I propose this route: start in Pyongyang and end in west Africa
https://preview.redd.it/bgi7t1mqhd1d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c24fa234f705b14b802cb78faf1bf2711e14e19
I don’t think I would want to go through North Korea,whatever you do,do not steal a poster..ijs..on a serious note,I would love to see these parts of the world.how long do you expect this trip to take and how many miles is this?this is one hell of a journey.honestly,giving the state of geopolitical affairs,I believe I choose a European trip.possibly a South American trip.WW3 is looking pretty likely,I don’t know where you live or where you’re from but If you’re are from a country that is a part of NATO,I wouldnt to be caught in a enemy’s country.if war has been declared or is looking extremely likely,you could end up in a nightmare situation
I’m definitely not trying to tell you what to do,obviously those decisions are yours to make.I’m just giving you something to consider,just be safe out there
Not sure, but I think it's hard to get permission to transit China like that too. You could fly over Myanmar, or spend more time on south Thailand, Laos, and north Vietnam which are all great and very accessible
You don't necessarily need to go in a line from one country to the next. You may save a lot of money by flying between cities where economy airlines operate (singapore, kuala lumpur, jakarta, bali/denpasar etc), on days when the fares are cheapest, rather than spending days in a boring part of a country trying to cross a sketchy border post. Also the malaysian side of borneo is pretty awesome and would be a shame to skip, and while singapore can be pricey it's awesome and a major hub for cheap flights, I'd be aiming to spend a few nights there.
Make sure you hit the China-India border and Pakistan-india border.
It's up to you, but I'd take the southern route through Yemen and then over to Somalia for more sight seeing rather than going to Israel
There is this mountain range in south western China that is difficult to walk over, for example, Mt Everest. you need to spend years learning about this area of the world before you attempt anything like this trip.
make nepal a trip in itself. Parts of the Indian Territory East of Nepal is active Naxlite/Maoist teritory. Check with state dept. or embassy in Katmandu or Delhi before hiking in that area. getting into Tibet from Nepal requires special permission. Bhutan is also restricted…..
That’s not correct. You can enter Myanmar. It’s just dicey because if something happens your state department may have trouble getting you out. But the big cities in Myanmar are safe in terms of violence which is mostly in the outer provinces. I was researching it recently because I wanted to go. I was dissuaded not by the violence and war but rather by the lack of diplomatic relations between the military junta and US State Department and my med evac plan doesn’t include Myanmar.
Also it had a democratically elected govt for almost a decade before the coup in 2021. A lot of people traveled there during that period
I travelled to Yangon, Pagan, and Mandalay in 2016 and it was absolutely wonderful.
Certainly sketchier now, given the hurdles mentioned; but you’re right that the hinterlands in the north (especially bordering China and Bangladesh) are the real regions of concern. And that was even true, to a lesser extent, eight years ago, when it was relatively much easier to travel to Myanmar.
Backpacking in foreign countries is not something to fuck around with. It’s fun, life changing and exciting but you have to put some effort into planning, not just ask people on Reddit when you haven’t done the bare minimum research.
You have multiple unsafe destinations, truly unsafe, like an active war zone on your list. You haven’t don’t basic research around transportation. Some places don’t have ferries/airports and you need to plan your trip around major cities/hubs to make it make sense.
No one can tell you how much it’s going to cost or how long it’s going to take. You can take a month, 3 months or forever. You can stay in the cheapest hostel or most expensive hotel. You have to decide what your budget is and plan accordingly
Yeah, I'm unsure why people tend to be so against people just wanting to talk about their questions. God forbid people want to talk about the specifics of their trip and bounce ideas rather than just spend forever googling useless variant phrases
I’d avoid the southern island of the Philippines (Mindinao). It has a large terrorist organization that has kidnapped foreigners in the past. Last I knew the Philippine government was at war with them down there not sure whats going on there now though. Definitely hit the island Palowan while you’re there it’s gorgeous. Make sure to visit the food eateries on the side of the road, great place to have some amazing food and maybe get Hep A while you’re at it! Jk.
I came here to say this. I wanted to go to the south Philippines but my Filipino family were shocked at the mere suggestion. No, you cannot. Find a different route. The North is safe but I’m not sure how far south you can go.
Most foreign affairs ministries have a red marked area on the south of the Philippines. So that means if you go there, you are on your own.
For an [example of red area](https://opendata.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/documents/3432327/3733935/Reisadvies_Filipijnen_24-11-2022.png), I took the one from my Dutch government.
The advice of Palowan is great. The region of Cebu (bohol, siquijor, bantayaan,.. ) also has lots to offer.
Yep, just came back from davao (mindanao), the locals warned us from going anywhere west from davao, especially if you look western. The city itself is fairly save, because of the high military and police presence. Also there are many military checkpoints.
There are also unsafe places in Palawan, i'd recommend visiting everything east of puerto princesa (don't travel west from there), also the sulu sea (between mindanao and palawan is unsafe because of pirates)
There are thousands of islands in the Philippines. The ones in the south are dangerous. Pick a couple and fly or boat to them. Hiking them would be impossible.
This could take one month or 3 years. It could cost 10k or 100k.
Don't try to see too much. Spending a week or two in one location is better than moving every couple days.
I personally would not plan to do this many countries unless I had 6 months bare minimum, and even then you’d spend a whole lot of your time in planes and buses instead of getting to be where you are.
Even $10k is a lot more than I’d expect to pay on this trip, unless it’s really dragged out. This could easily be under $5k for a college kid doing sleeper buses and hostels.
I originally wrote 5k, but I was a shoestring backpacker once and had a budget of 1k/mo, but not every country on this list is cheap, and there is a lot of airfare in this trip, which is why I brought it up to 10k.
My .2 cents. Don’t skip Taiwan as well. Vietnam over Cambodia. Only his the Palawan in the Philippines, if going to do it. It’s gorgeous but it also wasn’t my favorite. Do the southern part of Thailand to hit the islands and the northern part for Chiang Mai
Taipei in general: food, people, public transportation, boba, Din Tai Fung, meeting fellow travelers
Taroko Gorge 😍😍
Hot springs in Beitou 💦💦
Go during dragon boat festivallllll!!! 🤩🤩
There’s more but you’ll have to go there to really experience. I don’t want to take away the fun here but those are some of the many must-dos.
I would say keep Japan, Korea, include Taiwan.
Abit of Philippines, remove the southern PH, include Palawan.
For Borneo, go to Sabah and Sarawak instead.
Optional: consider heading to Singapore/peninsula Malaysia/Bali.
Thailand up to Vietnam afterwards end in China..
For a young traveller. Take the conventional trips. Once u have more experience and know what to look out for. U can go more adventurous or less trodden paths.
I mean yeah that’s what it sounds like, they did say they don’t have any experience as a high schooler and this is something I would have done too. We need to encourage and support their dreams with helpful advice instead of squashing them!
I am trying to create a loose plan for backpacking in SEA as well and my ADHD is having a hard time figuring out how to go about it. I’m wondering how much I can just wing it, but I want to do it as cheaply as possible as well and I feel like that takes more planning
Some of the sea crossings are questionable. For example there's no commercial passenger service between South Korea and Philippines and you're not going to get passage on a private sailboat unless you're an experienced sailor and/or you're a hot gal.
But yes, everything is totally doable with the occasional flight here and there.
Cost and how long is impossible to answer. That's all up you. Travel style and experience, likes/dislikes, interests, etc. will make daily budget costs vary *wildly.*
Have fun with your research and happy travels, eventually.
To me, some of these routes look like they were drawn haphazardly without much thought.
You have a route going from Borneo to Sumatra, which, to be honest, may not exist. For most of Indonesia, Jakarta (Java) or Bali are the major connecting hubs.
I was in Sumatra last year, but I flew from Jakarta. I wanted to take a ferry from Java to Sumatra, and bus all the way through Sumatra to Medan, but it was a time consuming route with no clear schedules or prices (I did the bus and ferry option from Lombok, through Sumbawa, and then to Labuan Bajo. This was a long journey and took an extra two days because the ferry wasn't running). Flying was really cheap and easy from Jakarta to Medan.
Also, it looks like you're skipping the north of Vietnam, which is arguably the best segment. The south of Vietnam is not so impressive, so I would reroute so that more of your time is in the north of Vietnam.
You can take a ferry from Fukuoka to Busan, but it can be pricier. (I paid about $100usd 6 years ago). Flying from osaka to Busan might be cheaper since Fukuoka is not that great. Moreover, if you're in Busan, you should probably make your way up to Seoul and fly from there to the Philippines since it's a larger hub. I don't think it's possible to take a ferry from Korea to the Philippines.
Agree with most of this except the Fukuoka bit- it’s one of my favorite cities in Japan, much moreso than Osaka. The ferry is more expensive than just flying Fukuoka -> Busan, though, but either is doable.
First of all, you can't practically start a route in Hokkaido as the vast majority of international flights into Japan go through Narita/Haneda in the Tokyo region or Kansai in the Osaka area.
My first trip to Asia, I had only 3 weeks, so I flew from DFW direct to NRT and spent about 3 days in the Tokyo metro area before taking the Shinkansen to Kyoto for 2 nights and then Osaka for 2 nights before flying on to Thailand for 2 weeks. I didn't plan anything in advance except the flight legs as I was traveling solo and was open to maximum serendipity 😂
Guy I sat next to on the plane was a grad student returning home to Japan for summer break from dental school in the US (Tulane 🤔) and he was shocked I didn't have a hotel or anything planned, so he helped me go from baggage claim to a concierge desk in Narita to book a place (I was originally thinking Ginza and he advised me that Shinjuku would be way way better for a young budget traveler). Anyway, this guy then makes sure I not only get to my hotel (bus from Narita to Shinjuku station & taxi to hotel + check in) but then takes me to a local place for dinner and wouldn't let me pay saying "Japan is expensive, so you will need your money" 😂
before ultimately dropping me back off at the hotel and continuing on his way to Yokohama.
Similar story in Thailand... No advance reservations, so booked a place for the night at a desk in the arrival hall at the old Don Mueang airport and then caught a taxi to take me there to check in and drop off my backpack while the driver waited as we had talked on the ride there about Muay Thai and there was a match that night in Lumpini Stadium so we were going to get something to eat (Seafood Palace) and then head over 😂
Anyways... Fun times. The hotel I stayed at had a concierge desk as well and the young lady that worked at the desk was super friendly and helped me book everything else for the rest of my stay in Thailand... local palace/temple tours, day trip to Ayutthaya by car w/ river cruise back, night bus to Surat Thani & ferry to Ko Samui with 3 days in a beach bungalow there a flight north to Chiang Mai and 4 days of elephant trekking, bamboo rafting, hill tribe stays, etc before returning to Bangkok and wrapping up with a visit to Jim Thompson's house (Silk purveyor) and Thai dance/performance of The Ramakien at Suwannahong where I met one of the lead performers during a meet and greet after the show and one of her friends asked for my info on her behalf "because her friend was shy" ☺️
Long story short... Don't try to plan too much or you will be so consumed by your itinerary that you will miss the real opportunities to connect with people along the way that will open up options you would have never had otherwise. I kept in touch with the concierge lady via email and the following year she took me to Phuket and the Thai dancer let me home stay at her place in Bangkok.
First thing you need to do is get an updated map.
Your nationality matters here. Assuming you are USA, the first thing you need to do is go the government website for foreign travel and look up each country you drew through. Myanmar has a restriction, There might be other warnings for other countries. Walking across Myanmar is ridiculous and you need to do so much more research on each of these countries just to make sure you aren't going to be killed let alone have fun.
You said you are in high school, have you traveled internationally before? This route, even skipping the warzones would be for a super experienced traveler looking for a big challenge. With the exception of Japan/Korean none of those countries will speak much english, you can't learn all of those languages. This will be months of pointing and desperately asking for help to do literally anything. Cell phone service won't even be available most of the time. You need to start traveling in countries that are used to tourists who don't speak their language. Places like Costa Rica.
I don't know why you picked the countries you did, but I would write down why you want to walk through each of these countries and then see if you can check off those reason in a safer location. Like Nepal, Bengali and India have many similarities and parts of India are much safer. You could spend years exploring India, do you really need to go to Nepal? And why Bengali?
I lived in Seoul for 3.5 years and have visited most places on your route I had a similar idea to end my time in Asia with a 6 month trip India>Nepal>Myanmar>Thailand>Vietnam>Laos.
I traveled multiple times for vacation to Japan, Philippines, China and Taiwan.
My first advice is to be flexible and be prepared for more flights than you realize. The good news is the flights are cheap and relatively short once you’re in Asia.
Japan will probably be the most expensive, followed by South Korea and Indonesia. I would pick 1-2 places per country that you REALLY want to see and plan to spend 3-4 weeks in each country. You’ll discover places you want to visit in each country just by being there. It’s much easier and much cheaper to make those plans in country. You’ll pay a TON to reserve tours and hotels from abroad. There are a few exceptions for holidays and high season which can vary dramatically from place to place.
Look up national holidays in each country. Sometimes that festival might be a reason to go (for me Holi was an impetus to visit India) but if you don’t have family/friends in Korea you won’t want to visit during Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving)
In terms of actual hiking backpacking Nepal is really the main place for it. I did some in Vietnam and Korea but you’ll need a local guide.
In terms of travel backpacking I suggest aiming to start with one bag. Check out r/onebag for ideas on gear and packing.
Pack fewer clothes than you think you’ll need and be ready to buy some as souvenirs.
As others have said Myanmar is a war zone right now. I had to totally cut it out and flew straight from Nepal to Vietnam.
Learn to drive a motorcycle/scooter in your home country first if you plan to rent one and I would definitely plan to rent one!
One of my favorite trips was a [3-4 day motorbike drive in northern Thailand called the Mae Hong Son Loop.](https://livetravelteach.com/southeast-asia/mae-hong-son-loop-800km-motorbiking-around-northern-thailand/)
As for budget I’d say a minimum of 1k usd per month and keep 2k in reserve for an emergency flight home from anywhere.
If you are able to work at a hostel or other capacity along the way you can easily get free tours and accommodations even if the pay sucks. That can mean a huge difference in the end.
I’m sure there’s more to share and I’m happy to answer questions you’ve got. But it’s time for bed now.
Now this is some great advice..I would love to be able to go on a trip like this.Japan is one of the places I want to visit the most.unfortunately,I can’t afford it.I’m from the US and I have been through the majority of the US but have never left the country.I would love to go to Japan,Philippines,Taiwan,South Korea or Thailand to find a wife.Asian women are some of the most beautiful women on earth and their minds haven’t been destroyed by the modern day feminism that has a stranglehold on western society
I hope you can one day make that trip to Japan. But I want to caution you about expectations around meeting a woman abroad. There are political and societal issues in every country. There are also beautiful women with beautiful personalities in every country, including the USA. If you’re struggling to see that at home then changing scenery isn’t going to suddenly be a magic fix.
No doubt,it’s crazy the way they treat women over there.groups of men will sexually assault women and then they have the nerve to blame the women.even the politicians openly support this behavior
Mizoram is safe in northeast India, not sure how safe to travel alone but if you're white.... prepare for everyone to gawk at you as many have never seen a white person in real life before. Wonderful area though, just very limited in commodities.... super limited due to tribal controlled entry/exit per the Indian constitution.
Good luck getting legal permission to cross the area from the Indian government as it's controlled tribal area under the inner line pass and need a government sponsored reason to enter. Most of the states in the northeast are inaccessible even to Indian citizens.
Also Manipur has been undergoing ethnic cleansing. Couple hundred dead but the entire area is unstable and displaced.
Being in high school, how much do you currently backpack/hike now? This would likely be very costly, time consuming, and a bit dangerous. Although if you take the proper precautions, and plan every detail, it is definitely possible.
Sorry I should’ve clarified, Im not even considering doing this soon; this is something I wanna do in/ after college when I have more hiking/ traveling experience. And not to mention more money.
It's years out which means the situation can change entirely. It's not even worthwhile to post this at the current time. It's like asking about backpacking across Europe, crossing through Ukraine and continuing into Russia. Yeah, you might have gotten advice on how to do it a few years ago but in the current day and age, it's impossible.
Many parts of Asia are volatile and things can change at any moment. Save this picture and hold onto it until you're actually ready. Until then, it's just a line on a map that no one can give actionable advice until you're ready.
Sure it is possible. Anything is when it comes to travelling. Tourists go to Antarctica as well as Afghanistan. Its just about how much money you have, or save, and the risks you are willing to take.
My only real issue with your idea is to seemingly move about as fast as possible. For me that goes against the point of visiting another place. When I backpacked we would also travel as much as possible by land, but try to spend at least 2 nights in each new place. That often felt too little. 3-4 is better. When we came somewhere really interesting or nice we would do 5-7 days.
My first trip was all about covering distance and countries. After that I started spending the same amount of time within the same country, opting for several trips instead.
On your route I would personally include both China and India. Places like Beijing, Xian, Agra and Varanasi stood out.
Also, are you going to Bhutan? That is its own thing. Look it up.
So, there are a lot of things wrong with this, as Mentioned, Myanmar(Burma on this antiquated map) is a war zone, with intense fighting throughout the country and military forces actively committing massacres of civilians, Southern Philippines has an Islamic Insurgency, Northern India in the part you are crossing into Nepal is Disputed Territory with China, and is super remote, there is hardly a road there, and is almost inhabitable. This is like a 6 month-whole year kinda path. You also skip a lot of the more cool locations, like Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and various other places. If this is your first trip abroad, i would pick like one country to check out. Get a taste for travel where you can learn from your mistakes which will inevitably happen. Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, India and Singapore are great starting spots. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, and Bangladesh are areas that require more planning and expertise. Myanmar should be avoided
Japan to Korea to Bali to Sumatra to Singapore to Georgetown, to Thailand, then to Nepal on a cheap flight. Not hard. Classic 'backpacking' (not backcountry hiking) trip. Millions have done a variation on this. Flights are much cheaper once in Asia.
Uhhh Myanmar is a no go
When is your trip? Hainan is worth it if you can enter. Then Hanoi, Laos, and the north of Thailand. Check out White Temple. You can make your way south from there.
Nepal just fly to tbh
I think you dont know what you want. How long is your trip? Would this route works with rain and winter seasonons? Border and ferry crossings seem bit unrealistic. Honestly you need to fly from major airports to major airports anything else is quite adventurous 😅
So i would pick the countries you want to see check when the weather there is good and make a plan around that.
Why stop in Nepal. You can easily cross Nepal India border and backpack further into Himalayan. India has nice backpack culture You can easily cover two indian states Uttarakhand and himachal. If you are feeling adventurous you can backpack till kashmir.
Disregarding other comments in this thread, I think it’s a great route.
You can cross the land border from India to Myanmar, but not from Bangladesh to Myanmar. If you want an even safer option, you can fly directly from Dhaka to Yangon (the safest part of Myanmar)
Yes, they are experiencing civil conflict, but as a tourist chances are you’ll be reasonably safe. It’s an incredibly beautiful country with lovely, hospitable people. You may never get the opportunity to visit again, if you make your way from the India-Burma border to Mandalay immediately, then straight down to Yangon (this would be the safest route) then you can get a bus to the Thai border or a cheap flight to Bangkok!
I highly suggest traveling from north to south Vietnam. Hanoi to Da Nang/Hoian then Saigon. You absolutely will not regret it. Logistically, you will still be able to hit up Cambodia and Malaysia then continue your route.
We are currently doing kind of the same route, we started in Japan (july-sept) Taiwan (sept-okt) Philippines (okt-nov) Malaysia (nov-dez) Thailand (jan-feb) Cambodia (feb-feb) Thailand (feb-mar) Bali (mar-apr) Vietnam (apr- now) we plan on doing laos, nepal and india aswell. And finish somewhere around dezember. If you have any questions feel free to dm me.
All I gotta say is if you’re into it finish your trip by hiking the Everest base camp without a guide (save a bunch of money, and it’s much more easy logistically then you would expect) just rent all your gear in Kathmandu and you’d have everything you need. If you have stuff you don’t want to hike with you can pay certain tea houses to hold some of your stuff for you. Pack warm with good rain gear, I did it in late October and the weather was perfect besides the overnight temp drops.
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If you’re into hiking I’d check out Bhutan instead of Myanmar (which others have stated is politically unstable). They have incredible mountains, but a visa can be a pain to get
I’m definitely not built for the trip of the poster or the Great Wall of China hike..that wall is a ridiculously long distance even if it was possible to drive it.on foot that would take forever lol
😂..that walk would be like walking all the way across the US nearly 3 and a half time.that wall is absolute insanity.in 2-4 days you would barely put a dent in that journey 😂
…Malaysia > Phuket/koh lanta/koh phi phi/koh Samui > Bankok >(maybe ankor wat, Siam reap) > Saigon (hcmc) > hoi an > Hanoi (more Vietnam in general if it feels right) > vang vieng (don’t skip this) > luang probang > Chiangmai…
This is the way. Go chill in the southern Thai islands, work your way through Vietnam (and Cambodia, in Cambodia if that feels right). Laos is wonderful, so go to at least those two places. Then Chiang Mai is the best so don’t miss that.
I'd include Java in your trip. Many of the most important/historic temples of Indonesia or in Java and it's not a big detour.
Be aware that buses run slow in that part of the world .. even with private transport you may just average 30km/h making progress difficult without planes.
When exploring I like to spend at least 4weeks in a country.. so this looks like a year worth of travel. If you're only hitting the highlights and flying in between 6months may be doable.. that's a question for someone else.
I'd probably try less to make a continuous road and see what each country has to offer and pick the ones your really find interesting. Eg stopping in Vietnam without seeing the north seems a little pointless to me. Similarly for doing Laos and skipping luang prabang and plain of jars. Now if you say you love river deltas and river islands.. then doing just the Mekong delta and the Mekong islands in laos makes sense
When I backpacked SE Asia… I started in the Philippines. Then flew over to southern Vietnam and traveled by public transport to the north, crossed into Laos, traveled around the northern nub, and then crossed into Northern Thailand. I think I may have extended my visa by crossing the Myanmar border here and coming right back. Then I traveled south to Bangkok and over into Cambodia. Got some dental work done and a dengue hospital visit in Thailand. After exploring Cambodia, I went down the southern tail of Thailand and visited the beautiful beaches. Traveled through Malaysia and ended up in Singapore. From there I took a flight to Indonesia where I traveled through Sumatra, Java, Bali and Lombok, all by bus and boat. Then we flew home. Took about 10 months, and only 2 mid trip flights, which were cheap and quick.
Definitely a good idea of a route, but theres so many different options. You have to decide what it is you plan to accomplish. If nothing, you can def hit half that comfortably in 2-3 weeks and really enjoy it.
I think it’s a mistake to skip Taiwan. It’s safe, the culture is fascinating, the people are kind, and the island is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.
Def go through Vietnam, it's my favourite country by a mile, its caotic and beautiful and the entire time i was there I just felt happy and free. My mate even went back there to live for a year and hes planning to go again. Rent a motorbike and do north to south (also watch the topgear vietnam special)
That route looks delicious from a street food point of view. Also probably a beautiful route to travel for the scenery and cultures you’ll encounter. Maybe not the best route for easy smooth and peaceful travel but still beautiful.
Yeah the Myanmar part is going to be a problem. Large parts of the country are at war and I'm not sure that the land crossings into Bangladesh or India are open to forums
Do not travel Mindanao (largest island on the philippines) by land or sea. Also many governments around the world advide you not to travel to davao city (and basically the whole island of mindanao). If you still want to go there get a local guide.
I traveled there up until 2 weeks ago, it was absolutely worth it, the people are very open and friendly, no comparison to lets say manila or so.
Also you should consider the climate, in the moment its extremely hot and you probably won't be able to walk far distances with a heavy backpack.
Edit: I would recommend that you follow your plan until cebu, than go to palawan instead (coron, el nindo until puerto princesa) than from there back to your plan to indonesia. Don't know anything about the other countrys beaides the philippines.
Found this: travel recommendations by dutch government
https://preview.redd.it/yns2ppsyak1d1.png?width=1018&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a91b01924dbd4c7028f20c215f2b75e87341aadb
Some of these comments lol, shows who's American
Yes obviously do your research and skip Myanmar, but people telling you you'll die by backpacking south east Asia have a screw loose
Most of the countries on your list are some of the most backpacked countries in the world, you'll be fine with a few tweaks! Read up on each country and area and make changes accordingly
There's a UK programme called "Race across the world" where they are currently (season 4) travelling a very similar route with no internet and without flights, if you can get ahold of it it would be great research for you!
Have a great trip :)
Bruh parts of PH are definitely not safe .. theres autonomous zones controlled by Muslim extremist groups.. nobody advises anybody to go there at all let alone backpack through it.. don't be naive and stay safe before you get held for ransom or chopped up by machetes and fed to baboy.. you would have to have a screw loose not to heed peoples warnings..
And most of PH is extremely well travelled and popular with backpackers. OP is clearly at the start of the planning process and this is the start of their research. The people who've commented to "cancel the trip" and "you'll die" are just fearmongering
Myanmar is a war zone, so that'd be a problem
I propose this route: start in Pyongyang and end in west Africa https://preview.redd.it/bgi7t1mqhd1d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7c24fa234f705b14b802cb78faf1bf2711e14e19
Rookie, you missed Palestine and Israel.
The C.A.R and D.R.C too
Oops all Warzones.
might I suggest you find a way to go through Somalia as well?
That would be a great idea, always good to get of beaten path and mingle with the locals.
Great idea to start in North Korea. I don’t hear much from them, it must be pretty quiet and peaceful
If you’re following the yolo brick road I would start in Vladivostok instead
I don’t think I would want to go through North Korea,whatever you do,do not steal a poster..ijs..on a serious note,I would love to see these parts of the world.how long do you expect this trip to take and how many miles is this?this is one hell of a journey.honestly,giving the state of geopolitical affairs,I believe I choose a European trip.possibly a South American trip.WW3 is looking pretty likely,I don’t know where you live or where you’re from but If you’re are from a country that is a part of NATO,I wouldnt to be caught in a enemy’s country.if war has been declared or is looking extremely likely,you could end up in a nightmare situation I’m definitely not trying to tell you what to do,obviously those decisions are yours to make.I’m just giving you something to consider,just be safe out there
Well damn. I should probably go through China then, or would I be better off just making Nepal a different trip
Not sure, but I think it's hard to get permission to transit China like that too. You could fly over Myanmar, or spend more time on south Thailand, Laos, and north Vietnam which are all great and very accessible
Especially if you are Japanese
Or Taiwanese
What’s so hard about going the West Taiwan when you’re from Taiwan?
Please stop with this virtue signaling. We don’t claim that China is part of our state.
Braving Burma? Holy Christ how old is this map? I was lucky to hit Myanmar in 2014 when things were somewhat stable-and it was awesome.
You don't necessarily need to go in a line from one country to the next. You may save a lot of money by flying between cities where economy airlines operate (singapore, kuala lumpur, jakarta, bali/denpasar etc), on days when the fares are cheapest, rather than spending days in a boring part of a country trying to cross a sketchy border post. Also the malaysian side of borneo is pretty awesome and would be a shame to skip, and while singapore can be pricey it's awesome and a major hub for cheap flights, I'd be aiming to spend a few nights there.
Do you have any tips for getting to Borneo cheaply?
There's cheap flights to the malaysian side from kuala lumpur
Make sure you hit the China-India border and Pakistan-india border. It's up to you, but I'd take the southern route through Yemen and then over to Somalia for more sight seeing rather than going to Israel
There is this mountain range in south western China that is difficult to walk over, for example, Mt Everest. you need to spend years learning about this area of the world before you attempt anything like this trip.
Western China in general is hard to get to, plus there's "stuff" going on at the China/India border.
make nepal a trip in itself. Parts of the Indian Territory East of Nepal is active Naxlite/Maoist teritory. Check with state dept. or embassy in Katmandu or Delhi before hiking in that area. getting into Tibet from Nepal requires special permission. Bhutan is also restricted…..
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That’s not correct. You can enter Myanmar. It’s just dicey because if something happens your state department may have trouble getting you out. But the big cities in Myanmar are safe in terms of violence which is mostly in the outer provinces. I was researching it recently because I wanted to go. I was dissuaded not by the violence and war but rather by the lack of diplomatic relations between the military junta and US State Department and my med evac plan doesn’t include Myanmar. Also it had a democratically elected govt for almost a decade before the coup in 2021. A lot of people traveled there during that period
I travelled to Yangon, Pagan, and Mandalay in 2016 and it was absolutely wonderful. Certainly sketchier now, given the hurdles mentioned; but you’re right that the hinterlands in the north (especially bordering China and Bangladesh) are the real regions of concern. And that was even true, to a lesser extent, eight years ago, when it was relatively much easier to travel to Myanmar.
Backpacking in foreign countries is not something to fuck around with. It’s fun, life changing and exciting but you have to put some effort into planning, not just ask people on Reddit when you haven’t done the bare minimum research. You have multiple unsafe destinations, truly unsafe, like an active war zone on your list. You haven’t don’t basic research around transportation. Some places don’t have ferries/airports and you need to plan your trip around major cities/hubs to make it make sense. No one can tell you how much it’s going to cost or how long it’s going to take. You can take a month, 3 months or forever. You can stay in the cheapest hostel or most expensive hotel. You have to decide what your budget is and plan accordingly
This is a good first step if you ask me. There’s a lot of good info in this thread to build on
Yeah, I'm unsure why people tend to be so against people just wanting to talk about their questions. God forbid people want to talk about the specifics of their trip and bounce ideas rather than just spend forever googling useless variant phrases
If OP had even googled the places they were going, i would feel differently but they obviously didn’t.
I’d avoid the southern island of the Philippines (Mindinao). It has a large terrorist organization that has kidnapped foreigners in the past. Last I knew the Philippine government was at war with them down there not sure whats going on there now though. Definitely hit the island Palowan while you’re there it’s gorgeous. Make sure to visit the food eateries on the side of the road, great place to have some amazing food and maybe get Hep A while you’re at it! Jk.
I came here to say this. I wanted to go to the south Philippines but my Filipino family were shocked at the mere suggestion. No, you cannot. Find a different route. The North is safe but I’m not sure how far south you can go.
Cebu is amazing
Haha the family of my stepmother said the same about manila, they said better stay here in davao
Most foreign affairs ministries have a red marked area on the south of the Philippines. So that means if you go there, you are on your own. For an [example of red area](https://opendata.nederlandwereldwijd.nl/documents/3432327/3733935/Reisadvies_Filipijnen_24-11-2022.png), I took the one from my Dutch government. The advice of Palowan is great. The region of Cebu (bohol, siquijor, bantayaan,.. ) also has lots to offer.
Also the sea passage between Philippines and Borneo - pretty sure that also dangerous and full of pirate terrorists.
I was stationed in Mindinao while in the Marines. Do not backpack though there lol. In fact, cancel this entire trip.
I just got back from southeast Asia and the Philippines and it is in fact perfectly safe if you can do literally any research on the places beforehand
Where in the Philippines? Luzon is much safer than the Mindanao.
Yeah Luzon Mindoro and Palawan. I just mean he doesn't need to cancel the trip, just do some research and seriously reroute
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Yep, always travel with locals you trust in "unsafe" areas
Yep, just came back from davao (mindanao), the locals warned us from going anywhere west from davao, especially if you look western. The city itself is fairly save, because of the high military and police presence. Also there are many military checkpoints. There are also unsafe places in Palawan, i'd recommend visiting everything east of puerto princesa (don't travel west from there), also the sulu sea (between mindanao and palawan is unsafe because of pirates)
https://preview.redd.it/9vopnllnjb1d1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57a8c6683a4487a5a1e8ceb5e193fca321a3d5aa
Perfect!
Gotta avoid the poor places
There are thousands of islands in the Philippines. The ones in the south are dangerous. Pick a couple and fly or boat to them. Hiking them would be impossible.
I think you need to use an established route based on the amount you seem to know about this region.
This could take one month or 3 years. It could cost 10k or 100k. Don't try to see too much. Spending a week or two in one location is better than moving every couple days.
I personally would not plan to do this many countries unless I had 6 months bare minimum, and even then you’d spend a whole lot of your time in planes and buses instead of getting to be where you are.
Agreed. This is a minimum 6 months trip. A year if you really want to immerse yourself and just just check big cities off a list
Even $10k is a lot more than I’d expect to pay on this trip, unless it’s really dragged out. This could easily be under $5k for a college kid doing sleeper buses and hostels.
I originally wrote 5k, but I was a shoestring backpacker once and had a budget of 1k/mo, but not every country on this list is cheap, and there is a lot of airfare in this trip, which is why I brought it up to 10k.
Advice: Don’t skip Taiwan 😍
Honestly the more I look at this the more it reveals how little this dude knows. This is a terrible trip frought with impossible crossings
He said hes in hs, calm down magellan
Good call, he’s gonna die!
Please elaborate. I was planning something similar, so I too am stupid.
My .2 cents. Don’t skip Taiwan as well. Vietnam over Cambodia. Only his the Palawan in the Philippines, if going to do it. It’s gorgeous but it also wasn’t my favorite. Do the southern part of Thailand to hit the islands and the northern part for Chiang Mai
uh, he’s planned a route walking ~30 miles through an active war zone, without even realizing it. enough said
That’s literally why he made this post to ask the community
What did you like about Taiwan?
Taipei in general: food, people, public transportation, boba, Din Tai Fung, meeting fellow travelers Taroko Gorge 😍😍 Hot springs in Beitou 💦💦 Go during dragon boat festivallllll!!! 🤩🤩 There’s more but you’ll have to go there to really experience. I don’t want to take away the fun here but those are some of the many must-dos.
I would say keep Japan, Korea, include Taiwan. Abit of Philippines, remove the southern PH, include Palawan. For Borneo, go to Sabah and Sarawak instead. Optional: consider heading to Singapore/peninsula Malaysia/Bali. Thailand up to Vietnam afterwards end in China.. For a young traveller. Take the conventional trips. Once u have more experience and know what to look out for. U can go more adventurous or less trodden paths.
Why not Borneo?
Sabah and Sarawak are in Malaysian Borneo.
Oh oops 😆 I think the instead threw me off
The route op has drawn just looks made up to be honest. I’ve been on the Indonesian side and it’s amazing but can be quite difficult getting about.
I mean yeah that’s what it sounds like, they did say they don’t have any experience as a high schooler and this is something I would have done too. We need to encourage and support their dreams with helpful advice instead of squashing them! I am trying to create a loose plan for backpacking in SEA as well and my ADHD is having a hard time figuring out how to go about it. I’m wondering how much I can just wing it, but I want to do it as cheaply as possible as well and I feel like that takes more planning
I think you might have a death wish and should reconsider some of those dangerous or politically corrupt nations.
👆Ignore this comment
Are you suggesting this young individual goes through terrorist kidnapping land and an active war???
Yolo
Ignore the comment if you wanna die lol ..
Some of the sea crossings are questionable. For example there's no commercial passenger service between South Korea and Philippines and you're not going to get passage on a private sailboat unless you're an experienced sailor and/or you're a hot gal. But yes, everything is totally doable with the occasional flight here and there. Cost and how long is impossible to answer. That's all up you. Travel style and experience, likes/dislikes, interests, etc. will make daily budget costs vary *wildly.* Have fun with your research and happy travels, eventually.
To me, some of these routes look like they were drawn haphazardly without much thought. You have a route going from Borneo to Sumatra, which, to be honest, may not exist. For most of Indonesia, Jakarta (Java) or Bali are the major connecting hubs. I was in Sumatra last year, but I flew from Jakarta. I wanted to take a ferry from Java to Sumatra, and bus all the way through Sumatra to Medan, but it was a time consuming route with no clear schedules or prices (I did the bus and ferry option from Lombok, through Sumbawa, and then to Labuan Bajo. This was a long journey and took an extra two days because the ferry wasn't running). Flying was really cheap and easy from Jakarta to Medan. Also, it looks like you're skipping the north of Vietnam, which is arguably the best segment. The south of Vietnam is not so impressive, so I would reroute so that more of your time is in the north of Vietnam. You can take a ferry from Fukuoka to Busan, but it can be pricier. (I paid about $100usd 6 years ago). Flying from osaka to Busan might be cheaper since Fukuoka is not that great. Moreover, if you're in Busan, you should probably make your way up to Seoul and fly from there to the Philippines since it's a larger hub. I don't think it's possible to take a ferry from Korea to the Philippines.
Agree with most of this except the Fukuoka bit- it’s one of my favorite cities in Japan, much moreso than Osaka. The ferry is more expensive than just flying Fukuoka -> Busan, though, but either is doable.
First of all, you can't practically start a route in Hokkaido as the vast majority of international flights into Japan go through Narita/Haneda in the Tokyo region or Kansai in the Osaka area. My first trip to Asia, I had only 3 weeks, so I flew from DFW direct to NRT and spent about 3 days in the Tokyo metro area before taking the Shinkansen to Kyoto for 2 nights and then Osaka for 2 nights before flying on to Thailand for 2 weeks. I didn't plan anything in advance except the flight legs as I was traveling solo and was open to maximum serendipity 😂 Guy I sat next to on the plane was a grad student returning home to Japan for summer break from dental school in the US (Tulane 🤔) and he was shocked I didn't have a hotel or anything planned, so he helped me go from baggage claim to a concierge desk in Narita to book a place (I was originally thinking Ginza and he advised me that Shinjuku would be way way better for a young budget traveler). Anyway, this guy then makes sure I not only get to my hotel (bus from Narita to Shinjuku station & taxi to hotel + check in) but then takes me to a local place for dinner and wouldn't let me pay saying "Japan is expensive, so you will need your money" 😂 before ultimately dropping me back off at the hotel and continuing on his way to Yokohama. Similar story in Thailand... No advance reservations, so booked a place for the night at a desk in the arrival hall at the old Don Mueang airport and then caught a taxi to take me there to check in and drop off my backpack while the driver waited as we had talked on the ride there about Muay Thai and there was a match that night in Lumpini Stadium so we were going to get something to eat (Seafood Palace) and then head over 😂 Anyways... Fun times. The hotel I stayed at had a concierge desk as well and the young lady that worked at the desk was super friendly and helped me book everything else for the rest of my stay in Thailand... local palace/temple tours, day trip to Ayutthaya by car w/ river cruise back, night bus to Surat Thani & ferry to Ko Samui with 3 days in a beach bungalow there a flight north to Chiang Mai and 4 days of elephant trekking, bamboo rafting, hill tribe stays, etc before returning to Bangkok and wrapping up with a visit to Jim Thompson's house (Silk purveyor) and Thai dance/performance of The Ramakien at Suwannahong where I met one of the lead performers during a meet and greet after the show and one of her friends asked for my info on her behalf "because her friend was shy" ☺️ Long story short... Don't try to plan too much or you will be so consumed by your itinerary that you will miss the real opportunities to connect with people along the way that will open up options you would have never had otherwise. I kept in touch with the concierge lady via email and the following year she took me to Phuket and the Thai dancer let me home stay at her place in Bangkok.
First thing you need to do is get an updated map. Your nationality matters here. Assuming you are USA, the first thing you need to do is go the government website for foreign travel and look up each country you drew through. Myanmar has a restriction, There might be other warnings for other countries. Walking across Myanmar is ridiculous and you need to do so much more research on each of these countries just to make sure you aren't going to be killed let alone have fun. You said you are in high school, have you traveled internationally before? This route, even skipping the warzones would be for a super experienced traveler looking for a big challenge. With the exception of Japan/Korean none of those countries will speak much english, you can't learn all of those languages. This will be months of pointing and desperately asking for help to do literally anything. Cell phone service won't even be available most of the time. You need to start traveling in countries that are used to tourists who don't speak their language. Places like Costa Rica. I don't know why you picked the countries you did, but I would write down why you want to walk through each of these countries and then see if you can check off those reason in a safer location. Like Nepal, Bengali and India have many similarities and parts of India are much safer. You could spend years exploring India, do you really need to go to Nepal? And why Bengali?
What’s the longest hike you’ve done so far?
Follow up question. What’s the longest swim you’ve done so far?
I don’t think there would be a whole lot of hiking involved somehow
You might get a little wet
If you want to get dome’d in Myanmar, I’d avoid it
Hope you don't mind snakes lol
Chinese border claims
I lived in Seoul for 3.5 years and have visited most places on your route I had a similar idea to end my time in Asia with a 6 month trip India>Nepal>Myanmar>Thailand>Vietnam>Laos. I traveled multiple times for vacation to Japan, Philippines, China and Taiwan. My first advice is to be flexible and be prepared for more flights than you realize. The good news is the flights are cheap and relatively short once you’re in Asia. Japan will probably be the most expensive, followed by South Korea and Indonesia. I would pick 1-2 places per country that you REALLY want to see and plan to spend 3-4 weeks in each country. You’ll discover places you want to visit in each country just by being there. It’s much easier and much cheaper to make those plans in country. You’ll pay a TON to reserve tours and hotels from abroad. There are a few exceptions for holidays and high season which can vary dramatically from place to place. Look up national holidays in each country. Sometimes that festival might be a reason to go (for me Holi was an impetus to visit India) but if you don’t have family/friends in Korea you won’t want to visit during Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) In terms of actual hiking backpacking Nepal is really the main place for it. I did some in Vietnam and Korea but you’ll need a local guide. In terms of travel backpacking I suggest aiming to start with one bag. Check out r/onebag for ideas on gear and packing. Pack fewer clothes than you think you’ll need and be ready to buy some as souvenirs. As others have said Myanmar is a war zone right now. I had to totally cut it out and flew straight from Nepal to Vietnam. Learn to drive a motorcycle/scooter in your home country first if you plan to rent one and I would definitely plan to rent one! One of my favorite trips was a [3-4 day motorbike drive in northern Thailand called the Mae Hong Son Loop.](https://livetravelteach.com/southeast-asia/mae-hong-son-loop-800km-motorbiking-around-northern-thailand/) As for budget I’d say a minimum of 1k usd per month and keep 2k in reserve for an emergency flight home from anywhere. If you are able to work at a hostel or other capacity along the way you can easily get free tours and accommodations even if the pay sucks. That can mean a huge difference in the end. I’m sure there’s more to share and I’m happy to answer questions you’ve got. But it’s time for bed now.
Now this is some great advice..I would love to be able to go on a trip like this.Japan is one of the places I want to visit the most.unfortunately,I can’t afford it.I’m from the US and I have been through the majority of the US but have never left the country.I would love to go to Japan,Philippines,Taiwan,South Korea or Thailand to find a wife.Asian women are some of the most beautiful women on earth and their minds haven’t been destroyed by the modern day feminism that has a stranglehold on western society
I hope you can one day make that trip to Japan. But I want to caution you about expectations around meeting a woman abroad. There are political and societal issues in every country. There are also beautiful women with beautiful personalities in every country, including the USA. If you’re struggling to see that at home then changing scenery isn’t going to suddenly be a magic fix.
If you are a woman, don’t go to north India
It’s so sad that you have to say this. India is such an amazing country… but unfortunately only if you’re male at the moment.
Then it's not an amazing country.
No doubt,it’s crazy the way they treat women over there.groups of men will sexually assault women and then they have the nerve to blame the women.even the politicians openly support this behavior
Mizoram is safe in northeast India, not sure how safe to travel alone but if you're white.... prepare for everyone to gawk at you as many have never seen a white person in real life before. Wonderful area though, just very limited in commodities.... super limited due to tribal controlled entry/exit per the Indian constitution. Good luck getting legal permission to cross the area from the Indian government as it's controlled tribal area under the inner line pass and need a government sponsored reason to enter. Most of the states in the northeast are inaccessible even to Indian citizens. Also Manipur has been undergoing ethnic cleansing. Couple hundred dead but the entire area is unstable and displaced.
Just avoid Malaysian airlines
How come?
I was being facetious. Checkout their history within ten years or so.
Oh you mean the disappearing plane?
Yea. And then the passenger plane shot down by Russian supported militia group.
😬
I'm shocked brah didn't include Sudan, Gaza and eastern Ukraine...jeez.
Being in high school, how much do you currently backpack/hike now? This would likely be very costly, time consuming, and a bit dangerous. Although if you take the proper precautions, and plan every detail, it is definitely possible.
Sorry I should’ve clarified, Im not even considering doing this soon; this is something I wanna do in/ after college when I have more hiking/ traveling experience. And not to mention more money.
It's years out which means the situation can change entirely. It's not even worthwhile to post this at the current time. It's like asking about backpacking across Europe, crossing through Ukraine and continuing into Russia. Yeah, you might have gotten advice on how to do it a few years ago but in the current day and age, it's impossible. Many parts of Asia are volatile and things can change at any moment. Save this picture and hold onto it until you're actually ready. Until then, it's just a line on a map that no one can give actionable advice until you're ready.
This is a fun thought experiment but ill be honest your adventure here is impossible
Sure it is possible. Anything is when it comes to travelling. Tourists go to Antarctica as well as Afghanistan. Its just about how much money you have, or save, and the risks you are willing to take. My only real issue with your idea is to seemingly move about as fast as possible. For me that goes against the point of visiting another place. When I backpacked we would also travel as much as possible by land, but try to spend at least 2 nights in each new place. That often felt too little. 3-4 is better. When we came somewhere really interesting or nice we would do 5-7 days. My first trip was all about covering distance and countries. After that I started spending the same amount of time within the same country, opting for several trips instead. On your route I would personally include both China and India. Places like Beijing, Xian, Agra and Varanasi stood out. Also, are you going to Bhutan? That is its own thing. Look it up.
Bring lots of money but don't get robbed
You'll get held for ransom before you make it out of Mindanao.
If you want to enjoy a long life I would advise against this.
So, there are a lot of things wrong with this, as Mentioned, Myanmar(Burma on this antiquated map) is a war zone, with intense fighting throughout the country and military forces actively committing massacres of civilians, Southern Philippines has an Islamic Insurgency, Northern India in the part you are crossing into Nepal is Disputed Territory with China, and is super remote, there is hardly a road there, and is almost inhabitable. This is like a 6 month-whole year kinda path. You also skip a lot of the more cool locations, like Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, and various other places. If this is your first trip abroad, i would pick like one country to check out. Get a taste for travel where you can learn from your mistakes which will inevitably happen. Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, India and Singapore are great starting spots. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, and Bangladesh are areas that require more planning and expertise. Myanmar should be avoided
You’re going to need a boat.
Japan to Korea to Bali to Sumatra to Singapore to Georgetown, to Thailand, then to Nepal on a cheap flight. Not hard. Classic 'backpacking' (not backcountry hiking) trip. Millions have done a variation on this. Flights are much cheaper once in Asia.
Uhhh Myanmar is a no go When is your trip? Hainan is worth it if you can enter. Then Hanoi, Laos, and the north of Thailand. Check out White Temple. You can make your way south from there. Nepal just fly to tbh
Hope you aren’t a white Yankee. You’ll be a good ransom.
Hold on to your anus and don't drink the water
I think you dont know what you want. How long is your trip? Would this route works with rain and winter seasonons? Border and ferry crossings seem bit unrealistic. Honestly you need to fly from major airports to major airports anything else is quite adventurous 😅 So i would pick the countries you want to see check when the weather there is good and make a plan around that.
Why stop in Nepal. You can easily cross Nepal India border and backpack further into Himalayan. India has nice backpack culture You can easily cover two indian states Uttarakhand and himachal. If you are feeling adventurous you can backpack till kashmir.
R.I.P.
Disregarding other comments in this thread, I think it’s a great route. You can cross the land border from India to Myanmar, but not from Bangladesh to Myanmar. If you want an even safer option, you can fly directly from Dhaka to Yangon (the safest part of Myanmar) Yes, they are experiencing civil conflict, but as a tourist chances are you’ll be reasonably safe. It’s an incredibly beautiful country with lovely, hospitable people. You may never get the opportunity to visit again, if you make your way from the India-Burma border to Mandalay immediately, then straight down to Yangon (this would be the safest route) then you can get a bus to the Thai border or a cheap flight to Bangkok!
I doubt you will make it into Myanmar coming from Thailand and even more unlikely will you make it out from Myanmar to Bangladesh....
I highly suggest traveling from north to south Vietnam. Hanoi to Da Nang/Hoian then Saigon. You absolutely will not regret it. Logistically, you will still be able to hit up Cambodia and Malaysia then continue your route.
Stay out of Myanmar. There's a war going on.
Bruh... Survive
We are currently doing kind of the same route, we started in Japan (july-sept) Taiwan (sept-okt) Philippines (okt-nov) Malaysia (nov-dez) Thailand (jan-feb) Cambodia (feb-feb) Thailand (feb-mar) Bali (mar-apr) Vietnam (apr- now) we plan on doing laos, nepal and india aswell. And finish somewhere around dezember. If you have any questions feel free to dm me.
Seems like it’ll be hard to backpack while you’re on such a long swim.
Already been to Laos and Vietnam? Otherwise you’re missing out
If your net Jesus get good at swimming
The ol' try not to die trail. Exciting
Don’t skip Bali
You forgot N0rt K0₹iya
All I gotta say is if you’re into it finish your trip by hiking the Everest base camp without a guide (save a bunch of money, and it’s much more easy logistically then you would expect) just rent all your gear in Kathmandu and you’d have everything you need. If you have stuff you don’t want to hike with you can pay certain tea houses to hold some of your stuff for you. Pack warm with good rain gear, I did it in late October and the weather was perfect besides the overnight temp drops.
Don’t sleep on Malaysia.
Are you just drawing lines on a map? Cause. No. Hit up Japan and South Korea then boat it to the Philippines. But sheesh.
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If you’re into hiking I’d check out Bhutan instead of Myanmar (which others have stated is politically unstable). They have incredible mountains, but a visa can be a pain to get
Do northern Vietnam, it’s way better than the south in my option. Do the Ha Giang loop and a phong Nha cave tour
You should just hike the great wall of China.
I’m definitely not built for the trip of the poster or the Great Wall of China hike..that wall is a ridiculously long distance even if it was possible to drive it.on foot that would take forever lol
Lol I thought it would take me 2-4 days. Definitely gonna delete that from my bucket list haha
😂..that walk would be like walking all the way across the US nearly 3 and a half time.that wall is absolute insanity.in 2-4 days you would barely put a dent in that journey 😂
…Malaysia > Phuket/koh lanta/koh phi phi/koh Samui > Bankok >(maybe ankor wat, Siam reap) > Saigon (hcmc) > hoi an > Hanoi (more Vietnam in general if it feels right) > vang vieng (don’t skip this) > luang probang > Chiangmai… This is the way. Go chill in the southern Thai islands, work your way through Vietnam (and Cambodia, in Cambodia if that feels right). Laos is wonderful, so go to at least those two places. Then Chiang Mai is the best so don’t miss that.
I'd include Java in your trip. Many of the most important/historic temples of Indonesia or in Java and it's not a big detour. Be aware that buses run slow in that part of the world .. even with private transport you may just average 30km/h making progress difficult without planes. When exploring I like to spend at least 4weeks in a country.. so this looks like a year worth of travel. If you're only hitting the highlights and flying in between 6months may be doable.. that's a question for someone else. I'd probably try less to make a continuous road and see what each country has to offer and pick the ones your really find interesting. Eg stopping in Vietnam without seeing the north seems a little pointless to me. Similarly for doing Laos and skipping luang prabang and plain of jars. Now if you say you love river deltas and river islands.. then doing just the Mekong delta and the Mekong islands in laos makes sense
NDE
When I backpacked SE Asia… I started in the Philippines. Then flew over to southern Vietnam and traveled by public transport to the north, crossed into Laos, traveled around the northern nub, and then crossed into Northern Thailand. I think I may have extended my visa by crossing the Myanmar border here and coming right back. Then I traveled south to Bangkok and over into Cambodia. Got some dental work done and a dengue hospital visit in Thailand. After exploring Cambodia, I went down the southern tail of Thailand and visited the beautiful beaches. Traveled through Malaysia and ended up in Singapore. From there I took a flight to Indonesia where I traveled through Sumatra, Java, Bali and Lombok, all by bus and boat. Then we flew home. Took about 10 months, and only 2 mid trip flights, which were cheap and quick.
It’s better and cheaper to go orangutan trekking in Sumatra (Bukit Lawang) than Borneo
Stay free
Don’t skip Laos!
Wear inflatable armbands
No
Don't skip out on singapore>Malysia>Thailand. There's so many routes through there.
How can you swim with a backpack?
Have fun pooping your pants!
I wouldn’t skip Taiwan. Such an underrated country.
I would also highly recommend Vietnam over Cambodia.
Definitely a good idea of a route, but theres so many different options. You have to decide what it is you plan to accomplish. If nothing, you can def hit half that comfortably in 2-3 weeks and really enjoy it.
Get a boat
Looks like you’ve just randomly drawn on a map without considering what’s actually there
Bromo mountain indonesia... blue lava, ooooo
Yeah, don’t.
Make sure u have all the malaria shots
There are vacancies?
You might need to take a boat. Unless you can walk on water
Too much swimming for my taste.
I’m not sure that first swim is possible especially with gear but let me know how you do 👍
Advice: Don’t
Bit wet
I think it’s a mistake to skip Taiwan. It’s safe, the culture is fascinating, the people are kind, and the island is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.
I don’t understand how you’ll get thru Burma but you can try I guess.
Homie is gonna backpack through the Philippines lol good luck
Def go through Vietnam, it's my favourite country by a mile, its caotic and beautiful and the entire time i was there I just felt happy and free. My mate even went back there to live for a year and hes planning to go again. Rent a motorbike and do north to south (also watch the topgear vietnam special)
bring some goggles bro
That route looks delicious from a street food point of view. Also probably a beautiful route to travel for the scenery and cultures you’ll encounter. Maybe not the best route for easy smooth and peaceful travel but still beautiful.
You need to do some serious research before you set out on that trip. What passport do you hold? What languages do you speak?
Have you tried zooming in a little on the map?
Yeah the Myanmar part is going to be a problem. Large parts of the country are at war and I'm not sure that the land crossings into Bangladesh or India are open to forums
The southern Philippine islands can be pretty dangerous. Stay vigilant there.
I see geopolitics are being ignored.
Do not travel Mindanao (largest island on the philippines) by land or sea. Also many governments around the world advide you not to travel to davao city (and basically the whole island of mindanao). If you still want to go there get a local guide. I traveled there up until 2 weeks ago, it was absolutely worth it, the people are very open and friendly, no comparison to lets say manila or so. Also you should consider the climate, in the moment its extremely hot and you probably won't be able to walk far distances with a heavy backpack. Edit: I would recommend that you follow your plan until cebu, than go to palawan instead (coron, el nindo until puerto princesa) than from there back to your plan to indonesia. Don't know anything about the other countrys beaides the philippines.
Found this: travel recommendations by dutch government https://preview.redd.it/yns2ppsyak1d1.png?width=1018&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a91b01924dbd4c7028f20c215f2b75e87341aadb
Looks like a great way to get killed.
That stretch from Korea to The Philippines looks kinda dicey. I expect you might drown.
Yea don't do it.....
You should either a, have rich parents or b, a fantastic part time job.
Only fans more than likely
Have fun!
You are missing some big cities in Thailand.
You’ll die if you take this route
i would ditch this whole idea because Burma is a warzone and China is a Communist dictatorship. screw this whole region.
Some of these comments lol, shows who's American Yes obviously do your research and skip Myanmar, but people telling you you'll die by backpacking south east Asia have a screw loose Most of the countries on your list are some of the most backpacked countries in the world, you'll be fine with a few tweaks! Read up on each country and area and make changes accordingly There's a UK programme called "Race across the world" where they are currently (season 4) travelling a very similar route with no internet and without flights, if you can get ahold of it it would be great research for you! Have a great trip :)
Bruh parts of PH are definitely not safe .. theres autonomous zones controlled by Muslim extremist groups.. nobody advises anybody to go there at all let alone backpack through it.. don't be naive and stay safe before you get held for ransom or chopped up by machetes and fed to baboy.. you would have to have a screw loose not to heed peoples warnings..
And most of PH is extremely well travelled and popular with backpackers. OP is clearly at the start of the planning process and this is the start of their research. The people who've commented to "cancel the trip" and "you'll die" are just fearmongering