Travel Guide: 9D/8N Backpacking in Thailand - Laos - Cambodia (Expenses & Activities)


Backpacking, especially abroad needs a long, systematic and thorough planning. Let me share to you how I managed to host a 9D/8N backpacking in Thailand – Laos – Cambodia.

January of this year (2013) I shared my thoughts about backpacking to Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam) – Phnom Penh (Cambodia) – Siem Reap (Cambodia ) – Bangkok (Thailand ) – Vientiane (Laos) with my travel buddies, Ton and Ram, target travel date was on the 1st week of May; and we decided to wait for a seat sale.

I asked Ram if he could take charge the flight bookings and will let him know if there’s any promo fare, and he affirmed. With excitement I made a detailed itinerary for 2 whole days. It includes booking a hotel in agoda.com for the cheapest hotel around, train schedule, train map, fares, google-ing the locations of our target destinations, the distance from one place to another, travel time, weather forecast and the step by step process of passing through the immigration and crossing the borders. The feeling was like finishing a 2000 pieces of jigsaw puzzle for 2 whole days. Migraine was my sweetest reward! 

But something went wrong, instead booking a flight Manila - Ho Chi Minh and Bangkok to Manila on 1st week of May; booked a flight Clark – Bangkok and Siem Reap – Manila on the 1st week of June. But it’s okay, here I came up with the Bangkok – Vientiane – Bangkok – Seim Reap trip as the Plan B. I revised the first itinerary I made.  

For me, making an itinerary is the most exciting part because I can anticipate the framework of our travel; it was like traveling in advance in the power of my imagination. Secondly, controlling my own budget thus will apply to them the frugal side of me. I strictly set my budget and for this trip. It is reasonable to set a 15K pocket money challenge for a 9D/8N backpacking according to my itinerary.

And here’s our Plan B goes and done. 

Note: I put links of my travel guide post below. Kindly click for detailed info. 




Read my Vientiane City Tour.

Click and see the weirdest sculptures here: Buddha Park.


Elephant Trekking at Ayutthaya


Read the simplified travel guide here: Travel Guide: Bangkok - Seim Reap Overland.

Here's the temple we visited in our 1st day in Angkor City:
On our 2nd day Angkor City Tour, we deliberately re-visited the Angkor Wat and then the pink temple of Banteay Srei.



So my expenses for 9D/8N Backpacking in Southeast Asian Countries is 14,065 Php only. 15K Pocket Money Challenge, met and accomplished! I must say, researching is the key in efficient way to save time, effort and of course money in traveling.


Note:

Air fare (Tiger Airways): we got our tickets for 3300Php round trip. 3300Php for the three of us. Yes, that's promo fare. 1,100/pax. 

Our hotel in Bangkok and Vientiane is pre booked at agoda.com: 
  • Bangkok: Nasa Vegas Hotel - 319Php/night, we stayed there for 2 nights so that's 638Php for my whole stay in Bangkok 
  • Vientiane: Doungpraseuth Hotel - P537/night each (Location of this hotel is not advisable for you to stay, find hotel along Mekong River for its the main street.)
I brought 5000Php as extra money and in case of emergency. 





39 comments:

  1. Wow... supe detailed... I miss researching and doing IT. hopefully, i'll be able to sit again and stare on google earth again... hoho...

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  2. Replies
    1. be back here if i finished exploring the remaining countries, so far i've visited 8 countries,, soooooo.... maybe... in my next life! HAHA. Jom jalan jalan?

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  3. Wow!ang galing! :)

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  4. Wooop, great write up. I will be following this one :D I will start off in Cambodia to Bangkok and then Laos :D My point of entry is Cambodia and then Bangkok to Manila. I got my tickets booked na. Thank you for writing this. Looks like I need not to spend too much time researching na :D Shukran!

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    1. Wow, yours is the ideal itinerary! How many days you'll spend in your trip?
      Thanks for dropping by. Enjoy!

      Don't forget to like my fb page po for my travel updates. LOL

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    2. I have 11D/10Nights :) I am thinking of making a side trip in Pattaya or another town in Thailand. I think it is doable naman dba?

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  5. Haba naman po pla Sir/Ma'am. Yup, kaya po if mag Pattaya pa po kayo!
    Sana po may name kayong nilagay Sir/Ma'am.. LOLOLOL. Happy Holidays po!

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  6. meron po bang connection yung laos-cambodia?

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  7. meron po bang connection yung laos-cambodia?

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    Replies
    1. Anong city sa loas at cambodia po ba yung tinutukoy nyo? if vientiane to siem reap po e mas advisable po na tatawid talaga kayo ng thailand din.

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  8. Hi Kirk. Very substantial tong recording mo . will refer this to my friends whose taking the same route end of this month.

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  9. Hi... I heard from news na may OFFload daw yung papuntang Thailand.. I and my friends are planning to visit there.... what are the questions to avoid offload ???...


    anyway, we are planning to follow your itinerary.... is it alright to print it?

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    Replies
    1. Hello, sorry for late reply. Kahit san destination po may offload kung may makitang inconsistency sa reason ng traveler. Ang mahalaga po kasi e may return ticket. Minsan may isyu din sa baggage, i have a friend na mag totour sana sa HK, offloaded - reason, 20kg baggage of 3days. Kahinahinala para sa immigration officer. One thing is dapat may hotel na din kayo. Di isyu ang pocket money, pero in some instances e tinatanong. And sagutin nyo lang po yung tinatanong ng totoo.
      Sure u can print po, made this travel guide for the readers po talaga. Thanks for dropping by! Enjoy ur thailand tour!

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    2. Hi, ano po yung offload?

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  10. wow! thank you sa very detailed itinerary .... hope to do the same pag uwi ko ng pinas. i'll post again here pag mag mature ang plans.

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  11. Read your inter travel story and i enjoy it. During the reading i just felt i am with you on your all trip. You have a great knowledge about writing. I realize Cambodia is nice place to visit and know i want to go there on my summer vacations.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Adrian, thanks for reading! your words are appreciated!

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  12. hi kirk! your IT is great and will make it as our pattern/guide for our trip this march 2014. have booked bkk and will be arriving at around 11pm pa, yun na lang yung natirang seat sale eh. hehe. my plan is will go straight to silom road, thats where the bus terminal going to siem reap is di ba? so meron pa kaming hours to rest from the trip. and then phnom penh. do you think kaya pa namin vietnam? mar 17 arrival e then 25 ng gabi din ang trip. would appreciate if you could share some ideas on the trip. many thanks. ANG LAKING TULONG NG POST MO. GOD BLESS.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Mylenskie, thanks for dropping by!
      Im not familiar with the bus route to Sieam Reap because we went there by train which is by Hualumpong Train Station, earliest trip is 5-6AM something..

      March 17-25 ung span ng trip nyo? If you're thinking to cross Vietnam (Ho chi minh) pls consider the span of hours of travel, pnom penh to hcm is 6-7hrs (10-15USD) ang alam ko. Havent tried the route so i think im not in the place for detailed advise. hehe.
      In addition, seam reap - PP is 4hrs. Just do consider the hours of travel, that's the important thing to do. hehe. Salamat! Enjoy your trip!

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  13. Good day! Very detailed yung post and this is what I am looking for talaga..yung breakdown nung expenses. I have already bookmarked your page. I was actually looking for a Vietnam itinerary for my solo trip this June 2014 and your blog came up. Like you, mahilig din ako mgresearch kasi I want every travel to be a "DIY" tour. I'll definitely use this in the future!

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  14. Good day! Very detailed yung post and this is what I am looking for talaga..yung breakdown nung expenses. I have already bookmarked your page. I was actually looking for a Vietnam itinerary for my solo trip this June 2014 and your blog came up. Like you, mahilig din ako mgresearch kasi I want every travel to be a "DIY" tour. I'll definitely use this in the future!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am looking for a great tour article for just interest and for some knowledge about here enjoyment and much more related to travel. Because I want for visit niagara falls tour. I read your article it’s informative and have some nice valuable things for me to do on my tour. Your blog article is creating a benefit for your site users. Good work and thanks for your nice sharing.

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  16. This is very informative! I will start my plan from here...Good job Kirk!!

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  17. Hi kirk... This blog is great.. i would like to travel in that three countries following your track. Would it be possible to do that even though I am a first time traveller abroad? I would be thankful to receive your response... My email is goutierfriendahip@gmail.com thanks in advance. More power...

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    Replies
    1. Hello, Of course you can do that! :) If you gonna spend week or two in your entire trip, best advice is consider our first option. Ho Chi Minh - Phom Penh - Seam Reap - Bangkok - Vientianne and back to Bangkok! :) thanks for droppong by! :)

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  18. Hi!is it possible na iremove yung cambodia sa trip and instead make it thailand-myanmar-laos?any suggestions po?

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  19. 4x ko binasa to Kirk. D ako maka move-on sa 14k na budget! *slow claps*

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  20. I love Thailand. Travel costs at here is very very cheap although it's a famous destination.

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  21. Hello po! Me and 3 of my friends are planning to copy-paste your route in our March 29-April 5 2017 (God-willing c:) Asian Tour. (nakaka excite!). Diba po you did this trip last 2013? mga more or less po ba magkano na kelangan namin pam-pocketmoney taking into account the inflation rate for the past 3-4 yrs kase sa early 2017 pa yun travel namin. We recently booked a seat sale MNL-BKK. We have roughly 8D/8N to waldas our pinaghirapang salapi. xD. Any tips nadin po na pwede ninyu madagdag or any changes from 2013 up to now? We REALLY REALLY appreciate this blog of yours. AS IN!! THANK YOU PO. :)

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  22. Will try to follow ur iti sir but will do some revision, i booked my ticket BKK rountrip 💔😭

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