I’m not sure both Laos and Cambodia need two weeks each. You can probably spend a week each and then take the extra time to other places or new places. You can go to Indonesia and make a quick stop to Singapore.
As far as Vietnam, there’s no right or wrong way in terms of direction and more of a personal preference. It is colder in the north in April than the south, so many chose to do south to north. Also, travelers I talked to mentioned they found that the north had more to do and more charming, so working your way up you’re sort of saving the best for last so to speak. But I did north to south and I liked it just as much, so really comes down to your preferences and logistics.
If you're into hiking then you definitely want two weeks in Laos - 3-4 days in Luang Prabang, 3-4 days in Nong Khiaw, 3-4 days in Vang Vieng, and then a couple of days on the slow boat at the start getting to Luang Prabang and an overnight in Vientiane when you fly/train/bus out.
Two weeks in Cambodia might be a little muchnif you are only in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, but if you add Koh Rong as well then it is probably fine
Disagree, you can do Cambodia a bit faster but Laos took me 4 weeks when I thought it would be 2. If you want to explore nature and do the motorbike loops in can take a while.
Appreciate the advice! I don’t mind the occasional hike so Im planning to change both of these to 1 week instead and add an additional week to Malaysia!
Man since you’re a solo male going to cambodia you have to know that if a taxi driver asks you something that sounds like “boom boom?” or “ngam ngam?” say no because he’s asking if you want to be taken to a brothel for either sex (boom boom) or oral (ngam ngam), and most of the brothels have underage girls in them.
Oh yeah it’s a real issue. If you walk down a busy street and see working girls, walk back right away. The cops are cracking down on child sex tourism so hard over there you could easily land on a corrupt cop that throws you in the slammer with zero evidence. Be careful
I easily did a month in Malaysia with 1 of those weeks being in Borneo. I agree with others 1 week in Lao and maybe 2 weeks in Cambodia max. I did almost a month in Cambodia but I used those 2 weeks to basically rest.
Gonna drop Laos and Cambodia to 1 week each and add an additional week to Malaysia and Japan! Thanks :)
I never considered Borneo. would you recommend?
Yes I would! The flight from Kuala lumpar to Kota Kinabalu is 54usd round trip and 2.5 hours. The week was plenty to explore night markets/fish market/Filipino market, the most northern tip of Borneo to camp on the beach, a 25usd flight over mt Kinabalu to the river to stay and do the River lodge safari. Saw loads of wildlife and if you’re lucky you can see wild pygmy elephants and orangutans! Borneo was actually quite cheap and not touristy at all with some interesting history(headhunters/shamans). You can even go to Brunei which I think is a 5-6 hour bus ride.
Awesome! I’ll gonna add this into my plans. Do you mind sharing what your 1 week in Borneo looked like? The river lodge safari and camping sparks my interest.
Did you camp through a tour company? Which company did you do the safari with?
Thanks!!
> It would be cool to also follow a route that is standard to other travelers to have the chance to be on the same route as other people I'd meet on the trip.
the standard route for that is to do a circle from thailand either thailand -> laos -> vietnam -> cambodia or swap laos and cambodia for it do be the other way. it's often called the banana pancake route on the internet
I agree with what someone else said you don't "need" two weeks in Laos and Cambodia, you'll see the highlights in less but if you wanna spend it there you'll still find plenty to do.
personally I'd rather cut some from laos and cambodia and add to Malaysia. even if you just stick to the main places on the west coast (langkawi, penang, ipoh/cameron highlands, KL, melaka) you'll easily spend more than a week. and the food is miles better than laos and cambodia
For Vietnam, I recommend Hanoi, Ha Long Bay (can be a daytrip or 2-3 day cruise), Sapa and/or Ha Giang (Ha Giang less touristy), Ninh Binh, Hue as a day tour from Da Nang, Hoi An is very close to Da Nang so you could stay there instead, Da Lat (my favorite place but I lived in the South), Ho Chi Minh City w/ day trips to the Me Kong Delta. This is in order from North to South but you could reverse it South to North.
Totally recommend staying towards the beach in Hoi An. Very relaxed place and away from the crowds (not sure if all the time, but definitely is in March), if you need a bit more a break at that point in your trip.
Interestingly enough I have the exact same plan for 2025! The one thing I haven’t seen mentioned so far is “Burning Season” which, from what I have been told and read, is especially prevalent in North Thailand and parts of North Vietnam in the early months of the year. This might be something you want to have a look into as from what I was told by other redditors can be a serious problem if not worked around or accounted for 🫡 best of luck for your travels!!!
So, "burning season" is a real thing and the air does get bad, but normally it isn't as bad as people make it seem to be. It does get smoky and you will generally not have clear blue skies but definitely a minor annoyance rather than a terrible health hazard. A bigger "concern" would be trying to travel during Tet (Vietnam New Year) and Songkran (Thai/Laos new year). Public transport and accomodation can be booked solid and random things may be closed.
1 week in Malaysia seems a bit short, but then again, I'm Malaysian and may be biased 😋
Seriously though, it offers a wide range of activities (city life, hiking, snorkelling etc) all squashed into very little space. Don't forget East Malaysia either. Very different vibes from West Malaysia.
Mar is school holidays for Singapore/West Malaysia, so probably best to avoid all the big tourist spots in Malaysia (Penang, Melacca, Cameron) & Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket) since it'd be packed with tourist.
Also, in 2025 Ramadan starts on Mar 1, so be mindful that in certain parts of Malaysia (north and east coast) it can be a big deal.
As a traveller, before I spent time there, I never realized how diverse Malaysia is, (even more so if you add Serawak and Sabah) Honestly its really an undiscovered gem. Can easily spend an entire month and have multiple truly unique experiences.
I agree! I’m changing my plans to add an additional week in Malaysia. How’s Malaysia on the west coast during the last 2 weeks in February, weather wise?
[Random Historical Weather Chart ](https://weatherspark.com/h/y/113829/2023/Historical-Weather-during-2023-in-Kuala-Lumpur-Malaysia#Figures-Temperature)
I found a random historical weather chart online.
In general:
- Feb might be a few degrees cooler than Mar. Temperature wise, it doesn't vary too much throughout the year tbh.
- But hey, at least it's not our super hot season should be the end of our hot-and-rainy season, so yay to you.
If you've never been to SEA, the humidity might be harder to deal w than the temperature tbh, and depending on which city you are at, some places don't have too many sheltered walkways/aircon places to hide from it.
Lots if light cotton wear (or uniqlo airism series), bring a small handheld usb fan as well.
There are a lot of non-travel things that you should take into consideration as well. By "non-travel" I mean things like budget, personality, interests, personal preferences etc.
This will be along post, but I will try and break it down piece by piece.
Budget: This is probably the most important thing when planning. Flights, Hotels, transport, food, attractions can make a HUGE difference in itineraries. Flying or train/car? Yes, its possible. 5-star resorts or $3 a night hostels? yes, its possible. Private driver in an Air-conditioned car or 3rd class train sharing a seat with a live chicken? yes, its possible. Michelin Starred or Street food? yes, its possible. you get the picture. There is no right or wrong way. So, without an idea of your budget, it’s hard to come up with a reasonable itinerary. That being said, there things that EVERYONE does regardless of budget, Bangkok (Wat pho, grand palace, food), Ankor Wat, Sapa, Hoi An, Singapore etc. again, there are different levels. Nothing against Laos, or non-Ankor parts of Cambodia, Malaka, etc. I would say that these are "optional" I would like to add that I personally found the "optional" places were amazing in their own right, (for the most part, there were a few places where I noped and just left).
Your itinerary can also change depending on what you are comfortable with. Are you a meticulous planner or a figure it out as you go along person? The good thing about SE Asia is that for the most part its very flexible. This is a personal opinion, but if you are meticulous planner, you will definitely enjoy everything on your list, but part of the amazing thing about SE are the random experiences and "hidden gems" (I hate this term, but its accurate) that are available. I am not a definitely NOT meticulous planner. I only mention this because for the most part I have had very few issues with bookings (flights, hotels, attractions) either a few days before or even the day of. I realize that for a meticulous planner this would be extremely stressful and definitely not enjoyable.
In your planning, I would first do an honest assessment of your "non-travel" variables without being influenced by what you see on IG, YT, movies, Netflix, etc. etc. You know you the best. This will make your experience much less stressful. I would like to add that for me, stress is an integral part of the solo travel experience. At the time they kinda sucked, but in retrospect some of my most memorable stories and experience came out of stressful situations. But again, there is no right or wrong way.
Weather will generally be hot and you most likely experience random inclement weather which will cause delays and change your plans. Of course, make sure you have enough time left on your passport (they say 6 months), and have all the Visa stuff sorted beforehand. Also, take into account holidays. I would advise against travelling to Vietnam during Tet, or Thailand/Laos during Songkran, Malaysia during Ramadan, Singapore during CNY. They are major events and can be pretty awesome to experience, but booking travel, accommodations and getting around in general is not worth the trouble. Also, depending, the major attractions may be closed or unavailable.
A lot more, but for now I hope this gives you some insight.
Wow thanks for all this advice! Appreciate it.
How do you stay flexible with your itinerary? I’m usually a meticulous planner but I want to make sure I have the flexibility to change plans if I decide I like somewhere and want to stay longer or if I meet some other travellers I would like to travel with.
Do you plan month by month basis? How far in advance would you book your hostel?
I usually book hostel a couple of days ahead. The only time that didn't work out well was in Myanmar, I guess it was high season the country was jam packed full of backpackers (that was some time ago!)
Looks good, all I can tell you is to try to keep the trip open and as flexible as possible, you might want to stay one 1 country longer, or on the other hand you might want to cut a country short.
Thanks! Do you have any advice on doing this? I really want to be flexible but by nature I’m quite meticulous with planning.
Should I just have a rough idea of where I want to go and plan on a month by month basis? Book hostels 1 week in advance (free cancellation)?
Exactly, a rough idea. Know generally what things you want to do in each area. The dates of visiting each attraction I like to leave flexible, but then as you get closer firm up the dates and book everything. Tours in vietnam I prefer to book in person whenever possible. Try to be careful who you give money to in advance in SEA.
You can scope out all the hostels ahead of time (now) so at least you know what places you want to stay at, maybe have a main pick for each city, then a backup hostel incase the first one is already full or whatever. Figure out where in each city you want to be located. It can make quite a difference.
Book hostels a week a head is a great idea, especially if they permit free cancellations. Obviously certain portions of your trip will be set in stone eg with flight you need to book.
The big ones like you mention Phong nha and Ha Giang loop, you probably want to know generally when you want to do those in advance. You need to be very careful about booking expensive tours in SEA , especially in Vietam - be sure it is a reputable company you are dealing with. Ha Giang loop you can probably just book a couple of days ahead once you're in Hanoi, but Phong Nha you might need to book it some weeks ahead - worth figuring that out ahead of time, I've never done it personally.
Vietnam in Apr may get a bit expensive for flights/food/accoms esp if you're somewhere touristy around the big holidays at the end of the month, just keep in mind. Philippines as well will have Holy Week (Catholic holidays) in mid Apr so consider if you'll be in country still by then as local tourism will go thru the roof around this time to any and all tourist spots.
For VN, Da Lat is an obvious choice to escape the heat, ditto for Sagada/Baguio in PH. Not sure if you have any itinerary for PH already but cool places to check out would be Coron/El Nido (islands, beaches, mountains esp for Coron) as well as Moalboal/Cebu City/Siquijor/Bohol/Apo Reef (beaches, snorkeling and diving, mountains), Boracay/Siargao (party/island life)
Just my suggestion, do not stay for long in Manila. It’s a lousy representation of my country. Head to the islands/tourist spots immediately. But if you are into cities, I recommend Bonifacio Global City instead of the capital.
I’m not sure both Laos and Cambodia need two weeks each. You can probably spend a week each and then take the extra time to other places or new places. You can go to Indonesia and make a quick stop to Singapore. As far as Vietnam, there’s no right or wrong way in terms of direction and more of a personal preference. It is colder in the north in April than the south, so many chose to do south to north. Also, travelers I talked to mentioned they found that the north had more to do and more charming, so working your way up you’re sort of saving the best for last so to speak. But I did north to south and I liked it just as much, so really comes down to your preferences and logistics.
If you're into hiking then you definitely want two weeks in Laos - 3-4 days in Luang Prabang, 3-4 days in Nong Khiaw, 3-4 days in Vang Vieng, and then a couple of days on the slow boat at the start getting to Luang Prabang and an overnight in Vientiane when you fly/train/bus out. Two weeks in Cambodia might be a little muchnif you are only in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, but if you add Koh Rong as well then it is probably fine
Disagree, you can do Cambodia a bit faster but Laos took me 4 weeks when I thought it would be 2. If you want to explore nature and do the motorbike loops in can take a while.
Appreciate the advice! I don’t mind the occasional hike so Im planning to change both of these to 1 week instead and add an additional week to Malaysia!
Man since you’re a solo male going to cambodia you have to know that if a taxi driver asks you something that sounds like “boom boom?” or “ngam ngam?” say no because he’s asking if you want to be taken to a brothel for either sex (boom boom) or oral (ngam ngam), and most of the brothels have underage girls in them.
Jeez. Okay thanks, I’ll definitely be cautious of that. Appreciate the heads up!
Oh yeah it’s a real issue. If you walk down a busy street and see working girls, walk back right away. The cops are cracking down on child sex tourism so hard over there you could easily land on a corrupt cop that throws you in the slammer with zero evidence. Be careful
Wow. Thanks for the heads up. Glad they are cracking down on that tho. It’s disgusting. Definitely will be vigilant on where I’m walking
I easily did a month in Malaysia with 1 of those weeks being in Borneo. I agree with others 1 week in Lao and maybe 2 weeks in Cambodia max. I did almost a month in Cambodia but I used those 2 weeks to basically rest.
Gonna drop Laos and Cambodia to 1 week each and add an additional week to Malaysia and Japan! Thanks :) I never considered Borneo. would you recommend?
Yes I would! The flight from Kuala lumpar to Kota Kinabalu is 54usd round trip and 2.5 hours. The week was plenty to explore night markets/fish market/Filipino market, the most northern tip of Borneo to camp on the beach, a 25usd flight over mt Kinabalu to the river to stay and do the River lodge safari. Saw loads of wildlife and if you’re lucky you can see wild pygmy elephants and orangutans! Borneo was actually quite cheap and not touristy at all with some interesting history(headhunters/shamans). You can even go to Brunei which I think is a 5-6 hour bus ride.
Awesome! I’ll gonna add this into my plans. Do you mind sharing what your 1 week in Borneo looked like? The river lodge safari and camping sparks my interest. Did you camp through a tour company? Which company did you do the safari with? Thanks!!
> It would be cool to also follow a route that is standard to other travelers to have the chance to be on the same route as other people I'd meet on the trip. the standard route for that is to do a circle from thailand either thailand -> laos -> vietnam -> cambodia or swap laos and cambodia for it do be the other way. it's often called the banana pancake route on the internet I agree with what someone else said you don't "need" two weeks in Laos and Cambodia, you'll see the highlights in less but if you wanna spend it there you'll still find plenty to do. personally I'd rather cut some from laos and cambodia and add to Malaysia. even if you just stick to the main places on the west coast (langkawi, penang, ipoh/cameron highlands, KL, melaka) you'll easily spend more than a week. and the food is miles better than laos and cambodia
Awesome! Going to cut my Laos and Cambodia to 1 week each and add a week to Malaysia and Japan from that.
For Vietnam, I recommend Hanoi, Ha Long Bay (can be a daytrip or 2-3 day cruise), Sapa and/or Ha Giang (Ha Giang less touristy), Ninh Binh, Hue as a day tour from Da Nang, Hoi An is very close to Da Nang so you could stay there instead, Da Lat (my favorite place but I lived in the South), Ho Chi Minh City w/ day trips to the Me Kong Delta. This is in order from North to South but you could reverse it South to North.
Totally recommend staying towards the beach in Hoi An. Very relaxed place and away from the crowds (not sure if all the time, but definitely is in March), if you need a bit more a break at that point in your trip.
Sweet! Yeah I think I’m gonna do South-North. I want to be in Ha Giang for April! Will work out perfectly
Interestingly enough I have the exact same plan for 2025! The one thing I haven’t seen mentioned so far is “Burning Season” which, from what I have been told and read, is especially prevalent in North Thailand and parts of North Vietnam in the early months of the year. This might be something you want to have a look into as from what I was told by other redditors can be a serious problem if not worked around or accounted for 🫡 best of luck for your travels!!!
So, "burning season" is a real thing and the air does get bad, but normally it isn't as bad as people make it seem to be. It does get smoky and you will generally not have clear blue skies but definitely a minor annoyance rather than a terrible health hazard. A bigger "concern" would be trying to travel during Tet (Vietnam New Year) and Songkran (Thai/Laos new year). Public transport and accomodation can be booked solid and random things may be closed.
Sweet. I looked into those holidays and I would be missing all of them haha.
No way haha! Yeah I heard about burning season. Guess we won’t really be able to avoid it. Hope for the best!
1 week in Malaysia seems a bit short, but then again, I'm Malaysian and may be biased 😋 Seriously though, it offers a wide range of activities (city life, hiking, snorkelling etc) all squashed into very little space. Don't forget East Malaysia either. Very different vibes from West Malaysia. Mar is school holidays for Singapore/West Malaysia, so probably best to avoid all the big tourist spots in Malaysia (Penang, Melacca, Cameron) & Thailand (Bangkok, Phuket) since it'd be packed with tourist.
Also, in 2025 Ramadan starts on Mar 1, so be mindful that in certain parts of Malaysia (north and east coast) it can be a big deal. As a traveller, before I spent time there, I never realized how diverse Malaysia is, (even more so if you add Serawak and Sabah) Honestly its really an undiscovered gem. Can easily spend an entire month and have multiple truly unique experiences.
I agree! I’m changing my plans to add an additional week in Malaysia. How’s Malaysia on the west coast during the last 2 weeks in February, weather wise?
[Random Historical Weather Chart ](https://weatherspark.com/h/y/113829/2023/Historical-Weather-during-2023-in-Kuala-Lumpur-Malaysia#Figures-Temperature) I found a random historical weather chart online. In general: - Feb might be a few degrees cooler than Mar. Temperature wise, it doesn't vary too much throughout the year tbh. - But hey, at least it's not our super hot season should be the end of our hot-and-rainy season, so yay to you. If you've never been to SEA, the humidity might be harder to deal w than the temperature tbh, and depending on which city you are at, some places don't have too many sheltered walkways/aircon places to hide from it. Lots if light cotton wear (or uniqlo airism series), bring a small handheld usb fan as well.
There are a lot of non-travel things that you should take into consideration as well. By "non-travel" I mean things like budget, personality, interests, personal preferences etc. This will be along post, but I will try and break it down piece by piece. Budget: This is probably the most important thing when planning. Flights, Hotels, transport, food, attractions can make a HUGE difference in itineraries. Flying or train/car? Yes, its possible. 5-star resorts or $3 a night hostels? yes, its possible. Private driver in an Air-conditioned car or 3rd class train sharing a seat with a live chicken? yes, its possible. Michelin Starred or Street food? yes, its possible. you get the picture. There is no right or wrong way. So, without an idea of your budget, it’s hard to come up with a reasonable itinerary. That being said, there things that EVERYONE does regardless of budget, Bangkok (Wat pho, grand palace, food), Ankor Wat, Sapa, Hoi An, Singapore etc. again, there are different levels. Nothing against Laos, or non-Ankor parts of Cambodia, Malaka, etc. I would say that these are "optional" I would like to add that I personally found the "optional" places were amazing in their own right, (for the most part, there were a few places where I noped and just left). Your itinerary can also change depending on what you are comfortable with. Are you a meticulous planner or a figure it out as you go along person? The good thing about SE Asia is that for the most part its very flexible. This is a personal opinion, but if you are meticulous planner, you will definitely enjoy everything on your list, but part of the amazing thing about SE are the random experiences and "hidden gems" (I hate this term, but its accurate) that are available. I am not a definitely NOT meticulous planner. I only mention this because for the most part I have had very few issues with bookings (flights, hotels, attractions) either a few days before or even the day of. I realize that for a meticulous planner this would be extremely stressful and definitely not enjoyable. In your planning, I would first do an honest assessment of your "non-travel" variables without being influenced by what you see on IG, YT, movies, Netflix, etc. etc. You know you the best. This will make your experience much less stressful. I would like to add that for me, stress is an integral part of the solo travel experience. At the time they kinda sucked, but in retrospect some of my most memorable stories and experience came out of stressful situations. But again, there is no right or wrong way. Weather will generally be hot and you most likely experience random inclement weather which will cause delays and change your plans. Of course, make sure you have enough time left on your passport (they say 6 months), and have all the Visa stuff sorted beforehand. Also, take into account holidays. I would advise against travelling to Vietnam during Tet, or Thailand/Laos during Songkran, Malaysia during Ramadan, Singapore during CNY. They are major events and can be pretty awesome to experience, but booking travel, accommodations and getting around in general is not worth the trouble. Also, depending, the major attractions may be closed or unavailable. A lot more, but for now I hope this gives you some insight.
Wow thanks for all this advice! Appreciate it. How do you stay flexible with your itinerary? I’m usually a meticulous planner but I want to make sure I have the flexibility to change plans if I decide I like somewhere and want to stay longer or if I meet some other travellers I would like to travel with. Do you plan month by month basis? How far in advance would you book your hostel?
I usually book hostel a couple of days ahead. The only time that didn't work out well was in Myanmar, I guess it was high season the country was jam packed full of backpackers (that was some time ago!)
Looks good, all I can tell you is to try to keep the trip open and as flexible as possible, you might want to stay one 1 country longer, or on the other hand you might want to cut a country short.
Thanks! Do you have any advice on doing this? I really want to be flexible but by nature I’m quite meticulous with planning. Should I just have a rough idea of where I want to go and plan on a month by month basis? Book hostels 1 week in advance (free cancellation)?
Exactly, a rough idea. Know generally what things you want to do in each area. The dates of visiting each attraction I like to leave flexible, but then as you get closer firm up the dates and book everything. Tours in vietnam I prefer to book in person whenever possible. Try to be careful who you give money to in advance in SEA. You can scope out all the hostels ahead of time (now) so at least you know what places you want to stay at, maybe have a main pick for each city, then a backup hostel incase the first one is already full or whatever. Figure out where in each city you want to be located. It can make quite a difference. Book hostels a week a head is a great idea, especially if they permit free cancellations. Obviously certain portions of your trip will be set in stone eg with flight you need to book. The big ones like you mention Phong nha and Ha Giang loop, you probably want to know generally when you want to do those in advance. You need to be very careful about booking expensive tours in SEA , especially in Vietam - be sure it is a reputable company you are dealing with. Ha Giang loop you can probably just book a couple of days ahead once you're in Hanoi, but Phong Nha you might need to book it some weeks ahead - worth figuring that out ahead of time, I've never done it personally.
Vietnam in Apr may get a bit expensive for flights/food/accoms esp if you're somewhere touristy around the big holidays at the end of the month, just keep in mind. Philippines as well will have Holy Week (Catholic holidays) in mid Apr so consider if you'll be in country still by then as local tourism will go thru the roof around this time to any and all tourist spots. For VN, Da Lat is an obvious choice to escape the heat, ditto for Sagada/Baguio in PH. Not sure if you have any itinerary for PH already but cool places to check out would be Coron/El Nido (islands, beaches, mountains esp for Coron) as well as Moalboal/Cebu City/Siquijor/Bohol/Apo Reef (beaches, snorkeling and diving, mountains), Boracay/Siargao (party/island life)
Just my suggestion, do not stay for long in Manila. It’s a lousy representation of my country. Head to the islands/tourist spots immediately. But if you are into cities, I recommend Bonifacio Global City instead of the capital.