Backpacking Southeast Asia, solo or in any other case, is an unbelievable expertise and it is best to attempt it, no less than as soon as.
Be aware, after all, that not all Southeast Asian international locations are the identical (duh) so don’t anticipate behaviors which might be okay within the Philippines, for instance, to be additionally okay in Singapore.
To your reference, the eleven international locations in Southeast Asia are Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
I wholeheartedly suggest to do some readings earlier than going — whether or not on journey guides, journey blogs, authorities web sites, and magazines. This helps you put together and know what to anticipate.
These backpacking Southeast Asia ideas are extra relevant to some international locations than others, particularly Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
1. Discover out in regards to the wanted visas and their charges
Keep in mind to learn in regards to the visa necessities!
Totally different international locations in Southeast Asia have totally different visa necessities, and the visas have totally different prices relying on the passport you could have. For instance, Individuals want a visa to Vietnam, which will be obtained on-line earlier than touring. Figuring out the value of the visa will assist to keep away from some border scams.
Make sure that to additionally verify if there may be any particular requirement for the passport.
2. At all times have journey insurance coverage
Sure, I do know, lots of people don’t assume they want journey insurance coverage. It may be costly, particularly should you journey long-term.
Nevertheless, examine the price of the journey insurance coverage with the potential prices you may want you probably have an accident. Too many vacationers forgo having insurance coverage and find yourself organising a GoFundMe after they crash their motorbikes in Bangkok or slip from a cliff in Bali. Imagine me: a journey insurance coverage is a should. Prioritize getting one earlier than you permit.
3. Take an image of your passport and different journey paperwork and e mail it to your self and/or a pal/household
Make sure that to maintain your paperwork protected if you end up on the transfer. To be on the protected aspect in case all precautions fail, scan your passport (or take a pic) and ship a duplicate to your self and to a trusted particular person (which, for me, is my sister). This may make the method of getting a brand new passport, in case you lose yours, a lot simpler.
One other tip is to at all times carry just a few spare passport images. They are going to come helpful for visas and it’s a very helpful factor to bear in mind when backpacking Southeast Asia.
3. Plan to cowl the longer distances by airplane
Backpacking Southeast Asia normally means numerous bus and practice journey. However…does it actually need to be?
Site visitors in Southeast Asia is horrible, and except you might be getting a sleeper bus, touring will be actually uncomfortable and tiring, with shuttle buses which might be packed to the brim with individuals and their baggage, and the driving completely mad (honking is the rule in some international locations, for no matter motive). It’s means higher to cowl longer distances by airplane, particularly as it’s straightforward to get low-cost flights.
4. Don’t change foreign money on the airport, and at all times rely the precise change
For no matter motive, exchanging foreign money on the airport prices far more than doing it at another place within the metropolis. Moreover, it isn’t unusual that even in banks the attendants who change the cash “neglect” to provide the entire quantity anticipated.
At all times rely the cash on the spot, and demand the entire quantity if something is lacking. It’s an important lesson to study when backpacking Southeast Asia.
While you do determine to change your cash on the airport, be certain that to maintain your luggage in entrance of you! I used to be very busy counting the tons of of 1000’s of Vietnamese dong that I used to be given within the Saigon airport and didn’t notice two girls had taken my baggage cart, with ALL my luggage in it, together with my laptop computer. They had been already going out of the arrival space once I realized it. I didn’t know I might run that quick!
A associated tip: Get a colourful baggage to make your luggage straightforward to identify. I had two luggage, and certainly one of them was brilliant purple. It made it simpler for me to see from the foreign money change counter. Think about if each my luggage had been black?
6. At all times carry multiple debit and bank card
The very last thing you need when backpacking Southeast Asia (or wherever else, actually) is to be left with no card and no solution to get money.
You see, generally banks block playing cards, or ATMs gained’t settle for yours (occurred to me as soon as). Playing cards can get misplaced, stolen (I had my two bank cards stolen in a hostel in Bangkok) and even de-magnetized with all of the touring.
So, be certain that to hold a number of playing cards, conserving them separate in order that you’ll nonetheless have one if thieves get the opposite. Carry one with you, one in your day pack, and one in your backpack, fastidiously hidden.
7. Carry spare money
Money is king when backpacking Southeast Asia!
Carry an honest quantity of US {dollars} wherever you go, conserving it somewhere else. Give desire to US {dollars} as they’re extensively accepted. In case of emergency, having some money will imply which you could simply get a meal, a mattress, and no less than native transportation, and name your loved ones to wire you some cash till you possibly can kind issues out.
8. Don’t e-book excursions upfront — they value a lot much less regionally
Backpacking Southeast Asia means touring kind of spontaneously and reserving issues on the go.
You certainly anticipate excursions to be a bit cheaper when purchased regionally, however in Southeast Asia the distinction will be as much as 4 instances much less. I’ve been on a tour of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam the place individuals who purchased the bundle on-line, from house, paid one thing like US$160 and people who purchased them regionally paid solely US$40.
Don’t be afraid to not discover a tour or to not have time to rearrange every little thing regionally. Something is feasible in Southeast Asia. A tour will at all times pop up, and native operators will play their magic to discover a appropriate answer — and there will likely be appreciable financial savings.
9. Pack mild and use a backpack
Backpacking Southeast Asia will be really uncomfortable and having the precise journey gear is a requirement. Shuttle buses typically don’t have a trunk and place the luggage in between seats; numerous funds lodging don’t have elevators and you could have to hold the luggage all the way in which to the highest flooring; and when doing boat journeys in Ha Lengthy Bay, it’s typically obligatory to hold luggage on and off the boat.
All of that is a lot simpler when carrying a backpack moderately than a suitcase; even higher in case your backpack is definitely mild. Selecting the correct backpacking gear is a key issue when touring in Asia.
10. Go for strong toiletries
Figuring out what to pack when backpacking Southeast Asia is crucial. Stable shampoo correctly positioned in a tin, strong conditioner, and a bar of fine cleaning soap as an alternative of bathe gel are means lighter than their liquid equivalents, and occupy much less room within the backpack. There’s even strong sunscreen and strong insect repellent.
Stable toiletries assist to pack lighter and may also be packed in a keep it up. There’s additionally much less threat of getting your stuff moist if the bottle breaks or opens! (Private expertise. Not enjoyable!)
11. At all times carry a rest room roll in your day pack
I’ve discovered from a few years of touring that, particularly in growing international locations, bogs don’t normally include rest room paper. Make it a behavior to pack up a rest room roll in a sandwich bag — higher but, a pack of moist wipes! — and maintain it in your day pack. It comes actually helpful particularly throughout lengthy bus journeys.
12. Do carry medicines and first assist package
It’s fairly widespread to get sick when touring. Crowded buses and trains and even planes are recognized to be glorious autos for viruses. You too can get diarrhea, which is NOT good while you’re in a bus touring for hours!
Necessary: Verify the nation’s laws relating to prescription drugs. Some international locations in Southeast Asia are actually strict about medicine.
What I at all times have with me: medicines for migraine and diarrhea, paracetamol, painkiller, and antihistamine.
13. Eat native meals
Meals in Southeast Asia is sweet and low-cost just about wherever. Even after a month there, you gained’t miss Western meals in any respect, as a result of native delicacies is so tasty. The most effective locations to eat are literally on the road, as I’ve discovered in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh.
You may establish an excellent place to eat while you see an excellent quantity of individuals consuming (and probably even forming a line). Their meals might be tasty, low-cost, and extra importantly, fit for human consumption.
14. Study to cross the road
Site visitors is mad in lots of cities in Southeast Asia. There are many automobiles, and, within the case of Vietnam, thousands and thousands of scooters. In Ho Chi Minh, for instance, the important thing to crossing the road is to — actually — by no means cease to look. Simply step off the curb, stroll slowly and confidently, and scooters will keep away from you.
Don’t do that within the Philippines! We have now buses and jeepneys which might be at all times in a rush to select up passengers they usually could not see you shortly sufficient to brake. Use the pedestrian lane and overpass (an overhead bridge) when crossing main roads.
15. Ask to make use of the taxi meter
Taxi drivers typically attempt to set a flat fee, however the worth they counsel is mostly increased than the one passengers ought to anticipate to pay in any other case. For instance, once I arrived in Hanoi, the motive force instructed a flat fee of 400,000 Vietnamese dong to take me to my lodge. I paid 310,000 with the meter.
In Saigon, the motive force instructed a flat fee of 300,000 to take me from the airport to the backpackers space, however I learn beforehand that it shouldn’t value greater than 150,000. I demanded to pay by the meter and ended up paying solely 120,000. You must do the identical.
Be aware, although, {that a} actually widespread rip-off in Southeast Asia is a quick taxi meter. I’m actually an skilled traveler and nonetheless obtained scammed by a taxi driver in Hanoi as a result of I didn’t concentrate quickly sufficient to see how briskly the meter was going. After solely a few streets, the meter was displaying at 500,000 dong. I couldn’t get out of the taxi sufficient!
So, discover out which taxi firm is dependable within the nation you’re visiting or if there are ride-sharing apps. The latter is extra dependable. Within the Philippines, for instance, obtain the Seize app. You should utilize it for transportation and meals supply, amongst others.
16. Carry ear plugs
Site visitors by no means stops in Southeast Asia, and in some international locations, individuals have an actual ardour for honking. They honk to get others out of their means, they honk to get the site visitors transferring, they honk simply to say they’re driving by. When you can’t stand the noise of site visitors if you end up making an attempt to sleep be certain that to hold a pair of ear plugs to put on at night time.
Apart from, should you’re staying in hostels (dorms in Vietnam are very inexpensive, from US$5 and up), you’re taking the danger of getting a roommate who snores. Imagine me, being saved awake by somebody loud night breathing is unquestionably an expertise you gained’t get pleasure from!
17. Don’t essentially belief on-line opinions
It typically occurred to me that tour operators, motels, and eating places which have glowing opinions had been a complete disappointments. I requested myself the way it was doable that such poor companies had unbelievable opinions. It’s fairly easy: these opinions are sometimes faux. A touch into figuring out that the 5-star opinions are faux is when the reviewer has solely left that one evaluation.
Do verify who’s leaving the evaluation earlier than trusting it. Moreover, be suggested that motels, eating places, and tour operators can (and can) pay to take away unhealthy opinions and get good ones.
18. Carry a journey towel
Hostels have a tendency to stint on towels, or company need to pay to lease one. A journey towel is an efficient answer, as this can be very mild and it dries shortly, and it may also be used within the seaside.
A very good different to convey is a sarong. You should utilize it as a towel, a gown, a seaside mat, a blanket, and so forth.
19. Put on flip flops within the bathe
I typically see individuals strolling round barefoot in hostels, together with to go to the bathroom. I could also be a neat freak however I’d moderately keep away from getting athletes’ foot or different type of pores and skin points. Getting within the bathe with flip flops is an efficient solution to defend your self in opposition to nasty stuff.
20. Ask permission to take images
Folks in Southeast Asia like to pose for footage, a lot in order that at any time when they see a foreigner take a photograph they might truly cease you and ask you to take certainly one of them too. Some could even ask you to pose within the photograph with them! No matter that, asking for permission to take a photograph is at all times well mannered and appreciated.
Do you may have another ideas for backpacking Southeast Asia?
