Self-Launched Southeast Asia: Bangkok, Pattaya, Singapore & Bali in 11 Days

Fly into Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK). Skip the airport taxi: take the Airport Rail Link to Phaya Thai (~60 THB / £1.40) then the BTS Skytrain to Saphan Taksin, or book a Grab for ~350–450 THB (£8–10). Check into a riverside/old-town hostel or budget hotel near Khao San or Silom. Spend the late afternoon walking Chinatown (Yaowarat) at dusk when the street-food stalls fire up — grilled seafood, kuay jab noodles, mango sticky rice — then loop back via the riverside for a first look at Wat Arun lit up. This replaces the group arrival transfer and hotel check-in day.

🚌Airport Rail Link + BTS ~£1.50, or Grab ~£9

🛏Hostel dorm or private budget room, Old Town/Silom (e.g. Once Again Hostel, Lub d Silom) — ~£10–16

• →Yaowarat (Chinatown) street-food crawl
• →Riverside walk / Wat Arun views at night

Do the tour's Bangkok sightseeing day independently, and cheaper. Start at Wat Traimit (Temple of the Golden Buddha, 40 THB entry) near Hua Lamphong, then walk 10 minutes to Pak Khlong Talat flower market — best before 9am when the wholesale trade is in full swing. Take the Chao Phraya Express boat (orange flag, ~16 THB) south to Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen to see the giant emerald glass stupa (free entry, donation appreciated). Return north and finish with sunset at Wat Arun or a riverside beer. For the optional dinner cruise the operator sells at US$69, book a public Chao Phraya dinner cruise or hop-on ferry + riverside restaurant for ~£12–18 instead.

🚌Chao Phraya Express boat day pass ~£1.50; Grab hops ~£4

🛏Same hostel/budget hotel, Bangkok — ~£10–16

• →Wat Traimit (Golden Buddha)
• →Pak Khlong Talat flower market
• →Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen
• →Chao Phraya river ferry ride

Take the BTS to Ekkamai and catch a public air-conditioned bus from Ekkamai Eastern Bus Terminal to Pattaya (~2–2.5 hrs, 120–150 THB / £3). Check into a Jomtien guesthouse — Jomtien is quieter and better value than central Pattaya. Afternoon: climb Phra Tamnak Mountain viewpoint for the bay panorama, then swim at Jomtien Beach. Evening: walk the Jomtien night market for cheap seafood. Skip the operator's Gems Gallery showroom stop (a commission-driven sales pitch) and instead book the Alcazar Cabaret yourself via Klook if you want it — tickets start ~500–700 THB (£12–17) vs the operator's US$65 dinner package.

🚌BTS + Ekkamai–Pattaya public bus ~£4; songthaew around town ~£1

🛏Jomtien guesthouse or budget hotel — ~£14–20

• →Phra Tamnak Mountain viewpoint
• →Jomtien Beach
• →Jomtien night market
• →Optional: Alcazar Cabaret Show (self-booked)

Walk to Bali Hai Pier and take the public ferry to Koh Larn (~30–40 mins, 30 THB / £0.70 each way). Rent a scooter (~250–300 THB / £6–7) or take a songthaew around the island's beaches — Tien, Samae and Nual are the best swimming spots. Bring your own snorkel mask or rent on the beach (~150 THB). The group tour's boat trip is essentially this same island, so you're replicating it for a fraction of the price. Alternative for the operator's optional Elephant World (US$135): the genuinely ethical, well-reviewed option is Elephant Nature Park-style sanctuaries near Kanchanaburi or Chiang Mai — Pattaya elephant venues are best avoided; put the saved money towards Day 7 in Singapore.

🚌Public ferry to Koh Larn ~£1.40 return; scooter rental ~£6

🛏Jomtien guesthouse, Pattaya — ~£14–20

• →Koh Larn beaches (Tien, Samae, Nual)
• →Snorkelling from the beach
• →Island viewpoint

Hire a scooter or take a songthaew (~15–20 mins from Jomtien) to Khao Chi Chan — the giant gold-leaf laser-etched Buddha image on the cliff face (free entry). On the way back you can stop at a walking street or a local market. Then catch a public bus back to Ekkamai (~£3). The operator includes a 'Royal Latex Research & Manufacturing Center' visit — that's a sales showroom, so skip it. Back in Bangkok, spend the evening at a rooftop bar or the Rot Fai night market for dinner. Note: instead of the operator's included flight, many DIY travellers take the overnight sleeper train Bangkok–Butterworth or a cheap flight to Singapore — see Day 6.

🚌Songthaew ~£1.50; Pattaya–Bangkok bus ~£3

🛏Hostel/budget hotel, Bangkok — ~£10–16

• →Khao Chi Chan (Buddha Mountain)
• →Bangkok night market dinner

Fly Bangkok to Singapore on a low-cost carrier (AirAsia, Scoot, Thai Lion — book 3–6 weeks ahead for £40–70 one way; the tour's price included this flight, so it's a real cost to budget). From Changi take the MRT to your hostel in Lavender/Kampong Glam/Jalan Besar (~S$2.50 / £1.50) — the tour's V Hotel Lavender area is well connected and backpacker hostels cluster right there. Evening: explore Kampong Glam and Haji Lane, then eat at a hawker centre — Maxwell, Old Airport Road or Tekka Centre — for £5–7 a meal.

🚌Budget flight ~£55; MRT from Changi ~£1.50

🛏Hostel dorm, Lavender/Kampong Glam (e.g. Betel Box, Fisher BNB area) — ~£18–30

• →Kampong Glam & Haji Lane
• →Hawker centre dinner (Maxwell or Tekka)

Self-guided walk replicating the tour's city day, almost entirely free. Start at the Padang and loop the Civic District: Parliament House, Supreme Court (now National Gallery) and City Hall, all viewable from outside and beautifully photogenic. Walk to Merlion Park for the skyline shot, then cut through Chinatown (Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is free) and finish in Little India for a banana-leaf lunch (~£6). Optional paid add-ons: Gardens by the Bay Supertree Observatory or Cloud Forest (~S$12–32 via Klook) or the Singapore Botanic Gardens (free). Evening: Southern Ridges or Clarke Quay for a drink.

🚌MRT/bus day (~£4)

🛏Hostel dorm, Singapore — ~£18–30

• →Civic District walk (Padang, Parliament, Supreme Court, City Hall)
• →Merlion Park
• →Chinatown & Buddha Tooth Relic Temple
• →Little India
• →Optional Gardens by the Bay

Fly Singapore to Denpasar (Scoot/AirAsia, £50–80 one way booked ahead). From DPS airport take a Grab or Bluebird taxi to Jimbaran (~£5–8) or, for a cheaper base, head to Kuta/Legian hostels first. Check in, then spend the afternoon at Jimbaran Beach — swim, watch the fishing boats, and stay for the sunset. Jimbaran's famous grilled seafood is pricey on the beach strip; walk one street inland for warungs serving grilled fish for £4–6. The operator's Fox Hotel Jimbaran equivalent locally is a mid-range hotel; a guesthouse 5 minutes from the beach costs a third of the price.

🚌Budget flight ~£65; airport transfer ~£6

🛏Jimbaran/Kuta guesthouse or hostel — ~£12–20

• →Jimbaran Beach sunset
• →Warung seafood dinner

The tour's standout Bali day, done independently. Two options: (1) Book a small-group Bedugul–Jatiluwih day tour on Klook/GetYourGuide for ~£22–30 including hotel pickup — this covers Pura Taman Ayun, Bedugul market, Lake Bratan and Ulun Danu temple, and the Jatiluwih terraces with far cheaper entry than a private car; or (2) hire a scooter (~£5/day) and drive yourself, paying entry fees: Taman Ayun ~50,000 IDR, Ulun Danu ~75,000 IDR, Jatiluwih ~50,000 IDR. Walk the Jatiluwih rice field loop (about 1.5–2 hrs) and read up on the Subak irrigation system — a UNESCO World Heritage irrigation cooperative — on the interpretation boards. Bring a rain jacket; Bedugul sits at 700–1,400 m and is noticeably cooler.

🚌Small-group day tour ~£26 or scooter rental ~£5 + fuel £1

🛏Jimbaran/Kuta guesthouse — ~£12–20

• →Pura Taman Ayun
• →Bedugul market
• →Ulun Danu Beratan temple
• →Jatiluwih rice terraces walk
• →Subak irrigation learning

Book the equivalent of the operator's US$79 full-day excursion yourself via Klook or GetYourGuide at ~£25–32 — it covers the Barong & Keris dance, Gunung Kawi rock-cut shrines, Kintamani/Mount Batur crater views and Tegalalang. Or DIY: take a Grab/perama to Ubud (~£8–12 from Kuta) and stay a night in a Ubud homestay, then hire a driver for the day (~£30–35 split between two, or £18 for a shared small-group tour). Barong dance tickets ~100,000 IDR (£5); Gunung Kawi ~50,000 IDR; Tegalalang ~50,000 IDR. Lunch at a warung with a valley view, not the tourist-strip restaurants. If you'd rather not overnight in Ubud, this can be done as a day trip and you return to Kuta/Jimbaran.

🚌Small-group day tour ~£28 or private driver ~£32 split

🛏Ubud homestay (or Jimbaran guesthouse if returning) — ~£12–18

• →Barong & Keris dance performance
• →Gunung Kawi rock-cut temples
• →Kintamani & Mount Batur crater views
• →Tegalalang Rice Terraces
• →Optional: Ubud Monkey Forest or Campuhan Ridge walk

Early walk on the Campuhan Ridge or a morning at the Ubud art market and a coffee stop (Bali's coffee culture is worth a slow hour). If you have time, the Tirta Empul water temple or a short spa/ massage (£6–8) is a good last-day treat. Take a Grab or pre-booked shuttle to Ngurah Rai (DPS) — from Ubud allow 1.5–2 hrs and £12–16 for the transfer, or use the Perama shuttle (~£6). The operator charges extra for a Bali departure transfer; a Grab is straightforward and much cheaper. Depart, or add extra days in Bali independently for £10–20 a night rather than the operator's US$60/night extension rate.

🚌Grab/Perama shuttle to DPS ~£6–16

🛏None (departure day) — or extend in a Ubud/Kuta guesthouse at ~£12–18

• →Campuhan Ridge walk
• →Ubud art market
• →Optional Tirta Empul temple or massage