How to plan a South Asian trip on a budget (2024)

FAQs

How to plan a South Asian trip on a budget? ›

Backpacking Southeast Asia Suggested Budgets

How much money do I need for three weeks in Southeast Asia? In general, you should count on spending a minimum of $1000 per week, plus airfare. This can be more expensive depending on the countries you visit, what type of accommodation you choose, and your activities.

For a great 3-month backpacking adventure in Southeast Asia, we recommend budgeting $3000-4500 USD. This allows you to explore at a comfortable pace without too much penny-pinching. With around $1000 per month, you can cover food, accommodation, transport and activities.

Book in advance – If you don't book in advance, you run the risk of the cheap places being fully booked, especially if you're in Southeast Asia during the high season. Share a room with another traveler. If you're staying at one particular hostel or guesthouse for multiple nights, try to negotiate a lower price.

$1200-$1650 USD per month

For around $50 USD per day, you'll have your choice of great backpacker dorms or nice private rooms to sleep in. You'll be able to eat in restaurants or on the street but you'll never have to worry about cooking for yourself if you don't want to.

2-3 months is a great amount of time to travel the backpacker crowd favourites: Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, affectionately known as the 'Banana Pancake' trail.

When travelling to South East Asia, we recommend you use cash for your foreign currency needs. You'll need cash for buying street food, cheap souvenirs or haggling at a night market.

Purchase only large notes—nothing smaller than US $100—otherwise you'll lose too much in fees. Keeping a few hundred dollars in travellers checks is a smart back-up source of cash.

Value for Money

Brazil and Costa Rica are very expensive by Latin American standards whilst Bolivia and Chile are very cheap. In Southeast Asia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand are generally some of the most expensive countries in the region but in other countries you money can go a really long way.

What is the best way to explore Southeast Asia? ›

The best way to travel Southeast Asia: Plane is the favorite transportation to go from each country to another country. Concerning traveling from provincial Southeast Asia tourist attractions to the others, you can ride a motorbike and choose to travel by bus.

While Vietnam also has the beaches of Nha Trang and Phu Quoc Island, they don't really compare to the beauty of the Thai Islands. Ultimately, both Vietnam and Thailand have interesting landscapes so it just depends on what type of travel you are looking for when traveling Southeast Asia.

As a rule of thumb, 25-30 liter backpacks are best for shorter weekend trips, while 30-45 liter backpacks are best for longer trips or long-term travel.

If you are going to eat street food and either walk or catch local buses everywhere then 500 a day should be enough. If you're going to eat at fancy restaurants and hit the Go Go bars each night and party with new friends back in your room then 10,000 a day might not be enough.

If you're a budget traveler, you can expect to spend around $30 to $50 per day in the Philippines. This includes accommodation, meals, transportation, and some activities. On the other hand, if you prefer a more comfortable mid-range experience, you should plan to spend approximately $70 to $100 per day.

How long do you need in Southeast Asia? I think 3 weeks in Southeast Asia is a great amount of time to visit. I know not everyone can get three weeks off work, so I'd still recommend visiting Southeast Asia if you only have 10-14 days.