REVscene Automotive Forum - View Single Post

Gerbs · 11-24-2017, 08:05 PM

Pretty much a repost from my SEA backpacking trip last year.

Where did you go?

I have never left Canada before, let alone been on a plane as a 20 year old.

Last year, I went to South East Asia in the summer for 10 weeks (Needed 4 - 6 more weeks to do it right), right after my first-year of post secondary. I went with the intention to learn to socialize as well as find myself in a way. I touched 6 countries but only fully explored two (Thailand & Vietnam). I also stayed at over 30 hostels (Ranging from 4 bed dorms to even 48) but also went to a hotel when I needed to reboot and be a hermit. I have taken 12 flights total this whole trip with the most expensive being Vancouver > Bangkok ($904 roundtrip) and Bangkok > Hanoi being the cheapest at $7USD.

I started off in Vancouver to Hong Kong before heading straight to Bangkok for my first stop in Thailand. I Began the trip alone for the first 6 days, and traveled with two of my friends before one of my friends split off to do his own things 4 weeks in. Afterwards it was just me and one other friend for the rest of the trip, however we always met people along the way and traveled with us to different cities.. We were all comfortable with splitting up at anytime when we rather see a different city or do a different activity.

Thailand (4 Weeks)

Bangkok
- Ultra Thailand 2016
- Khao San Road
- Tons of roof top bars
- Mall ratted all the big malls they had

Chiang Mai

-Went through a 52 course Zipline course
-Tried all the local hole in the walls street foods (Midnight fried chicken was my highlight, it opened from 11pm - 5 am. Bunch of people lined up to eat here after a wedding)
- Went inside a cage with a bunch of tigers (not sure why they weren't sedated)
- White water rafting
- Swam in a huge canyon
- Climbed a sticky waterfall (Friend almost died)

Koh Samui

- Super Touristy, in my opinion it wasn't as fun for backpackers. They have really good bars and clubs for partying but it wasn't cheap.
- Scootered the whole island. Saw a lot of import cars which was cool.
- Saw the the penis rock
- I'd avoid this island.

Koh Tao

- This island is regarded as the best place to ScubaDive
- I'd consider doing a test dive here or potentially getting your PADI license as its only about $300 dollars and comes with accommodation and food for 3 days.
-Super beautiful island, nice hike to the top to see the view of the three islands.

Koh Phangan

- Full moon party. Nobody told me the full moon party consisted of a whole week of partying. There was four major parties that lead up to the actual hyped full moon party. By the time the full moon party arrived, I couldn't wait for it to be over as my liver could not take anymore liquor. The actual full moon party lasts till sunrise (7ish). So I suggest staying till up for that.
- Party Island, lots of drunk tourist scooters.
- Would not recommend if you don't like partying.
- You will eat a lot of toasties.

Vietnam (3 weeks)

I had to rush Vietnam but I covered:

Hanoi
- Halongbay Castaway Tour, and did a regular luxury boat tour.

Phong Nga
- Has massive 10km caves. My Favourite was the dark cave, where you had to zip line, swim, and hike a bit before reaching the mud pit at the end. The big mud bath deep inside the cave could fit about 20 people. You couldn't drown in the mud and you would float no matter what. Such a cool feeling would recommend you to go.

Hue
- Home of bun bo hue apparently

Da Nang
- Mainly scootered throguh the whole city. There's a nice view from the top of the marble mountain that overlooked the city.

Hoi An
- Home of the tailored suits and clothing
Dalat
- Go to the bakery. Ask anyone and they will know.
- They had a bar where it was like a huge maze. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserR..._Province.html

Here's the owner of the hostel putting a helmet on his dog instead of his daughter before grabbing ice cream.

Mui Ne
- Sand dunes
- Ride ostriches

Ho Chi Minh/Saigon
- I had a friend that came back here and never left and he showed me around.

After that I was running out of time so I rushed through Cambodia to see Angkor Wat and Killing Fields. Partied a lot there at the mad monkey hostel all throughout Cambodia. I headed to Kuala Lumpur after Cambodia for a two day layover before my last stop in Indonesia.

I ended the trip in Bali since a good majority of the people I met are stopping there as there last trip. When I arrived I didn't realize that island was massive and that there was no way I was going to meet up with everyone. I found that there was 80% girls to guy ratio in the hostels in Bali. I pretty much beach bummed with all the people I met and learned to surf here. Bali was definitely the most boring part of my trip but I was glad that I had time to recover after all the partying. If you had to do one thing in Bali, I'd suggest you hike up a volcano for sunrise.

How was it?

After this trip, my mindset of the world has changed. I guess I didn't really start living till after this trip. It was a hell of a ride and I met, connected and partied with hundreds of people. A ton of them were also from Vancouver/Toronto. I didn't take many photos but the memories are mostly in my head.

Would you do it again?

The days consisted of cultural things / activities during the day and partying with your hostel friends at night. I plan to do it again after 3rd or 4th year, ideally alone since you are going to meet more people this way. This is because you are put outside of your comfort zone and are forced to socialize. My first day in Chiang Mai as an introvert was scary as fuck, as I felt alone sitting on the bed on the first day and had nobody to talk to. But you realize everyone at the hostel is there to socialize and are super friendly.

This upcoming summer i'm considering Australia/NZ, South America, or Southern Europe where I will do Italy > Greece > Spain > Portugal.

Recommendations on destinations? (I'm very open as long as it's female friendly)
I'd say South East Asia is pretty easy as a first trip. All the locals spoke some English. I met tons of solo travelers from Vancouver, Toronto, L.A and but they mostly seem to be girls. I tried to avoid touristy places as I had the most fun in the less known cities.

How much did the whole trip cost you?ou?[/B]
The whole trip costed about $4700 all the flights included.
I spent about $1000 on alcohol and about $300 replacing my phone that I smashed while drunk 6 days in lol.

A year later i'm super sad I won't be able to experience South East Asia for the first time again. Glad I went on this trip rather than buying my first car. I have the money now to buy the car but not the time to leave for 3 months again. Or until I finish school and quit my job

. In the last year or so I've had about 5 friends who I met on the trip visit me in Vancouver who I also plan to visit in the future.

11-24-2017, 08:05 PM	#6
Gerbs OMGWTFBBQ is a common word I say everyday Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: / Posts: 5,403 Thanked 3,124 Times in 1,240 Posts Failed 264 Times in 80 Posts Member's Picture Albums	Pretty much a repost from my SEA backpacking trip last year. Where did you go? I have never left Canada before, let alone been on a plane as a 20 year old. Last year, I went to South East Asia in the summer for 10 weeks (Needed 4 - 6 more weeks to do it right), right after my first-year of post secondary. I went with the intention to learn to socialize as well as find myself in a way. I touched 6 countries but only fully explored two (Thailand & Vietnam). I also stayed at over 30 hostels (Ranging from 4 bed dorms to even 48) but also went to a hotel when I needed to reboot and be a hermit. I have taken 12 flights total this whole trip with the most expensive being Vancouver > Bangkok ($904 roundtrip) and Bangkok > Hanoi being the cheapest at $7USD. I started off in Vancouver to Hong Kong before heading straight to Bangkok for my first stop in Thailand. I Began the trip alone for the first 6 days, and traveled with two of my friends before one of my friends split off to do his own things 4 weeks in. Afterwards it was just me and one other friend for the rest of the trip, however we always met people along the way and traveled with us to different cities.. We were all comfortable with splitting up at anytime when we rather see a different city or do a different activity. Thailand (4 Weeks) Bangkok - Ultra Thailand 2016 - Khao San Road - Tons of roof top bars - Mall ratted all the big malls they had Chiang Mai -Went through a 52 course Zipline course -Tried all the local hole in the walls street foods (Midnight fried chicken was my highlight, it opened from 11pm - 5 am. Bunch of people lined up to eat here after a wedding) - Went inside a cage with a bunch of tigers (not sure why they weren't sedated) - White water rafting - Swam in a huge canyon - Climbed a sticky waterfall (Friend almost died) Koh Samui - Super Touristy, in my opinion it wasn't as fun for backpackers. They have really good bars and clubs for partying but it wasn't cheap. - Scootered the whole island. Saw a lot of import cars which was cool. - Saw the the penis rock - I'd avoid this island. Koh Tao - This island is regarded as the best place to ScubaDive - I'd consider doing a test dive here or potentially getting your PADI license as its only about $300 dollars and comes with accommodation and food for 3 days. -Super beautiful island, nice hike to the top to see the view of the three islands. Koh Phangan - Full moon party. Nobody told me the full moon party consisted of a whole week of partying. There was four major parties that lead up to the actual hyped full moon party. By the time the full moon party arrived, I couldn't wait for it to be over as my liver could not take anymore liquor. The actual full moon party lasts till sunrise (7ish). So I suggest staying till up for that. - Party Island, lots of drunk tourist scooters. - Would not recommend if you don't like partying. - You will eat a lot of toasties. Vietnam (3 weeks) I had to rush Vietnam but I covered: Hanoi - Halongbay Castaway Tour, and did a regular luxury boat tour. Phong Nga - Has massive 10km caves. My Favourite was the dark cave, where you had to zip line, swim, and hike a bit before reaching the mud pit at the end. The big mud bath deep inside the cave could fit about 20 people. You couldn't drown in the mud and you would float no matter what. Such a cool feeling would recommend you to go. Hue - Home of bun bo hue apparently Da Nang - Mainly scootered throguh the whole city. There's a nice view from the top of the marble mountain that overlooked the city. Hoi An - Home of the tailored suits and clothing Dalat - Go to the bakery. Ask anyone and they will know. - They had a bar where it was like a huge maze. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserR..._Province.html Here's the owner of the hostel putting a helmet on his dog instead of his daughter before grabbing ice cream. Mui Ne - Sand dunes - Ride ostriches Ho Chi Minh/Saigon - I had a friend that came back here and never left and he showed me around. After that I was running out of time so I rushed through Cambodia to see Angkor Wat and Killing Fields. Partied a lot there at the mad monkey hostel all throughout Cambodia. I headed to Kuala Lumpur after Cambodia for a two day layover before my last stop in Indonesia. I ended the trip in Bali since a good majority of the people I met are stopping there as there last trip. When I arrived I didn't realize that island was massive and that there was no way I was going to meet up with everyone. I found that there was 80% girls to guy ratio in the hostels in Bali. I pretty much beach bummed with all the people I met and learned to surf here. Bali was definitely the most boring part of my trip but I was glad that I had time to recover after all the partying. If you had to do one thing in Bali, I'd suggest you hike up a volcano for sunrise. How was it? After this trip, my mindset of the world has changed. I guess I didn't really start living till after this trip. It was a hell of a ride and I met, connected and partied with hundreds of people. A ton of them were also from Vancouver/Toronto. I didn't take many photos but the memories are mostly in my head. Would you do it again? The days consisted of cultural things / activities during the day and partying with your hostel friends at night. I plan to do it again after 3rd or 4th year, ideally alone since you are going to meet more people this way. This is because you are put outside of your comfort zone and are forced to socialize. My first day in Chiang Mai as an introvert was scary as fuck, as I felt alone sitting on the bed on the first day and had nobody to talk to. But you realize everyone at the hostel is there to socialize and are super friendly. This upcoming summer i'm considering Australia/NZ, South America, or Southern Europe where I will do Italy > Greece > Spain > Portugal. Recommendations on destinations? (I'm very open as long as it's female friendly) I'd say South East Asia is pretty easy as a first trip. All the locals spoke some English. I met tons of solo travelers from Vancouver, Toronto, L.A and but they mostly seem to be girls. I tried to avoid touristy places as I had the most fun in the less known cities. How much did the whole trip cost you?ou?[/B] The whole trip costed about $4700 all the flights included. I spent about $1000 on alcohol and about $300 replacing my phone that I smashed while drunk 6 days in lol. A year later i'm super sad I won't be able to experience South East Asia for the first time again. Glad I went on this trip rather than buying my first car. I have the money now to buy the car but not the time to leave for 3 months again. Or until I finish school and quit my job . In the last year or so I've had about 5 friends who I met on the trip visit me in Vancouver who I also plan to visit in the future. __________________ 2022 Velo N 2005 S2000 2007 CSX Type-S [Sold] 2002 RSX-S [T-Boned] Last edited by Gerbs; 11-24-2017 at 08:13 PM.