It has been a bit quiet on our website and socials because we have been very busy lately with the preparations for our upcoming trip through Asia, selling the 4×4 camper, reviewing, writing and planning articles while we are away, etc. etc. Now that all of that is done, we can share the rough plan of our upcoming trip with you. We are planning to go 'backpacking in Southeast Asia' again, but this time with a suitcase!
Why go to Southeast Asia?
We are huge fans of Southeast Asia! That's because we love bounty islands and the jungle. It is also easy to travel around, it is very affordable and of course because of the hospitality and delicious food. We are more likely to be in the countries Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines, Maldives, Thailand en Singapore been.
The last time was in 2019, when we visited the island of Borneo, where we were completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the awakening jungle at sunrise, high on a scaffold in the canopy (which was usually used by scientists to study wildlife, among other things). .
We weren't working on it at the time Wereldreizigers.nl – the website did not exist yet. I already regularly wrote blogs on my personal travel blog. High in the jungle canopy, two things became clear to me: I love Asia and I want to make this my job. I mean traveling and experiencing.
About 4 years and 50 countries later, we have seen a lot, but we have not been to Asia again. We miss the region and are really looking forward to going back! This time we choose destinations that we have not been to before and these include the countries Laos. en Vietnam .
The itinerary
The total travel time is 5 weeks. We visit four countries during this trip. We start in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Four days later we fly north from Thailand. We'll move from there Laos. in order to include the Gibbon Experience to experience then in the north of Vietnam to come out. In Vietnam we travel south with various trains and buses. The plan is to end up on the tropical island Phu Quoc, where we want to relax during the last days of the trip.
Planned and booked
Below is a summary of the bookings, including the costs we have incurred so far.
- We fly for 630 euros per person Etihad Airways via a short transfer from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur. Etihad Airways is known as one of the best airlines in the world. They have received the award for the World's Best Airline several years in a row during the World Travel Awards. We found the plane tickets this page from Skyscanner.
- We have 4 nights in Kuala Lumpur booked, in an amazing luxury apartment with views over the city and the Twin Towers. Cost: approx 40 euros per day (here to book).
- We then fly with AirAsia to Chiang Rai in the north of Thailand. This is possible from +- 50 euros per person, but we paid about 100 euros per person because we waited too long!
- We are staying in Chiang Rai for, don't be alarmed, 26 euros for three nights in this well-reviewed and cute guesthouse with swimming pool. That is 8,60 euros per day for two people! You can also rent scooters directly here for +- 5,50 euros per day.
- From Chiang Rai we enter Laos at the place Ban Houayxay. That's what we stay for 20 euros per night in the cute “About The Moon Hostel” in a private room. The hostel is run by a Dutch owner and is located right next to the office of The Gibbon Experience where a tour through the jungle will start and end. So ideal!
- So we're going to do the Gibbon Experience experienced. We hike and zipline for two days (and one night) through the treetops of the jungle and sleep in a tree house at a height of +- 40 meters. We hear from many people that it must be a great experience. However, it is a pricey tour by Asian standards. Cost: 205 euros per person for the one night tour, 325 euros per person for two nights. Unfortunately, this last tour was fully booked well in advance.
The further plans
The reason we have not yet booked and planned more than the above is because we also want to be guided by what we encounter. We may want to stay somewhere longer than planned or skip a destination, for example because the weather conditions are not good. We have roughly mapped out a route for ourselves.
Laos.
During this part of the trip we more or less follow the beautiful Laos travel route that our blogger Ilse has previously experienced in detail and described on our website, see: Itinerary Laos 2 to 4 weeks | Hints and Highlights.
The intention is that after the Gibbon Experience we will... Ban Houayxay sailing with the current on a slow boat to the city Luang Prabang, to spend a few days there.
From Luang Prabang we will go by train Vang Vieng to travel. This is a real one backpackers destination because of the tubing, but it is also surrounded by beautiful nature!
A day or a few days later we take the train back to Luang Prabang and then travel further Nong Kiau. It seems to be less touristy there and that is why you will experience authentic Laos here.
Vietnam
It is also convenient that Nong Kiau is on the route to the north of Vietnam. We want to get to the place Dien Bien Phu crossing the border in Vietnam. If we go to Hanoi want to travel, we can opt for a very long bus ride or the plane.
We plan to stay in Hanoi for a few days and take day tours to, among other places Ha Long Bay. After this we will travel for miles to the south of Vietnam.
How long it takes us depends on the time we have left and the plans we make during the trip. At least we have the places Ninh Binh, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang en Ho Chi Minh City on the wish list!
So the island also stands Phu Quoc on our wish list and we want to relax there at the end of the trip before we have to go home again.
Possible obstacle
We also received advice from someone to investigate whether the so-called "Burning Season” is ongoing in Laos. Farmers burn their crops during this season to fertilize the soil and prepare it for the next harvest. A thick layer of smog is then created and the air quality is then very bad for health.
After some research on the internet it seems that this starts in the month of March, but because the climate is changing it is happening earlier in the year. We keep our fingers crossed that things won't be too bad in February!
That is also why it is nice not to have everything recorded. If things don't go well, we have the option to travel to Vietnam faster...
Advice
Have you ever been to Kuala Lumpur, Loas and/or Vietnam? Perhaps you have some recommendations or recommendations for us. Please let us know!
We will keep you informed via our socials (including stories on our Instagram en Facebook channel and yes, our new one TikTok account! After the trip, the extensive blogs will of course follow with all the tips and itinerary. Until then!
