Southeast Asia is an alluring subregion with plenty of beauty and charm that makes you want to return again and again. I travelled with friends for two months October – December.

What’s it like Backpacking in South East Asia? The days are full of sunshine, delays, random encounters, colourful markets, history, culture, Tuk Tuks, delicious food, partying, and inspirational people – both fellow travellers and lovely locals.

THE TRIP &TIPS

Thailand
– Bangkok (temples, massages, night markets, Khao San Road)
– Chiang Mai (go on a cookery course)
– Chiang Rai (check out the night market)
– Cross the Thai border to Laos at Hauaxoi

Laos
– Slow boat down the Mekong to Pakbeng (sit back & relax)
– Slow boat to Luang Prabang (that’s where we arranged our Vietnam visas)
– Vang Vieng (a great place for backpackers. Go river tubing!)
– Vientiane (go for a walk along the river and check out the centre)

Vietnam

– Hanoi (don’t miss the Old Quarter, the city’s historic heart packed with street vendors and small retail outlets)
– Halong Bay (book yourself onto a junk boat trip and enjoy an amazing stay on a private island)
– Return to Hanoi (watch out for the motorbikes, check out the war museums, see Ho Chi Minh’s embalmed body which is guarded 24 hours)
– Sleeper to Sapa (overnight train is a great way to travel)
– Sapa (go on a trek through paddy fields,  enjoy meeting the friendly tribes)
– Overnight train again back to Hanoi
– Overnight train Hanoi – Danang
– Hoi An (the place for tailor-made clothes, swimming pools and cocktails)
– Nha Trang (a popular coastal resort, go scuba diving, go on a booze cruise, then relax at Tap Ba Spring)
– Ho Chi Minh city (don’t miss the incredible Cu Chi tunnels)
– Mekong Delta (you may see locals washing their clothes and bathing in the river)

Cambodia
– Phnom Penh (are you brave enough to eat cockroaches and spiders?!)
– Bus to Siem Reap (enjoy the sunset at the magnificent Angkor Wat)
– Siem Reap (also a fun party place)

Thailand
– Bangkok (shopping and lots of temples!)
– Krabi (enjoy getting away from it all)
– Koh Lanta (enjoy a relaxing week sunbathing on the beach and drinking cocktails)
– Bangkok (catch up on some last-minute shopping before returning home)

BEST BITS
City: Luang Prabang, Laos
Sight: Junk boats sailing around Halong Bay, Vietnam 
Hotel: Private island (Halong Bay, Vietnam)
Purchase: Tailor-made clothing in Hoi An, Vietnam
Climate: Nha Trang, Vietnam
Drink: Lao beer
Food: Massaman curry (Thailand)

AT A GLANCE

Laos: Beautiful sunsets, slow boat down the Mekong, Pakbeng waiters high on opiates (you may find yourself waiting a while for your meal to arrive!), Luang Prabang (there was an 11pm curfew!!), red hot chilli peppers, river tubing, football with the locals, hashing with the harriers.

Cambodia: Fried tarantula legs, Phnom Penh, markets, the Heart of Darkness famous nightclub, Tuk Tuks, landmines, Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Tuol Sleng museum, Mines Advisory Group, snake eating, bumpy roads, monks, rural kids playing with machetes, fried cockroaches.

Phnom Penh is Cambodia’s biggest city, located in the southern region, near the Mekong River. It’s a lively city with a mix of traditional and modern architecture, bustling markets and street food stalls selling insects and rodents!

Angkor Wat is a ‘must-visit’. It’s an ancient Buddhist temple and is the world’s largest religious structure covering 400 acres. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination.

Vietnam: Motorbike mayhem in Hanoi, AK47s, Cu Chi tunnels, overnight train to Sapa, hill tribes, trekking, drinking games at sea, junk boats sailing around Halong Bay at sunset, sea kayaking around our beautiful private island, Mekong Delta long boats, scuba diving.

Ha Long Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin is home to around 1,600 islands and islets. The karst limestone pillars form a spectacular seascape. Most of the islands are uninhabited but are of great biological interest. Sailing around Halong Bay on a Junk boat in the utterly beautiful Halong Bay was peaceful, calm and relaxing. In Halong Bay you’ll see limestone karst seascapes, fishing communities, grottoes, impressive caves, floating villages and clear blue waters.

Dating back millions of years Halong Bay’s 2000 islands are remnants of a limestone mountain range submerged by the sea.

Thailand: Cookery courses in Chiang Mai, tuk tuks, warm turquoise seas, long bus journeys, sunbathing on Koh Lanta, shopping in Bangkok, buddhas, massages, delicious curries and lovely locals.

 

What was it like travelling overnight in Vietnam by train?

Travelling slowly by overnight train through the heart of the country, we slept on soft sleeper four-berth and hard sleeper six-berth compartments travelling past conical-hat wearing women tending the rice in emerald paddy fields.

We shared with other travellers which was a great experience.

The North-South railway is referrred to as the Reunification Express to commemorate when North Vietnamese forces overran the South in 1975. During the war the railway was integral to transporting tanks and heavy weapons to major stations en route to the frontlines.

What was it like seeing Uncle Ho’s embalmed body?

You’ll find Uncle Ho’s embalmed body in Ho Chi Minh City – formerly Saigon. ‘Uncle Ho’ is the most important figure in Vietnamese history. Vietnam’s first president and the founder of the Communist party. He died in 1969 and his body is preserved in a Hanoi mausoleum. We queued to pass through the mausoleum and see his embalmed body. It felt like a conveyor belt of tourists passing through and I’m not sure I’d do this kind of visit again.

Planning guide

We travelled from Bangkok – Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai and crossed the border into Laos.

From northern Laos we travelled by ‘slow boat’ down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang stopping overnight at Pakbeng. Pakbeng is a small village on the banks of the Mekong River about halfway between the Thai border at Huay Xai and Luang Prabang.

In Laos we travelled overland by minibus and bus to Vang Vieng and Vientiane.

We flew from Vientiane to Hanoi with Jetstar.

We booked our Vietnam Railways overnight train travel a few days in advance by going to Hanoi’s Central Station, Ga Hanoi.

Leaving Vietnam we did a Mekong River Cruise into Cambodia where we spent time in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap before travelling into Thailand.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Vietnam is the world’s largest exporter of cashew nuts!
• Vietnam is shaped like the letter S. Due to its long shape, it has different climatic zones with cooler temperatures up north and higher temperatures in the southern parts of the country.
• Cambodia has a large saltwater lake Tonle Sap. It changes in size throughout the year, depending on the season.

Currency: Vietnamese Dong

Official language: Khmer