RoutesSoutheast Asia
Three Months in Southeast Asia
The banana pancake trail, done with time to stop.
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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.
1Bangkok ThailandLand, acclimatise, sort SIM and cash, Ayutthaya.5 nights
$440 mid
Photo: Tee-12838 · CC BY-SA 4.0The hinge of Southeast Asia: everyone passes through, and the smart ones stay a while.
Bangkok is where most long trips through Asia begin, and it rewards more than the two jet-lagged nights it usually gets. It is a city of neighbourhoods rather than sights: the canals of Thonburi, the Chinese shophouses of Talat Noi, the office-tower cafes of Sathorn, the night markets of Ratchada. Flights, trains and…
- Daily budget
- $32–$208 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $440 5 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb
- Internet
- 200 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Wat Pho and the Grand Palace Go at 8 a.m. before the heat and the tour groups; dress code enforced.
- Chinatown at night Yaowarat Road's seafood stalls and the lanes behind them.
- Chatuchak Weekend Market 15,000 stalls; go early, stay hydrated.
- Klong tour in Thonburi A long-tail boat through the canals shows the city that existed before the roads.
Thailand: practical facts
- Currency
- Thai baht (THB) · 33.44 THB/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Thai; English widely used in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B, C, O (230 V)
- Tap water
- Not recommended; bottled or filtered water is standard
- Emergency
- 191 police, 1669 medical, 1155 tourist police
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
Full destination guide →Thailand country guide →Visa rules →
2Chiang Mai ThailandTemples, cooking, trekking, elephants, a Muay Thai class.7 nights
$483 mid
Photo: ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ - เทวประภาส ม · CC BY 3.0The original digital nomad capital, still the gentlest big town in Thailand.
Chiang Mai is a moated old city of three hundred temples ringed by mountains, and for fifteen years it has been the place remote workers go to find out whether the lifestyle suits them. The answer is usually yes: rents are among the lowest of any established nomad hub, the cafe culture is serious, and the Nimman…
- Daily budget
- $26–$165 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $483 7 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Nov, Dec, Jan
- Internet
- 150 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Doi Suthep The gilded hilltop temple above the city; go for sunrise or sunset to avoid the crowds.
- Old City temple walk Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh and the quieter Wat Umong in the forest.
- Ethical elephant sanctuaries Elephant Nature Park and similar no-riding sanctuaries; book ahead.
- Doi Inthanon National Park Thailand's highest peak, waterfalls and the Karen villages on its slopes.
Thailand: practical facts
- Currency
- Thai baht (THB) · 33.44 THB/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Thai; English widely used in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B, C, O (230 V)
- Tap water
- Not recommended; bottled or filtered water is standard
- Emergency
- 191 police, 1669 medical, 1155 tourist police
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
Full destination guide →Thailand country guide →Visa rules →
minivan · about 3.5 hours
3Pai ThailandValley, hot springs, canyon.3 nights
$177 mid
Photo: Bernhard T · CC BY-SA 3.0A valley town of 762 curves, waterfalls and hammocks where days stop being counted.
Pai is what happens when a Shan market town in a mountain valley is discovered by backpackers and decides, mostly, to stay small. The road from Chiang Mai has 762 bends; what waits at the end is a walking street of pancake stalls and craft beer, hot springs, canyon sunsets, rice paddies and a surrounding ring of…
- Daily budget
- $25–$136 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $177 3 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Nov, Dec, Jan
- Internet
- 40 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Pai Canyon at sunset Narrow sandstone ridges above the valley; wear proper shoes.
- Tha Pai hot springs Natural pools in the forest; the free ones upstream are cooler.
- Pam Bok and Mo Paeng waterfalls Swimming holes 10 to 15 minutes by scooter.
- Yun Lai viewpoint Sunrise over the sea of mist above the Chinese village of Santichon.
Thailand: practical facts
- Currency
- Thai baht (THB) · 33.44 THB/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Thai; English widely used in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B, C, O (230 V)
- Tap water
- Not recommended; bottled or filtered water is standard
- Emergency
- 191 police, 1669 medical, 1155 tourist police
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
Full destination guide →Thailand country guide →Visa rules →
bus to Chiang Khong, two-day slow boat · about 30.0 hours
4Luang Prabang LaosAlms at dawn, Kuang Si, Mekong sunsets.5 nights
$340 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
- $340 5 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
Laos-China Railway · about 1.0 hours
5Vang Vieng and Vientiane LaosKarst kayaking and the capital.4 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Vang Vieng and Vientiane yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Luang Prabang (about 110 km).
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 to Hanoi · about 1.5 hours
6Hanoi VietnamOld Quarter, Ha Long Bay, Ha Giang loop.7 nights
$476 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
- $476 7 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
night train to Hue, then the pass · about 16.0 hours
7Hoi An VietnamOld town, beach, tailoring, My Son.7 nights
$504 mid
Photo: Steffen Schmitz (more photos) · CC BY-SA 4.0Lanterns, tailors and rice paddies on the central coast.
Hoi An's old town is a preserved trading port of Chinese assembly halls, Japanese bridges and yellow-washed merchant houses strung with silk lanterns, and it has become one of Vietnam's most visited places for good reason. Step a kilometre outside it and the town turns into rice fields, water-buffalo lanes and An Bang…
- Daily budget
- $28–$175 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $504 7 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Feb, Mar, Apr
- Internet
- 80 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Old town after dark Lanterns, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Thu Bon river boats; buy the entrance ticket that funds restoration.
- An Bang beach A proper beach 4 km away with a relaxed cafe strip.
- Tra Que vegetable village Farming demonstrations and cooking classes among the herb beds.
- Cycling the paddies Cam Thanh's coconut-palm waterways and basket boats.
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
sleeper bus and train south · about 18.0 hours
8Ho Chi Minh City VietnamCity, Cu Chi, Mekong Delta.6 nights
$450 mid
Photo: Radek Kucharski · CC BY 2.0Saigon: nine million scooters, a thousand coffee shops and the fastest-moving city in the region.
Officially Ho Chi Minh City, still Saigon to almost everyone who lives there, Vietnam's southern metropolis runs on commerce, coffee and motorbikes. District 1 holds the French colonial landmarks and the war museums; District 3's tree-lined streets hide the cafes; Thao Dien across the river is where the expat and…
- Daily budget
- $28–$180 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $450 6 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
- Internet
- 120 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- War Remnants Museum Harrowing and essential.
- Cu Chi tunnels Half-day trip; the Ben Duoc section is quieter than Ben Dinh.
- District 1 colonial core Notre-Dame, the Central Post Office, the Opera House and the Reunification Palace.
- Cholon (District 5) Chinatown's temples and the Binh Tay market.
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 Phnom Penh · about 6.5 hours
9Phnom Penh CambodiaRoyal Palace, Tuol Sleng, riverside.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Phnom Penh yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Ho Chi Minh City (about 200 km).
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
bus · about 6.0 hours
10Siem Reap CambodiaAngkor three-day pass, Phare circus, floating villages.5 nights
$345 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
- $345 5 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 to Surat Thani via Bangkok · about 5.0 hours
11Koh Tao and Koh Phangan ThailandOpen Water course, beaches, the full-moon question.8 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Koh Tao and Koh Phangan yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Bangkok (about 410 km).
Thailand: practical facts
- Currency
- Thai baht (THB) · 33.44 THB/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Thai; English widely used in tourism
- Plugs and voltage
- A, B, C, O (230 V)
- Tap water
- Not recommended; bottled or filtered water is standard
- Emergency
- 191 police, 1669 medical, 1155 tourist police
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
ferry, train to Penang · about 14.0 hours
12Penang (George Town) MalaysiaStreet food capital, street art, Penang Hill.3 nights
We do not hold a full destination profile for Penang (George Town) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Kuala Lumpur (about 290 km).
Malaysia: practical facts
- Currency
- Malaysian ringgit (MYR) · 4.05 MYR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Malay; English widely spoken; Chinese dialects and Tamil
- Plugs and voltage
- G (240 V)
- Tap water
- Generally treated but most residents filter or boil it
- Emergency
- 999
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
ETS train · about 4.0 hours
13Kuala Lumpur MalaysiaPetronas, Batu Caves, hawker centres.3 nights
$240 mid
Photo: James Kerwin from Tbilisi · CC BY 2.0The most underrated long-stay city in Asia: modern, multilingual and cheap for what it offers.
Kuala Lumpur gets skipped on the backpacker trail and that is the opportunity. English is near-universal, the metro and trains work, condominiums with pools and gyms rent for a third of Singapore's prices, the food is a three-way fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian cooking, and the 90-day visa-free entry for many…
- Daily budget
- $30–$181 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
- This stop
- $240 3 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
- Best months
- Jun, Jul, Aug
- Internet
- 150 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
Things to do
- Petronas Towers and KLCC park Skybridge tickets sell out; the park at dusk is free.
- Batu Caves 272 rainbow steps and macaques; Thaipusam in January or February is extraordinary.
- Chinatown and Kwai Chai Hong Restored shophouses, murals and old coffee shops.
- Merdeka Square and the colonial core Sultan Abdul Samad building, the river confluence that named the city.
Malaysia: practical facts
- Currency
- Malaysian ringgit (MYR) · 4.05 MYR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
- Language
- Malay; English widely spoken; Chinese dialects and Tamil
- Plugs and voltage
- G (240 V)
- Tap water
- Generally treated but most residents filter or boil it
- Emergency
- 999
- U.S. advisory
- Level 1
Full destination guide →Malaysia country guide →Visa rules →
flight · about 3.0 hours
14Bali (Canggu and Ubud) IndonesiaCanggu surf, Ubud, Nusa Penida, Amed, rest.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 →
Month one: Thailand and Laos
Bangkok (5 nights), the night train to Chiang Mai (7), Pai (3), then the two-day slow boat down the Mekong from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang (5), the railway to Vang Vieng and Vientiane (4), and a flight or the long bus to Hanoi.
Month two: Vietnam and Cambodia
Hanoi and the north (7), the train south through Hue to Hoi An (7), Da Nang or Nha Trang (3), Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong (6), the bus to Phnom Penh (3) and Siem Reap for Angkor (5). Cambodia's south coast (Kampot, Koh Rong) is the detour if the islands can wait.
Month three: islands and the south
Back into Thailand for the Gulf islands (Koh Tao for diving, Koh Phangan, 8 nights), the train or bus south to Penang and Kuala Lumpur (6), and a flight to Bali for the last fortnight of surf, volcanoes and rest. Fly home from Denpasar or keep going to Australia.
How to stretch it
Drop Malaysia and Bali for a slower Vietnam and Cambodia; add Myanmar only if conditions have changed; swap Bali for the Philippines if you want more water than culture.
Practical notes
Visas: Thailand's exemption, Laos and Cambodia visas on arrival, Vietnam's e-visa (apply a week ahead), Malaysia's 90 days, Indonesia's VOA: all routine for Western passports, all worth checking in the Visa & Work Finder before you book. Budget: the low figure is dorms and buses at 30 dollars a day; mid adds private rooms, the bay cruise, a dive course and the flights; high is boutique everything. Flights: Vientiane to Hanoi, Siem Reap to Bangkok or Surat Thani, and Kuala Lumpur to Bali are the three flights most people take. Season: start in November and the weather follows you: the north is cool, the Gulf islands dry out by January, Bali is dry from April.