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I'm going to SE Asia possibly in May or June. I will be traveling alone and have never been there. I will likely be staying in a hostel and plan on making friends with other travelers there. I was wondering if anyone could offer a useful itinerary on things to do and see in multiple cities if I -
A) just stay in Thailand for 2-3 weeks.
or
B) Travel around SE Asia - Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam (maybe singapore?), recommend other countries I should see?
Best way to navigate around the cities? Bus, plane, ferry? Is it overall safe in the popular tourist cities? Should I be worried about petty crime/etc? Any other advice/tips I should know about while traveling alone? Places/people/scammers to avoid? What kind of things can I haggle?
You can spend 2-3 weeks not doing much. I intended to do 2 weeks around the country once but ended up just spending the whole two weeks lounging around Ko Lipe diving and drinking beer all day.
Anyway, check out Chiang Mai, Ko Phangan(go during a Full Moon Party), Ko Lipe, Ko Phi Phi
Phuket and Pattaya if you like lots of tourists and prostitutes.
Looks like May is the beginning of Monsoon season and rains often. Now I'm stumped on how to use my vacation days. Originally was going to do Europe for 2-3 weeks but the cost of everything there will put a dent in my wallet. But now it looks like Thailand is probably not a good idea if it rains so often?
You may want to consider South America, home to many bargain-hunting Europeans who know a good bargain when they see one.
I don't know why so many foreign travelers leave that country until last, not that similar bargains can't be found in the Asian regions, like Nepal, but I don't know what type of climate they will have in May/June as I was there in February.
If you're on a budget, then target the countries that are having the worst financial problems, like Greece, Spain and Portugal.
Last edited by tijlover; 04-19-2012 at 09:11 AM..
Reason: edit
Phuket and Pattaya if you like lots of tourists and prostitutes.
Best succinct description of the "P" towns.
Spain would be pretty darned hot, also, unless you're at the beach areas. Portugal could be wonderful!
I'm doing 3 weeks driving in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
I can't even imagine what that's going to cost me even if I can sleep in my van.
Last edited by chielgirl; 04-19-2012 at 09:32 AM..
Portugal might be a good idea. I was in Spain last year in March and it was pleasant. Originally I wanted to go to start at Turkey and travel to Berlin and Paris, but problem is the Euro rail doesn't seem to run in Turkey. Nor the small plane companies like easyjet or ryanair. Might just have to skip Turkey and do other European countries to get the convenience of the small plane companies.
Or I could do South America. Any suggestions of good and safe countries? I heard Peru/Argentina might be good? How's the weather in South America in May/June?
If you go to Argentina/Chile or Australia the seasons are reversed. May/June equivocates to Nov./Dec. On the cool side down there, unless you go to the more northern/central countries.
You also have to factor in altitude, can you handle higher altitude, if you go to Cuzco/Macchu Pichu (10,500 feet) or if you go to La Paz, Bolivia at 12,500 feet or even Quito, Ecuador at 9,500 feet.
If you're going to do the coastal areas of SA, then no problem, and there's lots of coastline/beach towns down there on both the Atlantic and Pacific sides. Peru and Chile both enjoy a Mediterranean climate, similar to southern California, on the dry side.
But if you love mountains, the Andes go up higher than our Rockies. If you do the eastern seaboard you'll miss that.
As for safety, you need to take the standard precautions you'd take anywhere, particularly in the larger cities, but SA doesn't cater to you like Europe will, where you don't have to worry so much about knowing the language, as you'll probably need a phrase book, for sure, down there.
Before you plan much furthur, think about the climate you will be enduring while traveling there. First things first!
If you can easily tolerate high temperatures, combined with high levels of humidity, then proceed to step 2!
My first thought is "who would even consider going to southeast Asia if they can't stand heat and humidity". But there is a difference between the degree of heat in May versus January (at least in northern SE Asia). Still I think you'd have to have some heat/humidity tolerance to enjoy your trip (even in January).
Personally, it's my favorite travel destination but I'm a hot-weather person so that just adds to the enjoyment I get the cultural and other factors.
Rainy versus dry season (although the equatorial areas don't have the latter) would be more of a factor in my calculations. The wet season in the tropics can severely impact your ability to get around and see the sights.
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