Laos

Two Months in Southeast Asia: Backpacking on a Tight Budget

- Amy 14 Comments
Two Month Itinerary in Southeast Asia - Travelling Asia on a Backpacker's Shoestring Budget

Does the idea of travelling around Southeast Asia for two months sound a bit daunting? I felt the same when I came to plan my own itinerary, especially as I knew I would be backpacking on a shoestring budget. Two months in Southeast Asia sounds like a long time, but with so much to see and do, you need to make sure you’re not spreading yourself (or your budget!) too thinly.

Therefore, I have compiled this detailed post as a comprehensive travel guide to all the places I managed to squeeze into my two months in Southeast Asia, travelling solo and backpacking on a cheap shoestring budget, including:

  • – Things to know before you go
  • – How to plan a detailed itinerary on a budget
  • – My personal budget travel hacks
  • – Individual country guides that will help you choose where to go in Southeast Asia and inform how much things cost in each destination.

This is a long post because I wanted to provide as much information as possible (you can never do too much research!), so I advise you take it in in bite-size chunks, print it out or save it to return to when you need it. Also, if you’re more interested in general budget travelling advice, I have a separate post – The Ultimate Trip Planner: How to Make the Most of Your Backpacking Budget.

Southeast Asia Travel Guide: Before You Go

Before you set off on your Southeast Asia tour, there are a few things you need to know and get sorted before you go. Naturally, I left my planning to a few weeks before I went off backpacking Asia and then had to run around like a headless chicken sorting all of it out. So basically, don’t be an idiot like me. Read more

One Week in Laos | Travel Diary

- Amy 1 Comment
One Week in Laos Cover

From Yangon, Myanmar, I flew into Luang Prabang via Bangkok for one week in Laos. Laos was the second country I visited on my solo Southeast Asian backpacking trip and one I was really looking forward to.

Laos is somewhere that many people visit for the sake of it because it’s conveniently connected to Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

However, many people fall in love with Laos when they arrive and find it difficult to leave. I am definitely one of these people. Here is my travel diary from my one week in Laos, which – as emphasised in my previous posts on Laos – was not nearly enough time. Read more

Things to Do in Laos: Backpacking Guide, Budget and Itinerary

- Amy 15 Comments
Backpacking Around Laos Cover

Backpacking Laos was easily one of the highlights of my whole Southeast Asia trip. I had a one week itinerary for Laos, which traversed from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, then Van Vieng to Vientiane. There are loads of things to do in Laos, so I’ve put together a budget travel guide for a Laos backpacking route that showcases the best places to visit in Laos.

Laos Backpacking Route and Itineraries

One Week Itinerary

I had a one week itinerary for Laos, including travel days. I flew into Luang Prabang, spending two nights in the city, then I travelled by bus from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, spending three days there, I took another bus from Vang Vieng to Vientiane and had two days in the capital.  Read more

How to Survive Long-Haul Bus Journeys in Southeast Asia

- Amy 2 Comments
Long Bus Journeys in Southeast Asia

It’s a rite of passage for all backpackers country-hopping around the continent. Despite your best efforts, you will definitely have to take a few long bus journeys in Southeast Asia. Whether it’s from city to city or country to country, the prices are so much cheaper than flying (and arguably safer than the trains).

Of course, you won’t be travelling in luxury. The roads will not be safe. The driver will be grumpy, drunk or short-sighted. No one will speak English, including staff and your fellow passengers. But it’s all part of the experience, right? It’s character building!

What you need is a survival kit. Here are a few things I learnt from taking 10 long-haul bus journeys in Southeast Asia: Read more

How to Spend the Perfect 24 Hours in Luang Prabang

- Amy 6 Comments
24 hours in Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang might be one of the most gorgeous places I have ever laid eyes on. From the sloping roofs of gold Buddhist temples to artfully plated French-influenced cuisine to the swirling coffee colours of the Mekong, I was utterly entranced. Partly by circumstance and partly my terrible planning on my part, I only had 24 hours to enjoy this city.

My flight had landed late so it was already dark when my pickup driver arrived (he was late, drunk and had tried to take someone else to my hostel by mistake so had had to turn around and come back to the airport). I was tired, sticky in my travel clothes and grumpy about my pickup-gone-wrong when the car started weaving through the streets. Read more

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