SEA General

>>1234342
Good general idea OP

Trekking where? There are a lot of places you can go to out of Chiang Mai.

>>1234342

i'm coming down to Thailand for 2 months

1 month in Bangkok and where should I go for the other month? Chiang Mai?

>>1234389
Spend a couple nights in Pattaya for the weekend if your in Bangkok for a month.

>>1234372
>Trekking where?
Tbh I have no idea. I'm traveling for nine month and didn't have sufficient time to prepare for Thailand. Some recommendations would be great. I'd like a track with more than one biotope and don't mind if gets difficult at times, as long as it's well marked.

I want to go jungle trekking when in Laos, but aren't there going to be dangerous animals or insects? I know they'll avoid me if possible, but coming from Scandinavia, it would be nice to know more about it before going. Don't come and tell me there are none in a subtropical/tropical rainforest/jungle

>>1234413
OP here, I'll be honest with you. I didn't ever see any dangerous animals while in tropical rainforest, but I might be very close to some multiple times:
>trekking down one of the craters in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. Just one day before a leopard killed two Maasai kids that wanted to bring down their herd of goats for drinking the crater's water.
>trekking in Chitwan, Nepal and our guide found fresh and indisputable tiger footprints
>just two weeks ago in Vang Vieng, LAOS. I was walking through the jungle close by to the town, until at one point a strong predatory cat smell appears. I couldn't say which cat it was, but I'm nearly 100% sure it was just meters away from me and I heard it walking next to me as there were lots of big dry leaves everywhere.

These were my experiences over the last couple of months, but I don't think that it's likely to actually get attacked by one of them.

Insects, especially mosquitos, are a bigger threat in Laos, as e.g. 95% of those mosquitos carrying Malaria carry the very dangerous Malaria tropica.

>>1234406

even if i'm not going to pay for hookers?

>>1234418
Hmm ok, thanks, the last encounter sounds pretty scary. Do you go hiking/trekking alone in the jungle? I'd probably go on a small, locally guided tour

>>1234418
>>1234428
Oh and you can take medication so that you don't get malaria, right?

And what about spiders and snakes?

>>1234413
the only thing you should worry about trekking in laos are the UXOs because there's still like 2 million of them laying around the country

>>1234428
Yes I went alone, at least in Vang Vieng.

>>1234430
Spiders and snakes are existent, but don't worry about them. You'll most likely never see a snake and most of the spiders aren't poisonous.

Yeah you can take malaria pills, though they are quite strong and your might not tolerate the pills well. Prophylaxis might be the better option.

>>1234431
Yeah, but I guess going with a local guide would get rid of that problem.

>>1234435
Did you just go for one day, or did you sleep in the jungle? Wasn't it hard/scary to walk around by yourself?

>>1234440
I only went for one day, as I didn't have enough time and was schedule was pretty tight.

hobomaps dot com will give you some pretty good overview of the surrounding area.

>>1234443
And you weren't worried about UXOs?

>>1234448
Not really, those paths have been there for a long time now. From what I heard, the East is generally more dangerous than the West in terms of UXOs (due to the Vietnam War I guess?)

Should I go to Burma next year? So far I'm planning to go to China and then to Laos and Cambodia. However, it seems like an interesting opportunity to see a country that's not been open to tourists for a long time, although I know it's changing fast and has always changed a lot.

I'm reading through a lot of different pieces on travelling to the country, and some are saying that accommodation is really hard to get by and must be booked months in advance, at least in the most visited tourist spots, and that it's very expensive, at least $50 a day, while it's stated in other articles that you can get by with $30-40 a day, as long as you don't stay in high-end places.

Can anyone help me understand how the situation actually is? Is it worth going to Burma, even if it's a tad more expensive, when I'm also going to other SEA countries?

Just landed in Thailand on a whim

Planning a week in the capital then east across the border

I hear the chaing mai region is overun, so i might not stay long

Considering renting a place in the west or camping out when i have a look at the visa siruation

Totally open to ideas though, especially where to stay in bankok

>>1235147
>Says Chiang Mai is overrun
>Staying in Bangkok for a week

>>1235147
Yes Chiang Mai is overrun with hippies and digital nomads.

>>1235152
Define overrun, please. As far as Chiang Mai. More expats than locals?

>>1234973
Burma was my favorite country to visit in SEA. The only thing that is expensive there is accommodation. But if you find someone to travel with and split a room it's cheaper. Food is about as cheap as Vietnam, same with transport.

I spent about 900 US dollars total in 28 days in Burma (treks, transport(including 1 flight), food etc.)

There are some parts you can't go to like Kachin State and near the Bangladesh border.

>>1235152
Lol, described it perfectly.

Kind of vague, but where should I spend 4-5 weeks in SEA around February if it might be the only time I ever go to that part of the globe? I'm in my mid-30's not really a party guy or super into banging hookers, though I'm not totally opposed to it. I've never traveled overseas before.

Thailand seems the most obvious choice, but Laos (Luang Prabang/Plain of Jars), Cambodia (Angkor Wat, Khmer Rouge), and Myanmar (Bagan, Shwedogan Paya) all are interesting in their own way.

I guess I want to do Real Traveller shit, but I'm kind of a rookie to overseas traveling unless you count getting deployed.

I think my biggest worry is trying to cram too much in to 4-5 weeks or do too little in that time.

>>1235312
Northern Thailand might be your thing. It's quiet but still has options if you want to go and party, it has hookers if you want them but they aren't everywhere, the food is insane. You can also make trips from the north to Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.

SEA is cheap, flexible and fun. Stay somewhere until you get bored and then pay an $8 bus ticket to another town or even another country.

>>1235322
>It's quiet but still has options if you want to go and party, it has hookers if you want them but they aren't everywhere, the food is insane.


I don't know if you are aware, but Northern Thailand seems to be overrun. See >>1235147
>>1235152

Maybe you mean Isaan/NE Thailand....

Can you go to Thailand if you're a convicted felon in the US?

Where do I find a cheap flight from the US (Florida) to SEA? Everything I've discovered so far is in the 900+ range. Im a complete noob obviously.

>>1235377
You'll probably find significantly cheaper if you fly from the West Coast and get an internal connecting flight from FL

>>1235380
So.... where would I be able to book a flight like that?

>>1235377
A pro tip, fly to the cheapest SEA country you cam, which tends to be Singapore for me, then fly a cheap regional carrier to your country of choice.

I live in SW Georgia. I snagged tickets on Japan Airlines from Chicago to Singapore for $370 with insurance on an error fare.

Now I just have to find a cheap flight to Chicago. And roundtrip flights from Singapore to Bangkok or less than $100

>>1235377
I've been randomly searching things all year from Chicago and I often find things to SEA for less than 500. Just lurk it like a fool.

>>1235802
bump

>>1235399
Read the sticky or choose one of the three threads open about cheap flights

Has anyone rode a bike from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai or some other town in northern thailand?
I kind of want to try it, but I have some questions. Is there some way to rent a road bike in CM and drop it off in some other place, like rental cars, or do the buses allow you to stores them, or is the best way to just use a folding one?
Also, how often are there towns along the road with hostels/guesthouses that cater to foreigners?

>>1235377
Here's how you find cheap flights:

First, always delete history/cookies between comparing sites because airline websites like Kayak or w/e purposely will hide the cheap flights on you if they see you're coming from a competitor site. They're all colluding with each other and the airlines to do this.

Second, buy a VPN to that country or proxy, and book your tickets with destination IP. You book your one-way ticket to the country and book a separate return flight using local IP. It will be about $300-400 or so cheaper at least and in local currency because they always have deals for locals to encourage/trick them into traveling. Almost always there is a promotion to go somewhere then the return flight is where they claw back the money. You can also take advantage of exchange rates if you have a credit card that doesn't explode in your face with extra fees for converting currency. Most of these airlines take direct wire which I did once using a foreign exchange wire service for free there's plenty of them online.

Third go on localbitcoins and see if there's locals there who exchange because often you'll get 2x the official exchange rate as people want ways to get money to get out of the country. This works great for Argentina and similar places with export money controls. Obv you would not meet in a shady alley but a couple of hundred dollars every few days at a bitcoin trader in a shopping mall is how I got blackmarket currency rates and basically paid for my whole trip to Arg since my coins from Canada were worth 2x there.

As mentioned flying into a cheaper hub works too for me that's Xiamen China where it's $500 to fly there from Canada with Chinese IP then $200 from there to Vietnam/Phils/Indonesia ect.

>>1235377
Continuing...

A quick check reveals MCO-PEK for $570US return after taxes.

Then it's $130 from Peking to BKK if Thailand is where you're going. Sign into Chinese IP probably even cheaper.

>>1234342
meow

What are top3 SEA destination/cities for dating ladyboys?

>>1237415
Pattaya will have all the sex tourism and lady boys you can handle.

So I did 3 weeks in Thailand and spent around $1,800. This is because we rushed around a lot and I had to spend around 8 days in bangkok, in an expensive area.

I'm trying to budget for a 2 or 3 month trip around SEA. How much more expensive are the surrounding regions, I plan on doing a big trip around Vietnam, and probably 3 or 4 weeks in thailand again. What kind of Savings should I have for this?

>>1234342
In Thailand right now, came from India, I was there for 6 months.

"Travelling" in Thailand is fucking boring. It's probably a good place to go if you haven't been anywhere before.Bangkok is a cool city though, that said, Thailand feels closer to the west than it does to the east. It's full of people who even I want to mug. These are the people in Delhi who fall for the package tours, who can't do anything for themselves.

>>1237429

What about countries other than Thailand?

>>1237432
Why is it boring to you anon ? Where have you been ? What are you looking for ?

>>1237431
Depends on what you want to do and how you do it, I spent about $1000 on 5 weeks in Vietnam excluding flights. That was driving everywhere on a bike I bought outright and re-sold for a bit less than I bought it for, staying in hostels when I could and hotels when I couldn't. If I ever wanted to buy something I just bought it without thinking twice about it since I had plenty in the bank. You could spend less than $200 a week on average, and obviously easily spend more but I think it's a decent baseline to have plenty of freedom. Cambodia and Laos are cheaper since they're poorer.

>>1237432
>Travelling" in Thailand is fucking boring
Please explain this, and where else do you suggest

>>1237433
Phillipines and Cambodia.

>>1237492
So relative to Thailand the other 3 countries are much cheaper?

>>1237492
I should mention I am Australian so I like to drink a lot, I would say at least every second day, sometimes multiple days in a row.

>>1237505
Beer and spirits are cheap but wine and imported spirits are expensive

Hey all
Have about 50k saved up, good looking great shape, 28 years old

I love the idea of SE Asia.
I'd be interested in seeing landscapes and places, partying, food, getting some thailand hookers..

Any advice? Fun stories?
STDs and condoms?

Daily budget? Flight from nyc?
Other countries to check out in the area?

Go with friends? Make friends on your travels?
American friendlyness?

And a general question..
How much of a life experience has it been to you guys..
Best decision you ever made?

>>1237569

>flight from nyc

if you fly out from nyc to bkk in the summer, round trip tickets may go for $900 and if you fly out in the fall tickets may go for $500

>daily budget

depending on what you want to do, cheap hotels go for $15-20 per night and entire apartments are about the same (airbnb is good for apartments); local food is $1 per meal and restaurants start at $3+ per person

>stds and condoms

i only use condoms on ladyboys, only caught stds from westerners (chlamydia) never had issues with thai girls or ladyboys

>advice

tinder is a popular app where you can get laid for free; uber is nice for transporation since most thai taxis don't speak english

>>1237443

Part of the fun of travelling for me, is doing things myself, the tourism industry in Thailand is so well established that all the fun, adventure, has been removed. This was heightened for me coming from India where they don't give a fuck a about tourists unless you are in Rishikesh or Goa, the two worst places in India. Bangkok is cool...but the rest...I went to better beaches in India. Better food in India too. No bros in India.
Basically India>Thailand.

>>1237569
>good looking great shape, 28 years old

faggot

>>1237705

you're probably a liberal or some minority to say that because indian people smell like shit and aren't tolerable

thai people > indians

>>1237504
Thailand and Vietnam are similar, Camboida is cheaper and Laos is even cheaper than that. Just depends how you want to live.

>>1237705
If you had to write an archetypal RealTraveller™ post it would be this.

>>1237705
So why didn't you go to the non tourist spots in Thailand ? Go into the small villages to the north, go to the muslim controlled south. Knock yourself out. Don't go to bangkok and phuket and wonder why it's westernised and catering towards tourists.

>>1237705
So you basically did the Thai equivalents of Goa and are complaining they are too commercialised ?

anybody in Pai wanna chill?

I'm currently in northern Thailand and will be going to Laos in a few days
Do you guys think the heat and rains would be tolerable in th south (4000 islands region or should I head up straight to the north?

>>1237730
Is Laos really cheaper than Cambodia? Hmm maybe I should do my luxury relax break in Laos instead of Cambodia then. I'd just like to stay in nice accommodation for cheap, smoke some weed and generally just relax. Would Laos be good for that? I know to be discrete about the weed.

I heard they're really strict about the hookers in Laos, and that they are hard to find. Is that true?

>>1237815
>Is Laos really cheaper than Cambodia?

Only barely, they're basically the same. Avoid sleeping with any locals under any circumstances in Laos, it can get you in very real trouble if you even find it possible which is unlikely. Just go to thailand if you want sex tourism desu. Cambodia has it but it's known for pedoshit and is generally seedy and depressing. If you have even a slight conscience you'll hate it and it's worse than Thailand anyway.

>>1237864
But in Thailand it's kinda expensive, the hookers as well as everything else. 1000-2000 baht isn't that cheap considering I'm in such a cheap part of the world, and it's not something that fits my budget.

Also, I'm not going on a sex trip, I'm first of all travelling to see the world and I'm going other places than SEA. It just happens that I'm an awkward virgin who'd also like to have sex.

I might still do Cambodia, I know about the sketchiness and pedo shit, but the pedo stuff I guess is avoidable

>>1237896
Phillipines then. You can even hook up with a girl before you arrive. I was on video chat with one while she was taking a shower.

but desu, Thailand is best for a luxury break

>>1237902
But that's going to be a luxury break that I can't afford, because the prices in Thailand are too high. Hookers are 1000-2000 baht, beers are 50-100 - I could go to the cheapest bar in my town and buy a beer for the equivalent of 50 baht, and I live in one of the more expensive countries of Europe. Accommodation is definitely going to be more expensive than in Laos or Cambodia

I appreciate your suggestion of going to the Philippines, but there's really nothing about that country that appeals to me, and the whole point of my trip is not just hookers.

>>1237902
But how do you meet girls before going abroad? Just some random dating sites?

>>1237919
Filipinas are everywhere. You can meet them on Facebook groups, or literally any other social media platform. Interpals, whatever. Traditional dating sites work, too. Like Badoo and meetup.

>>1237918
>I appreciate your suggestion of going to the Philippines, but there's really nothing about that country that appeals to me, and the whole point of my trip is not just hookers.

Great nature and diving not yet spoiled by tourism

>>1237918
>But that's going to be a luxury break that I can't afford, because the prices in Thailand are too high. Hookers are 1000-2000 baht, beers are 50

Take your luxury break in Isaan, away from the tourist centers. Meet a girl online. Stay in an airbnb, I stayed in a 4 star in Udon Thani for like $40. Isaan is basically Laos. Same language and everything. It was a part of Laos that Thailand claimed. Or stay in an even smaller city, like Sakhon Nakon. And it's not hard to hook up with locals. I had random women flirt with me in Kohn Kaen, and even some smaller villages, and I'm black. I'm sure a white guy would have no issue.

>>1237925
But most Filipinas are really ugly :/

>>1237926
Well, it's also filled with crime. And I'm not really into diving. Besides, my main reason for not going there is the extra expense because I'd need to fly there from SEA.

>>1237927
I might consider staying in Isaan, but honestly I'd rather just pick up a girl. I don't want to have to spend time with her for several days, you know. I just wanna fuck. I'm too awkward to pick up women (as in scoring, not picking up hookers), so she has to be a hooker.

>>1237927
Besides, I'm pretty sure a handsome black guy is considered more exotic and exciting than another horny white guy

>>1237927
Oh and I forgot to ask how much is an Isaan girl? Sorry for spamming

>>1237943
500-1000 ST more for quality. 2000 for overnight

http://www.thailandredcat.com/nightlife-and-thai-girls-in-udon-thani/
>Another great thing about the nightlife in Udon Thani is that the supply of girls by far always outnumbers the demand. Even in high season you will find a fairly relaxed atmosphere while most foreigners are heading to the bars of Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket. The consequence is that sex in Udon Thani is among the best value in Thailand regarding bar fines and short time / long time rates.

>>1237943
Chiang Mai is another cheap option if you airbnb or get an apartment. Streetwalkers for under 1000baht
http://www.thailandredcat.com/nightlife-and-thai-girls-in-chiang-mai/

>>1237953
Well that's still 1000-2000 baht, which I've already said is too much. Those are the same prices I've seen quoted for Bangkok.¨

Besides, there's a problem with taking my luxury break in Thailand. Although I've talked about beer prices, I actually don't enjoy drinking that much and part of the plan was to smoke a lot of weed while chilling and fucking girls. I've read too many ridiculous stories about the Thai police.

Oh, and how is 60-80 baht for a beer cheap? I can find it cheaper in a bar in my town here in an expensive part of Northern Europe (!!!)

>>1237957
Thanks. I might consider Thailand, although I still really liked the prices I saw quoted for Cambodian women - like 500 baht. Did you guys go to Sihanoukville or other such places in Cambodia? I can ignore the menace and white, fat pedos, I just want bang for my buck

>>1237963
Where did you see these prices quoted? Interesting they are in baht, and Cambodia doesn't use baht. Maybe 500 baht is about $15usd. They are going to want USD in the bars. and it will be about $30 USD, which guess what, 1000 baht. $20 for street walkers, plus another $5 for a short time room, and these aren't the best women. Cheapest beer is the equivalent 50 baht.
http://www.cambodiaredcat.com/the-different-types-and-costs-of-hookers-in-cambodia/
http://www.cambodiaredcat.com/girly-bars-in-sihanoukville/

>>1237973
I saw the prices quoted in dollars, I've seen $10 prices mentioned a lot for Cambodia, but it might just be the cheaper "chicken farm girls".

Maybe it's the same, but I'll still be going to Laos and Cambodia - maybe I'll go to Isaan as well if there's an easy border crossing into Laos nearby. Laos and Cambodia still have the advantage of weed being available to buy and smoke, I don't want to risk anything in Thailand. Anyways, it sounds like I can find compareable prices in Cambodia and Isaan

>>1237960
How is $1.50 for a beer expensive ? What part of "northern Europe" are you in to get eur 1.40 beers ? Are you from one of the shitty baltic states? Because there is no fucking way you are getting 1.40 beers in the Scandinavian countries. Then you're saying $30 to have sex with someone is too much ?

You have to be from the baltics, because none of the other Northern European countries are even close to being that cheap.

Britfag here. You should definitely stop by in Malaysia if you have the time
>cheap and delicious food
>beautiful islands with marine life
>qt3.14 local Malay girls
Was there in 1997 and 10/10 would return if I was visiting SEA.

>>1235190
>Define overrun, please. As far as Chiang Mai. More expats than locals?
When I was there, the only other foreigners I saw were on the bus I took north. Had some great street food though.

>>1237957
>Chiang Mai
>Streetwalkers for under 1000baht

When hookers get STDs and can't work in BKK or Pataya, they go up north to places like Chiang Mai. There's a reason they're cheap.

>>1237742
>go to the muslim controlled south

I went everywhere.

>>1237960

This post basically. Thailand is not cheap.

>>1237973

I refuse to go to Cambodia because they use the US dollar...if I want to pay in Dollars I'll go to America.

If you had 4 days in Bangkok, but only 1000 Baht left - what would you do?

>>1238185
Be very bored

>>1238169
I went to tak bai and pattani. Both were nothing like you described. I didn't even see other white people. Part of me thinks you are lying or just trolling...

>>1238171
??
you can also pay in riels. everybody also accepts riels, the only tricky thing for me was to make sure i don't get too much riels... but it was fine, i just spent the last bits on overpriced coffee at the airport.

>>1238170
Coming from America it is. It's basically the cheapest place you can go and maintain 1st world creature comforts across the board.

>>1237984
See
>>1238195
General price is $60 for sometimes a short time sometimes long. You need to negotiate. You can get them down to $40 if things are slow.
Anything costing $10 would be at least 70 years old man!
Source: in Cambodia

>>1238150
I'm from Scandinavia and the cheapest bar in my town serves beers for $1.5. It's a very cheap place, but for 80-100 baht I could definitely get a beer at a few bars. I just don't think it's very cheap when considering the general price level.

The hooker prices are very cheap compared to my own country, but my budget is not going to be very high and thus $30 in extra expense in a day can be a lot, so I'm just going for the cheapest possible. I'm not saying that it's not cheap, it might just not be cheap enough

>>1238228
That's fucking ridiculous. If you're paying $60 for ST, then it's not even that cheap. You could probably go several places in Europe and fuck for that price.

for 2000 baht they should stay the whole night

>>1238240
It's regulated and fully allowed in Thailand, not a gross and seedy underground industry, of course it'll be cheaper.

>>1238245
So you're saying that Thailand should be cheaper than Cambodia?

>>1238236
Check out this thread on Cambodia. Maybe you can get more info there.

>>1235143

>>1238245
Prostitution is illegal in Thailand. Unless you meant to say Europe instead of Thailand.

I don't know where in Europe you are getting these prices, I am very skeptical of $1.50 beers, and even more skeptical of $60 hookers.The fact you are saying in Scandinavia makes me doubt you even more since they are some of the more expensive places in Europe.

>>1238246
I think you are confusing people because you keep quoting Cambodian prices in baht. I think he thinks your post mentioning 2000 baht was about Thailand, not Cambodia.

By the way, you can find 500 baht girls on Beach rd in Pattaya. I got long time for 1500 baht from a massage girl at my room, which was basically across the street. And she was the tout outside the place. I never set foot inside

>>1238246
For the sex industry (not just going on tinder to find normal women to bang) Thailand is the cheapest and most convenient place in the world by a mile since it's an actual industry yes.

>>1238250
>Prostitution is illegal in Thailand.

In theory, not in practice at all. There are unwritten understandings about what's acceptable and not. It's like how weed is nominally illegal in my country but if you get caught with a joint no policeman will realistically write you up for it. Large amounts are another thing.

>>1238255
It definitely isn't enforced, but it is still illegal.

Also Tinder in Thailand was insane, in Bangkok it was easier to bang a tinder girl than to find a decent looking hooker. I'm not even good looking, I am like a 6 and I was getting 8's over to the hotel in like an hour of matching them.

Fuck I love Thailand.

>>1238250
I've NEVER stated that I can get $60 hookers here, but I'm pretty sure I can find a girl and fuck her short time for $60 in several places around Europe.

I said that $1.50 beers are in the very cheap places, but it does exist, and I don't know what to say to convince you. Yes, it's one of the most expensive places, and that's exactly why I don't understand why those places are considered so cheap. Besides that, according to what I read in different sites on the web, beers can easily be 80-100 baht and "lady drinks" are even more than that - shots of alcohol seem to be very expensive.

My whole point is that hookers, beer and other stuff SHOULD be not just half the price, but several times cheaper than the prices in my own country, exactly because my country is one of the more expensive places to live.

>>1238251
Oh, I just did it for easy comparison - $60 is approx. 2000 baht.

>I think he thinks your post mentioning 2000 baht was about Thailand, not Cambodia.
I'm getting really confused now. How is Thailand cheaper than Cambodia, besides in Isaan and other cheap places? At best they seem to be about equal when seeing the prices that people quote. All I was saying is that for 2000 baht/$60, she should stay LT/the whole night, because that is quite a lot of money, when you consider the general price level in SEA as compared to the price levels in other places around the world

Sounds good, so it should be able to find similar price in Isaan, right?

>>1238262
You can get them for the whole night for $60 if you wanted to let them stay. When you go into brothels they usually wash you and massage you then fuck you for $60 then you leave.

>>1235377

I have to chime in here. Flying to the other side of the earth is really retarded unless you are spending 3-6 months there. You can get a similar
experience in the carribean without an enormous waste of time, money and jet fuel.

>>1238264
Overstatement of the year. The Caribbean is basically koh samui. There is so much more to SEA than sitting on a beach with cocktails.

>>1238262
A lot of poorer places, things are more expensive, because less people can afford them, and they are all imported.

Also, yeah, locals/local joints may have $10 hookers, but as a tourist you are going to places that cater to tourists, and that is what sets the prices. In the same way Thailand was far cheaper before the influx of Arab, and Japanese tourists. Chinese aren't a factor in driving up prices because they are stingy as fuck.

>>1238255
Most convenient, probably, but I think you can find much cheaper places.

Tinder might be good though

>>1238257
Did you go on dates before, or are these girls just willing to fuck almost as soon as you meet?

>>1238264
>>1238265

My flight to Asia is cheaper than a flight to the Carribean. Though I do agree it's dumb to fly half way around the world to go to Phuket and the surrounding area. It is exactly like the Carribean. But going for week, or two, not including flights is fine. I , for one, wouldn't want to be away from home for 3-6 months, aside from work. I am interested in transferring to Asia, though

>>1238268
Literally just said come to my hotel. They were mostly professional women, I was in the Asok area which is a bit more expensive. So these ladies were working like 12 hour days so they didn't have time to fuck around, which was fine with me.

>>1238271
Phuket is hands down the worst part of Thailand though. Actually Pattaya is probably worse, I've never been.

>>1238286
Oh, so you did pay them?

I thought you were talking about non-pro's who had sex for free

>>1238286
>>1238338
I am unclear if he is saying he paid them or that he was just staying in an expensive area, and these were working professionals. 12 hour workdays are common in Thailand.

That said, sidelining is a big and accepted thing in Thailand. Just look at this map of "not-hookers"
https://fanfinfin.com/fan/map

File: IMG_0040[1].jpg (1B, 486x500px)

1B, 486x500px

>>1238354
https://fanfinfin.com/fan/list?field_gender_target_id=2

>>1238266
this so hard

prices in cambodia are a joke
in raggedy ass vilages things are more expensive than in bangkok because of reduced demand and transport costs

trying to break away from the hoards of flashpackers here in SEA, there are just so many of them
drunk britons, french and australians

hoping rural areas will be better

>>1237359
I've ridden a bike from CM to Pai.

It was a pretty easy ride, I took my time and it took me about 5-6 hours. The roads were well maintained, but when traveling through the mountains things do get steep with lots of tight turns. Would recommend you really make sure your breaks are working properly.

There were shops and road stops every 30 or 40 miles, can't remember anything about guest houses.

>>1238355

God damn a whole new pussy theme park to explore. I am definitely going to try this site when I am in bkk later this week!

So basically all of SEA, besides Myanmar and maybe Laos, is actually pretty expensive now a days?

>>1238389
Ignore the shitposting, if you're from the US or Western Europe then SEA is plenty cheap while still having a reasonably quality infrastructure.

I found Bangkok to be in similar to Kiev or Bucharest prices, and it gets cheaper once you leave the city.

>>1238389
Unless you "live like local". It's really not that expensive, unless you are just a poor/cheap fag.

Of course, if you are buying women you are paying a pussy tax upfront, but free sex is not difficult if $30 is too much for you.

>>1237569
Hey guys, can I get some more answers on this?
really appreciated

guy who doesn't know anything and is a noob to traveling..

can anyone answer more of these questions..
>>1237569

and you guys are telling me, in thailand..
its 1 to 2 dollars for a decent lunch?
15 dollars for a decent hotel room?
How much for a cheap dinner, how much for an upscale dinner?
How much for a hotel room in a nicer hotel?

And its 30 dollars for a hooker? for how long, and how hot are we talking?
lets say I want 3 hours with 2 hot one girls who will lick ass and lezz out.. And im good looking?

>>1238426
this.

and I know English and Spanish..
how is communication with everyone, taxis/uber, street vendors, hotels, massage places, hookers

>>1238426
want an answer to this as well.

What is it like going alone- is it unsafe- are the cities filled with backpackers, making it safe? Do you make friends with like minded people?
should I go with friends

keep this thread going

>>1238504
>>1238443
>>1238431
>>1238426
>>1238418

You are fucking pathetic. Kill yourself literally as fast as possible.

>>1238509
damn dude, how'd you become... Such a pussy

>>1238389
it's still very cheap, just not as cheap as it used to be; or as cheap as it should be

>>1238426
prices in thailand vary a lot because of the volume of tourism there
in the west (south) the beach islads might be 3-5$ for some street noodles, perhaps the same in bangkok
however accommodation in bangkok is much cheaper; I was getting a OK dorm in khao san for 5-6$

in northern thailand and rural areas I hear it's super cheap though

hookers?
my man tells me that you are really looking at 1500-2000 baht (60USD)

a cheaper option would be going to a local hardware store, buying some cable and killing yourself

>>1234342
what's there to do in chiang mai? i'm not interested in trekking

trying to decide where to go in thailand since i only have 9 days really. and i want to spend the last 4 in samui to attend a half moon festival (i've read you need to book hotels 4 days in advance to attend the festival)

so really, i only have like 5 days, and i'm deciding between chiang mai or going to koh phi phi

>>1238562
Koh phi phi is a great time if you like partying, recommend stones bar hostel, or any of the hostels near it.

If you stay in Chiang mai you could go up to pai, there are some water falls and shit to go and see, it's a very small village. A little bit of partying but a lot of weed smoking.

Don't go to Koh Samui, the festivals are all on the island next to it Koh phangan. I only went to Koh phangan for the full moon party but it seems like a great little island too. The internet lead me to believe you had to book multiple days during these festivals but when we got there hostels were fairly quiet. I should mention we stayed in the Baan tai area, not on haad rin beach. You could get in the local tuk tuk/ truck things for 100 baht each way along the island anyway

>>1238566
>100 baht for a bus
wow, public buses are like 20 and the trains are only like 40 in bangkok

did the truck have a sound system and chrome wheels

>>1238566
thanks

one thing i saw in chiang mai when looking were elephant camps and a tiger place, but a lot of people dislike how the animals are treated in these places. not sure if it's worth to go there just for these things.
not into trekking, the pai canyon did look cool though

i'll try to get a hostel, good to know that multiple day thing isn't needed

File: IMG_1535.jpg (1B, 486x500px)

1B, 486x500px

>>1238355
is this real life?

>>1238568
You have to remember it's a small island, little to no public transport, you could rent a scooter but on the way back from the full moon party the road is littered with fucked up scooters from drunk tourists crashing. There is also some weird tax or road toll you have to pay when passing through a certain part of the island. The roads there aren't very high quality and I wouldn't want to need medical attention there.

>>1238571
You can do the elephant sanctuary, it's expensive and you can't ride them but people I spoke to who went loved it. I went to a little village of Burmese refugees and rode their elephants around, I don't buy into the whole animal cruelty aspect of it. These animals can carry tonnes of weight on their back so they can barely feel the weight of people. The other argument is that the way the elephants are broken in is cruel. Well guess what, the Thai people will still break the elephants I regardless, if they aren't used in tourism, they're used as work animals. As for the hook, it might have gone through their flesh as a baby elephant, but considering smaller rounds from rifles don't even pierce the adult skin, that little hook doesn't do any damage to the adults. It's just there as a psychological thing.

The elephants we rode even still had their tusks, which I was surprised about because those are worth their weight in gold.

You should be able to find what we did in hostels, it's a fairly common package. It's like a day trip to see the Burmese refugee people, ride the elephants and do some rafting and it cost us like 1000baht for the day. It was insane

>>1238575
lack of public transport doesn't mean gas costs more man

they are just ripping off the tourists, taking advantage of inadequate infrastructure

>>1237569
The advice below is mainly in regards to Thailand. And when I say $, I mean USD. The general advice is to do research, make a spreadsheet to figure out your budget, then to more research.

>50k
I've met guys that could ride 50k for 4 years in SEA, so it depends on how well you want to live.

>good looking & great shape
Okay.

>food
$1-2 (in both BKK and in smaller villages, from what I've found) will get you a bowl of noodles with a good portion of the protein of your choice and a drink. These are Thai portions, I've met many westerners that would need two servings to have a satisfying meal.

Generally expect to spend $3-4+ for Western foods like cheeseburgers, pizza, etc. Beef in general is very expensive.

>Partying
I mostly partied at hostel bars and pubs catering to backpackers. So that's my reference for prices.

Local beers like Chang and Leo will always be cheaper than the imports. Chang was by far the cheapest, with a bottle running around the $1 mark at most stores, but I found it to taste pretty bad. Lots of people swear by it, it's just not my cup of tea. I liked Leo a lot more, and found it runs more in the $1.50-2 range.

Shots were a bit more expensive, and ran anywhere from $1.50-5.

>Accommodation
Just like anywhere else, it's highly dependent on city & location. $9 in BKK got me a bunk in a hostel with AC. $15 in Chaing Mai got me a private room + bathroom, TV, and AC. $2 in a small village up north got me a mattress and a mosquito net. Poke around on hostel/hotel websites for an idea of what your money is good for.

Also, if you're going to bring a hooker to your place, get a private hotel room. I've had my sleep interrupted more than once by some retard trying to bring a hooker back to the dorm. The people that run the hostels are pretty not chill with that shit.

>>1238578
>Advice
Don't think you need to pay for sex. There's plenty of hippie backpacker girls to be found. Don't be a weird fuck and you'll do fine.

It's like Alabama in August weather for most of the year. Sometimes it also rains.

Get an unlocked phone and a local sim card. Most 7/11s have tourist sim cards you can pick up on the cheap.

>STDs and Condoms
From personal experience, XL condoms in Thailand = Average size in Europe and USA. Keep that in mind.

>Flight
Depends on what time in the year you want to go. Could be anywhere from $500-$1400. Check flight listings daily to get a good feel of the price range.

>Traveling with friends
This is highly subjective. I went solo and had no problem with meeting new people. Just sit down at a bar or hotel/hostel common area and ask them about things to see in the city, where they're from, etc. These places have lots of people traveling by themselves looking for friends to do shit with. Make the first move and people will be receptive more often than not. As a personal anecdote, I randomly sat down with a few Germans for dinner, and ended up biking around northern Thailand with them for 10 days.

>Other countries
All of them, time permitting.

>American friendlyness
working class brits and aussies have the worst reputation as tourists as far as Westerners go. (But the Chinese seem to be hated above all) Anybody involved in tourism or restaurants will have a basic understanding of English, but picking up a few phrases of the local language will win you points with the locals.

>Life experience. Best decision you've ever made
It was a good move for me at the time, can't say if it's the single best thing I've ever done. Will you magically *find yourself* in asia? No, that shit's cliche as hell, fuck that new age bullshit in general. What will probably happen is you'll meet new people (some cool, some lame), see interesting things, and eat some tasty food. Maybe you'll find a girl? Maybe you'll get the clap? Who knows.

>>1238577
Wait a second, it's almost like you're saying when something has a higher demand, the prices increase?

You should write some sort of theory and call it supply and demand or something like that, you could be onto something here.

Seriously though, it's a very impoverished island, I don't even think they have normal taxis. You could always just stay in haad rin and not pay the 100baht each way ? I mean your accommodation is definitely going to be more than an extra 200 baht there but hey, at least you're not paying those greedy locals the $3 fare.

>>1238580
there is a difference between "supply and demand" and "profiteering"

asshole tourists who don't care about inflated prices because "it's only a few dollars man" make it hard for everyone

>>1238582
I tried to haggle them lower, but it's an agreement amongst all of them not to take less than 100baht. Maybe it's cheaper when it isn't the full moon party ? I wouldn't know. But from haad rin to Baan tai it is very dodgy road, and if you're going to indulge in some of the buckets you really don't want to be driving your scooter through that winding mountain, as I said earlier coming back from the full moon party at like 7am you see multiple hire scooters just completely totalled on the side of the road from tourists trying to get home.

It's just one of those things where it is what it is

>>1238588
cartel conduct seems like a serious problem in SEA, there are only social protections for consumers; and as an outsider these are definitely not extended to you

>>1238572
yes

Better go to Bangkok fast if you want to try streetfood there

http://www.dw.com/en/bangkok-plans-to-ban-all-street-food-by-years-end/a-38458543

>>1238575
But it is cruel, anon. The elephants are overworked and stressed out, and as far as I know they should only carry 100-150 kgs and it should be in the right place and with no chair - and not for 10 hours every day

>>1238772
So a 5 tonne elephant can only carry 150kgs ? Before tourism they were used mostly for logging. They are carrying at least half tonne loads of logs, for as long as the working day is.

A 5 tonne animal carrying 150kgs on its back is the same as a 100kg man carrying 3kgs on their back.

I'm no fucking vet, but the thai's even used the elephants in wars. I don't know if you've ever seen a war elephant but they are definitely carrying more than 150kgs on their back, and they are sure as shit getting hit by much more dangerous shit than that little hook the owners have.

>>1238673
Fuck 'em

>>1238772
are you the bleeding heart that keeps making long repetitive notes on elephant cruelty on the wiki

whoever it is needs to stop, it's a travel wiki not a virtue signaling forum

>>1238775
Bigger animal doesn't mean that it can necessarily carry that much more.

Besides, are you trying to argue that because elephants were used in war and because the hook doesn't go all the way through (I've got no idea how far it goes), it isn't cruel torturing animals for days with no end?

>>1238824
No, I don't edit any Wiki.

>>1238824
>not making elephants take meth and carry fat germans and amerifats all day, is now virtue signalling.

File: Screenshot_20170419-010231.png (1B, 486x500px)

1B, 486x500px

OP here, just arrived in Bangkok. Is this for fucking real? I just realised Thai girls are some of the most beautiful girls on earth, but are those profils legit? Because they fucking look like they are!

>>1238892
In Bangkok, be sure to read the profile before swiping. Most ladyboys are honest and state what they are in their profile.

>man face
>slutty pic
I have a feeling...

>>1238892
app name?

>>1238673
>tfw going to bangkok in 2 months
where are good places to get street food? online says Yaowarat and khao san road

do i just go there and eat what is available, or is there something i should be looking for?

>>1238964
Just left BKK yesterday was there for a week. Food is good everywhere my man. khao San is just the most touristy shit I'd avoid it desu. Just take the BTS to a random stop , get off and walk around. If u see a bunch of Thai eating somewhere then eat there

>>1238892
Ya it's fucking real man. Five minutes on tinder and I had 60 girls ready to meet up. Granted about 50% of those were whores but still.

>>1238901
I've met up with a few LB who were some of the most beautiful people I've seen but it's the fucking voice. Always the fucking voice.

Im in Chiang mai now looking to hike. I rly should just Google or find a local but any recommendations first?

>>1238892
That's a fake ass and a ladyboy. Regular girls are slut-shamed so harshly that they never put slutty pics on.

>Thai girls are some of the most beautiful girls on earth

Only the higher class ones, and those aren't going to give you the time of day, or be available as hookers. They're just skinny and vapid, don't get your expectations too high.

If you want hotter girls you can actually fuck easily, go to Manila.

>>1238974
t. ugly as fuck whiteboi

>>1238832
You say it's cruel to use them for tourism, so let's think in the real world now. What would you do if you were a poor Thai national whose family has passed elephants down throughout the years, what do you use your elephants for so you and your family do not starve ? If it's not tourism then it has to become a working elephant right ? Are the conditions for a working elephant better or worse than a tourist elephant ?

Don't think by boycotting elephant rides, and trying to make it out like the hooks hurt them as adults, that the elephants will magically be roaming the jungles freely.

And no anon the hooks do not hurt the adults, considering smaller rifles and hand guns won't penetrate elephant hide, I am completely certain that hook isn't doing shit either.

Yes it will hurt the babies, scar them mentally and physically, and that is horrible. Another argument is, who are we as westerners to tell the Thai people to stop a practice they've been doing for centuries? Who are we to tell another culture what they can and cannot do in their own country?

Hey guys, been traveling SEA for 3 months now and just got to Vientiane, Laos, and it dosent seem like theres a lot to do
Should I go to Van Vieng tommorow or continue straight to Luang Prabang? any other places worth visitng?
also i've heared travelers talk about how easy it is to get drugs in Laos, it dosen't really seem like it yet, is it just not the right place?

>>1239037
Vang Vieng is a nice place for
>partying
>nature

You shouldn't skip it for those two reasons. You can get drugs in Vang Vieng, but it's more difficult now.

>>1234342

I had sex with a lady boy of the street last night, while I was drunk. I took the condom off half way through. I'm an idiot...but what should I do now?

>>1239072
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes

>>1239077

What's the likelihood I have HIV?

>>1239089

the transmission rate for hiv is less than 1% if receiving

the transmission rate for pitchers is almost zero

it is pretty stupid to fuck a street walker ladyboy, since they are almost garatunteed to have some sort of STD (they would be in a bar otherwise), but you probably didnt catch the HIV

go get tested next week, it is cheap as fuck and takes like 10 minutes at a walk in clinic

test for everything, and they will give you a doctor slip for meds if you caught a bacterial infection

>>1239089
Give it a few weeks, if you don't notice and itching, burning or strange sores or bumps, fuck it you're fine. You might be a carrier for something but if you don't know you're not legally liable

>>1239104
>it is pretty stupid to fuck a street walker ladyboy, since they are almost garatunteed to have some sort of STD (they would be in a bar otherwise), but you probably didnt catch the HIV

No shit, I was drunk as fuck.

>everyone says ladyboys are really rare
>everyone says they've fucked one
Which is it?

>>1239089
just take a bunch of antibiotics and prep as a precaution

>>1239120
They're like 1% of the population but they are in all the tourist areas. So they are uncommon but you will still run into a few regularly. They always tell you beforehand that they are a dude, it's not like they can hide their dick so they are upfront.

>>1239037
I was in Laos last month. If you like riding motorbikes, head to Thakhek and do the loop. it's a 4-500km round trip with lots of caves, waterfalls und beautiful scenery. I recommend doing it in 4 days so you can explore more places. There's two rental places in town, wang wang and mad monkey. mad monkey is more expensive but their bikes are top notch and i heard some dodgy stories about wang wang.

Luang Prabang has some pretty houses but I found it pretty boring and way too touristy. There's tons of 60+ years package tourists there.

Vang Vieng is great for party and has some nice scenery/trekking/rafting etc.. around.

Don't go to Sanyabuli Province, there's nothing there and nobody speaks any English. I haven' been to other parts of Laos though.

>>1239179
I did the thakek loop back in january and honestly it was my highlight of laos, amazing scenery and amazing introduction to the laotian culture, i also think savannakhet is very underrated, which is like a quieter and less touristic luang prabang and a base for trekking in the national conservation parks around

>>1239179
Is driving motorcycle in Laos safer than in Thailand?
Internet says its more dangerous to ride bike in Thailand than rawdog hookers.

>>1239015
So because it's a part of Thai culture and a necessity for some of the people to make a living, we shouldn't as Westerners think of it as unethical?

You can keep pointing out that the hook won't hurt adults, but the torturing does. If they couldn't feel the hook, why would the owners use it to condition the elephants?

>>1237705
we got a real traveler here boys

>>1237705
>Bangkok is cool...but the rest...I went to better beaches in India
>Bangkok is cool
>Going to Thai Beaches
Do you know how I know you are basic real traveler bitch?

>>1239104
>the transmission rate for hiv is less than 1% if receiving
>the transmission rate for pitchers is almost zero

[citation needed]

I'm done with SEA, fuck the whole region

my holiday has been ruined by being treated like a walking wallet by everyone I meet
tourist places, local places, citties, regional areas; the difference is at best marginal

with the notable exception of vietnam, I've found very little goodwill and hospitality here

>>1239387
Goodwill in Vietnam? I'm 7 days into a 30 day stay in Vietnam and every act of kindness comes with an expected payment. I've been to far poorer countries than Cambodia/Vietnam/Thailand (although Thailand isn't that bad) and not been treated like a walking wallet.

>>1239387
>>1239544
Is Laos just as bad?

>>1234342
I got a plane ticket from bangkok to Chiang Mai, a 3 day hotel,a guided trek through temples on the outskirts of Chiang Mai, a visit to a black market in the upper jungle, a private bike tour around old Chiang Mai, a circle dinner around belly dancers with a private fire dancing show and a day trip to the elephant nature park for about 600 bucks. highly dope senpai

>>1239241
There are plenty of elephant sanctuaries to visit where they are treated ethically

>>1239990
I did most of that for far less than $600. Stayed at the Holiday Inn and booked through the concierge.

Is it better to find friends before or pick them up as you go through SEA?

Thinking about backpacking SEA next summer and I was wondering if it would be better or not to find someone to travel with in advance or to just meet other travelers in hostels as I go. Also, should I plan out the trip start to finish or just pick an arrival location and final destination and go with the flow? I can easily get around on my own. I did Europe solo for 3 months at 18yo and again for 12 months when I was 20 but this will be my first time outside of Europe and North America and I am a little hesitant to do it on my own. Thoughts? Opinions? Suggestions? Anyone perhaps interested in joining me?

>>1240081
I backpacked SEA two years ago and its super easy. There are heaps of other backpackers and you'll have no problem finding people to travel with. I chose Ho Chi Minh City as my starting point pretty much at random and just worked my way around from there. You meet people and they tell you cool places to go so your itinerary is changing all the time anyway. If you've backpacked in Europe you'll be fine. It's harder because of the language barrier but not much harder to be honest, and countries like Vietnam are very tourist friendly and will always have an english speaker nearby, buses and bus stops are easy to find and organise, it's all very easy.

Now China, that's another kettle of fish.

>>1240081
You just find them over there anon. A good starting point is Khao san road in bangkok. It's just a massive backpacking hub. Definitely go backpacking in SEA, it will be one of the most fun things you ever do.

Just pick an arrival destination, have a basic idea of where you want to go and what you want to do and just follow it loosely. A lot of people loosely follow the banana pancake trail and just adapt the trip as they see fit.

>>1239544
You need to get out of the touristy areas Tbh. I did a motorbike trip tracing the chinese border and I met plenty of the friendliest people I've ever encountered. Borderline poverty types who'd refuse to take money from me after I ate with them.

Does anyone know if I can pay a ladyboy or a hooker to fuck me? like with a strapon or the girl tinkler anal
or do they only do where I have to use my dick

>>1241080
also if she has clothes I can use to crossdress

>>1238227
this

Planning on traveling to Thailand soon but I have a few questions.

I'll be coming from Laos. I understand that the duration of stays in Thailand are not very long if arriving by land. 15 or 30 days if I'm correct. What I'd like to know is if I enter Thailand by land, stay for 14 or 29 days, whichever, and then leave Thailand for X amount of time, does the time allowed in Thailand reset upon rearrival? For example, if I stayed in Thailand for the maximum time allowed minus 1 day, crossed into Myanmar or Laos for an hour or so, and then try to get back into Thailand, would I be readmitted and allowed to say for another 15/30 days or is there like a 30 days only within a 90 day period or something similar?

My plans are to enter from Cambodia, visit Chiang Mai and the north of Thailand, cross into Myanmar for a few days, and then back into Thailand to go south towards Bangkok before finally moving onto Malaysia. Thoughts on this?

>>1235214
I spent over 2000 in Vietnam (for 2 people) over 2 weeks in off-season. Christ that country is expensive, way cheaper back home.

>>1242116
yes

>>1242189
How ? Like literally how did you spend that much ? 5 star western hotels ?

Me and a friend are looking to travel to SEA soon for about 2 months. We have the general idea of traveling from Thailand to Laos to Vietnam so far. Would 2 months be enough to explore these countries? We don't care a whole lot about partying and shit. Just want to have a chill time seeing some cool nature and temples with some nice beaches and food.
Any other countries you would recommend? Anything to avoid?

>>1242260
Laos can be done in less than a week. Vietnam and Thailand are huge in terms of things to see and do. Eventually you'll get bored by temples though, no matter how interested you've been in them before.

Imho you should think about skipping Laos and go to Cambodia instead.

>>1237936
Most mail-order brides are ugly, but not the girls that actually live there

They have millions of qt's actually

>>1237936
>Well, it's also filled with crime
lmao just stay out of Manila City or some slummy area in Pasay or Taguig, and you will be 100% guaranteed mug free.
It's far safer than what travel advisories preach.
Truly among the most underrated tourist destinations in the world

>>1242383
Not that guy, but compared to others, most are ugly. But the hottest Filipinas are some of the hottest chicks around, period. Of course it will be easier to pick out the hot ones on the ground.

>>1242264
>laos
>less than a week
That's bullshit, i did it in three weeks and still missed out on quite few things

>>1240097
im interested in knowing about you or any other anon's backpacking experience in china

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>>1242576

Sure thing.

I only backpacked through Southern and parts of Western China. I started in Kunming, Yunnan and headed West toward the Tibetan border stopping at cities/towns along the way. Then I head back East toward Hong Kong through Chengdu, Guiyang, Guangdong etc.

I was very naive to expect people to be able to speak English. No one outside of hostels is able to speak English. This wouldn't be a massive problem if Google Maps worked there, but it doesn't, nor does most of the internet. A lot of websites that aren't technically blocked run so slowly that they are effectively blocked. I couldn't load my banking app for example and was unable to transfer myself money for ages. So the first few days I survived only because the occasional person had a translation app on their phone. That really saved my life.

Hostels will help you find your way to bus stops and such. Buying tickets and finding your bus is near impossible even if you do attempt the Mandarin, what I ended up doing was screenshotting the name of the place I wanted to go in Chinese characters and showing it to the people at the bus booth. They'd usually then help me in the right direction.

I got into a lot of really sticky situations but every time I somehow managed to get out of them unscathed. I don't mean violent or dangerous situations, just times when I felt literally geographically stranded and unable to communicate with anyone. Somehow a bus or a van taking hitchhikers would always show up and save my skin. I must have a guardian angel.

(1/2)

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>>1242576
>>1242628

This might make it sound scary, but a lot of that was my own fault and lack of preparation. I will make a few points:
- I was woefully unprepared. With better preparation (e.g. downloading China friendly apps BEFORE getting to China) I would probably have fared better.
- The people there are incredibly friendly and helpful, at least in the places I went. I was blown away by the generosity of almost everyone I met. People really went above and beyond to accommodate me, beyond what I'd ever expect in the West quite frankly.
- The route I took was not exactly un-touristed. It just isn't often touristed by Westerners. It is however quite popular among Chinese tourists from other parts of China. Therefore there is quite a bit of tourist friendly infrastructure about, even if it is all in Chinese. There are generally hostels or hotels everywhere you go - though they may take some finding and they vary in quality.
- Get to Tibetan China. It is the furthest I have ever felt from Western civilisation in my life and the landscape and the culture is beautiful. You will probably have to hitchhike here however depending on the time of year, but its not hard to find vans carpooling people to wherever you need to get to.
- The way back from the Tibetan border was a million times easier. Once you are on the train line you are sweet to go. It's the buses that make life a nightmare.

Wikitravel saved my life. If you ever find yourself somewhere you think no other Westerner has ever been before, you're wrong - someone has and they've written about it on wikitravel. Now a lot of the places I went had very very small wikitravel pages, but they were enough to get me by - recommending hostels, bus routes etc.

I can give you more specific details if you want, just ask. I could write a book on my time in China. It was the most wild and adventurous thing I've done in my life so far.

>>1242576
I did two months in china, landed in HK and worked clockwise to beijing skipping the shanghai region

since I could go one for hours, what do you really want to know?

straight up get a VPN BEFORE you arrive, and buy a unicom sim card with data and little call credit (because you probably won't call anyone)

be really wary of hw quickly things can book out in china, hundreds of train seats can vanish in an hour

hot water is universally available, which means instant noodles become your friend on trains etc
you can also get self heating meals for 15Y which are great to take into places where food is a rip off

nobody checks your itinerary once you are in the country, make it look legit but don't feel like you have to stick to it day by day
a good option for faking exit-entry is to book a train from shengzen to hong kong, or hanoi to kunming
these trains are quiet cheap, so missing them isn't as big of a deal
flights can be cheaper than trains often, and are often worth booking

>>1242631
I'd love to spend two months in China, have you used maps.me app? It's an offline map app that seems would be helpful if you can't use google maps.

>>1242628
>>1242631
>>1242638
Thanks for the replies, right now i'm at the early stages of planning for a future china trip, so feel free to share whatever the hell you want, i'm interested in nature surely, not so much in temples because i've seen quite a few of those in vietnam, i'm thinking about going to tibet but i heard it's easier and less hassle to just go to schichuan where it's the same culture, oh and i'm interested in going to xinjiang region in the west because i did a central asian trip last year and felt i should carry on from there into china

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Hey guys, I'm planning on backpacking SEA next summer. I'll have 3 months and probably a budget of $3000-4000 excluding flights.

After reading for a bit this is what my rough draft currently looks like. What do you guys think? Is this easily doable for 3 months and with my budget? I plan to fly into Hong Kong, day trip to Macau, fly to Hanoi, down Vietnam to Cambodia, up through Laos, into Thailand, a week or two to Myanmar, back to Thailand, down to Malaysia, and finally finishing off with a few days in Singapore before flying back home.

Of course this is a rough draft. Is there anything I should steer clear from? Anything I'm missing? I'd like to visit some islands but I'm not sure which ones yet. Once in Kuala Lumpur, should I fly to Bali for a week or so before flying back to Singapore to return home? Any places I must visit? Thanks in advance for the input

>>1242749
You'll be on the move a lot with that itinerary...It depends if you can handle a night bus every 2 or 3 nights. You'll need at least 2 weeks in Myanmar, the roads are shit and the bus rides are long (maps are a bit deceptive). You'll probably cross the Mae Sot border into Myanmar because the one in the north you can't access the rest of the country without flying (conflict in the north). You're better off going to Bali then Southern Thailand in the summer.

>>1242660
>schichuan
yeah this is what I meant by "Tibetan China" sorry - still technically China, but the culture/landscape is Tibetan so there's little difference. Would recommend the town of Litang, specifically.

>>1242660
Yeah mate a good and moderately popular route is the Yunnan/Sichuan 'backdoor' route which is basically overland from Kunming to Chengdu stopping at various places along the way such as Dali, Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge, various small towns along the way. There is a lot of Tibetan culture in the region, towns like Litang, Tagong etc. I can't remember the exact towns I stopped at right now but if you're interested I'll check my old diary.

Travel is mostly by bus or minivan. Be prepared for some long and at times bumpy rides but the views more than make up for it. You can see some very diverse landscapes ranging from river valleys, alpine forests, grassy plains and arid mountain ranges. Take plenty of cash in case you can't find an ATM and be prepared to pay a bit for transport, especially if you're in a hurry and can't find enough people to split the minivan cost with. People romanticize Tibetan culture but they're people like anywhere else with all the good and bad that comes with that - there will also be some that try to rip you off or are generally dickheads. It's not an especially dangerous area but it can get a bit rough due to the remoteness, and stay well clear of wild/feral dogs.

Due to the remoteness I'd recommend picking up a travel buddy. It should be easy to find someone at one of the popular hostels in Kunming, Dali or Lijiang who is going to same way. As for the altitude I didn't find it too bad, I only really felt it when doing something physically difficult like hiking. I spent most of my time sitting on my ass in a van so no big problem. However it's hard to predict who will get affected by altitude so make sure you allow yourself extra time in case you have issues and need to acclimatize. In fact just allow yourself extra time regardless, I ended up coming close to overstaying my Visa due to travel delays and only just got to the PSB in time for renewal.

>>1242660
can 100% recomend travel in west sichuan, I went through chengdu, kangding and to ganze

some people go overland through changrila to chengdu which would be great weather and time permiting

if you make it that far, ju-zhai-go national park is amazing, it's a solid day and there back from chengu
ic an be spoilt however by the tens of thousands of chinese visitors, there are too many chinese people
if you can, go semi off-season
I went when the northern part was snowy and I just jumped the fence and wandered fairly freely
take your own food in, because it's incredibly expensive inside

the guilin-yangshuo area is great, especially if you are game to climb some mountains
the rver cruises have been monopolised and are now very expensive

30% of china is navigating around a system designed for internal tourists who make up 95% of tourists in china.
honestly they are awful, they will shove through lines, litter in national parks, generally act sub-human
avoiding local holidays is a must

south of kunming is meant to be nice, but I didn't go myself
kunming it'self is incredibly boring

lijiang is a giant shopping mall now, and I would avoid the whole town in favour of dali

consider opening a chinese bank account, you can do it over the counter in 20 minutes with a passport
the advantage is you can avoid the very unfavourable exchange rates offered for the yuan, and can aoid awful ATM fees

wechat (weixin) is chinese facebook, and has the best english-chinese translator, if you meet someone use the QR code to add them and talk with your phones
check out tan-tan, chinese tinder (they love white people, but it's usually just a novelty thing)

>>1242655
also this

>>1242749
really consider getting a motorbike for that route
a lot of people do it that way relatively speaking

personally I liked the northern areas of vietnam the best, it would be a shame not to see sapa north of hanoi (that whole area is cheap)

I've been in cambodia a few weeks and there is more to do here than the capital/siem reap
personally I think the capital is OK, but nothing makes it a destination, no real sites, average culture at best

I'm in kampot-kep in cambodia currently and it's fantastic, entering cambodia and going straight to kep is a no-brainer
siem reap has some good parties, but is the most expensive place in the country bar none, the angkor wat will cost you about 50$ minimum to see for just one day, I liked it but it's not good value
if that matters to you there are a slew of temples in the region (in particular north of sisophon, and NE of siem reap)

I would also question the wisdom of doing laos south to north, I hear mixed things about the country
you might be better going into thailand (free) then going north

Is there any idea going to Bali in December? Some people say it's raining 24/7 and some say it's fine. Anyone with experience?

>>1242969
>really consider getting a motorbike for that route
That really does sound like a lot of fun and I would like to do it but it just seems a bit difficult to go through the process of getting all the paperwork and stuff in order and then purchasing a bike for ~1 month. If it breaks down or I run into trouble it's just a lot of hassle. Looking into it, I think I might rent a motorbike and ride through the north of Vietnam but time contraints make me question it.

>I would also question the wisdom of doing laos south to north, I hear mixed things about the country
>you might be better going into thailand (free) then going north
The thing about doing that is I won't be able to re-enter Thailand if I leave after the 2nd visit. If I enter from Cambodia, through the east of Thailand up north to Laos, re-enter Thailand for the north and Chiang Mai, exit into Myanmar, I won't be able to come back to Thailand because they only alow 2 entries annually by land. I would either have to fly into Thailand from somewhere or skip out of something.

Of course this isn't a definite plan or anything and things may and will change by next summer but right now it looks like I'd go from Cambodia to Pakse in Laos and then bus it to the capital for a "quick" and "easy" journey.

>>1243086
What everyone does is they buy a motorbike off a random local advertising in a notice board. Make sure to meet them at a service station when you pick it up so you can get it checked right away. No one gets the paperwork. No one bothers and no one cares, you rock up and you ride a bike that's it. Most insurance doesn't cover motorcycle accidents even if you do have the correct paperwork so it doesn't matter in that respect.

That being said, I'm retarded and could not figure out how to drive one even with lessons, but as I said I'm exceptionally retarded.

I hear there is a bit of nuance with the multiple entries
I know people who have entered three times

And like the anon says, if you don't have paperwork the worst you get is fines from corrupt police

does amazon ship to thailand?
if not is there a decent alternative?

>>1235322
I'm a little perplexed by the border situation. Is it possible to just take a bus from Thailand into cambodia, or even laos, or would you need to plan out getting a visa?

>>1237432
How did you get around for 6 months in india. What kind of bag are you using?

>>1243639

Train..Bus..once a ship Captain drove me in his Audi from Allepey to Kochi, that was a treat.

My bag is too big, 45 L, but I bought a bunch of clothes, next time I would bring less. Needed warm clothes for northern India and Nepal, I was there in Nov/Dec...so it was chilly at night.

>>1243642
That's what im planning. I leave at the start of June. Do you think a 30L bag will suffice if i'm fine with slumming it?( any other insight to being India for 6months would be great as im green to the country)

>>1243638
Taking a bus from Thailand to Cambodia they stop at the border and you can fill out the forms to get a Visa-On-Arrival which is usually good for 30 days. I think it costs around 30-40 US and the border employees usually scam you 2-5 dollars in fake fees that they pocket.

>>1243682
What about from Cambodia to Thailand? same process or am I correct in reading about you dont need a visa if you're in country for 30 days or less

>>1243682
>>1243638
it's 30 dollars+bullshit fees

however if you pull out a camera those fees can vanish; but it's a gambit probably not worth taking

honestly the land borders are terrible, so many scams and so much corruption

I only paid 33$, but had to avoid the fake bus, the fake visa office, ignore the fake immigration officials, the fake quarantine, the other fake bus

just fly in and save a hastle
wikivoyage has a good guide on the araphaniyet/poipet page

>>1243845
so it depends on what kind of passport you have, but generally you DONT need a visa
however you get only 15/30 days

I hear it's 15 if you come by land, but most people who come by land report being issued a 30 day visa anyway

the only thing to really worry about is hat there is apparently a limit on the number of these visas you can get in a year (two entries)
if you are landing in bankok for instance and leaving thailand, that still counts as one entery, so it could be quiet conceivable to run into trouble if you are using thailand to get to several neighboring countries

I hear unconfirmed reports of getting a THIRD entery free, but apparently there is some nuance to this

>>1243644
Don't go that low for 6mos unless you have experience with it and are cool with the tradeoffs. One 40-45L main bag and a foldable day pack isn't much stuff.

>>1237433
Philippines, Cambodia aaaaaand Malaysia.

Malaysia has a lot ladyboys despite being conservative muslim country.

>>1244685
I did much of sea and north africa on a 35, I was just curious if it'd translate the same more or less in india

>>1242655
>have you used maps.me app?
Yeah see, I have actually. But I didn't download the app until I got to China - which was a problem - because once I was actually in China I was unable to download the regional maps due to slow internet connection so the app was useless. If I'd prepared before entering I'd've been fine.

Hey, i'm planning on spending 3 months in SEA starting from Thailand then I'm planning to go to Philippines and Cambodia. Might add some other country as well, I will see.
What kind of budget do I need if I want to do it cheaply(hostels,cheap food, buses)? Eastern euro here, and so far I have 2k euros saved for it. What kind of money would I need excluding plane tickets? 4k? 5k?

>>1244939
3k is manageable if you're frugal. 4k is a good budget. Really it comes down to how often you want to move around and how much you drink.

>>1245002
>Really it comes down to how often you want to move around and how much you drink.
i don't mind walking a lot and obviously i'd want to see as much as possible, i don't dink anymore only beers sometimes. How about sleeping in a tent? good/bad idea?

I'm graduating from college in December and concurrently taking an online TEFL course with the University of Toronto. I honestly have no real clue what I want to do at this point in my life but I know that I would like to go somewhere far away, travel, and learn a new language for a while. I'm honestly considering Vietnam or Thailand for my destination considering the low cost of living, if I don't choose China or Taiwan as I'm considering as well. I'm leaning more towards Vietnam as it's a bit less touristic.

Has anyone been an English teacher in either of these places and could give some good tips? I've heard a lot of trash about expats and English teachers in these places. I'm not going just to pound Asian pussy, party and get drunk every weekend, but to actually take the job seriously and not act like a typical foreigner.

Was planning on going to HK but after reading/hearing how westernised it is, am thinking travelling to Taipei and around Taiwan instead.
What's Taiwan like?
Mainly going for photography if it matters, just don't know a lot about the place.

>>1245363
>How about sleeping in a tent? good/bad idea?

Not possible in SEA. Do more research.

>>1244939
>starting from Thailand then I'm planning to go to Philippines and Cambodia

I did these in a row. Start from Thailand, take the bus to Phnom Penh / Siem Reap, then fly via AirAsia and spend 1-2 nights in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. From there you can get cheap (<100USD) flights to the Philippines.

After spending months in SEA for the first time I can safely say its the butthole of the planet. Full of eurotrash kids spending their parents dime and pretentious hippy travelbums with bullrings. All the locals do is scam. The art of the scam is all they know. Shittier travel destination.

>>1246290
Where do you prefer?

>>1246290
kind of feeling this

the region genuinely attracts a very low class of person, and the locals have become scum in response

>>1245816
if your serious about teaching there is much more opportunity in china, and the wages are fantastic
vietnam is much better than thailand, avoid thailand at all costs

I would teach in chengdu myself or one of the prefecture level chinese citties, they are really livable

>>1244939
budget questions are always really hard to answer, because I don't know how you travel, where your level of comfort it, how skilled you are etc

I was just in cambodia and travlers budgets fluctuated wildly
I would divide it into three areas, country, siem reap/ phnom pehn/ island resorts

in the countryside I was getting rooms reliably at 5$ at guesthouses, 3$ dorms when they existed and as low as 1.50 for a hammock by the sea
meals were .75-2$, good rum was 8$/liter, weed was 10-20 for a big bag
I would have had trouble spending more than 15$ in a day, many days I did 8$

in siem/phnom dorms were like 3-5$, great in siem
meals were like 2-5

the only major blows to my budjet was the entry visa, the angkor wat which honestly is poor value now, and busses due to cartel conduct (which is nothing to sniff at)
a lack of public transport can really hurt you badly
I was often unable to get a tuk tuk to any tourist destination for less than 8$

a beer out will cost you half a meal however, and many activitis are priced for weekend money bombers from bangkok

attractions here are also chronically over-priced relative to everything else, museums in particular seem like very poor value

>>1245816
My gf and I are going to take online TEFL or CELTA over the Summer and then move our asses over to Vietnam in August. When are you planning to go?

is thailand no fun?

I