Surviving Indochina

Hello! I've actually written (links below) about my Indochina trip already but since many people are still asking, I decided to write this more detailed /guide/ instead together with basic cost estimates. Early November of 2014, I went on a trip to mainland Southeast Asia with my boyfriend and traveled for 8 days across 4 cities in 3 countries. Here is our P28,350-itinerary slash survival guide.

Indochina, also known as mainland Southeast Asia is a subregion in the east composed of the countries Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Basically it's the land between India and China, hence the name "Indochina".

The  main reason why we booked a flight to Thailand in the first place was to attend the Loy Krathong festival. We decided on Bangkok but apparently the bigger, more beautiful celebration happens in Chiang Mai which is about 9 hours north of Bangkok so we were left with no choice but to celebrate it there instead, hahaha!

Pre-departure preparations

 

Transfers and accommodations, all of these are obviously prebooked to avoid hassle and high ticket prices. Booking airline tickets can be tricky and contrary to popular belief, booking early isn’t always a great idea because it may be cheaper than booking late (obvsss), but you can get it way way cheaper during promo periods, so watch out for those. We booked our Manila to Bangkok flight for only P1,400 plus P1,600 for travel tax each and our return flight from Ho Chi Minh to Manila for $60 or around P2,700 each via Cebu Pacific. P5,700 roundtrip tickets? Not bad.

As for our cross country transfers, there are many ways to go around the Indochinese peninsula and the most popular ones are by land (buses and trains) because it’s more economical. However, some borders are dangerous like the Thailand – Cambodia border (according to our research) so at the last minute, we decided to go by plane via Air Asia (P3,700- ouch, though you can get this at a much cheaper rate) instead, and bus from Cambodia – Vietnam (relatively safer). I highly recommend Giant Ibis bus services since they have really nice sleeper buses with clean toilets and wifi. Also, take note that there are no direct buses from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh, so you'd have to book a bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (16USD or 750PHP) and take another bus from there to Ho Chi Minh (18USD or 850PHP).

As a backpacker hotspot in Asia, mainland Southeast Asia is packed with hostels so looking for affordable accommodations isn’t a problem. It really depends on which neighborhood you plan on staying. Among the top favorites in Bangkok are Khao San Road, Siam Square, and Silom and all these places are easily accessible by tuk-tuk or the train system. We stayed in an art hotel called Cacha Hotel near Siam Square for P1,500 a night which is not bad because it’s near a train station and we got the superior room that could accommodate 3-4 guests, while our hotels in Siem Reap [Lotus Lodge] and Ho Chi Minh [Elegant Inn near the backpacker area] were only P2,400 and P1,000 respectively a night booked through Agoda. Sulit diba? Haha! You might also want to check out Airbnb since it's the newest trend right now.

Pre-Dep Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Cross-country Transfers
Manila to Bangkok (incl. Travel Tax) via Cebu Pacific	3,000	-	-	-	60
Bangkok to Siem Reap via Air Asia	3,700	-	-	-	75
Siem Reap to Phnom Penh via Giant Ibis	750	-	-	-	16
Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh via Giant Ibis	850	-	-	-	18
Ho Chi Minh to Manila via Cebu Pacific	2,700	-	-	-	55
Hotels*
Cacha Hotel, Bangkok (4 nights)	3,000	-	-	-	60
Lotus Lodge, Siem Reap (2 nights)	1,200	-	-	-	25
Elegant Inn, Ho Chi Minh (1 night)	500	-	-	-	10
TOTAL	15,700	-	-	-	319
*these are already divided by two since I went with my boyfriend (yes I have a boyfriend)

Meals and city transport

Meals in Thailand average around 150-200THB or 220-290PHP which isn't bad because of their generous serving. In Siem Reap it's around 5-10USD or 250-500PHP, a little pricey but all their meals are good for sharing so you could also share the fee. However, meals in Ho Chi Minh are pretty the same with Bangkok; it ranges from 90,000-120,000VND or 200-270PHP. Bangkok's MRT/BTS system is probably one of the most efficient out there and it's also pretty affordable; tickets start at 15THB to 52THB or 20PHP to 75PHP, depending on how far your destination is. For tuk-tuks and taxi rides, they usually give you a fixed price before riding but they're all negotiable so haggling is necessary unless you want to pay twice as you're supposed to. However, it's different in Siem Reap because it's usually at 1USD.

Day 1: Grand Palace & Loy Krathong

We bought a DTAC sim at the airport upon arrival and plugged it in our extra phone (tether enabled) for data access. It's only 230THB or 330PHP/week with 1GB data limit which is pretty convenient so we wouldn't have to look for cafes all the time for wifi while in Thailand, hahaha!

On top of our itinerary of course are the palaces and temples in the city so we went straight to the Grand Palace Complex, which houses the former residence of Siamese royalty and home to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Other temples in the area are the Wat Po (reclining Buddha) and Wat Arun, both as stunning as the palace.

Take note that these are sacred places and they strictly enforce dress codes (shirts, pants, socks, shoes), so endure the Thai heat. Also, no train station was built near the area so it's best to go there by tuk-tuk or a cab.



Built in 1782 as the new seat of power of the Siamese Kingdom and the official residence of the royal family, the Grand Palace in the heart of Bangkok is a building complex known for its beautiful architecture, intricate detail, and the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.



True enough, the Grand Palace is really grand. The complex is massive and the details of the buildings are perfect, you’d spend more time than you’re supposed to just to look at the details and take beautiful pictures. Can’t believe it was constructed during a time of war and suffering in Thailand.



The Loy Krathong Festival was also on that night and we tried (trust me WE DID) our best to join the festivities but we couldn't handle the crowd! Divisoria and Recto got nothing on the streets of Bangkok during Loy Krathong. And as mush as we wanted to take photos of the river, we couldn't. Lesson learned: Chiang Mai is the place for this festival.

We went to Khao San Road that night instead and booked a day trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market for the next day. One travel agency quoted us 800THB or 1,150PHP for 2 and we were too tired to haggle so we got it right away, hahaha!

Day 1 Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
DTAC Sim (for data)	329	230	-	-	6
Taxi from Airport to Cacha Hotel	271	190	-	-	5
Taxi from Cacha Hotel to the Grand Palace	46	32	-	-	2
Lunch	286	200	-	-	5
Grand Palace Entrance Fee	857	600	-	-	17
Wat Po	171	120	-	-	3
Wat Arun	171	120	-	-	3
Taxi from the Grand Palace to Cacha Hotel	46	32	-	-	2
Taxi from Cacha Hotel to Loy Krathong (Wat Saket)	36	25	-	-	1
Dinner	286	200	-	-	2
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Tour	571	400	-	-	10
Taxi from Khao San Road to Cacha Hotel	43	30	-	-	1
TOTAL	3,113	2,179	-	-	57

Most of our transportation costs for day 1 were by taxi because there were no MRT/BTS lines built near the Grand Palace Complex & other temples, which apparently was deliberately done by the Thai government to keep the place sacred. Though I think there's a train station near a pier that would take you to the Grand Palace, but we're too tired and lazy to do that hahaha!

Day 2: Damnoen Saduak Floating Market & Downtown Bangkok

The next day we were picked up from our hotel at around 7am (had to skip our free hotel breakfast) by the tour operator for the floating market trip. It was a 2-hour drive across the Thailand countryside to Damnoen Saduak and we actually reached the floating market early. Upon arrival, we saw that the shops were just beginning to open and boat vendors were just starting to row their goods.

We were surprised however to find out that our package didn't include the boat paddle so we had to pay 200THB or 100THB each for the boat which is around 140PHP.



Tracing its roots back to ancient times, trading goods along canals and rivers was a common sight all over the world. Farmers and traders alike paddle their goods in wooden boats to sell their produce. Today, some parts of the world still practice such tradition and one of the most popular ones is the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.



Most reviews about the floating market are bad, (e.g. tourist trap, waste of time, etc) I guess it’s because of the people’s high expectations about the place. I have to admit I was a little disappointed too because it didn’t look like the one I saw in postcards, but it was definitely not a waste of time. The colors, food, and the very fact that you get to see old Thai culture was very interesting to see.

We asked to be dropped off at Chinatown in Bangkok after the floating market trip and just wandered away from there.

Day 2 Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Brunch	286	200	-	-	5
Paddle Boat	143	100	-	-	3
Street Food	286	200	-	-	5
Dinner	286	200	-	-	5
Taxi to hotel	43	30	-	-	1
TOTAL	1,044	730	-	-	19

Day 3: Chatuchak Weekend Market & Downtown Bangkok

On our third day, we made sure to visit the Chatuchak Weekend Market, more known as the largest weekend market in the world. It's just a stone's throw away from the Chatuchak MRT station/Mo Chit BTS station and since the nearest line to our hotel is Ratchathewi BTS, we went to Mo Chit.

Many people argue about its size saying it can cover 6 football fields or 14, no one seems to be certain but the point is, it's huge. So huge that once you see something that you like, it's wise to get it immediately because you may not be able to see it again since it's easy to get lost.



We stayed there until around after lunch then went back to the hotel to leave our purchases and take shower. Silom and Siam were next in our itinerary



Purchases under 800THB or 1,150PHP!



Silom

Siam Square

Day 3 Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Train to Chatuchak Weekend Market (Mo Chit BTS)	43	30	-	-	1
Shopping	1,143	800	-	-	20
Lunch	286	200	-	-	5
Train to Cacha Hotel (Ratchathewi BTS)	43	30	-	-	1
Train to Silom (Sala Daeng BTS)	29	20	-	-	0.5
Train to Siam (Siam BTS)	29	20	-	-	0.5
Dinner	286	200	-	-	5
Train to Cacha Hotel (Ratchathewi BTS)	50	35	-	-	1
TOTAL	1,909	1,335	-	-	34

Day 4: Ayutthaya

On our last day in Thailand we traveled back time to the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya aka the former capital of Thailand, and one of the biggest & wealthiest cities in the East during the 16th century until the invasion of the Burmese in 1765 which led to the destruction of the great Siamese Kingdom.

There are two ways to go to the province of Ayutthaya; by train and by car. But since we were feeling adventurous, we chose the former. From our hotel we took a cab to Hua Lamphong Station and took the 6:40am (had to skip our free hotel breakfast again :( ) trip to Ayutthaya for only 15THB which is around 20PHP!

The train ride took about 2 hours through northern Thailand and it wasn't bad for a 3rd-class train. Upon arrival we were supposed to rent a bike but when we saw map and realized how huge the place was, we booked an entire tuk-tuk for 600THB or 300THB each so that's around 430PHP hahaha! It's kinda pricey so it's nice to go with more people to share the fee.

We asked the driver to bring us to a turo-turo carinderia (I forgot how we did it but we were able to) first for breakfast, then off to the tour.



Ayutthaya was one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the East during the 16th century. It was a major seaport in Southeast Asia and people from all over the world came to Ayutthaya to buy and sell goods. They never lacked food supply, conquered many kingdoms, and even replaced the Angkor as the great power of the region. It was friendly towards foreigners but it made dangerous enemies; The Nguyen Lords of Vietnam when they fought for the control of Cambodia, the Ming rulers of China for the Malay Peninsula, but none of them was as bad as the Alaungpayas of Burma who sacked and razed the city in 1765, which lead to the destruction of the great Siamese Kingdom.



Although there were some noticable renovations, the ruins are beautiful and with an imaginative mind you can visualize how grander it was back then; golden statues, temples, Buddhist monks roaming the city, royal elephants, and the monarchs dressed in their full glory. Some accounts say that all the Buddha statues were covered in gold (wow), but was melted and stolen by the Burmese when the city was sacked.


  

We spent about 3 hours going around Ayutthaya, and went back to Bangkok through an airconditioned van (ask the tuk-tuk driver to bring you to the terminal) to spend the rest of our time in the city before we fly to Siem Reap the next day.

There are many nightlife areas in Bangkok like the red light districts of Patpong and Soi Cowboy, but after an exhausting day in Ayutthaya we decided to go to Asiatique the Riverfront, a night bazaar + mall along the Chao Phraya River.



The easiest, traffic-free way to Asiatique is by taking the FREE shuttle boat at the pier which is just walking distance from the Saphan Taksin BTS station. We took the BTS Sukhumvit Line from Ratchathewi to Siam, and transferred to the BTS Silom Line to Saphan Taksin station for around 30THB.

Day 4 Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Taxi to Hua Lamphong Station	50	35	-	-	1
Train to Ayutthaya	21	15	-	-	1
Breakfast	286	200	-	-	5
Tuk-Tuk Tour	429	300	-	-	9
Lunch	286	200	-	-	5
Van to Bangkok	86	60	-	-	2
Train to Asiatique Riverfront (Saphan Taksin BTS)	43	30	-	-	1
Dinner	286	200	-	-	5
Train to Cacha Hotel (Ratchathewi BTS)	43	30	-	-	1
TOTAL	1,530	1,070	-	-	30

Day 5: Angkor Wat Sunset & Pub Street

We woke up early the next day to catch our 10:20AM flight to Siem Reap. Although you can take the bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap, most blogs that we've read told many horror stories in the Thailand - Cambodia border, talking about scams and fake immigration offices. Since we didn't want to risk it, we opted to fly instead.

We arrived around lunch time and met with our driver (came with our hotel booking, yay!) and brought us to our hotel for lunch. Since the only things in our itinerary for Siem Reap are the magnificent Angkor Wat at day and the crazy Pub Street at night, we had plenty of time to rest.

Also remember that town transacts on US dollars too so make sure to bring some of that if you don't want to exchange your currency. 



At around 4:30PM we left to get our Angkor Wat passes (aka probably the best $20 you will ever spend) for the next day and since we were already there, they let us in to catch the sunset and save time so we wouldn't have to wait for the next day's sunset.



Siem Reap which literally translates to “Defeat of Siam”, is a city situated in the Angkor Region of Cambodia and home to one of the oldest powers in Southeast Asia, the Khmer Empire.




After basking in the beautiful view (and taking pictures ofc), we then proceeded to Pub Street for dinner. Also, make sure to make land arrangements with your hotel beforehand regarding your sunrise trip to the Angkor Wat so you don't wake up early in the morning looking for tuk-tuks in the dark, hahaha!

Day 5 Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Taxi to Don Mueang Airport	336	235	-	-	7
Lunch	250	-	20,000	-	5
Tuk-tuk to Angkor Wat	50	-	4,000	-	1
Angkor Wat pass	1,000	-	80,000	-	20
Tuk-tuk to Pub Street	50	-	4,000	-	1
Dinner	250	-	20,000	-	5
Tuk-tuk to Lotus Lodge (Hotel)	50	-	4,000	-	1
Angkor Wat Tour for the next day	406	-	32,500	-	8
TOTAL	2,392	235	164,500	-	48

Day 6: Angkor Wat Sunrise & Overnight Train to Phnom Penh

The following day we woke up at 4 in the morning and tuk-tuked our way back to Angkor Wat to catch the sunrise. It was so beautiful I wanted to cry and photos don't give justice to seeing the sun rising above the 12th century temple *tears. Also, we only paid $15 for a 7 to 8-hour tour around the temple complex, not bad!



I enjoyed the sunset more than the sunrise tbh, hahaha!



The Angkor Wat was built in honor of the Hindu deity Vishnu and the largest religious monument in the world. It is the prime example of Khmer architecture which shows its people’s immense power, wealth, art, and culture during its height. Today, it is a Buddhist temple and the pride of Cambodia. UNREAL.

Afterwards, we went back to Pub Street for lunch and roamed around town on a bike. Our hotel booking came with free bike use btw.



After dinner, we went back to the hotel to rest a bit before heading to the terminal for our sleeper bus to Phnom Penh, and from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

I can't find my photos of the bus but it was pretty decent and spacious for $16. They provided a pillow & blanket, plus the onboard wifi + restroom made it very relaxing. A++!

Day 6 Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Breakfast	250	-	20,000	-	5
Tuk-tuk to Lotus Lodge (Hotel)	50	-	4,000	-	1
Lunch	250	-	20,000	-	5
Dinner	250	-	20,000	-	5
Tuk-tuk to Bus Terminal	50	-	4,000	-	1
TOTAL	850	-	68,000	-	17

Day 7: Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Upon arrival at Phnom Penh at around 6AM, we had breakfast near the terminal while waiting for our bus to leave at 8AM for another 6 to 7-hour bus ride to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

As very paranoid people, we felt uneasy crossing the Cambodia - Vietnam border and being surrounded by armed soldiers didn't help. It took us about 40mins there before we finally got our Vietnam visas (free for PH passport holders) and moved on to our journey. A few minutes on the road, our bus stopped again at a mall which was in the middle of nowehere for lunch.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh at around 4-5PM and I’ve never seen so many motorcycles in one place! After checking in and a short nap, we went out for dinner around Bui Vien street. Since our hotel's located in the backpacker district, finding a good place to eat wasn't a heavy task.

The only things we spent for the day were breakfast, lunch, and dinner since we're saving our money for the last day of our trip.

Day 7 Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Breakfast	250	-	20,000	-	5
Lunch	264	-	-	120,000	5
Dinner	264	-	-	120,000	5
TOTAL	778	-	20,000	240000	15

Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

We only had a day to explore the city so we didn't bother going to the Chu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta, and decided to just go wherever our feet will take us in downtown Saigon.

Of course, we HAD to start our day with Vietnamese pho!

Vietnam is famous for its coffee so obviously we're obligated to try some, and found this very nice cafe called L'uisine, a local boutique store slash cafe.

   

Being the former capital of the French colony in Vietnam, it's famous for its French colonial buildings so you'll see it everywhere.

    

Walking around Saigon on the last day of our trip felt very rewarding despite having just a few bucks left in my wallet. All the time and money spent during the trip -- including the moments we got lost & had to ask for directions from strangers who couldn't even understand what we're saying, while seeing these beautiful places at the same time were invaluable (and we'd do it again if we could tbh, hahaha!).

That night, we checked out of our hotel and booked a cab to the airport for our flight back to reality /sob.

Day 8 Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Breakfast	264	-	-	120,000	5
Lunch	264	-	-	120,000	5
Iced Coffee	121	-	-	55,000	2.5
Dinner	264	-	-	120,000	5
Cab to the Airport	121	-	-	55,000	2.5
TOTAL	1,034	-	-	470,000	20

Here's a summarized breakdown of expenses from our flights, hotels, buses, to daily expenses like our meals, commute, entrance fees, etc. Hope this helps!

TOTAL Expenses
Pre-Dep Expenses	PHP	THB	KHR	VND	USD
Cross-country Transfers	11,000	-	-	-	224
Hotels	4,700	-	-	-	94
TOTAL Pre-Dep Expenses	15,700	-	-	-	318
Daily Expenses
Meals	-	2,000	120,000	655,000	104.5
Commute	-	879	20,000	55,000	36.5
Tours, Entrance Fees	-	1,640	112,500	-	73
Misc. (Shopping, sim card)	-	1,030	-	-	26
TOTAL Daily Expenses	-	5,549	252,500	710,000	240
OVERALL EXPENSES in PHP	15,700 +	7,930 +	3,158 +	1,562 =	28,350