How much would it cost to visit three countries in five full days? Php30,000.00 (USD715), Php25000.00 (USD595) or could it be lesser?
In my case, I get to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand for only Php16,610.11 (USD405). This amount covers a round trip airline ticket from Manila, PH to Ho Chi Mihn Vietnam, and a one-way airline ticket from Bangkok, Thailand to Ho Chi Mihn, Vietnam, all other transportation like buses, cabs, food and accommodation (unfortunately, shopping is excluded.).
Here is a run through of our expenses:
SEA tour expenses
How was it possible? There are really no secrets. It’s all about planning, researching and at the same time being game and not being maarte (choosy) when it comes to accommodation.
Here are some tips though on what works for me (it may also work for you too!)
BUY YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE. Seat sale is the key to spending less. Airline tickets can be costly but you can still get a pretty good deal. Cebu Pacific once in while offers this famous Piso Fare. Airasia does have seat sales too. There is also Tiger Airways! Just check their websites from time to time or better yet, sign up for email alerts. If you book a seat sale ticket in advance and should some unfortunate circumstances happen that you won’t be able to take the trip, you can just easily shrug it off.
CHECK SAMPLE ITINERARIES AND ONLINE BLOGS. Many bloggers have detailed itineraries of their previous travels including best deals on transportation and accomodation. Most of them include what to and not to do, including amazing FYIs and suggestions. These are first hand experiences so they are very helpful!
TRAVEL WITH FRIENDS. It is more fun to tag great friends along with you. As they say, the more the manier, este the merrier. Yes, there will be more laugter, more energy boosters and at the same time more basagan trip. When we travel, we usually have crowning bog moments. Those whoever had the most embarrassing and funny encounter gets the crown. It will only be passed on to the person who gets himself into a worse situation. And of course one important advantage is that you get to split the expenses. Ideal number for me would be four (just perfect for sharing the room, cab, tuktuk, food and even tip). Five or six is also good. The catch though with travelling in a group is that each of you has different personalities or preferences. For example, some prefer having the TV on while sleeping, others prefer it off. My secret? Just be open minded and learn to adjust. The TV is pretty petty. Why? most of the time you are out and you get to see a lot of things. So when you get to your room, you are already very tired that you wouldn’t mind the TV to be on. Thankfully all of my friends prefer lights off as well and what we would normally do is that only the bathroom is lit with a very small opening of the door for a little light to pass through. Also, it is good categorize your friends. Some of your friends are adventurous and others are a bit laid back. There are friends that are best companions for travels at beaches and there are those that you would enjoy more when you are hiking or caving with them. You can mix them if you are travelling in a new city or country. Lastly, learn to compromise. Not all the things that you want is always the best. Most of the time majority really wins so if there is one thing that you would like to do but the rest of the group doesn’t want to, then rest your case. And oh, sometimes your friends get tantrums! But instead of getting pissed, just laugh at it. The reason why you became friends in the first place is because you guys get along regardless of the differences.
LOOK FOR DISCOUNTS ONLINE FOR YOUR ACCOMODATION. So far these sites have offered best deals for our previous accommodation: Asiatravel.com and http://www.hostels.com/. Before confirming your booking though, check on reviews of the hotel via Tripadvisor or other travel websites so you get to compare the pros and cons and at the same you know what and what not to expect. Also, I believe that you don’t need a five star treatment when travelling. You are there to explore and go out so why pay for a pricey room. Unless you are in an island like Misibis or Bellaroca where the resort is what you paid to see, you will just use your room for sleeping so why bother in paying extra. Again, you can always go back to travel blogs for more information.
HAVE A PRIORITY LIST. Yes, the itinerary seems perfect but sometimes things like flight delays, oversleeping and getting lost would really require you to remove some of the things scheduled in the itinerary. Make sure that you have activities that you to prioritize over others so that you were able to maximize your limited time. I would tend to pick the things that can only be done on the place that you visit as compared to those that you can do elsewhere. For example, it has been my dream to experience riding an elephant but I would also love to see some Golden Buddhas. Since we only have a limited time in Bangkok, I chose the tour with the elephant ride over the tour which offers a temple visit. I have this mindset that I can see the same thing should I visit Malaysia or on a more positive note, I can always go back and experience them next time.
There are still a lot of other things to consider but these are the most important things that work for me so far. So get out there! TRAVEL. And by travelling, it doesn’t need to be expensive. What is important is learning a new culture, experiencing a new adventure and visiting a new place that is in your bucket list.
To be inspired, why don’t you check out the details of my Southeast Asian amazing race with friends:
https://ralphandvoluntourism.wordpress.com/vietnam-cambodia-thailand/
"voluntourism" 