South East Asia

ditch your gf and do the trip alone.

>>1156284
tight as far as time or cash?

>>1156284
Nah it's basically that whether everywhere faggot, I can't believe people don't plan this shit beforehand. It's usually the only fuckin thing I check when going backpacking.

>>1156284
>We have about $10,000 AUD between us to last the 100 days, is this going to be a tight trip|?

Do people actually have trouble getting by on a budget of over 3000 bucks/month in what are essentially some of the cheapest third-world countries in the world? Good lord.

>>1156284
Mind if I jump in?

Planning a trip to SEA that will last just over six months. I have $35000 USD.

Current itinerary is Philippines from November 28th to January 31st, Japan from March 26th to April 9th, and Thailand from April 10th to May 15th.

I have no idea what to do from February to the end of March. Should I just spend more time in Thailand? Are Cambodia or Indonesia worth seeing in that time? What about Laos?

Interested in Beaches/Diving, Partying, Women, Temples, Wildlife, more or less in that order.

>>1158771
That gapped time is high season, and Cambodia is generally cheaper than Thailand, so go that route and check out Angor Wat, Phnom Phen, and Shinoukville, etc.

>>1158778
Isn't Cambodia dangerous?

>>1159581
Not notably,avoid wandering into areas of the countryside where landmines still lurk, other then that it is about like the ret of SEA.

>>1156292
underated reply

>>1159769
Agreed. SEA is about as close as a single man can get to heaven while his heart's still beating.

Anything worth doing in Burma? Is it dangerous?

10 grand will stretch a long way. you can do SE asia on as little as 2000 a month.

although i would recommend sacking your bird off and fucking partying like a beast

The mainland SEA is a wet place in september, so begin in the Philippines and Indonesia as they stretch out wider so there is always some place safe from the heavy rains.
October is a mystery, if monsoon ends early you can go and enjoy Vietnam/Cambodia/Laos. If rains are late it is pretty much same as september. China is good place to visit since it is off coast, just note that 1st October is some chinese holiday so Beijing is cramped.
November and December are best times to visit Thailand and the rest of mainland SEA.

>to travel cheap, take a plain to Kuala Lumpur. From there you can zigzag trough whole area at 22$/person/flight with supercheap local company AirAsia.
>Cheapest way to Europe is from Bangkok to either Oslo, Norway or Stockholm,Sweden (both around 200$, direct flights) and then additional 16-18$ to UK.
>don't plan tight schelude, follow news and if monsoon is asshole just move away from it/around it
>all the tourists are gone and it is generally cheaper in sept./oct. than normally. Touristy spots you'd usually avoid are less crowded so go full tourist mode.

>>1160046
>Anything worth doing in Burma?
Plenty.

>Is it dangerous?
No. It's just about the safest place you can go to.

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OP rainy season isn't so bad, prices are cheap, it's stinking hot & humid but it generally only rains in the afternoon/evening, and usually in short sharp downpours or storms. It's very unlike Melbourne weather where it is perpetual drizzle.

>>1160046

Burma (Myanmar) is fantastic. Outside Yangon it's like the whole country is stuck 50yrs in the past. It's dilapidated & under developed but in a charming sort of way. The railway is quite an experience, especially if you sit in second class / hard seats (avoid!). The people are friendly and welcoming, particularly outside big towns, they are genuinely fascinated that foreigners are coming.

April is a good time to visit, it's Thingyan, the water festival, one giant crazy party fueled by beer & loud music. Best thing I've ever been to.

See Bagan, obviously, the temples are amazing though some did get damaged in the recent earthquake. The giant Buddha near Monywa has to be seen to be believed, and there is some really cool shit around Saigang and Mandalay (city itself is boring). South it's worth seeing Mawlamyine, and the beach near Dawei is great. Myeik was interesting. If you are going that far south then this place is defintely worth the money:

http://www.myanmarandamanresort.com

Climbing the hill is perilous but the view is fucking insane.

TL/DR: Myanmar is great, get there ASAP before it becomes the new Thailand.

Alright OP, I don't know where you got your informations but you can ditch them. September might be a little rainy but November clearly is the beginning of the high season, with flawless weather and 35° all day long.

Seriously, is there any source saying that October- November is rainy??

>>1160385
Other anon here.

Really 2000 a month? I thought it'd be cheaper

>>1160728
Me too. Anons on here have told me that 2000$ could stretch about 1.5-2 months, is that correct?

>>1160804
Remember that in general it costs more to be a tourist somewhere than to live there. A living wage for a westerner (not having to "live like a Thai") is 30K Baht, 40K Baht. I don't know what the fuck happened, but the current exchange rate is $1USD is 34.9 THB. So a living wage is about $860 to $1,145/month. Now consider that when traveling around the whole of SEA you will have transportation costs, increased entertainment costs, and increased lodging costs. Some countries are more expensive than Thailand to travel, like Vietnam and Singapore. 2000 starts to not look like so much. If you were stationary in one area or country for a month then yeah, it would be cheaper.

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I've spent around 9 months in SEA in the last year or so. I will go over two of my favourite places in each country.

Thailand: Koh Tao - Having been to 6 Thai islands it is by far the best package, its easy to get to, small so you can walk most places, has good diving, great parties, nice beaches. Also lots of nice food to eat although most of it is western in the main bits (Sairee)

Bangkok - Was close between this and Chiang Mai but Bangkok is a complete animal, it has everything you could ever want to do and more, go to Khao San Road area for sure but make sure you check out other parts of the city as cabs using the meter are incredibly cheap.

Laos - Konglor Village/cave - Cool 7km long cave to explore with a boat, also has an awesome natural fresh water reserve outside which is great for swimming, not many people go and its a little bit out of the way.

Luang prebang - Most people start here from the slowboat from Thailand, its very cultural place, lots of temples etc. Go to Utopia bar, very chill but all bars etc close at 11 in Laos (unless you go bowling after in LB which most people do, its shit)

Vietnam - Kon Tum - Lots of war history here, not touristy AT ALL, great places to eat, cheapest place i've been in my life, very friendly locals but very out of the way

Ho Chi Minh city - Another beast of a city, War museum is worth a visit, good for going out, cheap, good food, beware of annoying trinket sellers and shoe repair people.

Cambodia - Siem Reap - Cool for going out, Angkor wat is worth going (only do the 2-3 day tour), not as cheap as you'd think in general but not expensive

Sihanoukville - Its touristy, lots of bars and stuff but its a nice place to relax and get fucked up.

Malaysia - Penang, Georgetown - Food heaven, very awesome place, lots of street art and music, everything is cheap here apart from alcohol (because its malaysia)

KL - Another beast of a city, fairly western but an interesting mix of cultures but thats Malaysia all over.

>>1160819
Also, you shouldn't go with your gf if you can help it.
The amount of traveler girl pussy to be had is outrageous.

>>1160815
So how much should I set aside per month, approx.? Also, I'm not into partying, so I'm pretty such that makes quite a difference

i cant fathom the logic of someone in australia looking for a " nice beach with a beer" elsewhere

What's the atm situation like around there? Are they plentiful or scarce?

My itinerary is: Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore

>>1160845
There are ATMS in all of these countries. They are most scarse in Laos because it's mostly rural. In Myanmar there are ATMs now and since you as a tourist will visit only big cities, you'll have no problems. In the Philippines you'll have trouble finding ATMs in small resort villages (where you're likely to spend most of the time).
In Laos and Vietnam the ATM limit is laughably small - you can withdraw like $100-150 at a time, so if you have a fixed withdrawal fee, withdra cash in Cambodia, Thailand or Singapore (up to $1000 at a time). In Cambodia ATMs dispense USD, so you avoid the conversion rate too.

>>1160854
Alright. And yea I might end up in a rural place since I plan on rock climbing throughout the sea, but I'll be fine. I'll just bring cash and pad it out with atm withdrawals.

What do you think is better to do. Cash or atm withdrawals?

>>1160859
Just gotta find the balance between paying lots of withdraw fees and the danger of carrying lots of cash with you

>>1161034
True enough.

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>>1160859
>I plan on rock climbing throughout the sea

Took me a moment there...

>>1160819
ty, planing the SEA trip and added all this to my itinerary

>>1160804
I spent £500 over 2 weeks travelling from KL to Bangkok then on to Laos and that included spending around £120 in the siam centre in Bangkok for the most comfortable shirt and trousers Ive ever owned. You can live on £10-20 per person day If you hostel. Flights out of bangkok are around £if you book them before the day, cheaper if you book farther in advance obviously. Convert that to dingo dollars yourself.

>>1161160
Flights are around what?

>>1161182
When I was there around a year ago flights to anywhere else in SEA were like £30 unless you're going to Laos or somewhere with terrible infrastructure. You can find domestic flights for like £8. International can be as cheap as £15-20

>>1161183
Are flights like that common or do you have to do last-minute shit or something like that?

What would be the recommended backpack size if I want to spend 1.5-2 months in SEA on a pretty cheap budget?
Also, what are some decent brands?

>>1161215
40L is fine
Osprey

>>1161214
Pretty common just check Skyscanner, bangkok, KL, Singapore are big travel hubs so they're cheapest from there

>>1161215
I always rely on my 35L bag. But it all comes down to preference

>>1161215
40L is fine if you are only bringing one pair of shoes and only casual/outdoor clothes. If you want to bring decent clothes for wearing at night, or if you anticipate carrying some of your GF's stuff then something in the 50-65L range would be more appropriate.

I really could not imagine a worst place to go with a GF!!!
The amount of local and traveller girls that will be throwing their pussy at you is going to be insane!
My last 10 day trip in phuket I nailed 8 different girls from Russia, Australia, England and Thailand! Single mans paradise...

>>1161412
Where did you stay. Hostels or hotels?

I'm wondering since with hostels you can meet people easily, but it's easier to bring someone back to your place if you have a hotel. Also where did you mainly meet these girls?

>>1161526
>>1161412
ANSWER FAGGOT

>>1160841
the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

>>1161526
Stayed in a hotel 1 street away from Bangla Rd. Had my own private villa at this hotel which was handy and the place had a great pool. Could have done it cheaper I guess but I'm not poor fag.
Met them all at bars or clubs on Bangla...

>>1161739
In what city is Bangla rd?

>>1161740

Patong, which is ground zero for crass commercial tourism on the island of Phuket. Full of deadshit Aussies, Russian scum, whiny British and ever increasing hordes of Chinese - basically the worst of package tourism concentrated in one overdeveloped beach area. The beach is shit, Bangla Rd is just crappy sex tourist bars, people trying to flog you kitschy souveniers or ladyboys etc hustling cash for photos.

If you must go to Phuket eg the airport, use it to get to Phi Phi Island, it's a lot more chill and heaps of traveller type young people as opposed to package tourist types that flock to Phuket beaches like Patong/Kata/Karon.

>>1161747
Each to their own mate....
I liked Patong. Yes it is full of tourists (including myself cause, you know I'm a tourist) but it's also well centred and between my hotel and Bangla rd there were a shit load of good restaurants....
It's well worth checking out for a few nights. I went in song kran so hot as fuck girls everywhere wearing virtually nothing getting wet.
Phi phi is good as well. So is Chang Mai and Pattaya.

>>1161747
>>1161786
Good tips. Thanks anons!

>>1161747
Been to both patong and phi phi, was a tourist kid though, like 12. It was great but touristy indeed. Great food, great beaches, great service, beautiful, but you can probably have all that cheaper and with less tourists somewhere else.

>>1156284
I'm in thailand atm and its raining 1 h a day, mostly at night. I don't even notice it really.

>>1156292
>ditch your gf and do the trip alone.
Done. Like literally today my gf backed out of heading to Thailand with me. (Not OP btw)

So then... Am I at a high risk of an STD if I have protected sex with a ladyboy in Bangkok when I am bored? I don't feeling like getting hookers in general, but I've always tried to imagine what a ladyboy would be like and wouldn't mind trying it out.

>>1162632
ladyboy have a high rate of HIV. They are the reason the HIV rate is actually higher among normal Thai women than "working women". (Thai men fuck ladyboys raw in the ass and then give it to their wives/GFs). HIV rates are high among katoeys. Protected sex is protected sex, if done properly. You may want to back that condom up with some Prep in case it breaks.

>>1162656
Thanks, fampai. I'll pack extra protection if I decide to take the gamble, or maybe make a safer bet in Singapore or Tokyo with a tested well-reviewed escort (even though it would likely be 5x the price and not a Thai qt3.14).

>>1160391
Were you in Myanmar this year during waterfestival? I was there too, but didn't like the season.
It's dry as fuck, Bagan is desert instead of green. Same for Kalaw to Inle Lake. Boat from Mandalay to Bagan took 15 hours because of low water (there were no tourist ferries running due to the water but I wanted to take the local boat anyway). Waterfestival in Bagan was fine. In Mandalay it was not. Around the main palace there's huge stages with watercanons. (one hit me in the ear and caused an otitis externa). Everyone is drunk as fuck but still riding their motorcycles. Gangs fighting with each other, at one point I saw two Burmese boys, with bandanas covering their faces, come toward me. They pick up this giant concrete tile from the pavement and drop it. Pick up the two (still) giant pieces and lurch into the crowd to beat someone to pulp. I expected the country to be clean of western culture, but the youngster in the big cities are over the top. (like this (this is not my wordpress): https://bulcotecowboy.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/dsc03085.jpg)
Most people are still very very friendly though. But must admit I fled Mandalay and went with the first plane to Chiang May.

>>1162775

Yangon - no issues to report, there were plenty of police around (soaking wet but not being targeted by water cannons - one actually chucked water on me, but I was sober enough to realise shooting back with my giant water pistol was not smart) to preserve relative order but I saw zero instances of ASB/violence/sexual predation, everyone was cool & just having fun...tens of thousands of them. I experienced a bit of it in some small towns between Mawlamyine & Dawei where the train stopped for 15-20 min. Apprently we were among the first 100 foreigners to be allowed to travel that route, so we were hauled off at each stop to receive the traditional Thingyan blessing - water gently poured over the head & Thanaka applied to the face. A nice change seeing as every time the train so much as slowed a bucketful or brown and/or icy water would come through the window. In Dawei they threw ice, which sucked, we almost brawled with some folks who hit one in my party as we drove past on motorbikes & she stopped to remonstrate them in Burmese.

Is Cambodia good for a first time solo male traveler? I know Thailand is more developed, but Cambodia seems more interesting. I don't know how many trips I'm going to make to SE Asia, so I'd like to do it right. I'm basically trying to balance getting out of my comfort zone vs staying safe and not fretting about getting to and from places or getting robbed.