Transportation in south east asia

[Pranav]

Transportation – The easiest and cheapest way to get around Asia is by bus. A bus will take you everywhere and anywhere you want to go, no matter how far. The backpacker trail is so worn that there is a very well established and oiled tourist bus system to take you anywhere. Buses costs vary between $5-8 USD for a 5-6 hours journey. Overnight buses cost $10-15 USD depending on distance. Local public transportation costs from a few pennies to a few dollars. In Bangkok, the public bus costs 4 THB (10 cents) while in the above and underground trains (they one of each) costs 35 THB ($1 USD). In Singapore, the local train system starts at 1.40 SGD ($1 USD).

Taxis and tuk-tuks (small shared taxis with no meter) will require a bit of haggling and cost more than local transportation. Taxis and tuk-tuks are normally double to triple what the local transportation is and you often have to haggle for the price. They start really high and you work towards something you are willing to pay. Eventually, you come to a conclusion, which is usually about half the price they started with.

Outside of Thailand and the Singapore-Bangkok train (which is long and overpriced), train service is limited and not worth considering.

For flights, Air Asia and Tiger Airways can get you around the region cheap and fast. They often have incredible sales so if you’re in a rush, these two airlines can get you where you need to go!

[Pranav]

The backpacking trail through Southeast Asia is well worn. People have been traveling it since the 1970s. Starting in beautiful Thailand, the trail makes its way to up-and-coming Laos, through Vietnam, and through the temples of Angkor Wat. It then heads back into Thailand, where people head south to party in the Thai Islands before moving down to into Malaysia and Singapore. There are a few variations on the trail but this is what it mostly covers. The warm months of November-April draw the biggest crowds. Everyone is escaping the cold in Europe, and it’s not too hot in the region. Despite the vastness of the region, the tourist trail is much more uniform in many ways than Europe. Prices can be quite similar in places, transportation types don’t vary too much, and general travel advice is usually the same.

[Pranav]

Accommodation – Accommodation in Southeast Asia is really cheap. You can find dorm rooms for as little as 8,000-20,000 KHR or 16,000-40,500 LAK ($2-5 USD) in parts of Cambodia and Laos. In Thailand, you will typically pay 200-440 THB ($6-13 USD) per night. In Vietnam, expect to pay 100,000-175,000 VND ($5-8 USD). In Indonesia, between 100,000-135,000 IDR ($8-10 USD). Throughout the region, you typically expect to pay around $15-20 per night for a private room with A/C. Prices are higher in the cities and touristy areas (and especially on the touristy islands) and lower in rural areas. You can usually stay cheaply by booking hostels and guesthouses, so Couchsurfing and Airbnb don’t really need to be used here. Budgeting $10-20 USD per night for accommodation is pretty safe no matter where you go in Southeast Asia.

There is no need to book accommodation in advance when traveling around Southeast Asia. Backpackers have the tendency to just show up and book a room on the spot. I only book the first night’s accommodation in any city (which is only because I’m usually too tired to walk around looking for a place to sleep at that point).

[Pranav]

In Southeast Asia, street food is the most popular form of eating. On average, these meals cost no more than $1.50 USD. You find these stalls throughout this region lining major streets and at the markets. In Thailand, you even find markets specifically for street food. In Singapore, you’ll find street food (or “hawker stands” as they are called there) to be around 4.25 SGD ($3 USD) for a meal. Even if you go into small local restaurants, the price does not increase that much. Food you can find for $1.50 USD at a street stall will only cost $3-5 USD at a local restaurant. Western meals, including burgers, bad pizza, sandwiches, cost around $5 USD for cheaply made food. This is going to be the most expensive part of your food budget. If you want something that actually tastes like it does back home, you’re looking at spending at least $10 USD for your meal. In the mood for a really nice bowl of pasta? $8 USD. Want a deliciously made steak? At least $20 USD. In short, even though the food is cheaper than back home, it is expensive by local standards and eating a lot of western food will diminish your ability to spend little in this region.

[JeslynL · Accepted solution]

Hi @Pranav. Thanks for sharing these valuable tips for those who are planning to travel through Southeast Asia. However, it looks like this post, along with your other posts, is originally from this site. Please give credit where credit is due or we will remove your posts. 

We always encourage community members to share original content. Feel free to take a look at the different boards here to get inspiration from what others have shared! 

[Pranav]

Hey @JeslynL this not from this site i have sorted this info from various webpages 

check it out i am just helping people to get more knowledge about places 

[JeslynL]

Hi @Pranav, as mentioned to you, if you have gotten these information from other web sources, please credit all of them or we will have to remove your posts. Moving forward, if you wish to continue to share information from other web pages, you can insert a link instead of copying/pasting all information, as that may infringe some copyright rules. 

[Pranav]

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@JeslynL wrote:

Hi @Pranav, as mentioned to you, if you have gotten these information from other web sources, please credit all of them or we will have to remove your posts. Moving forward, if you wish to continue to share information from other web pages, you can insert a link instead of copying/pasting all information, as that may infringe some copyright rules. 

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@JeslynL Ok will do that give me some time