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 1^st 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 1^st week of May; booked a flight Clark – Bangkok and Siem Reap – Manila on the 1^st 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. 

For detailed info, click and read Travel Guide: How to get to Vientaine, Laos from Bangkok.

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:

• Ta Phrohm Temple.  
• Angkor Wat.  
• Bayon Temple

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.