Backpacking Route in South East Asia

From here, it’s a hop East to the lively island of Bali, where you can easily spend a few days in each section of the island. Begin your stay in the South of the island, where you can enjoy the bustling nightlife or sample some fine cuisine at many of the restaurants in the area. Head to the centre of the island to visit the Sacred Monkey Forest of Ubud or the rice terraces, and finally head east for the summit of Mt Agung and a more laidback coastal life.

(12 days) Start your journey through Thailand and Malaysia in Chiang Mai, where you can explore the Elephant Nature Park for rescued elephants or take a cooking class and become familiar with famous Thai cuisine as you put it together yourself. Next, move onto the hustle of the capital of Bangkok and Khlong Lat Mayom floating markets for an unforgettable experience, or hop on a boat along Chao Phraya River for many interesting views of local life. From here, Phuket is a great beach destination to break up the hustle of Bangkok, as well as for the chance to play with baby tigers in the Kathu Tiger Kingdom.

The next destination to visit is the city-state of Singapore. There are many places to be explored here, such as the culturally significant Chinatown and Sentosa Island for a lot of fun-filled activities. You can also explore the Hawker’s Markets for some tasty dishes at an affordable price.

(8 days) This itinerary starts on the Eastern side of Borneo in Kota Kinabalu, where you can explore the beautiful peak of Mount Kinabalu, or explore the waters that surround the bay. From here it’s onto Brunei Darussalam and the capital of Bandar Seri Begawan or Bandar for short. Here, you can visit the local mosques with their breath-taking architecture or the Brunei Arts and Handicraft Centre for some gifts. Finally, head west towards Kuching and enjoy the local culture in the Sarawak Cultural Centre and Museum.

From here, it’s a hop East to the lively island of Bali. There are two main areas to visit. The south of the island is where you can enjoy the bustling nightlife or sample some fine cuisine at many of the restaurants in the area. Once you feel that you’re all partied out, head to the centre of the island for a more relaxed atmosphere. Here, you can visit the Sacred Monkey Forest of Ubud or the rice terraces.

Your journey begins in the capital, Jakarta, where you can immerse yourself in the history and culture of Indonesia, with visits to the National Museum and Kota Tua or Old Town of Jakarta. You may also be interested in visiting the Monas Observatory Tower to get a great view of the whole city. It’s then onto Surabaya where you can witness locals involved in the hand-making of ci******es at the House of Sampoerna or climb to the peak of the majestic Mt Bromo.

If you have little or no idea of where to travel in Southeast Asia, the following section will give you suggestions on routes and activities to get the most out of your travel. This section is separated into short term trips of less than two weeks and longer-term journeys. Suggested travel time is provided at the beginning of each itinerary.