Is it really that cheap to fly around Asia?
 

I am in the process of quitting my job and planning a once in a lifetime trip 'backpacking' through all the countries and places I want to go.

Only one problem: it is too expensive, even using the lowest kinds of accommodation (i.e. Hiltons ;)).

So it becomes clear that I am spending too much on flights.

You would have thought that a basic circuit of:

LHR-DXB-DEL with Emirates
DEL-BKK-NRT with Thai
NRT-ICN-PEK with Korean
PEK-KUL-DPS with Malaysia Airlines
DPS-SIN-LHR with Singapore Airlines

...which amounts to be a brilliant £1500 for all 10 flights combined, would provide the basis for further exploration of each area in between the core flights listed above.

However, when you add on stuff such as BKK-RGN, or DPS-JOG, with Air Asia, or the Shinkansen through the rest of Japan to Hiroshima or Osaka, the price begins to get a little silly, even allowing for cheap hostels once there.

I guess the point of this thread to ask how everyone else does it? How can you travel as much as possible but economically at the same time? Am I missing something here?

I've been living and traveling around Asia (mostly southeast) for the past two years. The budget airilnes are hit or miss with prices but generally are cheaper than airlines like Malaysia or Singapore. I've never tried the backpacking circuit route, though. Have you looked at FlyScoot, Jetstar, or Tiger? Also it depends on when you travel - if it's early next year, it'll coincide with Chinese New Year when prices become ludicrously expensive to countries like Malaysia, HK, Taiwan, etc. Hope that helps :)

The real saving with the Low Cost Carrier's comes when you book much in advance or when they announce a sale and are giving away tickets at low prices. But this required planning one's trip month's in advance..(Not sure what timeframe you have to your whole trip)

Between Tiger Airways, Jetstar & Air Asia you should be able to take in bulk of South East Asia for cheap.

It's worth emphasizing this! LCC prices can get silly close to the date of travel. Also count in the additional costs for bags and seat selection.

Consider overland travel in Indonesia. OK, a bit of over-water travel might be required :) Trains and buses work well and are comfortable enough, and surface trips can be interesting in many ways.

Suface travel also works well enough in Thailand and the Malaysian peninsula. Trains are cheap: overnight options can include beds for a small premium - and avoid hotel costs.

Good Suggestions..In fact certain routes like Ho Chi Minh City - Phnom Penh & Singapore - Kuala Lumpur have good road connectivity by reliable bus services. These definitely work out much cheaper than flying.

When I did a significant amount of travel in Asia there were lots of buses and 2nd class overnight sleeper trains. I would also concentrate on areas while you're taking in quite a disparate number of regions.

Unfortunately getting into Myanmar requires a flight. You might look into the Air Asia flight to Mandalay from Bangkok.

The SGN-PNH segment is ridiculously priced based upon the handful of times I checked it out. Even considering the ride often turns into a 10 hour bus expereince this would be my preferred method.

Just to clarify, I am planning to fly out of London to Dubai on Feb 17! :cool:

I want to spend as long travelling as my money will allow, with my return flight back to London on SQ not booked until nearer the time I am needing to return (will be an awards ticket anyway, redeeming my KF miles).

I liked the idea of SGN-PNH by bus, apart from the fact they were two cities I had no intention of visiting! :D Now, Siem Reap in Cambodia yes, and Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, and central Vietnam yes.

I have asked before about overland from Bangkok to Hanoi, via Siem Reap, and I was not impressed with my options. I have given up on that.

Whilst stationed in Bangkok for a few weeks, ideally I want to experience some 'MUST SEE' attractions in the region, such as Bagan, Shwedagon Paya, Maya Bay, Angkor Wat, Mekong River, Ha Long Bay, and My Son. So when we add all of that travel up, plus the cost of accommodation in each place, it brings me to conclude I must either cancel some of the plans, or get more clever in the planning phase. :p

Air Asia fly to Phomn Penh from Bangkok, so is it easy/cheap to get a bus to Siem Reap?

I could wait until I get to Kuala Lumpur before visiting Siem Reap (again, via Air Asia), the price of a return ticket KUL-REP is only around £100, so would I really save anything by doing the option above from BKK and taking a bus to Siem Reap?

SilkAir fly Siem Reap-Danang enroute back to SIN, but I imagine this is ridiculously priced. Shame, as I would have done it, and then the train up to Hanoi and then flew back to Bangkok, possibly via Luang Prabang.

Bangkok Airways BKK-REP
SilkAir REP-DAD
Reunification Express up to Hanoi
Lao Air HAN-LPQ-REP
Bangkok Airways REP-BKK

Consider signing up for email alerts for sales. Some of them can be real bargains but you nee to have somewhat of a definite set of dates. Another trick is checking the websites during the early morning hours, local time. I've done this with LCCs in Philippines but I'm not totally sure if it applies to LCCs in other countries.

Your questions are getting insanely complicated :D Fuelled no doubt by our suggestions beyond your original itinerary. Tripadvisor could be a good friend: all the over-land routes you ask about are well-trod.

Air Asia certainly flies to PNH, but so does Bangkok Airways and that's a much nicer experience, sometimes no more expensive than Air Asia. Bangkok may still offer a sector-based air pass you can also use on Lao Airlines.

The bus Phnom Penh to Siem Reap is easy as anything, your hotel or any agency will book it for you or you can get from the bus company office. There are a number of companies: I've been happy with Mekong Express. Six hours or so with a comfort stop. My last ticket was $11. Taxi will be around five times that, or more, but worth considering if you are 1+

Siem Reap is also accessible by bus from Bangkok. While it's not the most straightforward journey, it's nowhere near as complicated/scary as some reports make out. Travelling the reverse route is less of a hassle.

Saigon you can get to by bus from Phnom Penh very easily, and there's a connecting service from Siem Reap. But remember you'll need to pick up a Vietnam visa before you leave: in the other direction you can (or could?) get a Cambodia visa at the border. The delightful hostesses on the bus help you through border formalities.

None of these trips will take more than a day:most much less. On the other hand Hanoi from Cambodia or Thailand would be very time-consuming by surface transport, and would require a degree of committment on your part!! Overland Saigon Hanoi is a straightfoward option: overnight by train or stop-off on the way.

Is it really that cheap to fly around Asia?
 

Japan. See if you can Purchase a JR Pass.

I found when I went the pass cost about the same as a Tokyo Kyoto one way on the
Shinkansen.

All JR trains including subways

Get more clever...aka stop thinking about Hiltons and points.

Fly to Yangon, train/bus to Bagan, train/bus back to Yangon, direct flight to Hanoi, train down to Saigon (make sure you stop in Da Nang so you can visit your son), boat/bus to Phnom Pehn, bus to Siem Reap, flight to Bangkok.

Accommodation should be around $20-$30 per night. Ha Long Bay could cost $100-$200 (up to you). Siem Reap to Bangkok is not the cheapest flight.

Cambodia Angkor Air, K6, is currently offering this segment at $49 ow. Booking and paying it might be more problematic than anticipated however.

I'm in Singapore and the introduction of Scoot to many popular destinations that SQ goes to has definitely made travelling cheaper.

Even outside of LCC, Cathay flying from Singapore to Hongkong or Tokyo is reasonable and not ridiculously expensive.

If you have loads of time and want to conserve budget, flying is not the way to hop around SE Asia. You should be taking train/bus combos.

http://www.seat61.com/Thailand.htm
http://www.seat61.com/Laos.htm
http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm

You get to spend overnights on the train (this conserves your budget into two places; trains are generally cheaper AND you cover staying somewhere).

To be honest, I don't see why you aren't doing a lot of open-jaw travel or sequencing things to go from region to region instead of doing an itinerary that takes you whipsawing from SE Asia to N. Asia and back again SE: DEL-BKK-NRT-ICN-PEK-KUL-DPS? Is that really the best way for the tickets to work out?

Also: if it's possible to obtain a modest quantity of UA miles (25,000 for Y, 35,000 for C), you get an intra-SE Asia award that may prove most useful to you: it can include one stopover and two open-jaws.