Backpacking South East Asia is completely different than backpacking any other continent. For some reason this part of the world is so different, they’re relaxed and everyone (almost everyone..) is sort of in a permanent state of zen.
Maybe it has to do with all of the spices and fruit in their meals, or maybe the ocean and beautiful mountains surrounding them has them completely relaxed. I’m not exactly quite sure what it is but after backpacking Europe, Australia, and California, I now know backpacking here needs to be done very differently.
1. Don’t plan too much in advance.
When I was in Europe backpacking I had practically planned every bus ride, every hostel and everything in between before I had even hit my second location. In Europe, that’s practically a must. Oddly enough, over scheduling/planning/organizing in Asia can make you miss out on some pretty amazing opportunities and potentially ruin your trip (and risk you losing a lot of money..)
I’ve backpacked SE Asia twice, first time, I planned everything and the second time I booked my first night stay at a hostel beside Koh San Road in Bangkok, Thailand and that was literally it. I can definitely say I regret planning everything so much the first time I traveled to Asia because I missed out on so many opportunities.
The best part of backpacking this part of the world is the ability to get up in the morning and have absolutely no plan of what you’re going to do that day. You meet people at breakfast, decide to rent motorbikes and spend the day finding all of the coolest waterfalls in the surrounding areas.
If you schedule your every day before you arrive, you risk missing out on amazing opportunities with people you’ve never met and unreal life experiences that wouldn’t present themselves otherwise.
What I’m getting at is take a deep breath, put the planner away and just take it day by day. Some days will be spent doing little to nothing hanging out at the beach and other days will be action packed and so exciting.
Nonetheless, little to no pre planning is the way to go.
Hanoi, Vietnam.
2. Only bring the essentials.
Another amazing thing about Asia is their handmade elephant pants, tie dye shirts and funky clothing you can get for a great price where you’d otherwise pay an absurd amount back at home.
I can assure you your adorable American Apparel shirt will be worn maybe once and your Guess jeans will be taking up large space at the bottom of your bag your entire trip. Bring some comfy shirts, pants, shorts etc.. but all of your adorable clothing you always wear at home… leave it there!
Hence, the vibe in SE Asia is completely different, you are going to want to wear your elephant pants every single day and your tie dye dress to go out at night and you’ll find new accessories which will become your go to and you’ll find yourself getting bothered by all of the stuff you brought from back home.
I know this is a pretty basic thing to say but I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard people complain about all the clothing they wish they had left at home.
Siem Riep, Cambodia.
3. Be prepared to try new things.
Back at home for me, it is definitely not the norm to sit on the side of the road and eat your dinner or be thrown in the back of a trunk and be driven around.
Back in Canada, most of these things would probably be considered unsafe and illegal.
In Asia, this is just the way things go.
The most delicious spring rolls I have ever tasted were from a woman in a back alley in Bangkok and the best long island ice teas were from an underground bar in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Be open minded and prepared to live a completely different lifestyle. The majority of people who want to go backpacking in Asia already tend to have this mindset but once arrived, get nervous and some don’t try the weird looking food stands that have the best food to offer.
My first night in Vietnam, I met a guy named Eric who promised to bring me to the tastiest Pho restaurant ever. Once I got there I told him there was no way I was going to eat there as there were broken chairs everywhere and the food station just didn’t seem legitimate enough for my prestigious self (eye roll).
I was so thankful I trusted him and went out and tried the Pho, not only did I pay 1$ Can, but it was delicious! So, moral of the story, don’t judge a book by its cover and just try whatever opportunity you come across!
Road side restaurant in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
4. Spend at least one day in each city to do nothing.
I mean it, not just plan nothing.. but do nothing (well close to nothing).
Believe it or not, but traveling can really become exhausting. Between carrying all of your huge bags, making plans, going out and waking up early to do new things, you can really start to over work yourself and become exhausted.
Traveling is meant to be relaxing and a time for you to best enjoy yourself. I have met plenty of people (including myself) who become extremely exhausted because they are pushing too hard and trying to get everything done in a short period of time and end up getting very ill.
My second time traveling I decided to take more time to relax, watch a movie and chill out. Sometimes the days that I spent doing nothing ended up still being very exciting because I still met new people, I still went out and checked out new things but was able to just take a breather and really relax.
Also, during these “relaxation days,” as I liked to call them, I always felt like I was able to pick up on the vibe of the town a lot more.
Funny enough, but by just relaxing and letting myself wander around I was able to really check out how the locals lived their lives. These are the days where people watching come fully in effect!
It sounds basic and like common knowledge but rarely do I see people actually relaxing while I’m traveling. I mean, of course, there are those people who take “relaxing” much too seriously and never actually go out and check things out.
That’s not what I’m trying to get at, the point I’m trying to make is taking an off day, or a relaxing day helps you carry through with your travels for longer (while feeling healthier and recharged) as well, helps you settle into the new town you’re in and be able to really watch the way things go around there. ”
This may sound pretty generic, but really, take a day and just chill out.
Monkey Forest, Ubud, Bali.
5. Don’t be such a tourist.
One of the biggest mistakes a tourist can make is only visiting the ‘touristy’ areas of a country or city.
My first time traveling, I only booked the most popular locations, planned my travels to where every tourist was going to visit. Don’t get me wrong, these places are great and fun and you get to check out whatever it is everyone loves so much about it but, you’re not getting any real representation of that country/city.
When getting to your location, ask around, ask the locals and other backpackers where are great look outs and restaurants and beaches. I can assure you, you’re going to enjoy the non-touristy locations and things so much more.
For example, when I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand a lot of backpackers had told me to go and visit this place a couple hours north called Pai. At first, I was a little hesitant because I had never really heard of it but according to the locals and other backpackers, it was a must see place.
My friend and I rented out a scooter and drove down. It was the quietest, most beautiful little town I had ever seen. I am so happy I went and checked it out. It wasn’t touristy but I promise you, that day was one of the best days of my travels.
There is nothing more special than going to a new place where no one has heard of. Like I said, touristy places are fun but there is nothing worse than having to spend 20-30 minutes waiting behind a line up of people to get a picture with whatever it is you’re going to see. Trying to get to these touristy places usually, costs a lot of money and really never seem to be worth it.
Also, you never actually get the chance to enjoy the scenery (or whatever touristy place you’re going to) because there are hundreds of other people trying to get the chance to get a look at it too.
I can promise you, by taking the time to ask the locals and other backpackers where the best unheard of places are, you’re going to enjoy your travels so much more and get a better idea of what that country or town is really about.
Trying to get a photo of a temple in Bangkok, Thailand.
Hope this was some useful advice. Please check out some of my other travel posts of Asia here for some more travel tips, must-do’s and don’ts of traveling.
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