I'm planning a 4-8 week (depending on money) trip through Southeast Asia. In the past I've done 3 weeks in China, a long weekend in Germany, and I studied abroad in Japan for an academic year
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Heh, I just came back a week ago from a 6-week trip. I went to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam--awesome time, you'll have fun.
To answer your questions: 1. I didn't have any problems in terms of theft... Of course you want to still be on alert and keep away from shady areas, but it's not like there's going to be pickpockets at every street corner. I don't want to say it's 100% safe, but generally, yes, it is avoidable if you use common sense. Bring one of those travel belts and keep your passport/most of your money in it. Only take out little amounts of money at a time to put in your wallet. Theft in hostels... the ones I've stayed at were generally safe, and some will have safeboxes for you. Many cities (Luang Prabang and Vientiane come to mind) don't have "hostels" in the sense you're thinking of actually--most accommodation are in guesthouses, which are just super-cheap hotels, so you'll have your own locked room.
I actually brought a Canon DSL and an iPhone, and I had no problem with either. I just made sure I brought them with me (90% of the time anyway), and made sure they were in a safe if I didn't.
BTW, I loved my iPhone when I took it. Free wifi is fairly common, especially in cafes and stuff. It's pretty damn useful if you ever need to look something up. Also, download some currency/unit conversions--helps out a lot. Last thing... depending on how you feel about the ethics of this kind of stuff, but I had a Thai friend who took me to a place in Bangkok that would unlock your iPhone for you (for like $8), meaning you could then be able to pop in a local SIM card and have a local number. In Thailand I actually had one that let me jump on the local EDGE network, so while it wasn't 3G, it was still very very handy to have email/internet access anywhere.
2. I tried to buy theft insurance before I left, but it seemed like too much trouble for what it was worth, really. If you have home insurance, most policies actually cover things in your home that you take with you while traveling, but depending on how much the stuff you want to claim is worth, it might not even be worth filing the claim. I ended up just going without theft insurance (but I did get travel insurance at worldnomads.com). Their policy covers only up to $500 worth of electronics.
3. Mailing stuff is easy, as there's post offices everywhere where there's a backpacker district. Thing is, it's not always cheap. Depending on the size and weight it can get pretty expensive to ship stuff, and in some countries not very dependable. I mailed a pretty small package from Phnom Penh, Cambodia and it cost $20 (waaaay more than what the actual contents were even worth), but it did get to its destination all right.
4. Do go to Vang Vieng (Laos) if you have time, but not for the tubing/partying that everyone else goes to. Rent a mountain bike and bike out of the town and explore the caves and lagoons surrounding the area.
5. Southeast Asia doesn't really have a single common local language. If I had to pick one that's most prominent, it'd be Thai, but the script is actually really damn hard to pick up, and it's going to be useless in pretty much everywhere outside of Thailand and Laos. Thing is, unless you go to the really really really local areas where there are absolutely no tourists, most people will either speak/understand enough English to complete a transaction, or will know someone who can. Likewise, anything you want or need will be available in English signs.
I don't mean to discourage you from learning the Thai/Lao/Khmer scripts, but in my opinion the effort of learning one would be better put into learning some key phrases (try to learn "Hello"/"Please"/"Thank you" in each language, for example). Knowing these words well would serve you much better than knowing how to read a sign.
Money: It really depends... accommodation varies from $5 (really cheap) to $15 (pretty comfy). In terms of day to day living, you'll be spending about $15-25/day. About $5-15 for a night's stay, $1-5 for food (depending on where you eat and if you have a beer or two or not), and whatever activities you plan for the day (park fees, admission fees to sights, transportation).
I believe Singapore and Malaysia are a bit more expensive, but as for Thailand/Cambodia/Laos/Vietnam, I'd say $30/day will get you a pretty comfortable life. $1000/month is a pretty solid budget, and it'll be unlikely you'll even spend that much. Be sure to add in transportation costs of getting from city to city. You can easily get buses/minibuses/ferries/sharetaxis usually for under $10-15.
You might have heard it before, but it's true: whatever budget you plan on, take twice as much money, and half as much stuff.
Thank you so much for the detailed responses, I really appreciate it! I have a few more questions, since it's fresh on your mind :D
1) what's the best currency app for the iPhone? I haven't found any good free ones, but if there's a paid one that worked the best for you, let me know :)
2) how was the availability of WiFi in hostels? I've been reading reviews on particular hostels and a lot of the comments say that there was no WiFi. Also, if you have any recommendations for which hostels were the nicest, let me know!
3) how easy was it to get visas and exchange money?
1. Your info says you live in Pennsylvania so I'll assume you're American, and as a corollary, suck at metric units like me. There's this free app called Cambio, and it not only converts currency, but also did unit/temperature conversions. It's pretty nifty too because whenever you have Wifi access it'll refresh current exchange rates.
2. Hmm... not too many hostels places have WiFi, but many have either free internet access (usually on painfully slow computers) or there will be internet cafes around anyway. If you REALLY need WiFi on your iPhone your best bets are cafes/restaurants/bars.
Hmm... I don't remember many of my hostel names, but one I do recommend is Suk11 when you're in Bangkok (www.suk11.com). It's actually not in the backpacker district, but in this case it's a good thing. The area surrounding it is busy enough that you can get anything you need and close to the Skytrain, but not offensively touristy like Khao San Road. But seriously, if you know the dates of when you'll be in Bangkok, I definitely recommend booking in advance, as they fill out fairly quickly! Just a really cool vibe in there, building is beautiful, owners are awesome, free breakfast, cool rooftop showers!
For Siem Reap (where Angkor Wat is) I recommend here: http://thesiemreaphostel.com/ There's a pool and free internet room! Also close to downtown. Can't beat that.
Unfortunately I don't remember the names of the hostels I stayed at in Vientiane or Luang Prabang. I recommend asking people before you get there.
3. In the backpacker districts, money is easy to change--tons of currency exchange shops. Just watch what the rate is, use common sense, etc, etc. I actually ended up using up all my cash and traveler's checks within a couple weeks. The rest of my time I just used my ATM card to make withdrawals. My bank doesn't charge me to use outside ATMs, and the banks actually give you a pretty good rate, so I found this to be the best way to get money.
As for visas... again, I'm assuming you're American here. May not apply if you're not. -Thailand gives you 30 days visa-free. -Cambodia, you need to get at the border (bring a passport picture, and either US$20 or 1000Baht). The actual price is $20 but the border officials will often ask for 1000Baht (about $28). Corrupt , but welcome to Cambodia! -Laos, you can get one at the border for about $25 or $35 -Vietnam is the only one you need to get in advance. Make sure you get the visa either back home (more expensive) or in Cambodia or Laos before you head to the border. Costs about $30 if I remember correctly. All in all, visas are kind of a pain in the ass, but nothing really troublesome. If you plan on getting visas at the border, make sure you check before you do because some of the lesser-used border crossings will not have them on arrival.
To answer your questions:
1. I didn't have any problems in terms of theft... Of course you want to still be on alert and keep away from shady areas, but it's not like there's going to be pickpockets at every street corner. I don't want to say it's 100% safe, but generally, yes, it is avoidable if you use common sense. Bring one of those travel belts and keep your passport/most of your money in it. Only take out little amounts of money at a time to put in your wallet. Theft in hostels... the ones I've stayed at were generally safe, and some will have safeboxes for you. Many cities (Luang Prabang and Vientiane come to mind) don't have "hostels" in the sense you're thinking of actually--most accommodation are in guesthouses, which are just super-cheap hotels, so you'll have your own locked room.
I actually brought a Canon DSL and an iPhone, and I had no problem with either. I just made sure I brought them with me (90% of the time anyway), and made sure they were in a safe if I didn't.
BTW, I loved my iPhone when I took it. Free wifi is fairly common, especially in cafes and stuff. It's pretty damn useful if you ever need to look something up. Also, download some currency/unit conversions--helps out a lot. Last thing... depending on how you feel about the ethics of this kind of stuff, but I had a Thai friend who took me to a place in Bangkok that would unlock your iPhone for you (for like $8), meaning you could then be able to pop in a local SIM card and have a local number. In Thailand I actually had one that let me jump on the local EDGE network, so while it wasn't 3G, it was still very very handy to have email/internet access anywhere.
2. I tried to buy theft insurance before I left, but it seemed like too much trouble for what it was worth, really. If you have home insurance, most policies actually cover things in your home that you take with you while traveling, but depending on how much the stuff you want to claim is worth, it might not even be worth filing the claim. I ended up just going without theft insurance (but I did get travel insurance at worldnomads.com). Their policy covers only up to $500 worth of electronics.
3. Mailing stuff is easy, as there's post offices everywhere where there's a backpacker district. Thing is, it's not always cheap. Depending on the size and weight it can get pretty expensive to ship stuff, and in some countries not very dependable. I mailed a pretty small package from Phnom Penh, Cambodia and it cost $20 (waaaay more than what the actual contents were even worth), but it did get to its destination all right.
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4. Do go to Vang Vieng (Laos) if you have time, but not for the tubing/partying that everyone else goes to. Rent a mountain bike and bike out of the town and explore the caves and lagoons surrounding the area.
5. Southeast Asia doesn't really have a single common local language. If I had to pick one that's most prominent, it'd be Thai, but the script is actually really damn hard to pick up, and it's going to be useless in pretty much everywhere outside of Thailand and Laos. Thing is, unless you go to the really really really local areas where there are absolutely no tourists, most people will either speak/understand enough English to complete a transaction, or will know someone who can. Likewise, anything you want or need will be available in English signs.
I don't mean to discourage you from learning the Thai/Lao/Khmer scripts, but in my opinion the effort of learning one would be better put into learning some key phrases (try to learn "Hello"/"Please"/"Thank you" in each language, for example). Knowing these words well would serve you much better than knowing how to read a sign.
Money: It really depends... accommodation varies from $5 (really cheap) to $15 (pretty comfy). In terms of day to day living, you'll be spending about $15-25/day. About $5-15 for a night's stay, $1-5 for food (depending on where you eat and if you have a beer or two or not), and whatever activities you plan for the day (park fees, admission fees to sights, transportation).
I believe Singapore and Malaysia are a bit more expensive, but as for Thailand/Cambodia/Laos/Vietnam, I'd say $30/day will get you a pretty comfortable life. $1000/month is a pretty solid budget, and it'll be unlikely you'll even spend that much. Be sure to add in transportation costs of getting from city to city. You can easily get buses/minibuses/ferries/sharetaxis usually for under $10-15.
You might have heard it before, but it's true: whatever budget you plan on, take twice as much money, and half as much stuff.
Have fun!
Reply
1) what's the best currency app for the iPhone? I haven't found any good free ones, but if there's a paid one that worked the best for you, let me know :)
2) how was the availability of WiFi in hostels? I've been reading reviews on particular hostels and a lot of the comments say that there was no WiFi. Also, if you have any recommendations for which hostels were the nicest, let me know!
3) how easy was it to get visas and exchange money?
Cassandra
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2. Hmm... not too many hostels places have WiFi, but many have either free internet access (usually on painfully slow computers) or there will be internet cafes around anyway. If you REALLY need WiFi on your iPhone your best bets are cafes/restaurants/bars.
Hmm... I don't remember many of my hostel names, but one I do recommend is Suk11 when you're in Bangkok (www.suk11.com). It's actually not in the backpacker district, but in this case it's a good thing. The area surrounding it is busy enough that you can get anything you need and close to the Skytrain, but not offensively touristy like Khao San Road. But seriously, if you know the dates of when you'll be in Bangkok, I definitely recommend booking in advance, as they fill out fairly quickly! Just a really cool vibe in there, building is beautiful, owners are awesome, free breakfast, cool rooftop showers!
For Siem Reap (where Angkor Wat is) I recommend here: http://thesiemreaphostel.com/ There's a pool and free internet room! Also close to downtown. Can't beat that.
Unfortunately I don't remember the names of the hostels I stayed at in Vientiane or Luang Prabang. I recommend asking people before you get there.
3. In the backpacker districts, money is easy to change--tons of currency exchange shops. Just watch what the rate is, use common sense, etc, etc. I actually ended up using up all my cash and traveler's checks within a couple weeks. The rest of my time I just used my ATM card to make withdrawals. My bank doesn't charge me to use outside ATMs, and the banks actually give you a pretty good rate, so I found this to be the best way to get money.
As for visas... again, I'm assuming you're American here. May not apply if you're not.
-Thailand gives you 30 days visa-free.
-Cambodia, you need to get at the border (bring a passport picture, and either US$20 or 1000Baht). The actual price is $20 but the border officials will often ask for 1000Baht (about $28). Corrupt , but welcome to Cambodia!
-Laos, you can get one at the border for about $25 or $35
-Vietnam is the only one you need to get in advance. Make sure you get the visa either back home (more expensive) or in Cambodia or Laos before you head to the border. Costs about $30 if I remember correctly.
All in all, visas are kind of a pain in the ass, but nothing really troublesome. If you plan on getting visas at the border, make sure you check before you do because some of the lesser-used border crossings will not have them on arrival.
Good luck and have fun!
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