Tips on sticking to a backpacking budget in SE Asia.
I'm headed to SE ASIA next month, and I'm looking to extend my travels as much as possible by sticking to a shoestring budget. I already plan to stay in hostels, avoid pricey restaurants, and use ground transport.
I don't know exactly which countries I'll be in yet because I plan to travel by the seat of my pants. However, I want your general advice and tips on how to successfully save money and spend cautiously while on the road. What costly surprises have you encountered? What countries/cities are most expensive in SE Asia? Good websites you know of? Things people don't consider prior to traveling? Etc.
Anything will be helpful. Thanks guys!
Reply to this I'm not the best person to speak on this subject, as I don't do shoestring travel - but I can tell you for starters to avoid Singapore. Indonesia is very good value - both in terms of accommodation and food. The quadrangle of countries (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam) are fantastic value too. Myanmar used to be cheaper, but since financial sanctions were lifted a few months, prices have increased. My former neighbour is planning to go later this year and the price of her accommodation and flights is noticeably more than mine at the end of last year.
As for transport, don't discount heading around using budget air carriers (i.e. Air Asia). The prices are extremely competitive when compared to the time spent on buses or trains.
One bit of advice, note that a number of countries in South East Asia don't quote all taxes in accommodation prices (these can be around 20%). Thus, you will need to ensure when being quoted prices whether it is all inclusive.
Reply to this As Shane has already said, Singapore will kill your budget, so don't spend too long there!
Echoing Shane again regarding flying, although using trains you save a nights accommodation, sometimes flying can work out cheaper and you get more time in your destination.
Rule of thumb is the more you move the more it will cost you, so travel as slowly as you can. Also, the more you party and drink the higher your costs will be - for example, alcohol in Thailand and Malaysia is expensive.
A lot of travellers don't realise that in some countries like Thailand, banks there charge foreign issued cards 150 baht for withdrawing money from the ATM. There are only two which don't charge and these are Aeon and Citibank.
A good website to use is Travelblog! We usually decide our destination and then browse through people's blogs to get an idea of the atmosphere and prices. We also use www.travelfish.org. It has lots of accommodation listed and gives a category which it belongs to like backpacker, flashpacker, luxury. We have found it's pretty accurate on the prices listed.
What exactly is your daily budget, we then may be able to tell you if it's possible!
Reply to this i provide free advise on traveling mindanao. as i want to promote the island i am in the process of completing the list of best places in Mindanao thru backpacking ... check one of the entries ...http://lovemindanao.blogspot.kr/2012/06/enchantedriver.html . i hope it will help you a lot . good luck with your traveling and hope to meet you here :D
Reply to this Thanks guys! I've already got some tips I hadn't thought of. I will definitely keep the stay in Singapore to a couple days. The banks that don't charge extra fees is great to know as well! Air Asia seems to have excellent prices in certain circumstances so I'll definitely double-check them before booking my ground transport.
***The budget I'd like to stick to is about 30 USD per day. Thoughts on the quality of traveling I can expect on that budget?***
Thanks again guys. I'm new to this site and have already experienced such a warm welcome and sense of the travel community. =)
Reply to this Hi Matthew! Welcome to Travelblog 😊
The further you go from the centre of Singapore, the cheaper the accommodation will be although you will still be expected to fork out at least $S40 for a half decent room. Dorms are a little cheaper. I managed to get through $300 in the 2-1/2days I stayed there, so beware!
Personally, I found Indonesia to be horrendously expensive too, with prices almost 50%!m(MISSING)ore than they are here in Vietnam, although still cheap by Singaporean standards. Bali is a dump, so if you want to experience the real Indonesia, go to Java. Our esteemed and revered
Dancing Dave has just recently toured the area and I would recommend reading his blogs highly.
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia are your best bets. Haven't been to Laos yet, so I can't comment however, Vietnam is a budget travellers delight with cheap street food such as Pho, Banh Canh and Bun Bo Hue, which are soupy, noodle arrangements that are extremely filling, always served steaming hot and most importantly, cost a pittance to buy. Overnight accommodation can be found at what is termed locally as a Nha Nghi. These are basically cheap but clean motels where Vietnamese couples go to make the sexy time, however, rather than charge for an entire day they charge for a morning, afternoon or night and a room with all the basic facilities can be had for as little as $10 a night. $30 a day will go a long way here.
Cambodia is marginally more expensive although $30 a day should cover everything as long as your demands or expectations are not too high.
Happy travels, wherever they may be 😊
[Edited: 2012 Aug 14 15:07 - Cockle:46288 ]
Reply to this Hi Matthew, a good advise while you backpack in SE Asia is to ask around. I'm a Singaporean but currently living in Malaysia at the moment. Singapore is actually a good start to begin/end with. Cause it's highly accessible to other destinations.
Air Asia isn't the only option to fly. There's Jetstar/Tiger Airways as cheaper alternatives. Moreover, AirAsia might have some flight delay issues. Or you might consider bus/train options to commute.
If you're travelling to Singapore first, perhaps I can guide you to plan your journey carefully. 😊
Reply to this Awesome, thanks for the continued advice, guys! Just two weeks until I depart! I'm so anxious!
All these inexpensive airlines are fantastic, and I'm going to have to be very careful while in Singapore it looks like, wow!
Thanks for the tips... I'm really interested in Sumatra... if I decide to do Indonesia it will almost certainly be there.
Peace =)
Reply to this When you finally arrive in your destinations, you'll wonder why you were so anxious to begin with!
With Singapore, you'll be pleased to know that though accommodation is a bit of a killer for the budget, public transport is very cheap and effective, and it is also possible to find good value meals - especially in Little India and Chinatown.
Reply to this I plan to stay at a hostel in Little India so that's great to hear! Thanks Shane!
Reply to this Shane made an excellent point there.
The MRT is extremely good value for money. From Changi to Little India shouldn't cost you more than $S3-4. You can also buy a day pass which, if I remember correctly, costs around $S8 + a $S10 deposit which you can reclaim the day after it expires. You might have to travel a bit for it to be cost effective, but it saves having to find change or queue up for tickets or to get your ticket deposit back.
Note though that the pass does not cover you for the Sentosa Express monorail which takes you onto Sentosa Island. That will cost you an extra $S3.
[Edited: 2012 Aug 17 06:39 - Cockle:46288 ]
Reply to this Hi Shane,
If you're going to Sumatra Island, I'll recommend Medan, Lake Toba & Danau Ranau for an unforgettable experience. Airasia, Tiger Airways & Jetstar Asia are the 3 budget carriers that fly daily from Singapore to Medan.
But I'll suggest you to stay away from Indonesia perhaps until the 2nd week of September cause it's Eid ul-Fitr on the 19th of August and celebrations are normally between 2-4 weeks so try to avoid unless you are willing to get stuck with hundreds of Muslims in Indonesia. To add on, most train & domestic flight tickets within Indonesia will not be available during this period.
If you plan to stay in Littler India, it will cost you S$2.20 from Changi Airport to Little India. For the tourist daily pass, you can refer to the below link:
http://www.thesingaporetouristpass.com/html/faq.php#1
Hope it helps!
In response to: Msg #160050 Reply to this 
