My 8-Month Itinerary Around Southeast Asia

From 2023-2024 I spent 8 months traveling around Southeast Asia.  My trip wasn’t perfect and I made many, many mistakes along the way; but overall my 8-month itinerary around Southeast Asia was a success.  If you’re curious about long-term travel or you’re entertaining a trip around Southeast Asia I’m sharing my exact guide with you along with what I wish I had done differently.

This post is written in the order of the countries that I visited (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Indonesia, Philippines).  You could also start in the Philippines and work your way backwards ending your trip in Vietnam.  Overall, I felt that the route itself was good and *if* I made a change, I would consider visiting Laos before Cambodia due to ease of flights.

When you look at my route, you’ll notice that there were several places I stayed longer than necessary.  Trust me when I tell you, when you travel long-term, you’re going to want to travel slowly to prevent burnout.

 

Vietnam

LENGTH OF STAY:  20 days | MONTH VISITED:  September

I kicked off my travels around Southeast Asia in Vietnam.  This felt like the best choice due to flight prices and the fact that they have two large international airports (in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City).  This was my route through Vietnam…

• Hanoi – 3 nights
• Sapa – 2 nights
• Ha Giang – 4 nights
• Ninh Binh – 4 nights
• Hoi An – 6 nights
• Hanoi – 1 night

What I would do differently…

• Skip Sapa (Ha Giang is similar and much better)
• Instead of flying out of Hanoi to Phnom Penh, I would have flown to Luang Prabang, Laos instead; or flown from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh

 

FAVORITE PLACE IN VIENTAM:  HOI AN | LEAST FAVORITE PLACE IN VIETNAM:  SAPA

 

If you’re planning to visit Vietnam, don’t miss…

• Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Trip to Vietnam
• The Ultimate Packing List for Vietnam
• How to Travel from Hoi An to Hue via the Hai Van Pass
• From Sa Pa:  Visiting Cat Cat Village – Is it Worth it?
• Everything You Need to Know About Hanoi Train Street
• Everything You Need to Know About Sleeper Buses in Vietnam

 

Cambodia

LENGTH OF STAY:  19 days | MONTH VISITED:  October

From Vietnam, I flew to Phnom Penh to kick off my travels in the center of the country (so I could easily travel both south or north).  This was my route through Cambodia…

• Phnom Penh – 3 nights
• Kampot – 5 nights + day trip to Kep
• Battambang – 4 nights
• Siem Reap – 1 week

What I would do differently…

• I would have stayed in Kampot for a shorter period of time
• I wish I had visited Koh Rong

 

FAVORITE PLACE IN CAMBODIA:  SIEM REAP | LEAST FAVORITE PLACE IN CAMBODIA:  KAMPOT

 

If you’re planning a trip to Cambodia, don’t miss…

• Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Trip to Cambodia
• The Ultimate 10 Day Cambodia Itinerary
• The Ultimate Cambodia Packing List
• 10+ of the Best Hotels in Siem Reap
• What You Need to Know About Visiting Angkor Wat
• Staying at Jaya House River Park in Siem Reap – The Best Hotel in Cambodia

 

Laos

LENGTH OF STAY:  27 days | MONTH VISITED:  October-November

From Cambodia, I flew into Luang Prabang.  This was my route through Laos…

• Luang Prabang – 8 nights + day trip to Kuang Si Waterfall
• Nong Khiaw – 4 nights
• Luang Prabang – 5 nights
• Vang Vieng – 5 nights
• Vientiane – 5 nights

What I would’ve done differently…

• I would have spent less time in Nong Khiaw & Vang Vieng
• I would have skipped Vientiane
• I would have spent more time in Luang Prabang
• I would have gone south to explore the “4,000 islands” region
• I would have planned further in advance to ensure I got a spot on The Gibbon Experience

 

FAVORITE PLACE IN LAOS:  LUANG PRABANG | LEAST FAVORITE PLACE IN LAOS:  VIENTIANE

 

If you’re planning a trip to Laos, don’t miss…

• Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to Laos
• The Best 1 Week Laos Itinerary
• The Best Packing List for Laos
• Everything You Need to Know About Visiting the Blue Lagoons in Vang Vieng

 

Thailand

LENGTH OF STAY:  27 days | MONTH VISITED:  November-December

From Laos, I flew to Bangkok.  This was my route through Thailand…

• Bangkok – 6 nights
• Khao Lak – 7 nights + day trip to Similan Islands
• Koh Lanta – 12 nights
• Bangkok – 2 nights

What I would’ve done differently…

• Skipped Khao Lak and did more island hopping instead

 

FAVORITE PLACE IN THAILAND:  KOH LANTA | LEAST FAVORITE PLACE IN THAILAND:  KHAO LAK

 

If you’re planning a trip to Thailand, don’t miss…

• The Best Packing List for Thailand
• Everything You Need to Know About Traveling to Thailand
• 10+ of the Best Hotels in Bangkok
• Staying at the Kimpton Maa-Lai Bangkok
• The Ultimate Guide to Phuket, Thailand
• The Ultimate Thailand Bucket List

 

Malaysia

LENGTH OF STAY:  38 days | MONTH VISITED:  December-January

From Thailand, I flew to Penang, Malaysia.  My Malaysia itinerary was a bit weird because it was the first country I didn’t need a visa and I had visitors come.  So with that being said, I repeated some things and stayed in the country much longer than I would have otherwise.  This was my route through Malaysia…

• Penang – 4 nights
• Langkawi – 2 weeks
• Kuala Lumpur – 5 nights
• Malacca – 3 nights
• Kuala Lumpur – 4 nights
• Cameron Highlands – 2 nights
• Taman Negara – 2 nights
• Penang – 4 nights

What I would’ve done differently…

• If I didn’t have visitors, I wouldn’t have repeated the route back up to Penang
• I would have skipped Langkawi and visited the Perhentian Islands instead
• I would have skipped Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara

 

FAVORITE PLACE IN MALAYSIA:  MALACCA | LEAST FAVORITE PLACE IN MALAYSIA:  TAMAN NEGARA

 

If you’re planning a trip to Malaysia, don’t miss…

• The Ultimate 7 Day Malaysia Itinerary – Malacca to Penang
• The Best Packing List for Malaysia
• 12 of the Best Tours in Kuala Lumpur
• Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Malaysia
• 10+ of the Best Hotels in Kuala Lumpur

 

Malaysian Borneo

LENGTH OF STAY:  19 | MONTH VISITED:  January-February

From mainland Malaysia, I flew to Sabah in Malaysian Borneo.  Borneo is an island that is occupied by three countries – Malaysia, Indonesia, and Brunei.  This was my route through Malaysian Borneo…

• Sabah – 10 nights
• Mabul Island – 4 nights
• Sabah – 5 nights

What I would’ve done differently…

• I personally was not a fan of Malaysian Borneo and would have skipped it if I went back and did it again; unless you love the jungle, animals, and/or diving – I would steer clear

 

FAVORITE PLACE IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO:  MABUL ISLAND | LEAST FAVORITE PLACE IN MALAYSIAN BORNEO:  SEMPORNA

 

Indonesia

LENGTH OF STAY:  44 days | MONTH VISITED:  February-April

From Malaysian Borneo I flew to Bali, Indonesia.  This was my route through Indonesia…

• Bali – 2 weeks
• Nusa Penida – 5 nights
• Lombok – 7 nights
• Gili Air – 13 nights
• Nusa Lembongan – 5 nights

What I would’ve done differently…

• I didn’t love Bali but stayed in the touristy parts (Canggu being the worst); if I went back I’d try to stay more off the beaten path in the northeast
• I would’ve cut my stay short in Nusa Penida (the island is very hard to get around) and stayed in Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan longer
• Overall, I wish I had stayed longer to explore more islands

 

FAVORITE PLACE IN INDONESIA:  GILI AIR | LEAST FAVORITE PLACE IN INDONESIA:  BALI

 

If you’re planning a trip to Indonesia, don’t miss…

• The Best Packing List for Indonesia
• The Ultimate 10 Day Indonesia Itinerary – Island Hopping Edition
• Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Indonesia
• 25+ of the Best Tours in Bali
• The Best Nusa Penida 2 Day Itinerary
• Staying at Nirjhara Bali – What You Need to Know
• How to Spend One Day in Ubud
• 12 of the Best Hotels in Bali

 

Philippines

LENGTH OF STAY:  40 days | MONTH VISITED:  April-May

From Indonesia, I flew to Puerto Princesa, Philippines.  This was my route through the Philippines…

• Palawan – 7 nights
• Cebu – 1 night
• Malapascua Island – 8 nights
• Bantayan – 5 nights + day trip to Virgin Island
• Cebu – 4 nights
• Bohol – 13+ nights
• Manila – 2 nights

What I would’ve done differently…

• The Philippines was actually my least favorite country in Southeast Asia, so overall I would not have stayed for as long

 

FAVORITE PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINES:  BOHOL | LEAST FAVORITE PLACE IN THE PHILIPPINES:  CEBU

 

If you’re planning a trip to the Philippines, don’t miss…

• The Best Things to Do in Panglao, Philippines
• The Best Packing List for the Philippines
• Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Trip to the Philippines
• The Ultimate El Nido Travel Guide

 

If you’re planning an extended trip through Southeast Asia, I hope that this helps guide your travels.  If you have any questions about traveling long-term or traveling Southeast Asia, let me know in a comment below!

 

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