Traveling through Southeast Asia on your own. How to organize an independent trip to Asian countries? Some prices of Tajikistan
50 comments
- Bomgpe //12/10/2012 at 16:12 Bomgpe
Great collection of tips! Thank you Sprut!
I myself am also a traveler. But not very wild. In terms of “wild” tourism, the most I could do was spend a month as a wild person in Bali. It was very cool :)
I am happy to travel anywhere in the world whenever possible!
Good luck - Seo-keys //12/10/2012 at 16:21 Seo-keys
Awesome manual Octopus, well done, a useful article even for those who are still only dreaming of traveling!
- henzo //12/10/2012 at 16:45 henzo
Well done Octopus. You also need to heal your teeth and all sorts of ailments in your homeland before traveling :)
- Lazy webmaster //12/10/2012 at 16:48 Lazy webmaster
Super post! Traveling isn't for everyone - you're right. Most people need to go to Egypt once or twice a year and that’s it, their pants are full of happiness.
I hope to receive an income of 30K by the end of this year and at least go to Thailand or the Philippines for the winter. - tulvit //12/10/2012 at 16:51 tulvit
Maybe he already suggested it, maybe not. How do you like the idea of writing an e-book? No, no, no, not an “information product,” but a full-fledged e-book. That is, the same as in the post, only twenty times larger and more detailed, and with lamp photos, in general and by country separately. Come up with a sonorous title for the book (so that later they Google the title), register a domain, put the whole thing together thoroughly, plus format it beautifully in PDF and offer it on the website for download (in the book, of course, there are links to the main domain and to the blog). I don’t know the specifics of the backpacker audience, but in theory it should work. Plus, even if it’s near-zero, the probability of attracting the attention of publishers, if indeed worthwhile thing will come out. In any case, even if it fails, it’s a good experience and all that.
Anticipating the answer “well, it’s too early now, I don’t have enough experience for a book, but in a year, that’s it” - well, not a book, but an e-book. And no one forbids constantly updating and adding to it, “a new edition, expanded and revised,” lol. In addition, after a while it is not a fact that you will be able to write juicily, because it is one thing to write directly in the footsteps, another when everything has become boring and the text comes out a bit dry and without emotional coloring. Well, if you regularly update the book, then you can collect a subscriber base. The main thing is not to go into a blog or wiki style.
PS
/Hello. Do you have a room
Ochepyatka. Although maybe it was a subtle joke =) - Lazy homeless person //12/10/2012 at 16:59 Lazy homeless person
- Anonyme //12/10/2012 at 17:39 Anonyme
And a beam from me!
- FuckingSEO //12/10/2012 at 17:40 FuckingSEO
Great tips, thanks!
Henzo also wrote good advice, it’s much easier to heal your teeth in your familiar city. - homakov //12/10/2012 at 17:45 homakov
1 booking com and hostel world can be useful. Booking often has discounts and packages; for example, in Singapore I took 4 nights for 80 bucks. Plus there is good navigation and map
2 I have a ktb card, they sent me to casicorn. It's a pity the commission for withdrawal is 100 bahtsometimes there is a feeling when you forget where you are now
I want to take a card from airiasia by the way - //12/10/2012 at 17:58 Spryt
tulvit, there were such thoughts, even regarding this guide (although here it is, where to dilute it, perhaps in breadth - with photos and other countries, but there are few juicy photos, and I didn’t want to by country). But the format of the book itself... That is, yes, you can put ready-made material into a book (for example, compile it from blog posts). But initially writing like a book - uh, of course I’m a graphomaniac, but even this guide got a little tired of writing (which is noticeable, for example, by the torn ending). Writing guides to countries/places is completely boring.
I have a better idea in the air - to organize this whole thing in the form of a website. Yes, bearded, I’ve been trying to do this for a long time, but every time a clearer picture emerges) Combine travel blogs, a guidebook like Wikitravel and a magazine focus.. I don’t know what will happen and I’ll get to the point of implementation at all, but I still want to move in this direction , and not in the bookstore.
>Ochepyatka. Although maybe it was a subtle joke =)
Um, where? Maybe are is superfluous, but in general I always ask like this (sometimes adding bed)Lazy bum, well, it was easy to refuse the design in the form of a course in favor of freemium, but not pushing an affiliate link to a similar manual was much more difficult))
henzo, well, they appeared then they were already there)
homakov, yes, there are promotions, that’s also true. I wanted to write about it, but I didn’t have any experience (besides, you can probably find it cheaper. Although not at Christmas).
Kasikorn - they say it depends on the branch, somewhere they don’t open it to anyone, somewhere with a tourist visa, somewhere with a stamp.
- xekcc //12/10/2012 at 6:12 pm xekcc
>Geography of travel: The whole world, except, perhaps, Antarctica and the Arctic)
I just returned from Rome and I will say that Europe is not very suitable for such a lifestyle. Everything is incredibly expensive. A cheap round-trip flight cost the price of one day of living there.
About Aviasales. I was looking for the cheapest tickets in Europe. I found a round trip to Rome for 3k rubles. I went to the airline’s website and found the same tickets, only for one week for 2.2k rubles. In general, it is better to additionally search on the websites of the airlines themselves, and use Aviasales and other search engines to navigate prices. - tulvit //12/10/2012 at 18:34 tulvit
/But the format of the book itself...
I meant something like http://git-scm.com/book Although it used to be half-baked, now the design has been changed. That is, essentially a book that can be downloaded in PDF (or bought on Amazon), but is divided into short subparagraphs.
/I have a better idea in the air - to organize this whole thing in the form of a website.
Another travel site, lol. Although if it offers something new or is simply qualitatively higher, it may take off. But if the basis of the site is original content, then most likely it will fail. You'll score =)
Although it’s still not worth comparing a travel site with a travel book. After all, both projects can be pursued. The advantage is that it reaches the audience. Blog + book + website, link everything, you’ll get a good network of cj’s =)
/Umm, where? Maybe there is too much
There, instead of “are” there should be “a”, google “Do you have are room” and “Do you have a room” (in quotes), there is a way to check English patterns (if there are a lot of results and in the top normal sites , then the phrase is most likely correct).
- tulvit //12/10/2012 at 18:45 tulvit
* Without leaving the cash register, I’m requesting good suitable posts on Malaysia, I don’t know why, but there is genuine interest in this country.
- //12/10/2012 at 18:55 Spryt
xekcc, really?) To begin with, the budget of European backpackers is slightly larger than mine. Secondly, Europe is the “homeland” of hostels, there are a lot of them there, although the prices are of course 20 euros. It is convenient to travel on it because it is small and compact (I think I already mentioned a ticket for an unlimited monthly train pass).
And finally, even for an expensive country there are ways - for example, there are a lot of campsites there, so traveling by car/motorcycle/bicycle with a tent can be done on a budget (I’ll try it on a bicycle).
Although even for Americans it is impossible to travel around Europe for more than 3 months (visa), you have to go to Ukraine))
But if you relax like AlexPro (no offense to him) - then yes, it’s very expensive.
tulvit, well, this is understandable, but traveling/backpacking is still not a learning thing, and I’m not going to teach it) But there are enough reports from the blog.
Oh, well then, yes, it’s a typo) I’m just listening, I can’t give the correct translation for some frequently used words)) Sometimes I run it through the translate in the opposite direction (for example, the title of the post - it’s not obvious to me that you need cheap first, it’s more logical first to travel).
- Mikha //12/10/2012 at 20:45 Mikha
No big post. The octopus is growing))
Order a ball PR from a share for fun - he may find your blog interesting. Think about how many people are pouring in here! - Alex //12/10/2012 at 20:50 Alex
7. How to make money...
I forgot to insert my refs)))
- homakov //12/10/2012 at 23:39 homakov
I lived in Barcelona for 13 euros a day in a hostel. and it can be cheaper. prices from 10 euros I think. By the way, I will be traveling around Europe in the summer
Learn English from the basics 🙂 how cheap is traveling in Asia
- uhbif19 //12/10/2012 at 23:58 uhbif19
Cool, thanks! It all seems pretty obvious individually, but you put it all together very clearly.
(small typo: “life in a treehouse”)
- //12/11/2012 at 06:00 Spryt
Micah, haha)
Alex, it’s okay, anyone who is interested will fight through mine anyway 😛
homakov, the title of the post is not critical) Although Google translate says that my version is correct. I won't argue, I still don't know, wahhah
uhbif19, yeah, no breakdowns, just banal things that become clear a month after the start of the trip)
- Paranoid_Android //12/11/2012 at 10:14 Paranoid_Android
If you are planning to travel to Europe, how are you going to get a Schengen visa? A person who has neither a job nor a family in Russia may not be given one. Employment certificate, bank account statement... any thoughts?
- //12/11/2012 at 11:36 Spryt
Paranoid_Android, I think there is only one real way - sponsorship letter+ certificate of employment from parents. A bank account statement is an option, yes, but it’s 50 euros a day, I definitely won’t be able to get the amount for three months) I hope a passport half full of visas will help a little. Another question is how to do all this if you are going to get in and out on a bike and with a tent (perhaps the first time just for a couple of weeks in hostels in 2-3 countries, then you can scrape together an account statement, the second time it will be easier get a visa).
- Adjei //12/11/2012 at 15:28 Adjei
Lonely planet can be purchased as a pdf from their website, and you don’t have to buy the whole book - you can select only the chapters you need. Well, accordingly, all this can be downloaded from torrents, although not the latest editions.
The maestro card is an analogue of the former visa electron - in theory it should not work on the internet. A full mastercard should work.
- ibzy //12/11/2012 at 18:16 ibzy
sprute well done, respect
- FuckingSEO //12/11/2012 at 18:54 FuckingSEO
Spryt, if you travel on a bike, then to obtain a visa you will need to provide a travel route in any form, where the dates of entry and exit to required countries and approximate travel time, all options for overnight stays, etc. are listed.
- //12/11/2012 at 19:21 Spryt
Ajay, oh, that's right, I forgot. Although the price, as far as I remember, does not differ from the paper price) On torrents, in general, there are ancient publications, they do more harm than help (although it can be interesting to know how it was here 10 years ago, I came across paper ones, it’s true).
Well, now there are no problems on the Internet with Visa Electron) Yes, in general, ATMs are accepted everywhere by maestros. There were problems in Cambodia (their main bank only worked with visas, but there were others), and a little in Nepal (you just had to look for them, some ATMs were for maestro, others were for visas).
FuckingSEO, hmm, it’s a little stressful, but I think it’s not a problem to work it out in advance) In any case, it’s too early to guess, I haven’t tried it in Thailand/Cambodia yet.
- FuckingSEO //12/11/2012 at 07:28 pm FuckingSEO
Yes, it’s not very stressful, it’s also clear that you won’t be able to calculate everything perfectly accurately, because... You’re not flying on a plane that arrives on schedule :)
- Paranoid_Android //12/11/2012 at 19:33 Paranoid_Android
Strange, I found the latest Lonely Planet in pdf for all Southeast Asian countries, both individually and for the region as a whole.) It seems like I didn’t Google for long.
- A.Trader //12/11/2012 at 21:17 A.Trader
You're right, regarding the visa, I'm almost universal. and without the Arctic the world is not peace :))
- aquablog //12/11/2012 at 10:44 pm aquablog
Octopus, you did what I have been wanting to do for 3 years in a row.
Well done!!! Respect and respect to you, as they say!!!
It will look even better as a separate site. - Yus Pitersky //12/12/2012 at 00:36 Yus Pitersky
Andrey, I will join all the above applause! You're great! Not only did he share his valuable knowledge and experience on a disinterested basis, but he also put it all together to look pleasing to the eye!) I swallowed it in one breath! And the friend who I gave this post to read was incredibly motivated - he immediately asked for an assignment on HTML) I’m pushing him slowly.
The book was mentioned above. This will really help! Reading your latest posts, I noticed the constantly growing level of photography. This can be used to make very good material! But I would also read Europe, the USA and Australia. To have several chapters!) You still have a lot of time!
I wish you good luck! And I follow your movements with interest.
- pashapixel //12.12.2012 at 10:25 pashapixel
Good post for novice travelers)))
but I also adopted something for myself)))
for example - I didn’t know that the ATM is ATM!!!
I'm tired of explaining where the thing is that you can use to get money plastic card)))) - Sergey //12.12.2012 at 12:20 Sergey
- Daniil //12/13/2012 at 12:14 Daniil
Bookmarked, great manual! Someday I’ll also plan to travel around Asia :-). Regarding flights, I would also add that in Asia it is cheapest to fly low-cost Air Asia(more often).
- //13.12.2012 at 12:44 Spryt
Daniel, not always. Firstly, they gradually increase the prices for flights, and the cheapest way is if you buy a couple of months in advance, which is not always convenient. And secondly, they impose an additional fee for baggage) Although, yes, the most popular and one of the cheapest air carriers in the region.
pashapixel, yeah, the business card is also called a business card, the first couple of times I explained it on my fingers in guest messages, until they prompted me)) Some things are called a little unobviously.
Paranoid_Android, I think the last time I checked all of Rus' on the tracker, there were only old publications)
- Daniil //12/14/2012 at 00:44 Daniil
All airlines are raising prices step by step, as aviation fuel prices are rising. Many even major airlines are on the brink of survival, constantly teetering on the verge of bankruptcy.
Regarding the purchase of tickets in advance, as well as additional fees for luggage, check-in at the airport - this is the policy of all budget airlines, due to this they minimize their costs and thanks to this they can sell tickets at cheaper prices.
- Paranoid_Android //12/14/2012 at 14:10 Paranoid_Android
Please clarify a couple of questions.
You often checked into guest rooms for 300, or even 200 rubles. per day. By what percentage would these prices be higher if you stayed in the same guest houses for a day or two or three?
Is it worth booking guest accommodations in advance through the Internet at all sorts of agodas and bookings or looking for them on the spot? It is possible to find more locally low prices, what is on the above sites? A trip in high season, part of the route through quite expensive and popular places, Phuket and Phi Phi in particular. On the latter, the supply for any is limited due to the small size of the island. Probably in such places, especially during the high season, you need to book in advance, otherwise you won’t be able to check in, what do you think? - Dmitry //12/15/2012 at 23:26 Dmitry
Octopus! Write an article about safety!
Examples:
1. Stopped at a guest house and went for a walk - do you usually take all your things and valuables with you?
2. How and where do you store cards and money, don’t worry about pin codes :)
3. Where should I store my stash, in my underpants 🙂?
4. Do you carry your computer with you all the time?
In general, I'm interested in little things like this.
Good luck! I enjoy reading your blog! - Geleosan //12/16/2012 at 06:30 Geleosan
“This is really not for everyone” - this is 100%. I constantly encounter this myself on the blog, and in life. Moreover, it is useless to explain anything, people don’t understand the format of such trips and that’s all.
This story will be entirely dedicated to my latest trip to Southeast Asia, namely Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. It seems like an eternity has already passed since traveling to Israel.
This time I will not describe the journey day by day, because then the story will turn out to be very voluminous. There will be general points, thoughts and numbers.
The decision to go specifically to Southeast Asia formed naturally. At some point, I realized that I didn’t want to bother with visas to civilized countries.
Nature of the trip
I decided to go alone, without contacting any travel agencies. Experience has shown that planning a trip yourself is more pleasant, cheaper and faster.
Route selection
Actually, there were no plans. Hotels were only booked for the first few days in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. First, I had to fly to Bangkok, and a day later go to the airport on a plane to Malaysia, since a Linkin Park concert was to take place in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, for which I had purchased a ticket. Nothing else was planned.
Ultimately, the real route for traveling around Southeast Asia turned out like this.
- Bangkok, Thailand (2 days)
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2 days)
- Singapore, Singapore (1 day)
- Pattaya, Thailand (2 days)
- Chiang Mai, Thailand (2 days)
- Pattaya, Thailand (5 days)
Transport
I would like to tell you a little about the transport that I used during my trip.
Flight Moscow - Bangkok
When I bought my ticket, the best option was to fly through Qatar with Qatar Airways. In one of the photo stories, links to which you will find at the end of this post, I expressed my opinion about this airline. In short, I was generally pleased, but there were also negative aspects.
In any case, the road from Moscow to Bangkok took about a day. I flew successfully, and this is always the most important thing.
Domestic flights
By internal I will mean intra-Asian flights, because in fact, due to the simple visa regime, Southeast Asia for me personally is, one might say, like one big country. I mean you can go wherever you want. For me, visa issues often become a stumbling block. Now it’s easier for me to fly to Malaysia than to some Latvia.
So, I initially did not intend to get involved with domestic flights. I thought I’d get through everything by train or bus. But the thing turned out to be that flights are very cheap in Southeast Asia. Local low-cost airlines are developed well enough for everyone to be able to afford a flight.
For example, a train ticket from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur will cost about a thousand rubles. The flight will cost about 500 rubles more. Considering the peculiarity of Thai railways When buying an air ticket, you save at least a day.
It is for these reasons that I flew from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur, as well as from Singapore to Bangkok, rather than driving. It's funny that both times the planes were half empty.
Railways in Thailand
Flights are flights, but I was going to ride trains and electric trains. I traveled from Pattaya to Bangkok by train, and from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and back by train.
Having mentioned the peculiarity of Thai railways, I of course meant the duration of trips. Everything is very long. Even if we do not take into account the constant delays and other delays, trains in Russia travel the same distance twice as fast.
For example, between Chiang Mai and Bangkok there are 700 kilometers, which is approximately equal to the distance between Moscow and Belgorod. From Moscow to Belgorod, even the slowest train takes 10 hours, and in Thailand at least 20. We are talking about the same class of trains. I’m not even talking about Thai trains for locals, where three days are guaranteed on this route.
The train from Moscow to Dubna, which I often take, travels 120 kilometers in three hours. In Thailand, a similar route from Pattaya to Bangkok will take more than five hours.
There is also an undoubted advantage of Thai railways - comfort. There is much more space in the carriages; the berths are curtained.
I also really liked that before leaving, the guides offer not just some tea for a few hundred rubles, but a normal menu with reasonable prices.
To be fair, it is worth noting that the travel prices themselves are low. I bought a train ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for 750 rubles. By the way, a flight on this route will cost 1,100 rubles if you buy in advance.
Buses
How many different horrors are written on the Internet, allegedly, you can only ride buses in Southeast Asia if you have nothing to lose. It's all complete nonsense. Somewhere in Bangladesh it may be, but in Thailand, Malaysia and especially Singapore there are no problems with buses.
To see this in practice, I took a bus from the capital of Malaysia to Singapore. Of course, such transfers are not very popular, so there were at most 10 other people on the bus with me. Apparently, there is some more convenient way get to Singapore. Well, or everyone is so scared of reviews on the Internet.
Taxi
You need to be very careful here, because taxi drivers have scammed, are scamming, and will scam everyone, always. For example, for 2 kilometers of road in Thailand they can charge 200 rubles, although for that kind of money in Thailand you can easily travel 300 kilometers by bus.
In Malaysia, taxi drivers love to bargain. First they say a price that is 3 times higher than the adequate price. Usually in such cases I just turn around, and then I see a taxi driver catching up with me, offering me an order of magnitude lower.
Knock-kuk
Tuk-tuk is an analogue of a taxi. The same annoying drivers, the same scams. You always need to bargain, because there are a lot of tuk-tuks, but there is no one to carry them.
Ferries, speedboats and boats
In Pattaya, tourists are taken to the islands with the most in various ways. The peculiarity of all options is that safety precautions are not observed anywhere. The country is quite poor, so the ferries are all old. There are always hundreds of tourists on board and I am not sure that such ferries will remain afloat in case of strong seas.
People
People asked me a lot about people. Thailand is known to be a land of smiles. Well, friends, let's distinguish workers in the service sector from ordinary people. And here it is still important what to compare with.
If we put Russia next to it, then yes, I agree that people smile much more often in Thailand. If you look at the USA, in Thailand they don’t smile at all.
I won't even consider the service. In any country, in any normal establishment, there are rules of good manners. Waiters, salespeople, or, excuse me, prostitutes smile at everyone. But life for locals in Thailand is not easy.
Overall, I enjoyed interacting with people in Southeast Asia. I have witnessed some fights between tourists and locals, but in any country there are those who don’t like something.
English level
It is not fashionable to speak English in Thailand. Everyone knows this, so I'll just say it's true. The service workers say more or less, but only what they are used to saying. Even at Bangkok airport, communication is difficult.
In Malaysia, English is spoken surprisingly well. A random passerby will almost certainly tell you where to go. This was a pleasant surprise for me.
In Singapore, everyone speaks English and speaks it well. The country is so civilized that, to some extent, people speak here even better than in the States.
The main problems when traveling in Southeast Asia
For me the main problem was the lack free internet. Well, it’s simply not customary to share the Internet there, even in places like McDonald’s or Subway. Hotels usually have internet, but always with a password.
Most of my trip was filled with improvisation, so sometimes I had to prepare for the next step a little in advance, for example by saving a screenshot from the maps.
This problem can be solved by purchasing a local SIM card. Mobile Internet is inexpensive.
On the other hand, the lack of Internet can be considered a plus, since you often have to ask locals for directions and talk. And this is how we traveled before :-)
Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore are also very humid. When I was little I thought that the hottest place was at the equator. Now it has become clear that at the equator it is not so much hot as it is very humid. 30-35 degrees in combination with humidity put a big end to long walks.
Travelers should also think about precipitation. This applies to Malaysia and Singapore, because in Thailand there is no rainy season as such, or at least it is not as bad as the Malaysian one.
There is also the problem of crossing the border in Singapore. I wrote about this in detail at the beginning of the corresponding photo story. In order not to get on your nerves there, I advise everyone to get a visa. Forget about transit, get a visa.
Prices
As you know, everything is cheap in Asia. If you take Singapore and all the taxi drivers out of here, then it’s really cheap.
A liter of water in Thailand costs 10 rubles, going to eat in a cafe costs about 100. In Malaysia it is a little more expensive, but still cheaper than here. In Singapore it's about the same as in New York.
What impressed you the most?
I was most impressed by Singapore. This city is clearly not where it should be. He should move somewhere to Europe or America. Every detail in this city is impressive.
How much did I pay for the entire trip?
I paid 25 thousand rubles for the Moscow - Bangkok - Moscow air ticket. If I had thought about buying a little earlier, I would have saved 6 thousand, buying for 19. Alas. I took and spent a thousand dollars with me.
I can't say that it turned out very cheap. The thing is that there are too many temptations in Pattaya. If you bypass this city, you will definitely save money and not lose anything.
In the end, the whole trip cost about 55 thousand rubles.
Take a tour or go yourself
If the level of knowledge of English leaves much to be desired, then such a trip will be difficult to implement. However, if you take a Thailand tour, you will not see Thailand. Remember this.
Photo stories
I wish you great success in your travels and will be happy to answer all your questions. Feel free to write to VKontakte.
Set goals and go towards them. Good luck and see you on your next journey!
Traveling around Asia with two children... The plan for this route has been brewing for a long time. And it eventually grew into something more than just a trip. We decided to live traveling, starting with this Great trip around Asia with two small children! We did not take return tickets to Russia and have not yet decided where we will go next... In the meantime, we will tell you about planning the route, preparation and visas.
1 Definition with route
Since the route is inextricably linked with air tickets (their availability and cost), initially, together with the necessary connections, it looked like this: Hong Kong - Philippines - Singapore - Indonesia - Malaysia - Sri Lanka - UAE... We planned to stay in each country for about three weeks , except for connections in Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai (2 days each).
However, this route was adjusted by the children, who fell ill together in Moscow 2 days before departure, and by us, who, in the interests of the children, reduced the number of flights already during the trip... Here we were once again convinced of undeniable advantages independent travel, since we lost a very small amount by slightly changing the route and postponing the trip by 2 weeks!
2 Buying air tickets
This time, except for our favorite flight search engine Aviasales, we were also very pleased with the official websites of Asian “low cost” airlines, for example Cebu Pacific and Air Asia. When purchasing air tickets in advance, low-cost airlines often offer sales, some of which we were able to take advantage of...
What ended up happening for the whole family (2 adults, 1 child and 1 infant under 2 years old without a place):
- Flight Moscow - Hong Kong, Transaero airline: 26,500 rubles
- Flight Hong Kong - Manila (Philippines), Cebu Pacific airline: 7,000 rubles
- Flight Manila - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), airline "...": ... rubles
- Flight Kuala Lumpur - Langkawi (Malaysia), airline "...": ... rubles
- Flight Krabi (Thailand) - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), airline "...": ... rubles
- Flight Kuala Lumpur - Istanbul (Türkiye), airline "...": ... rubles
In total, 6 flights for the whole family cost us approximately... rubles. This is the final route, changed at the beginning and during the journey.
3 Hotel reservations
When traveling to Asia, if you want to save money, then there is no point in booking hotels along the entire route. Yes, this must be done for places where you are staying for just a couple of days, in our case: Hong Kong and Dubai. Yes, it is advisable to book hotels in other countries at least for the first day or two, especially if you are traveling with children. But for the rest of your stay in Asian countries, you can almost always find better and cheaper options locally.
But you shouldn’t miss out on good special offers either. On our favorite search engine Hotellook You can often find prices cheaper than locally, thanks to numerous special offers from hotels or hotel booking sites...
The average cost of accommodation for this trip to Asia should not exceed 1000 rubles per night.
4 Visas
For most Asian countries, you do not need a visa in advance. Since July 1, 2009, citizens of the Russian Federation can visit Hong Kong for up to 14 days without a visa. A visa is also not required for a stay of up to 30 days in the Philippines and Malaysia.
5 Taking out insurance
In order to save money, medical insurance for yourself for as much long term we didn't do it. As a last resort, this can be done at any time via the Internet in a couple of minutes, for example, on the website. But we didn’t skimp on the children and took out the same insurance for all countries for the entire stay: for two children the insurance cost about 3,500 rubles.
Any final words? We definitely do not advise absolutely everyone around us to go on such a long and difficult journey with small children. This requires experience, training, confidence in one’s abilities and in the health of children. Objectively, with infants under two years of age, it is better to fly close (up to 4 hours of flight), but for a long time (from two weeks or longer)...
That's it, let's go!
Thailand is a wonderful place with many attractions, entertainment, beaches and extraordinary beautiful nature. But often we don’t want to stay in one country for a long time, and we try to visit several countries at once in one trip, get acquainted with their cultures, compare them, and maybe next time we’ll go to only one of them.
This article will focus on an exclusive route through Southeast Asia, which will pass through Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Of course, each country has a lot of interesting things, but the proposed tour includes the most unusual and memorable ones.
Thailand (2 to 10 days)
Depending on how much time you have at your disposal, you can start your vacation on Samui or Bangkok. It’s worth spending at least a week on Samui to enjoy its beach relaxation. It makes sense to include it in the program if you have a long vacation ahead. If your time is limited, then you can start exploring Thailand from Bangkok (which is convenient to get to from most post-Soviet countries). Read more about the attractions and features of the above-mentioned places in the articles dedicated to them.
A few days will be enough for a quick tour of Bangkok. During this time it is worth taking a ride along the rivers and canals (Bangkok is the Asian Venice), exploring Royal Palace, visit a couple of temples. You can also wander around the local shops and check out a Thai restaurant.
Laos (6 days)
There are direct flights from Bangkok to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. You can find out their prices on the website http://www.skyscanner.com.ua/. In Vientiane, you should definitely visit Buddha Park. You can get there from the TalatSao bus station by bus 14 for about $3. Entrance ticket to the park costs less than $1, if you plan to film and photograph, then $1.5. The entire park is built of concrete, and some of its structures terrify visitors, but, in general, the place is quite interesting, it has a special atmosphere and the spirit of Laos.
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Once there, you can head to the nearby monastery, famous for its herbal baths. Having steamed in them, you will feel an influx of strength and unprecedented lightness.
The next place in Laos that is worth visiting is Vang Vieng, a place that can give you an unforgettable experience. You can get here by bus or taxi from Vientiane. The cost of travel on a local bus is about $5.
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Vang Vieng is a town where you can get acquainted with the everyday life of Lasos, as well as visit one of the fire caves and go tubing. In the caves, the excursion lasts about an hour and a half, while you are floating on a tube the entire time. underground rivers and lakes, holding on to the rope. The issue price is about $2.5.
Help on open river on the tube - this is a separate attraction that lasts about 3 hours. Along the river bank, along which people raft, there are a bunch of bars and cafes, music is played everywhere, beer is poured, so you definitely won’t be bored. You can go ashore at any time, hang out, and then take another “donut” and swim further on it. This attraction costs about $6.5. You can get there by excursion car.
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In addition to the above-mentioned places in Laos, it is worth visiting the unique city of Luang Probang. You can get here from Vientiane by bus or plane. Air travel is expensive (prices can be found on the website http://www.skyscanner.com.ua/), so it’s worth taking a bus (the fare costs about $13). From Vang Vieng a bus will cost you approximately the same amount.
There are 4 places in Asia that have a UNESCO gold medal as a world cultural heritage of humanity. One of them is the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia, the second is the Bagan Valley in Burma (Myanmar), the third is the Ankor Temple (the largest temple building in the world) in Cambodia, and the fourth is the city of Luang Probang in Laos. Luang Probang is a magnificent village filled with spirituality.
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In the vicinity of Luang Probang, the “Gorge of 100 Waterfalls” was opened to tourists in 2008. Luang Probang stands at the junction of two rivers - the Mekong and Namou, in which the water level fluctuates seasonally, so you can only get to the gorge in winter by motor boat ( people for 10-15) or by bus. Traveling to these places takes about 8 hours through absolutely wild territories. It can be compared to a trip through Siberia, where almost no human has set foot. If you go by boat, you will first get to a small village, spend the night there, and in the morning you will go to walking. The hike is not difficult, although it takes several hours.
Cambodia(2 days)
Cambodia is a country worth completing the proposed tour. A must-see here is Anchor, the largest temple complex in Asia. It is located in the city of Siem Reap. There is a direct flight from Luang Probang to Siem Reap, so getting there is convenient (
Today I will tell you how to organize independent travel for the countries of Asia, or more precisely for Southeast Asia, that is, for countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and others.
If you find yourself in Southeast Asia, for example, in the glorious country of Thailand, then you can absolutely take this opportunity to visit several more countries :)
Since in Asia there is such a wonderful company airasia, which has very reasonable prices for flights between Asian countries. Well, plus, the distance between these countries is very close - within 2-3 hours of flight.
And today we will talk about how to do it yourself and let’s, as usual, go step by step:
Step 1. Create a travel itinerary and decide on dates and deadlines
So, to begin with, of course, you need to draw up a travel itinerary, that is, how many days and in which country you would like to spend.
For example, during our first winter in warm regions we lived in Thailand for 1 month (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Krabi), 1 month in Vietnam (Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Dalat), 3 days in Singapore and 1 month in Bali (Kuta, Ubud , Lovina, Nusa Dua)
During our second winter, we lived in Thailand for 2 months (Hua Hin, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui), flew to Malaysia for reconnaissance for 1 week (Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi island), and spent 2 weeks in Sri Lanka (Hikkaduwa and Mirissa)
And of course, decide on the starting and finishing point. In my opinion, there are two of these points - Bangkok (Thailand) and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)
Step 2. Resolve the issue with visas.
Apply for all necessary visas if you need them.
According to data as of April 13, 2012 for Russian citizens:
Thailand
Malaysia— visa-free entry for up to 30 days.
Vietnam— visa-free entry for up to 15 days.
Singapore— visa-free transit for up to 96 hours, provided that you arrive from one country and fly to another. That is, your route, for example, Thailand - Singapore - Malaysia.
Indonesia— a visa can be obtained upon arrival for a period of up to 30 days. Cost $25. To be paid at the airport
Sri Lanka - The visa must be applied for in advance online on the ETA website or at the Sri Lankan consulate. Cost of one-time tourist visa for 30 days – 20$
When organizing your trip, be sure to study the current conditions for obtaining visas for your dates, as these conditions sometimes change, for example, a year ago entry into Sri Lanka was visa-free
Step 3. Buy all necessary air tickets
How much will it cost to fly to some cities and countries in Asia?
I looked at flight prices on the AirAsia website. If you decide to fly with other airlines, the price may be several times higher.
When booking AirAsia tickets, be prepared for the fact that this is a low-cost (discount) airline., which means you will not be fed for free during the flight, and you will also need to pay extra for luggage when purchasing a ticket.
So, let's take Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, as our base point.
Flight Bangkok - Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) will cost you approximately: $70-90
Flight Bangkok - Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) - $70-150
Flight Bangkok - Denpasar (Bali Island, Indonesia) - $100-200
Flight Bangkok - Singapore (Singapore) - $70-200
By the way, flights from Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) will be even cheaper and there will be even more flight options.
For example,
Flight Kuala Lumpur - Singapore (Singapore) 20 - 40 $
Flight Kuala Lumpur - Denpasar (Bali Island, Indonesia) $100 - $130
Flight Kuala Lumpur - Colombo (Sri Lanka) 90 - 160 $
Flight Kuala Lumpur - Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) 50 - 150 $
These are the tempting prices for flights around Southeast Asia.
Why is there such a wide range in prices and how to buy tickets at the best price?
The earlier you buy your tickets, the cheaper it is. The cheapest tickets will be if you buy them earlier than 2 months before departure. Well, accordingly, as you get closer to the departure date, the price will increase.
Also from Thailand and Vietnam you can easily plan a visit to Cambodia and Laos. And also from Thailand (Bangkok) or Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) to fly to the Philippines.
Step 4. Route details
Plan specific places in each country that you would like to visit.
If you are planning to visit Vietnam, then read my article carefully, it will help you choose the most interesting places for travel.
If you are planning to visit the wonderful island of Bali, I advise you to read my article. We have already been to the island of Bali twice and the love for this fantastic island has firmly settled in our hearts.
If you are planning Malaysia, Singapore, then articles on these countries I do not have much travel experience yet; in Malaysia we spent only 1 week on the island of Langkawi and 3 days on the island of Penang. And we were only in Singapore for 3 days.
Step 5. Book hotels along your route.
There will most likely be no difficulties at all. Go to booking.com and go ahead.
If you have questions about booking on the site, then read my article carefully and if you have questions, ask them in the comments, I will definitely answer.
Or enter the dates and destination you need in this search form:
Step 6. What you need to be prepared for when traveling independently in Asian countries
1.You will need English, at least at a conversational level.
In all these countries you can find people who speak this language and there are many such people. Although he is not native to them. But without speaking English, traveling will be much more difficult.
By the way, I can recommend one very cool method on how to master spoken English in 30 days.
Enter your Name and email in the form below and click on the “Get Course!” button. After that, confirm your subscription to the course, and it will be sent to your email :)
