The backpacking route throughout Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam is known as the Banana Pancake trail for the many vendors offering this delightful delicacy. As more travelers explore deeper, the route has expanded to include off-the-beaten-path sites and sometimes Malaysia and Myanmar.
Popularity is deserved. It's exotic, "tourist-friendly," and affordable, great for seasoned and rookie backpackers, especially alone travelers.
This page explains how we arrange Southeast Asia backpacking excursions. Continental ASEAN (Indochina) + Singapore will be emphasized.
Here's how to arrange a multi-country ASEAN tour.
1. Determine travel budget and length.
What's your budget? How many days can you spare, working full time or on vacation?
2. Pick dates
Much of Southeast Asia has a tropical climate, save for northern Vietnam and Myanmar. Year-round heat and humidity. The rain, not the temperature, might ruin your trip plans. In certain regions, monsoons bring typhoons. Here are nations' wettest months:
January through April are the driest months. This is peak season, so flights, hotels, and tours are more expensive. Expect mega-crowded attractions. I love going in the shoulder months when it's wet but not too bad. I've gone twice in June without weather issues. Only Bangkok rained throughout my October travels. (It was terrible.) Flooded streets trapped me for hours.
Consider events and festivals while picking dates.
Have a certain event in mind?
Interested in Chiang Mai's Yi Peng Lantern Festival? Early November.
Songkran? April 13 is Thailand Day.
Hari Raya? Ramadan's over.
Bagan hot-air balloon ride? Mid-October through mid-March.
3. List must-sees.
Do you wish to view certain sights?
These are must-sees. These are your trip's motivations. Leave out unnecessary areas.
Consider these MUST-VISIT locations. Let's name them "MUST-VISITS":
Angkor Wat
Mui Ne dunes
Ayutthaya temples
Here's my map:
4. Pick
an entrance.
Like me, you're probably waiting for a seat sale. If possible, avoid round-trip flights. A roundtrip ticket is inefficient because you'll have to return. After building your itinerary, book the return flight.
Where to start? Bangkok. Long-term travelers start here because travelers are at the heart of the area, making it the backpacker hotspot. Vientiane is a short bus journey from Bangkok. Siem Reap is a day trip.
It's a busy and well-connected city. From most major cities, you may fly directly to Bangkok.
Tourist-friendly it’s pretty secure, with friendly locals and few scammers.
Bangkok is a good start. Bangkok is Level 1 of the backpacking game. Bangkok will quietly prepare you for harsher times ahead.
Plan your route.
Use your must-sees and entrance point to build your itinerary.
Mark must-sees on a map. Mark Ayutthaya, Siem Reap, and Mui Ne.
Decide where to sleep. Bangkok can easily reach Ayutthaya. Do you believe you can see the temples in a day? If so, why not stay in Bangkok, where there's more to do?
Look at the surrounding and between-marked regions. Other places to visit? Would you like to visit Phnom Penh? Sihanoukville? Siem Reap visitors may simply detour there.
Siem Reap and Mui Ne pass through Saigon. It's Mui Ne's closest major city. As a big city, aircraft tickets may be cheaper, making it a good departing point.
So now we have the following stops for sure:
- Day 1-4: Bangkok
+ Ayutthaya
- Day 5-7: Siem
Reap
- Day 8-9: Phnom
Penh
- Day 10-12: Mui
Ne
- Day 13-14: Ho
Chi Minh City
Still too tight for me. I'm old? Haha. If you're unsure, delete a stop.
I'd avoid Phnom Penh and spend more time in HCMC and Siem Reap.
- Day 1-4: Bangkok
+ Ayutthaya
- Day 5-8: Siem
Reap
- Day 9-11: Mui Ne
6.
Check hotel prices.
This region has affordable accommodations. Cheap hotels. Hostels are dirt inexpensive. My bed cost 180 baht (P260) each night in Chiang Mai. Walking down the Mekong in Luang Prabang, someone offered me a bungalow for 40,000 kip (P250). That accommodation in Luang Prabang was big, well-ventilated, and in the historic center!
Except for Singapore. Singapore redefines cheap.
Tips:
If you're traveling alone and budget-conscious, reserve dorm beds. It's cheaper than a private room. It's also a terrific opportunity to meet fellow travelers.
If you're a couple, you may reserve two dorm beds or a separate room. A dorm is an excellent place for a couple to meet others. Please obtain a separate room if you're on a romantic trip or honeymoon. In many hostels, individual bedrooms may have common toilets and baths. Verify booking details.
Triple Rooms are available for three people. Check their extra-person policy for double/twin rooms. Save money!
Here's how much I'll spend on lodgings using our example:
13 nights cost USD 78 (P3,900).
(Actually, just $73 because you'd take an overnight bus from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh.)
7. Make plans.
Now make a plan. Even if you're not an itinerary traveler, it's a visa necessity.
Reserve flights, hotels, and transfers.
Flights. If you're a Filipino, book an outgoing AND a return trip since Immigration Officers will check.
Hotels. Off-season, I reserve a place for my first trip, to Bangkok. I'd book only the first night in subsequent trips. I'd reserve a room for my first night in Siem Reap. Once there, I'll decide if I like it. If not, I'll find a nicer hostel nearby. I do this exclusively off-peak. In peak season, book ahead.
Transportation. Same law for trains and buses. Off-season, I book while I'm there. For cross-border intercity travel, the budget is $25. That's allowed. Bangkok-Siem Reap is $20. $20 Siem Reap-HCM.
If it's high season, get your tickets early.
resourceful...
ReplyDelete