Hello Chris 😊
hoping for some advice on where to go, what to cut out, and how much to plan on bringing.
I think, a useful purchase for you would be the Lonely Planet Guide, South East Asia on a Shoestring. It covers all the countries you are planning to go to, in one book.
Bring as little as possible. 2 light outfits and sandels is enough. If you plan on trekking add the stuff you need for that, but be disciplined when packing and bring only what you need, for what you will be sure you will be doing. Carrying around a heavy backpack can become a real pain in the sweltering heat of SE Asia.
To conserve time I am planning to fly to Kuala Lumpur where I will also spend 2-3 days.
There might be a night bus, that would also be a time saving option.
I would really love to visit Penang as well and possibly Langkawi (which I've heard tends to be more for older people and not backpackers).
Langkawi is an expensive island, so that explains why older people tend to go there. I heard, there are very few buget choices for accomodation.
I was in Penang last year. I really liked it there, but it would not be for those who depend on beach and diving to like a place. Here is a blog about it, while I was there.
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By about June 25th (10 days in) I am planning to head up to Phuket where I'd like to spend about 3 days and also head over to Ko Phi Phi for maybe 1 night (2 days). From there it would be ideal for me to head across Thailand to Koh Samui where I would like to spend about 3 days before moving on up to Bangkok (sometime around July 4). I would like to spend about four days in Bangkok.
One you way from Phukett to Samui, it would be convenient to stop at Koh Sok, if you want to stay in the jungle, for a while. It is on the main road you will be travelling along to get from one side of Thailand to the other.
From this point I will still have about 5-6 days remaining and I have been debating whether I should go to Chiang Mai or take a cheap flight to Saigon for a few days before heading back to Oz.
Chiang Mai would spare you visa hassles and expenses. As well as that, you could take a comfortable night sleeping train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, to save you more time.
My concerns at this point are mainly with money and weather.
It will be the rainy season, which is not nearly as rainy and unpleasant as one would think. I was there a few times, during the rainy season. Most of the rain conveniently falls at night, and there are usually plenty of warm sunny hours during the day. You may have trouble getting on and off some of the islands though, because the boats dont go sometimes during the rainy season, because of rough seas.
Money: Around 15 to 20 Euros per days is usually enough for a budget traveller. You can get places to stay in Malaysia and Thailand for 6 or 7 Euros per night. An all day or night bus journey woudl be around 10 to 15 Euros. A couple of Euros per meal is generally enough.
Do you think this would increase chances of nicer weather in some regions or will a matter of weeks not make a difference?
I am not so sure it will make any difference. I would just go with the most economical, convenient... route, and hope for the best. That is what I do.
Mel
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