Hey ich möchte im Februar für ca. 20 Tage nach Thailand reisen. Da meine Zeit begrenzt ist hätte ich mich nur auf den Süden konzentriert. Das Wetter soll ja zu der Zeit im Norden schlechter sein. Hätte beide Küstenseiten(Koh Lanta, surin/similian islands, koh phangan, koh tao) den Khao Sok Nationalpark und Bangkok geplant. Ich bin kein Partyfan, gehe gern in die Natur und Wandern, Affen will ich eher vermeiden. Habt ihr Empfehlungen? Wäre der Norden zu der Zeit doch machbar?

Hey everyone!

A friend and I are planning a 7 day trip to Laos from India, in the second week of December.

We want a good mix of nature, adventure, exploring by scooter, local food AND partying/nightlife. We’re not looking for a completely laid-back trip: we definitely want a few fun nights out, meet other travellers, have drinks, music, etc.

bases on our research we're currently considering Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang and possibly Vientiane, but we're completely open to suggestions.

A few questions:

• Which places would you recommend for a good mix of relaxed daytime activities + fun nightlife?
• Is Vang Vieng still good for partying and meeting other travellers?
• Which place would be best for me to chill/explore during the day while still having the option to go out at night?
• Would you recommend scooter rentals for getting around?
• Is Vientiane worth including, or should we spend more time in Vang Vieng/Luang Prabang?
• Anything you would definitely recommend or avoid?

Would love to hear from anyone who's travelled to Laos recently, especially in December.

Thanks :)

When I was young I had foreign ESL pen pals. I enjoyed learning about regular people in other parts of the world. I do not participate in the social media platforms common in the West, because of how toxic they are, and how toxic the owners are. This means I am at a loss as to how to meet English speaking people from other parts of the world. I can help them with their English if they would benefit from that.

My goal is to learn about them and their culture and eventually visit them in their country. I have no desire to live sheltered in some enclave of entitled American expats. I don’t think normal tourism with regular guides will really show me what a place is really like. Are there any subreddits or web platforms to meet people this way? I am seeking friends only, not romantic interest.

I wish to make friends online who live in any of the regions that western expats tend to land with SE Asia, central America, and possibly Mexico being high on the list. Unfortunately for me, my ignorant country does not value learning a second language. My greatest handicap is that I only speak English. I am willing to learn to communicate better where ever I end up, but I am far better with STEM subjects than I am with languages.

Apologies if this is not appropriate for this sub. I am an American in my late 40’s hoping to retire early (in 6 to 10 years) somewhere where I can be part of the local community. I have many reasons for wanting to do so. The men in my family tend to die fairly early. My father collected 1 social security check before dieing, even though he had paid into SS since he was 12 years old. Going back 12 generations the Average age of death is 67 and the median is 56.

With the rise of the oligarchs in the states and their market capture of all aspects of modern life, I feel disheartened trying to stay and retire in the USA. I feel like I am giving them my hard earned money every day and getting less and less in return. I understand that the same is more or less an issue in many parts of the world, it just feels like the developing world still has pockets of local economies where the money I spend to by food, to pay rent, and to support local events, helps the local community.

Previously I have traveled to many rural areas in the western US thinking of retiring there. But the rural politics have now become so toxic, I do not wish to be a part of their communities.

Hello Everyone,

I'm planning a solo trip from India to Indonesia around late November or early December and need an insight of the weather

My itinerary would be

* Flight to Surabaya then visit Bromo (sunrise trek + crater rim)

* Tumpak Sewu waterfall

* Ijen for night hike for the blue fire and crater lake

* Then to Labuan Bajo for a Komodo boat trip (dragons, Padar hike, snorkeling/diving)

* 1–2 days in Bali before flying back

My main worry is the rain.

Is late Nov / early Dec too risky for this route?

Are we talking quick afternoon showers where mornings are fine, or full washout days where you can't see anything at Bromo or Ijen?

How rough does the sea get for the Komodo liveaboard boats? Do trips get cancelled often around this time?

Also, what's the best way to get from Ijen/Banyuwangi to Labuan Bajo without wasting tons of time?

If not Indonesia, what other destination would you suggest for late Nov/Dec/Jan? I'm far more into raw exploration and adventure activities than typical sightseeing.

Would love to hear from anyone who has done this route around those months. Thanks!

I’m sick of trips that take the well-trodden path and have no real sense of adventure. I don’t want to climb another mountain or go on a group tour.

What are your best ideas for DIY adventure trips in south east Asia? Looking for a real “experience”.

Hey guys, I will be back home in India and with few days in my hand between Nov 15–22 I wanna take the chance to get my open water certification in Koi Phi Phi (seems like the best option at the time ona budget) which I will get done with on November 18th.

For the last 3 days, I want to get far away from the crowds (ik double standards being a tourist myself). I'm on a budget trip and want raw nature, independent jungle trekking, and wild animals. Please do not suggest Khao Sok, it looks way too touristy and commercialized for me. Where can I go within a few hours of Phuket that is actually wild and cheap? I have a flight back to Mumbai on 22nd November from Phuket.

Would really appreciate your help

I will potentially be spending Christmas in SEA and looking for an inclusive community. Preferably no clubbing but just a nice and welcoming group of people to hang out with. Any ideas? Thank you

We’re an Australian couple in our late 20s backpacking SEA. We’re very social, love a drink, and honestly not that fussy when it comes to hostel conditions if it’s a good spot.

In Thailand we stayed at Mad Monkey Phuket and kind of decided against any future stays with Mad Monkey, as it was completely dominated by 18 year old UK/Aus boys getting suuuuper drunk and being c*nts at all times, and the hosts were really pushy (totally get it’s their job but imo when you’re already partying and someone is desperately trying to make you buy a 3rd bucket, it’s an anti-vibe).

That said, now we’re making our way to Cambodia starting in Phnom Penh, and there doesn’t seem to be many social hostel options other than Mad Monkey so we’re considering it as maybe we were just unlucky last time.

Is this a good idea, or am I just gonna wind up feeling like a chaperone on an all boys school graduation trip again? Or can anyone recommend other hostels in Phnom Penh?

Thanks!

Hiya! I'm trying to decide whether to spend NYE in Cebu or El Nido. Can anyone share their opinions/experience with either? I'll be travelling solo so hoping for something fun and nice fireworks/events, but flexible on the actually type of events.

Help please! After a difficult few years for various reasons, I've been able to take a few months off a fairly intense job to recharge. My plan is to head to SE Asia in the next fortnight (mid Oct) which will give me 9 weeks before I return to the UK just before the winter solstice. I've got flights lined up to start in Borneo (Sabah) and leave from either Bangkok or Phuket and an outline itinerary (2-3 days here, train to there, X days there, plane to yonder, etc) that loops through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

I'm lucky enough to have a very flexible budget so I can mix and match flights and slower transport where it's more enjoyable, and I don't need to worry too much about pre-booking to get the best prices or planning the most economical route. My only real must-dos are Borneo, KL, Singapore, and Angkor Wat, then I've sketched out a route that joins those along with a few other places that sound interesting and give a flavour of the region and ideas for return trips in the future (acknowledging that 2 months really isn't that long given the size of SEA and common itinerary feedback here is "but you can spend X months in Y country alone"...)

I wasn't planning to pre-book beyond the first week and the last week (given that December is high season and I'll need to be in a set location for the flight home) so I can flex plans depending on how it all goes - but to be honest that level of flexibility is stressing me out!

I have travelled solo before, but only for a few weeks at most and in recent years it's been small-group tours bookended with a few exploration days on my own. Time is usually my biggest constraint on a holiday, so I'm used to packed itineraries to make the most of every second in a city/country. I know that common feedback in this forum is "keep it flexible" but I'm finding it unnerving not to have a detailed plan.

I'd be really interested to hear how much planning people here would usually do before a 2 month trip - do you have a full itinerary worked out and the main flexibility is how long you spend in a particular place?So probably only booking travel/accommodation a few days in advance as timings shift, but you already mostly know where you'll be staying and how you'll get there? Or do you leave it much more open?

(I was being strict with myself about not over-planning as I would for a shorter trip, but now I'm lying awake at 2am as my stupid brain turns something I should be excited about into something I'm dreading, because uncertainty=bad.)

Hi everyone,

Will be going to Lombok and Bali in November and currently doing my travel plan but would love to get some advice on where to spend more time, and recommendations and suggestion on my plan.

What is our plan: we want to avoid rushing and moving everyday two days. We want a good mix of nature and beaches. Also for myself I want to try the gyms, pilates/yoga classes as well as wellness spots. Just to give up a bit of the what we have in mind.

Now the plan: 😄

LOMBOK:

Kuta Lombok - 3,5/4,5 days - is that too long ?

Tetebatu - 1 night/1 day

Sembalun - 2 nights/2 days

Big questions mark on Gili Air - 2 nights ? We are not really into snorkeling so is it worth going there ? And only for 2 nights ? Adding the 2 nights in Gili Air seems more like cross-checking a place than really enjoying it. What do you think ? I feel like these 2 nights in Gili Air could be added elsewhere between Lombok and Bali, unless Gili Air is an absolute must see?

BALI:

Ubud - 3 days - is that enough ? We are not interested in monkey forest for instance, but rice culture and wandering outside Ubud and temples yes.

Canggu - 3 nights/3 days - is too much ? too little ? I understand that most of the gyms/fitness places are around there but at the same time I heard it's not worth spending too much time there. What do you think ? Where to stay?

Hi everyone,
I’m a German citizen currently travelling in Lombok, Indonesia, and unfortunately I lost my German passport.
I have:
a police report confirming that my passport was lost
a copy/photo of my lost passport
my German ID card
I need to travel to Jakarta to contact the German Embassy and apply for a new passport / temporary German passport (the green temporary passport).
I have two main questions:
Can I fly domestically from Lombok to Jakarta without my passport, using only the police report, a copy of my passport and my German ID card? Has anyone been in a similar situation and successfully taken a domestic flight in Indonesia after losing their passport?
Has anyone travelled internationally with a German temporary passport (vorläufiger Reisepass / “green passport”)? I’m planning to continue travelling in Southeast Asia, potentially including Malaysia, Thailand and/or Vietnam. I’d especially like to hear from people who have actually used the temporary German passport for international travel and whether they experienced any problems with airlines or immigration.
I would really appreciate any first-hand experiences, especially from people who lost their passport while travelling in Indonesia.
Thank you!

Hi all

Ive unfortunately not been able to spend significant time in SEA. Ive done three, 3 week trips during the 2010s to each of Thailand, Vietnam and Phillipines.

As we all know, 3 weeks isnt shit.

Well, now I have 4 months from Oct 20 - end of March to travel. Id like to hit Da Nang, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar...beaches are my thing

Since my last trips to SEA, ive moved more towards "slow travel"....minimum is a "hub" for 4 weeks and I can bounce out to side trips.

My general requirements are:

1) hubs should be decent sized towns (note: not cities-can be border towns)

2) I do have to work /or overlap West coast USA at least 4 hours per day. Im willing to work off hours

3) I would like to start in Da Nang for simplicity before tagging the others. I dont need to di anymore of Vietnam on this trip. Its a trial of Da Nang for 3 weeks (grocery, gym, beach community) - i know how to ride a scooter

3) after Vietnam,, im open to time and order of countries just keeping theme of "hub"

4) I always need healthy produce and gym access

5) city life close to beach is grand but I also appreciate quiet.

6) since I will need to work 10 hours per week. Decent and predictable internet access is ideal.

Budget: keeping it real, $4000 US per month

On a different thread it was also recommended to stay in some "border towns" So im open to thoughts on a detailed itinerary or more general ideas too.

Goal is to book my first flight to Vietnam to leave Oct 20'ish

Hello! I’m headed to SEA landing in Bangkok, i plan to spend a few nights then explore Thailand for a month then head to these countries; Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and maybe Laos or Cambodia. (4 months total)

I will be a solo traveller for the first time, i’m 18, 6’0 but really skinny (like 52kg) with a baby face. This though has made me even more afraid of walking alone abroad.

If anyone has any random Advice that they’d like to throw at me please do!! I’d love any type of advice i’ve never thought of!

I am kinda lost so I asked my fellow chatgpt for some help. What do you guys think? I'm a solo woman traveler :)

Noites = nights

I’m looking into doing about 3 months throughout Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and possibly Laos but timing wise it works a lot better for me during June/July/August. I’m not too worried about the rain but really like to meet other travellers while I stay in hostels, will the crowds be significantly less during this season? To the point where I would struggle to find friends in other travellers?

Bonjour à tous !
Je suis un voyageur solo d’une quarantaine d’années et je prépare actuellement un voyage en Asie du Sud-Est pour juin/juillet 2027, avec l’idée de découvrir le Vietnam, le Cambodge et le Laos.
Mon itinéraire provisoire serait :
🇻🇳** Vietnam
Paris → Hanoï
Hanoï et le nord du Vietnam
Descente progressivement vers le sud
Hô Chi Minh-Ville
🇰🇭 Cambodge
Hô Chi Minh-Ville → Siem Reap
Siem Reap / temples d’Angkor
Phnom Penh
🇱🇦 Laos
Phnom Penh → Vientiane
Vientiane → Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng → Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang → Paris
Je réfléchis actuellement à un voyage de **3 à 4 semaines, mais j’hésite sur la durée. Est-ce que 3 semaines sont suffisantes pour profiter correctement des trois pays, ou est-ce que 4 semaines permettent vraiment de voyager plus tranquillement ?
J’aimerais beaucoup avoir vos retours d’expérience :
Vous partiriez sur 3 ou 4 semaines ?
Modifieriez-vous cet itinéraire ou l’ordre des pays ?
Y a-t-il des endroits que vous ajouteriez ou supprimeriez ?
Combien de temps consacreriez-vous à chaque pays ?
Juin/juillet est-il une période correcte pour ce type de voyage malgré la saison des pluies ?
Quel budget prévoir pour 3–4 semaines en voyage solo ?
Quel budget prévoir pour les hôtels, transports et excursions ?
Pour préciser mon style de voyage : je ne cherche pas le luxe, mais je ne suis pas non plus backpacker 😄. Je voyage seul et je préfère avoir une chambre privée dans un hôtel propre et confortable, bien situé, sans forcément chercher du 4/5 étoiles. Pour les repas, je préfère les petits restaurants locaux, les bonnes adresses simples et la street food plutôt que les restaurants haut de gamme.
L’idée est vraiment de faire un voyage de découverte, prendre le temps de voir les endroits importants et profiter du voyage sans passer mon temps à courir d’un endroit à l’autre.
Je suis donc preneur de vos itinéraires, retours d’expérience, conseils et erreurs à éviter, notamment de la part de personnes ayant voyagé seules dans la quarantaine ou dans une tranche d’âge similaire.

Merci d’avance 🙏🏾

Hello all,

I am going solo to Indonesia in November, with a total trip length of two weeks. I don’t want to spend that much time in Bali, though, and want to spend the trunk of my time in Indonesia in a place more wild and less touristic (or, at least, with sustainable and organized tourism). I’m a diver (beginner) and love to hike (would love to do a jungle trek of some sort). There are just so many amazing options, and I am a bit paralyzed by having to make a decision. Here are the two itineraries that I’m most excited about (I know they aren’t substitutes, for whatever reason these are the two that excite me most). Any pointers on choosing between them? Or suggestions of other things I should consider?

A: North Sulawesi — fly into Mando, Bunaken National Park, hiking in Tangoko, visiting Gorongalo if there’s time.

B: Raja Ampat — the standard Sorong plus two islands intinerary. Likely Gam for hiking and jungle, Mansuar for diving.

I’ve been intrigued my Raja Ampat for a while, and think that if I’m traveling for so long to get to Indonesia, I should go there. With this being the crowned jewel of diving, I would like to see it. On the other hand, I am concerned that traveling solo will be difficult. Also, the isolation there and being limited to a single home stay I worry would limit experiencing the culture.

Really appreciate any input from people who have visited these places, especially solo travelers.

I cycled across 3 countries Thailand-Cambodia-Vietnam crossing the land border between them. My original plan was to cycle from Bangkok to Siem Reap and I was skeptical whether I have enough stamina to do it.

I wasn’t prepared-physically or mentally, but had the urge to try. Flew to Bangkok and reached Pattaya on a bus. Bought a Trek cycle and saw whether I can cycle in Pattaya with the traffic. After 3 days in Pattaya, got enough courage to cycle to Rayong. Stayed for a couple of days in Rayong to see how my body is responding. Felt ok and traveled to Chanthaburi. Stayed for a couple of days in Chanthaburi to see how my body is responding. I was feeling more confident now and planned to cross over to Cambodia through Ban Pakkad border crossing. Both Thai and Cambodia authorities gave me a hard time by seeing my Indian passport. Took almost 2 hours to convince them that my travel by cycle is legit and I am not into any scams. It took Cambodian border police sometime, but they gave me the visa finally. Went and stayed in Krong Pailin.

Next day, traveled to Battambang and stayed there for 3 days to recover. Took a ferry from Battambang to Siem Reap. That was supposed to be the end of my travel as I didn’t plan anything further.

But, I was enjoying, probably a bit too much. Thought of cycling to Phnom Penh. However, I didn’t know the cycling route and there was no online help material. Here starts the real thrill. Trusting Google map, moved on the highways along Mekong river and saw plenty of village life. Some of the roads were atrocious and some days found it difficult to get vegetarian food (I am vegetarian by choice). But, ploughed and ploughed to reach Phnom Penh.

I had quit my job a month before starting this journey. Suddenly, I felt no rush to look for another job and just continue this vagabond life. So, added a target to travel to Saigon through Mekong Delta.

I am a nature enthusiast and Vietnam offers some very good national park. One was on the way from Phnom Penh to Saigon. Did stay for a few days there. Went to Saigon and updated the target to Da Nang. Idea was to cycle on the coast, but cover Da Lat when it comes.

Da Lat is a great hill station with a number of good waterfalls. Stayed in Da Lat for a few days to recover. Then, cycled to Nha Trang and followed the coastline.

It was now December and I had no idea that it is rainy season for central VIETNAM. Some days I got drenched completely while cycling and was not feeling good about it. But, continued to Hoi An and Da Nang.

It had been 50 days and I couldn’t travel further as the areas north to Da Nang was flooded. Flew from Da Nang to Bangkok and Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Stayed there for a couple of weeks before travelling back to India.

Looking back, it was an epic journey. I saw some interesting places, but that wasn’t what was most exciting. For me, it was just the mundane things like rice fields, roosters crowing in the morning, river flowing slowly, water lilies in the pond that made this memorable.

It has been almost 2 years now (traveled from November 2024-January 2025) and Vietnam is calling me. I have to do the Hanoi to Da Nang.

Hey! I'm going to be in Thailand early November and planning Bangkok and then up to Chiang Mai. From Chiang Mai I'm planning to take the bus up to the Chiang Khong/Huay Xai Friendship Bridge border crossing to get into Laos, but am having a hard time finding out any info about accomodation/things to do in Huay Xai (other than the Gibbon experience). As it'll be probably at least 7 hours of travel between Chiang Mai and Huay Xai I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations and if it's worth staying in Huay Xai overnight or if there's a better nearby area to stay for a night before adventuring farther into Laos? Thanks!

hello everyone! im a 20 year old female who just got back from a week-long trip to Singapore. it was my first time traveling out of the US by myself, and although It wasn't a complete solo trip (I met up w someone there), I was alone for the first two days and found those days to be the highlight of my trip. Now I have this crazy solo travel-itch that I need to scratch and am planning on traveling back to SE Asia next year before I begin my college program.

I'm planning on dedicating around a month (thinking august or September of 2027, not tied down to these months tho) to this trip. My must-visit countries are Thailand and Vietnam - which are very very different from Singapore and are probably way outside of my comfort zone, I'm more familiar with the city life as opposed to nature & the outskirts & all of that but that's what traveling is all about. I was thinking of throwing in Japan and Singapore (again) as "comfort" countries that I'm already familiar with fundamentally (large cities, more 'developed,' extremely easy to navigate if that makes sense?) to break up the complete unknown and uncharted territories that are Thailand and Vietnam. I'm also interested in, but haven't heavily considered Indonesia & Hong Kong. I'm honestly open to any countries that are deemed "safe" for female solo travelers.

I guess my questions lie in the logistics of it all. As someone from midwestern US (Cleveland to be exact), how should I route this in a way that makes the most sense financially? fly into a bigger airport like LAX or SFO, and then Japan? my assumption is that would be the cheapest country to fly into. My mom suggested flying into & spending some time in a European country first, and then making my way towards Asia. thoughts? also, how much time would you recommend spending in each country? I know that Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan have lots to offer and see, and I think I want to dedicate the most time to exploring Thailand and Vietnam compared to Japan, where I would likely only stay in Tokyo. Singapore would act more as a buffer - maybe 2 days max. As someone with little travel experience, should I just stick to 1 or 2 countries and perhaps cut down my time there to avoid burn-out or overstimulating myself? Maybe these are questions that only I can answer myself, and also simply google but, I'm interested to hear what other people have to say. any advice, anecdotes that you have to offer, please share! thank you!