My Southeast Asia Trip Summary

I have been in southeast Asia for almost 3 months and have visited 5 different countries. There were some great times and some disappointing times but all in all I am glad I got to see it all. So here is my Southeast Asia Trip summary (first by country, then all together) for you in case you are planning to visit

Malaysia

I have been to Malaysia before and so this was just a quick stopover coming from Germany. Even as a backpacker 15 years ago, I was never a big fan of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is a big sky-scraper city but the rainforest hike in the middle of KL was definitely my highlight. Read more about my time there here.

Did you know? Malaysia is a palm oil country! Palm oil everywhere and in everything! Not a very healthy diet in general!

Thailand

I came to Thailand for my friends wedding and so I set up Bangkok as my base for all my other travels in SE Asia. It was perfect. Bangkok is a beautiful place and the more I walked the streets, the more I liked it. The Thonglor area and my base hotel, the L.A.49 Residence, made my stay in Bangkok perfect. I had my routine set and my favourite places to eat sorted.

Thai People are super friendly, you don’t feel like you get ripped off all the time (as in other countries in SE Asia) and the pricing for cabs and public transport seems fair. Nobody hassles you and you can walk around feeling safe. Not to mention the variety of shops and things to do in Bangkok!

Furthermore, from the Ayutthaya temples, to the Ko Chang Island and the wedding in Hua Hin. I had a great time here in Thailand and I know I will be back. Read more here.

Cambodia

Not knowing what to expect of Cambodia originally, at the end it was my favourite place next to Thailand.

Angkor Wat was awesome and very unique (to me anyway) and I highly recommend it. Read more here. Siem Reap (the town near the temples) was a very touristy spot which was great because there was ‘Pub street’ and plenty of restaurants to choose from. The Tuk Tuk drivers definitely tried to get you in for a ride, but generally left you alone or were happy to bargain for a price that suited.

The country itself is in the midst of a big makeover and, especially in Sihanoukville, the ‘Chinese’ hotel and resort development underway is massive. Give it a few more years and it will become a tourist destination, although given all the big hotels, I don’t think it will be particular beautiful.

The Island of Koh Rong is a small but gorgeous Island and I had a great time relaxing there. Especially the more quiet beaches rather than staying in the ‘Backpacker’s Party Area’. Just don’t hire a bike on the island. It is totally overpriced and there is really nothing to see on the Island. Trust me!

Laos

Laos was one of the poorest countries I have visited so far. It is best known as a country for outdoor adventures, whether it is buggy riding in Vang Vieng or hiking and swimming in Waterfalls in Luang Prabang. Do it all outdoors! Unfortunately I didn’t get to experience it due to bad weather. It was a shame really.

I am not sure if it is due to the poor country state but the locals in Laos really try and cash in on the tourists. There was a fee to pay for every waterfall you wanted to visit and every bridge you needed to cross. Everything that had to do with tourists seemed to have a fee. I don’t mind contributing to the tourist economy but don’t overdo it please.

You might have read about my bus ride experience in Laos (read here) but even with the crazy rides I enjoyed seeing the scenery and the beautiful mountains. In addition however I finished Laos with food poisining so let’s say I didn’t leave with a good impression! Depending on your kind of travels, you might want to skip Laos for now.

Vietnam

If I had a bucket list Vietnam would have been on it. I always wanted to go there! And how was it? Well, let’s say it certainly didn’t deliver for me. Vietnam was the country I liked the least out of my overall trip. You are probably thinking WHAT??

I call Vietnam the country of false advertising. You never get what you think you get, no matter how well you check. It was the country I changed the hotel rooms the most, because the pictures they put on bookings.com don’t reflect the real rooms at all. The staff at the hotels even admitted it. Whether trying to overcharge you for bikes, water or a cab ride, you feel like you always are taking advantage off. Always ask for the meter to be turned on and make sure they don’t tamper the meter either to hike their price. Yep, that’s what they do!

For the record when the hotel demands to hold on to your passport tell them no. There is really no reason for it, even when they try and tell you it’s their policy. Why would they need your most valuable personal item unless it potentially gives them power over you? Say no!

But I enjoyed…

There were a few highlights in Vietnam however. To see the Purple Forbidden City in Hue and the bike ride in Da Nanag was amazing! Halong Bay and Hoi An were my favourite spots in Vietnam. I loved riding the bicycle in Hoi An especially. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) was a great city to spend NYE in, but after 18 days of clouds and rain I was happy to leave Vietnam. Read it all here.

I am sure not all of you will agree but this is just my personal experience after having visited close to 40 countries this year. Maybe, going at a time where it wasn’t raining for 3 weeks my trip would have been different. And in case you are wondering, it is generally dry season around this time but a tropical depression decided to hang over SE Asia at the same time I was there. But that is part of travelling, right?

My personal Asia summary

Before going to this part of Asia I was really looking forward to the food, the countryside, the rice fields and the people.

I certainly experienced great Asian food when I paid up in a nice restaurant. Which I allowed myself sometimes, budget permitting. Otherwise, the street food wasn’t really suitable and seeing how the raw meat is sitting in the heat, without being refrigerated, I wasn’t too keen to try it out. Furthermore, it was either too oily (I am talking lots of oil), gave me the shits or it was full of sugar (especially in Vietnam). So at the end I was quite disappointed by the food and ate pizza and burgers most of the time.

Also, there is still lots of plastic used and left lying along the streets unfortunately, sometimes in big piles. The locals clearly don’t know any better and I wonder how much longer it will take for someone to create a big change in those countries.

The locals

The people in general are quite nice. You can tell they work very hard earning their bit of money. Especially the ladies at the markets.
Except when they deal with tourists and try to get your cash. In Vietnam in particular the shops in the tourist areas don’t have any price tags and charge you e.g. for a bottle of water whatever they feel like. From 0.50c to $3. Crazy… since when do I have to bargain for a bottle of water?

I noticed a general abscence of tourists during my travels, especially in Laos and Vietnam. I read that Thailand has a 90% return of tourists and Laos and Vietnam only 10%. Maybe those statistics reflect my experience a bit better?

And so…

My 2018 southeast Asia trip was certainly an experience and I am glad I have done it! I will most likely be back in Bangkok as I have made some great friends there. Otherwise, given how big the world is, I am keen to explore other places around the globe first before I put the above countries back on my list to visit again. Goodbye SE Asia for now. Check out my next venture soon!