Southeast Asia forum

Intrepid82

At 32 posts, you have asked heaps of questions and seen lots of replies.

I get the feeling that worry is starting to plague you.

On other posts, I've given you advice as to how to travel without a tour company. That is, on your own.

My first suggestion here would be to stop worrying.

It matters little where you first land in SE Asia. Everything will be so amazingly confrontational: if YOU will allow it to be confrontational. You won't know the language, you'll not have a clue about transport, you'll have never heard of the places on maps, etc., etc..

Once your head comes to terms with the fact that you are not the first person to have done what you are doing, I suggest you'll be able to cope. Why would you be so different to all the other first time backpackers? And, they coped OK!!!

I assume you'll have a good travel guide. I use Lonely Planet, but there are others (go look at this Travelfish page).

One important aspect of the travel guide is that you will be heading for places that everyone else has on their itinerary. So, on one hand you will be meeting loads of other backpackers. On the other hand, you'll not necessarily be experiencing the local culture in the local (or 'natural') setting. On this topic, try reading this.

Once you get out of the major city, be it Bangkok, SaiGon, etc., you will find yourself staying at places with other backpackers. This is especially so if you use Travelfish as your accommodation guide. I also suggest that you will be talking to other backpackers and you will get loads of advice about places to stay, places to see, things to do (and not do), etc.. The essential issue here is that YOU ask questions of others. Put simply YOU start the conversation going.

There will be times when you meet another backpacker and the two (or more) of you will join for a while to do/see/visit/etc.. Others do, so why shouldn't you?

As for finances, elsewhere on Travelfish, people have asked and I'd suggest that generally, if you don't spend like a millionaire's wife, then somewhere in the range of US$20-25/day will see you enjoy comforts and be able to travel at leisure. But, you can do it for less.

You are not starting out too late in life. My 'beginning' was decades later than your beginning will be.

I suggest the only problem you will experience is your own mental attitude.

Please, stop worrying, and go and see SE Asia for as long as time/finances will allow, and have fun doing it.

Cheers