Bangkok to Bali: Southeast Asia Unfiltered — Self-Launched Edition

Land at Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang and get the Airport Rail Link (B45) then MRT/BTS or a Grab (B250–400) to a hostel near Khao San Road or Banglamphu. Check in, shower, and head out to Khao San for your first-night street food crawl — pad thai, mango sticky rice, and if you're brave, deep-fried scorpion. Remember to complete your Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online at least 3 days before you fly.

🚌Airport Rail Link + Grab/taxi, ~£6

🛏Hostel dorm near Khao San Road, ~£7–10

• →Khao San Road night out
• →Street food crawl

Get up early and self-book a longtail boat ride through the Thonburi klongs (~£12 pp shared, or book via Klook), then visit Wat Pho (£5) and the Grand Palace (£12). Grab lunch from a street cart, get a £6/hour Thai massage, then head to Hua Lamphong station for the sleeper train south. Buy a second-class sleeper berth to Surat Thani (~£20–25) at the station or via the D-Ticket app — book a few days ahead in high season.

🚌Overnight train Bangkok → Surat Thani, ~£22

🛏Overnight sleeper train berth

• →Thonburi canal longtail boat
• →Wat Pho & Grand Palace
• →Thai massage
• →Overnight sleeper train

Arrive at Surat Thani, grab breakfast at the station, then take a shared minivan or local bus to Khao Sok village (~^£7, 2.5 hrs). Check into a jungle guesthouse or basic lodge near the park entrance. Spend the afternoon hiking a marked trail in the national park or tubing down the river (~£9). Book a Cheow Lan Lake day trip for tomorrow through your guesthouse. Sleep to the sound of cicadas.

🚌Bus/minivan Surat Thani to Khao Sok, ~£7

🛏Jungle guesthouse/lodge in Khao Sok, ~£10–15

• →Khao Sok jungle hike
• →River tubing
• →Night in the rainforest

Do an early-morning Cheow Lan Lake tour (longtail boat through limestone karsts, floating raft houses, hike and swim, ~£25–30 booked through your guesthouse). Back to Khao Sok in the afternoon, then minivan to Don Sak pier (~£8) and the Seatran or Raja ferry to Koh Samui (~£6, 1.5 hrs). Check into a beach hostel in Chaweng or Lamai, catch sunset and hit the night market.

🚌Minivan + ferry to Koh Samui, ~£14

🛏Beach hostel on Koh Samui, ~£10–15

• →Cheow Lan Lake boat tour
• →Hike to Nam Talu cave area
• →Chaweng Beach sunset
• →Samui night market

Book an Ang Thong Marine Park day tour through Klook or your hostel (roughly £28–35 including lunch, snorkelling gear and the kayak option). You'll cruise 40+ islands, kayak through emerald lagoons, snorkel the reefs, and hike up to the viewpoint over the iconic inland saltwater lake. Back on Samui in the late afternoon — dinner on the beach.

🚌Included in tour

🛏Beach hostel on Koh Samui, ~£10–15

• →Ang Thong Marine Park boat tour
• →Snorkelling & kayaking
• →Viewpoint hike

Ferry back to the mainland, then take a shared minivan from Surat Thani/Donsak to Hat Yai (~£10) and on to the Sadao–Bukit Kayu Hitam border, crossing to the Malaysian side. From there a coach or minivan continues to Butterworth/George Town (~£6–8). Complete your Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online at least 3 days before this crossing. It's a long day — 10+ hours — so pack snacks and a good playlist. Arrive in George Town and check into a hostel in the heritage zone.

🚌Ferry + shared minivan + bus, ~£22

🛏George Town hostel, ~£8–12

• →Border crossing Thailand–Malaysia
• →Evening stroll in George Town UNESCO zone

A full day exploring Penang on foot. Hunt the famous street art murals around Lebuh Armenian, wander the Clan Jetties, and eat your way through char kway teow, assam laksa and cendol at the hawker stalls (Cecil Street Market is a good starting point). Optional: Penang Hill funicular (£10) for city views, or a Kek Lok Si temple visit. Cheap, walkable, delicious.

🚌Walking + local bus, ~£2

🛏George Town hostel, ~£8–12

• →Street art walking route
• →Clan Jetties
• →Hawker food crawl
• →Optional Penang Hill & Kek Lok Si

Take a local bus or shared minivan from Butterworth or Sungai Nibong to Kuala Kangsar (~£4–6, 2 hrs), then a short taxi to the lake. Book a village homestay on Chenderoh Lake direct (small local operators; ~£18 including dinner and breakfast) — the host family will show you how to tie a sarong, take you on a lake boat ride and teach you about village life. Sunset over the lake is the highlight of the trip.

🚌Bus/minivan + local taxi, ~£7

🛏Chenderoh Lake village homestay, ~£18 incl. meals

• →Lake boat ride
• →Village homestay evening with host family
• →Sarong-tying lesson

Early bus from Kuala Kangsar/ Ipoh up to Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands (~£6, 3 hrs — the winding road is half the fun). Check into a hill guesthouse, then walk one of the marked jungle trails (paths 1–10 from Tanah Rata) through mossy forest. In the afternoon visit a Boh tea plantation for a factory tour and a cup of tea with a view (~£5). Bring a fleece — it's genuinely cool up here at night.

🚌Bus to Cameron Highlands, ~£6

🛏Tanah Rata guesthouse, ~£10–14

• →Jungle trail hike
• →BOH tea plantation visit
• →Cool-climate evening

Morning coach down to KL (~£9, 4 hrs) to TBS bus terminal, then LRT into the city. Check into a hostel in Bukit Bintang or Chinatown. Try nasi lemak for lunch, wander the Central Market and Merdeka Square, then head to KLCC for sunset at the Petronas Towers and the free fountain show at 8pm. Rooftop bars on Changkat Bukit Bintang for a nightcap.

🚌Coach Cameron Highlands → KL, ~£9

🛏KL hostel, ~£8–12

• →Nasi lemak lunch
• →Petronas Towers at night
• →Bukit Bintang nightlife

Take the KTM Komuter train from KL Sentral to Batu Caves (~£1, 30 mins) — free entry, climb the 272 rainbow steps, dodge the monkeys. Back in the city, visit the Islamic Arts Museum (£3), the Orang Asli Museum (£1) or just soak in the chaos of Chinatown's Petaling Street. Evening: Menara KL Tower observation deck (£10) or a free wander round a night market.

🚌KTM Komuter + LRT, ~£3

🛏KL hostel, ~£8–12

• →Batu Caves
• →Islamic Arts Museum
• →Petaling Street night market

Bus from KL TBS to Melaka Sentral (~£6, 2 hrs). Check into a guesthouse near Jonker Walk. Take a Melaka River cruise (~£5) to see the old port from the water, then eat chicken rice balls at Kedai Kopi Chung Wah (expect a queue), walk the Peranakan shophouses, and visit A Famosa, St Paul's Hill and the Cheng Hoon Teng temple. Evening on Jonker Walk night market.

🚌Bus KL → Melaka, ~£6

🛏Melaka guesthouse, ~£9–13

• →Melaka River cruise
• →Jonker Walk & Chinatown
• →A Famosa & St Paul's Hill

Bus back to KLIA2 (~£8) and a budget flight to Yogyakarta with AirAsia or Batik Air (~£35–50 if booked ahead). Complete your Indonesia e-VOA (about £25) and All-Indonesia Arrival Card online before arrival. Check into a hostel in the Sosrowijayan or Prawirotaman area. Evening stroll down Jalan Malioboro for street food and batik shopping.

🚌Bus to KLIA2 + flight to Yogyakarta, ~£48

🛏Yogyakarta hostel, ~£8–12

• →Flight to Yogyakarta
• →Malioboro street food

Book a sunrise Borobudur tour through Klook or your hostel (~£25 including transport, or £18 entrance alone if you make your own way by local bus). Watch dawn break over the largest Buddhist temple in the world, then head to the Hindu temple complex at Prambanan in the afternoon (~£18 entrance). Back in Yogya for dinner — gudeg and nasi goreng are essential.

🚌Shared minivan/local bus, ~£6

🛏Yogyakarta hostel, ~£8–12

• →Borobudur sunrise
• →Prambanan temple complex

Morning flight from Yogyakarta to Denpasar (~£35 with Citilink/Lion Air), then a shared airport shuttle or Grab to Ubud (~£9, 1.5 hrs). Pay the Bali Tourist Levy (150,000 IDR / ~£8) online via the Love Bali system before you fly. Check into a guesthouse or hostel in central Ubud. Afternoon wander the Campuhan Ridge Walk, then dinner at a warung and catch a free Balinese dance rehearsal at the palace if you're lucky.

🚌Flight + airport shuttle, ~£44

🛏Ubud guesthouse, ~£10–15

• →Flight to Bali
• →Campuhan Ridge Walk
• →Ubud evening

Hire a scooter (£5/day) or use GoJek to explore. Start at Tegallalang rice terraces early (£2 donation), then the Tirta Empul water temple (£3, sarong included). In the afternoon visit the Pusat Kegiatan Perempuan (PKP) women's community enterprise in Banjar Selasih for a home-cooked lunch and herbal tea (~£10) — it's a G Adventures-supported project you can book into independently via their site or a local guide. Evening cooking class (~£20 via Klook) or a night out on Jalan Hanoman.

🚌Scooter rental, ~£5

🛏Ubud guesthouse, ~£10–15

• →Tegallalang rice terraces
• →Tirta Empul temple
• →PKP community lunch
• →Balinese cooking class

Book a Mount Batur sunrise trek through Klook or your guesthouse (~£30–40 including hotel pickup, guide, breakfast and hot springs stop — the G Adventures version includes a local hot spring soak too). 2am pickup, 2-hour climb in the dark, then sunrise over the caldera with breakfast cooked over volcanic steam. Descend, soak in the hot springs (~£5), and be back in Ubud by 1pm for a nap and a massage.

🚌Included tour pickup

🛏Ubud guesthouse, ~£10–15

• →Mount Batur sunrise trek
• →Volcanic steam breakfast
• →Kintamani hot springs

A true free day. Options: a North Ubud bike tour through villages and rice paddies (~£25), a Medahan Village family adventure with Balinese cake and a village walk (~£18), the Widya Guna Foundation spiritual tour to learn to make canang prayer offerings (~£15), or simply lounge by a waterfall (Tukad Cepung, ~£3 entry). Big night out in Ubud — cocktails on Jalan Raya Ubud and a live music bar.

🚌Scooter/GoJek, ~£4

🛏Ubud guesthouse, ~£10–15

• →Village bike tour
• →Medahan Village walk
• →Offerings workshop
• →Ubud nightlife

Early morning fast boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida (~£10 each way, 45 mins; book via Klook or at the harbour). Join a shared island tour or rent a scooter (£6/day) to hit Kelingking Beach, Angel's Billabong and Broken Beach. Add an afternoon snorkel trip to Manta Point (~£20) if you want to swim with manta rays. Head back to Sanur on the evening boat and overnight there, or continue directly to Nusa Lembongan on the same boat.

🚌Fast boat Sanur ↔ Nusa Penida, ~£20 + scooter £6

🛏Sanur guesthouse, ~£10–15

• →Kelingking Beach viewpoint
• →Angel's Billabong
• →Manta Point snorkelling

Fast boat or public ferry from Sanur to Nusa Lembongan (~£10, 30–45 mins). Check into a budget bungalow or guesthouse on Jungutbatu. Spend the afternoon at Dream Beach (small entry fee of ~£2) and watch the waves explode at Devil's Tear at high tide. Rinse off at Mushroom Bay and grab grilled fish at a beach warung for sunset.

🚌Fast boat Sanur → Nusa Lembongan, ~£10

🛏Nusa Lembongan guesthouse, ~£10–15

• →Dream Beach
• →Devil's Tear
• →Sunset beach walk

Rent a scooter (£5) and loop the island — the Yellow Bridge over to Nusa Ceningan is a highlight, along with the Blue Lagoon. Book a morning snorkelling trip to Manta Point and Crystal Bay (~£20 via Klook). In the afternoon take a mangrove forest kayak or boat tour (~£8) through the untouched mangrove channels. Evening BBQ on Jungutbatu Beach.

🚌Scooter + shared boat, ~£9

🛏Nusa Lembongan guesthouse, ~£10–15

• →Yellow Bridge & Blue Lagoon
• →Manta Point snorkel trip
• →Mangrove kayak

A flexible day. Options include a morning fishing trip with a local boatman from Jungutbatu (~£15, includes breakfast), a sunrise hike up to the island viewpoint, a surf lesson at Shipwrecks (~£25), or the Bulian-style cooking class through a local operator (~£20). If you'd rather do nothing, claim a hammock and stay there. Sunset cocktails at a clifftop bar.

🚌Walking/scooter, ~£3

🛏Nusa Lembongan guesthouse, ~£10–15

• →Local fishing trip
• →Surf lesson
• →Island viewpoint hike
• →Clifftop sunset

Boat back to Sanur (~£10), then Grab to Ubud (~£12) or Canggu (~£15). Use the day to shop for last-minute souvenirs, book a final massage (~£10), and eat a proper babi guling at a local warung. Or if you've still got energy, do the Uluwatu temple & Kecak fire dance show (~£12 + £8 entry) via Klook for a classic Bali finale.

🚌Fast boat + Grab, ~£22

🛏Ubud or Canggu guesthouse, ~£12–16

• →Souvenir shopping
• →Balinese massage
• →Optional Uluwatu Kecak dance

Depending on your flight time, relax at the guesthouse or do a final beach walk before heading to Ngurah Rai International Airport. If you're flying from Ubud, allow 2 hours minimum; from Canggu, 1 hour. Grab to the airport is roughly £8–12. Make sure your Bali Tourist Levy QR code is saved on your phone and your e-VOA is sorted — then board the plane with 3+ weeks of stories.

🚌Grab to Denpasar airport, ~£10

🛏—

• →Final breakfast
• →Airport transfer