Southeast Asia Immersion: Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand & Laos — Self-Launched

Arrive at Noi Bai airport, complete the online pre-arrival declaration (needed within 3 days of arrival as of June 2026), and take bus #86 into the Old Quarter (~£1.20) or a Grab (~£7). Check into a hostel or budget hotel around Ma May or Hang Bac. Spend the evening wandering Hoan Kiem Lake, watching the night market if it's a weekend, and eating bun cha or pho at a pavement stall (~£2.50). Round off with egg coffee at Cafe Giang.

🚌Airport bus #86 or Grab; walk in the Old Quarter

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel, twin/shared (~£12-18/night)

• →Hoan Kiem Lake evening walk
• →Street food dinner
• →Egg coffee

Book the 'Lady Motorbike Tour' experience yourself with a local women-led operator (from around £22-30 for a half-day, book direct or via GetYourGuide with 1-2 days' notice and request the women drivers). Ride pillion to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum perimeter, Ba Dinh Square, One Pillar Pagoda, Huu Tiep Lake and Tran Quoc Pagoda. Stop for a giant bowl of pho, slurping mandatory. In the afternoon walk the Old Quarter yourself or take a cyclo (~£4/hr).

🚌Motorbike tour pillion, walking, cyclo

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (~£15)

• →Lady motorbike tour (pre-booked)
• →Pho lunch
• →Tran Quoc Pagoda
• →Old Quarter wander

Book a 2D/1N budget junk boat out of Halong or Lan Ha Bay (from ~£65-90pp all-in: transport, meals, cabin, kayaking). Minibus pickup from the Old Quarter ~8am, transfer to the pier, board at midday. Cruise between limestone karsts, kayak through Luon Cave and a floating-village lagoon, swim, and eat seafood dinner on deck. Rooms are simple twin cabins — book early in peak season.

🚌Shared minibus Hanoi–Halong (~3.5hrs), junk boat

🛏Junk boat twin cabin, 1 night (~£75pp incl. meals)

• →Halong Bay cruise
• →Luon Cave kayaking
• →Seafood dinner on deck

Disembark mid-morning and return to Hanoi, then take a bus toward Mai Chau/Pu Luong (~4hrs, ~£7, book through your guesthouse). Settle into a homestay or the budget bungalows at Pu Luong Retreat's neighbourhood (local village homestays are £8-14). Walk the terraces at golden hour and eat a family dinner with your hosts.

🚌Shared minibus Hanoi–Pu Luong (~4hrs)

🛏Pu Luong village homestay or bungalow, shared (~£12)

• →Rice terrace walk
• →Homestay dinner

Walk the terraces and villages toward Ban Cong with a local guide arranged via your homestay (~£12-18 for a half-day guide). Swim at the water steps, stop for a BBQ picnic on the riverbank, and loop back through Hieu village. Afternoon free to read in a hammock. Eat at the homestay or a village guesthouse.

🚌On foot

🛏Pu Luong village homestay or bungalow, shared (~£12)

• →Guided terrace trek to Ban Cong
• →Riverbank BBQ lunch
• →Village walk

Bus or shared car back to Hanoi, then fly Hanoi–Da Nang on VietJet or Vietnam Airlines (~£35-55 if booked ahead). Local bus #1 or Grab from Da Nang airport to Hoi An (~£3). Check into a budget hotel in the Old Town fringe (~£14). Evening: take a self-booked 4-hour cooking class with a local chef (~£20-25, e.g. through GetYourGuide or a hostel-recommended family kitchen), market stop included, three courses eaten.

🚌Minibus to Hanoi, flight to Da Nang, Grab to Hoi An

🛏Hoi An budget hotel, twin/shared (~£14)

• →Cooking class with market visit
• →Old Town riverfront stroll

Buy the Old Town ticket (~£5) and walk it yourself: Chua Cau (Japanese Covered Bridge), Ong Pagoda, the assembly halls and the central market. Rent a bicycle (~£1.50/day) to get out to An Bang or Cua Dai beach in the afternoon. For dinner, hunt down the banh mi stalls near Phan Chau Trinh — Madam Khanh is the local favourite (~£1.50).

🚌Bicycle, walking

🛏Hoi An budget hotel (~£14)

• →Old Town ticket sites
• →An Bang beach
• →Banh mi tasting

Pick one: either a kayak trip from Cua Dai bridge down to the fishing village and coconut palms (~£18-25 self-booked), or a shared minibus to My Son Sanctuary at sunrise with a local guide (~£15-20 including entry) and a return by boat. Afternoon free — get a £6 tailor fitting or a £4 massage.

🚌Shared minibus, kayak, boat

🛏Hoi An budget hotel (~£14)

• →My Son Sanctuary tour OR Cua Dai kayaking
• →Massage

Fly Da Nang–Ho Chi Minh City (~£35-45 ahead of time) and take bus #109 or a Grab from Tan Son Nhat (~£3). Stay in District 1 or around Bui Vien (~£13). Take a cyclo ride through the city (~£5 for an hour, negotiate first) and finish with a sunset river cruise on the Saigon (~£6-8, book on the day at Bach Dang pier). Dinner at Ben Thanh night market (~£4).

🚌Flight Da Nang–HCMC, bus #109/Grab, cyclo

🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (~£13)

• →Cyclo city tour
• →Saigon sunset river cruise
• →Ben Thanh night market

Self-book the Cu Chi tunnels by bike (~£25-32 including guide, bike hire, tunnels entry and lunch) — several local operators run out of District 1 and pick up from hostels. Pedal through rubber plantations and countryside on the way, crawl a section of the tunnels, and shoot on the range if you want. Back in HCMC for a late bowl of pho.

🚌Bicycle tour, minibus transfer

🛏District 1 hostel or budget hotel (~£13)

• →Cu Chi tunnels cycling tour

Fly HCMC–Siem Reap (~£45-60 ahead of time) — get the Cambodia e-visa online (~£25) or visa on arrival (~£24, bring 2 photos) plus the e-Arrival form. Tuk-tuk to a guesthouse near Wat Bo or the Old Market (~£10-14). Afternoon walk through town, coffee in the Old Market area, then dinner — try the Spoons Cambodia training restaurant for good food and a good cause.

🚌Flight HCMC–Siem Reap, tuk-tuk

🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel (~£12)

• →Old Market walk
• →Dinner at a social enterprise restaurant

Book a half-day Khmer cooking class (~£18-25) that starts with a market tour and continues to a village kitchen near Chreav — several operators include hotel pickup and 3-4 dishes. In the afternoon choose either a countryside village bike ride (~£5 bike hire) or a shared boat to Kampong Khleang floating village (~£18-22 including transfer at sunset).

🚌Operator transfer, bicycle, shared boat

🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel (~£12)

• →Khmer cooking class with market tour
• →Kampong Khleang floating village OR village cycling

Buy the Angkor pass yourself (1-day ~£29, 3-day ~£50) — 3-day gives flexibility and lets you spread the temples. Hire a tuk-tuk driver for sunrise at Angkor Wat (~£15-18 for a full day's driving, agree the plan the night before). Watch the sun come up over the towers, then loop to Bayon, Ta Prohm and Preah Khan. Back by mid-afternoon; nap, then eat fish amok.

🚌Hired tuk-tuk and driver, bicycle option

🛏Siem Reap guesthouse or budget hotel (~£12)

• →Angkor Wat sunrise
• →Angkor pass entry
• →Bayon, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan

Book a sleeper or day-night bus Siem Reap–Koh Kong (~8-9hrs, ~£15-20, e.g. Virak Buntham or a local company). Stay in Koh Kong town (~£12) or pre-book a simple tented camp / eco-lodge in the Cardamoms (~£25-40 with kayak packages). Stock up on cash — there are no reliable ATMs deep in the Cardamoms.

🚌Long-distance night bus (~8-9hrs)

🛏Koh Kong guesthouse or Cardamom eco-camp (~£15-45)

• →Bus journey
• →Cardamom forest arrival walk

Book a local 2-day guided kayak and trek package with a community-based eco-tourism provider (~£55-75 including kayaks, guide, meals and a night in a deluxe tent). Paddle slow river channels, spot hornbills and gibbons, and walk leech-free forest trails. Nights are in tented camps — bring a headtorch.

🚌Kayak, on foot

🛏Deluxe tented camp in the Cardamoms (~£45 incl. meals)

• →Kayak and trek in the Cardamom Mountains
• →Wildlife spotting

Second morning in the forest, then back to Koh Kong for the afternoon. Book tomorrow's minibus or shared taxi to the Thai border at Cham Yeam/Hat Lek, and cross into Trat Province. Stay in Trat town (~£10) or head straight to Koh Chang on the ferry if the timing works.

🚌Kayak out, songthaew to Koh Kong, shared taxi/minibus to the border (~£8-12), onward to Trat

🛏Trat guesthouse (~£10)

• →Final forest paddle
• →Border crossing
• →Trat evening market

Ferry from Trat to Koh Chang (~£6, 45 mins) plus a songthaew to Lonely Beach or Klong Prao. Settle into a beach bungalow or hostel (~£12-18). Spend the afternoon swimming, and eat fresh seafood on the sand — Thailand has no visa needed for most nationalities for stays up to 30 days, but complete the TDAC arrival card online within 3 days of entering.

🚌Ferry Trat–Koh Chang, songthaew

🛏Koh Chang beach bungalow or hostel (~£15)

• →Beach afternoon
• →Seafood dinner
• →Sunset on Lonely Beach

Book a half-day guided kayak excursion (~£18-25) with a local operator — paddle through mangrove channels and along the coastline to a quiet fishing village, with snorkelling and a beach stop. Afternoon free for a Thai massage (~£6).

🚌Songthaew to the kayak launch

🛏Koh Chang beach bungalow or hostel (~£15)

• →Guided kayak tour
• →Snorkelling stop
• →Thai massage

Ferry back to Trat, then a minibus to Bangkok (~5-6hrs, ~£15). Stay near Khao San or Silom in a hostel or budget hotel (~£15-20). That evening, run your own progressive dinner: start with boat noodles in Banglamphu, then a street grill in Chinatown (Yaowarat) — grilled seafood, kuay jab and mango sticky rice. Skytrain and metro are ~£1 a ride.

🚌Ferry, minibus to Bangkok, BTS/MRT

🛏Bangkok hostel or budget hotel (~£18)

• →Chinatown street food crawl
• →Banglamphu wander

Bus to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok's Sai Tai Mai terminal (~3hrs, ~£4). Check into a floating rafthouse or riverside guesthouse (~£15-20). Visit the Thailand-Burma Railway Centre and the JEATH War Museum (~£3), walk the Bridge over the River Kwai, and eat dinner on the river.

🚌Local bus from Bangkok (~3hrs)

🛏Kanchanaburi floating rafthouse (~£18)

• →Thailand-Burma Railway Centre
• →Bridge over the River Kwai
• →Riverside dinner

Day in Bangkok: Wat Pho (~£5 entry) and a self-arranged longtail boat through the klongs (~£15-20 per boat, split between passengers), then rest up. In the evening take a budget Chao Phraya dinner cruise (~£18-25, book through Klook or GetYourGuide) — buffet dinner and lit-up temples gliding past.

🚌Longtail boat, BTS/MRT, dinner cruise

🛏Bangkok hostel or budget hotel (~£18)

• →Wat Pho
• →Longtail klong tour
• →Chao Phraya dinner cruise

Take the local bus or songthaew to Hellfire Pass (~1.5hrs, ~£2) and walk the cutting with the free audio guide (~£5 entry/donation). Ride the slow Death Railway train from Nam Tok back over the Wang Po viaduct (~£2-3) — a rickety, wildly scenic stretch. Overnight again in Kanchanaburi.

🚌Local bus, third-class train

🛏Kanchanaburi floating rafthouse (~£18)

• →Hellfire Pass walk
• →Death Railway train ride

Bus or local train back to Bangkok then an overnight or day flight to Chiang Rai (~£30-40 on budget airlines; a sleeper train north is slower but cheaper if you prefer no flying). Stay near the night bazaar (~£12-15). Evening street food tour of your own making: sai ua sausage, khao soi, mango sticky rice — Chiang Rai's night market is compact and easy to graze.

🚌Bus/train/flight to Chiang Rai

🛏Chiang Rai guesthouse or budget hotel (~£14)

• →Chiang Rai night bazaar street food
• →White Temple if time allows (~£3)

Choose one: hire a bicycle or e-bike (~£4-6) and ride north to the Golden Triangle where the Mekong meets the Ruak, with a stop at the Hall of Opium (~£6), or head up to Doi Tung for the tea plantation and gardens (~£3-8 entry, songthaew ~£5). Back in town by late afternoon.

🚌Bicycle/e-bike or songthaew

🛏Chiang Rai guesthouse or budget hotel (~£14)

• →Golden Triangle cycling OR Doi Tung tea experience
• →Hall of Opium

Local bus Chiang Rai–Chiang Khong (~2.5hrs, ~£3). Buy your slow-boat ticket for tomorrow at the pier (Huay Xai side, ~£25-30 for the two-day boat to Luang Prabang), get your Laos e-visa sorted online in advance (~£28-35), and complete the Lao immigration card within 3 days of arrival. Overnight in a riverside guesthouse (~£10-14).

🚌Local bus (~2.5hrs)

🛏Chiang Khong guesthouse (~£12)

• →Mekong riverside walk
• →Boat ticket purchase
• →Night market

Cross to Huay Xai, clear Lao immigration, and board the slow boat around 9-10am. Eight hours on the Mekong with a lunch stop; you arrive at Pak Beng by late afternoon. Book a guesthouse in Pak Beng on arrival (~£8-12) — they fill up, so ask your Chiang Khong host to call ahead. Eat at a riverside restaurant and sleep early.

🚌Slow boat on the Mekong (~8hrs)

🛏Pak Beng riverside guesthouse (~£10)

• →Mekong slow boat
• →Village views and river stops

Second day on the boat, roughly seven hours, arriving in Luang Prabang late afternoon. Take a tuk-tuk into the peninsula (~£2) and check into a guesthouse in the old town or Ban Visoun (~£12-18). Dinner of laap and sticky rice, then the night market.

🚌Slow boat (~7hrs), tuk-tuk

🛏Luang Prabang guesthouse (~£15)

• →Mekong slow boat day two
• →Luang Prabang night market

Minibus Luang Prabang–Nong Khiaw (~4hrs, ~£6). Check into a riverside bungalow or guesthouse (~£10-14) with mountain views over the Nam Ou. Hike the Som Nang Viewpoint (or the steeper Pha Daeng) in the late afternoon (~£2 entry), then eat at one of the riverside restaurants.

🚌Minibus (~4hrs)

🛏Nong Khiaw riverside bungalow (~£12)

• →Som Nang viewpoint hike
• →Riverside dinner

Book locally (via your guesthouse) a day with a boat up the Nam Ou to a Khmu or Hmong village, a home-cooked lunch with a local family, and a bamboo raft or kayak back downstream (~£25-35 including lunch). Quiet, unpolished and genuinely the highlight of the Laos leg.

🚌Longtail boat, bamboo raft

🛏Nong Khiaw riverside bungalow (~£12)

• →Village cultural immersion
• →Village lunch
• →Bamboo rafting

Morning minibus back to Luang Prabang. In the afternoon visit the Nam Kat-style canopy hanging bridges and forest walkways if you're still up north, or in Luang Prabang simply do Kuang Si Falls by shared tuk-tuk (~£6-8 return, £2.50 entry — go after 3pm when the crowds thin). Sunset from Mount Phousi (~£2).

🚌Minibus, shared tuk-tuk

🛏Luang Prabang guesthouse (~£15)

• →Canopy hanging bridges OR Kuang Si Falls
• →Mount Phousi sunset

Up before dawn to watch (or quietly join, buying sticky rice from a roadside vendor) the alms-giving procession of monks along Sisavang Vong Road — dress respectfully, keep your distance and don't use flash. Coffee and breakfast at a bakery, a final wander of the old town and Wat Xieng Thong (~£2.50), then transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

🚌Tuk-tuk to Luang Prabang airport (~£4)

🛏Departure day — no overnight

• →Alms giving
• →Wat Xieng Thong
• →Old town farewell walk