Southeast Asia Travel Tips

Southeast Asia perhaps offers the best travel experience you could wish for, yet there are many ins and outs to be aware of if you want to enjoy your stay. Check out these tips for a hassle-free time.

Cost of Travel

  • Southeast Asia is cheap for travel and you could get by on as little as US$20 per day if you were on a tight budget.
  • Beware of the city states of Singapore and Brunei, which are more expensive than the rest of the region, as is Hong Kong, where hotels and food are around double the cost of the cheaper countries.

Eating Out

  • Sticking to street vendors or hawker stalls is the best way to save money when eating out in Southeast Asia.
  • Tipping is generally not expected unless you dine out at posh places.

Getting There and Around

  • Bangkok (Thailand), Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) are the main centers with the cheapest flights into the region.
  • Most countries in Southeast Asia require you to pay an airport tax with cash on the way out.
  • Get about by budget airline for the cheapest, fastest travel within the region. AirAsia is the most popular carrier.
  • Many Southeast Asian countries have rail networks, yet generally bus travel is faster and cheaper.
  • Try not to move around extensively during local festivals, particularly Chinese New Year.

How to Act

  • Dress conservatively when out and about, with shorts covering the knees and sleeves that cover shoulders. Singapore is fairly lax on dress although topless bathing is not the done thing anywhere in the region.
  • Remove shoes before entering temples, mosques, pagodas, and shrines.
  • Face-saving is very important in Southeast Asian culture therefore never intentionally cause a local to lose face and always keep your cool.
  • Be sure not to point your feet, either intentionally or unintentionally, at anyone.
  • Women should never touch a monk, but are permitted to talk to them.

Keeping in Touch

  • Use internet cafés as opposed to telephones to keep in touch.
  • Stick to dedicated internet cafés as opposed to those in hotels and restaurants. Some cafés and restaurants have free internet usage and Singapore has numerous wireless hotspots.

Money Matters

  • Get yourself clued up on the various currencies of the countries of Southeast Asia as it's easy to get confused and inevitably ripped off when exchanging money.
  • Have a backup of US dollars. Many Southeast Asian countries use US dollars as second currencies, or indeed as the main one.
  • Rates of exchange outside the region for Southeast Asian currencies are generally not as good as when you are here.
  • ATMs often offer better rates when drawing on your account back home so consider bringing your debit card with you.
  • Credit cards are not as widely accepted as in the west, but can usually be used to book hotels and for purchases in shopping malls.

Security

  • Most of Southeast Asia is safe, but avoid remote areas of Indonesia and Myanmar, and East Timor, where insurgency is known to exist. The southern provinces of Thailand are also unstable.
  • Violent crime in the region is rare but opportunistic theft is common. Don't give thieves any excuse to grab your bag.
  • Avoid taking pictures of military activity anywhere in Southeast Asia as it is forbidden in many countries.
  • Always carry a photocopy of your passport and leave the real thing in a hotel safe.

Shopping

  • When shopping in markets in Southeast Asia, never accept the asking price as you will be expected to barter.
  • Ask for tax back forms at participating stores when spending big to claim VAT back upon exit. The GST tax in Singapore is an example.

Staying Healthy

  • Although tap water is safe to drink in some Southeast Asian countries, like Singapore, stick to bottled water to be safe.
  • Traffic congestion is chaotic for much of the region so take special care when crossing roads and try not to drive at night.
  • Southeast Asia is hot year-round and you should keep yourself hydrated at all times by drinking lots of water.
  • Speak with your doctor before traveling to Southeast Asia on the risks of disease. Malaria and typhoid, for instance, are widespread.

What to Bring

  • Most items can be had in Southeast Asia although bringing known brands of sunscreen and tampons is recommended.
  • Bring waterproof clothing if traveling during wet season times. You'll need to research each country as monsoons hit at different times of the year depending on your latitude.

Where to Stay

  • All hotels in Southeast Asia require you to hand over your passport when checking in. Be sure to take it back after.
  • Never leave valuables in hotel rooms unless they have safes. Even then, using the main reception safe is a better bet for valuables.

Visas

  • Most countries in Southeast Asia, and particularly the main tourist ones - Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore Philippines - do not require travelers to have visas to enter for 30 days.
  • Indonesia, Cambodia, and Laos issue visas on arrival while Vietnam and Myanmar require you to have visas prior to entry.
  • Always retain any paperwork immigration places in your passport as you'll need this to check out of the country.