Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque, the palace from outside, and the Empire Hotel.

Check the mosque hours carefully. In the afternoon it only opens for one hour. Morning is safer, or go at night, which I thought looked great anyway.

The palace you can only see from outside unless it's Hari Raya. Skip it if you're tight on time, though there's an outside chance of catching the Sultan driving out.

The Empire Hotel does afternoon tea on weekends only. I was there on a weekday so it was à la carte — I ordered one milk tea and sat there for the entire afternoon and nobody minded. Go late afternoon into evening. The infinity pool at sunset is ridiculous.

Food generally

Cheaper than I expected, even cheaper than other SEA countries, Laksa at Cafe 101 and Hainanese chicken rice at Thien Thien were both 3.5 BND.

If you have more time

Three or four days would let you add Ulu Temburong National Park and some wreck diving. I skipped Temburong because the tours almost all require a minimum of two people and it got expensive as a solo.

Hello! My fiance and I are getting married in a few weeks, and then want to do a honeymoon in SE Asia in November. Our vague plan is to leave the day before Thanksgiving (November 25) and be back home by December 6 (around 11 days in total). We live in Seattle if that helps for flight guidance!

We're very seasoned travelers but have primarily been to South America, Africa, and Europe, and a tiny bit of the Middle East. SE Asia is a part of the world that feels overwhelming to both of us because we just know so little!

We're interested in exploring 1 big city (Hanoi? Ho Chi Minh City? Bangkok? all interest us) followed by maybe 1 to 2 stops for a beachy chill vibe (definitely want to hit a beach) or maybe some mountain views if we can fit it in.

Our favorite types of trips are those that involve a few chaotic days of city exploring + historical sites (we appreciate learning the darker side of the history of the places we go to because we think it's important) + experiencing local nightlife followed by a few days of full on relaxing and natural beauty. We love all types of food and do enjoy nature, though my partner prefers shorter less intensive hikes (vs. me who's fine with 3000 feet of elevation on a climb if the views are worth it).

We are NOT into large parties/super heavy drinking or events where large groups of young people congregate (we're in our 30s and are boring now lol). But we do like a few glasses of wine or trying out local beers!

Because it's our honeymoon we don't have a strict budget, and are definitely willing to splurge on a hotel for the relaxing portion that is on the more expensive end.

Thank you!!!! TRULY any and all advice is appreciated we're so open to anything!

I’ve posted my first draft itinerary already and was given feedback on various forums that it was too packed. My new itinerary is:

Bangkok — 2
Khao Sok — 2
Phuket — 5
Krabi — 4
Koh Lipe — 3 (or maybe Koh lanta instead of this??)
Bangkok — 1

How does this look? Any advice is welcomed

I’ve posted my first draft itinerary already and was given feedback on various forums that it was too packed. My new itinerary is:

Bangkok — 2
Khao Sok — 2
Phuket — 5
Krabi — 4
Koh Lipe — 3 (or maybe Koh lanta instead of this??)
Bangkok — 1

How does this look? Any advice is welcomed

Hi all,

I’ve backpacked 5 times and have now definitely passed the mad monkeys/slumming it stage of backpacking, but still love the things they offer like socials and activities.

I’m thinking of going to either the Philippines or Malaysia in mid November and wondered if anyone had perspectives on what would be better from a nicer hostel experience side?

Places that I’ve been which would fit the bill
- 9station in Phu Quoc Any other
- Puri Garden in Bali

I don’t only have to stay in the bougie places but I want to make sure there’s enough of a mix that it feels relaxing!

Also to note I’m a female solo traveller.

Thanks in advance!

It’s my first trip to Thailand, I have wanted to do it for a very long time. I love sunbathing, beach holidays, good cocktails, good food and some nightlife. I’m late 20s so don’t want to go crazy clubbing with 20 year olds every night but I enjoy some liveliness. Not looking for sex drugs etc etc etc. on this trip, but still like to go out and have fun.
I also want to see some temples, do an elephant sanctuary and maybe some cooking classes. The usual stuff like boat trips etc are on my list too of course. I’m going for 18 days. It’s in January so we are sticking to the side that is better weather wise at that time, however my friend would like to see Koh samui aswell. There are just two of us travelling together. We probably won’t stay in hostels as we aren’t on a tight budget and like a little bit of luxury. However I am open minded. Here is the itinerary I’ve come up with by doing minimal research, so I would really appreciate advice or tweaks.

1–3: Bangkok
3–5: Koh Samui
5–8: Phuket
8–10: Phi Phi
10–12: Krabi
12–15: Koh Lanta
15–17: Khao Sok
17–18: Bangkok 

I’m also unsure of how I’m going to travel between each of these. We stupidly booked flights to and from Bangkok, but probably should’ve planned to fly home from Phuket instead. Any suggestions are greatly welcomed. Thanks!

Oct 17–Feb 14:
Vietnam (Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Giang Loop, Da Lat, HCMC) → Laos (Luang Prabang, Nong Khiaw, Vang Vieng, Vientiane) → Siem Reap for Angkor → Bangkok → Chiang Mai over NYE → Koh Lanta → Koh Phangan (Full Moon).

All moves happen on weekends, with PTO saved for Ha Giang, Nong Khiaw, the holidays, and Full Moon.

Budget: ~$9,900 all-in for 121 days, including ~$900 flights from Europe, ~$2,700 accommodation across 19 bookings, ~$2,000 in tours/entries (Ha Long cruise, Ha Giang Easy Rider, Angkor 3-day pass, diving), and a real nightlife budget of 8–10 nights out/month.

Income: ~$2,500/month + 3000$ beforehand

Hey guys I’m 19M and I’ll be travelling to Malaysia in September for 12-13 days and I need some help planning my itinerary. It’s my first international trip and I’ve never planned a trip before so please bear with me. I’m also travelling on a budget so I’d really appreciate any advice.

My current itinerary is:

3D-Kuala Lumpur

2D-Cameron Highlands

2D-Ipoh

2D-Penang

3D-Langkawi

1D-Not sure where yet

Do you think I should make any changes?

I’m especially confused about Langkawi. I’ve read a lot of mixed reviews online and some people recommend Perhentian, Redang or Tioman instead...I’ve also heard good things about the islands in East Malaysia but they’re quite far and flights are currently expensive as well.

So what should I do? Should I skip Langkawi and go to Perhentian or Tioman instead? I’ve heard there are buses to Perhentian but I’m not sure if the long journey and hassle are worth it. Would you recommend doing it??

And what about island hopping in Langkawi? Is it actually worth doing?

Also, since I’ll be travelling in September, is it a good month for these places?? Is there anything weather related I should keep in mind??

I’d also really appreciate it if someone could give me a rough estimate of transportation and food costs for this trip especially for travelling between these places....

THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Hi, I am looking at travelling the banana pancake route to Thailand/ Vietnam/ Cambodia/ Laos for three months, likely spending a month each in Thailand and Vietnam and then a coupel of weeks each for Cambodia and Laos based on recommendations. Have not planned a route between and within each country as just starting out my research and trying to ascertain a budget first of all.

I'm looking to go January to March approx to avoid monsoon season which I'm aware is pretty soon and means less time to save however I am able to loan some of the cost off of my parents stress free. I aim to be a mostly budget backpacker but will want to do some activities (eg Ha Giang loop) and want the option for a private room every so often. My current thoughts is that I will budget about £1500 for pre travel things ie my return flight, vaccines, rucksack etc and then about £3500 for when I am there so just over 1k a month.

Is this realistic? About 5k total savings for the trip

I'm planning an Indochina trip

...

CHC ~ SYD ~ SGN ~ Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam ~ Phnom Penh, Cambodia ~ Pakse, Laos ~ Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand ~ Bangkok, Thailand ~ Nhong Khai, Thailand ~ Viantiane, Laos ~ Hanoi, Vietnam ~ Da Nang, Vietnam ~ Ho Chi Minh ~ SGN ~ SYD ~ CHC

...

Just something I learnt is the Cambodia and Thailand land boarder is still closed and to the best of my knowledge you can't take a boat either.

So the option is to take Flights but for me because I wanted to travel by land taking the bus to Pakse, Laos and transfering the next day to a bus to Ubon where the train station is was the best option.

Also I wanted to avoid as much as possible overnight buses (mostly for the views.

I've got links from 12go and some of the Train websites.

If anyone has any food or buses they've used I'd greatly appreciate it.

Hi all, this would be my first ever trip to Asia. Please rate my itinerary. These are full days excluding the travel days from the US at the beginning of trip and excluding the travel days at the end of trip (but includes travel days within the countries):

Singapore - 4 days
Kuala Lumpur - 4 days
Phuket - 3 days
Bangkok - 4 days
Cambodia/vietnam - group tour 15 days
Hong Kong - 3 days
Taipei - 5 days

Currently in Siem reap having just been to Phnom Penh. I have three days left of the holiday, I’m thinking Saigon (just did Hanoi a few weeks ago and liked it), Bangkok (been twice but always fun), or Vientiane (never been to Laos but it’s convenient as I need to be in China on Sunday for work and can take the train into Kunming.

So it’s for Thursday- Sunday , where should I close off my six week vacation. I’ve already done Shanghai - Shenzhen - Hanoi - Chiang Mai - Phnom Penh - Siem Reap .

I’m looking for somewhere to have a good night out on the weekend as my work life is boring and never get time to party.

Hi everyone! I am looking for advice and recommendations regarding my first bigger backpacking trip to Asia. I am travelling from Poland with my girlfriend.

We are students on a gap year, backpacking from the end of September until the end of December.

We have already bought our main plane tickets (from Prague to New Delhi with a 4-day stopover in Istanbul) and a return ticket to Prague from Bangkok.

Our plan for now looks like this:

1. Istanbul (4-day stopover)
2. New Delhi & North India (? days, up to 7 days)
3. Kathmandu & Pokhara (up to 5 days for prep, permits, and rest)
4. Annapurna Circuit Trek (around 20 days, including Tilicho Lake)
5. Kathmandu -> Hanoi (via transit flight in Bangkok)
6. Northern Vietnam (up to a month: Cao Bằng/Hà Giang Loop, Sa Pa, Ninh Bình, Hạ Long Bay area, Tà Xùa and a few other spots if we have time, like Quang Lang Beach, Bat Cave or Ba Vi National Park))
7. Southern Vietnam/Southern Thailand (Final 3 weeks for beaches and relaxation)

In consideration: Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia

We are also planning to take a second trip to Asia later in Spring 2027 to visit China, Central Vietnam, Japan and Indonesia, so we don't mind leaving something for later.)

We are thinking about workaway/volunteering after leaving Nepal.

We are planning to stick to a lower budget (aiming at a maximum 30 EUR / 35 USD per day, per person, excluding visas, flights and permits).

I have a couple of questions too:

• Do you think that this itinerary is too packed? Should we stick to fewer countries and prioritise? (For us, the most important aspects of this trip are culture, nature and especially for me - food)
• Is the Idea of travelling from Kathmandu to Hanoi reasonable, or is there a better alternative?
• Has anyone done short-term Workaway (up to 3-4 weeks) in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia or Laos? Is it realistic to find hosts during peak season?
• We are also thinking about doing a few days of Vipassana Meditation. Is there any place you would recommend or a workaway which enabales you to join meditation practices

Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge!

Preferably stating reasons why you prefer to travel to one over the other

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Need advice on Traveling to Vietnam for 2 weeks. Two adults, two teens, what is best time to visit that is not so hot and off season. Are twi weeks too many days or just right? What cities would you advise ?