RoutesEast Asia
Three-Month Career Break in Asia and the Pacific
Japan and Korea in autumn, Southeast Asia in the dry season, New Zealand in summer.
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Dotted path is schematic (great-circle-ish arcs between stops), not a transport route.
Stop by stop
Click a stop (or its pin on the map) for costs, country facts and what to do there.
1Seoul South KoreaVisit Gyeongbokgung Palace, hike Bukhansan and eat through the night markets.7 nights
$938 mid
Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0Mountains inside the city limits, the fastest internet on earth, and a 24-hour food culture.
Seoul moves fast: ten million people, a metro that puts most of the world to shame, cafes on every corner serving espresso and ambition, and a night economy that never properly closes. It is also a city of palaces, hanok villages and granite peaks you can hike before breakfast. For long stays it offers safety, speed…
- Daily budget
- $52–$295 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $938 7 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov
- Internet
- 400 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Gyeongbokgung and Bukchon hanok village Hanbok rental gives free palace entry; go at opening.
- Bukhansan national park Granite peaks inside the city; Baegundae summit in half a day.
- Hongdae and Yeonnam-dong Street performers, cafes, the old railway park.
- Gwangjang and Namdaemun markets Street food and everything else.
South Korea: practical facts
- Currency
- South Korean won (KRW) · 1,342.19 KRW/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Korean; English in tourism and among younger people
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (220 V)
- Tap water
- Safe to drink; most locals still filter
- Emergency
- 112 police, 119 fire and ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
Full destination guide →South Korea country guide →Visa rules →
flight · about 5.0 hours
2Tokyo JapanMix districts such as Asakusa and Shibuya with a day trip to Nikko or Hakone.9 nights
$1,512 mid
Photo: Asanagi · CC0The largest city on earth, and somehow the most orderly.
Tokyo is forty million people organised into villages: Shimokitazawa's vintage shops, Yanaka's temple lanes, Koenji's live houses, Nakameguro's canal cafes, Shinjuku's neon and the hushed back streets of Kagurazaka. Trains arrive to the second, convenience stores sell meals that would embarrass restaurants elsewhere…
- Daily budget
- $70–$362 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $1,512 9 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Mar, Apr, May, Oct, Nov
- Internet
- 300 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Senso-ji at dawn Asakusa's great temple before the crowds, then the Sumida river.
- Shibuya crossing and Shimokitazawa The famous scramble, then the city's best neighbourhood two stops away.
- teamLab Planets Immersive digital art in Toyosu; book weeks ahead.
- Meiji shrine and Harajuku Forest calm beside the fashion chaos.
Japan: practical facts
- Currency
- Japanese yen (JPY) · 157.87 JPY/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Japanese; English signage in cities, spoken English limited
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B (100 V)
- Tap water
- Safe to drink everywhere
- Emergency
- 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
bullet train · about 3.0 hours
3Kyoto JapanSee Fushimi Inari, the Arashiyama bamboo grove and the autumn temple gardens.6 nights
$972 mid
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0Two thousand temples, a thousand years of capital, and back lanes the tour buses never reach.
Kyoto was Japan's capital for over a millennium and it still behaves like one: seventeen UNESCO sites, geisha districts, Zen gardens raked each dawn, and a grid of machiya townhouses now turned into cafes, ryokan and craft studios. The famous sights (Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama's bamboo) are overrun by…
- Daily budget
- $67–$342 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $972 6 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Apr, May, Oct, Nov
- Internet
- 250 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Fushimi Inari at dawn Ten thousand torii gates; climb past the crowds to the summit loop.
- Arashiyama Bamboo grove before 8 a.m., then the Okochi Sanso villa and the river.
- Philosopher's Path and Nanzen-ji Canal-side walk, especially in cherry and maple season.
- Gion at dusk Hanamikoji and the Shirakawa canal; photograph buildings, not geiko.
Japan: practical facts
- Currency
- Japanese yen (JPY) · 157.87 JPY/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Japanese; English signage in cities, spoken English limited
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B (100 V)
- Tap water
- Safe to drink everywhere
- Emergency
- 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
flight from Osaka Kansai · about 8.0 hours
4Hanoi VietnamWalk the Old Quarter, eat street food and visit the Temple of Literature.5 nights
$340 mid
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0A thousand-year-old capital eaten one bowl of pho at a time.
Hanoi is Vietnam's intellectual, political and culinary capital, a city of lakes, French villas, Soviet blocks and a medieval Old Quarter whose 36 streets are still roughly organised by trade. The traffic is a river of scooters you learn to wade through; the reward is the best street food in the country, a cafe…
- Daily budget
- $25–$165 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $340 5 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Oct, Nov, Mar, Apr
- Internet
- 90 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake Dawn tai chi at the lake, then the 36 streets.
- Temple of Literature Vietnam's first university, 1070.
- Train Street Access is periodically restricted; respect the barriers.
- Ha Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay Overnight cruises; Lan Ha from Cat Ba is quieter.
Vietnam: practical facts
- Currency
- Vietnamese dong (VND) · 25,699.00 VND/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Vietnamese; English common in tourism and among younger people
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C, F (220 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable; bottled or boiled only
- Emergency
- 113 police, 115 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
bus or train · about 2.5 hours
5Ninh Binh VietnamTake a rowing boat through the karsts at Trang An and cycle through the rice fields.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Ninh Binh yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Hanoi (about 90 km).
Vietnam: practical facts
- Currency
- Vietnamese dong (VND) · 25,699.00 VND/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Vietnamese; English common in tourism and among younger people
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C, F (220 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable; bottled or boiled only
- Emergency
- 113 police, 115 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
bus to Hanoi and flight · about 6.0 hours
6Luang Prabang LaosWatch the morning alms round, swim at Kuang Si Falls and climb Mount Phousi at sunset.6 nights
$408 mid
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0Saffron robes at dawn, the Mekong at dusk, and nothing much that needs doing in between.
Luang Prabang sits on a peninsula between the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers, a UNESCO-listed town of gilded temples, French shophouses and monks collecting alms at sunrise. It is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes and absorbing enough to hold people for weeks: waterfalls, river trips, night markets…
- Daily budget
- $26–$168 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $408 6 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
- Internet
- 30 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Alms giving at dawn Watch silently from a distance; do not buy rice from touts or use flash.
- Kuang Si waterfalls Turquoise pools 30 km away; swim early before the groups.
- Mount Phousi at sunset 328 steps; crowded but worth it once.
- Wat Xieng Thong The finest temple in Laos, 1560.
Laos: practical facts
- Currency
- Lao kip (LAK) · 22,398.00 LAK/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Lao; Thai understood; English in tourist towns
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B, C, E, F (230 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 1191 police, 1195 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
flight via Vientiane or Bangkok · about 8.0 hours
7Siem Reap CambodiaSpend at least two days at the Angkor temples, starting early to avoid heat and crowds.4 nights
$276 mid
Photo: Reinhard Onasch · CC BY-SA 3.0Angkor's gateway, and a quietly excellent town to live in after the temples are done.
Everyone comes for Angkor Wat, which deserves its reputation and three days of your life at least, but Siem Reap itself has grown into one of the region's more liveable small cities: a riverfront of cafes and galleries, a circus and arts scene born from the Khmer Rouge recovery, a cheap and improving food culture, and…
- Daily budget
- $27–$160 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $276 4 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
- Internet
- 50 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Angkor Wat at sunrise Then leave the crowds and go straight to Ta Prohm or Preah Khan.
- Bayon and Angkor Thom The faces; late afternoon light is best.
- Banteay Srei The pink-sandstone jewel, 35 km out; combine with the Landmine Museum.
- Beng Mealea and Koh Ker Jungle-swallowed temples a day trip away.
Cambodia: practical facts
- Currency
- Cambodian riel (US dollars circulate freely) (KHR) · 4,067.00 KHR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Khmer; English widely used in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, C, G (230 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 117 police, 119 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
Full destination guide →Cambodia country guide →Visa rules →
flight via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore · about 9.0 hours
8Bali (Canggu and Ubud) IndonesiaRest in Ubud among the rice terraces and spend a few days on the coast.14 nights
$1,358 mid
Photo: Freddy eduardo · CC BY-SA 4.0Surf, rice terraces, temples and the world's most crowded nomad scene.
Bali has been the global nomad and wellness capital for a decade and it shows: Canggu's rice fields have filled with villas, cafes and coworking spaces, Ubud's ridges with yoga studios, and the traffic between them is notorious. The island beneath remains extraordinary: Hindu temple ceremonies in every village…
- Daily budget
- $35–$235 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $1,358 14 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
- Internet
- 60 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Tegallalang and Jatiluwih rice terraces Jatiluwih is the UNESCO one and far quieter.
- Surf lessons at Batu Bolong or Kuta Beginner beaches; Uluwatu for the experts.
- Temple ceremonies Ask your guesthouse family; dress in sarong and sash.
- Mount Batur sunrise trek Two hours up in the dark, worth it once.
Indonesia: practical facts
- Currency
- Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
- Plugs and voltage
- C, F (230 V)
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Emergency
- 110 police, 118/119 ambulance
- U.S. advisory
- Level 2
Full destination guide →Indonesia country guide →Visa rules →
flight, direct or via Australia · about 12.0 hours
9Auckland NZTake the ferry to Waiheke Island and walk up one of the city's volcanic cones.4 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Auckland or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves.
coach · about 4.0 hours
10Rotorua NZVisit the geothermal valleys and a Maori cultural evening.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Rotorua or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves.
coach · about 7.5 hours
11Wellington NZSee Te Papa museum and ride the cable car to the botanic garden.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Wellington or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves.
domestic flight to Christchurch, then coach · about 7.0 hours
12Lake Tekapo NZStargaze in the dark-sky reserve and walk to the Mount John observatory.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Lake Tekapo or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves.
coach · about 4.0 hours
13Queenstown NZTake a day trip to Milford Sound and walk the trails around Lake Wakatipu.8 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Queenstown or its country yet, so there are no cost, climate or visa figures for this stop; the route notes describe what it involves.
Seoul and Japan in autumn
October in Seoul brings clear skies and the first autumn colours on the hills around the city. A short flight leads to Tokyo, followed by the bullet train to Kyoto, where the temple gardens turn red and gold from mid to late November in most years. Japan is the most expensive stretch of the route, and it rewards booking accommodation well ahead for the foliage season.
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
Hanoi's cooler, drier months begin in November, and nearby Ninh Binh offers limestone karsts and river trips without the overnight cruise needed for Ha Long Bay. From Hanoi a short flight reaches Luang Prabang, a UNESCO-listed town on the Mekong known for its monasteries and morning alms giving. Siem Reap follows, the gateway to the temples of Angkor, which are at their most comfortable to explore in the dry months from November. Two weeks in Bali then act as a rest stop, though December falls in its wet season, when showers tend to come in the afternoon.
New Zealand to finish
The last three weeks cross into the southern summer. From Auckland the route heads to Rotorua's geothermal parks and Maori cultural sites, then down to Wellington. A domestic flight crosses to Christchurch, and coaches run through the Mackenzie Basin, past Lake Tekapo's dark-sky reserve, to Queenstown, a base for Milford Sound day trips and lake and mountain walks. New Zealand costs are close to Japan's, so the final stretch takes a large share of the budget.
Practical notes
Visas: Many Western passports can visit Korea (which may require a K-ETA), Japan, Indonesia and Cambodia visa-free or with a visa on arrival or e-visa; Vietnam and Laos offer e-visas; New Zealand requires an NZeTA for visa-waiver nationalities. Requirements vary by passport and change often, so check each official source. Transport: Around eight flights, one bullet train and New Zealand coaches; Luang Prabang to Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Bali usually connect through a regional hub. Weather: Autumn in Korea and Japan, the dry season in mainland Southeast Asia, the wet season in Bali and early summer in New Zealand. Budget: The mid figure assumes private rooms or mid-range hotels, some guided tours (Angkor, Milford Sound), a Japan rail ticket for the core leg and economy flights between countries. Safety: All stops are generally low-risk; in Laos and Cambodia unexploded ordnance remains in some rural areas, so marked paths are the norm.