10 Safety Tips for Backpacking Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is worth the hype. It’s one of the most spectacular, bizarre, and beautiful places I’ve ever been. As comfortable as this laid back atmosphere is, lax laws means fewer safety standards than here in the Western world. Traveling to Southeast Asia will be one of the highlights of your life — it just requires a bit of heightened personal responsibility. This is the land where they’ll sell you cheap beer for hours on end and think nothing of sending you into a kayak in deep, murky waters at nightfall without a life preserver. No one means to cause you any harm– safety just isn’t high on the list of priorities. Not all will tell you there are mosquitos carrying malaria or dengue in a particular area– they’ll just laugh and say “there are no mosquitos.” It’s a cultural thing to have a bright outlook on everything rather than take precautions. If you or someone you love is about to jettison off to this corner of the world, particularly if it’s their first overseas adventure, here are some backpacking safety tips for Southeast Asia. Watch out for scams. This is true of every major city everywhere in the world. 99.1% of the people in Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, are fantastic people and will drop everything to help you. But there are still the occasional scams on unwitting tourists — particularly in the tourist areas of cities. Different regions will have different scams, so read up before you arrive. A few of the common ones in Bangkok: Taxi drivers not turning on the meter; telling you an attraction like the Grand Temple is “closed” and taking you somewhere else for a “private tour” with their friend where you’ll have to spend an exorbitant amount. Hanoi has its own set of scams, including one where “shoe cleaners” will throw gum on your shoe and try to clean it off for you in exchange for a fee. (Just keep going.) Bonus Tip: In Bangkok, take the MRT from the airport (BKK) instead of a taxi — the rush hour gridlock is fierce. Ask: Where is the Closest Decent Hospital? It is 2017, but that doesn’t mean a world-class hospital exists in every heavily tourist locale. Thailand has some of the best health care in southeast Asia, whereas hospitals in Laos and Vietnam are dicey. Within Thailand, Koh Tao is one of the hottest destinations for backpackers, but there isn’t a full-fledged hospital there. There are clinics, yes; but for anything serious, you’ll need to be transported to Koh Samui, which is an 1.5 hour journey by ferry. I always take a kit with over the counter medicine with me to save myself the hassle of finding it abroad....
Thailand and Vietnam: The Ultimate 1 Month Itinerary
I love the hub of cities, the serenity of the countryside, extraordinary cuisine, beaches, and limestone karsts. Southeast Asia has it all, and more. I wish I’d had several months to enjoy this region, but it’s hard to be a full-time traveler when your other love is working 50 hours a week in television. If you’re also short on time and want to take in the spectacular scenery of Thailand and Vietnam, you’ll LOVE this 1-month itinerary. It’s a diverse mix of some of Southeast Asia’s highlights at a manageable pace. It includes two major cities (Bangkok, Hanoi), beautiful beaches (Railay, Koh Tao), countryside (Mai Chau), and SPECTACULAR limestone karsts (Khao Sok, Halong Bay, La Han Bay). Yes, there are a zillion blog posts about how to travel this area! However, packing lists and itineraries differ from traveler to traveler, and I always love reading those details as they inspire ideas of my own. Let’s get to it! Bangkok: 4-5 Days Everything you’ve heard about Bangkok is true: It’s humid, crowded, chaotic…but completely electrifying. Spend Day 1 getting acclimated to the time difference and readjusting to being on land after 30+ hours in transit. I met two other people at my hostel and tagged along with them to a charming floating village. It was completely by chance, but it’s the perfect first day in southeast Asia. Spend Days 2 and 3 doing the touristy things: visiting the temples, sampling street food, drinking coconut juice out of a bag, and shopping at Pantip Plaza. Enjoy the nightlife, and be smart about it (don’t drink more than you can handle, don’t accept drinks from strangers, don’t walk back to your hostel alone, etc). Spend Day 4 hanging with any new friends or checking out another place you’ve heard of through word of mouth. A few awesome activities near Bangkok: bicycle safari of the countryside or a day tour of the ruins of Ayutthaya, a smaller version of Siem Reap. Where I Stayed: In a Box Hostel, which fit all four of my criteria: Clean, quiet, close to the metro, and NOT on Khao San Road. If you’re going to splurge, Bangkok is the city to do it: there’s plenty of plush accommodation at reasonable prices. Travel Day: Bangkok -> Koh Tao There’s a bus and boat combo straight to Koh Tao from Bangkok, which takes about 10 hours. The overnight train/ferry option takes 13 hours. You can also fly direct from Bangkok to Koh Samui and take the ferry to Koh Tao, but it’s pricey. (When I did this trip, I spent two disappointing nights on Koh Samui. Some people love Koh Samui… maybe it’s good for luxury getaways and honeymoons, but from my perspective as a flash packer, it fell flat and...
Travel Tips for Doing Comic-Con on a Budget
I’m a little bit of a closet nerd, and I’ve secretly always wanted to attend Comic-Con in San Diego — but I could never justify the cost. Last summer, I ended up planning a trip to San Diego during the middle of Comic-Con, less than 2 weeks before the convention started. It was a little tricky– but in the end, I spent less than $500 on travel and accommodation. Since my trip was so last minute, I was unable to purchase a badge, but I still loved roaming the streets and absorbing the atmosphere. If you’re looking to go to Comic-Con without spending thousands on airfare and accommodation, here are a few easy tips. Fly for EXTREMELY cheap by signing up for an airline rewards credit card. We’re still far out enough from Comic-Con where you have time to sign up for an airline credit card, meet the spending requirement, and use the mileage benefits to purchase your ticket. How to meet the required spend? Easy. Pay all monthly expenses with your new credit card. Cell phone, cable/internet, electric, car insurance, health insurance, gasoline, groceries, etc — you should be able to hit the the spending limit in less than two months. Southwest is currently offering two promotional deals: Spend $1000 and receive 25,000 bonus miles, or spend $2000 and receive 50,000 miles. Cost: $69 OR $99 annual credit card fee + $5 fee to cash in miles with Southwest. Fly into Los Angeles (not San Diego). I despise LAX with the fire of a thousand suns (if purgatory exists, LAX has to be it), but it can offer substantially lower airfare options than San Diego. And, if you use tip #1, it could mean cashing in fewer of your precious miles. Additional Tip: If you do fly into LAX, drive to San Diego early in the morning or late at night. Traffic before Comic-Con on I-5 is a nightmare, or park in a town just north of San Diego and take the train in. For car rentals and last-minute flights, use Priceline’s name your own price tool. For car rentals, like most people, I find pretty good deals through price comparison sites. For last minute flights, if I don’t have any miles to spend, I look at current roundtrip flight prices via Kayak or Momondo, and then try to buy a ticket for 40% less using Priceline‘s Name Your Own Price tool. It requires extreme flexibility — the caveat is you can’t choose your arrival or departure times, or airline– but I’ve saved a TON of money booking last minute travel. If naming your own price makes you nervous, Travelocity has bare-bones flight...
A Glimpse into Vietnamese Life in Mai Chau
There’s charm beneath the frenetic and chaotic surface of Hanoi. But after a few hours of wandering the cold, rainy streets and dodging motorbikes endlessly beep-beep-beeping, I was ready to explore the real reason I came to Vietnam: the countryside. Mai Chau is a community three hours away from Hanoi. It’s a flat land of endless rice fields, surrounded by mountains. It’s picturesque; it’s quiet– the only sound you can hear is the occasional motorbike scuttling down a distant road. It was also the best weather I had while in northern Vietnam (note to self: mid-March was sadly not the best time of year to visit this region). The scenery was stunning, but the best of Mai Chau were the locals, who either smiled at visitors or barely gave an unimpressed glance. They continued going about their business as we walked by, and I loved this glimpse into Vietnamese life. Yes, tourism is creeping into Mai Chau — there’s an entire area devoted to selling tasty sugar cane juice and trinkets to tourists (not all those silk scarves are made locally by hand you guys) — but it’s years away from being as overrun as Sa Pa. There aren’t any children trying to sell you bracelets — the kids are just being kids. If northern Vietnam is overwhelming you… visit Mai Chau. And go soon — before it becomes the next Sa Pa. —– Pin...
Is Cheow Lan Lake Thailand’s Most Underrated Destination?
The limestone karsts of Southeast Asia have been calling my name for years. How I never managed to hear about Cheow Lan Lake at Khao Sok National Park until I was sitting on a longtail boat right smack in the middle of it is a mystery. While we were in Bangkok, our guide had undersold an unassuming “additional trip to a lake” as part of our stop at Khao Sok National Park. The lackluster description and additional cost made me consider giving it a miss. Fortunately, I let my decision be swayed by group opinion, and I found myself in one of those rare instances when forking over the cash without doing any research yields MASSIVE rewards. “What are your plans after Thailand?” one of my tourmates asked in one of the rare moments when my camera wasn’t smashed against my cheek. “Vietnam,” I answered, my eyes continuously darting around in an attempt to take in each beautiful moment. “I have to see Halong Bay… although now, I’m doubting it could top this.” “More beautiful than Vietnam,” our guide interrupted with an enormous smile. “More beautiful than China. Most beautiful in all of Asia.” It was only my fourth day in Asia, but I believed him. Cheow Lan was the most beautiful sight I’d seen in my life. About Cheow Lan Lake Cheow Lan Lake is located within Khao Sok, Thailand’s largest national park. While the formations and rainforest of Khao Sok is estimated to be one of the oldest in the world, Cheow Lan Lake is man-made, created as an electricity source in the early 80’s. There is evidence of this flooded landscape in shallower waters, where the tops of lifeless trees hauntingly remain. After cruising along for thirty minutes, and had seen zero evidence of civilization since getting on the boat. We passed one other longtail with four passengers. I was in a constant state of awe and disbelief — Where are all the tourists? Why isn’t this on the cover of every guidebook? How do people not know about this?! Just when my eyes were about to explode from taking in so much beauty, our destination appeared: Floating bungalows, microscopic in size at the base of the massive surroundings. We squealed at how remote, picturesque, and perfect it was. With the exception of a group of tourists that stopped by for an hour, we had the floating bungalows completely to ourselves. We basked in the sun, swam, kayaked, had a delicious lunch, and took hundreds of photos. It was glorious. How Does Cheow Lan Lake Compare to Halong Bay? It isn’t always fair to compare destinations, but Cheow Lan has a similar draw as Halong: Spectacular limestone karsts shooting out...
Surprise! I’m Going to Asia Tomorrow
When the festivities of Mardi Gras are over and the Siberian freeze descends upon the southern United States for weeks at a time, I’m reminded how much I despise winter. It’s time to get the heck out. Fortunately, I have a pile of airline miles that I’ve been sitting on for YEARS, and work is a bit slow at the moment…so, I spent most of last week battling with US Airways’ horrific call center to book a last-minute award flight to Southeast Asia! The Plan I’m usually not usually a fan for having a detailed itinerary before I land in a new country, but I’ll be honest, Asia has three factors that put me on edge: zillions of people, traffic, and pollution. Given these factors, I’m trying to keep my 25 days there as structured as possible. (Be prepared to laugh at how much of the following itinerary is up in the air.) Stop 1: Thailand I have at least two days in Bangkok on my own, and have booked two nights in a swanky pod-styled hostel. It’s about a 1 minute walk to the SkyTrain, which is a huge plus as I’ll be staggering in at 7am after 20+ hours in flight via Qatar — I probably won’t be up for a lot of street navigating. (On average, I get lost for about an hour whenever I first arrive anywhere new, so I consider this a wise move.) I’m Doing A Group Tour (Let Me Remind Myself Why…) I’ve read several times that Thailand is one of the easiest countries to travel on your own (and Ukraine is a challenge?), but for the first time in my traveling career, I’m coughing up precious dollars and my pride in exchange for a 9-day group tour. Why? I know that things rarely happen on time in southeast Asia, buses are late and boats don’t always leave when they’re supposed to, and since this trip is nearly half as short than my previous solo international jaunts, I want to see what I want in the amount of time allotted, rather than lose days trying to master the transit system. This time, I’d rather pay someone a little extra to worry about that. So, I’ve hopped on a last-minute tour with G Adventures. I’ll join them for a 9-day southern sojourn of the beaches of Thailand, ending in Bangkok. I’ll also get to visit Alex‘s beloved Koh Tao, which I’m jazzed about after drooling over her photos for YEARS now. Stop 2: Vietnam After roughly two weeks in Thailand, I’ll spend the rest of my time in northern Vietnam (assuming my visa gets approved in time — I waited until Tet to...
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I'm Laryssa, and when I'm not working in film or television, I'm attempting to travel -- or I'm here, providing resources for working in film or travel. Read more Elsewhere on the internets
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