Getting Started Backpacking

"Don`t know where to start?"

Planning for a backpacking trip in Asia is fun!

Have in mind that you have a lot of planning ahead of you and ...

...Be flexible...

It`s not the end of the world just because not everything go as planned...

You will occasionally alter your plans during your backpacking trip which is very common for backpackers.

Like, you might end up not liking the place you`ve planned to stay for 3 weeks, and have to be on the move again after 5 days ...

... Now, let`s get started!

Where to Go

Bangkok is usually the gateway city to Southeast Asia, if coming from Europe, US and Australia.

If you don`t have a clue where to start, you should start here:

Read travel guide books and research your possible destinations

I recommend renting/buying books like Lonely Planet or Rough Guides. These books introduce you to all the things you need to know about backpacking, and are easy to read. You can also read forums specializing in backpacking, like, Travelfish.

Remember that your backpacker-friends are your best insider-source... AND... they`re your friends. They`ll probably be happy to share honest advice, thoughts and experiences!

In the process of planning...

Ask yourself these questions:

How much is it for a flight ticket?

Where do I want to start?

Start gently! When I started my backpacking trip, India was my first stop. The country`s beautiful, but if I could go back in time I would have picked the country as my last stop.

Where do I want to end my trip? (on the beach, in the mountains etc.)

How much time do I have?

Be realistic. If you only have one month or two, focuse on the places you really want to see. A stressful backpacking trip is not ideal if you can`t even remember where you`ve been.

Can I easily return to a place I enjoyed if I want to?

If I don`t like the new area, do I have a back up plan?

You should have other places in mind when you get in this situation. Feel free to be impulsive as well. Talk to other travellers on the road, and ask where they`ve been and about their experiences.

Things to consider:

Concentrate on one area at a time. If you`re going to Chiang Mai, focuse on the North. When you`re done traveling in the North, travel to South and explore that part of the country and so on.

To save time and energy, start as north or south as possible and make your way up or down, east or west. This way, you don`t need to come to the same place twice or more.

Example: From Pai to Lao border - instead of travelling via Chiang Mai again, travel directly from Pai to Chiang Khong.

To show you an example of a travel route, I`ll show you the route I set up for my backpacking trip:

The trip lasted for 4 months, and I still had all the time in the world visiting these places.

I started of course in Oslo, then:

Mumbai Palolem (Goa) Jaipur New Delhi
Bangkok Chiang Mai Pai Chiang Khong/Huay Xai border (Thailand/Laos)
Luang Prabang Vang Vieng Vientiane Pakse Don Det
Voen Kham/Koh Chheuteal Thom border (Laos/Cambodia) Phnom Penh
Siem Reap Battambang Poipet/Aranyaprathet border (Cambodia/Laos)

Back to Bangkok

Then:

Koh Pha Ngan Krabi Koh Lanta Koh Phi Phi Back to Krabi Ao Nang Khao Lak
Ranong/Kawthoung border (visa renewal) Ranong Hua Hin Cha-am
Bangkok Koh Chang

Back to Bangkok again



You can travel the other way around too, like starting in Bangkok, then travel to the border of Cambodia, Siem Reap and so on.

The great part of planning a route is that you don`t need to stick to it!

Use route planners so you won`t forget the important places you want to see, and to make sure you actually know where you`re heading, more or less. There are tons of other places to go during this route.

You need to find the place YOU want to go to! And another thing: You`ll get more out of your adventures if you`re more spontaneous...

Need more tips on where to go? Check out these itineraries.

If you want to go straight to a specific country/part of a country -- click on these links:

Itineraries for Northern Thailand

Itineraries for Laos

Itineraries for Cambodia

Itineraries for Southern Thailand

Itinerary for Malaysia

Itineraries for India


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When to Go



The weather in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and India can roughly be divided into three seasons: cool, hot and wet season.

It`s extremely hot during the hot season (around February to May), and it rains more during the wet season (around May-October).

The best time to go is between November-February (except the peninsular east-coast of Thailand).

When it comes to Malaysia...

The climate varies from region to region. The best time to visit the Eastern Part of Malay Peninsula, the northeast of Sabah and the west of Sarawak on Borneo would be between June and August. If you want to lay down on the beaches on the west side of the peninsula (like, Langkawi) -- you should avoid the months of March and April because that's when the heaviest rainfall occurs.

However, during the cool season the prices for accommodation are higher because most people travel during this period.

When deciding, ask yourself these questions:

Are there any festivals or special events I want to see? (like the kite-flying festival in Jaipur, India. Or the Reggae festival in Pai, Thailand)

Do I want to trek, dive, snorkel or try white-rafting? How much time do I want to spend on activities?

Example: To get the best underwater experience, it depends on where and when you`re planning to dive or snorkel.

If you`re going to the eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand (Koh Chang area), the visibility is best from mid-November through May. If you`re going to the western part of the Gulf of Thailand (Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui area), the best time to dive is from March to October.


For more information on Thailand Weather, click here!

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Who to Go With



Here are a couple of tips on how to find a suitable travel companion:

You have to be able to trust and like your travel companion with at least
100 %!

Remember that you`ll be travelling together, sleeping next to each other, eat, party and relax together 24-7...

And even if you find the "perfect" partner, I`m not saying that you guys will never have a fight or a disagreement. The point is to find a person you trust because you`ll be responsible for each other`s safety. You should watch out for each other, if you get into trouble.

Can you trust him/her if you get to that point?

You should share some common interests. It`s not a must, but it`s a lot more fun to do things together!

The person (s) you`re travelling with should have the same goals and pace as you. If you`re travelling with a party-friend who just want to party the whole trip, and you want to do the partying AND the sightseeing, you should reconsider your choice.

Or if you`re a person who easily gets restless, may not go well with a person who likes to take things slow. However, this can go both ways. There are no obvious solutions. That`s why you should compromise before and during your trip.

If you`re going to travel with several people, make sure you know them well. Only you know if you are comfortable travelling with these people.



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If you already have a travel companion, here are the tips you should follow:

Sit down and compromise on where, when and what to see and do. It`s better to discuss and disagree as much as possible before departure, than during your trip.

Make sure you know your personal space. If you want to do something on your own, let your partner know. It`s just healthy for your travelling relationship to do separate activities.



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If you don`t have a travel companion, here are tips for travelling solo:

If you want to go solo, that`s ok as well.

When traveling alone, you are never really alone. You`ll always meet other travellers, make new friends and someone might even become your (new) travel companion.

I travelled alone for almost three months, and I met people from every corner of the world. It was fun!!!
However, travelling alone has both its ups and downs:

The ups are:

You get to plan your trip in your own pace, see the things you want to see and be with people you want to be with.

If you get restless, you can just move on without thinking of anyone else but you.

You are never really alone. If you like some company, you can do that easily. If you want your personal space, you don`t need to tell anyone that you need space... cause you`re on your own!

What I`m about to say may sound like a clichè to you...

But when you`re travelling learn alone, you will learn so much about yourself. Things you would only realise when you`re backpacking solo.

I will mention a couple of examples:

• Independency

• Determination

• Patience

• Judgement

• Your instinct will get even better

• And not to mention: Survival

It`s your biggest lesson in life!

So, solo travellers should be proud of themselves, after been backpacking alone in unknown and new countries!

The downs are:

You want to go to the toilet when waiting for the train, but there`s no one there to watch your backpack for you.

It`s more expensive to travel alone when it comes to accommodation and transport. That means you don`t have anyone to share a room with, or to split the taxi bill with.

Even though you meet a traveller during your trip and accompany each other, it`s sometimes better to share memories with a friend you`ll actually see every day after you`ve returned home.



Backpacker Couples

Traveling with your boy/girlfriend for the first time?

Traveling with your loved one can be fun and exciting! Being abroad spices up the relationship, and you get to do cool things together.

But as you can imagine, it also puts your relationship to a test.

Like with other backpackers traveling in groups, your patience, tolerance and your ability to compromise will be tested.

But I have to admit that when you have a disagreement/argument with your boy/girlfriend, it can be far more emotional than it would have been with a traveling friend. That speaks for itself. How you manage to solve that is all up to you guys -- TALK.

I personally didn't have any problems traveling with my ex-boyfriend in Malaysia in June 2009 (we haven't broken up because of the trip if someone was wondering about that... ;)

We had been together for two years and knew each other pretty well. But we're not perfect and we argued once in a while. We talked it through and everything was alright again.

All I can say is that if you manage to "survive" a long backpacking trip together, you'll know each other in ways you'd never discover back home.

PS! The only visible downside (which I've seen) is that several backpacker couples stay too close.

When you're backpacking, get to know other travelers and try not to be too consumed by each other the whole time.

I've experienced that travelers in general seek solo backpackers or a bunch of travelers, instead of a backpacker couple cuddling each other in the back of a pub...


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How much money will it cost me?



This highly depends on how long you`re going to travel, and what kind of vacation you want to have.

Do you want to live on rock-buttom budget, mid-range or a mix of it?

It`s cheap in Asia, especially in India.

The prices have gone a little higher though because of the financial crisis, but it`s still cheap to stay there.

In my opinion if you`re not one of those who is losing their job and actually lives the same life as before the crisis, it`s still important to travel and use money.

As you`ve probably heard, this makes the money flow in society. Countries like Thailand have tourism as their livelihood, and is dependent on backpackers and tourists.

Here are a few things you should consider when deciding a travel budget:

1. Either you`re studying and considering a sabbath year, or you`re in a career -- find out how long you can be away from work or studies.

2. It`s better to have more than enough cash on a shorter trip, than being on a survival level on a longer trip.

3. Even though it`s cheap in Asia, there are strong variations in prices - it can be more "expensive" on Koh Phi Phi island than in Chiang Mai. And if you`re going to see the Angkor Temples in Cambodia, you`ll have to expect to pay around 35 dollars for a day-trip.

4. Save up more than enough money. There wil be unexpected expenses, and you have to be able to handle this.

   My main rule is to save an amount that equals 1/3 of your travel budget, and put this in a separate account.

5. If you get tired of staying at hostels and guest houses during your trip, that`s normal. You can spend a few nights at a hotel or a resort, but the luxury will of course cost you extra money.

6. Even though you`ve planned to stay on low-priced guest houses the entire trip, the chances of changing your mind during your vacation are big.

   Example: You think you can survive without air-conditioner pre-departure. But when you`ve been hit by the hot climate in Cambodia, the chances of altering your plans are huge. A room with air-conditioner cost more than without...

7. You should have money left when returning home. You`ll need the time to relax, and not go straight to work right away.



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So, you want to know exactly how much it will cost you?

Let`s face it. You can never know exactly how much you`re going to spend. I can`t think of any backpacker who has used the budget they planned from the start...

But I will still give you examples of how much it will cost you.

Don`t forget that your budget highly depends on how much beers, activities etc. you`re planning on.

The prices listed below are for the high season. It`s even cheaper during the low season. If you`re travelling during the low season, cut the prices for accommodation with 30-50 %.




Budget Example in the high season:

Daily costs (dorms, food stalls and local transport):

India, Laos, Cambodia and Northern Thailand: 8-15 dollars
In India, you can survive on 8 dollars a day. In Laos: 9-10 dollars a day.
Cambodia: 11-13 dollars a day
Southern Thailand (most islands): 10-18 dollars
Malaysia: 20-25 US dollars


Daily costs (mid-range accommodation, better-quality food and use of minibuses/VIP buses)

India, Laos, Cambodia and Northern Thailand: 20-25 dollars
Southern Thailand: around 25-30 dollars
Malaysia: 30-35 US dollars







Additional Costs

Here are the costs for the typical backpacker activities in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and India:
Budget Example (average prices):

Listed prices are subject to change
(last updated April 2009)
Thailand

PADI Open Water Diving course: 11 000-12 000 B

Snorkelling equipment rental: 50 B per day

Long-tail boat rental: 2000 B (250-300 B per person if sharing full boat)

Bike rental: 50-80 per day

Bicycle rental: 30 B

Tuk-Tuk/taxi in Bangkok & Chiang Mai: 50 B in Chiang Mai, 30-150 B in Bangkok (depends on distance)

Internet surfing: 20-40 B per hour


Laos

Tubing: 5000 Kip

Caving (Vang Vieng): 30 000-40 000 Kip (Songthaew + fee bridge crossing + guide + tube rental)

Bike rental for day trips: 8 USD dollars a day

Bicycle rental: 10 000 Kip per day

Sharing a full Songthaew: 2000 Kip per person

Internet surfing: 100-200 Kip per minute (Luang Prabang), 1000 Kip per minute (Don Det).


Cambodia

Angkor trip: 30-35 dollars (1 day pass + Tuk-Tuk + entry fee Landmine Museum)

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum: 2 USD dollars

Killing Fields: 3 USD dollars

Bike rental: 3-4 USD dollars

Bicycle rental: 2 USD dollars

Transport around town (Tuk-Tuk): 2000 riel = half a dollar (if you bargain hard, or else 2 USD dollars)

Internet surfing: 4000 riel


India

Bike rental: 80-250 rupees per day (depends on bike model and where you`re renting it)

Internet surfing: 25-50 rupees per hour (Mumbai), 60-80 rupees (Goa)

Malaysia

Here are some average prices for Malaysia!





Currency converter ...

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You`re done with Getting Started Backpacking, where do you want to go next?

How to find the best backpacking insurance?

Check out my backpacking checklist!

Need tips on packing?

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