Backpacking SEA Travel Guide

We actually call it "flashpacking" (backpacking in a flash). We traveled in 3 countries in just 9 days. A lot of people we met on the road, said we were crazy for doing this. But I love doing crazy things, so what haha.

our route

Our trip started from BKK in Thailand and ended in HCMC in Vietnam. We traveled overland so 3 days just merely went to transiting from country to country. Yeah, I know it was absurd but it was fun! I travel not only to see beautiful sights but also for unique experiences. And we don't get to experience border crossings in our archipelagic country, so why not give it a try? Shallow me. ;)



Below is a sample itinerary based on our trip.


Backpacking South East Asia Sample Itinerary:


Day 0: Off to BKK

0600pm - Check-in at NAIA Terminal 3

0935pm - ETD MNL

1150pm - ETA at BKK

*Sleeping at the airport on the 1st night is an option if you are traveling solo. My flight was delayed so I arrived in BKK at around 2:00 AM already. Why pay for a room when you'll only spend a few hours on it?

My account of Day 0 to Day 1 can be found here:
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/08/traipsing-thailand-all-by-myself.html


Day 1: Bangkok Siam Tour

0500am - Transport to your accommodation location

0700am - Check-in at the hotel
0800am - Rest
0930am - Go to a Money Changer
1000am - Start City Tour

• Siam Paragon 
• Siam Ocean World 
• Siam Discovery
• Mah Boon Krong (MBK)
• Bangkok Art and Culture Center 
• Jim Thompson’s House
• Central World Plaza
• Amarin Plaza

0700pm - Dinner
0900pm - Rest and Sleep

Read about the hotel where I first stayed in BKK from this link:
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-holiday-in-bkk.html

Day 2: Grand Palace and Rattanakosin Walking Tour

0600am - Go to KSR

0700am - Check-in at the guesthouse

0730am - Breakfast
0800am - Start of Tour

• Grand Palace (Open 830am to 330pm)
• Wat Pho or House of Reclining Buddha
• Wat Arun or The Temple of Dawn

1200nn - Lunch somewhere

Ratchadamnoen or Royal Ave Walking Tour:

• Democracy Monument 
• Queens Gallery 
• Wat Ratchanatdaram 
• Loha Prasat
• Wat Theprithidaram
• Phrakan Fortress
• Phukhao Thong or Golden Mount
• Giant Swing 
• War Suthat

0500pm - Go home and freshen up.
0700pm - Dinner
0800pm - onwards -Khao San Road Night Life

My Day 2 journals can be found here:
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/09/bangkok-historical-walking-tour.html
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/09/thai-food-trip-and-khao-san-by-night.html



Day 3: Thailand to Cambodia Overland Border Crossing

0430am - Go to Hua Lamphong Train Station
0555am - ETD Bangkok
1135am - ETA Aranyaprathet
1200nn - Cross the border to Poipet, Cambodia
* Ride the free shuttle service to the bus terminal
0100pm - ETD Poipet
0400pm - ETA Siem Reap
0430pm - Check-in at the guesthouse/hotel
0600pm - onwards -Dinner, Explore the city

If you want to find out how we crossed this notorious border, click here:
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/09/aranyaprathet-thailands-border-to.html
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/10/entering-kingdom-of-cambodia.html



Day 4: Angkor Wat Tour Part 1

0400am - Catch sunrise in Angkor Wat

0700am - Breakfast
0800am - Start of tour

• South Gate of the Angkor Thom
• Bayon
• Baphoun 
• Elephant Terrace 
• Terrace of Leper king 
• Ta Keo 
• Ta Prohm

1200nn - Break for Lunch

• Banteay Kdei 
• Sras Srang
• Angkor Wat

0500pm - Back to guesthouse

0600pm - Buffet Dinner with Apsara Show
0900pm - Siem Reap Night Market

Angkor What? Click and find out:
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-majestic-temples-of-angkor.html



Day 5: Angkor Wat Tour Part 2

0700am - Breakfast
0800am - Start tour

• Pre Rup 
• Bantay Srei 
• Bantay Samre 

1200nn Break for Lunch

• Tasom 
• Preah Khan 
• Sunset at Phnom Bakheng

0600pm - Back to guesthouse
0700pm - Dinner
0800pm - onwards -Nightlife in Pub St

Read more about Siem Reap's enigmatic beauty from this link:
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/11/getting-lost-in-time-and-temples-in.html

Day 6: Phnom Pehn

0600am - Go to the Bus Terminal
0700am - ETD Siem Reap
0100pm - ETA Phnom Pehn

0130pm - Check-in at the guesthouse

0200pm - Start your own City Tour

• The Royal Palace
• The National Museum 
• The Silver Pagoda 
• Wat Phnom 
• Wat Ounalom 
• Independence Monument 
• Central Market
• Tou Sleng
• Choueng Ek 

0700pm - Dinner

0800pm - Hang out in Sisowath Quay

*You will not have enough time to see all those listed attractions in half day. If you want to visit all of them, spend a day or two in Phnom Penh. :)

If you're interested to see Phnom Penh, have a glimpse of it here:

http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/11/phnom-penh-layover-and-unforgettable.html

Day 7: Cambodia to Vietnam Overland Border Crossing

0630am - Shuttle service pick up to the terminal 

0645am - ETD Phnom Pehn

0100pm - ETA Ho Chi Minh City

0130pm - Check-in at the hotel

0200pm - Start your own City Tour

• City Hall 
• Opera house 
• Notre Dame Cathedral 
• Reunification Palace
• Ho Chi Minh City Museum

0600pm - Dinner

0700pm - onwards -Water Puppet Show or Go Night Market Shopping in Ben Thanh

French colonial structures? Visit Saigon:
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/12/lost-in-saigon.html



Day 8: Cu Chi Tunnel Tour and Shopping

0700am - Breakfast
0800am - Cu Chi Tour pick up

0900am - Start of Tour

0130pm - End of Tour

0200pm - Late Lunch

0300pm - onwards -Souvenir shopping

0600pm - check-out from the hotel

0700pm - Dinner and Socials

0900pm - Airport Transfer

1000pm - Check-in at Tan son Nhat Airport

Know more about Vietnam, check this out:
http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/12/cu-chi-tunnel-tour-and-our-last-night.html

Day 9: Fly back to Manila

0100am - ETD HCMC

0430am - ETA MNL



Accommodation Information:

Bangkok (Siam Area):
Holiday Inn Bangkok
I have all info in this entry:

http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-holiday-in-bkk.html

Bangkok (Khao San Road):
New Joe Guesthouse
Address: 81 Trokmayom Chakrapongse Rd. Taladyod, Bangkok 10200
Contact No: +66 2 281 2948
Website: http://www.newjoeguesthouse.com/index.html

Room Rates: THB 400-550 for Double Occupancy; THB 500-750 for Triple Occupancy

Siem Reap

Victory Guest House

Address: Road 6 Taphoul Village Svaydungkom Commune Siem Reap, Cambodia
Contact No: (855) 012 516 566; (855) 012 451 286
Website: http://www.victoryguesthouse.com/index.php

Room Rates: USD 7-12 for Single Rooms; USD 11-15 for Double and Twin Rooms; USD 15-20 for Triple

Siem Reap

Bou Savy Guest House

My complete review is written here:

http://itraveltolive.blogspot.com/2012/11/where-to-stay-in-siem-reap-bou-savy.html

Phnom Penh

Royal Guesthouse and Cafe Bar

***I am not putting up their info. Definitely not recommended.***


Ho Chi Minh City

Red Sun Hotel

Address: 283/17 Pham Ngu Lao Street, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam District 1
Contact No:
Website: They don't have one but you can find them in Agoda, Hostelbookers and Hostelworld

Room Rates: USD 9 for Standard Double

Summary of Expenses:

Pre-Departure:

PHP  150.00 - Taxi to NAIA T3
         750.00 - Terminal fee
        1620.00- Travel Tax
         ----------
PHP 2520.00 - Total Pre-Departure Expenses

Thailand:

Miscellaneous:

THB  199.00 - Happy Simcard
            60.00 - Prepaid Load
            15.00 - Internet Cafe
          550.00 - Souvenirs

Transportation:
THB   40.00 - Van to Victory Monument
           76.00 - BTS and MRT (3 rides)
           19.50 - Bus (3 rides)
           30.00 - Taxi to Hua Lamphong
           48.00 - Train to Aranyaprathet
           25.00 - Tuktuk to the Border
         300.00 - Poipet to Siem Reap Bus

Accommodation:

THB 175.00 - 1N New Joe Guesthouse (per pax)

Food:

THB 575.00 - 3 Days

Admission Fees:

THB 400.00 - Grand Palace
           50.00 - Wat Pho

Thailand Expenses:
THB  824.00 - Misc
          538.50 - Transpo
          175.00 - Accommodation
          575.00 - Food
          450.00 - Attraction Fees
---------------
THB 2562.50 - Total Expenses in Baht or
USD     84.00
 

Cambodia:

Miscellaneous:
USD  42.00 - Souvenirs, Laundry, Foot Massage


Transportation:
USD    2.00 - Tuktuk rides
            5.00 - Motorbike Rental (USD7/2pax) and Gas
            6.00 - Bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh

Accommodation and Tour Package:

USD 33.00 - BouSavy All-In Package in Siem Reap (USD 66 for 2pax)
           6.50 - Royal Guesthouse in Phnom Penh (USD 13 for 2)

Food:

USD  18.50 - 4 Days
          10.00 - Buffet Dinner + Apsara Show

Tour:
USD  33.00 - Angkor 3-Day Pass
            1.00 - Sunrise Tour (not included in the package)
            1.00 - Tour Guide
            2.00 - Toul Sleng Museum Entrance Fee

Cambodia Expenses:

USD   42.00 - Misc
           13.00 - Transpo
           39.50 - Accommodation
           28.50 - Food
           37.00 - Attraction Fees
--------------
USD 160.00 - Total Expenses in Cambo

Vietnam:

Miscellaneous:
USD   21.00 - Souvenirs

Transportation:
USD   10.00 - Bus from Phnom Penh to HCMC
             3.50 - Motorbike Rental
             4.00 - Taxi Tan Son Nhat Airport


Accommodation:
USD     7.00 - Red Sun Hotel (1.5 days per pax)

Food:

USD   10.00 - 2 Days


Tour:
USD     1.00 - HCMC Museum Entrance Fee
             6.00 - Cu Chi Tunnel Tour


Vietnam Expenses:

USD   21.00 - Misc
           17.50 - Transpo
             7.00 - Accommodation
           10.00 - Food
           10.75 - Attraction Fees
--------------
USD   66.25 - Total Expenses in Vietnam


Total Trip Expenses:
USD   84.00 - Thailand
         160.00 - Cambodia
           66.25 - Vietnam
--------------
USD 310.25 or
PHP 15,000+++ (based on the international exchange rate that time)
          2,520 - Pre-Departure Fees
--------------
PHP 17,520+++


*That amount does not include my airfare and my 1 night stay at the hotel in BKK where I used my employee rate. It only refers to the cash I spent during the actual trip. My airline tickets are prepaid since I booked it months before the trip and my hotel stay was post paid because I used my credit card. Traveling in South East Asia is relatively cheap! What are you waiting for? :)