Best Places To Visit
– Cambodia
– Laos
– Malaysia
– Singapore
– Thailand
– Vietnam
Best Time To Visit
Depending on where you are visiting can depend on the weather. I love visiting Thailand during the English winter months to avoid the cold and you are guaranteed sunny dry weather in Asia.
Best Food To Eat
– Pad Thai
– Yellow Thai Curry
– Banh Mi
– Ramen
– Pho
– Nasi Goreng
Food, religion and culture.
I have visited Asia, especially Southeast Asia quite frequently so I like to consider myself an expert on all things in the region. I have visited Thailand the most, and including trips to Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam in between. It is my favourite continent to visit, especially during the cold winter months here in the UK. The food is amazing and the people are so friendly. It is also very affordable to visit so it’s great if you are on a budget and ideal for solo travellers.
Asia is made up of so many beautiful countries known for their delicious food, peaceful religion and culture. It is comprised of 48 countries, so it can be hard to narrow down where to begin your visit, but there is definitely something for everyone. It also contains the two most populated countries in the world, China and India!
Intro & Culture
CURRENCY
Across Asia, they use a wide range of currency depending on where you are visiting. It is best to have physical money on you split up into different areas in case anything happens and also have money on a card that you can use abroad. I recommend using Monzo, this way you can keep track of your spending, get daily exchange rates on purchases and the location of your purchases.
Thailand – Thai Baht
Laos – Lao Kip
Singapore – Singapore Dollar
Vietnam – Vietnamese Dong
Cambodia – Cambodian Reel, but it’s best to use US Dollars
Malaysia – Malaysian Ringgit
Top Tip: Download the app “Currency Plus” to get currency conversions on the go. It updates daily and when connected to WiFi or Network to give you the latest conversion and you can have multiple currencies shown in one go.
Download here: Apple App Store // Google Play Store
LANGUAGE
There are so many languages spoken across Asia, some countries have similar words used throughout.
RELIGION
The religions across Asia is very mixed and it’s great when you can experience a wide range of cultures and religions when travelling.
Most of Southeast Asia is Buddhist but there are a few countries who are Muslim including Malaysia and Singapore.
TIMEZONE
The time zones across Asia can vary. I have included some examples below to help you get an idea.
The time zone in Cambodia is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+7:00). They are 7 hours ahead of the UK.
The time zone in Laos is Indochina Time (GMT+7:00). They are 7 hours ahead of the UK.
The time zone in Malaysia is MYT (UTC +8:00). They are 8 hours ahead of the UK.
The time zone in Singapore is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8:00). They are 8 hours ahead of the UK.
The time zone in Thailand is Indochina Time (GMT+7:00). They are 7 hours ahead of the UK.
The time zone in Vietnam is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+7:00). They are 7 hours ahead of the UK.
CUISINE
The cuisine across Asia is absolutely amazing. There are so many different dishes you can try that are suitable for all eating preferences and spice requirements. The dishes are so colourful and full of flavour, you are bound to find your favourite dish.
01. Don’t book taxis, book tuk tuks – Tuk tuks are so cheap, easy and quick to get around. They will cost you a few hundred but it’s so much cheaper than a taxi and you won’t always get stuck in the horrible road traffic. Just ask the driver to take you somewhere and they will. They can weave in and out of the congested traffic, no problem!
02. Eat at street markets and with the locals – The best place to get cheap food is on the street markets or go where the locals go. The food will be around 50p or maybe a little bit more and you can eat so much of it as it’s so cheap. It might not be a quality restaurant atmosphere but the food is still amazing.
03. If you are looking to buy souvenirs, go to the street markets – They might sell all the same things but they will be priced really cheaply and you can buy lots of different things. Make sure you go around the stalls to find the best priced item.
04. Buy drinks in happy hour – Most drinks in Asia will be cheap anyway but make sure you make the most of happy hour deals. Roof top bars might not be the cheapest but look around and do your research. Drinks that are imported will be a lot more expensive especially compared to local beers and it’s quite hard to find draught beer.
Budget Tips
Suggested Daily Budget – 47-51 EUR / 40-47 GBP
This is a suggested budget assuming you’re staying in a hostel, eating out a little, cooking most of your meals, and using local transportation. Using the budget tips below, you can always lower this number. However, if you stay in fancier accommodation or eat out more often, expect this to be higher!
Travel Tips
VISAS
You will need a visa for when you visit Asia, if you are staying longer than 30 days, which you can get from multiple different websites – most of them produce e-visas which you can staple into your passport. If you are staying up to 15 days you will not need a visa. Some countries will vary depending on their requirements and rules for visas.
Check if you need a Visa or other documentation here…
With iVisa, all of your travel document requirements are all in one place. They help give you that piece of mind when checking you have everything you need to enter a country without any hassle.
You can apply for everything from visas, tourist cards, invitation letters and health declaration forms for COVID-19 differently from their website. It’s very quick and easy to use and they are very fast at processing your applications, some things can even be FREE for whichever travel document you need. You can even pay for speedy processing and delivery if you are in a rush.
INJECTIONS
You will need to visit your GP and get your injections before you visit Asia. You may need boosters or completely new injections depending on what you have had before. I only needed booster injections as I had some of the injections when I was younger. I have explained in detail in my post linked below, the vaccines you will or may need.
READ MORE: A Guide to Vaccinations And Visas Around The World
CAPITAL/CITY
There are various Capitals across Asia and lots of cities to enjoy.
Cambodia’s capital city is Phnom Penh
Laos’ capital city is Vientiane
Malaysia’s capital is Kuala Lumpur
Singapore is it’s own capital and city state
Thailand’s capital city is Bangkok
Vietnam’s capital city is Hanoi
ACCOMMODATION
There is a wide variety of accommodation across Asia from hostels, luxury hotels, apartments and homestays depending on your budget.
Explore Asia
North
East
South
Cambodia: Siem Reap
Laos: Luang Prabang
Malaysia: Langkawi | Kuala Lumpur
Singapore: Singapore City
Thailand: Bangkok | Chiang Mai | Koh Lipe | Krabi | Phi Phi Island | Phuket
Vietnam: Hoi An | Da Nang | Hanoi | Halong Bay | Ninh Binh
West
DRIVING
It’s best not to drive in Asia due to the high amount of traffic on the roads unless you are skilled and used to it. I would recommend using the public transport and Tuk tuks as they are quick, reliable and can get around the sheer amount of road traffic. If you want to do longer journeys, I would recommend using the train systems or hiring a personal driver for comfort.
FLIGHTS
It’s really easy to book flights to Asia, with so many airlines offering deals across the country. It’s best to shop around and find the best deal possible. Quite a few airlines will offer a layover deal when flying long distances but it does reduce the price of the flight a lot more, perfect if you don’t mind spending some time in the airport on the layover. The internal flights are also very cheap, so if you want to do multiple countries or areas it’s very easy on your travel budget.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Using public transport in Asia is the best way to get around. It is cheap, efficient and comfortable as most trains have air conditioning. Tuk tuks are best as they can get you places very quickly, the can drop you off easily and get around road traffic without you being held up.
Packing Tips
WHAT TO WEAR
Make sure you wear lightweight and cool clothing in order to keep cool during the hot weather. When visiting temples and religious places make sure you have a thin scarf or sarong to cover your shoulders and legs and don’t show too much cleavage for a woman.
WEATHER
The best time to visit Asia is during our winter in the UK, from the months December to April the weather is typically drier and warmer than the rest of the year which is usually Asia’s monsoon weather. Temperatures could usually reach around 27-29 ‘C throughout their warmer months. Weather in some parts of Asia can differ from others depending on whether its above or below the equator.
Activities
THINGS TO SEE & DO
There are plenty of things to do throughout Asia depending on what you are after during your stay. You can viist plenty of temples, nature reserves and parks, shopping malls, hawker centres and street markets and so much more.
