A Traveller's Guide to... SOUTH EAST ASIA
- Amy Lewins and Ed Sheehan
- May 23, 2018
- 7 min read
Hello readers! Apologies for our absence, we’ve had a busy few weeks! Having just spent two months travelling around South East Asia, we thought we would share with you some travel tips we picked up along the way. South East Asia is such a heavily travelled area of the world, attracting thousands of tourists every day. It is a particularly appealing area of the world for backpackers, meaning the internet is saturated with information for eager travellers. Hopefully this blog can be a useful tool for travellers heading to SEA!
Best places to visit:
Here is a list of our absolute tip top favourite places to visit in SEA, in ascending order.
6. Luang Prabang, Laos
Ranking number six in our list is romantic Luang Prabang.
View from Mount Phousi
Top things to do: LP has a lot to offer: a charming central market; beautiful temples dotted throughout and classic French architecture lining the streets.
Recommended for: chilled travellers, history buffs, sunset-chasers.
Top Tip: take the slow boat from Thailand to Luang Prabang (or vice versa). It takes two days and is an adventure!
Our overall rating: 7/10
5. Ubud, Bali
Our number five place to visit is hippie dippie Ubud.
Kecak Fire Dance
Rice paddy fields just outside Ubud
Top things to do: We really enjoyed exploring the beautiful walks surrounding Ubud’s centre and would recommend seeing an evening fire dance show.
Recommended for: a delight for vegans, yoga lovers and anyone seeking peace and tranquility.
Top Tip: take a late afternoon walk along Campuhan Ridge path (to the very end) to catch a glimpse of the sun setting over rolling rice paddy fields.
Our overall rating: 8.5/10
4. Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is a place which really seems to divide people’s opinions. With the smells, noise and commotion it’s easy to understand why some don’t take to the city. But we love it!
View from the top of the Golden Mount
Top things to do: There’s so much to do, see, smell and taste. You would really struggle to be bored in this fabulous city. Wat Saket (50 Baht/person) is one of our favourite temples as it has the best views of the city.
Recommended for: food-lovers, big city explorers
Top tip: definitely try the street food! Don’t bother with restaurants here, food is waaay cheaper and tastier from the street vendors.
Our overall rating: 9/10
3. Temples of Angkor, Cambodia
Visiting the temples of Angkor (including Angkor Wat) was definitely an absolute highlight of the past few months travelling.
One of the smaller and older Roluos Temples
Top things to do: Watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat and the sun set at Bayon (Angkor Thom).
Recommended for: ancient history buffs, sunset-chasers.
Top tip: We decided to explore the temples via bicycle ($4), which was really cheap and enjoyable. Alternatively you can hire a tuk-tuk for the day ($20), however you don’t really have the same freedom to get off the beaten track and explore with this option.
Our overall rating: 9.5/10
2. Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
Ha Long Bay comes in at number two!
Top things to do: take a cruise! Make sure to go for one which includes a kayaking excursion so you can explore those caves.
Recommended for: people who love stunning scenery (so I guess… everyone).
Top tip: tours are cheaper going from Cat Ba Island. Book the day before from any tourist agent/hotel.
Our overall rating: 9.5/10
1. Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An is our winner! This quaint, charming, romantic town was our absolute favourite place in South East Asia.
Top things to do: take an evening stroll down the river and watch the candle lanterns (which are lit every night on the river) floating peacefully.
Recommended for: romantics, strollers, history-lovers,
Top tip: cycle to Cam Kim Island. Its remote and charming.
Our overal rating: 9.9/10
Budget Tips:
On average we worked on a daily budget of £40 for the both of us, but would recommend £25 for a solo traveller. This covered accommodation costs (£16/night for two people), food, transport (not including flights!) and activities. We stayed mostly in budget (but nice!) hostels and ate a lot of street food to keep costs down.
Top three tips:
1. Eat out! SEA is inundated with cheap restaurants, cafes and street food vendors. These all work out cheaper than cooking for yourself!
2. Haggle! Tuk-tuk drivers, market traders, travel agents will expect you to haggle for a good price. Just keep smiling, be friendly and you'll find you enjoy the whole process!
3. Know your currency rates before you head out! In some SEA countries you'll find that you're suddenly a millionaire (cough Vietnam cough). It's a good idea to familiarise yourself with the currency conversion before you head out on your first adventure.
Accomodation:
South East Asia has lots of quality, backpacker-friendly hostels which is fab! We’ve stayed in some amazing clean, affordable and sociable places. Here are our select top three places we (briefly) called home while on the road.
1. The Pleasant Villa, Siem Reap
We splashed out a little here, going for a private room in this lovely hotel. The staff are really friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcomed and at home (they even brought us ice cold drinks and face towels when we came back from a long hot day!). We would definitely recommend :)!
2. An Hoi Homestay, Hoi An, Vietnam
A sweet, family-run homestay in Hoi An. The family are so welcoming and accommodating. They also have a great vegan noodle soup for breakfast.
3. Norn Nung Leng, Chiang Rai
This hostel is a perfect example of an affordable backpacker hostel! The hostel has live music every Friday and Saturday, as well as a funky bar and lots of communal space to meet fellow travellers. The staff are also super friendly and will help you out with travel advice.
How to book:
We always tend to book through booking.com, with free cancellations and date changes it’s an excellent tool for travellers who want some flexibility! However with so many hostels on offer in SEA, you wouldn't have a problem finding somewhere to stay when you arrive.
Transport:
In general, transport links around SEA are pretty good. It doesn't take too much forward planning to get around and between the countries. In particular, Thailand and Vietnam have lots of bus and train routes as well as internal flight routes. We found Cambodia to be the worst SEA country for getting around (the only public transport links available are buses with long, winding routes). Top tip: rome2rio.com is a very handy tool when planning routes.
All the different ways of travelling across SEA
Here are a list of the transport options available to you:
Trains:
Always a bit pricier than buses, but often more comfortable and scenic. In particular, we can recommend the train links in Thailand: the sleeper train from Bangkok to Chiang Rai is efficient, clean and surprisingly comfortable. For all information on trains go to seat61.com.
Buses:
Buses go everywhere you could want to visit in SEA! They’re affordable and (mostly) reliable. A good website to use for longer bus journeys is baolou.com, which sells bus tickets for all over SEA.
Tuk-tuk:
Best for short distances. You can pretty much find tuk-tuk drivers on every street corner in every major town or city. They’re a quick (sometimes too quick…), easy and cheap way to get around. Be wary, they will try to charge you an inflated price at first. Remember to haggle!
Grab:
The Uber equivalent in SEA. Just download the app and you'll find cheap and easy taxi rides at your fingertips.
Bike:
It’s very easy to hire a motorbike or bicycle while in SEA. Both are normally available for rent from tourist operators or from your hostel. This is a great way to get around on your own, it gives you freedom to explore hidden gems.
Food and Drink:
South East Asia is a dream for food lovers! Think noodles, spring rolls, pho, tofu, pad thai, etc etc. You seriously won't struggle to find delicious, nutritious food. You can also find some western options in most major cities for when you're missing home, although these options will be pricier and probably not as good in quality.
Visas:
You shouldn't have a problem with any visas in South East Asia. All are available on arrival and are simple and affordable (if not free!). It’s always a good idea to check the gov.uk website for the most up to date and reliable source of information.
Thailand: free entry for tourists from the UK visiting for less than 30 days (this is the same for many other European countries).
Laos: Visa on arrival. $35 per person, although you can pay in Thai Baht if you’re coming from Thailand. You will also need a passport sized photo. Heads up: you may be charged a small 'overtime fee' if you cross the land border early, late or on the weekend!
Vietnam: 15 day free visa exemption for tourists from the UK.
Cambodia: Visa on arrival. Payable only in US dollars ($30 per person). Tip: the land borders have a reputation for corruption. When we crossed we were asked for an 'express fee' (a bribe), we were then made to wait for a stupidly long time when we refused to pay. In this situation it’s best to stick to your guns, be patient and remain friendly.
Bali (Indonesia): free entry for UK tourists.
Useful phrases:
You'll most likely find yourself speaking English for the majority of your time in SEA. To be polite it's still a good idea to at least try learning the very basics.
Thailand - Thai is a tricky language to master!
Hello: sawadii khrap/kha (sawadee krap [man] / kaa [woman])
Thank you: khawp khun (kawp koon)
Laos - some similarities to the Thai language are helpful!
Hello: sabaai dii (sabadee)
Thank you: khawp jai (kawp jii)
Vietnam - possibly the simplest
Hello: sin jow (sin chow)
Thank you: cam on (kam ern)
Cambodia - the people are very friendly in Cambodia. A big smile and an 'aw kohn' will go a long way.
Hello: johm riab sua (com reab sore)
Thank you: aw kohn (aw koon)
Indonesia
Good morning: selamat sore (sell-o-mat-soree)
Thank you: Terima Kasih (terim-a kas-ee)
Things we will miss about South East Asia:
1. The sight of orange-clad monks wandering peacefully down the street.
2. The 30p fresh beer and the 10p Seven-Eleven instant noodles!
3. The ‘spirit houses’ which stood guard outside most buildings and homes. These small houses; surrounded by incense and food offerings, are designed to protect inhabitants of the house from evil spirits.
Thank you for reading! Ed and I are currently in New Zealand (yay!) kiwi picking (not so yay!). We are working our socks off to raise enough money to tour around the South Island in our camper van. We will update you soon x
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