Backpacking South Asia on an Adventurous
Route
The South East Asian region of the world - especially
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos - has become increasingly
popular as a destination for those travelers seeking a more
adventurous holiday than can be had merely sipping fruity,
ice-cold drinks at your typical beach resort. However, an
adventurous trip to these developing countries raises many
questions and one of the first is what route to take, which I
will try to answer in this article.
Most people with enough time would like to get a taste for
all four that I’ve mentioned earlier, so I’ll concentrate on a
route that includes all of them. It would take about three
months if you spent a few days at each stop. Keep in mind that
there certainly are options available that would allow you to
skip countries or even shorten the trip to fit into a more
constrained timeline, but this should give you a good starting
point for further research.
As far as getting around, travel by public bus, train, and
boat is readily available and often full of adventure after
all, traveling with a busload of chickens or the occasional box
of frogs just adds to the fun, right? However, those looking
for a little more comfort will usually be able to find more
upscale options.
Many people that intend on doing a circuit though South East
Asia will fly into Bangkok since it is a major hub. Bangkok is
also rich with markets, temples, and plenty of fabulous food.
Around Bangkok, there are several options for some side trips
which allow you to get your feet wet. Kanchanaburi is a few
hours away and is the location of the infamous bridge over the
River Kwai and the Death Railway, the Erewan National Park, and
the Three Pagodas Pass near the Myanmar border. If you are not
going to the southern islands, but wouldn’t mind checking out
the beach scene, you could also take a few days and visit Ko
Samet or Ko Chang (less expensive) to get a taste of island
life. Both are only a few hours from Bangkok by bus.
Once you’ve had your fill of the Bangkok area, work your way
north to Chiang Mai. I like the train and it can be taken
overnight, for those low on time, or during the day for those
that wish to see some of the beautiful countryside. Chiang Mai
is much less hectic than Bangkok, has some opportunities for
great sight seeing, and also has a great cooking school! If you
want to check out some smaller towns in Thailand, you can do
that from Chiang Mai with a little add-on side trip. It’s a
loop that goes by public bus to the wonderful village of Pai
which is set up in the misty valleys that are laden with lush
rice paddies, and then continues by bus or boat to Mae Hong
Son, then by bus back to Chiang Mai.
In any case, from Chiang Mai, continue your journey north to
Chiang Rai and onwards to Chiang Khong, which is the jumping
point into your second country, Laos. You cross the Mekong
River with a short boat ride and enter Laos on the opposite
bank at Huay Xai. From there you immediately continue on to
Luang Prabang by slow boat or fast boat (latter not
recommended, unless you enjoy wearing a crash helmet), making
an optional overnight stay in the rustic village of
Pacbeng.
After spending a few days in Luang Prabang you could do
a side trip up north, exploring the small northern villages of
Laos for a few days, or just head down to the chilled-out town
of Vang Vieng by bus or air. The road route to Vang Vieng is
sometimes the target of bandits, so be sure to check what
recent activity has been like, and then make your decision -
but the safety record of air travel may not be much more
inspiring!
Vang Vieng is full of fun kayaking, biking and caving
opportunities, so you’ll want to plan for a few days there
before moving on to the capital city of Vientiane. It doesn’t
seem too exciting for a capital city, so I wouldn’t plan to
spend too much time there, other than to visit the strange, but
interesting Buddha Park.
Take the bus from Vientiane to Hanoi via the mountains and
the Cau Treo border crossing into Vietnam. Hanoi is a very
interesting place with lots to do and also offers a few
interesting side trips: Sapa is a beautiful village set in the
mountains, and Halong Bay, a Unesco World Heritage site, offers
amazing views of thousands of mountainous karsts jutting up
from the ocean waters.
In Hanoi, you can buy an “Open Tour” bus ticket that gets
you all the way south to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). It has a
standard set of stops, but allows you to purchase add-ons for a
few dollars each, two of which I highly recommend being Ninh
Binh and Dalat. From Hanoi, the first stop will indeed be Ninh
Binh. Not a particularly touristy town, but the launching point
to visit the spectacular Tam Coc park and/or the Cuc Phuong
National Park.
From Ninh Binh, move to Hue for a day or two, then on to Hoi
An to check out the amazing tailors and beaches, then to Nha
Trang (a partying beach town that can be skipped if you wish),
and then on to your second add-on which is the mountain town of
Dalat. >From Dalat, you can do another addon stop in Mui Ne
which is very quiet and good if you just want to relax and
maybe poke around the local market a little bit.
The last stop in Vietnam will be Ho Chi Minh which offers
plenty to see and do including a massage at the Vietnamese
Traditional Medicine Institute for a couple of dollars. From
there, you can cross into Cambodia in a couple ways. The first
is a bus ride through some beautiful country to Phnom Penh, and
the second is a boat tour through the Mekong Delta which also
deposits you in Phnom Penh. Be warned though: the roads in
Cambodia are dirt and very slow going, but the scenery is
incredible if your backside can take it.
Phnom Penh gets mixed reviews but does have a couple of must
visits before you continue: the Killing Fields and S-21. When
you do move on, you again have the choice of bus or boat up to
Siem Riep. I prefer the bus because of the fantastic views and
the insight into the lives of the country folk - trust me,
you’ll never forget it.
After spending some time gawking at the awesome ruins of
Angkor Wat at Siem Riep, you can fly or bus it back to Bangkok,
once again back where you started! Again, the bus is harsh, but
worth it to see Poipet (I’ll say it again: not to stay, but to
see) and the night-and-day change visible in a matter of a few
meters when you cross from the poverty of Cambodia into
developing Thailand.
There you have it. That route can be done in 3 months if you
don’t choose every side trip mentioned (to do it all you’ll
want to add another couple of weeks). If you work it out,
you’ll find you can spend a few nights in each place, but don't
make the mistake of creating some sort of concrete itinerary.
Just be aware of your time, because you will want to spend lots
of time in some places, while spending little in others and you
really won’t know which until you get there. Be flexible within
reason, and remember: it’s all about having fun!
Once back in Bangkok, you now have the option to work your
way south to the islands, and perhaps, onward to other
countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, or perhaps they will
have to wait until your next trip, and yes, you will want to
come back.
One of the next logical questions is: What is it like to
travel around these countries on a route like this? That’s
precisely the experience I detail in my book Rice Crust from
the Bottom of the Pot: A Journey Across South East Asia
(http://parryloeffler.com/ricecrust). It’s full of crazy
adventures, wonderful stories of my interactions with the
locals, and even a few recipes collected directly from their
kitchens.
About The Author: Parry Loeffler is the author of Rice Crust
from the Bottom of the Pot: A Journey Across South East Asia
http://parryloeffler.com/ricecrust Read it
today… and get excited about your trip!
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