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🎒 NEW 39 Backpacker Guides Live — SE Asia, South America, Europe & more · From £12/day →
// Southeast Asia

Southeast
Asia

The world's greatest backpacker circuit — and somehow more than that every single time.

Southeast Asia is where most people fall in love with travelling. The food alone — banh mi in Hoi An, green curry on a Koh Tao beach, Balinese nasi goreng before a temple at sunrise — is worth the flight. Add ancient ruins, volcanic landscapes, extraordinary affordability and the warmest people you'll meet anywhere, and you have the most compelling travel region on earth. The classic overland route runs Bangkok → Chiang Mai → Laos → Vietnam → Cambodia → (fly to) Bali, or in reverse. Most people allow 4–8 weeks and wish they had longer.

// Where to Go

Destination Guides

Bali
Indonesia
Bali
Rice terraces, sacred temples and a spiritual pull that keeps people returning.
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 Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Ha Long Bay at dawn, Hoi An lanterns and the best street food on earth.
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Thailand
Thailand
Islands, temples, elephant sanctuaries and night markets that go until 4am.
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Cambodia
Angkor Wat
The world's greatest temple complex — one of Asia's most moving destinations.
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Southeast Asia
Singapore
Four cultures, extraordinary hawker food and the world's most efficient city-state.
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Philippines
El Nido & Palawan
7,641 islands and the clearest shallow-water reefs in Asia.
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Bali
Rice terraces, sacred temples and a spiritual pull that keeps people returning.
Explore →
// Budget Routes

Backpacker Guides

🐘£15–£35/day
Thailand
Backpacker Guide
🛵£15–£30/day
Vietnam
Backpacker Guide
🏛️£12–£25/day
Cambodia
Backpacker Guide
🛶£12–£22/day
Laos
Backpacker Guide
🦧£18–£35/day
Malaysia
Backpacker Guide
🌋£15–£35/day
Indonesia
Backpacker Guide
🏝️£15–£30/day
Philippines
Backpacker Guide
// Book Activities

Experiences Worth Booking

🎟️
Ha Long Bay Overnight Cruise

Two nights on a junk boat among the limestone karsts — the definitive Vietnam experience.

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🎟️
Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour, Cambodia

The temples at dawn with a guide who brings the Khmer Empire back to life.

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🎟️
Ubud Temple & Rice Terrace Tour, Bali

Tirta Empul holy spring, Tegallalang terraces and a traditional cooking class.

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🎟️
Thai Islands Hopping Tour

Snorkelling reefs, white sand and the classic full moon party circuit.

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// When to Go

Season guide

Nov–Feb: Dry season for mainland Southeast Asia — Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia. Best overall window. Mar–May: Hot and increasingly humid before the monsoon. Jun–Oct: Monsoon on the mainland, but east coast Thai islands (Koh Samui, Koh Tao) have their own dry season. Bali dry season is May–September. There is genuinely no bad time if you match your route to the weather.

// Need to Know

Before you go

✈️

Visa on arrival for most Western passports in Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam. Always verify before travel.

🚌

Book buses and trains through hostels or 12Go.Asia — not from street touts who add large markups.

🏥

Travel insurance is non-negotiable. Medical care is good in Bangkok and HCMC but expensive for foreigners.

💵

ATMs work well in cities. Carry cash in rural areas — many island restaurants and small guesthouses are cash-only.

🍜

Street food from high-turnover stalls is almost always safer than tourist restaurants. Higher turnover = fresher.

// Bespoke Planning

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