Southeast Asia: The Circuit
For Who?
The Southeast Asian circuit is the circuit appropriate for rookie travelers.
It’s for those who’ve never traveled internationally to Asia, it’s an all-encompassing, affordable, and very versatile immersion.
I specifically recommend this stint for student travelers, adventure enthusiasts, or first-time backpackers looking for places to wonder in.
Typically, this circuit includes Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, and even Singapore.
(Cover Image by Giuliano Gabella)
Why them?
Perhaps it’s the budget-friendliness of these initial Southeast Asian hotspots. Or, that they’re safe, welcoming culture, and temperate in climate. This offers westerners a reprieve from the cold during winter months.
It may be the promise of beaches and moonlit nights perfumed by street food of woks over fires, or fresh fish from the nets of those nearby.
No matter what it is, the above countries are all home now to a significant amount of expats for one reason or another.
Overlooking Phi Phi Island, Image by Evan Krause
My Intel
A handful of these countries were my first adult foray into Asia. Backpack on back, the trip taught multitudes about what overseas travel can entail: safety and health precautions such as malaria and anti-diarrhea medicine, food generalities and exceptions, hostel and Couchsurfing intel, as well as how to splurge, what to know about negotiating, and how to pick what to do, eat, and get through minding various sources locally and foreign.
Perpetual motorbike traffic and coffee on the streets of busy Hanoi, Image by David Suaza
Really, it’s difficult to combine tips for places in one take. Countries, cities, and islands, they’re all so nuanced and one can wholly best grasp the intricacies of a place in their own right, even cities have serious neighborhood differences.
However, it’s this circuit altogether that I thoroughly recommend as a collection. Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia particularly are traversable via land. Even a non-traveler can manage to book the local buses that take you across the borders without much fuss at all. This makes moving within the circuit budget-friendly, rooms can further be found for backpacker deals.
I wrote about the notorious night bus of Vietnam here, where you can drive the length of the country on a bus hopping on and off.
This saves time by actually sleeping on it, maximizing the days spent exploring and knocking off the many places to see of its chili pepper-shaped ecosystem.
The glamor of Bangkok is a sure way to get swooped up by the mayhem and magnitude of SE Asia, I recommend steering clear of the commercially touristic backpacking areas like Koh San Road and finding your own niches via locals on the ground, Image by Note Thanun
Why to Go?
Especially if you’re compelled to experience Asia, and love the great outdoors, these places are the best initial immersion. They’re a way to get one’s feet wet with the multi-country traveler’s experience. They’re spots large enough to where you’ll get a full immersion into the places without being swarmed by other foreigners. Yet popular internationally to where you won’t be stranded among foreigners who don’t want you there.
Locals speak enough of global English to get by. Even better, connecting with locals and expats can ground further into the know, something that always beckons one into warm surprises, being invited to a home-cooked meal, sharing stories over a crowded table, and learning things that you really can’t even pick up in a reliable guidebook.
A monk in Laos sets the ever-steady calm of the country’s pace, Image by David Suaza
The reasons to travel the Southeast Asian circuit are also exposure to the breadth of these countries in celebration of the outdoors. In many of these places, life is lived majority outdoors in accord with the food life, market life, and community socializing.
In addition, the route explains the geographies. The solely particular as well as interconnected histories of these countries is immense food for thought. From the religions to the impact of governance, from the food and the way that the cultures celebrate life. Going from one city and country to the next unleashes a wealth of understanding of this area of the world, and gives insight into other areas at the same time.
Thailand’s handful of islands all offer a different flavor, ideal first immersions into island travel
Tuk Tuks
Finally, one of the most fun and playful parts about traveling the SE Asian circuit is the casual transportation. I mean specifically tuk tuks which are a blast to zoom around cities in, tour the temples of Angkor, or even have a philosophical discussion with the driver while stuck in traffic. They’re an important part of the immersion in these places that you won’t regret experiencing, it gives the whole feel of what life in these places is like. Tuk tuks exist in opposition to the cars and larger highways of the western hemisphere. Riding in them will make you feel fulfilled, I promise. It’s one of my favorite parts of what makes the SE Asian circuit.
Tuk tuk zooming along, Image by Mos Sukjaroenkraisri
*Safety tip
Veer away from restaurants that are catered to foreigners with menu items that are replicas of what you’d find at your Thai restaurant in the states. Look for local favorites and haunts frequented by the crowds on the ground. This will promise tastier food and also cleaner food.
Bottom line
This section of Southeast Asia in countries is manageable altogether. This is inclusive for a whole range of travelers. But, I outline it specifically for backpackers and novice traveler explorers.
Overall, the histories in all are intertwined and play off of one another from country to country. They encompass completely individualized backstories and systems of rule as well as having stimulated intersections. The located-ness of each place, the magnitude of beauty in hot spots, the foods, all of these tendrils of these societies come together in this cornucopia.
As Nike says, ‘just do it.’ Plan it out. Pack your bags and go.
