[INDOCHINA | JULY 14-22,2017 |HANAH, JO HANNAH, GIO & EDMAR]

INDOCHINA TRAVEL GUIDE:

FULL ITINERARY (BY MARK ROA)

Here is the post you’ve been asking for! The complete guide to your epic Indochina travel. First,
let me just thank you for the overwhelming response you guys showed at my previous Indochina
blog post. As promised, I am trying my best to do a detailed version of that post and I will also
include budget expectations. Please be informed that the rates and prices that I am posting here
are based on what I took note during my trip. There might be changes already and I might have
missed out on some expenses, so please don’t totally rely your budget allocations on this post.
This is just a guide. I actually spent a little over 30,000php all-in for this trip because I splurged
on food and bits of shopping. To add to that, we fell victims on some of the hideous tourist traps
and scams. Reading through this blog will help you prevent committing the same mistake we
did. It wouldn’t hurt if you bring extra money, of course.

I will be inserting some photos I took off my Instagram stories for you to familiarize with the
places and situations as early as now. Hover on the photos to reveal funny captions, too. Excited
yet? You’re welcome. Again! 

For all those “budgetarian” travelers out there, here’s what I came up with. Here are some of the
FAQ’s I received from you:

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Which country do I kick off this Indochina tour?

Our trip route was Manila > Thailand > Laos > Thailand > Cambodia > Vietnam > Manila. We
took a flight to Bangkok, Thailand from Manila. From Bangkok, we boarded a sleeper train to
Laos. After we toured around Laos, we went back to Bangkok again via a sleeper bus this time;
then we directly took a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia. As soon as we’re done with
Cambodia, we took another sleeper bus to get to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Our return flight was
HCMC to Manila, Philippines. You may also opt to do this in reverse by starting in Vietnam.

When do you book your tickets?

Always be on the look out for seat sales from low-cost airlines. I, myself, am a fan of seat sales.
If you get lucky, you can get a roundtrip ticket for ₱3,500 roundtrip for this Indochina trip or
even lower. Just to let you know, I pre-book my flights way ahead of my schedule. What
happens is, I will only plan my travel as soon as I snag a good airline ticket deal. That way I
could plan a more concise itinerary.

Where to stay in each destination?

Since this is a budget travel guide and given that most of the time you’ll just be staying in your
room for a few hours to catch some sleep, I would strongly suggest that you book at backpacker
hostels. If you are traveling in a group, you may opt to get one of the dorm-type rooms. It is very
practical and fun at the same time. Who knows, nandoon lang pala si “forever” mo sa shared
room na yun! LMAO! On a serious note, you may also consider reasonable hotel options like
what we did in Laos. Indochina region is relatively cheap. There are a lot of cozy and themed
hostels around. Book at Riversoul Residence in Cambodia if you are looking for a posh place to
stay. Check the AGODA link in this site to view price rates now!

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*RIVERSOUL IS HIS TOP PICK FOR ACCOMMODATION IN SIEM REAP.*

Is food expensive?
I will not be including the food expense on this post. We don’t normally compromise on food, in
fact, we splurged huge money on food during this Indochina travel. So what I am saying is that,
if you love to eat while traveling just like us, you will spend more than ₱15,000. However, for
purposes of traveling on a budget again, here’s what I suggest.

Don’t dine on fancy restaurants and coffeshops if you don’t want to spend, of course. Try to eat
at local diners available in the area. They will usually have cheap food prices but still authentic
and delicious. In Vietnam, there are Pho’s along the streets at a very affordable price. If you
don’t mind eating at convenience stores and fastfood chains, then you have options there, too. In
Laos, I noticed that their street food is pretty much like what we have in the Philippines. They
have barbeques, pork belly on sticks, sausages, etc. If you pair it with rice, then you are good to
go! Ginagawa nyo yan sa Pinas, so why not abroad? Don’t me! Joke lang!  There will also be
nutella crepes along the streets, and of course, scorpions, cockroaches, worms, snakes and all
those nasty choices in Cambodia! Bring cup noodles. Alam mo yan bes! Hahaha!

Is the cross-country land transfers expensive?

Personally, I don’t think it is expensive given the distance from one border to another. Say for
example from Thailand to Laos, it will cost you ₱1,700 for a first class sleeper train. However,
you may opt for just a seat for only ₱680 or a second class sleeper for ₱1,000. Buses are priced
fairly as well. Don’t join tours from agencies; they are priced with no mercy.

What will be the other expenses to expect during this trip?

This will eat up a good fraction of your budget for sure- the activities and pasalubongs. My
worry in doing this post is whether or not do I include this in the breakdown. Not everyone
enjoys ATV rides, countryside biking or even temple hopping. If you don’t, then you are
definitely going to save up some cash here! I also suggest that you just select the best temples to
go inside. Most of them look identical based on photos anyways. The Grand Palace was indeed
grande, but due to the crazy number of people inside, it might disappoint. Talk about
expectations VS reality for your photos. There are plenty of that in this Indochina trip. Congrats!

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SAMPLE ITINERARY and EXPENSES

Day 1
• 2am, Arrival in Thailand
• Airport transfer to Patpong, Thailand
*We took an UBER car from the airport to our hostel.
• Early hotel check-in and leave baggage at Thrive The Hostel
*This is a nice boutique hostel with rustic interiors and is located near a bus stop.
• Take a short rest and ample sleep.
• 6am wake up call
• Take the bus 501 and ask to be dropped off at the Grand Palace area.
*Most buses have signages stating their particular route. Be guided.
• Start of Temple Run tours
*The temples are just near each other and can be navigated by just walking. Most of them are
free of charge. The Grand Palace is the main attraction. For some reasons I did not enjoy this
because there was just too much crowd. You can barely appreciate the temples so if you don’t
want to spend much, skip this one. Most of the temples look identical anyways.
• Lunch time
• After lunch, you may opt to cross the river and go to Wat Arun.
*From the exit of the Grand Palace, you can walk your way to the pier going to Wat Arun. DO
NOT take the offers from free agents outside the temple. They are scams! Just ask around for
directions.
• Back to Patpong after the Wat Arun tour.
• Dinner
• Night stroll

Expenses:

• Airport transfer via UBER: ₱500/taxi (₱125/head for a group of 4)

• Hostel: ₱350
• Bus to Grand Palace area: ₱60
• Wat Po Entrance: ₱140
• Grand Palance: ₱700
• TOTAL: ₱1,375

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Quick boat ride to Wat Arun

DAY 2
We started our days early at 6am
• Take a cab to Victory Monument BTS Station (Minibus)
*You will notice that there will be lots of agencies offering the floating market tour. Be careful
in choosing your poison. Most of them have direct contacts to boat operators at the floating
market and they will charge with insane amount of money!
• Take the minibus to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market.
*You will be dropped off at their linked agency. Don’t fall for their bait. They charge almost
₱800 pesos each when the boat rental right at the market is only ₱700 pesos good enough for 7
people already. Walk for about a kilometer to the public market and rent a boat there. I hate
Bangkok for this! You may also take a tuktuk if there is one available.
• Haggle for the boat ride at the market
• Start the floating market tour
• By noon, travel back to the city center via minibus
• From the drop off, we walked towards MBK . We had lunch and did some shopping.
*There is an international buffet there to feast on!
• After which, 3 of us went to Hualamphong Trailway Station to secure the tickets to Laos.
*The last trip of sleeper trains usually gets full quickly so I suggest that you go there and book in
advance than be sorry.
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• Back to hotel and pack for Laos.

• 6pm, take the train to Hualamphong Trailway Station.
• Dinner at the station. They have KFC. lol
• 8:30pm is the last train schedule to Nong Khai (Thailand-Laos border).
*Take the train #69. You will get a good rest here.

Expenses:
• Taxi to BTS Station: ₱300
• Minibus to floating market: ₱300 roundtrip
• Boat at floating market: ₱700/boat (₱100/each for a group of 7)
• Train from Bangkok to Laos: ₱690 fan seater or ₱1,700 first class sleeper
• TOTAL: ₱1,390

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DAY 3
• 7am, arrival at Nong Khai (Exit stamps at the immigration)
• Take the train to Thanaleng station, Laos.
*Right at that station, transfer to Thanaleng. This is just a short train ride and you’ll pass by the
Laos-Thailand friendship bridge.
• Once inside Laos territory, have your passports stamped by the immigration.
• Take a tuktuk or van to central Vientianne for almost 20 minutes.
• Van operators will offer rides to Vang Vieng upon arrival.
• Travel from Vientianne to Vang Vieng for almost 5 hours via minibus.
• Minibuses are like bigger versions of Grandia in the Philippines.
• There will be one bus stop during this trip where you could grab lunch. They accept Thai Baht.
• Arrive in Vang Vieng at 2pm.
• Check in at a hostel. There are a LOT of cheap options there with the stunning view of Vang
Vieng mountains.
• Change your money to Laos currency.
• By 3pm, we did the river tubing activity in Nam Song river. It was EPIC! You may stop over at
bars along the river and grab some beer!
• 5pm onwards, rent a bike and explore the laidback Vang Vieng.
• Dinner

Expenses:
• Train from Nong Khai to Thanaleng: ₱70
• Van from Thanaleng to Vientianne: ₱150
• Mini bus from Vientianne to Vang Vieng: ₱240
• Room at Mountainview Riverside: ₱350
• Rubber tube rental: ₱300
• TOTAL: ₱1,

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DAY 4

• 7am, start of the ATV tour to the countryside. Prepare yourself for the scenic view. It was one
of the most picturesque backdrops I have seen in my life!
• Go to the blue lagoon and waterfalls.
• We did this activity for a half a day since we were scheduled to leave at 1:30pm.
• Lunch and pack up for Bangkok again.
• This time, we took the sleeper bus from Vang Vieng, Laos to Bangkok, Thailand. It was a 15
hour ride including transfers and stops. I would suggest you take the sleeper train instead for it is
more comfortable.

Expenses:
• Vang Vieng to Bangkok via Vientianne transfers: ₱1,700
• ATV Rental: ₱500/hour
• TOTAL: ₱2,200

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DAY 5

• Upon arriving at Bangkok bus station, grab your tickets going to Siem Reap.
• It’s another 4 hour ride or so. This day is the most tiring!
• Once at the Thai border, go to the immigration for your exit stamps. It is located somewhere
near 7 eleven. Conductors usually guide foreigners so all you need to do is ask.
• After that, you enter the Cambodia border and walk your way to the immigration for entrance
stamps.
*There will be lots of scammers here. Just walk directly to the immigration.
• Take the free shuttle to the bus terminal. Yes it is FREE.
• You have the option to either take a taxi, van or bus to Siem Reap. We took the van since we
are in a big group and traveled for 2 hours again.
• Check in at a hotel in Siem Reap. Again there are a lot of cheap options there.
*I suggest you book your accommodation at Riversoul Residence. It’s a new and posh microtel
best for your #staycation posts on Instagram. Their facilities and facade are so good! Check them
out as they’re on sale til the end of the month!
• Freshen up and go to the Angkor Night Market.
• Try exotic food like scorpions, frogs, snakes and crickets.
• Party at Pub Street
*If you are a party animal, you’ll probably end up watching the sunrise from there. LOL!
Expenses:
• Bus from BKK to Cambodia border: ₱1,000
• Van from border to Siem Reap: ₱400
• Room at Sok San Hostel: ₱350
• TOTAL: ₱1,750

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DAY 6

• 4:30am, pick up time for the Angkor Wat tour

• 5am, sunrise watching at Angkor Wat. I suggest you go there as early as possible so you can
secure the best spot for the sunrise photos!
• Angkor Wat is the top tourist spot in Cambodia. The temples are breathtaking but it is
OVERCROWDED.
• Never lose your Angkor Wat ticket. Get hold of it at ALL times. I wasn’t allowed to enter at
one of the temples because I left my ticket inside the van. Bummer.
• After lunch, you may opt to go to the countryside and do another tour or go back to the center.
*Food inside the Angkor Wat premise is expensive for ordinary Filipino standards.
• 7pm, call time for bus pick up going to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
*Just arrange this transfer from your hostel for convenience. Agencies are overpriced!
• 8pm, travel via sleeper bus going to Vietnam. It’s a 14 hour ride, again! Hahaha!
*We took the sleeper bus. However, it looked weird inside. Though you will be lying down,
there is not enough leg room. So if you are over 5’9, goodluck! LMAO!

Expenses:
• Angkor Wat tour with entrance and van service: ₱1,500
• TOTAL: ₱1,500

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Day 7

• Upon entering the Vietnam border, Filipinos will be asked to pay a minimal amount.
*We thought it was a bit sketchy because only Filipinos were charged. We were tired to even
argue with the conductor.
• By 10am, you will be dropped off at the Pham Ngu Lao bus station. Walk your way to the city
center.
• It is the backpackers area in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. It’s like a meet up place for foreigners
around the world!
• Leave your backpacks at a hostel then grab some lunch. Vietnamese food is very affordable.
• Walk your way to the Ben Than Market and shop. Don’t ever miss the Vietnamese coffee!
• Tour around the city’s landmarks like the Notre Dame Cathedral and Europe-inspired postal
office.
• Dinner and socials.
• By 8pm, head on to the airport and travel back to Manila the next day.
• We took the airport bus at Pham Ngu Lao station.
• There’s not much “tourist” stuff to do in HCMC. It’s my second time here so I did this as a
sidetrip only. Other options would be the tunnel tours and war remnants museum. If you have
more time, go to the Northern part of Vietnam or or head to Hanoi.

Expenses:
• Bus from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam: ₱1,290
• Locker rental at the hostel: ₱150
• Airport bus: ₱70
• TOTAL: ₱1,510

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BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Presentation A:
Expense for 7 days: ₱10,835
Promo airline tickets: ₱3,500
TOTAL: ₱14,335
This is your guide if you have unlimited budget for food. I did not include the food expense in
the breakdown but the airfare is already counted here.

Presentation B:
Expense for 7 days: ₱10,835
Food budget for 7 days: ₱4,000
TOTAL: ₱14,835
I don’t usually include airfares on my travel budget since I basically incurred that expense before
the trip. And if that is your case as well, then you’ll have roughly around P570 budget for food
per day if you’ll stick with the 15k-challenge. This will do, again, if food is not your priority.
Skyflakes na this!

HELPFUL INFORMATION
 Plan your desired travel dates way ahead. This will give you lead time to wait for promo fares and
establish a solid itinerary for this Indochina travel.
 Book at AGODA. There are good deals popping out every day. You may check the rates now thru
this website. If you do walk-in bookings, it will cost you a lot.
 Stick with your itinerary. Remember, you can not afford to miss a train or bus if you follow this
itinerary. One miss, and everything is effed up. So don’t ever practice that typical ‘pinoy time”
during this Indochina trip.
 I read that there are a lot of scammers in Cambodia and Thailand. It is true as there are a lot of
tourist traps there. What we did was religiously follow our itinerary and not join organized tours
offered by strangers there.
 Shorts and showing of too much skin are not allowed inside temples. Dress accordingly.
 Prepare EXTRA cash for provisions. Bring US Dollars! We exchanged our dollars in every
country we went to.
 For your own sake, PACK LIGHT! Indochina is in the tropical region so, iwan mo na yang boots
with a fur mo!
 And as a final disclaimer, I hope you carefully study this guide. Do more research as this only aims
to guide and help you come up with your own Indochina travel itinerary. I am not responsible for
whatever changes in the rates and schedules for this trip.

FINAL NOTE
Hep hep!? Hoorayyy! Napagod ako mga bes. Hahaha!!! I hope this will be of big help to everyone of you
who’s planning to do this Indochina travel. If you have two weeks or more to spend, please do so! There
were a lot of things that we missed out due to time constraints but it was still epic. Don’t hesitate to try
something new and interact with your fellow travelers there. Leave something good in every destination
you go to. Helping some locals and small businesses is one way of achieving it.

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