First time through South East Asia - favourite places, SIM card questions, and things I should know?

CryssieJade on 03/06/2017 - 19:50
Last edited 05/06/2017 - 09:43 by 1 other user

Hi everyone,

Will be backpacking through South East Asia starting next month, for 3.5 months. I know it will be wet season, but I'm doing it anyway. I am a 33 year old female travelling alone (but I am an experienced solo traveller).

Countries travelling through: Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar. Possibly Philippines also. Maybe Thailand, since I've heard that scuba diving is good there (I would be learning how to).

Budget: Cheaper than cheap arse.

I would like advice from experienced travellers for which local SIM cards they used, that could potentially roam for more than one of these countries, that is cheap. (NOTE: I have already looked at the SIM wiki, but all the advice seems dodgy and overwhelming)

Please share any general things that I need to know about the area/these countries

Also, what are your favourite places and why? And any annoyances I should know about?

Thanks in advance!

Travel

Comments

  • dasher86 on 03/06/2017 - 20:44
    +1

    3.5 months is an incredible amount of time to be travelling =)
    A few places that stand out in my mind from travelling SEA was the contrast of Vietnam to Laos.
    I absolutely enjoyed Luang Prabang because it seemed like a break from the hustle and bustle of Vietnam.
    Kuang si waterfall is a must if you head there.
    I didn't enjoy Vientiane the nightlife felt was basically creepy old expats.
    I also like Cambodia - enjoyed Battanbang and Kampot. I hated Phnom Penh the first two times but changed my mind on the third!
    Thailand for cheap food and accom!
    When it comes to sim cards don't be afraid to ask a backpacker leaving the country or offer to trade!

    • CryssieJade on 03/06/2017 - 20:59

      Thanks for the advice dasher86!!

      I just got back from 4.5 months in Europe, UK and Morocco. Stepped off the plane 2 days ago, still fighting jetlag :p

  • KitchenSink on 03/06/2017 - 21:53
    +1

    I came back from Myanmar a few months ago after Nepal for 2 months. You can get a SIM card from the Airport there in Yangon. There's not much difference between companies from what I heard but definitively get a SIM because the internet barely works in any of the hostels.

    There's visa on arrival in Yangon (not too sure about Mandalay), but you can get the eVisa online, print it out to show at immigration rather than going to the embassy for the sticker in the passport. All friendly people at immigration I find.

    Favourite places (not too sure how these are in the wet season)
    Trek from Kalaw to Inle Lake - 3 days
    Trekking around Hsipaw for a few days to the hill tribes.
    Bagan - temples, get a eBike/scooter and explore on your own
    Inle lake to relax - some souvenir shopping, but prepare to bargain/get ripped off
    Yangon - just the Shwedagon Pagoda. Circular train around Yangon for 20 cents but you get bored after an hour. Couldnt find much else.
    Mandalay - U bein bridge at sunrise/sunset is nice. Ferry to Mingun for a half day.

    Myanmar is full of temples, pagodas so you may get templed out if you already been to other SEA countries.
    There's a few caves and beaches down south. Never got to these places as I ran out of time.

    I could type more as I've already been to most of SEA but it would be too long.

    I used Wikitravels as a good source for info on getting to places and whats around there and where to next.

    • CryssieJade on 03/06/2017 - 22:23
      +1

      Amazing, thank you so much :)

      Can you believe I just found out about WikiTravel today? Unbelievable.

    • CryssieJade on 05/06/2017 - 19:03

      @KitchenSink096

      Can you please give a little more information on entering and exiting the country, and if actual dates are required on the visa? Is flying in and out easiest, to avoid potentially dodgy land borders where officials may 'forget' to stamp my passport? I'm confused after reading some articles…Thanks in advance :)

      • KitchenSink on 05/06/2017 - 19:48
        +1

        I did the eVisa. Here's the link

        With the Visa:
        Actual dates aren't required but do give an estimate or close approximation. I also booked a one way, they didn't ask questions at immigration but I may have been lucky.

        They give you 3 months time frame to use the visa to get into the country and then you have a max 28 days in the country before you have to leave. I believe the 3 months time frame is from the date of when you get your application and it only took about 3 hours from the website when I did it which is a same day process. So you have plenty of time to use your visa. Say if you did your application today 5/6/17 you have until the 5/8/17 to use the visa application. Once you're in the country, its 28 days.

        I heard there's a border crossing from one of the cities south (Myawaddy) into Thailand that goes to Bangkok direct but flying was faster and didn't cost much, say around $50 or so. You'll be doing lots of long buses (from 8-15 hours depending on where) in Myanmar so flying was nice for a change. Flying domestic in Myanmar can be a bit expensive though. Some other border like up north were closed.

        I flew in from Bangkok (DMK airport) with Air Asia for around $50 to Yangon. I flew to KL afterwards. I think flying in and out is the easiest, its like 1 hour from Bangkok and cheap like I mentioned.

        Webites will say to bring pristine US dollars, but you don't really need that but do keep some for emergencies that's all. They have ATMs at airports and most touristy places to withdraw the max 300000 kyats (around $300 AUD I think - easy conversion). It's also cheaper to pay in Kyats than in US dollars but get small change when possible, locals don't like big notes. Remember to convert the money back at the Airport when you leave since its useless outside the country and you won't be able to exchange it elsewhere.

        • CryssieJade on 05/06/2017 - 20:31

          Thanks so much, this helps enormously :)

  • zesty on 03/06/2017 - 22:02
    +2

    I used this once, and you can recharge it once you used up your quota. If Thai is your first stop, you can have a look on this.

    http://www.ais.co.th/roaming/sim2fly/en/

    • andwae on 03/06/2017 - 22:28
      +1

      ^ highly recommend this, very reliable and consistent speeds.

    • CryssieJade on 04/06/2017 - 03:23

      Amazing, thank you, this is ridiculously useful…a question though…it seems like I can buy it online, does Thailand still need to be my first stop to activate it then?

  • mskeggs on 03/06/2017 - 23:39
    +1

    I'm a middle age guy who travels with kids, but I really liked Hoi an and Penang on your list of countries. Those were the two SEA places I would revisit without hesitation.

    • JLHC on 04/06/2017 - 13:58
      +3

      Just to point out that Penang is a state/city in Malaysia and not a country. :)

      • mskeggs on 04/06/2017 - 15:38
        +1

        And Hoi An is a town. I meant places within the countries listed.

  • JoyVee on 03/06/2017 - 23:52
    +1

    You must go to Siem Reap in Cambodia to see Angkor Wat, the largest of the temples in the area and overwhelmingly beautiful with its carvings. This was an enormous capital,
    much larger,( 3 times?) than London at the same time. All original wooden houses have long since disappeared.
    The temples are amazing and show examples of Khmer art which illusstrate the history of various invasions and the lifestyle of inhabitants. Fascinating place to visit.

    You can buy a three day pass as the whole complex is worth a visit. Now it has electricity it is much noisier at prayer time. Early morning or late afternoon should help avoid the tourist mobs.

  • Fake News on 04/06/2017 - 13:59
    +1

    Completely agree on Siem Reap, I've organised my own transport to the temple complex and done a guided bike tour- both were good. I've done sunset twice at Angkor Wat, beautiful but very busy! I haven't had a chance to explore Pnomh Penh by myself as I was with students but seemed like an interesting place- if you were up for volunteering 'New Hope for Cambodian Children' is amazing and is the only orphanage in the country that takes kids with HIV. I spent a week there with Year 10/11 students and it was such a caring, well organised place, the children are organised into communities and there is a school on site.

    If you do a land border crossing from Thailand to Cambodia be really conscious of your belongings, lots of children trying to pick pocket you on the Cambodian side.

    I've enjoyed most places I've been in Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Krabi, Koh Samui, Chang Mai, Chang Rai). Loved most of Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Halong Bay) but found Halong Bay to be a let down, really dirty and full of tourist traps. Hoi An is definitely one of my favourite places, I could have spent a week there!

    • John Kimble on 04/06/2017 - 20:33
      +1

      I've enjoyed most places I've been in Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Krabi, Koh Samui, Chang Mai, Chang Rai). Loved most of Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Halong Bay) but found Halong Bay to be a let down, really dirty and full of tourist traps. Hoi An is definitely one of my favourite places, I could have spent a week there!

      I think I've been to all of those places also, except Chang Rai. Many years ago now though…

      Chiang Mai and Hoi An were the pick of those IMHO, not that the others were bad. I also didn't have the best time in Ha long Bay, but mainly because I had the runs whilst there and sharted myself. Funny now… But at the time… Actually, was pretty funny then too.

  • Sawtell on 08/06/2017 - 19:10
    +1

    Commenting on the Philippines - have not been there myself but I had a quick convo with a Filipina lady recently in Vietnam who had left Mindanao due to the bombings and suggested there was a lot of bad stuff going on there at the moment.

    Had a further convo with european travellers who were rapidly changing plans to avoid Philippines.

    I heard some airlines were avoiding the Philippines as an alternate destination for international flights costing them big dollars in longer journeys.

    • CryssieJade on 08/06/2017 - 19:40

      Thanks for this…decided a few days ago that it was too far out of the way for me to bother with anyway

    • John Kimble on 08/06/2017 - 21:45

      Philippines is fine if you stick to the main tourist areas/islands…

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join