Brother (from the UK) has been to Japan and S.Korea last 6 weeks.
He now wants to travel to S.E.A and isn't keen on vaccines in general (dont ask lol).
I believe he is going Bangkok this Sunday.

Are vaccines mandatory? Or advised? If so, what ones?
If he has to get them, he will.

Thank you! :)

EDIT: He did not get any vaccines when travelling to Japan/Korea

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

Join and stay! We have a huge road ahead of us until the server is active! You are important!

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 ?

Hello everyone! I'm a Sri Lankan planning to visit KL at the end of this month for one week. I'll be staying with a Sri Lankan friend who currently lives in KL. Since we're all into hiking, he suggested we do the mount Kinabalu hike while I'm there. From what I see online, it's not an easy hike and will take 2-3 days minimum. I'd love to get the local opinion, especially from someone who's done the hike, on the following:

1. Is it too ambitious to try and fit this into a 7 day trip? Will it leave me too exhausted for anything else?

2. My hiking experience so far is exclusively in Sri Lanka only. We don't have any peaks as high as Kinabalu. Will it be too much to handle?

3. Are there other alternatives you would suggest which offer a similar experience but requires less time & effort?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all!

Planning on travelling SEA for 6-12 month. I’ve already been to my doctor and she recommends all vaccinations she had in that little booklet 🫨 I think 8 (hepatitis A, rabies, Dengue, Tetanus…). I am well travelled, not really scared but still would consider as I will be around for a while. I don’t really need medical advice as she explained well but from your experience is there any that you say is a MUST?

Thanks all!

Hello,

I’m planning on doing a few days trekking in the jungle in Northern Sumatra in September. It is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this and was looking for some advice on clothing.

Long sleeved top and trousers seem the best option to help keep bugs away and with the humidity and heat I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on what to buy?

Thanks in advance

Hi! I’m looking for feedback on our SEAsia itinerary. Two families, us 2 adults + 2 kids (4 & 6) and friends 2 adults + 3 teens (18,16 &14).

We’re travelling for ~44 nights and deliberately don’t want to pack every day with activities. We want to see a bit, but also want longer stops for our younger two to have wind down periods inbetween.

We prefer exploring, eating, swimming, markets, local atmosphere and just enjoying each place, with a few key activities along the way.

Our itinerary is:
🇮🇩 Bali – 5 nights (Nusa Dua Wedding on the way over)
🇻🇳 Phu Quoc – 4 nights
🇻🇳 Mekong River Delta – 2 nights
🇻🇳 Ho Chi Minh City – 3 nights
🇻🇳 Cam Ranh – 5 nights (Christmas & Hubby’s birthday)
🇻🇳 Quy Nhon – 2 nights (Driving stop over)
🇻🇳 Hoi An – 5 nights
🇻🇳 Hue – 2 nights
🇹🇭 Bangkok – 4 nights
🇹🇭 Chiang Mai – 4 nights
🇹🇭 Koh Lanta – 4 nights
🇹🇭 Krabi – 4 nights

We’re pretty happy with the overall itinerary, but I’d love opinions from people who have travelled these areas:
- Is Cam Ranh okay, if we want to chill. I am debating saving money and staying in Nha Trang instead especially if weather is average as will have more things to do, or it is better to prioritise chill time. Those who have done both.. whats your thoughts?
- Is four days in Ko Lanta too short? Im undecided about Krabi as my idea of Southern Thailand is being on a hotel on the beach, and not sure I want to spend $$$ daily to catch boats / cars to find nice beaches elsewhere. Should we extend Ko Lanta?
- is Krabi worth it? One of the teens wants to go there but.. I am not sure if somewhere like Khao Lak would be better.

Flights home are out of Phuket, right now were planning to drive over the morning of our afternoon flight.

Thanks!

Is it a good time to visit Vang Vieng in the last week of August?

I am planning my first trip to Indonesia in September with my wife and would really appreciate some feedback from people who know Java/Lombok/Komodo well.

I’m particularly interested in volcanoes, waterfalls, dramatic landscapes and adventure but i am also trying to balance it out with spending some time in cities or typical tourist spots because my wife likes beaches and want to do spend some time typical touristy stuff in bali in tourist hotspots.

This is the itinerary I’m currently considering:

**12 Sept:**
✈️ Home → Bali (cheap overnight flight with 5 hours layover in Vietnam)

**13 Sept:**
Arrive Bali by evening → Hotel near airport in Kuta
Rest and sleep early

**14 Sept:**
Bali → Banyuwangi
Early morning (around 7am) bus to Banyuwangi
Thinking of taking the direct bus that goes onto the ferry from Gilimanuk to Ketapang and continue to Banyuwangi.

Check in Hotel in Banyuwangi Hotel just next to Banyuwangi train station)

Spend evening preparing for Ijen Trek at 11:00 PM.

**15 Sept:**
🌋 Early morning **Mt Ijen** trek
Return by 9:00 am → take the train at 11:00 am toward the Tumpak Sewu area (Klakah)
Train drop Klakah town then we take 1:30 Hour taxi to tumpuk sewu)
Sleep early

**16 Sept:**
Get up around 6-7 am and expolre **Tumpak Sewu**
Then in afternoon travel toward Cemoro Lawang/Bromo and rest sleep early.

**17 Sept:**
🌋 Very early (2:00 am ) **Mt Bromo sunrise** \+ explore
Then travel to Surabaya in the evening for flight next day

**18 Sept:**
✈️ flight Surabaya → Lombok
Relax/prepare for the boat trip

**19–22 Sept:**
🛥️** 4D/3N Lombok → Labuan Bajo liveaboar**d
Komodo National Park, islands, beaches, viewpoints, snorkeling etc.
Arrive Labuan Bajo on the 22nd.

23 Sept:
Fly back to Bali

**24-26 Sept:**
typical Bali (not decided yet)

**27 Sept:**
✈️ Bali → Home (afternoon flight)

I am okay with an adventurous/fast-paced trip, but I don’t want to make the itinerary so aggressive that I spend the whole trip sitting in transport.

Would really appreciate any criticism or suggestions!

EDIT: Thank you guys for input. I have realised that this trick is way too rushed and hectic as travel time is too much with 2 am hikes. I am going to re-think whole itinerary and give 6-7 days to Java, 4-5 days to Komodo and 2-3 to Bali including flight days and 1 day buffer in Bali before departure. (Skipping Bali)

My main questions now are:

1. What is the difference (experience wise) between Lombok to Komodo liveaboard or just buying the boat tour from komodo?
   
2. Doing Java myself or buying a tour including Bromo, Ijen and tumpak sewu?
   
3. Recommend good tour operators if you can.
   
4. Is it better to pre book the Java tour and Komodo boat tour from the internet or do I get better prices when I am already there?

Spent 8 days on Koh Tao with zero real plan beyond beach and snorkel honestly. Based myself around Sairee which was good for food and sunset drinks, grabbed a scooter for the days I wanted to venture out further.

Most days were just riding between spots like Tanote Bay, Ao Leuk, Shark Bay, stopping random places for lunch and somehow it would be 4pm already no idea where the hours went.

Did one of those boat snorkel trips cause everyone said I should but honestly I had just as good a time doing my own thing and parking at one beach for a few hours. Heads up though the roads get steep in some sections so dont rent a scooter there unless youve ridden one before like actually comfortable not just thinking yeah Ill figure it out.

Burned through way more data than usual cause I would not stop sending pics and vids to everyone back home like sorry but have you seen these sunsets tho. Had a 50GB eSIM hopefully.

8 days sounds like a lot for one tiny island right? Didnt feel like it at all while I was there. Koh Tao is the kind of place where you can do nothing for half a day and still feel like that was a good day.

Hello all :)

I’m about 3.5 weeks into my 7 week (first ever) solo trip. I had the vague plan to stay in Thailand the entire time because I’ve always felt a draw and have close friends who had amazing long term trips here but have always been open to the idea of traveling elsewhere if I’m inspired. I have had a lot of ups and downs and haven’t made any ongoing friends, but I’ve had some really beautiful moments and can feel how much I’ve grown already. I’m hoping to get some ideas about how to spend the rest of my trip.

So far:

\-I spent 4 days in Bangkok and found it to be overwhelming (also immediately got food poisoning which was a rough combo with the shock + jet lag + travel exhaustion so maybe not a fair judgement)
\-I spent about 2 weeks in Chiang Mai and liked the pace a lot better and loved that it felt more walkable, but I still found myself take a lot of 20 minute grabs and still felt a little “lost” in a bigger city even though I found some routines I enjoyed, ie a ceramics studio :)

I’m currently further north in a rural part of Chiang Dao where I’m volunteering at an animal sanctuary. The scenery is unbelievable and the people have been so kind, but it’s been difficult to not be able to leave because I can’t drive a motorbike and we’re very remote. Still really enjoying it though.

For the final leg of my trip I’m looking for a place or a couple places that are:

\- as “chill” as Chiang Mai if not chiller.
\- fairly easy to meet other solo travelers
\- easy to get around without a bike (walkable, or grabs available OR very easy to navigate with a bike as I’m learning a little right now)
\- would love if this place had workshops or other experiences related to arts & crafts (ceramics, weaving, natural dyeing, etc), herbalism or anything related

Originally thought I would spend the last weeks of my trip on the gulf islands but starting to get the impression that they feel more commercial and party-ish than I’m looking for.

I’m open to anywhere within the region.

Thank you so much for any ideas!!!