Trip to SE Asia? Worth it?

My Uncle sent me to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam on his dime, even paid me 141 bucks a month to go.

I have had better trips.

Seriously go, it is a great trip now, beautiful area.

Are trips ever not worth it?

Well, while I have income, I don't want to drop $2k on something that isn't enjoyable. By most accounts, this sounds like an awesome place for a young person to explore and have fun, but I am wondering if maybe it is overrated. I always go to letsrun for blunt, honest advice.

A part of me says don't go and get a sweet road bike instead since that is an investment that will pay enjoyment dividends a lot longer than 4 weeks.

Thanks for the input so far.

Hmmm, good point. I ask myself this with vacations too. I went on vacation last summer to Europe & on the plane ride home added up the sum & thought to myself about all the cool things I could have got instead that would last.

But on the other hand you learn so much from traveling & as gay as it sounds it does give you a different perspective on the world & life. Traveling is not that enjoyable compared to other ways to spend your money, but you grow & learn from it. It'll change you. Go for it.

ABSOLUTELY do it. You're going to be working full-time soon; when is the next time you'll get a month to dick off and travel? When you are working, you'll have the money to drop on a road bike -- but not the time to go on a monthlong trip like this. I think regardless of how "overrated" Thailand and area might be, if you have never been there, it would still make for an amazing trip. Do it.

I spent about a month in Cambodia back in January '09, one of the greatest, most life changing times of my life. Seriously, do it.

Get a Lonely Planet guide

Thailand is the most expensive of the 3, but still cheap. Easy enough to fly to BKK, stay on Khao San Rd. and get a bus to Samui/Phangan/Tao.

Laos - not as "accessible" for travellers. Nice place, very pretty and relaxed. Not much development at all. Where I plan to retreat if the whole world collapses.

Cambodia - Siem Reap/Angkor can be done from BKK in 3 days. The rest of the country is kind of a mess.

Thailand is the easiest bet

studies consistently show more satisfaction after purchase with consumption of experiences (trips, meals, entertainment, etc) rather than consumption of physical goods.

on top of that, SE asia is a great place to visit, a backpacker staple and set up well for it. maybe too well - you'll be surprised at how much english is spoken and how many european, australian and new zealander 18-25 or so year olds are milling about.

a couple items of advice:

- you should definitely travel somewhere during your break.

- if that place is SE asia, don't try to cram too much in. you'll have a better time visiting, say, 6-7 places over 21-25 days), than 12-14, even though 12-14 is possible.

- that part of the world is changing rapidly, and my last visit was just over 5 years ago, so take my specific advice with a grain of salt. that said, i'd recommend northern vietnam - hanoi, halong bay, maybe sapa or the mountains north of halong bay (ny times had a travel article about this region about 2 weeks back); central vietnam - hoi an and hue in particular; laos - mostly luang prabang; and siem reap in cambodia (angkor wat).

- you probably can't easily get to/from all of these places though, so an itinerary that includes all of them over 21-25 days may not be realistic.

- there are many other enjoyable places to visit in the region - bangkok, ko phi phi, phnom penh, saigon, nha trang, chiang mai, phuket, ko samui and on and on.

As someone with a couple kids and little ability to now travel (at least in the manner I'd like), I strongly suggest you travel as much as you possibly can while you're young and free of real responsibility. My only real regret in life is not traveling abroad more. You can get the road bike anytime.

nj possible wrote:

As someone with a couple kids and little ability to now travel (at least in the manner I'd like), I strongly suggest you travel as much as you possibly can while you're young and free of real responsibility. My only real regret in life is not traveling abroad more. You can get the road bike anytime.

Exactly. Start today. Tell everyone you know you are going. That will make sure you actually go. Then get some travel guides and start planning.

Do not waste this opportunity. There is a huge world out there that is nothing like the one you know - isn't it crazy not to go see it?

Oh gross. Khao San Road is tourist hell. Avoid it at all costs. Why bother flying to the other side of the world to hang out in bars with other drunk Americans? Try to see the country. Bangkok has a lot to offer culturally, and northern Thailand is full of interesting things to do.

I second the Vietnam suggestion, and would also suggest looking into Malaysia -- cheaper than Thailand, with a melange of different people and sights. In both countries, you can easily do adventure touring (biking, climbing, water sports) if you're into that.

You can buy a bike anytime you have money, but you can only travel when you have the luxury of time.

I have not been to those countries, but I have been to Singapore and Malaysia. I would highly recommend it. The cultural experience is one you'll probably never forget.

wonder wrote:

Oh gross. Khao San Road is tourist hell. Avoid it at all costs. Why bother flying to the other side of the world to hang out in bars with other drunk Americans?

i agree for the most part, but i do also think that for someone's first trip to SE asia a visit to khao san road is worthwhile (for the european/american/australian/new zealander/canadian people watching, and the tasty food carts, not for anything that is authentically thai). i wouldn't plan to sleep there most, or maybe even any, nights though.

Thanks for all the excellent info. I'm now convinced and am as I type this looking at flights to Bangkok from the U.S.

Keep the wisdom coming as I will defintely take what is being said here into account when planning my itinerary.

wonder wrote:

Oh gross. Khao San Road is tourist hell.

KSR is fine. If one has never been to Thailand, and is from a Western country, then its a very good place to start. U can buy everything you might need but have forgotten, you can book any transport, speak to people who have been to anywhere in the region, etc.

If you spent +2weeks there, you are a sad soul...

KSR is similar to Kuta in Bali. It is what it is.

Do it but be careful what you eat and particularly what water you drink.

Do not have ice in your drinks and don't use local water on your toothbrush.

There are some areas(like Singapore) that are food safe but

you chances of getting stomach problems are high.

Lonely planet or Timeout advice is usually good.

Suggest trying your library for the copies you need.

Have fun.

Snatch.

What sort of things do you like to do? Lonely Planet will help you plan.

You are so lucky! Brief synopsis of my trip to SE Asia: flew into Singapore (cheap flights). Bus into Malaysia: went to Melaka (UNESCO World Heritage city), Cameron Highlands (tea-growing region), Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and then took the train to Bangkok. (You could take the train from Penang to one of the Thai islands instead of going to Bangkok). Later I traveled into Cambodia to Angkor Wat and Phnom Penh, then into Vietnam.

Happy trails!

do it when you have the chance, but take some risks and get out of the normal tourist zone, say, Vietnam, Indonesia (Sumatra, not Bali). However, I think that monsoon season is on its way.

DO IT. Traveling is one of the greatest experiences.

Just STAY AWAY from the big tourist hot spots; get a real cultural experience and do things off the beaten path.