BootsnAll Travel Community

Hi guys....I'm a 24 year old solo American traveler, and have the burning desire to get out and see the world. I've made my mind up and I plan on doing this at some point in the next year. My questions are..

I have about 2,500-3,000 USD to spend. Id like to be on the road for roughly 5-6 weeks. Although I am willing to cut that down by about 2 weeks if my budget wouldn't allow depending on where I am. I do plan on using couchsurfing as much as possible to help cut costs on housing..

So the suggestions I am looking for are...

I have a great interest in both areas, which would be more fulfilling? SEA or Japan/China region? Either place I decide upon, I'd like to see the sights etc., but I'd also like to get out of the tourist traps and meet some of the locals...eat authentic food.


Is there any sort of cheap transportation from China to Eastern Europe?


I appreciate any advice you can give me.

With that sort of cash, you can live like a king in SEA. Not so in Japan.

Bangkok is the hub, so look at flights there from LAX on Thai, Singapore or EVA. As far as wishing to "get out of the tourist traps and meet some of the locals...", well, first you have to know their language to make that happen ideally. However, we can easily get you to places not so crowded. Keep in mind that popular tourist destinations are that way for a good reason. We can steer you away from Patpong and towards Pai for example. And think Laos and Cambodia and less Ko Samui.

And yes, there are flights from BKK to anywhere that you want to go.

Appreciate the response.


Is there a way to get from SEA to Japan cheaply and with relative ease? I'd really like to see Japan.

Simply put: nothing that involves Japan is cheap.
Search around the boards, there is another user that just decided to take the ferry over to Japan. I think, he/she is hanging around the RTW branch.

Does that budget include your plane ticket from the US to SE Asia or China/Japan region? If so, I think after a flight you will only have about 1,500-1,800 left. I went to Thailand last Feb and my airfare was around 1200 round trip. Once you get there it is very cheap (in Thailand at least) but getting there is the expensive part.

Good luck!!!!!

Jackie

sorry, I should have specified....That budget is after the plane ticket.....any other travel expenses after I arrive are included in that 2,500-3,000 budget..

Traveling with a US passport you will get a free 30 day permission stamp in your passport (like a visa on arrival.) If you intend to stay in Thailand longer you will have to leave Thailand before the 30 day point and on return you will get another free 30 days. You could fly to Japan and return to Thailand to get the other free 30 days.

Be very careful of your money! Don't trust anyone you didn't know from back home! If you get involved with a pretty lady or lady boy (I don't know) don't be surprised if you wake up and that person is gone with your passport, money and anything else of value.

Most hotels have security boxes that you can use to safeguard your valuables and spare cash. Only keep enough cash with you to see you through a couple days of purchases. Oh yeah, you will get your best rate of exchange after you get to Thailand. Big bills like 100's and 50's will get a little more than dinky $5 and $10 bills. You won't get stuck with Thai baht, when you leave for home you will have a chance at the airport to change your money back to dollars again.

I fly on NWA all the time, they fly through Japan coming and going. There are airlines with better times (NWA is around midnight for arrival at BKK and around 0600 for departure to Japan.) I often see Japanese getting off in Japan on flight over to BKK and flying back to Japan when I head for home again. When you are in Thailand you can go to a travel agency and ask them for any deals on flights to Japan. Sometimes there are some good prices but most of the time, like the hotels in Japan, prices are high. The only time I hear about any dodgy travel agencies are from places in the Khao San Road area. I have bought a lot of plane tickets in Thailand over the past 12 years and have never been screwed!

Spend a few days in Bangkok in the beginning of your trip and at least one final night before you go home. Read up on Thailand and Japan to plan your moves to conserve your funds. For Thailand you will find local transportation to be pretty reasonable and efficient. My preference is a hotel where you can use the Skytrain. But young travelers often head for the Khao San Road area - no Skytrain there!

If you are flying from the US on an airline going through Japan you might have been able to pay a little more for a layover in Japan. After a short time in Japan you resume your flight to Thailand or back home.

Have a good trip and watch your money. Debit cards and credit cards also work in ATMs. If you do use a debit card make sure you notify your bank or credit union before you leave on your trip and tell them where you will be or your withdrawals from ATMs may be denied because of suspected fraud!

I REALLY appreciate that long answer. Begins to help answer some questions I didn't even get around to asking yet.

SEA over Japan China...in Japan you could easily spend 700-1000 a week depending on where you want to go and see...

also remember about your pre-trip costs: backpack, vaccinations, visas, trip insurance, things you need like tolietries etc...can add up quick

in 6 weeks you can see a lot of South East Asia and with your budget you can certainly survive on that...

You should neglect Japan with that budget and focus soley on SEA. And forget about 5-6 weeks and start thinking about months. Like 4-5 months and actually spend some time in many areas. See the place, get off the trail, travel slow. Once you're over there $400-$800/month is reasonable.

I am planning on using couchsurfing a majority of the time to cut down costs on housing...I plan to eat relatively cheap as well...is Japan really out of the question?

It sounds like you really want to go to Japan so maybe you'll find a way to make it work. Here is how you should decide if it's worth it. Is 1 week in Japan = 3 weeks in Thailand/Laos/Cambodia. If the answer is yes - go. I agree that you could last 8 - 12 weeks if you stay in SE asia probably. But Maybe you want to do 5 and spend the rest of your money in Japan - its ultimately up to you.

quote:

is Japan really out of the question?

I'd have a look

here
here
and here

with that about of money, you could live in Southeast Asia for about 4-5 months.

Budget about 20 dollars a day in Southeast asia. Even with drinking and transportation, I never averaged more than that. That is eating mostly local foods and having the occasional big meal out.

However, on that budget, Japan is out of the question. I mean BKK to Tokyo is about 500 dollars round trip. A week in Japan is 700 on the supercheap. So that is almost half your budget right there.

But this brings up a larger point: everyone always tries to cram in everything. Don't. You'll rush yourself, miss out on getting to know a culture, and burn yourself out.

You have 5 weeks? That is SEA. You can't really see Thailand in less than two weeks, you need 1 week in Cambodia just to see the capital and angkor, and Laos could be a week but you'll see about two places. That is also on super rushed schedule too.

If you want to "meet the locals," you aren't going to do that by speedracing through a country.

With only five weeks I would consider picking one country and sticking to it. You really won't learn anything about a country in two weeks, and you'll barely get to see it's options before you need to leave.

i'm starting to research a trip to japan ( june 2009 ) , have so far found that my housing will be either - ryokan , minshuku , or temple stay ( not so much for the religion aspect , more for the experience and cheap price ) can be inexpensive depending on what you " need " in a place to stay , check it out ( just google the words and see what pops up ) , i stay in enough holiday inn and standard cookie cutter hotels for my job , i'd much rather stay small and local

be well & enjoy the rest of the day
- mic