Contributed by Lakwatserang Hampaslupa
Planning this entire trip is totally overwhelming. The excitement intensifies once you discover new places to go in the course of your planning. Imagine… 5 countries in 10 days, a total of 6,970 miles. You have to list all the places you want to go, taking into consideration the time allocated in each destination. What you need in this kind of trip is intense research and well of course — a budget, minimal but a conservative one.
People tell me that this trip is impossible. With just 25k? But what can I say? It’s one hell of a budget trip! We really made the most of our resources to fully cram most of the cities’ key highlights. So in this post, I will share with you an overview of our itinerary, breakdown of expenses and some snapshots of our trip. Ready? Here it goes…
Also read: Backpacking Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos & Thailand: 11-Day Itinerary & Cost Breakdown
Day 1: Cebu > Manila > Kuala Lumpur
- Flight to Manila (There are direct flights from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur. We opted this setting because the direct flights don’t fall on our desired travel dates. So I bet you can still save further if you’re from Manila or you choose the direct flights.)
- Flight to Kuala Lumpur
- Slept in KL airport (Slept in the airport since we arrived in KL at around 1 am. So, we just have to wait ’til morning to officially start our adventure.)
Day 2: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Bus from KL airport to KL Sentral
- Shower and breakfast in KL Sentral (plus locker for baggage)
- Batu Caves
- Lunch
- National Mosque, Merdeka Square, KL City Gallery, Petronas Towers
- Dinner, shopping
- Back to KL Sentral to get things, then to airport
Inside Batu Caves
National Mosque of Malaysia
Batu Caves
KL City Gallery
Petronas Towers
Day 3: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
- Flight to Ho Chi Minh (early morning)
- Check-in hostel (Vintage Hostel Saigon- they allowed us to take a shower even if our check-in time is still 1 pm)
- Breakfast/Lunch
- Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Central Post Office, Reunification Palace, Saigon Opera House
- Dinner, shopping
Notre Dame Cathedral
Saigon Opera House
Day 4: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Breakfast
- Bus to Phnom Penh (approximately 6 to 7 hours)
- Lunch
- National Museum of Cambodia, Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda
- Dinner
- Sleeper bus to Siem Reap
Royal Palace of Cambodia
National Museum of Cambodia
Also read: Perfect Southeast Asia Backpacking Routes for Filipino Couples
Day 5: Siem Reap, Cambodia
- Check-in hotel
- Breakfast/Lunch
- Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Ta Phrom (I really wished to explore more temples and experience the beautiful sunrise but we lacked time. So, better allot 2 or more days in Siem Reap in your future travels)
- Dinner
The Crew
Ta Phrom
Angkor Wat
Bliss Villa
Day 6: Bangkok, Thailand
*Not part of our destination but just a connecting city to our next stop— PHUKET!
- Bus to Bangkok, approximately 7 to 8 hours (some of my friends took a flight to Bangkok; bus is cheaper though)
- Breakfast/Lunch
- Khao San Road (chilling time while waiting for our flight)
- Dinner at Don Muang airport
- Flight to Phuket
- Check-in hotel
Khao San Road
Pad Thai Street Vendor
Day 7: Phuket, Thailand
- Breakfast
- Wat Chalong, Big Buddha
- Lunch
- Patong Beach
- Dinner
Wat Chalong
Patong Beach
Big Buddha
Day 8: Phi Phi Islands, Thailand
- Breakfast
- Khai Nai Island, Monkey Beach
- Buffet lunch at Ton Sai Bay, Phi Phi Don (included in the package)
- Viking Cave, Loh Samah Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Maya Bay
- Dinner
- Bangla Walking Street
One hell of a ride
Ton Sai Bay, Phi Phi Don
Pileh Lagoon
Maya Bay
Day 9: Singapore
Since it’s already my second time in SG, I opted to go to places that I wasn’t able to visit before. Note that you’ll spend more if it’s your first time, assuming you’ll spend time in Universal Studios and other attractions in Singapore.
- Breakfast
- Early morning flight to Singapore
- Check-in hostel
- Lunch
- Haji Lane, Chinese Gardens
- Dinner
Haji Lane
Japanese Gardens
Chinese Gardens
Day 10: Singapore
My friends went to Universal Studios but I took a trip to Pulau Ubin with my sister.
- Pulau Ubin tour
- Stayed in airport; waiting for the 3 am flight bound to Cebu
Cycling in Pulau Ubin
Hazy Pulau Ubin
So now, let’s talk about the damage done to my wallet. Summarised below is the breakdown of expenses.
| Pre-booked Flights and Transportation (used the rate that was charged by the credit card company) | in ₱ |
| Cebu, PH to Manila, PH (Cebu Pacific Air) | 499.00 |
| Manila, PH to Kuala Lumpur, MY (Cebu Pacific Air) | 2,001.50 |
| Kuala Lumpur, MY to Ho Chi Minh, VN (Air Asia) | 957.83 |
| Ho Chi Minh, VN to Phnom Penh, KH via bus (www.giantibis.com) >> $19.00 | 904.76 |
| Phnom Penh, KH to Siem Reap, KH via sleeper bus (www.giantibis.com) >> $16.00 | 761.90 |
| Siem Reap, KH to Bangkok, TH via bus (www.bookmebus.com) >> $19.00 | 904.76 |
| Bangkok, TH to Phuket, TH (Air Asia) | 258.19 |
| Phuket, TH to Singapore, SG (Air Asia) | 1,085.10 |
| Singapore, SG to Cebu, PH (Cebu Pacific Air) | 2,876.00 |
| Subtotal | 10,249.04 |
Pre-booked Accommodations and Tours (used the rate that was charged by the credit card company) |
|
| Vintage Hostel Saigon (Vietnam for 1 night with free bfast) | 348.60 |
| Bliss Villa (Cambodia for 1 night) | 169.50 |
| Asialoop G-House (Phuket for 3 nights) | 739.13 |
| i.Stay inn (Singapore for 1 night with free bfast) | 723.50 |
| Phi Phi Islands Tour Package (http://www.phukettoursdirect.com/phi-phi-islands-tours.html) >> ฿1,400.00 | 1,966.00 |
| Subtotal | 3,946.73 |
| Exchange rates used below: | |
| MYR = 11.46 | |
| VND = 0.0021 | |
| USD = 46.60 | |
| THB = 1.35 | |
| SGD = 34.20 | |
| Day 1: Cebu > Manila > Kuala Lumpur (Currency: PHP) | |
| Transpo to airport | 35.00 |
| Food and drinks | 107.00 |
| Travel tax | 1,620.00 |
| Subtotal | 1,762.00 |
| Day 2: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Currency: MYR) | |
| Airport to KL Sentral (bus) >> RM11.00 | 126.06 |
| Shower plus locker in KL Sentral >> RM8.00 | 91.68 |
| Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner >> RM30.95 | 354.69 |
| Train rides >> RM10.30 | 118.04 |
| Miscellaneous (souvenirs) >> RM30.00 | 340.80 |
| KL Sentral to airport (bus) >> RM11.00 | 126.06 |
| Subtotal | 1,160.33 |
| Day 3: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (Currency: VND) | |
| Taxi to hostel >> ₫36,000.00 | 75.60 |
| Lunch/Dinner >> ₫100,000.00 | 210.00 |
| City Transpo >> ₫25,000.00 | 52.50 |
| Miscellaneous (souvenirs) >> ₫115,000.00 | 241.50 |
| Subtotal | 579.60 |
| Day 4: Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Currency: USD) | |
| Lunch/Dinner >> $5.67 | 264.22 |
| Day 5: Siem Reap, Cambodia (Currency: USD) | |
| Transpo to hotel >> $ 1.00 | 46.60 |
| Admission fee to temples >> $ 20.00 | 932.00 |
| Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner >> $ 8.50 | 396.10 |
| Tuktuk plus guide >> $ 12.50 | 582.50 |
| Miscellaneous (souvenirs) >> $ 12.00 | 559.20 |
| Subtotal | 2,563.00 |
| Day 6: Bangkok, Thailand (Currency: THB) | |
| Tuktuk to bus terminal >> $ 1.67 | 77.82 |
| Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner >> ฿190.67 | 257.40 |
| Miscellaneous >> ฿83.33 | 112.50 |
| Taxi to airport >> ฿126.67 | 171.00 |
| Subtotal | 618.73 |
| Day 7: Phuket, Thailand (Currency: THB) | |
| Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner >> ฿190.00 | 256.50 |
| Van (phuket tour) >> ฿300.00 | 405.00 |
| Subtotal | 661.50 |
| Day 8 : Phi Phi Island, Thailand (Currency: THB) | |
| Environmental fee >> ฿400.00 | 540.00 |
| Breakfast/Dinner >> ฿213.33 | 288.00 |
| Miscellaneous (souvenirs) >> ฿400.00 | 540.00 |
| Subtotal | 1,435.50 |
| Day 9: Singapore (Currency: SGD) | |
| Transpo to airport >> ฿162.50 | 219.38 |
| Lunch/Dinner >> SG$ 14.00 | 478.80 |
| Miscellaneous (train rides) >> SG$ 10.00 | 342.00 |
| Subtotal | 698.18 |
| Day 10: Singapore (Currency: SGD) | |
| Lunch/Dinner >> SG$ 14.00 | 478.80 |
| Miscellaneous (train and boat rides, bike rental in pulau ubin) >> SG$ 20.00 | 684.00 |
| Subtotal | 1,026.00 |
| Grand Total | 24,987.52 |
Also read: Backpacking Southeast Asia: 7 Great Destinations to Kickstart Your Adventure
Is this trip worth every penny? Hell yeah! Being able to achieve almost all that was planned is mind-blowing. Travel details, insights and tips in every country will be posted soon. Thanks for reading!
