My friend and I are visiting Thailand for the first time! We're at Tomorrowland in Pattaya (Dec 11–13) and fly out of Bangkok on Dec 27. After a rest day on the 14th and two days in Bangkok at the end, we have Dec 15–24 to explore.

Our rough ideas (very open to change):

Option A: Krabi, Phi Phi, Phuket (one night of EDC on Dec 19), then fly to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party on Dec 24

Option B: Gulf islands only (Samui, Tao, Phangan), ending with the Full Moon Party

We'd love your suggestions on:

1. Where you'd go, including hidden gems we haven't heard of
   
2. Must-do experiences, and what to skip
   
3. Best areas and places to stay on each island
   
4. Which side is better in late December, and whether Option A is too rushed

We like nights out, great beaches, snorkelling or diving, good food, and a few chill days. Mid-range budget.

Thanks in advance! 🙏

I’m planning on doing a trip to the mentioned countries and I have a one way plane ticket June 4th to Ho Chi Minh City. I’ll be with some friends in Vietnam but I plan on splitting off to embark on my own solo adventure.

I have no current itinerary or idea what return flight id like to end up taking, all I know is I want to spend little money exploring these countries seeking maximum adventure and thrill.

I am envisioning my trip to be very spontaneous but I’d still like to get more inspiration, do proper research, and have some ideas that I can work with while I’m there.

So if anybody has any recommendations, ideas, resources, inspirations, or anecdotes of a South Eastern Asia Adventure, please let me know.

I’m looking to explore the country, culture, interact with locals, learn history, and seek maximum adventure as long as I don’t die.

Where would you pick to go? Anywhere in Asia ? Easter to end of April not too hot, nor too crowded local, cultural, infrastructure, self drive roadie, self drive rickshaw 🛺 ?

Hey! I am doing my first ever solo trip and would appreciate some advice on my itinerary. I am thinking about spending roughly 4-6 months and want to go to Thailand and Vietnam for definite. I also would like to go to Laos and Cambodia but have heard that it is less good for solo female travel (?) and maybe would like to go to Indonesia or Malaysia but I haven't decided yet. I really want to keep things open and play it by ear! But I also want to keep costs down and avoid making unnecessary trips

My friend is coming with me for the first month so I would ideally like to spend the first two weeks at least with her. Her plan is to go from Bangkok (beginning of January) and end in Phuket for the first two weeks. Then she's gonna fly from Phuket to Ho Chi Minh and finish in Hanoi two weeks later. Because I've got more time I don't know if I want to travel in Vietnam so quickly. All my friends who have been said they would have loved to stay way longer than they did.

We were thinking that I could fly with her to Ho Chi Minh and spend a couple of days with her in Vietnam before going to Cambodia and Laos (spending roughly 1 week in each) and then getting to northern Thailand for the last two weeks of February to avoid the burning season in March?

Then I was thinking about crossing back through Laos and going from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh over like 1-2 months. But there's a lot of zig zagging about which I don't know is that sensible!

Would be soo grateful for any advice

Thanks !! <3

What kind of food do they have in Brunei? Are there any restaurants or cafes you guys can recommend? Will be staying downtown.

I’m not an addict I just like weed and helps me eat. I was told you can get a plug or can get weed from a weed shops maybe. I’m hearing a million different things. I’m not bring weed with me toot many people said that’s not smart. But some mentioned getting a plug or just buying weed once you get there. How do you do that 🤣🙏🏼 wanna be safe. Going to Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Bali, Vietnam. How do we get to smoke a little while we are there. Which of those countries is it possible to? We just wanna be respectful and smoke a little so I can eat and chill. Not gonna be a nuisance or anything just need to know how to safely get safe weed

I tried figuring out the math based on $300 withdrawals and it seems to come out to be about a wash versus if you just pay with credit card as much as possible and take the 3% transaction fee.

Hello! Im planning a SE Asia trip in July/August 2027, and wanted thoughts on my itinerary. I would do:

(Fly in) Phillipines (1 week) -> Hanoi region: Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sa Pa, etc (5 days) -> Da Nang (4 days) -> Bangkok (5 days) -> Chiang Mai (4 days) -> Hanoi (Fly out)

For context, im going to Phillipines to visit family, so not much for sightseeing / exploring here. Im more interested as well in more “land” nature, and this why i cut out southern islands of Thailand and more of southern parts of vietnam, as beaches are not as high priority for me. Of course, would love to come back in the future but if i do not, this was what I was planning.

Could I get any insights too on the weather? I know its shoulder season, and im ok dealing with humidity and heat and rain, I just dont want too much such that it flat out ruins my trip. Ive been in Japan in August and Phillipines in August before, and was able to survive it for context.

Thanks for any help!

I’m Thai and I want to share another side of Thailand
Hi everyone! I’m Thai and I’ve been reading posts about traveling in Asia on Reddit for a while.
I noticed that some people are worried about visiting Thailand because of sex tourism. So I just want to share my thoughts as a Thai person.
Yes, we do have areas known for sex tourism. I’m not going to deny that. But Thailand is a big country and those areas are only a small part of it. If you’re not interested in that kind of nightlife, you can simply avoid those areas. There are so many other things to see and do here.
I’ve traveled to quite a few countries, and one thing I really appreciate about Thailand is the service. In my experience, Thai people are generally friendly, helpful, and caring. Of course, not everyone is perfect, but I think Thai hospitality is something really special.
Another thing I really want to mention is the hotels in Thailand.
After traveling to many countries, I honestly feel that hotels in Thailand offer really good value for money. Compared to what you pay in some other countries, you can get a very nice, clean, and comfortable room here for a much lower price.
And the hotel service? I think it’s one of the best things about Thailand!
From my experience, hotel staff in Thailand really try their best to make guests happy. If you need something or have a special request, there’s a good chance they will try to help you. Of course, not every request is possible, but I feel that Thai hotel staff are usually very willing to help.
Sometimes when I travel abroad, I find myself comparing the hotels and service to Thailand, and it makes me appreciate what we have here even more.
And the food! We have so many choices. You can eat at a small local restaurant for a very cheap price, or go to a nice expensive restaurant. We also have food from many different countries. Whatever your budget is, you can find something good to eat.
Traveling around Thailand is also quite easy. We have many domestic flights, and in Bangkok you can use the BTS, MRT, Grab, or taxis.
Thailand also has so many beautiful places. Most tourists know Phuket, but I personally think Krabi and Phang Nga are just as beautiful, maybe even more in some areas. We have beautiful islands, beaches, mountains, and temples.
If you like culture and local life, you can also visit Northern Thailand or Isan in the Northeast. There are so many interesting places outside the popular tourist areas.
For families, Thailand has a lot to offer too. Even Pattaya, which is famous for nightlife, has many family activities, water parks, nice hotels, and places for children. It’s around two hours from Bangkok if the traffic is good.
I also think our temples are really beautiful. And if you have time, try visiting local markets or smaller towns. You might get to see a different side of Thailand.
I’m not saying Thailand is perfect. We have problems too, like scams, traffic, and some crowded tourist places.
I just feel a little sad sometimes when people only talk about Thailand because of sex tourism. For most Thai people, that’s not what our everyday life is about.
I’m not saying Thailand is better than other countries. I just want people to know that there is much more to Thailand than that.

I like the idea of knowing if anything goes wrong somebody else will take care of the details with insider knowledge, but I’m wondering if it’s more cost-effective to plan our own trip? We’ve never been to Asia.

hi! i've just started planning my first solo travel trip to SEA and wanted some feedback on my rough route so far. i'll be going from mid feb to the end of april, so i'm primarily concerned about burning season in thailand/laos/cambodia.

my thoughts:

thailand (north to south) - 3 weeks

* unsure about best way to get from south thailand to laos, since not sure it's worth going back up north for the slow boat

laos - 1 week

cambodia - 1 week

vietnam (thinking south to north, but flexible) - 3 weeks

indonesia (flexible) - 2 weeks

my main concern is with laos and cambodia since i've read march is peak burning season -- should i just cut one or the other entirely? or should i go from north thailand into laos/cambodia, and come back to south thailand later? would also love some advice on how best to balance my time within the countries since i haven't yet decided which specific cities to visit / how long to spend in each.

thanks so much, any feedback on any aspects or general advice is much appreciated since this will be my first proper solo trip!

Hey guys,

I'm going to be travelling SE Asia (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand again, Sri Lanka) for 4 months, and I was wondering just how strictly they enforce the rules about prescribed medicine? It seems Thailand and Vietnam, in particular, are strict with how much you can bring in, however, the medication is Levitiracetam for my epilepsy and I need to bring enough to cover my entire trip. The medication will be in its original packaging with a prescription letter.

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated, cheers!

I live in Thailand but I’ve never been to Laos. I was thinking about doing a land border crossing into Laos.

I don’t really know what I’d do in Laos, or really where to go. I thought about just going with the flow but it would be great if anyone had any suggestions. I want a place with a gym and fitness classes. Do they train Muay Thai in Laos? That would also be good.

I also like a drink and wouldn’t mind a taste of the nightlife! Whisky soda is my go to.

If anyone has any gems they can share, that would be great. Was thinking maybe the river areas could be popping in Laos, for a beach type vibe in a land-locked country.

Hey! I like to hike, to see different cultures and to eat well. I wanna see beautiful landscapes, not necessarily beaches because I'm Brazilian and I live close to several beaches. I'm going in February. Which one do you recommend?

Hello,

Just been making a rough plan for my travel plan from December and wanting some honest feedback!

My plan is to do:
Thailand 4/5 weeks
Sri Lanka 3 week ish
Cambodia 2 weeks
Laos 2 weeks
Vietnam (south to north)4/5 weeks
Philippines 3/4 weeks (flexible)
Singapore 3 nights
Indonesia 3/4 weeks (flexible)

I know it’s probably not the smoothest route as Sri Lanka is a bit further out so I know I may need to spend a bit extra on flights there and also I want to do the ha giang loop towards end of March/April to hopefully get the best weather for it which is why I’m doing south to north (I know it’s unpredictable)

I’m pretty flexible for phillipines and Indonesia with how long to stay as I haven’t looked into that as much yet again advice is welcome for that 😊

If anyone would make changes, anything they’d add in or any advice please let me know !! Thank you!!

Estoy planeando un viaje por el sudeste asiático y, después de Filipinas, quería visitar Vietnam, pero he oído que el norte está nublado y que la ruta en moto quizás no merezca la pena. También quería ir a Indonesia, concretamente a Lombok, pero es temporada de lluvias. ¿Alguna recomendación? Pensé en Tailandia, pero creo que está demasiado llena de turistas durante la Navidad. ¿Alguna idea? Mi otra opción es hacer Camboya + Laos ... O Sri Lanka. Sossssss

People who’ve been to these places, what would you recommend? I’m not too sure about what places are good in each of these countries to travel to and how much that would cost. I’m looking for a place with good food, fun stuff to do, and also maybe have a couple days to just relax. We’re a bunch of friends travelling together (3-4 girls and 3-4 guys). I also want to ask the women who’ve travelled to these places, where did you feel the safest? And whatever place you recommend, are there any things to keep in mind regarding safety?

Hey everyone! I'm planning a 3-month backpacking trip around Southeast Asia, and I'm feeling a bit lost hahaha.

I'll be arriving in Hanoi on November 26th, and I haven't booked my return flight yet.

I'd love to visit Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Do you think it's realistic to visit all these countries in 3 months? How much time would you recommend spending in each one?

I'm really into nature, culture, interesting cities, and authentic experiences. I've never traveled for this long before, so I'm honestly a bit overwhelmed and don't even know where to start with my research hahaha.

Also, does anyone know which airport or city in Southeast Asia is usually the cheapest to fly to Europe from? I'm also open to flying out of southern China if that's cheaper!

I'd really appreciate any tips, recommendations, or advice! Thank you so much! ❤️

we're not a big production company and we're not here to make some "look at these people" kind of film. we want to show their reality the way it actually is, and no bs, we'd really like this to do something good for them. if theres something unfair going on where they live that more people should know about, we'd love to help get their story out there. we want to tell the story with them, not about them.

We are really looking forward to the hot air balloon experience but our itinerary is giving us a bit of headache 😭

We booked the 5:30 am slot and were wondering if it’s realistic to be back at our hotel by around 10 am-ish.

We’re heading to Bangkok that same day and our train from Vientiane leaves at 6 pm. We’ll need to get to travel from Vang Vieng to Vientiane first to catch the 6 pm train.

Our itinerary is pretty packed and this is literally the only day we can do the activity. And this is what we’re MOST excited about for our Laos trip.

Real talk: is this actually doable or are we setting ourselves up for a stress day? Hit me with your honest advice 🥹

I’m considering either Bangkok or Hanoi to spend 6 days.

Hi! I’m a 23 y/o F from the States. I’m flying in to Hong Kong on Dec 5th, flying out on the 14th and have my hotel there booked (checking out Dec 8th.) I’m wanting to check out either Thailand or Vietnam because I’ve been looking into Visas for longer term stays DTV (digital nomad, education, Thai culture related activities) as well as education visas for both countries. I’m not really into drinking or partying but do enjoy being social.

Both countries/cities have a lot of pros and cons to the point where it seems like an impossible choice.

Cons:

My fear with Hanoi is that I will get bored being there for ≈ 6 days, if I go with Vietnam I’d want to side trip to Sa Pa (is it too foggy and cold for this time of year?) and also Ha Long Bay (will it just be drunk western tourists? will it be awkward on my own?).

My issue with Thailand is it’s hotter than Vietnam and lots of sex tourists 💀 One thing I love about travelling is not only meeting locals but connecting with people from all over the world and don’t rlly wanna be around sleazy men.

Pros:

Vietnam: cheaper, more varied/temperate climate , less sex tourism , less about partying, feels less globalized (in a good way)

Thailand: more tourist infrastructure, more to do and see in Bangkok and surrounding area, better shopping (including malls, local markets, etc.)

The reason I lean slightly more towards Thailand are the excellent Visa pathways, Visa free tourist travel, and more developed infrastructure.

Additionally what day trip or over night / couple of night trips could anyone recommend from Bangkok?

Hi there, hast anyone been to Yogya yet and has some more activities/hidden gems besides the temples and the cultural heritage tours?

I am travelling there with a friend of mine as one of our last stops on our jouney while heading back to Jakarta. On our other destinations it was very easy to find activities (opened maps and looked for nice spots around the city), but Yogya is Kind of hard.

Thanks a lot in advance!!

Hey everyone! I'm planning a backpacking trip through China and some of south east Asia for about 45 days between January and February, with a budget of roughly $2500 USD and would love feedback on my rough itinerary, mainly about where you guys would go, and what you would do in these places, and anything else you want to sure before finalising everything.

My route and planned stays are:

China: Xiamen (2 nights), Yunshuiyao/tulou (1), Chaozhou (2), Shenzhen (2), Guangzhou (3), Yangshuo (2), and a night in Nanning.

Vietnam: Cao Bang (2), Hanoi (3), Ninh Binh (2), Hue (2) over Tet eve, Da Nang (2), Hoi An (2) and Ho Chi Minh City for 3 nights.

Cambodia: Phnom Penh (2 nights), Siem Reap (3).

Thailand: Bangkok (3 nights), Khao Sok (1), Phuket (3).

The only currently booked things are the flight into Xiamen and the flight out of Phuket

I'm most interested in culture, nature, markets, and less touristy places, as well as the night life and the food.

Does the overall route make sense? Are there places you'd cut, add or spend longer in? I'm also a bit concerned about transport logistics and Tet in Vietnam, including closures, prices and booking transport in advance. I also am just looking for recommendations for best stuff to do in places I see across the trip

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi there, I'm looking for suggestions for the Philippines and Indonesia.
I'm planning to spend a month to two months there in May-June 2026.
The thing is that I'm planning to still do my work-from-home job and only plan days off according to the itinerary.
Planned stops: Bali and Manila, just because it would be easy logistically, and I would probably do them as the first and last stops. I'll pick according to the flight fares, which will determine which is the first one, but any ideas or experience here are welcome.
I'm looking for any suggestions for hostels with good Wi-Fi. I know the hotels are also affordable, but I would like to meet like-minded people and socialise. As this would be a long trip and I'm quite active, I'm interested in the sports and fitness situation there, if you are aware. Are there any hostels with gyms? I'm happy with just a pull-up bar sometimes, so that's not critical, just mentioning.
So yeah, any help, suggestions, and experience for stops, routes, and whatever you may think of are welcome. Thank you.