Asia Travel

Budget Southeast Asia Travel

Asia is the world’s largest and most populous continent with diverse cultures and fascinating people. This article will be concentrating more on the Southeast Asia region as it provides terrific value for budget travelers and you can travel from country to country overland effortlessly. You can travel easily through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma/Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia by land or with budget airlines.

Do plenty of research as it will save you money, time and frustration. Plan your day and how you are going to your destinations. Unnecessary transportation costs because of poor planning and indecision can really add up, so plan a logical route for your day and how you’re going to get from place to place. Look at budget travel guides like “Lonely Planet” or “Let’s Go” or “Trip Advisor”. These guides will give you useful information to specific countries while you embark on your Asian Adventure and soak up the culture!

Transportation

Bundled flights, all Asia air pass or even budget/low-cost Asian airlines can significantly reduce the cost of your airfare. If time permits, using trains or buses for long trips between cities is another cheap alternative and you would be able to sight-see while you en route to your next destination. Cathay Pacific Airways has one of the most popular air passes from the United States. Prices start at $999 for Hong Kong and two other Asian destinations (flies to 18 Asian destinations), and you have 21 days to use it. You can add cities and time for an additional cost.

Accommodation

For the adventure seekers, you can just book the first night’s accommodation in advance and then look for a cheap place to stay locally, and look around upon arrival for the cheapest accommodation. Backpackers should consider staying in hostels as you would get to meet other backpackers, share experiences and exchange information on places to stay and must see attractions.

Accommodation in Asia can be very cheap. There are beach huts in India for less than US$3 a night, and in many Southeast Asian countries US$10 is more than enough for a decent double room. You can also consider staying on the outskirts of a city or even in a nearby town or village. Rates are far cheaper and it allows you to immerse yourself more deeply into the culture.

Food

Forget about fine dining when you are traveling. Nothing will drain your budget faster than a few ritzy restaurants. The best food in Asia is found on the street. Look where the locals eat. In Asia, most food is fresh and not preserved. They are very cheap and can be just as good as restaurant food. Most are clean, but be careful with any meat you eat. Watch the locals. If what they are eating looks good, give it a try. It doesn’t matter if you don’t speak the language. Just point and smile. They will be happy to feed you. Southeast Asian street food is not just affordable but also delicious.

Also, leave your diet at home. You didn’t come to Asia to eat healthy. Enjoy the delights of Asian cooking. If the food doesn’t look safe, opt for fast food.

Lastly, two more tips that would really give you the extra mile on your adventure. Bargaining and theft prevention! Bargaining is a must and customary in most Asian countries. Start low because tourists are always quoted a higher price than locals. Theft prevention is often overlooked, but very necessary precaution. Money belts, locks and a watchful eye can prevent a theft that could put a major dent in your travel funds. Places like Japan and Singapore generally have very little petty theft, but in poorer countries like those in Southeast Asia more caution is necessary.

“We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”

T.S. Eliot
The Little Gidding

As I was cycling within the mystical grounds of Sukothai, the ancient Siam Kingdom, I could feel the tropical sun’s intensity peaking early. Setting my bicycle aside, I found the shade from a bodhi tree provided that perfect respite in which to relax and reflect upon life. I also took comfort from the accompanying statue of Buddha and his serene smile that so calmly embraced the world around me.

Finding clear vision or as defined here as objectivity is a very satisfying discovery, much like finding that key piece to a puzzle you’ve been working on forever, especially if the puzzle is a rendition of an M.C.Escher painting. My recent Southeast Asia travel experience, has as with every world travel experience of mine, provided me with another enriching, incremental step toward self-discovery and an increased awareness of one’s place in the world.

There’s a popular phrase I’ve heard and seen on T-shirts in numerous South American and Asian marketplaces that goes “same, same, only different”. This whimsical seemingly nonsensical phrase may carry greater wisdom than first observed. There’s a fascinating new scientific field which involves the study of fractal formations. Fractals are often defined as self-similarity. Self-similarity in Nature can be defined as the repetition of a unit pattern on different size scales or, stated another way, having parts that resemble the whole. A tree, representing the whole, with its individual parts; root system, branches and leaves, is a classic self-similarity example.

Self-similarity patterns continue throughout Nature in the form of seasons, cloud formations, coastline formations, tidal movements, so numerous you want to just relax under a shady tree, light up a joint, take in the Zen moment and whisper softly, “WHOA!”

A great gift that can be revealed through world travels is the gift of objectivity. Once I’m physically removed from my normal daily rituals, tasks, routines and influences, coupled by my swift adaptability to new surroundings, my mind becomes unencumbered, able to transcend and observe life objectively.
As a world traveler and having concluded my fifty-fourth country visit, in Cambodia, I’m observing numerous repetitive patterns in mankind’s habits and behaviors as well. It’s deja vu all over again! These fractal patterns happen everywhere, no matter how diverse the societies may appear; whether in Ecuador, Nepal, Poland, or Vietnam, each society sharing common humanity and topographical traits.

For example, I’ll be sitting on a bus, gazing out the window looking at the Cambodian countryside, and I’ll suddenly notice my travel experiences merging, folding and unfolding within my memory with the passing scenes: rural Cambodia, with its bucolic landscapes and impoverished family compounds; food- preparing mothers, structure-building fathers, laughing kids, and roaming, sleepy farm animals, will merge in my mind with similar scenes found in rural Nepal, Ecuador, Poland and Vietnam. The landscapes alter, some lush, some dry, depending on the season.

Fields yield to hills which yield to mountains which yield back to fields again. The passing harvests with the workers in the fields vary slightly, crops ranging from rice to coffee beans to wheat, most work still conducted by manual labor. Divided only by languages, these cultures conduct similar tasks simultaneously throughout the world, yesterday, today and tomorrow: birth, childhood, adulthood, marriage, kids, family, death, rebirth, as certain as the sunrise each and every morning.

A similar transcendental moment occurred while I was riding a hot, slow-moving train through the rural Czech Republic countryside. Across from my seat, I’d see the passengers’ faces slowly transform with each half conscious sleepy nod of my head as passengers arrive and depart with each incremental train station stop. I would glance up and find sitting across from me a talkative pair of students who would suddenly transform into a quiet, tired-looking middle-aged working couple who, after another nod, would transform into a fragile, forlorn-looking elderly couple. Were they different people or the same couple seen through the years on the same train?

Travelers too exhibit repeating patterns and routines. The routines will vary depending on the types of individual that travel. They may be routines that make us feel comfortable, make us feel safe, or make us feel alive. Kindred spirits will intersect on the travelers’ road more often than unlike souls. As independent and individualistic as I am my recent Southeast Asia travels during the winter months will still be closely repeated and experienced by another person in the succeeding two months or the same winter months next year. Years later, I may meet that same person in a coffee shop, this recognition perhaps only acknowledged by a friendly nod or smile. Are our two holographic universe intersections a part of a thousand similar “chance” meetings taking place simultaneously in the world?

In my objective traveler’s role I enjoy observing the locals’ daily routines as they make preparations for the tourists; cleaning the streets and sidewalks, opening cafes, restaurants, stores, positioning themselves with motorbikes and rickshaws for hire, or cooking in food stalls, breaking for lunch, weaving, gossiping, yawning, closing shop and returning home to prepare their evening meal, to be all repeated the very next day, unless its a holiday or religious event. This scene is in each city, each town, and each village “uniquely the same only different”

These scenes of relative peace and contentment that societies exhibit sometimes get rudely interrupted by wars initiated by powerful greedy mad men who show evidence of similar sociopathic behaviors, inflicting pain upon the people they rule or manipulate until the people finally have had enough of them. One can simply study human history, whether in Europe, Asia, the Americas or Africa, and find these repetitive patterns. No surprise the symbol for mankind in the Hopi Indian mythology is a foolish character that the gods just smile at, shaking their heads in disbelief.

Yet, while humankind may exhibit similar behavioral fractal patterns…certain individuals and cultures concurrently demonstrate unique characteristics as to how to deal with life patterns we can not avoid.

In Southeast Asia, whether in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam, the Buddhist philosophical /spiritual influence is strongly evident among the people, revealed through good healthy physical routines such as sunrise exercises, healthy nutritional diets and healthy mental attitudes. I was impressed by the average Thai or Vietnamese’s peaceful demeanor, consistent genuine kindness, friendliness and respectfulness for all living entities.

Such kind behaviors and mental outlooks are not always as prevalent in other regions of the world. This distinction was so profoundly felt by one Canadian fellow I met that he was going to make a concerted effort to be friendlier to strangers when he returned home, a transference that could alter the fractal dynamics of humankind! Could one ask for a better example to the benefits of world travel.

Traveling around Asia for more than 10 years and living in Indonesia for almost 7 years now. I often have been in situations where I was looking for a cheap airfare. From my first experiences I had the feeling it was quite different to deal with domestic or international flight. For sample, in most countries when you purchase domestic flight ticket you won’t get any differences price between two “one way” tickets OR one “return” ticket. Except of course a slightly discount for the return ticket.

Now, when is coming to international air travel it is harder to find Cheap Asia Travel tickets. Sometimes, you can even get cheaper return ticket. So if you plan to travel in many different cities (round trip with many transit stop) it can be hard to find good deals. However the following advice should helps you find the Asia Cheapest Flight available online.

I separate this article in two parts, international and domestic flight.

First, let’s talk about international flight. There is a lot of good web site around there, but you will need to do a lot of searches before you find what you really want. I suggest you to start by looking for the available airplane companies which deserve the concerned country you are flying to or from.

For sample, if you are in Indonesia and want to flight to Australia, you will most likely have to choose between Garuda and Quantas. There are possibilities to use other flights companies such as Malaysia Airlines or Singapore Airlines. But you will loose a lot of time during your trip as you will have to transit to this cities.

As you will see in the following article about domestic flight, Air Asia is one of my favorite when is about to flight in Indonesia. And this is also true when is to find the Asia Cheapest Flight as they deserve more than fifty cities in the region.

About domestic flight, I experienced two totally different experiences in Indonesia and Australia.

In Indonesia, if you want to buy a domestic flight ticket you will have plenty of choices. Indonesia is a vast Archipelago of tropical and Virgin Islands constitute of more than twelve’s thousand islands. More than three thousands of these Islands are inhabited and I believe that more than hundreds of them get an airport. So, you can imagine the number of possibilities and market available in Indonesia. The main company airlines in Indonesia are Garuda (also provide international flight), Merpati, Mandala, Lion Air, Adam Air, Star Air, Batavia, etc..

Find the cheapest airline ticket is one thing, but don’t forget about safety. I don’t have any statistics about safety right now so I prefer not mention specifically any of them. But if you had read the newspaper these last few months, you probably know what I’m talking about. Some of the above names are probably famous around the world right now, but probably not for the cheapest airfare…. But don’t worries too much as airplane remind one of the safest transportation systems in the world.

After you had eliminated the worst flight company from your newspaper research, you can start compare price between few of the companies. Just go to Google, type the company name and you should find their web site in manner of seconds. If you looking for ticket long in advance (let’s say more than three weeks), you will find that most of ticket have similar quotes with the international and most reputed national company…..Garuda Indonesia. And that’s the problem in Indonesia if you want to order domestic flight more than three weeks in advance…No cheap airfare ticket available. You will have to wait the “perfect” time to order your ticket (between three weeks and two weeks in advance…. be careful after that it could be too late) and you should be able to get 20% to 70% discount.

Obviously there is another way to find cheap domestic ticket plane if you want to order you ticket long time in advance. You can use Air Asia. They have very cheap airfare and good website. This is a service from Malaysia, and they provide many other cities and countries around Asia. A really good solution for Cheap Asia Travel.

In Indonesia, AirAsia only deserve the main cities such as Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali), Medan, Surabaya, etc… Globally, they fly over fifty cities around Asia. The service is limited (no seat pre-reserved in check-in), but it is safe and their fees really defy all concurrences for this range and types of services. They really get the Cheapest Flight in Asia I have seen so far. So, have a look….

In Australia, it seems to works mostly like in the others western countries. More you booked in advance more chances you have to get a cheap airfare. I heard Quantas have some interesting packages available, like you buy a kind of atonement and can get great discount for a certain number of flight. If you need a lot of flights it could be advantageous. But the cheapest way to buy airline ticket is probably to book online with Blue Virgin or Jet Star. Both of them deserve many different cities in Australia, but not necessary the same one. So, it really depends where you want to go. Sometimes, its worse make some deep research to get better fee. For sample, once I was looking for a cheap airfare between Sydney and Darwin. Blue Virgin offered 450 AUD (via Brisbanne) and Jet Star doesn’t have this possibility. But when I check more deeply some others cities, I found out that I can get Sydney-Adelaide for 99AUD and Adelaide-Darwin for 167 AUD with Jet Star. Total 266 AUD. I just saved 184 AUD. Sometimes you will find better price with Blue Virgin. It all depends of the availability. So good search and good luck.