Boats at the dock in Muang Ngoi Nua, Laos
Boats at the dock in Muang Ngoi Nua, Laos

 

Spiritual discovery

 

The smell of incense envelops you as you wander through Beijing’s alleys. You hear hymns coming out of a temple while drifting through the backwaters of India’s Kerala in a dugout canoe. Watch monks parade in the streets of Luang Prabang, Laos at sunrise. Buddhism and Hinduism are the main religions you’ll encounter while backpacking Asia. Don’t be surprised when the continent’s spirituality pulls you in.

 

Mysterious jungles

 

Stumble upon king cobras or wild elephants in Taman Negara National Park. Connect with hill tribes over rice whiskey in the mountains of Laos. Gaze at vine-clad ruins in Cambodia and India. There’s something about going deep into Asia’s jungles that has lured travelers in for generations.

 

Diverse cultures

 

Truly, no two places in Asia are the same. In India alone, people speak hundreds of different languages and follow different customs. Thailand crowds the ruins of two ancient civilizations — Ayutthaya and Sukothai — within a couple hours’ bus trip. And a foodie tour of Beijing will make you rethink the stereotypes about China’s homogenity.

 

You'll see dragons everywhere while backpacking Asia
Dragons outside a Vietnamese temple

 

Backpacking Asia: Top experiences

 

  1. Motorbiking around the Bolaven Plateau, Laos
  2. Watching the sun set over three seas in Kanyakumari, India
  3. Searching for wild elephants in Munnar, India and Taman Negara, Malaysia
  4. Soaking up the sun and sand on Pulau Perhentian, Malaysia
  5. Eating your way through China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand

 

Know before you go

 

Budget

 

Backpacking Asia is about as cheap as it gets. Most of the continent is comfortable on $15 a day or less. In South Asia, you could get away with a budget as low as $5 a day if you were really scrimping and saving.

 

The most expensive country on the continent is Japan, where you’d need more like $30 a day. Singapore and South Korea are a little cheaper, but not much.

 

O-Torii Gate. Japan is Asia's most expensive country.
O-Torii Gate. Japan is Asia’s most expensive country.

 

Accommodation:

 

Accommodation while backpacking Asia includes hostels, small guesthouses, and local hotels. Prices and standards vary widely.

 

In popular backpacking places (like Rajasthan in India, most beaches, and all of Thailand), there will be some kind of accommodation geared toward backpackers for $3-$10 a night. That may mean dorms or it may mean private rooms, but it always means ample common space, traveler amenities like free wifi, and a generally social vibe.

 

In more off-the-beaten-path places, you’ll often have the choice between small guesthouses with limited amenities, or local hotels. When I was backpacking Asia, I loved Southeast Asia’s small guesthouses, while India had more bare-bones local hotels at very low prices (but also very low standards).

 

Accommodation is so affordable when backpacking Asia that it’s not really worth CouchSurfing. Many people signed up as hosts are expats anyway, so there are better ways to meet locals.

 

Food:

 

When it comes to food, you’ll be spoiled for choice while backpacking Asia. You really can’t go wrong.

 

Bugs for sale at a market in Beijing
Uh…yum?

 

In Southeast Asia, India, and China, you can always find a local meal at a market/night market/street stall for under $2 (and usually under $1). South Korea and Japan are more expensive, but even there, you can eat in markets for $5 or so.

 

Eating street food is half the fun. Go to places that look crowded and make sure the food is fresh.

 

There is little point in self-catering while backpacking Asia — most locals eat out, so it’s easier and cheaper to follow their lead.

 

Black tea is popular in India and runs about $0.05 per cup. Green tea is more popular in China, Japan and South Korea. In Southeast Asia, you can get both, but coffee is also common (served with sweetened condensed milk instead of cream and sugar).

 

Cambodia's French colonial history means good coffee is always available
Cambodia’s French colonial history means good coffee is always available

 

Beer is cheap across the continent — Vietnam has the world’s cheapest beer (as low as $0.10 a glass!). In most countries it’s weak and flavorless, but Beer Lao is very good.

 

Local liquors are made from rice wine. If you’re backpacking Asia for any length of time, you’ll almost surely be goaded into trying it once — but you probably won’t make the same mistake twice.

 

Activities:

 

Activities while backpacking Asia range from temple-spotting to jungle trekking, and everything in between.

 

Most urban activities won’t break the bank. There are some museums and historical sites that charge admission fees, but it’s usually under $5. Notable exceptions are the Taj Mahal ($15) and Angkor Wat ($40 for 3 days, plus transport).

 

If you want to explore the outdoors while backpacking Asia, it’ll cost you a bit more. The cheapest jungle treks are self-organized, independent hikes in Taman Negara National Park — they only cost you your hut rental ($3). These are super-authentic back-to-nature treks, but they can be daunting. Trails are not well-marked and you have to ford rivers — so think carefully before setting off without a guide.

 

Munnar is stunning. Day hikes are about $10.
Munnar is stunning. Day hikes are about $10.

 

Comibined jungle trek/adventure trips cost around $15 per day in Thailand, but they’re “jungle” treks only in the sense that most of the country is jungle — you’re in populated areas the whole time. Laos has great trekking too, but it’s at least $20 a day.

 

Various ocean activities are on offer. Lazing on the beach will cost you nothing except a pricey guesthouse and food. At the other end of the spectrum, diving will cost about $80 per two-tank dive — Koh Tao is one of the cheapest places in the world to get PADI-certified.

 

A can’t-miss adventure while backpacking Asia is renting your own motorbike and setting off into rural areas. I did this in India and Laos, and they were among my favorite days of travel ever. Motorbike rental costs about $10/day, plus petrol.

 

Motorbiking southern Laos is the experience of a lifetime
Motorbiking southern Laos is the experience of a lifetime

 

Transportation

 

Buses are the most common form of intercity travel while backpacking Asia. They’re cheap (under $1-$2 an hour), efficient, and go nearly everywhere. In Malaysia and Thailand, they’re also comfortable and air-conditioned, while in India, they’re beat-up metal boxes with wooden seats and no windows.

 

Buses leave from designated stations. You can usually buy a ticket the day you travel.

 

Trains are a good alternative in India, Thailand, parts of Vietnam, China, and Japan. The lower classes of train are about the same price as buses, but if you’re traveling overnight, they’re much more comfortable. India has an especially incredible train system — but reserve your tickets as early as possible.

 

Snack vendor at an Indian train station
Snack vendor at an Indian train station

 

Tuk-tuks are the ever-present local form of transportation. While backpacking Asia, you’ll be constantly honked at by tuk-tuk drivers, asked for outrageous amounts of money for short rides, and be dragged along on shopping trips to your driver’s friend’s stores. It’s all part of the fun. In Vietnam, there are moto taxis instead of tuk-tuks — hop on the back of someone’s motorbike and hold on for dear life!

 

Travelers on short trips often take an intra-continental flight. In India and Southeast Asia, these can be cheap and convenient. In China, make sure the airline meets international safety standards.

 

Safety

 

Backpacking Asia is safe and easy. There are some hassles and scams to keep your eye out for, but not much beyond that.

 

Touting is an accepted part of life throughout Asia. People will try to sell you stuff. They will ask you for way more money than said stuff costs. They will lie to you to try to convince you to buy their stuff. Their aggressive tactics can get under your skin, especially when it feels incessant.

 

Try your hardest not to get visibly angry. Things can escalate quickly if someone feels that you’ve caused them to “lose face.” So the best way to deal with touts is to crack a joke or simply be firm that you don’t want what they’re offering. If they persist, just walk away.

 

Always try to find out the local price before you pay for anything — whether it’s a moto taxi ride from the border or a fruit shake at a market. You won’t always get the local price, but you shouldn’t pay radically more. Keep in mind that haggling over a few pennies is not always worth it — my insistence on saving 3 baht nearly got me kicked off a bus in the no-country zone between Malaysia and Thailand.

 

Touts aren't always bad -- $0.10 for a palm reading in India
Touts aren’t always bad — $0.10 for a palm reading in India

 

Pickpocketing is common in cities in Asia. The population density in India and China is insane, making it very easy for someone to snatch your wallet. Keep your wits about you.

 

Road accidents are a real risk everywhere when backpacking Asia. If you rent a motorbike, try to avoid driving it in cities or on high-speed roads (and maybe just don’t rent a motorbike in Vietnam).

 

If you get bitten by a dog or monkey, seek immediate medical attention and get a rabies shot.

 

Aggressive monkeys can be problems -- if you're bitten, get a rabies shot ASAP
Aggressive monkeys can be problems — if you’re bitten, get a rabies shot ASAP

 

For women alone

 

Backpacking in Asia as a woman alone is incredibly easy. Street harassment is rare — and you’d have to be very unlucky to experience anything more sinister.

 

India is harder than the rest of the continent. There is some street harassment, and it’s not unusual for men to get a little inappropriately hands-y. Private buses should be avoided — stick with the slower but safer government buses.

 

There have also been cases of sexual assault targeting tourists in India. I never felt unsafe, but other women report much more nightmarish experiences. Buying and wearing local clothing seemed to help immensely with the day-to-day hassles. See the India page for details.

 

Much of Asia is still conservative. In Muslim countries, it’s best if you cover your shoulders and knees. If the heat makes that unbearable, at least avoid shorts. On beaches and in major urban areas elsewhere, you can probably get away with shorts, but it’s always better to cover to your knees.

 

Ready to get started?

 

Check out the country guides and posts from:

 

East Asia: China, Korea, Japan

 

South Asia: India, Nepal

 

Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia