You can find eleven countries in Southeast Asia, and with many of them being neighboring countries, it makes sense to spend the time and to visit as much as possible. You can find diverse history and culture, even if they are so close.
Many individuals head off on Southeast Asia tours, yet you can miss out on some things taking this route.
While some individuals set off for a couple of weeks, others have the chance to head off for much longer and absorb all the region has to offer.
Here, you can learn much of what you need to know about traveling around Southeast Asia.
How Long Does it Take to Backpack Southeast Asia?
To travel South East Asia comfortably and take in the best of the Banana Pancake Trail, it can span two months. This offers enough time to cross the border into Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, and can take around three weeks.
You can see it doesn’t reach half of the countries in Southeast Asia, so add in these, and a couple of months will fly by.
How Much Does it Cost to Travel Southeast Asia for 6 Months?
When you start to add up the costs, it may sound expensive to visit Southeast Asia, but once you consider you are visiting 11 countries, and nearly all your expenses are included, then it is a reasonable option in comparison to back home.
Here is a rough breakdown of costs for 6-months of travel although it can vary in some areas.
Pre-travel Expenses
Travel insurance: $700 approx
Flights: $1500
Travel gear and immunizations: $750
Visas: $150, some countries are visa-free, be sure to check beforehand
Trip Expenses can cost around $6500 for 6 months. This will include your accommodation, daily travel, and food (restaurant and street food). One of the most significant factors can be tours or activities, and the amount of time you spend in cities like Ho Chi Minh City, Yangon, or Penang.
Once you visit places like Angkor Wat along the way or take in some scuba diving, your budget can increase dramatically. In total, you can be looking at around $11,000 as a good average.
How Much Does it Cost to Travel Southeast Asia for 3 months?
If you have less time to travel, your costs do come down considerably, and not in proportion to a six-month trip.
If you are traveling with a partner, then you can be looking at the cost of $50 to $60 per day for travel expenses. If you are a solo traveler, then you will have daily trip costs of up to $40 per day.
- Couple 3 months travel – $5400 approx (not including pre-travel expenses)
- Solo 3-month travel – $3600 approx (not including pre-travel expenses)
Where Should I Go in Asia for 2 Weeks?
If you only have two weeks, this can have an impact on how much you can see and how far you can travel. You may have to forgive some island hopping, but you can still see a lot.
Here is a quick itinerary for two weeks travel around Southeast Asia. You can cover 3 countries traveling from Ho Chi Minh City to Bangkok.
Ho Chi Minh City – 3 days
Start in Ho Chi and visit the Vietnam War museum. Head to the Mekong River to the villages floating markets, and mangrove trips.
Phnom Penh – 2 days
Heading from the east into Cambodia toward Phnom Penh. Visit the Killing Fields, and the history of the Khmer Rouge.
Siem Reap – 2 Days
Home to Angkor Wat temples (Unesco World Heritage site). Explore on the first day so you can venture toward Tonle Sap Lake and another place to tick off your Southeast Asia itinerary.
Koh Chang – 3 Days
Move from Cambodia into Northern Thailand to the Trat province. Check the islands (Koh Chang) and do some snorkeling.
Bangkok – 3 Days
Bangkok, the capital, is the last stop (not as large as Chiang Mai). You can fit in enough with temples, nightlife, and a floating market.
One Month Southeast Asia Itinerary
One of the benefits of traveling around Asia with plenty of time is you can adapt your travels. You do, however, need to have a rough idea of your direction of travel because of visas, etc.
Here is a rough guide to what you can fit in, although it is highly adaptable. Make sure you don’t try to do too much and don’t always be drawn toward the world heritage sites.
Many backpackers focus on particular countries when they have four weeks. It can be Thailand and Laos where you can visit Myanmar, or Thailand, Malaysia, and spend some time in Kuala Lumpur, or combine Vietnam and Cambodia.
However, a lot who go backpacking can follow well-trodden routes. Such as starting in Hanoi and heading to Halong Bay, from there you can take a train down the coast toward Hoi An before making your way down south toward Ho Chi.
Moving away from the coast takes you across the border to head north toward Phnom Penh and up to Siem Reap.
At this point, you can split your travels unless you have more time.
South takes you from Bangkok toward Krabi, and then you head down to Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. These will be your last stops before flying back.
If you take the northern route, you head overnight into Chiang Mai and then travel toward Chiang Rai right on the border.
The last couple of places take you to Luang Prabang and then Vientiane before traveling back to Hanoi for an onward flight.
The majority of this route is inland, and you may wonder, which countries in South Asia are islands? If you plan on backpacking Southeast Asia route that takes in islands, it will be very different, than traveling in Asia on land.
Conclusion
Traveling Asia can deliver a rich experience. You can relax on the beaches, take a day trip on a slow boat or make the most of one country. It is highly recommended to spend as much time in each place to cut down on a bus ride.
Add in places that are easy to get to and take less than one day. Travelling Asia in this amount of time is about being able to spend time to experience something different.
Because most of the above are on the mainland, we haven’t even touched on Kho Phangan, Manila in the Philippines, Koh Rong, Sumatra Borneo, or even Bali. While some are located close to shore, there is another world of islands, which makes any travel Asia backpacking trip much slower and will take you longer than 4 weeks.
There is a world of adventure waiting for any backpacker who wants to visit the length of a country. Check out all the hidden caves, visit a temple and see all the amazing things there are without resorting to a cruise.
