How to spend a month in SE Asia?
 

How would you spend a month in SE Asia if you were a 26 year old straight male who hasn't ever been out of the USA and doesn't have much money to spend? And the traveling would be in August... And you prefer being around lots of people and beaches with a few sights thrown in. :D

My friend just got back from Thailand and she said the Full Moon Party was an incredible experience.

I've been to Nha Trang in Vietnam and find it's a good mix of partying and scenery. Ha Long Bay in the north and Hoi An in the center of Vietnam are beautiful but the cities are more for relaxing.

Malaysia and the Philippines would also be a good bet. Which part of S.E. Asia would you be flying into..?? Can plan an itinerary accordingly

I haven't booked a flight yet. Which cities in Malaysia and Philippines are you thinking about? Have you been to each? If so, what was it like?

andrewluu, thanks for the advice.

Having been all around SE Asia i would go for Thailand for my first trip. Easy to get there and cheap to explore different places. Maybe i would stay week in BKK for starters or last if you are a heavy shopper. There is lots of good clubs, history and sight-seeing and of course plenty to buy cheaply. You can also swim and sunbath if you choose your hotel wisely with great pool.

After being in BKK i would head to some beach and be there for a week or so. Phuket has lot of good beaches but there is also lot of tourists. Pattaya is for party animals with not good beaches. What comes to Philippines it's a bit more trickier to travel and i wouldn't suggest city like Manila for a first time SE-Asia traveller. Beaches are the best in the world and the water is clear. Boracay for example is great place.

joorinainen, thanks for the advice. Do you have a hotel that you recommend in BKK? What can I expect to pay?

I have been here few times: http://www.pullmanbangkokkingpower.com/ great pool and great hotel, it's a bit off the track so you need taxi of skytrain to get around. They are inexpensive so that isn't a problem. Something aroung 100usd/night.

Another place that i found great for location and cheap accomodation was this place: http://www.presidentpalacehotel.com/. 85usd/night or you can get the club-room which has "unlimited drinks" for something around 100usd/night if you are a heavy drinker. This hotel is not as plush as that Pullman but it has great location. 5min walk from skytrain and it's surrounded by lot's of shops etc. Pool isn't nearly as good as Pullman's.

If you have never been outside of the USA, then I would recommend Thailand. I would avoid Vietnam for your first trip unless you are going with somebody else. Cambodia/Angkor Wat is nice, but if you travel with other people you can share the costs of the tours.

My first trip to Thailand, I hated Bangkok. Busy, dirty, expensive. The small towns around Thailand were much more appealing to me. After a few trips I really started to appreciate Bangkok for it's public transportation, taxis, able to buy food at night, and plethora of things to do. Of course it is still expensive compared to the small towns :p


Whatever you decide you are bound to have some great times and have many unforgettable experiences.


$100 a night is inexpensive? Wow.

bor you can EASILY find good accommodation closer to $25 per night in Bangkok

Agree. I am amazed that anybody would consider $100 a night in Bangkok "inexpensive." Remember you must judge on an absolute basis, by local standards, not by some benchmark based on your home country.

I think Thailand is good for an initial foray into SE Asia--good infrastructure, easy to travel, easy to meet people. But I wouldn't suggest spending your entire month there. I would say that limiting this trip to some of the surrounding mainland countries of SE Asia makes the most logistical and financial sense rather than heading overwater to Indonesia or the Philippines--save those for the future. In addition to Thailand, you should consider Cambodia and perhaps Laos. I'm not as averse to sending a first-timer to Vietnam, but I think given time constraints and the fact that a good Vietnam sampler trip really takes 2-3 weeks at least, I'd put that off unless your research puts in high on your priority list. All of these countries work well for a solo traveler on a budget. You don't need to take group tours for anything unless you want to (or to split costs)--and most activities can be arranged in real time as you go. In the other direction, peninsular Malaysia is OK but more developed and more expensive. My personal favorite, Myanmar, is probably better suited to a more experienced independent traveler and it won't have the fellow traveler-meeting possibilities or nightlife that you might be looking for.

Remember that in August, Andaman-side beaches of Thailand such as Phuket, Lanta, Khao Lak will be subject to monsoonal rain patterns, and water will generally be too rough for swimming and uncomfortable for boating. Services to outlying islands may be curtailed. If part of this trip will be beach-oriented--consider the Gulf of Thailand side instead. Skip Pattaya area entirely.

Wow.. I wrote "..it's a bit off the track so you need taxi or skytrain to get around. They are inexpensive so that isn't a problem.." ;)

Thanks to everyone who's contributed! At this point I'm pretty set on going to Thailand, given all the suggestions to do such. As for taking a side trip into Cambodia, I'd like to but I've got safety concerns after reading some articles. Can you guys give me an idea of how safe it is to travel to Cambodia from Thailand? Also, can you give me a general idea of how safe it is to travel alone around Thailand, not just Bangkok and Phuket but including the outlying towns and cities?

It is safe in Thailand if you behave correctly and keep common sense in mind. Like everywhere else

Thailand is overall a very safe country to travel in, as long as you stay on the right side of the law and behave with respect for the local culture and people.

Cambodia might be a bit more rough. You always hear stories but personally I have newer had any problems in Cambodia either. To take one of the AC buses from Bangkok to Phnom Penh is probably less risky than taking the subway in New York at noon.

I've always heard stories about the bus between Cambodia and Thailand, so I just flew. It's not cheap, but it is fast and easy.

There are tons of buses traveling between Thailand and Cambodia and a lot of them are probably a bit risky. I have only used the buses catered for tourists that travel all the way between Bangkok and Phnom Penh.