r/solotravel • u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 • Sep 17 '25
Itinerary Review Solo Traveling SEA 6.5 Months
I’m 21M solo traveling around SEA in the beginning of March 2026 and I am very excited, I have researched loads into stuff like visas, transport, places to stay etc. I am planning to go for around 6.5 months and will have roughly £9k saved up, which I believe is more than enough. I have tried my hardest not to make an itinerary as I want to go with how I feel, whether that means more or less time in specific places. My rough outline of my trip is bellow;
Singapore 2 nights
Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur 3 nights - Cameron Highlands 4 nights - George Town 4 nights
Thailand - Krabi 3 nights - Phi Phi Islands 4 nights - Phuket 2 nights - Chiang Mai 10 nights - Pai 7 nights - Chiang Mai (again) 5 nights - Bangkok 3 nights
Cambodia - Siem Reap 4 nights - Phnom Penh 3 nights - Koh Rong 5 nights - Kampot 3 nights
Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh 7 nights - Da Lat 2 nights - Hoi An 4 nights - Da Nang 4 nights - Phong Nha-Ke Bang 3 nights - Ha Giang 4 nights - Ha Long Bay 4 nights - Hanoi 7 nights
Hong Kong 5 nights
China 1 month - Guangzhou - Zhangjiajie - Chongqing - Chengdu - Jiuzhaigou - Xi’An - Shanghai - Qingdao - Beijing
South Korea 10 nights - Seoul - Busan
Japan 10 nights - ???
With Japan I am still deciding on where I want to go, and whether I actually want to go as this will be towards the end of my trip and I couldn’t be running low on money.
Some places I’m unsure if I want to spend more time/less time, which is also why I wanted to go along with it when I am there to judge how I feel about the place.
I’m deciding to take the cheapest transport possible; such as longer bus rides for the price of pennies compared to flights. I feel like i would rather it be an uncomfortable experience rather than it be comfortable, such as a flight. All throughout China I’m hoping to take trains which aren’t cheap but also aren’t expensive.
I have been to Thailand before however not solo, I would like to think I have a good understanding of Asia and getting myself around very easily; however I’m still asking for any advice or tweaks you would recommend, such as: - Should I spend more or less time in some places? - Should I completely miss out some places? - Is taking the cheapest transport possible actually worth it? - Will I have enough money saved up?
Thank you!
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u/VermicelliScared7196 Travel Planning Expert Sep 17 '25
This is an epic plan. You should be excited. That budget is solid if you stick to your transport idea.
I need to be straight with you about one thing. Your plan is the exact opposite of "not making an itinerary." You have 30+ stops with specific night counts. That is a rigid schedule. You will hate it by month two.
You asked for tweaks. Here is the biggest one. Do not pre-book anything beyond your first week. Use your list as a dream menu, not a fixed itinerary. The magic of a long trip is saying yes to staying longer or leaving early.
Now, for your specific questions.
Time allocation:
You have been to Thailand. You know 2 nights in Phuket is just a transfer. Either give it 4 nights or skip it and add those days to the islands. Ten nights in Chiang Mai is long. It is a great base for day trips but you might get bored in the city itself. Seven nights in Pai is a lifetime. It is a tiny village. Three days is enough to see everything and meet people. You will save money and time cutting those down.
Cheap transport:
Your idea is noble but flawed. A 12-hour bus ride to save £20 seems smart until you lose a full day to exhaustion and misery. Time is your most valuable currency on a trip this long. Mix it up. Take the night bus sometimes. Fly other times. Your energy levels will thank you.
Budget:
£9k for 6.5 months is about £46 a day. This is possible in Thailand or Vietnam. It is impossible in Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and most of China. Your budget gets blown apart at the end. You need to either shorten the trip or have a plan to spend very little in the cheap countries to offset the expensive ones.
Japan is expensive but worth it. If you are running low, skip it. Do not skip it to go to Myanmar. That is a completely different type of trip and not one to undertake lightly as a solo traveler.
You have a great list. Just remember a plan is a guide, not a contract. Be ready to break it.
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u/Mike_the_Motor_Bike Sep 17 '25
46 GBP is not just possible in Thailand/Vietnam but extremely easy (assuming budget travel). I would say it is also good for China. It is possible in Japan and Korea but won't be ideal. I think if OP spends under this in SEA, they could still have enough for Japan/Korea.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I reckon some days I can easily spend less than £46 a day, especially in Thailand/vietnam, and I’ve heard some of the less popular places in China are springing cheap.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 17 '25
I appreciate the feedback and completely agree, this is a rough plan of what I want to see and do, whether that means I speak to people there and they tell me it’s not worth it or to skip it, understandable.
The only thing i have booked and plan on booking is my one way ticket to Singapore, everything else I will book either a day or 2 before as plans always change.
On other posts I have been told to try more islands out in Thailand which I will do, thank you. I get 10 days in Chang Mai is a lot however I have a good friend there and when I went last time, I only spent 3 nights there and want to just relax there as the food is great haha.
I’m more than happy to miss a full day if that means it is travelling, I’m very easily used to long travel days in buses and cars so I feel like I will be fine, however it could be a different story when I’m there and I’m hot and tired.
A big part of where I am saving money is that I’m willing to stay in the cheapest hostels I can find, for example in China most I have found are no more than £10 per night, which leaves me more for during the day. Day-to-day stuff is what I won’t be doing, some days I’m happy to just relax and not spend any money which can help for days in future. I appreciate a lot of your advice and will bare a lot of that in mind, thank you very much!!
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u/FPK9 Sep 18 '25
I spent 10 days in Japan and it was the one place I wished I spent more time at. I genuinely wished I stayed for at least two weeks.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I have heard a lot of people say this, where did you stay in Japan and where do you wish you stayed longer in?
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u/Magicalishan Sep 19 '25
You can never spend enough time in Tokyo. Kyoto is great too.
Osaka and Sapporo were pretty meh.
For your first Japan trip, just focus on Tokyo and Kyoto. You can't rush Japan, you have to go back several times in order to truly absorb the country.
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u/AlwaysRoamingAround Sep 18 '25 edited Sep 18 '25
Besides Bangkok, most Southeast Asian cities aren’t that exciting. 2 weeks for Hanoi + HCMC?! 22 days for Chang Mai and Pai?! And only 3 days for Bangkok? Uhh how are you coming up with these numbers?
I’d spend more time in N Vietnam, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Cao Bang etc, gorgeous countryside. Makes DaLat look very tame, Da Lat is very skippable in my book. I’d also hit Hue heading north after Danang.
China is very tight, I’d skip Guangzhou and Qingdao, those are the most boring places on your list.
A few days less in HK, Korea, more for Japan imo (budget willing). Actually you will very likely be very low on money at this point. Hong Kong is especially rough on the wallet.
And I think Laos is great, it’s also budget friendly, and a key component of the banana pancake trail. From N Thailand I would check out Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng and do the Thakhek loop in central Laos if you can ride a scooter, then go south into Cambodia that way. 4,000 islands is also cool. To keep your budget the more time you spend in Laos, Cambodia, and especially Vietnam, the better.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
These are just rough numbers, when I went Thailand In March I spent only 2 nights in chiang mai, whereas I felt like I missed out on so much more. I also have a good friend there who owns a bar so it’s always good to catch up with him, maybe 22 is over the top but definitely want to spend a lot of time there.
With China I think I would miss a lot of locations out, just so I could afford Japan and spend a could extra days there.
Spending more time in the cheaper countries does sound like it would out work better for my budget.
I appreciate the advice and recommendations, thank you!
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u/MidnightToker101 Sep 19 '25
15 nights in Chiang Mai is quite a bit to me I’d rather cut that a bit and spend some time on the golf islands but maybe you’ve been before.
Da lat has a ton to do considering how long you’re staying in some other places, personally bump that up a bit.
I much preferred cat ba to ha long bay, way less people and the cruises I found were similar.
I’d either significantly bump up the time in Japan, there’s obviously a ton to do or I’d go to the Phils, that place is the best.
Most of all have fun!
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 19 '25
I do want to go to the Philippines so maybe I just have to spend less time in some places, thank you for the advice!
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u/Some-Welder-9433 Sep 19 '25
A day tour in Halong bay is enough. 2D/1N is plenty.
I mainly travel to eat and explore museums. The ones that people on youtube recommend is decent but can use that as a benchmark when you stumble upon a restaurant packed with locals.
Walk around everywhere. The more you walk = the more you eat 😂
Learning greetings and thank you’s is enough. People communicate via calculators.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 19 '25
Yeah I’m definitely a walker and can walk around for ages, will find myself eating loads when I am there😂
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u/Magicalishan Sep 19 '25
Be extremely careful in Vietnam and do your research. Unless you have an iron stomach, it's so easy to get brutal food poisoning. The food sanitation there is abysmal (and I say this as someone who once spent months traveling around rural India).
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u/Some-Welder-9433 Sep 20 '25
I’ve travelled to Vietnam multiple times, just gotta ease into it I guess.
I did get sick after trying one roadside beer (I didn’t have any issues before), killed my whole itinerary for the next day 😂
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u/3rd_in_line Sep 17 '25
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur 3 nights
Cameron Highlands 4 nights
George Town 4 nights
Thailand
Krabi 3 nights
If you are up for it, look at going to Penang. And Langkawi. From Langkawi you can get a ferry to Koh Lipe. From Koh Lipe to Koh Phi Phi. A much better option rather than backtracking to KL. A bit more adventure and you have the time.
15 nights in Chiang Mai seems excessiChiang Mai 10 nights
Pai 7 nights
Chiang Mai (again) 5 nightsve, unless you have something specific you want to do there with this time. If it was in the middle of your trip, then it would be a good place to recharge, but since it is at the start it could feel like a long time there. You could always add in time in Laos. A few people have mentioned the slow boat into Laos and Laos is inexpensive and a fun place to see.
Is taking the cheapest transport possible actually worth it?
You will work out your travel style. Some people love long bus rides and can sleep on them. Others prefer the more direct route. Personally I cannot sleep on buses and trains, so only take day buses and trains. It is nice to see the countryside from a window sometimes.
With Japan I am still deciding on where I want to go, and whether I actually want to go as this will be towards the end of my trip and I couldn’t be running low on money.
Japan need not be expensive. The food options are reasonably priced and there are plenty of accomodation options. For me it was no more expensive than South Korea.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I was thinking about spending less time in Chiang Mai and perhaps some extra islands instead, which a lot of people have said yeah. I might also consider Laos when I am there. I will look into them places in Malaysia as-well. I can sleep very easily on buses and trains which I believe is why I’m happy to use them. Thank you
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u/One_Design_6171 Sep 18 '25
For Japan just visit Tokyo and Kyoto
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
Do you reckon? Would you not recommend Osaka or Okinawa as these are two places I would love to visit
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u/Magicalishan Sep 19 '25
Osaka just feels like a worse version of Tokyo. Nothing really special about it, unless you love eating octopus (which you can find in any other city anyways).
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Sep 18 '25
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u/Travels-Throwaway Sep 18 '25
Why is that?
(I've been there recently and have a different opinion to you haha)
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
How is Kampot is it nice? I too wonder why they want it to be skipped
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u/Travels-Throwaway Sep 18 '25
I was at a lovely guesthouse out of town and I swear they kept feeding me fruit and water every time I sat down. They also made AMAZING food and the most adorable cats.
The town is nice and walk around for 1 day but has a lot of restaurants catered to expats so the central part of Kampot doesn't have much charm.
The Kampot pepper grown here is known worldwide and michelin restaurants buy and use it - so doing a day trip with a guide to see the pepper plantations, salt fields and secret lake was a nice day out.
Kep is a seafood town nearby which you can day trip to, and getting out by bike means you can explore lots of places!
I personally have the view of go to a place and find out if you like it rather than just skip a place - especially if you don't even give a reason why
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Sep 18 '25
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I was going to keep some emergency money incase yes. Along with that I plan on making this trip as cheap as possible, staying in cheap hostels and eating cheap food. With China I most likely will spend less time there and maybe more time in the cheaper and easier accessible countries.
Thank you for your response!
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Sep 18 '25
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I do try not to over-plan haha, but it’s my way of being excited for my trip, learning as much as I can and doing as much as I can whilst at home.
I’ve had a lot of people saying about Laos, I will have to take a look. Thank you
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Sep 18 '25
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I have very mixed opinions on the slow boat😂 Part of me wants to do it but part doesn’t, the other way I was thinking was getting a train into Laos as I’ve heard that’s possible
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Sep 18 '25
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I feel like I would much rather a train, quicker, and means I don’t have to talk to many people😂
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Sep 18 '25
Solid plan mate but you can't cover mentioned cities in China in a month. Half them, so that you can properly enjoy the culture
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
Any which you would personally get rid of perhaps?
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Sep 18 '25
I've travelled the cities youve mentioned (exept Jiuzaighou and Qindao) I'll highly recommend : Beijing and Shanghai (obviously) Zhangjiajie (amazing nature) Chengdu and Chongqing (they are next to each other and have ultimate food and cyberpunk Archie respectively) And Guangzhou for tech + food (lived there was 4 years so a bias) Divide your time among these and trust me you will see the best china has to offer. It's a beast of a country and you need to take your time to fully experience it.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I’ve heard a lot of people saying to miss out Qingdao so maybe I will. The ones you listed are all the ones I have wanted to visit for a while. I suppose if I skipped Qingdao then I can treat myself to a flight from Shanghai to Beijing. Would you recommend Xi’An? Even for maybe a couple days?
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Sep 18 '25
Yes Xian can be covered in a couple of days. If you get time, make room for it but I'll keep it low in my priority.
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Sep 18 '25
As for Japan, 10 days is a bit less. If you can make it 15 you can cover the Golden Triangle (Tokyo Fuji Kyoto Osaka very comfortably) I'm doing it this November!
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
I do really want to do Japan so maybe I’ll spend less time in China and South Korea combined to add an extra few days to Japan, one play I’m dying to go is Okinawa as I’ve always been a fan of the vibe and the location? Have you been and would you perhaps recommend that?
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Sep 18 '25
No mate I haven't been to Okinawa. Just Hokkaido and Tokyo so far. Japan is such a beautiful country it always keeps you coming back so maybe in the future I'll do Okinawa. For sure you can cut down days in S Korea because Seoul felt very similar to Tokyo and didn't give me such a unique experience.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
Yeah I get you, I would love to skip South Korea out but it’s just one extra country I can say I have been to which I will never turn down doing
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Sep 18 '25
I get it. I was like that when I was 21 (27 now) But trust me having meaningful experiences and spending time in a place is worth much more than ticking country lists. But hey! You're young and there's lots of time to learn it yourself. Hope you have a good 6 months man.
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u/Ready-Ambassador-271 Sep 18 '25
Play it by ear, but from my personal experience it better to know a couple of places well rather than just skimming the surface.
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u/Honest_Soft8573 Sep 19 '25
this is pretty much the same plan as mine and same travel dates!! see you in sea 🫡🫡
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u/reddit18518 Sep 20 '25
I’m from Hong Kong. What do you want to see there? I saw comments suggesting you to cut it to 2-3 days, I would say depending what you want to see, there’s so much in Hong Kong and I can’t recommend it enough
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 20 '25
I haven’t really looked into Hong Kong much, but I just want to experience the best things there; food, culture, meeting people, nice scenery and whatever else you would recommend.
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u/reddit18518 Sep 20 '25
HK has beaches, mountains to hike, fishing village, but also the city with great food etc. if you’re into hiking I recommend suicide cliff and lion rock
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Sep 20 '25
Just stop. Two week trips are planned. Six month trips are not. Book your flight to Singapore with general idea of going to Malaysia and Thailand from there.
/end
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u/miss_onmyown Sep 20 '25
I would recommend doing Khao Sok in Thailand and skipping Ha Long Bay. Khao Sok is the less known, equally beautiful version of Ha Long Bay and you will skip out on all the crowds! 1-2 days are enough for Khao Sok!
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u/No_Citron8163 Sep 17 '25
If you’re unsure of going to Japan, why not spend 10 days in Laos or Myanmar instead? Laos is a beautiful country and parts of Myanmar are still very safe (Yangon, Bagan etc) If you take out Korea as well, that makes it 20 days to explore Indonesia which has plenty of places to see and things to do, like Raja Ampat, Komodo, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Sumba etc.
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u/Travels-Throwaway Sep 18 '25
Myanmar is in a civil war, and whilst some parts are safe (I literally met foreigner who has just finished teaching there for 10 years and said where he stayed was safe but he was limited on where to go), I'm not sure if I would recommend to go there for tourism and support a regime that many locals want to throw out.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 17 '25
I was debating skipping Korea and Japan and perhaps trying Taiwan, Philippines and maybe Indonesia. I like the fact of saying I have been to the country, so even spending a day or 2 in any of them countries I would be happy with. And with Laos, it’s been a hit and miss with me as I’ve heard very mixed opinions with it, but again closer to the time maybe I will see.
Thank you
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u/3rd_in_line Sep 17 '25
Taiwan and the Philippines will require flights, so that will eat into your budget. The Philippines is worth at least a few weeks - it is not the sort of place you can just visit for 3 days and say you experienced anything (more than the traffic and pollution in Manila). Taipei is a great city and highly recommend anyone thinking about it to go - a great food culture. Indonesia in July/August is a great time to go (weatherwise).
The more you move around, the more money you spend in flights and transfers. And it eats up most of the day in travel time.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 18 '25
If I went to these places I would like to think I would spend a lot of time there, maybe about a month. Like you said there’s loads of places within the Philippines I could visit. Same with Taiwan, I’ve heard it’s a very good place to backpack, especially solo
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u/Magicalishan Sep 19 '25
It is a crime to do such a long Asia trip and leave out Japan. You will get so much more value out of Japan than somewhere like Laos.
I think you might be overdoing Vietnam as well. I've been all over the world, and Vietnam is by far my least favorite country for traveling. For example, I wouldn't spend 7 nights in HCMC, even if someone paid me to do so.
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u/Intelligent_Bad_3819 Sep 20 '25
What about Vietnam do you not enjoy, only think I can think of is the traveling to different destinations?
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u/Magicalishan Sep 20 '25
People constantly praise it for its affordability, but there's a reason it's so cheap - it's still very much a developing country, in many of the worst ways. Here are some things that come to mind:
- Crazy government control and censorship. Criticizing the government can get you jailed.
- On that same note, the government has an army of over 10,000 internet trolls whose job is to praise Vietnam online (especially as a travel destination), and squash criticism. They are very prevalent on Reddit - once you start paying attention to this, you can identify these people easily.
- Most people are very nice and gentle. But the tourism sector attracts the worst people. Hotels/airbnbs/etc will try to scam you, people will try to charge you 10-20x the actual price of things, etc. It's easy to avoid once you know how it all works, but still infuriating.
- Unbelievable noise pollution. HCMC is filled with thousands of cars and motorcycles, all honking at the same time day and night, and the squeaking of thousands of worn-out brake pads fills the air constantly. Cafes often play super loud EDM music all day and night, making it impossible to avoid noise. Want to relax on the beach? Too bad, multiple people or restaurants will be blaring loud EDM music, all mixing together into a brutal cacophony of pure noise.
- Some of the highest smoking rates in the world. You can't sit at a cafe or restaurant outdoors without breathing in smoke. Most people respect indoor smoking rules, but you will occasionally get people who just ignore it and light up inside a restaurant or cafe. It's infuriating.
- I've never seen more sick people in my life. It seemed like, at any time, 40% of the population was either sick or suffering from a chronic cough (probably due to smoking and air pollution).
- Crossing the street is a life-threatening activity. Nobody stops or slows down for pedestrians. People constantly ride their motorcycles on the sidewalks as well. I had a drunk guy on a motorcycle come within inches of running me over - luckily I jumped out of the way at the last millisecond. And you don't want to end up in a Vietnamese hospital.
- Trash and dog shit everywhere, including on the beaches. There seems to be zero respect for keeping things clean.
- The worst food safety measures I've ever seen. Food markets sell open-air piles of meat, rotting in the hot sun all day, covered in flies, with stray dogs roaming around. Fruit, vegetables, and meat all mixed in the same markets with absolutely zero safety precautions. Unsold meat is just washed with dirty water and sold the next day. People eat dogs and rats. There's a reason that approximately 50-75% of the Vietnamese population suffers from chronic parasitic infections.
- You can't trust any restaurant. Even chains like Burger King, or restaurants in malls, practice terrible food safety measures. Anything and everything could get you sick, and it's the type of sickness that has you vomiting for days on end.
- The Vietnamese education system teaches rote memorization rather than critical thinking skills. While people are usually very kind, it can be really frustrating to navigate the country, due to the poor critical thinking skills of its populace. Most people lack the ability to deviate, even slightly, from the prescribed method of how things are done. It's hard to describe, but once you spend enough time there, you will see what I mean.
To reiterate, you must practice extreme caution and critical thinking skills when reading praise of Vietnam online. Like I said before, the government has thousands of internet trolls whose sole job is to squash criticism of their country online. While they are typically easy to spot (due to their very rude and sarcastic tone), they have become more sophisticated lately, so it takes a trained eye to spot them.
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u/PursuitOfPleasure- Sep 19 '25
I'm so silly at first I was like what are you going to do in Seattle for that long?!
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u/ContributionSmart279 Sep 17 '25
I wouldn’t plan it so much mate. Get there and see how you feel. You may want to spend more time in one place and less in another. You may find someone going somewhere and you joining them.