Planning a trip to Asia…where to start

Here you will find my top tips on how to plan your first trip to my favourite continent. Its by no means comprehensive but it’s a starting point and a little guide on what to look at.

I’m going to assume it’s your first time in Asia and start with a few different places you could choose and what you get. I’m no expert at all but again you can get an idea of a few places. A lot of people ask me where to start so I thought this would be a fitting first post on Asia.

I am going to assume you have at least 2 weeks. You can absolutely have shorter and longer is always preferable but my ideal is just over two weeks assuming you are taking normal leave. In this time you could see 2-3 places and not feel the flight too badly. I always go for a flight that stops as 1. It’s cheaper and 2. It breaks things up for the kids and I. Again you can of course fly direct this is just my preference. Our favourite airline is Emirates as they are so amazing for kids….I’ve had good flights with Oman Air, Ethiad and Qatar airways too and they are always reasonable.

So budget…. If you fly with these airlines you can expect to pay between £350 and I’d say £480 per person, if you have an infant you will normally pay around £80 until they are 2 but obviously on your lap which can be hard going as they get older and kids you can expect to spend 80-90% so I just budget full price. Most of these airlines you can get a free stopover in the cities you change at, so Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Muscat when you book directly with the airline.

I would allow £50-£150 PP for internal flights assuming you want to see 2-3 places in your trip. Use Skyscanner for internal flights but I’d strongly reccomend using AirAsia, they are cheap, reliable and pretty safe. In Asia you can get the grab taxi app which is similar to Uber, hire scooters and use public transport as it usually safe, cheap and efficient (I’m talking more trains boats and metros rather than busses as these tend to be slow, hot and crowded).

Accomadation is completely scalable depending on what you want so I won’t go into that just now but you can get some amazing digs for very small prices.

I would say as a very rough guide you can get 2 weeks for around £650-£850 per person. You can get by on very little in Asia and actually to jump from 2 to say 4 weeks will only cost you a little less.

Beaches like this are worth a long flight….

Next…….where to go? I’ve popped an overview below so you can get a feel for different places.

Thailand. I’m starting with my favourite country everrrr! I love Thailand as a starting point as everyone is so friendly, it’s safe, amazing for kids, the food is amazing and there’s everything. Go if you love: Amazing beaches, ethical wildlife experiences, mountains, rice paddies, culture, history, shopping, Temples, sports…..basically everything. It’s also slightly more western and developed which normally I hate but Asia is a massive culture shock if it’s your first time and this is a gentle introduction. Don’t go if: I don’t know on this one, maybe if you want something completely different?

Bangkok, Thailand

Cambodia Cambodia is a country I struggle with quite a bit. I’ve been a couple of times now and still not sure how I feel. The Cambodian people have had it rough….like so rough and whilst I think it’s important we learn about the history I find I’m the sort of person that once I’ve heard somebody’s story I can’t stop thinking of them. I’m also not a massive fan of the food but there’s some really awesome places to eat in Siem Reap. Go if: you are a temple lover and/or history buff, love artisan crafts and somewhere a little raw (you have to see Angkor Wat it’s an easy trip from Bangkok and you can do a couple of days). Don’t go if: you are sensitive or interested mainly in food…as I said there are some lovely restaurants but there are more foodie destinations.

The incredible Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodian

Vietnam I would put Vietnam between Thailand and Cambodia. It’s slightly less developed than Thailand but more so than Cambodia. It is so diverse, hectic and the roads are insane. Go if: you like eclectic cities, beautiful scenery, mountains, fusion style food, amazing coffee and cafe culture this is for you. I feel like it’s a Euro/Asia mix which is no surprise given the French and American occupations. Don’t go if: you can’t cope with crazy driving, hectic cities and if you want perfect beaches. (There are nice beaches but not like other points in Asia)

Hoi An old town Vietnam

Hong Kong. Perfect for: city dwellers, shoppers, foodies, Disney fans, anyone wanting to learn about Chinese culture but needing the security of an English speaking population, there’s also some amazing scenery, afternoon tea, glitzy hotels, dim sum, beautiful hills/mountains and green spaces. Don’t go if: you can’t cope with city chaos. It is very densely populated so can feel hectic, there are a lot of cockroaches (which I had no idea about) and in certain areas it felt a bit seedy at night for me. Also if you are on a strict budget, the food and transport is cheap but accommodation is much pricier that SE Asia. I think you need to be a fan of big cities for this one.

Hong Kong views

Japan. Consistently tipped as one of the best countries to visit Japan is an amazing country. Also known for being really expensive, you can totally do it on a budget (there’s a Tokyo post coming your way) but it’s obviously a lot more pricey than SE Asia. It’s often thought to be very futuristic but actually the balance of modern and old fashioned is incredible. Go if: you love technology, Pop culture, amazing food, beautiful forests, tea culture, bright lights, robots, outdoor spaces, beautiful design and efficiency. Don’t go if: you are on a tight budget, get chlostraphobic (the indoor spaces are tiny) and if you want beaches…there’s beautiful Okinawa and the south but again you get more bang for less buck in SE Asia again.

Yoyogi park Tokyo

Malaysia….where do I start. One of my favourite places in the whole world. There’s something for everyone, less touristy than a lot of countries mentioned but everywhere is English speaking and super easy to navigate. It’s so underrated and vast so I will mention a couple of places. Go if you want any of the following: Langkawi-beautiful beaches and resorts Penang-for incredible food, street art and coffee Kuala Lumpur- great views, Batu caves, free stuff with kids, amazing Chinese food, cheap city living. Sandakan (Borneo) for wildlife experiences Malacca-for culture, heritage and amazing buildings Ipoh-infamous for coffee, culture and incredible food (top of my list for my next visit) Cameron highlands-for beautiful mountains and tea plantations.

Petronas towers Kuala Lumpur

That’s by no means a comprehensive list but some of the amazing treasures in Malaysia. I have never been somewhere so diverse, within 5 minutes you can see a mosque, church, Hindu and Buddhist temple. The food is Indian, Chinese and Malay with a bit of Portuguese and even British, all the signs are in English and the architecture is a mix between British and then Asian. It is unbelievably interesting and really cheap. You could do a 2-3 week tour of here alone or an individual trip combined with another country.

The famous street art In Georgetown Penang

Indonesia Again, so large and vast. I will start with the inevitable Bali……I have a love hate with Bali, it is beautiful. The first Place in Asia I visited, I got engaged there, the people are wonderful but also it’s getting super commercial and the money doesn’t feed back into the community that much. Go if: you love diving (also see the Gillis and Lombok), Love arts and crafts-it’s incredible, love yoga, cheap massages, healthy (slightly hipster) food, shopping, nature, extreme sports, partying, lovely people and party towns. Don’t go if: you like somewhere quiet or somewhere not touristy/off the beaten path. (They call bali Ibiza for Aussies).

Balinese temple

Sumatra-the home of the orangutans. Need I say more? Go if: you are an animal lover, a nature lover, want to trek and see beautiful scenery. Don’t go if: you have small children, want expensive/posh resorts (expect basic lodgings) want foodie or beach destinations.

There’s also Java (volcano central), Komodo (the island of dragons, chaotic Jakarta, the stunning diving of West Papua and so many other amazing places.

Burma (Myanmar) It’s seen a lot of turbulence recently, I know a lot of folk have been put off by that but I really think it’s important to support the people out there in such times. Go if: you want to see the dreamy temples you find on the old gram. Obviously there’s way more to it than that but it’s a perfect weekend trip from somewhere familiar like Bangkok. Don’t go if: you want city, beach or animal experiences.

Singapore A classic on any traditional backpackers route. I feel like Singapore is a Dubai meets Kuala Lumpur. It’s got that British feel (because it was colonised by the British) with the Chinese and Indian influences of KL but the glitz and glamour of Dubai. I did love it at the time even though the humidity is unreal and the gardens are just incredible but I feel there are places offering better value. If you have the chance to stop off go! I wouldn’t do a special trip. Go If: you want to see an incredible botanical garden, want a melting pop of culture, western style theme parks and zoos, glitzy hotels-Marina Bay Sands is THE best place I’ve ever stayed, beautiful shopping, great Indian food, family friendly experiences and very cheap tiger balm. Don’t go if: you are on a budget….it ain’t cheap, you don’t want traditional touristy things, are a nature/beach lover.

Ok so that’s a start……There’s also; South Korea, Taiwan, China, Laos, the Philippines, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka. I’ve started with the countries I think are the easies/have a lot to offer but obviously some of these may be on your list.