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Paris, France
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Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok is the most obvious place to start backpacking in Southeast Asia. For
starters, it’s a major airline hub so it is very easy to get to. Flights also
tend to be more reasonably priced than ones to other Southeast Asian cities
which often pass through Bangkok anyway. It is one of the most westernised
cities in the region so the culture shock is less than if you landed straight
into Vietnam or Laos. It also offers you a chance to stock up on anything you
may need for your trip with prices much cheaper than back home but still with
great choice. Bangkok is very much base camp for travellers in Southeast Asia.
Love it or loathe it, chances are you’ll be back again before too long.
- Lumphini Park (สวนลุมพินี)
- Bangkok: Railway & Floating Market Tour with Paddleboat Ride
- The Grand Palace (พระบรมมหาราชวัง)
- Wat Arun Prang (พระปรางค์วัดอรุณฯ)
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Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia
Siem Reap has grown from nothing into a thriving little town thanks to its
proximity to the country’s main pride and joy, the magnificent Temples of Angkor
Wat, an essential stop for anyone backpacking in Cambodia or indeed Southeast
Asia as a whole. If you’re a fairly well travelled person, you’ve probably been
to some ancient ruin that was in all the guidebooks and been left thoroughly
disappointed at the crappy little pile of rocks that you paid to go and see.
Angkor Wat however is in a different league with hundreds of impressive ruins
spread out over a large area of jungle. In short, it’s a pretty amazing place.
In Siem Reap itself there are few sights but some decent bars on Pub Street and
plenty of great food.
- Angkor Archaelogical Park
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Phnom Penh, Cambodia
On the surface Phnom Penh is a pleasant, aesthetically pleasing and surprisingly
peaceful capital city with lots of monks. Dig a little deeper and it’s an often
lawless, poverty stricken place where just about anything goes. Welcome to
Cambodia. It’s easy to lose yourself in Phnom Penh and in the past you would
hear all sorts of bizarre stories of everything from backpackers supposedly
blowing up cows with rocket launchers, attending cock fighting matches and
taking easily available drugs. The infamous lakeside district where many
backpackers used to stay is no more and the city has calmed down a little as a
result from a traveller’s perspective. It is though, still a place with a dark
history and you can spend some time reflecting and trying to understand the
horrors that took place here all too recently during the days of Pol Pot and the
Khmer Rouge by visiting the Killing Fields and a former prison where
unimaginable horrors took place. There are also some stunning temples and
palaces which could grace any of the finest cities on the planet. Inequality is
everywhere in Cambodia and Phnom Penh demonstrates it better than anywhere else.
- The Royal Palace (ព្រះបរមរាជាវាំងនៃរាជាណាចក្រកម្ពុជា)
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Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
HCMC (AKA Saigon) is the biggest city in the country and has by some
considerable margin the largest backpacker scene in Vietnam. Hit the Pham Ngu
Lao traveller area and you will find numerous cheap places to eat, sleep and
drink. The area is busy until late and has cuisines from literally all over the
world. The moto drivers here will compete for your business non-stop so it’s
easy to get anywhere else in town. Ho Chi Minh City also has lots of sights
relating to the war such as the Cu Chi Tunnel but the modern day city centre is
also a quite unique, although often overwhelming experience with crazy traffic
and very busy neighbourhoods.
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Hanoi, Vietnam
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Luang Prabang, Laos
French and Indochinese culture met here and resulted in an enchanting city, one
of the highlights of Laos. The Old Quarter on the banks of the river is home to
an array of temples and museums. Meanwhile the night market is another big draw
for travellers. There are also plenty of companies offering trekking, biking and
kayaking opportunities.
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Chiang Mai, Thailand
The northern city of Chiang Mai is an intellectual kind of place with an
alternative vibe and many travellers prefer it to Bangkok. It’s a good spot to
study traditional Thai practices such as massage and meditation. It is also the
best place to base yourself for exploring or trekking into the jungle and ethnic
minority villages near the city. It’s also a good place to hang around for a few
months if you fancy living in Southeast Asia as opposed to merely travelling
through it and it has grown into one of the world’s most popular digital nomad
destinations. It features in our article on cheap places to live in Asia with
the cost of living (and indeed cost of travel!) very low.
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Mueang Chiang Rai, Thailand
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Phuket, Thailand
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Krabi, Thailand
Back on the Thai mainland and now the Andaman Coast, hit the popular beaches of
Ao Nang, Tang Sei and Rai Leh. Crash out in a cheap guesthouse or bungalows on
one of the beaches. There are also more opportunities for the active traveller
here so if you’re bored of lazing around all day, try your hand at rock
climbing, a popular activity on Hat Ton Sai and Hat Rai Leh AKA Railay Beach,
another favourite spot with anyone backpacking Southeast Asia.
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Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Malaysian capital is a developed modern city. There is some excellent
shopping and lively nightlife here in the Golden Triangle, home of the iconic
Petronas Twin Towers, two of the tallest buildings in the world. It is more
expensive than most places on the route but still very cheap by Western
standards. Read about the cost of travel in Malaysia to compare costs here to
other countries in the region and beyond.
- Petronas Twin Towers (PETRONAS Twin Towers)
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Denpasar, Indonesia