Exploring the best places to travel solo in Southeast Asia offers a perfect mix of adventure, culture, and connection. From Thailand’s vibrant streets to Vietnam’s scenic landscapes, solo travelers can enjoy safety, affordability, and unforgettable experiences. Discover why these are the best places to travel solo in Southeast Asia.
Everything that I did the budget-wise, the route, the accommodation, the food and drink, and all those fun. Activities, so here we go.
Why Southeast Asia is a Great Starting Point
So if you’ve not traveled before Southeast Asia is probably the best place
to start traveling as it is cheap and it’s a great starter place, then going to somewhere like India
which can be quite intimidating, or South America, Southeast Asia is easy to get around if as
long as you speak English, which you probably do as you’re listening to this, then you can get by
It’s so easy because most people tend to speak English, so you’re gonna be all right.
Starting the Banana Pancake Trail
Anyway, let’s start with the fruit. The best route to get around Southeast Asia is, well, the first bit is called the Banana Pancake Trail, which you may or may not have heard of. Banana Pancake Trail is basically around Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, which are the four main countries in mainland Southeast Asia.
Basically, you fly into Bangkok, Thailand, you go around north of Thailand, you go around Lao, then into Vietnam, down Vietnam, and then into Cambodia, and then to the Thai islands. And this is called the Banana Pancake Trail.
Why the Banana Pancake Trail is Perfect for Solo Travelers
Do this, it is the best place if you’re a solo. Travel, you will meet so many other people who are traveling around there, and you’ll likely be
able to travel with people for a long time because so many people do this room it is like the most common route in backpacking in the world, I think I’m not 100% sure on that anyway.
Traveling to the Philippines
From the Thai islands, I recommend flying to the Philippines. The Philippines is
Like nowhere else, there are thousands of islands, and it is beautiful and recommended to go
there because it’s not as touristy at the moment, but it’s gonna it’s gonna blow because this place
white beach is everywhere, you almost get bored of those white beaches.
Exploring Indonesia Beyond Bali
From the Philippines, I recommend you fly into Indonesia, into Jakarta, and then travel along the bottom islands of Indonesia through Java, Bali, Lombok, and Flores. I spent almost three months in Indonesia, and I feel like I could spend another six months there because it is stunning. Indonesia is more than just Bali, but Bali’s nice, still go to Bali, get that Bali experience you’re dreaming of. I know it.
Malaysia and Singapore: The Final Leg
So, from Indonesia, fly to Malaysia and Singapore. Not as many people travel around Malaysia, but it is an amazing country. I only went to Kuala Lumpur, but there are other places that you can go, which are supposed to be nice in Malaysia, like Penang and Langkawi. There’s also the Perhentian Islands, which are a cool place if you want to scuba dive and all that stuff.
Then finish—the best place to finish is probably Singapore because it is such a big airport and a stunning place. It’s got a botanical garden in there, so check that out. Singapore is amazing. Just spend about three or four days in Singapore, but it’s a great place to finish a trip because from Singapore Airport, you can fly to most places in the world. It is a great transport hub to get around the world. If you’re going home or going somewhere else, get yourself to Singapore and get yourself out—or you probably want to stay by this point.
Trip Duration Advice
The time to do this route is probably at least six months if you are doing the full route. But if you were just doing the Banana Pancake Trail with Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, you can do that in easily two or three months. Um, but if you want to do it all, probably six months at least, looking towards nine months. But of course, you could go on for a year or two. There are always more places to explore.
Accommodation Tips for Southeast Asia
So now let’s have a look at the accommodation—where you’re going to stay every single night on the floor. Now, the best place to stay is hostels, especially if you’re solo traveling, because that is the place to meet people. Hostels are the place to be. That’s where all the young people are—all the wild, young, free, energetic people, and that’s where you want to stay.
Although it’s not always the cheapest option, I found using Agoda, Booking.com, and Hostelworld that sometimes staying in guesthouses or private rooms was actually cheaper than staying in hostels. So do your research, see what’s best for your budget, and all of that.
Getting Around Southeast Asia
The next thing I’m going to talk about is transport. So, transport—there are lots of ways of doing it. You could spend hundreds of pounds flying everywhere, or you could go super local and make it really, really cheap. It just depends on your budget and the amount of time you have. If you’re taking flights every place you go, it’s going to get so expensive. But there’s always a cheaper way of doing it.
If you take local buses, local trains, you can get around Southeast Asia for so cheap. One place which is kind of expensive, though, is the Philippines, as you can take ferries, which are still fairly expensive. But flights are the way to go around the Philippines because there are so many islands and you’ve got to get across them.
But you can get around most countries just through buses, trains, all that kind of stuff. So, go local if you want to save money. A free way of getting around Southeast Asia is hitchhiking—I did this a couple of times, and it was fun, even though I had to wait quite a while.
Conclusion:
The best places to travel solo in Southeast Asia offer a perfect blend of adventure, culture, and friendliness, making it easy and enjoyable for solo travelers to explore. Whether you prefer bustling cities, tranquil beaches, or scenic mountains, this region has something for everyone looking to travel independently.
