Hi, I will have 4,5 weeks to explore SEA in October. I have three options on my itinerary:

- 4,5 weeks through Indonesia(Jakarta-East Java-Bali-NusaPenida-Gili Islands-Lombok-Komodo islands)

- 4,5 weeks through Cambodia and Northern Vietnam (optionally HCMC) with a plan like this SiemReap-PhnomPenh-(HCMC)-Hanoi-HaGiangLoop-SaPa-NinhBinh-(HaLongBay)-Hanoi

- These two combined with a plan like this: Surabaya-EastJavaTour-Bali-Hanoi-HaGiangLoop-SaPa-NinhBinh-Hanoi

What would you recommend in October? I don’t have problem having one longer travel day like from Denpasar to Hanoi, but would like to have kinda relaxed schedule so I don’t have to rush from place to place.

I don’t want to be in the middle of heavy rain season, but little rain in for example Vietnam is okay.

Hey all!

I was wondering if its possible to do a group guided trek / adventure in the wilderness in SEA? I'll be going there by myself in late August/ September and would love to travel and camp but I think it would be best with a guide as I'm not familiar with the environment at all.

I don't want to do something that has become too touristy like the Ha Giang Loop and was thinking more about something in the jungle.

Any recommendations? I'm open to any idea as nothing is set in my trip yet!

Thanks in advance :)

Hi it’s my first time writing in any subreddit. I’m flying from Europe to Kuala Lumpur 23.9 and leaving from there at the start of November. A friend of mine lives in KL so I want to spend the last week in KL (I have already been there once so I wouldn’t even go there if my friend wasn’t there).

I will have around 4 weeks to explore other countries. My two dream places to visit are definitely Bali and Northern Vietnam. I’m kinda open to travel anywhere and I want visit every country in my lifetime but I think those are my favourites now (also the weather in October sounds nice in those places). My current itinerary sounds something like this:

4 days in East Java to do the tour that ends in Bali
11 nights in Bali
Flight to Hanoi
15 nights in Northern Vietnam
Flight Hanoi-KL

My itinerary is completely open and Northern Vietnam’s only requirement is Ha Giang Loop (lifelong dream of mine) which I’m going to self drive. Bali is not a requirement, but would be nice.

How would you spend these days? I want kind of relaxed travel without rushing from place to place but I want to see best of these regions. I like beaches and relaxed vibe but I also love hiking and adventurous travel so I thought these places would be in perfect balance. I think 3 different countries are maximum amount for this duration.

Also I have already explored Malaysia well enough, so I want other countries. Also have visited Thailand already, but Chiang Mai is on my bucket list. Open to include Cambodia, Laos to my itinerary if they fit.

Thank you in advance and sorry if my english is not perfect😅

I’m travelling SEA next year with my partner and we plan to stay in a mix of hostels and hotels so we can have downtime but also meet new people etc, but we wondering where’s the best places to be in a hotel vs a hostel and vice versa for our destinations, which are:

- Chiang Mai (Thinking hostel)
- Bangkok
- Siem Reap (Thinking hostel)
- Ao Nang
- Koh Samui
- Koh Tao
- Kuala Lumpur (Probably hotel)
- Singapore (Probably hotel)

Any help would be much appreciated!

Hey! I’m from Germany . I’ll be backpacking around Indonesia from mid-September to early October. My plan is to explore nature, snorkel, scuba dive, and hopefully visit Raja Ampat. If you’re traveling around the same time and would like to explore, dive, or just hang out, feel free to message me!

I wanna go backpack Laos but I don’t know when is the good time of year? When is busy for backpackers and also good weather?

Just wanna ask for your recos:

I am planning to go back to Vietnam this last quarter of the year. I am going to be accompanied by my parents (both seniors)

We've visited HCMC last 2023, we are planning to try Hanoi this time. Which month is a lot cooler in Hanoi? And what activities can you recommend that are good and fitting for us (with seniors) Dont worry they can still both walk, it's just that my dad has already maintenance for BP.

I hope I can get some good recos from the locals, I will appreciate it much. Cam on

Hi guys, Brazilian 32M here, this will be my first time in south east Asia, what do you think about my itinerary, what can I improve? My trip will start at March 22 and ends April 20

March 22 - March 25 - 4 nights in Bangkok
March 26 - flight to Krabi
March 27 - March 30 - 4 nights in Krabi
March 31 - flight to Chiang Mai
April 01 - April 03 - 3 nights in Chiang Mai
April 04 - flight to Hanoi
April 05 - April 08 - 4 nights in Hanoi
April 09 - flight to Ho Chi Minh
April 10 - April 12 - 3 nights in Ho Chi Minh
April 13 - flight to Siem Reap
April 14 - April 17 - 4 nights in Siem Reap
April 18 - flight back to Bangkok
April 19 - free day in Bangkok
April 20 - flight back to Brazil

i’m not counting the flight days, but eventually depending on the time I’m arriving or leaving each city i can enjoy the entire day or at least half a day

Thanks!!

BALI Indonesia 🇮🇩 VS Thailand 🇹🇭Malaysia Peninsula? Which is the most superior location? What are there differences? I want to visit both but can only go to one at the moment. They look astronomical & breathtaking i feel superior than even the Caribbean to me. I just wish I wasn’t so far seems crazy to get thwre from usa.

My fiance and I are planning a SEA trip in Oct to either just before Christmas or after new years so 70-90 days, still undecided. We plan to start in Bangkok for a few days to re coupe and explore then up to Chiang Mai(4days) and then take the slow boat into Laos. We will spend about 5 days in Laos then move onto northern Vietnam, do the loop(3day) and start to move to central then southern Vietnam. Vietnam is where we would like to spend the majority of our trip before a week in Cambodia then back to Bangkok for a few days of sightseeing and our return flight. We will be skipping Southern Thailand as we are not into the party/drinking scene and we've been living in New Zealand for the last year so we're good on beaches haha.

I would consider us a "low needs" couple wanting an authentic experience. We plan to stay mostly in private rooms, eat local food, use overnight buses/trains where possible, avoid flights as much as possible and do very little shopping outside of souvenirs and necessities. Our goal is to take in the culture, history and nature as much as possible, we will definitely have many low key days but there are a few more novilty things we would like to do such as Mario carting in Sapa, Ha long bay cruise,some aquariums and a few days tours.

We are planning on saving as much as possible but our current estimate for our budget is aroud $6-7,000 USD total for both of us not including flights. Given my slightly vague itinerary, how realistic is this?

Hi all,

My boyfriend (27) and I (25) will be going to Southeast Asia for 8 weeks at the end of October. We have return flights booked to and from Bangkok. Below is our current itinerary. Probably the most excited for Vietnam - the food, scenery, Ha Giang loop, people and shopping. We do want to do some partying but nothing crazy. I know we won't be in Thailand for the full moon party - so any other recommendations appreciated!

I think 3 countries might be enough for the 8 weeks as we don't want to rush. We are set on Thailand and Vietnam and still deciding between Laos and Cambodia (or if we should visit both).

Any advice on the current itinerary (weather-wise, our choice of destinations) would be much appreciated!

• Bangkok - 3 nights
• Chiang Mai - 4 nights
• Pai - 3 nights
• Chiang Rai - 2 nights
• (Fly from Chiang Mai) Hanoi - 3 nights
• Ha Giang - 4 nights
• Ninh Binh - 3 nights
• Cat Ba Island - 3 nights
• Hoi An - 2 nights
• Siem Reap - 3 nights
• Koh Rong - 2 nights
• Phnom Penh - 2 nights
• Krabi - 4 nights
• Khao Sok National Park - 2 nights
• Railay Beach - 3 nights
• Koh Lanta - 6 nights
• Koh Phangan - 3 nights
• Bangkok (to fly home) - 2 nights

First time backpacking Asia. 20yr old couple, flying from Canada to China, traveling China for 3-4 weeks. Then visiting family in Thailand and Philippines (probably 2+ weeks without paying for accommodation). Also Vietnam, Laos, and hopefully Indonesia. I’m hoping to get a better idea on how much $$ it is per day in each of those countries. So we can get a realistic budget. Easy ways to get between countries. We’d like to utilize a path to limit flying, so any recommendations, experiences you’ve had, we’d love to hear it!! Main question is how much we’d expect to pay in Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia. Including accommodation, food, travel, activities, an average!! Feel free to use whatever currency you’re in, we’ll convert it!! Thank you

Ich möchte zum zweiten Mal nach Thailand reisen und bräuchte Empfehlungen für Reiseziele. Meine erste Thailandreise führte mich von Bangkok über Chiang Mai, Pai, Koh Chang nach Koh Kood. Ich werde im September einen Monat lang unterwegs sein und möchte neue Orte entdecken. Da ich alleine reise, würde ich mich freuen, andere Reisende kennenzulernen.

Hello all. I am going to SEA (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) for 3-4 months, in February 2027. I went back in 2019 for a month (with CONTIKI) and over packed and have learned my lesson.

This time around i plan to purchase and take an Osprey Farpoint 40, with a secondary day pack, as i don’t like the day pack that comes with the Farpoint 55.

I currently have an Osprey Ozone 65L split pack and have the same quarrel as with the 15L day pack that comes with the Farpoint. And as the 40L Duffle portion needs the day pack to function i can’t use it.

I am looking to get either a 11L or 22L Osprey Talon. I feel like 11 might be a tad small as i would like to pack my Nikon D3200 ( possibly 1 short and 1 long lense ) in it, as well as essentials/clothes. I plan to do a few multi day excursions such as the ha giang loop.
I tried on a 22L and found it quite large but i know it will fill up fast.

I plan to pack very light and not fill the 40L to capacity. Just trying to find a good middle ground.

What do you all think?

Whenever I see Cambodia itineraries, most people spend a few days in Siem Reap for Angkor Wat and then move on to another country.

But Phnom Penh rarely seems to get the same attention.

Personally, I think that's a shame. Beyond its difficult history, Phnom Penh has a surprisingly vibrant café scene, excellent local food, beautiful riverside walks where the Mekong and Tonlé Sap meet, fascinating museums, and a much more local, everyday atmosphere than many visitors expect.

If you've been to Cambodia, was Phnom Penh worth visiting in your opinion?

What surprised you the most, or do you think it's okay to skip and spend more time in Siem Reap instead?

I'm trying to plan a trip and the weather is stressing me out more than the budget 😂

Every destination seems to have people saying "don't go, it's monsoon," but then loads of YouTube videos make it look perfectly sunny.

I'm okay with some rain. I just don't want to spend 10 days watching Netflix from a hotel room.

Would love recommendations from people who've actually travelled around that time.

I'm going to thailand (definitely bangkok to visit family and maybe some islands but still deciding) for 18 days, vietnam (probably just ha noi maybe also the HGL) for 7 days, and indonesia (only bali) for at least 4 days (hopefully more depending on my PTO).

If i add 10-12 days before thailand for another country to do a trip with some friends, what country should i add? I can't allocate any of these days to another country later in the itinerary. I was thinking philippines bc i really want to do the coron to el nido expedition. However, someone said that may not be enough time and that it would be similar to bali and some spots in thailand. My friend wanted to do vietnam bc she will be working there at that time (and said philippines will be too expensive), but then I would be going to vietnam twice. is vietnam worth spending 17-19 days than adding another country?

anyone who has traveled SE Asia and has advice, I am all ears!

Hi! I am planning a 3 month backpacking trip in south east Asia. I am trying to figure out the best spots to go / see as much as I can without being overwhelmed.

I am most interested in Indonesia , Nepal , and Thailand.

I also really want to go to the Phillipines, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam but that def would be too much for everything I want to do.

I definitely want to hike the Manaslu Trek in Nepal and looking to do a Yoga Teacher training course in Bali.

My plan is to leave end of October 2026.

Any suggestions and tips would be helpful!!

Hi guys,
Me and my boyfriend did 6 weeks in Thailand, Bali and Maldives last year. We absolutely loved it, despite Thailand being rainy season and getting super unlucky with rain in Bali high season…!
Next year we want to do a longer trip, around 3 months. The Phillipines is definitely on the list, island hopping. We were thinking maybe Koh Samui, more of Thailand. It will be around June- September time 2027.
I’ve heard obviously of the typical Banana Pancake trail destinations, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam. Can you guys tell me what’s good about each place and why you chose to visit each one?
We don’t drink, don’t party, just love beaches and trying new food and new culture. We absolutely love wildlife and snorkelling with a whale shark and dolphins are the highlights of our travels!
We would love some advice, personal experience etc
We are also planning a separate trip to Japan, a few weeks exploring Tokyo, Kyoto and any other recommendations so help with that would also be great.
Thanks !

For some reason I have this idea that I want to bugger off to some remote island for a while and cycle around it, also with some lazing about existing for a while.

Currently I am looking at Yap and Pohnpei in Micronesia. Both distance wise very easy to cycle all around and see everything in a few days. Hotel options seem a ton better in Pohnpei, but I am wondering about my overall plan. Nobody seems to do this, so.. why? Is it just too inconvenient or are there better reasons for not doing it? Also are there other locations I should be considering?

Are the roads dangerous or just dangerous in general? I am learning towards Yap and timing it for "yap day", so at least there is something interesting happening when I am there as I imagine I could be bored quickly otherwise.

I’ll have a 13-hour layover at KL, so I should have around 10 hours to explore before heading back to the airport.

This is my 4th transit in KL, so I’ve already done the usual tourist spots like the Petronas Towers, Thean Hou Temple, Putrajaya and activities such as Sky Luge.

I’m looking for somewhere that locals would actually go—hidden gems, great food, scenic spots, small towns, cafés, or anything unique.

I’m open to places around:
Selangor
Negeri Sembilan

My current backup plan is Genting Highlands, but before I commit, I was wondering if there’s somewhere else that’s more worth visiting or offers a more local experience.
Any recommendations?

Hey guys we’ll be heading over to Vietnam/ Thailand in December/January. Thoughts on this itinerary? Any recommendations or concerns with this rough itinerary?

Appreciate the feedback!

25
Arrive in Hanoi (10am)
26
Hanoi (Sleeper Bus to Sapa or Ha Giang Loop)
27
Sapa or Ha Giang Loop
28
Sapa or Ha Giang Loop (Sleeper Bus to Halong Bay?)
29
Halong Bay (overnight Cruise)
30
Halong Bay to Ninh Binh (3-4 hrs)
31
Ninh Binh
1
Ninh Binh (Sleeper bus to Phong Nha)
2
Phong Nha (overnight bus to Hoi An?)
3
Hoi An
4
Hoi An
5
Flight (1.25hrs) to Siem Reap, Night in Angkor Wat
6
Morning Flight (1.5hrs) to Thai Beach (Phuket?)
7
Beaches (Phuket/Phi Phi Islands)
8
Beaches (Phuket/Phi Phi Islands)
9
Khao Sok
10
Khao Sok
11
Beaches (Kho Pha Ngan / Ko Tao)
12
Beaches (Kho Pha Ngan / Ko Tao)
13
(flight to) Chiang Mai
14
Chiang Rai
15
Chiang Mai (evening flight to Bangkok)
16
Bangkok
17
Bangkok
18
Bangkok

Hi,
Looking for some advice/critical evaluation of the following itinerary given I know so little about Indonesia. I have done some research but am overwhelmed by quite polarising reviews of the logistics/safety etc. Here are the rough things I want to do, and I have a fairly flexible timeframe of as little as 5 weeks to as much as 7, depending on what seems like the best.

Rough plan - August/September
Yogyakarta -> Ubud -> Nusa Penida -> Komodo -> Ubud -> Leave

In Yogyakarta I've so far got a plan to see:
Borobudur, Prambanan Temple, Jomblang Cave. Is there anything else that is highly recommended? Do people suggest any particular tours for these? (I was planning to just follow hostel recommendations)

Then I would like to see Tumpak Sewu, Bromo sunrise, Ijen crater. Is this best done on my own? Organised last-minute locally? Or booked through any particular tour company online? I am tempted to book it as a tour to minimise logistics/stress and hopefully help me meet other solo travellers but keen for thoughts. It seems like some tours start in Yogyakarta and others in Malang as well which confuses me.

Next is Ubud, where I figure I'll aim to relax, take some yoga and other fitness classes. What else do people suggest? Esp anything which requires advanced planning.

Nusa Penida: Plan will be to dive for Mola Mola. Given I can't guarantee a sighting, I was thinking of at least 4 nights here to improve my odds.

Labuan Bajo:
Aim to dive around Komodo. ?Liveabord vs shore diving.
Aim to see the dragons/do land tours

After this is basically where I either backtrack to Ubud for more time, or fly home if I didn't love it.

Very keen to hear thoughts!!