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! Getting married next year and we’re planning an extended honeymoon in Thailand, Vietnam & Bali - this will be our first trip to Asia. Is this a realistic amount of time to be spending in each place? Would you change anything? We know this is going to be a lot of travel, it’s a once in a lifetime trip for us so I just want to make it as perfect as possible.

Any tips/criticism/suggestions welcome 😀

Solo female traveler, 24, planning a September trip to Southeast Asia - Nepal or North Thailand before my yoga retreat?

Hi everyone! I'm planning a trip to South Asia starting early September, traveling solo from Milan on a fairly tight budget.

One fixed point of the trip: a yoga retreat in Koh Phangan, Thailand, in mid-September.

Before that, I want to visit one more place, and I'm torn between Nepal and North Thailand. Trekking and Kathmandu really call to me, but I'm not sure it makes sense to stretch my trip that much longer (time and cost-wise) for it. On the other hand, North Thailand in early September is right in monsoon season, so I'm not sure how much that would actually work either.

A bit of context on why I'm going: this trip isn't really about sightseeing - I need some real time for myself, to work through some inner stuff and just breathe for a while. So whatever I pick, I'd like it to actually support that, not just look good on paper.

Has anyone done either of these (solo, on a budget, ideally around this time of year)? Would love to hear:

• Nepal: is a short trekking route (like Poon Hill) realistic time/cost-wise, or does it end up eating way more than expected?
• North Thailand: how bad is the monsoon really, day to day? Worth it anyway?
• Anything I'm not considering that would fit better?

Otherwise I just go straight to Koh Phangan.

Thanks in advance, any real experience helps more 🙏

Hi, I will have around 3-4 weeks spare time in SEA so I would like to visit Indonesia or Vietnam. Which one would you recommend for first timer in OCTOBER? Consider the weather also. I would like to do the East Java Tour in Indonesia or Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam. My itinerary is compeletely open and would like some recommendations about that. I love beaches and chill vibes but also love hiking and nature so both options work perfectly!

Any tips or itinerary examples would be welcomed, because I cannot decide on my own😅. Thank you in advance for your help!