Hi everyone
Check out Airasia for cheap flights around Asia...eg KL to Bali.
Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are on the well trodden backpacker trail so transport via backpacker coaches/mini buses are easily organised for transport around them and inbetween them. So maybe start in Thailand....
Maybe get yourself a South East Asia guidebook...and get your brain more frazzled!
I am a female and I travel on my own fairly often...I haven't been to Philippines or Nepal....but have the rest and have just used some common sense and been fine!
Hope this helps!
Hey Kat,
I've done a year that way when traveling with my wife. Shouldn't be too many issues doing what you plan, but as anywhere you may get hassled a bit, as there are plenty of sexist people out there who regard a single woman as being "available." It probably won't be too bad, but make sure you stand up for yourself strongly, especially in Vietnam (Halong Bay 2-3 day trips have a bad rep for this when you are essentially trapped on a boat with a guide), Malaysia, parts of India and the Philippines. If you travel with a group (and you'll meet plenty of people) this won't even likely be an issue.
As to route based on what you've said if you want to do overland, I'd start in Vietnam, work through Cambodia, hit northern Thailand, Laos, then central and southern Thailand, then fly to Bali, then hop (air - via Singapore or Bangkok for what are usually the best fares) to India to Nepal (again overground).
Obviously if you can afford it air is a faster way to travel and easier. If that's the case, I'd use Bangkok as a hub city and fly via the many discount airlines in the region (air asia is definitely not the only one) for SE asia and then hop to India-Nepal. Air Sri Lanka used to have a flights to India with a free stopover (and free hotel night in Sri Lanka) which was an amazing deal from Bangkok.
Kel,
Lucky you, a year in Asia!
To avoid too much backtracking, I suggest you fly : LGW-SIN. As UK citizen, I don't think Singapore is going to give you any grief for no onward ticket. After SIN, I would fly Air Asia or; SIN-DPS. Visa on arrival, but you will need a round trip ticket. After your time in Bali, back to SIN. Now I would go overland to Malaysia. Free visa on arrival. Perhaps for some beach time before KL. Once up in , you have to decide how long to stay in Thailand (TL). Overland visa on arrival is 15 days, not enough IMO. You will need to buy a TL visa while in Penang to stay up to 60 days. Or fly PEN-HKT, free 30 days on arrival. I suggest you buy a TL visa, then bus or rail up to Hat Yai. There are plenty of beach options on your way to Krabi-Phuket. , . is a special area for beach, water activities. Worth at least a week IMO. Koh Lanta, Koh Jum, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket all a ferry ride away. You should hit the side as well. Koh Phangan, Koh Tao a ferry ride away. There are other islands, National Parks in the south to visit as well. Bus or train up to BKK and then the cultural side of TL. i, etc.
After CM, you have a decision to make.
Option 1.
Into to Laos, visa on arrival. After Laos, VN. Either overland or fly. Buy your VN visa in Vientiane. You must have your visa before hitting the VN border. covers visa on arrival if you fly into VN. I would use the bus going from HaNoi to HCMC. Cheap, easy, get on/off at all open tour cities. After VN, you can take a boat or bus to Phnom Penh. covers bus: HCMC-PP. Boat goes through Mekong Delta, then Mekong river up to PP. More expensive but more scenic. A week or so in PP, then perhaps some beach time in . Bus or boat up to Siem Reap. Angkor, 1 long day back to BKK.
Option 2.
Back to BKK from CM, fly to Nepal. I will let others tackle flights into Nepal. You might want to hit Myanmar while in TL. There are cheap flights to the Philippines from BKK on Jetstar.
Hope this helps and good luck with your planning.
Kel,
To avoid too much backtracking, I suggest you fly : LGW-SIN. As UK citizen, I don't think Singapore is going to give you any grief for no onward ticket. After SIN,
Mike Air Asia doen't fly from London to Singapore, only to K/L
If you have a year, you could go a million and one different ways. It's no wonder you are frazzled!
Best plan is to make as little plan as possible. Ive seen so many people on long trips that are tied to flight plans that they often have to leave places before they really want to. Or they dump tickets because they have found paradise and don't want to go anywhere else. Some people prefer to have it all planned out, and if that's what you like, then keep at those websites and figure out your route. If you prefer to wing it a little, then get just a couple of the main flights and make the rest up as you go along. I always keep an eye on some of the main air carriers and see what specials they are running, but other than that just plod along at my own pace.
[quote=vegasmike6]Kel,
Mike Air Asia doen't fly from London to Singapore, only to K/L
I just went back to and it lists LGW-SIN.
Mike just because you can put it in the origin and destination, doesn't mean they fly there. How much does it cost? Bet you can't come up with a price, other than a flight from London to Singapore, via K/L. Look under flight info in the left hand bar and route map. THEY DON'T FLY THERE FROM LONDON.
Mike you are the master of miss-information, like pointing people to your 5 year old blog.
Mike just because you can put it in the origin and destination, doesn't mean they fly there. How much does it cost? Bet you can't come up with a price, other than a flight from London to Singapore, via K/L. Look under flight info in the left hand bar and route map. THEY DON'T FLY THERE FROM LONDON.
Mike you are the master of miss-information, like pointing people to your 5 year old blog.
Air Asia certainly flies: LGW-SIN, it just stops in KUL first. Are we to only list airlines that fly non stop? Using March 16th, I did get a quote of $$265 one way. Yes, it stops in KUL and you have to change planes. So what? I have flown LAX-BKK many times and had to stop in either: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong or Taiwan depending on what airline I chose. Using your theory, Eva, Cathay Pacific, Korean, Nippon, JAL, etc. don't fly LAX-BKK because they stop somewhere before BKK. Absurd.
My blog maybe 5 years old but taking a bus between HCMC-PP has not changed very much. The fare might change a few $s, but it is still the same trip. Same with a 'visa on arrival' for VN. You still have to get an approval letter from a VN travel agent, stop at the Landing Desk, hand over your photos, pay the Stamping Fee, get your visa. When that is no longer valid, I will stop linking my blog.
You give your advice and I will give mine. Let TP members decide what is helpful and what is not.
Mike just because you can put it in the origin and destination, doesn't mean they fly there. How much does it cost? Bet you can't come up with a price, other than a flight from London to Singapore, via K/L. Look under flight info in the left hand bar and route map. THEY DON'T FLY THERE FROM LONDON.
Mike you are the master of miss-information, like pointing people to your 5 year old blog.Air Asia certainly flies: LGW-SIN, it just stops in KUL first. Are we to only list airlines that fly non stop? Using March 16th, I did get a quote of $$265 one way. Yes, it stops in KUL and you have to change planes. So what? I have flown LAX-BKK many times and had to stop in either: Japan, Korea, Hong Kong or Taiwan depending on what airline I chose. Using your theory, Eva, Cathay Pacific, Korean, Nippon, JAL, etc. don't fly LAX-BKK because they stop somewhere before BKK. Absurd.
My blog maybe 5 years old but taking a bus between HCMC-PP has not changed very much. The fare might change a few $s, but it is still the same trip. Same with a 'visa on arrival' for VN. You still have to get an approval letter from a VN travel agent, stop at the Landing Desk, hand over your photos, pay the Stamping Fee, get your visa. When that is no longer valid, I will stop linking my blog.
You give your advice and I will give mine. Let TP members decide what is helpful and what is not.
Mike, Instead of just admitting you made a mistake, you really are just making yourself look stupid now. It's pretty obvious you didn't know Air Asia didn't fly direct to Singapore from the UK. And now you try to back pedal by saying, "are we only to list airlines that fly non stop" well if you go by that maxim, then you could list every airline in the world, since at some point with enough connecting flights you will get where you want to go eventually. Anyone looking at that schedule is not likely to make a second flight at night, alone, to arrive in a strange city at 11.00pm which means they wouldn't even exit the airport until past midnight, when they could just stay in KL, a very western friendly city.
You give advice on things you know, or more often have Googled as if it's the only way and best way. If flying from London and arriving in KL at 7.00pm the next day and then taking a flight from KL to Singapore, arriving at 11.00pm!, in a country she didn't even mention wanting to go to, is your idea of advice, well I'm pretty sure yes people will decide what is helpful and what is NOT.
A 5 year old blog on Asia is about as useful as a 5 year old copy of Lonely Planet. Maybe you should consider actually doing some traveling to refresh yourself with some of these places.
P.S it's all a bit of a moot point now anyway since it looks like Air Asia is pulling the plug on both its london flights and Paris sometime this year. They have pulled the schedule it seems from at least May, but wow March looks good. London K/L for 95 pounds!
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