I’m a firm believer that travel does not have to be expensive. In fact, there’s something freeing about stuffing a handful of ragged clothes into a backpack, sleeping in hammocks and eating street food. Therefore, I want to share my backpacking trip planner and show how I make the most of my backpacking budget, so that all you like-minded budget backpackers out there can save on travel costs and take your adventures even further. Read more
Beg-packers are everywhere in the media at the moment. They’ve been around for a while, but a rise in numbers (and a rise in blatant insensitivity) are getting people really mad. So, what are beg-packers, why are they asking for money and are they wrong to do so?
Here are a few answers to those questions and my own personal opinion, which argues that beg-packing is pretty ridiculous, but it isn’t all bad (read first before you get angry at me too).
What are beg-packers?
By @Joop_nl via Twitter
Beg-packers are Western (majority white) tourists who are asking others to fund their travelling. Beg-packers are raising this money through crowdfunding websites such as fundmytravel.com, hawking postcards or busking on the street, and in some cases, just begging for money. Read more
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
“You’ve slept in a lot of beds,” one of my oldest and best friends said to me a few weeks ago. When I gasped in offence, he was quick to add, “I mean, travelling, of course!” That got me thinking about all the places I have stayed on my travels: some the best hostels in the world, the comfiest of pillows and… some of the worst places I have ever ‘slept’.
After five years of living in Asia, I have pretty much perfected the ability to sleep anywhere. But, there are still a few standout beds that (bed)spring to mind. Here are, in my humble opinion, some of the best hostels in the world and the places I’ve most enjoyed resting my head.
After lugging my backpack around Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, I had finally reached the last destination on my backpacking bucket list. I had finally arrived in Bali! So, after all my previous ‘travel advice’ posts, this is the final one: my guide to Bali, Indonesia.
I couldn’t wait to go to surf school, laze on the beach all day and stretch out my aching back (backpacks are heavy, y’all!) at yoga. However, what greeted me in Bali completed exceeded my expectations.
Here is my full itinerary, budget details, travel tips and general guide to Bali: Read more
So, I’d covered Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Next was a brief few days in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, also known fondly by its previous name, Saigon. I only spent a few days in the city, so here is my Ho Chi Minh City travel advice and budget planning for a brief visit.
This was my second trip to Vietnam, having visited Hanoi and explored Ha Long Bay back in 2013. I’d heard great things about Saigon, so even though I’d experienced some of Vietnam before, I didn’t want to leave it off my Southeast Asia backpacking trip. Read more
London has a reputation for being expensive and often with good reason. A standard cup of coffee will cost you a cheeky £3-4, one stop on the tube can go for as much as a fiver and a trip to St. Paul’s Cathedral will set you back eighteen of your English pounds! However, one redeeming factor is that there are hundreds of free museums in London.
Here are just a few of the free museums in London and why you should visit them:
The British Museum
The iconic British Museum is instantly recognisable for the Great Court (pictured above), Read more
So, I had started my Southeast Asia trip in Myanmar followed by Laos. Now, I was ready for the next leg of the adventure, Cambodia. This is the ‘big one’ for many backpackers, myself included. Here is how I planned my trip and all my Cambodia travel advice:
My Itinerary: I spent just under two weeks in Cambodia, including travel days. I flew into Phnom Penh and left the same city by bus for Vietnam. I zig-zagged around from Phnom Penh, visiting Siem Reap, Kampot and Sihanoukville. However, if you have more time, then there is definitely plenty to see and do. (See ‘Things I May Have Missed’)
Disclaimers: I have quoted prices in US dollars because locals use this currency more commonly than Cambodian riel. When I visited in November 2016, the exchange rate was 4,000r to US$1 and prices can often be bartered and haggled.
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
We all know the backpacker stereotype. Dreads, bracelets, hippy clothes, baggy pants and a backpack the size of a house. As much as I tried desperately to rebel against the backpacker stereotype during my trip, I still somehow managed to slip into it every now and again; it was inevitable. And so, I inventedBackpacker Bingo.
Backpacker Bingo Rules
Backpacker Bingo, a fun-filled game to enjoy with new hostel friends, travel buddies, or by yourself in your head! It’s a way to tick off (or drink to) all the typical backpacker things that you said you’d never do, but somehow find yourself doing anyway…
One point (or drink) every time you see, do or meet one of the following. Even better, make up a bingo card with 20 of these (or your own ideas) on it. Then tick them off as you go along with prizes at the end. Don’t forget your dobber. Read more
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