Of all the world regions, Southeast Asia is on the top list of destinations you shouldn’t miss. Travelling to Southeast Asia is not only a great experience, but also a low budget trip compared to European or Central American travels.
Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia are filled with marvellous attractions and exciting activities for any travel enthusiast. For just $20 a day, you can have a fantastic trip in this gorgeous destination.
Airfare
The largest part of your budget definitely goes to your airfare. But, don’t fret – budget airlines are there to fly you to the southeastern corner of the world on the cheap. The carriers that offer great rates on SE travels include Tiger Airways, Air Asia, Silk Air, Jetstar and Lion Air. You may use various airline search engines such as skyscanner.com to find your preferred carrier.
Accommodations
The cheapest accommodation you’ll ever experience in your life is right in the Garden Village Guesthouse. Located in Siem Reap in Cambodia, this hostel offset a dorm bed for only $1 per night! Other Southeast Asian countries offer hostel accommodations for no more than $10.
To get the cheapest (but decent) hostel stays in the country included in your SE travel, book your accommodations in advance.
If you’re willing to meet new friends, you may want to share the room with another traveller so that your expenses for accommodations would be halved.
Southeast Asia people are generally easy to negotiate with, so you may try to haggle for a lower price for your hostel stay.
Food
Travelling in Southeast Asia doesn’t only mean sightseeing; it also calls for food tripping! But, don’t waste your time eating steaks and chicken dishes there – go grab some street food delicacies like fried crickets, silk worm larvae, grasshoppers and beetles!
Avoid Western restaurants, since a meal there would cost around $5. On the other hand, food stalls that sell clean and totally delicious local dishes only cost less than $3 a meal.
If you want to drink some beer, go and buy some local beer that is sold for only 50 cents per bottle, unlike imported beer which costs around $2 or more in SE.
Transportation
Another great thing about spending your holiday in Southeast Asia is that you can travel to so many places while paying very cheap transportation fees. Don’t take a cab when roaming around the cities; simply take the public transportation vehicles such as trains, buses and locally found vehicles such as tricycles and jeepneys that are particularly found in the Philippines, and tuk-tuks that are prominent in Thailand. If you want to enjoy the sceneries on your own, rent a bike from rent shops or your hostel for around $1 to $2 per day.
Other Budget Tips
Make sure that you spend only your planned amount. If you spend more money on souvenir purchases, for example, then you will have to account for that elsewhere.
Another budget travel tip is to be confident and try to negotiate for the prices of the souvenirs you want to take home with you, especially in floating markets and bargain shopping centres.
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