38-Day Grand South East Asia Loop: Self-Launched Edition

Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and take the Airport Rail Link + BTS/MRT (~£1.50) to a hostel near Khao San or Phra Nakhon. Once checked in, walk the old town at dusk, grab pad thai or boat noodles from a street stall (~£2), and book tomorrow's activities online. Skip the group welcome dinner and instead do a solo-friendly rooftop beer or join a hostel pub crawl if you want company.

🚌Airport Rail Link + BTS/MRT, ~£1.50; walking in old town

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Phra Nakhon / Khao San area (~£10-14)

• →Self-guided walk of Rattanakosin old town
• →Street food dinner on Soi Rambuttri
• →Book canal boat tour via Klook/GetYourGuide

Morning longtail boat through the Thonburi canals (klongs) — book a shared or private longtail at Tha Chang pier for ~£12-18, or a small-group Klook canal tour ~£15. See stilt houses,wat arun and local life. Afternoon: Wat Pho and Wat Arun (~£5 combined). Evening: board the special express sleeper train from Krung Thep Aphiwat station to Chiang Mai, 2nd-class berth ~£22-28 booked on the Thai Railways site (book 30+ days ahead).

🚌Longtail boat ~£15; sleeper train Bangkok–Chiang Mai ~£25

🛏2nd-class sleeper train berth (upper ~£22, lower ~£26)

• →Thonburi klong longtail boat
• →Wat Pho & Wat Arun
• →Overnight sleeper train experience

Arrive mid-morning, check in inside the moat near Tha Phae Gate, then hire a bicycle (~£2/day) and loop the old walled city: Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh, Tapae Gate and the Sunday Walking Street if it's the right day. Optional afternoon Thai cooking class (~£20-25, book direct or via Klook). Evening food market dinner at Ploen Ruedee or the Night Bazaar.

🚌Bicycle hire ~£2/day; walking

🛏Guesthouse or hostel inside the old city (~£10-15)

• →Bicycle hire around old city temples
• →Thai cooking class (optional)
• →Night Bazaar food stalls

Book Elephant Nature Park directly through their own website (elephantnaturepark.org) as early as possible — full-day visit ~£70-80 including pickup, lunch and vegetarian buffet. Observe rescued elephants roaming and bathing rather than riding. Return late afternoon, then a low-key evening with khao soi

🚌Included sanctuary minibus pickup; local songthaew in town ~£1

🛏Guesthouse or hostel inside the old city (~£10-15)

• →Full-day Elephant Nature Park visit (direct booking)

Bus to Chiang Rai (~3.5 hrs, ~£6-8 on Greenbus). Visit Wat Rong Khun (White Temple, ~£4 entry) — either a short songthaew/Grab from the bus terminal or a Blue Temple combo. Then continue to Chiang Khong on the Mekong (~2.5 hrs, ~£4) and stay near the river. Get your Laos visa sorted (e-visa ~£30-36 or visa on arrival ~£30).

🚌Bus Chiang Mai–Chiang Rai ~£7; bus Chiang Rai–Chiang Khong ~£4; songthaew ~£2

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Chiang Khong (~£8-12)

• →Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
• →Mekong riverfront sunset

Cross the Friendship Bridge to Houay Xai, clear immigration, and buy your slow boat ticket (~£20-25 for the two-day trip, sold at the pier the day of or day before). Board the slow boat for the scenic 6-7 hour run to Pakbeng, stopping at villages on the way. Buy lunch/snacks before boarding or from vendors at the pier. Overnight in Pakbeng guesthouse (~£8-12).

🚌Border crossing + slow boat ~£23

🛏Pakbeng guesthouse (~£10)

• →Mekong River slow boat (day 1)
• →Riverside village stops

Day two on the slow boat (~7-8 hrs), with the boat pausing opposite the Pak Ou Caves where you can hop off for the climb through thousands of Buddha statues (~£3 entry plus short boat crossing) — or take a separate longtail trip from Luang Prabang later if you'd rather keep cruising. Arrive Luang Prabang by late afternoon, check into a guesthouse in the old town, and have a Beerlao by the river.

🚌Slow boat continuation ~£10 extra; short longtail to caves ~£2

🛏Old town guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Mekong slow boat (day 2)
• →Pak Ou Caves

Morning half-day at Living Land organic rice farm (~£20-25, book direct) — plant or harvest rice, try traditional tools, sticky-rice cooking. Afternoon: shared tuk-tuk or minivan out to Kuang Si Waterfalls (~£4-6 return shared, ~£4 entry) — swim in the turquoise pools and visit the bear sanctuary. Back for the night market and a tofu-larb dinner.

🚌Shared tuk-tuk/minivan to Kuang Si ~£5 return

🛏Old town guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Living Land rice farming experience
• →Kuang Si Waterfalls & bear sanctuary
• →Luang Prabang night market

Optional 5.30am alms-giving (observe respectfully from a distance, or buy sticky rice from a licensed vendor). Walk Wat Xieng Thong (~£2) and Wat Mai, then ascend Phousi Hill for sunset over the Mekong. Sample Lao food at the morning market and Tamarind or Bamboo Garden — try or lam and sai oua sausage.

🚌Walking; short tuk-tuk hops ~£1-2

🛏Old town guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Wat Xieng Thong & Wat Mai
• →Mount Phousi sunset
• →Morning market food tour (self-guided)

Minivan or VIP bus over the mountains to Vang Vieng (~5-6 hrs, ~£10-13 booked the day before at any agency). Check in near the river, then hire a tube or kayak for a late-afternoon Nam Song float (~£5-7) or just watch the karst sunset from a riverside bar.

🚌Minivan Luang Prabang–Vang Vieng ~£12

🛏Riverside guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Nam Song River tubing or kayaking

Hire a bicycle or scooter (~£3-6) and ride the loop to Blue Lagoon 1/2 (~£2 entry each), Tham Chang cave, and the rice-paddy backroads. Adrenaline options: hot-air balloon at sunrise (~£75, book locally), ziplining or rock climbing (~£20-30 half-day with a local operator). Finish with a sunset viewpoint hike.

🚌Bicycle scooter hire ~£5

🛏Riverside guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Blue Lagoon & Tham Chang cave by bike
• →Rock climbing or zipline (optional)
• →Sunrise balloon ride (optional)

Morning bus to Vientiane (~3 hrs, ~£5-7). Afternoon self-guided loop of the capital: Patuxai (Victory Monument, free/£1 to climb), Pha That Luang (~£3), That Dam, and the COPE Visitor Centre (free, donation) — an important, moving exhibition on unexploded ordnance. Rent a bicycle or use Loca/tuk-tuk to link them up.

🚌Bus Vang Vieng–Vientiane ~£6; bicycle hire ~£2

🛏Budget hotel near the centre (~£12-18)

• →Patuxai, Pha That Luang, That Dam
• →COPE Visitor Centre

Easy day: French-colonial architecture along Samsenthai Road, Wat Si Saket (~£1), the morning market and coffee culture. Stroll the Mekong promenade at sunset and eat at a local restaurant with Beerlao. Sort out your Vietnam e-visa today if you haven't already (~£18-25, allow 3+ days).

🚌Walking; tuk-tuk hops ~£1-2

🛏Budget hotel near the centre (~£12-18)

• →Wat Si Saket & colonial architecture
• →Mekong promenade sunset walk
• →Apply for Vietnam e-visa

Fly Vientiane–Hanoi (~1h20, ~£70-110 one way on Lao Airlines/Vietjet/AirAsia — often cheaper than 20+ hours overland). Airport bus #86 or Grab to the Old Quarter (~£1-3). Evening wander the chaotic streets, Hoan Kiem Lake, and eat bun cha or pho at a plastic-stool stall (~£2-3). Book your Halong Bay overnight and Ninh Binh transport tonight.

🚌Flight ~£85; airport bus/Grab ~£2

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (~£12-18)

• →Hoan Kiem Lake evening walk
• →Old Quarter street food

Self-guided walk: St Joseph's Cathedral, Temple of Literature (~£2), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (free, morning only) and the Train Street viewpoint. In the afternoon join a small-group Hanoi street-food walking tour (~£20 via GetYourGuide) or do it yourself with a list of six classic dishes. Water puppet theatre tickets ~£4-6.

🚌Walking; Grab ~£1-2

🛏Old Quarter hostel or budget hotel (~£12-18)

• →Temple of Literature & Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
• →Street-food walking tour (optional)
• →Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Book a budget 1-night Halong or Lan Ha Bay cruise via Klook or GetYourGuide (~£110-150 for backpacker-standard junk with cabin, transfers, meals, kayaking and cave visit — cheaper if you book locally in Hanoi). Hotel pickup around 8am, board by midday, kayak and swim in the afternoon, sunset on deck and seafood dinner.

🚌Shuttle bus Hanoi–Halong included in cruise ~£0

🛏Overnight boat cabin (included in cruise price)

• →Halong/Lan Ha Bay overnight cruise
• →Kayaking and cave visit

Cruise breakfast and a morning tai chi or cave stop, disembark by 10-11am, then take a shared shuttle or local bus down to Ninh Binh (~3-4 hrs, ~£8-12). Check into a guesthouse near Tam Coc, hire a bicycle (~£1.50) and ride through rice paddies and limestone karsts at golden hour.

🚌Shared bus/shuttle Halong–Ninh Binh ~£10

🛏Tam Coc guesthouse (~£10-15)

• →Morning on the bay
• →Bicycle ride through Tam Coc paddies

Morning: Trang An Grottoes rowboat tour (~£8-10 ticket plus optional tip) — 2-3 hours gliding through caves under karst cliffs where Kong: Skull Island was filmed. Optional Hang Mua viewpoint climb (~£4) for the famous panorama. Evening: bus to Ninh Binh station for the Reunification Express night train to Dong Hoi (~9-10 hrs, soft sleeper ~£18-25).

🚌Train Ninh Binh–Dong Hoi ~£22

🛏Soft sleeper train (Ninh Binh → Dong Hoi)

• →Trang An Grottoes rowboat
• →Hang Mua viewpoint

Arrive Dong Hoi early, shared van to Phong Nha village (~£4). Stay at a farm-stay or hostel. Book a half-day Paradise Cave (Thien Duong) trip (~£15-20 including transport and entry) or a full-day Dark Cave zipline/kayak combo (~£30). Cycle the village lanes and riverside in the late afternoon.

🚌Shared van Dong Hoi–Phong Nha ~£4; cave tour transport included

🛏Phong Nha farm-stay or hostel (~£10-15)

• →Paradise Cave (Thien Duong) tour
• →Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park scenery
• →Cycling the village

Morning bus or shared van to Hue (~3-4 hrs, ~£8-10). Check in south of the Perfume River, then walk the riverside promenade and Dong Ba market. Book tomorrow's motorbike tour with a local Easy Rider-style guide (~£20-25) or just hire a scooter yourself (~£6).

🚌Bus Phong Nha–Hue ~£9

🛏Budget hotel in Hue (~£12-16)

• →Perfume River promenade
• →Dong Ba Market

Full day with a motorbike guide (or self-drive scooter): Imperial Citadel and Forbidden Purple City (~£4), Thien Mu Pagoda, Khai Dinh and Tu Duc tombs (~£3-4 each), and the incense-making village. Lunch at a bun bo Hue stall (~£2). Evening street food crawl near the river.

🚌Motorbike guide ~£22 or scooter hire ~£6 + fuel £1

🛏Budget hotel in Hue (~£12-16)

• →Citadel & Forbidden Purple City
• →Thien Mu Pagoda and royal tombs
• →Motorbike tour with local guide

The scenic option: hire a motorbike or take an Easy Rider one-way over the Hai Van Pass (~£25-35, 3-4 hrs with stops at Lap An Lagoon and Da Nang's Marble Mountains) — or the cheap route, a limousine bus (~£5-7, 3 hrs). Arrive Hoi An, check into a guesthouse in the old town, and walk the lantern-lit riverside after dark.

🚌Easy Rider motorbike ~£30 or bus ~£6

🛏Hoi An old-town guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Hai Van Pass / Marble Mountains
• →Hoi An Old Town lantern walk

Buy the Old Town ticket (~£5, five heritage houses/assembly halls) or just wander free lanes. Coffee at a riverside cafe, browse the market, and consider a tailor (turnaround 24-48 hrs, £30-80 per item). Evening: boat ride with lantern release on the Thu Bon River (~£3) and a cooking-class dinner or cao lau at a stall.

🚌Walking; bicycle hire ~£1.50

🛏Hoi An old-town guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →Old Town heritage ticket
• →Lantern boat ride
• →Cao lau and white rose dumplings

Cycle to An Bang or Cua Dai beach (~20 min), swim, and stop at the Marble Mountains on the way back. Afternoon Vietnamese cooking class (~£18-25, half-day, book direct with a local school or Klook) — market tour included. If you want to see My Lai Memorial, do it as a morning add-on (~£15 with transport).

🚌Bicycle hire ~£1.50

🛏Hoi An old-town guesthouse (~£12-18)

• →An Bang beach by bicycle
• →Marble Mountains
• →Half-day cooking class

Local bus or Grab to Quy Nhon/Bai Xep (~4-5 hrs, ~£8-12 by bus; Grab ~£25). Bai Xep is a tiny fishing village with a gorgeous beach — check into a simple beachside guesthouse or homestay. Optional stop at My Lai Memorial en route if you didn't do it yesterday (adds ~2 hrs, ~£10).

🚌Bus Hoi An–Bai Xep ~£10

🛏Beach guesthouse/homestay in Bai Xep (~£10-16)

• →Beach village arrival
• →Sunset swim

Do almost nothing: swim, snorkel the rocky coves, walk the fishing-beach, and ask a local fisherman to show you the coracle (round basket boat). Eat fresh seafood at a village restaurant for ~£4-6. This stretch of coast is far quieter than Hoi An or Nha Trang.

🚌Walking

🛏Beach guesthouse/homestay in Bai Xep (~£10-16)

• →Beach and snorkelling
• →Coracle boat lesson
• →Seafood dinner

Shared van to Dieu Tri or Quy Nhon station (~£3), then the Reunification Express south to Saigon (~10-12 hrs soft sleeper, ~£22-30 booked on dsvn.vn or 12go). Stock up on banh mi and fruit for the journey. If the overnight timing doesn't suit ask your guesthouse about a daytime bus instead (~£12-15).

🚌Van to station ~£3; sleeper train ~£26

🛏Soft sleeper train (Quy Nhon/Dieu Tri → Saigon)

• →Reunification Express scenic ride

Arrive early, drop bags at a District 1 hostel or budget hotel. Self-guided morning: War Remnants Museum (~£1.50), Independence Palace (~£2.50), Notre Dame Cathedral and the Post Office. Afternoon coffee at a rooftop cafe and browse Ben Thanh Market. Optional evening: AO Show at the Opera House (~£20-30).

🚌Walking + Grab ~£2

🛏District 1 hostel/budget hotel (~£12-18)

• →War Remnants Museum & Independence Palace
• →Ben Thanh Market
• →AO Show (optional)

Book a small-group Mekong Delta day trip to Ben Tre via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£20-30) — boat through coconut waterways, village workshops, honey tea, and a lunch of elephant-ear fish with folk music. Budget tours use minivans; a private guide is ~£50-70. Back in the city by evening for banh xeo and a rooftop beer.

🚌Included minivan pickup + boat

🛏District 1 hostel/budget hotel (~£12-18)

• →Mekong Delta boat trip (Ben Tre)
• →Coconut candy & honey workshops

Book a Giant Ibis or Mekong Express bus (~6 hrs, ~£15-20, direct booking online) — the border is handled by the bus company, but bring your Cambodia e-visa (~£25-32) or $35 cash for visa on arrival. Arrive early afternoon, then visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (~£8) and the Central Market. Khmer dinner near the riverside.

🚌Bus HCMC–Phnom Penh ~£18

🛏Riverside guesthouse/hotel, Phnom Penh (~£12-18)

• →Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda
• →Central Market

Shared minivan or local bus to Kampot (~3-4 hrs, ~£6-9). Settle into a riverside guesthouse, then hire a scooter or tuk-tuk to the salt fields and a pepper farm (~£3-5 entry with tasting) — La Plantation and Sothy's are both excellent. Dinner on the riverfront: fried shrimp with green Kampot peppercorns is the local classic (~£5-7).

🚌Minivan Phnom Penh–Kampot ~£8; tuk-tuk tour ~£6

🛏Kampot riverside guesthouse (~£10-16)

• →Kampot pepper farm & salt fields
• →Riverside seafood dinner

Bus to Sihanoukville (~2 hrs, ~£5), then the ferry to Koh Rong (~£10-12 return, 45-60 min, book with speed ferry operator at the pier). Check into a beach bungalow or hostel near Koh Toch village — simple fan rooms are £10-18, and a splurge with A/C is £25-35. Sunset swim and BBQ on the sand.

🚌Bus Campbell ~£5; ferry ~£12 return

🛏Koh Rong beach bungalow/hostel (~£12-20)

• →Speed ferry to Koh Rong
• →Sunset swim at Koh Toch

Boat trip to Koh Rong Samloem's Saracen Bay (~£10-15 shared boat or a day trip ~£20), or hike or take a longtail to Sok San waterfall and Long Set beach. Optional High Point rope park (~£15-20). At night, a plankton-swim tour (~£10-15 kayak/boat) is the highlight — the water glows when you move.

🚌Shared boat/longtail ~£12

🛏Koh Rong beach bungalow/hostel (~£12-20)

• →Koh Rong Samloem day trip
• →Sok San waterfall hike
• →Bioluminescent plankton night swim

Morning ferry back to Sihanoukville, then the bus to Phnom Penh (~5 hrs, ~£10-12). In the afternoon visit Tuol Sleng (S21) Genocide Museum (~£4) and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields (~£4) — take a shared tuk-tuk between them (~£8-10) and use the excellent audio guide. A heavy but essential day; keep the evening gentle.

🚌Ferry ~£6; bus Sihanoukville–Phnom Penh ~£11; tuk-tuk ~£9

🛏Riverside guesthouse/hotel, Phnom Penh (~£12-18)

• →Tuol Sleng S21 Museum
• →Choeung Ek Killing Fields

Slower day: Wat Phnom (~£1), the Russian Market for textiles and coffee, and a short Mekong river cruise at sunset (~£5). Optional living-arts performance or Apsara dance at the National Museum (~£8-12). Book tomorrow's bus to Siem Reap and your Angkor pass online tonight.

🚌Tuk-tuk hops ~£3

🛏Riverside guesthouse/hotel, Phnom Penh (~£12-18)

• →Wat Phnom & Russian Market
• →Sunset river cruise
• →Apsara dance (optional)

Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham bus to Siem Reap (~6 hrs, ~£12-16). Check into a guesthouse near Pub Street or Wat Bo, then watch sunset from Phnom Bakheng if you have an Angkor pass, or just wander the old market. Evening: Phare Circus (~£12-20, book online) — a genuinely good acrobatics and live-music show run by a social enterprise.

🚌Bus Phnom Penh–Siem Reap ~£14; tuk-tuk ~£2

🛏Siem Reap guesthouse (~£10-16)

• →Phare Circus performance
• →Old market and Pub Street wander

Buy the 1-day Angkor pass (~£30) online the night before. Hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day (~£15-18, arrange at your guesthouse) for the classic circuit: sunrise at Angkor Wat, Bayon's faces, Ta Prohm's tree roots, and Terrace of the Elephants. Or join a small-group sunrise tour via GetYourGuide (~£15-20 plus pass). Back for a Khmer curry and an early night.

🚌Tuk-tuk driver for the day ~£17; Angkor pass ~£30

🛏Siem Reap guesthouse (~£10-16)

• →Angkor Wat sunrise
• →Bayon, Ta Prohm & Angkor Thom

Last morning: Tonle Sap floating village (~£15-20 half-day) or a relaxed breakfast by the river before heading to Siem Reap airport (tuk-tuk ~£4). Buses to Bangkok (~£18-22), Phnom Penh (~£14) or Ho Chi Minh City (~£20) are easy if you're continuing overland.

🚌Tuk-tuk to airport ~£4

🛏—

• →Optional Tonle Sap floating village
• →Souvenir shopping at the old market