Backpacking Southeast Asia, solo or in any other case, is an unimaginable expertise and it is best to attempt it, at the least as soon as.
Observe, after all, that not all Southeast Asian international locations are the identical (duh) so don’t anticipate behaviors which are okay within the Philippines, for instance, to be additionally okay in Singapore.
For 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 advocate 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 suggestions are extra relevant to some international locations than others, particularly Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
1. Discover out concerning the wanted visas and their charges
Keep in mind to learn concerning the visa necessities!
Completely different international locations in Southeast Asia have completely different visa necessities, and the visas have completely different prices relying on the passport you’ll have. For instance, People want a visa to Vietnam, which may be obtained on-line earlier than touring. Understanding the worth of the visa will assist to keep away from some border scams.
Make certain 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 suppose they want journey insurance coverage. It may be costly, particularly when you travel long-term.
Nonetheless, evaluate the price of the journey insurance coverage with the potential prices you may want when you’ve got an accident. Too many vacationers forgo having insurance coverage and find yourself establishing a GoFundMe after they crash their motorbikes in Bangkok or slip from a cliff in Bali. Consider 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 certain to maintain your paperwork secure if you end up on the transfer. To be on the secure aspect in case all precautions fail, scan your passport (or take a pic) and ship a replica 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 all the time carry a couple of spare passport pictures. They’ll come useful for visas and it’s a very helpful factor to remember when backpacking Southeast Asia.
3. Plan to cowl the longer distances by airplane
Backpacking Southeast Asia often means plenty of bus and practice journey. However…does it actually should be?
Site visitors in Southeast Asia is horrible, and except you might be getting a sleeper bus, touring may be actually uncomfortable and tiring, with shuttle buses which are packed to the brim with folks and their baggage, and the driving completely mad (honking is the rule in some international locations, for no matter cause). It’s method higher to cowl longer distances by airplane, particularly as it’s simple to get cheap flights.
4. Don’t trade foreign money on the airport, and all the time rely the precise change
For no matter cause, exchanging foreign money on the airport prices far more than doing it at every other place within the metropolis. Moreover, it’s not unusual that even in banks the attendants who trade the cash “overlook” 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 a vital lesson to be taught when backpacking Southeast Asia.
Once you do determine to trade your cash on the airport, make sure that to maintain your luggage in entrance of you! I used to be very busy counting the lots 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 have been already going out of the arrival space once I realized it. I didn’t know I may run that quick!
A associated tip: Get a colourful baggage to make your luggage simple to identify. I had two luggage, and considered one of them was shiny pink. It made it simpler for me to see from the foreign money trade counter. Think about if each my luggage have been black?
6. At all times carry a couple of 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 option to get money.
You see, typically banks block playing cards, or ATMs received’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, make sure that to hold a number of playing cards, protecting 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, rigorously hidden.
7. Carry spare money
Money is king when backpacking Southeast Asia!
Carry a good quantity of US {dollars} wherever you go, protecting it in other places. Give desire to US {dollars} as they’re broadly accepted. In case of emergency, having some money will imply that you could simply get a meal, a mattress, and at the least native transportation, and name your loved ones to wire you some cash till you’ll be able to kind issues out.
8. Don’t ebook excursions prematurely — they value a lot much less domestically
Backpacking Southeast Asia means touring roughly spontaneously and reserving issues on the go.
You certainly anticipate excursions to be a bit cheaper when purchased domestically, however in Southeast Asia the distinction may 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 package deal on-line, from house, paid one thing like US$160 and people who purchased them domestically paid solely US$40.
Don’t be afraid to not discover a tour or to not have time to rearrange every little thing domestically. Something is feasible in Southeast Asia. A tour will all the time pop up, and native operators will play their magic to discover a appropriate resolution — and there might be appreciable financial savings.
9. Pack mild and use a backpack
Backpacking Southeast Asia may be actually uncomfortable and having the proper journey gear is a requirement. Shuttle buses usually don’t have a trunk and place the luggage in between seats; plenty of price range lodging don’t have elevators and you’ll 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 usually 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 stable toiletries
Understanding what to pack when backpacking Southeast Asia is crucial. Strong shampoo correctly positioned in a tin, stable conditioner, and a bar of excellent cleaning soap as an alternative of bathe gel are method lighter than their liquid equivalents, and occupy much less room within the backpack. There’s even stable sunscreen and stable insect repellent.
Strong toiletries assist to pack lighter and may also be packed in a keep on. There’s additionally much less danger of getting your stuff moist if the bottle breaks or opens! (Private expertise. Not enjoyable!)
11. At all times carry a bathroom roll in your day pack
I’ve realized from a few years of touring that, particularly in growing international locations, bogs don’t often include rest room paper. Make it a behavior to pack up a bathroom roll in a sandwich bag — higher but, a pack of moist wipes! — and preserve it in your day pack. It comes actually useful particularly throughout lengthy bus journeys.
12. Do carry medicines and first assist equipment
It’s fairly frequent to get sick when touring. Crowded buses and trains and even planes are recognized to be glorious autos for viruses. You may also get diarrhea, which is NOT good if you’re in a bus touring for hours!
Essential: Examine the nation’s rules concerning prescription medicines. Some international locations in Southeast Asia are actually strict about medication.
What I all the time 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 received’t miss Western meals in any respect, as a result of native delicacies is so tasty. The very best locations to eat are literally on the road, as I’ve realized in Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh.
You’ll be able to determine a superb place to eat if you see a superb 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. Be taught to cross the road
Site visitors is mad in quite a lot of cities in Southeast Asia. There are many automobiles, and, within the case of Vietnam, tens of millions 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 are all the time in a rush to select up passengers and so they 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 usually attempt to set a flat charge, however the worth they recommend is mostly greater than the one passengers ought to anticipate to pay in any other case. For instance, once I arrived in Hanoi, the driving force prompt a flat charge of 400,000 Vietnamese dong to take me to my resort. I paid 310,000 with the meter.
In Saigon, the driving force prompt a flat charge 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. It’s best to do the identical.
Observe, although, {that a} actually frequent rip-off in Southeast Asia is a quick taxi meter. I’m actually an skilled traveler and nonetheless acquired 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 exhibiting 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. Convey ear plugs
Site visitors by no means stops in Southeast Asia, and in some international locations, folks have an actual ardour for honking. They honk to get others out of their method, they honk to get the visitors transferring, they honk simply to say they’re driving by. If you happen to can’t stand the noise of visitors if you end up making an attempt to sleep make sure that to hold a pair of ear plugs to put on at evening.
Apart from, when you’re staying in hostels (dorms in Vietnam are very reasonably priced, from US$5 and up), you’re taking the chance of getting a roommate who snores. Consider me, being saved awake by somebody loud night breathing is certainly an expertise you received’t get pleasure from!
17. Don’t essentially belief on-line opinions
It usually occurred to me that tour operators, lodges, and eating places which have glowing opinions have been a complete disappointments. I requested myself the way it was doable that such poor providers had unimaginable 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 evaluate.
Do verify who’s leaving the evaluate earlier than trusting it. Moreover, be suggested that lodges, eating places, and tour operators can (and can) pay to take away dangerous opinions and get good ones.
18. Carry a journey towel
Hostels have a tendency to stint on towels, or friends should pay to lease one. A journey towel is an efficient resolution, as this can be very mild and it dries shortly, and it may also be used within the seaside.
A great different to deliver is a sarong. You should utilize it as a towel, a costume, a seaside mat, a blanket, and so forth.
19. Put on flip flops within the bathe
I usually see folks strolling round barefoot in hostels, together with to go to the bathroom. I could also be a neat freak however I might moderately keep away from getting athletes’ foot or different form of pores and skin points. Getting within the bathe with flip flops is an efficient option to shield your self in opposition to nasty stuff.
20. Ask permission to take pictures
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’d really cease you and ask you to take considered one of them too. Some could even ask you to pose within the picture with them! No matter that, asking for permission to take a photograph is all the time well mannered and appreciated.
Do you may have every other suggestions for backpacking Southeast Asia?
