It’s so exciting knowing you are going to South East Asia! Having the locations and itineraries all organised is the tough part of planning and can be really stressful, but once this is done it really does dawn on you what you are doing. Even if you are only travelling one country, you still need to take into consideration where you are going, and how long you have there.
Within the planning, you need to have a rough idea of how you are moving from place to place, and need to set time aside so you can minimise the time in transit. As it is so different to the rest of the world, it can be difficult to plan ahead with this. We are so used to using the underground in major cities, maybe have public bikes to rent or even taxis that are waiting to be waved down. As most may already know, Asia isn’t like this.
It’s really difficult to plan ahead on how to travel between places without visiting the countries before. So how can we plan for South East Asia without knowing how to move from place to place?
There are many websites that provide different transportation recommendations depending on the location you are in. So it’s easy to get caught up and overwhelmed with the different options available. We feel that it’s important to have a good understanding of the options you have in each area for transport so you can many decisive decisions once you arrive. Let’s be honest, no one wants the stress of having to last minute plan or book their transport as it may be more expensive and will certainly slow you down!
We have detailed the best ways to travel around a lot of popular places in South East Asia which is provided through our experience and what we found easiest and the most affordable!
Philippines
The Philippines is not like any country…not because of their natural beauty, paradisal islands or picturesque beaches.. I mean this is all true! But also with the layout of the country, it is made up of thousands, and I mean thousands of islands – 7,641 to be exact! So how do you get about?
The most convenient and obvious transport would be to fly from island to island. This is definitely many options, especially for the larger islands like Palawan, Cebu, and to places like Manila (the capital)! But what happens when you are looking to move within islands or you aren’t looking to spend £100s on a few flights across the country?
I mean there are quite a few options, you just have to do your research. Flying from island to island will rack up high expenses for your transportation and as a budget travel couple, this isn’t a luxury we or many people have! The usual transport within the country is a flight, as you are normally flying from another country which is the normal route. However, when you are in the country, you need to find better alternatives.
From our experience, the best way to move from island to island (providing you are not moving from west Philippines to East Philippines) is by ferry! For example, when we were in El Nido and moving to our next location Coron – which is the east side of Busuanga Island – we had to get a ferry! The cost is rather pricey, roughly being £35 (2,500 Phillipine Peso) per person, but is one of the only ways of getting to the island.
It roughly would take 4/5 hours to make this trip and you are required to get to the ferry roughly 30 minutes before so there are no delays. This mode of transport isn’t the most glamorous as it consists of a plane like seating without seatbelts on a more than likely choppy sea for what seems like an eternity. The ferry also only departs on certain days in the week so it’s important to take note of this before making your itinerary plans otherwise you may be stuck waiting for the ferry a few days and fall behind!
It is important to do your research as you can easily get flights into Coron from major cities in the area, but if you are looking to move from Coron to the rest of Palawan, there are no direct flights. So if you make the mistake of visiting Coron before moving onto the rest of Palawan, you might find a shock of no flights available!
The ferry may not be the fastest way or sometimes not even the most convenient, but is a popular transport in the country and may be available when other options aren’t!
When you are moving within an island, especially when it’s a smaller island, you have the great convenience of Tuk-tuks! These are motorbikes that have an car-like attachment on the side which allows for passengers to enjoy the ride. These are normally much cheaper than normal transport but they are limited to speeds of only 20/30 mph. This makes it perfect for short trips probably no more than 20-30 minutes but over long distances, might not be the best option.
The best way to envisage a Tuk-tuk is that a private mode of transport that you are able to bartar the price of the ride with the driver. This is a great way to get a good price and also see the natural beauty of the country as there are no windows like other modes of transport!
If you are looking to do longer trips, moreso a 3/4 hour trip across an island, it probably would be best to opt for a private minibus to take you. This is a great way to move larger distances and minimise the amount of time travelling. It is best to either do this with fellow travellers to keep the price down as doing this as an individual or in small number can make it pricey! If you are staying at hostels or just arriving off an airport, this is a great way to get to your next location and meet fellow travellers along the way!
Thailand
Thailand is such a diverse country, the north and south are so different and have opposing activities and sights. They are almost like different countries!
The south is filled with perfect beaches, tranquil waters and beautiful islands, really is paradise! However, it usually attracts travellers who are drinkers and party-goers. Therefore, the south is more tailored towards these people with the locals making the most of the tourists interests!
There are a few places in the south that is different, like Khao Sok National Park. Which is a totally remote location that looks straight out of Avatar.
The north is completely different though.
The north is busier. There’s a lot more going on and doing have the islands that the south has. To pair with this, Thailand is a vast country which is very spread out. So moving for location to location isn’t as easy as it can be in other countries.
You really forget how large it really is! It’s crazy as one of the best ways to travel in the North of Thailand (and sometimes even the south) is through a sleeper train. It does exactly what it says on the tin.. it’s a train that is normal until in the night where the seats and tables fold out into bunk beds. Perfect for the passengers who have sore backs and are ready to get some much need rest. These trains – dependant on where you are getting off – can span over 12 hours, some of them almost a day!
So make sure to get comfortable and ready for the long journey ahead!
An example of this would be if you are looking to go from Bangkok to Chang Mai. On the map it seems a long journey.. but not 10 hours! With the longest journey potentially being 13 and a half hours depending where you board in Bangkok!
The cost?
It’s more than reasonable! For a ticket it can be as low as £6!! How crazy!?
However, we would recommend spending and getting the more expensive tickets. It can get very warm on the journey and the £6 tickets are seat only with no AC. It’s best to have some comfort and secure the bed on the train (especially if its an overnight trip!) and the AC. The price for this upgrade is only £18 which is still a reasonable price for what you get!
Alternatively, you are able to get a sleeper bus but even if you can secure 1st class tickets, it’s very much like trying to sleep/rest on the plane. Yeah you might have a charging port, but you can’t even toss or turn to find a comfortable position.
The sleeper bus is likely to stop often to stretch legs if it’s a long trip and bathroom breaks with be wherever you stop.
Also, you may not see the same type of views that you see if you ride the train, as the train will be going through the Thai countryside whereas the bus is stuck to mostly main roads.
As we have tried both, it’s quite clear which we would always choose if we had the option.
Vietnam is not one we would touch upon a lot in this blog but is similar to Thailand with both the option for a sleeper bus and train. We opted for the sleeper bus which is cheaper than the alternative but had some disturbing stories. The sleeper bus was pleasantly surprising but can be scarring if you have never taken one before. The MAIN recommendation is to take the top bunk wherever you can.
Trust us… Jack managed to grab the top bunk and watched as the bus overfilled with passengers laying across the floors making them tuck up like sardines for 8/10 hours. Other than this, it was no different than sleeping in a slightly smaller single bed at home on a top bunk. But yeah, you must secure a top bunk! Also, the back seats is one huge bed so if you have a group of friends and don’t mind to share this is also a great option!
Bali
We can’t talk for the whole of Indonesia, but as Bali is a popular spot, it’s important to know how to get around. There is so much to do across Bali and it’s islands that you need to be efficient if you don’t have a long time there. We went from Canggu/Ubud (Central) to Lovina (North) to Uluwatu (South) and then the islands in the east (Gili Islands). So how did we travel around the area?
I mean there are a few options really, all similar priced. We opted to go for getting grabs (like Uber) or private taxi-like transport as there were 4 of us and it made the most sense to all travel together to keep the cost down.
The Uber trips are pretty reasonable but if you are looking to move about alot, you will start to spend a large amount of your budget on transport. I would recommend sticking to shorter trips using grab – whether it’s visiting a temple or a 15 minute grab to the beach (if you don’t want to make the long walk).
Getting private transport can be very tricky. You need to know the going rates in the location as a lot of the drivers will offer ridiculous prices to try and get the most out of this. An example would be on Nusa Penida when you arrive off the boat. You will be bombarded by drivers offering a taxi which we had only a 5/10 minute drive up the road. They were offering roughly 500,000/600,000 Indonesian Rupiah for this which is £30/£36. For a short drive??
If you walk down the road for a few minutes you will pass the expensive offers and come across some more friendly drivers with reasonable prices. The main technique is to pressure you into saying yes and intimidating you so make sure to stand your ground!
For comparison, we met a driver who offered to be our driver for the WHOLE day, taking us to the east of the island (45 minute drive) as well as a trip to the west side of the island (1 hour 30 minute drive) and then back to our hotel in the centre for roughly 1,000,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£60). As there was 4 of us it made it dirt cheap and the driver would wait in each location until we were happy to move onto the next.
Another example would be a trip from the south east side of Bali to Lovina (the northern tip). We managed to find someone who was willing to take us there AND back the next day, and also included us all to swim/watch wild dolphins. This only cost us roughly 650,000 Indonesian Rupiah (£39) across 3 of us so SUPER cheap!
If you are more independent or are travelling on your own, the best option would be to hire a motorbike (if you are confident in riding). Now, we’ve never ridden a motorbike so we wasn’t confident enough to do this but it is a great option as renting them is super cheap, fuel is cheap and you have the freedom to go wherever you want across the island!
A lot of places are aware of motorbikes being a popular transport and they have places where you can park your bike when visiting places or staying at your accommodation. When we travel back, we plan on using a motorbike to move about when were are in towns or cities as any easy mode of transport.. Just need to learn how to drive one first!!
There’s many options when it comes to travelling around South East Asia. It seems a lot of the countries have their own niche way of travelling, with a lot of options at a travellers disposal. But it is integral to be smart when choosing your transport as it can really make things a whole lot more expensive if you don’t do your research.
You almost need a combination of prior research and on the go research to learn what transport is best in each situation. Some of the transport is part of the experience of being a travelling. So sometimes it’s worth going for the 12 hour sleeper train with friends you know and make those memories. These are memories you will remember forever unlike if you were to grab a cosy flight to your chosen location.
We would always recommend that if you are going to a popular destination and travelling alone or in a small party, you should speak to fellow travellers and share the journey to keep costs down and get to know more people.
We can’t wait to go back to South East Asia and experience the infamous 12 hour trains again! If you would like to follow our journey, please like and subscribe to our blog for some cool upcoming blogs!
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