South East Asia: Getting Around

Hello Wonderful People!

 

Before I went to South East Asia it didn't actually enter my head that we would have to get from place to place via some sort of transport. I take a very laid back approach to life and just assumed everything would fall into place when I got there. To be fair this approach worked, as everything turned out fine and there was no need for me to have planned any transport prior to my trip. But for those of you who are planning a trip to SE Asia, I thought I'd write down a few tips for getting around, so you have some idea of what to expect when you get there!

 

 

There are five main modes of transportation used in SE Asia, all of which vary in price, duration of time and convenience. Depending on your budget, some modes of transport will prove more appealing than others. But I can pretty much guarantee you will climb aboard all 5 at some point.

 

Bus

Ahhh, the good old night bus, they do bring back fond memories. Busses are a great way to get around and they are super cheap as well. A few pounds will get you a good 12 hour bus trip, and most of them run at night so you also save money on accommodation. You can buy bus tickets from pretty much anywhere; hostels, tourist information, travel agents or bus stations. There are usually mini busses that will pick you up from your hostel and take you to the bus station, so you don't have to find your own way there. This is included in the price of the ticket. I'd recommend always getting a bus with air-con and if you are getting a night bus, double check the bus definitely will have beds.  Also please remember nothing runs on time (we called in Asia time) so don't freak out if your mini bus hasn't picked you up after 30 mins of waiting. It will come, eventually.

 

 

 

Tuk Tuk

These are great for quick journeys around the local area. You will not struggle to find a Tuk Tuk, they are everywhere. Always haggle the price before you get in, and share with fellow backpackers. If the price is split between a few people it can cost a few pence per trip. Bargain. Tuk Tuks aren't for the faint hearted, they dodge and weave through the hectic traffic, so be prepared for a bumpy ride.

 

 

 

Plane

This is for the flashpackers out there, or those travelling with a bigger budget. I won't bore you all with explaining the ins and outs of air travel. It's quicker, nicer and a lot more expensive. For those in a rush, get a plane. If not I'd always choose the bus, your a backpacker, not a jetsetter after all.

 

 

 

Boat

Whether you're island hopping, visiting Ha Long Bay or travelling down the Mekong from Thailand to Laos then you will pretty much have to get a boat (unless you have the ability to walk on water, obviously). Again, like most things in SE Asia the prices are very cheap, only a couple of pounds per journey. It is also pretty easy to get hold of boat tickets, hostels, tourist info, travel agents etc. There are so many backpacker friendly places in SE Asia that locating tickets for transport is super easy. From memory, boats are also a lot better at time keeping than other modes of transport.  

 

 

 

Train

I only ever got sleeper trains in Thailand and I bloody loved them. Granted, they were always late but I just couldn't get over the fact I was in a bed, on a train (small things amuse me, clearly). These were slightly more expensive than night busses, but a lot more comfortable. They also arrived into stations at much more sociable hours than the night busses. Our night trains usually got in at around 7:30am, compared to night busses that usually arrived at around 5:30/6am. This is probably because the train drivers like to stop in the middle of the night for a few hours to go to a restaurant. I kid you not.

 

So there you have it, the 5 modes of transport you will definitely be using in SE Asia. Don't worry about booking or struggling to find transport, the backpacker trail is so well worn in SE Asia that pretty much everywhere is kitted out to help travellers. You'll never be far away from someone trying to sell you bus tickets or a tuk tuk ride, trust me.

 

S'later people!