Southeast Asia: Bangkok, Laos & The Cardamom Mountains — Self-Launched

Fly or bus into Siem Reap and check into a budget guesthouse near Pub Street or Wat Bo. Rather than a private transfer, grab a tuk-tuk from the airport (fixed ~$5/£4) or use a Grab moto. If you want the community angle, the Lady Tuk-Tuk drivers cooperative can be booked directly for airport runs. Evening: wander the Old Market, eat fish amok at a local Khmer kitchen (~£3) and get your bearings. Pick up a Cambodian SIM (Smart/Metfone, ~£2 with data) on arrival.

🚌Airport tuk-tuk ~£4; walking in town

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel dorm or private room near Wat Bo — £8-14

• →Old Market wander
• →Khmer dinner on Pub Street
• →Book Angkor sunrise ticket for Day 3

Book a half-day Khmer cooking class (GetYourGuide or direct with a local school like Le Tigre de Papier) including a guided market visit — ~£20-28. You'll shop for fresh herbs and cook amok, lok lak and a curry. Afternoon: choose a sunset bike ride through Chreav and surrounding villages (bicycle rental ~£1.50/day) or a boat trip to Kampong Khleang Floating Village (shared boat ~£15-20), the quieter alternative to Chong Kneas — go late afternoon for best light.

🚌Bicycle rental ~£1.50; tuk-tuk ~£4

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel near Wat Bo — £8-14

• →Guided market visit + Khmer cooking class
• →Village cycling or Kampong Khleang floating village boat trip

Buy your Angkor pass at the main ticket office (1-day £29 / 3-day £52 — the 3-day is better value if you want more). Book a licensed English-speaking guide via GetYourGuide or direct, or hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day (~£18-22 split between two). Standard circuit: sunrise at Angkor Wat, then Bayon, Baphuon, Terrace of the Elephants and Ta Prohm (the tomb-raider jungle temple). Carry water and breakfast snacks — you'll be on site from 5am. Evening: night market and a £3 massage.

🚌Day tuk-tuk hire ~£18-22 split between two

🛏Budget guesthouse/hostel near Wat Bo — £8-14

• →Sunrise at Angkor Wat
• →Tuk-tuk temple circuit: Bayon, Ta Prohm, Terrace of the Elephants
• →Night market

Head south toward Botum Sakor National Park in Koh Kong province. Options: direct shared minibus/coach from Siem Reap to Koh Kong town (approx 8-9 hrs, ~£18-25 — book via 12Go Asia or a local agent), then a local transfer (~£25-35, often shareable through the camp) to the riverside tented camp. Book 2 nights at Cardamom Tented Camp or a comparable budget eco-camp directly — this is the one splurge night and worth it. Afternoon: free kayaks on the river, sunset birdwatching from the deck.

🚌Shared minibus Siem Reap-Koh Kong ~£18-25; local transfer ~£30

🛏Riverside tented eco-camp (shared canvas tent) — £45-70

• →Kayaking on the river
• →Sunset birdwatching
• →Conservation briefing with camp guides

Full day guided trek along former logging trails into Botum Sakor National Park with a local guide (organised through the camp, ~£25-40). Look for hornbills, gibbons, langurs, civets and if you're lucky sun bears or elephants — this area is a meaningful conservation zone, and your stay supports ranger patrols. Afternoon back on the river: swim, more kayaking, or a boat excursion through the mangroves.

🚌On foot; camp boat

🛏Riverside tented eco-camp — £45-70

• →Full-day jungle trek with local guide
• →Mangrove boat excursion
• →Wildlife spotting

Travel day to Bangkok. Cross the Thai border at Cham Yeam/Hat Lek (near Koh Kong) — bring USD for the Cambodian exit and note the Thai side usually accepts THB. Then a bus from Trat to Bangkok (approx 5-6 hrs, ~£12-18 via 12Go Asia) or the overnight train from Trat/Chanthaburi via a connection. Arrive Bangkok, check into a Khao San or Phra Athit hostel — £8-15 dorm or £18-28 private.

🚌Border transfer ~£5; Trat-Bangkok bus ~£15

🛏Khao San/Phra Athit hostel — £8-15 dorm

• →Border crossing and onward bus
• →Evening arrival on Khao San Road

Wake early for the Grand Palace (£15) and Wat Pho (£7). Skip the tourist boats and take the Chao Phraya orange-flag express boat (~£0.40 per ride) and cross-river ferry (~£0.10). Book a sunset Chao Phraya dinner or evening cruise via Klook (~£15-25) if you want the river experience the tour includes. Night: street food crawl — Chinatown (Yaowarat) for grilled seafood, pomelo salad and mango sticky rice (~£5-8 total).

🚌Express boat ~£0.40/ride; metro + tuk-tuk ~£3

🛏Khao San/Phra Athit hostel — £8-15

• →Grand Palace & Wat Pho
• →Chao Phraya express boat ride
• →Sunset river cruise (Klook)
• →Chinatown street food crawl

Train from Thonburi station to Kanchanaburi (3 hrs, ~£1.50 — a classic slow train, second class, arrive early for a seat). Check into a budget raft house or guesthouse on the River Kwai (shared floating room ~£15-25). Afternoon: rent a bicycle or take a songthaew to the Bridge over the River Kwai and the Thai-Burma Railway Centre / JEATH War Museum (£3 each). Sunset from a riverside deck.

🚌Train ~£1.50; songthaew ~£1

🛏Budget rafthouse/floating guesthouse on River Kwai — £15-25

• →Scenic Thonburi-Kanchanaburi train
• →Bridge over the River Kwai
• →Thai-Burma Railway Centre / JEATH Museum

Join a shared day tour (Klook/GetYourGuide or local agent, ~£25-35) covering Hellfire Pass Memorial and the cutting walk, the Death Railway ride over the Wampo Viaduct, and Erawan National Park's seven-tier waterfalls (£10 park entry, usually included). Disabled-accessible boardwalks and audio guide at Hellfire Pass make it a moving half-day. Back to Kanchanaburi for dinner.

🚌Shared tour minivan (included in tour price)

🛏Budget rafthouse/floating guesthouse — £15-25

• →Hellfire Pass Memorial & cutting walk
• →Death Railway train ride
• →Erawan waterfalls

For a shorter hop, bus to the coast at Ban Phe then speedboat to Koh Samet (bus+boat ~£8-12, island fee £1). For the southern island feel, take a sleeper train or night bus from Bangkok to Surat Thani (from ~£12-20) and ferry onward. Either way this is a beach reset day — settle into a bungalow, swim, watch the sunset. Note Koh Chang is closest if you're coming from the Cambodian side.

🚌Bus+speedboat ~£10-12 or overnight train ~£15

🛏Beach bungalow/hostel — £10-20 (varies by island)

• →Beach arrival and swim
• →Sunset on the sand
• →Seafood dinner

Book a half-day snorkel or island-hopping boat trip (~£12-20) — typically includes snorkel gear, a few bays and lunch. Afternoon: hire a scooter (£6-8/day) to explore quiet beaches and viewpoints, or join a Thai cooking mini-class (£10-15). Evenings are for the beach bar and night market grub.

🚌Scooter hire ~£7; boat trip included

🛏Beach bungalow/hostel — £10-20

• →Snorkelling/island-hopping boat trip
• →Scooter exploration
• →Beach night market

Travel day. Cheapest route is island boat → mainland → bus/train back to Bangkok, then an overnight bus or budget flight to Chiang Rai. A budget flight (e.g. Thai AirAsia/Nok via Skyscanner) is often ~£30-45 and saves a day; otherwise the overnight bus is ~£14-20 (12 hrs). Arrive Chiang Rai and check into a guesthouse near the night bazaar (dorm £6-10, private £14-20).

🚌Island-mainland transfer ~£10; flight ~£35 or overnight bus ~£16

🛏Chiang Rai guesthouse — £6-14

• →Long-haul transfer north
• →Evening at Chiang Rai Night Bazaar

Morning: White Temple (Wat Rong Khun, £3) and the striking Blue Temple (free/donation) — reachable by songthaew or rented scooter. Afternoon: Black House (Baan Dam, £2). Evening: join a small-group Chiang Rai street food tour via GetYourGuide (~£20-28) — sai ua (northern sausage), khao soi, nam prik dips and mango sticky rice. If you'd rather DIY, the Night Bazaar and Saturday Walking Street market are superb and cheap (~£4-6 for a full feed).

🚌Scooter ~£7 or songthaew ~£4

🛏Chiang Rai guesthouse — £6-14

• →Wat Rong Khun (White Temple)
• →Blue Temple & Black House
• →Chiang Rai street food tour

Bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong (2 hrs, ~£2-3) on the Mekong. Cross the Friendship Bridge to Huay Xai, Laos (get your Laos visa on arrival — £25-35 depending on nationality, or e-visa in advance). Overnight in Huay Xai (guesthouse £6-12) and buy your slow boat ticket for the following morning (2-day Mekong slow boat to Luang Prabang, ~£25-30 total including one overnight stop). Sunset over the Mekong and a Beerlao on the riverfront.

🚌Chiang Rai-Chiang Khong bus ~£2.50; border shuttle ~£1

🛏Huay Xai guesthouse — £6-12

• →Mekong border crossing
• →Huay Xai riverside evening
• →Book Mekong slow boat

Board the slow boat early (aim for the 8-9am departure; boats fill up). You'll chug down the Mekong for around 6-7 hours through jungle-clad gorges and past riverside villages, with a lunch stop. Arrive Pakbeng and check into a basic riverside guesthouse (£6-12). Eat at one of the family-run restaurants and turn in early — the second day starts at dawn.

🚌Mekong slow boat (included in the 2-day ticket)

🛏Pakbeng guesthouse — £6-12

• →Full-day Mekong slow boat
• →Riverside village views
• →Pakbeng evening

Second slow-boat day — another 7-8 hours downriver, often with a stop at the Pak Ou caves (Buddha cave shrine; small entry fee ~£2). Arrive Luang Prabang late afternoon and check into a budget guesthouse in the old town or near the night market (dorm £8-12, private £15-25). Dinner at the Luang Prabang night market: all-you-can-fill plate for ~£2, plus fresh Mekong fish and Beerlao.

🚌Slow boat (included in ticket); tuk-tuk from pier ~£2

🛏Luang Prabang guesthouse — £8-25

• →Slow boat Day 2
• →Pak Ou Buddha Caves stop
• →Luang Prabang night market dinner

Dawn: witness the Tak Bat alms-giving with the monks — please observe respectfully from a distance, no camera flashes, and buy sticky rice from a local vendor rather than a tourist shop. Morning temples: Wat Xieng Thong (£2) and the Royal Palace Museum (£2.50). Afternoon: shared tuk-tuk or minivan to Kuang Si Falls (~£6-10 return, entry ~£1.50) — swim in the turquoise pools, visit the bear sanctuary on site, and stop at a nearby Hmong village on the way back.

🚌Shared tuk-tuk/minivan to falls ~£8 return

🛏Luang Prabang guesthouse — £8-25

• →Tak Bat alms ceremony
• →Wat Xieng Thong & Royal Palace Museum
• →Kuang Si Falls & bear sanctuary

Book a Lao cooking class through a local outfit (e.g. Tamarind or a community cooking school) — market visit, laap, mok pa (steamed fish in banana leaf) and jeow dips, ~£22-30. Afternoon: rent a bicycle (~£2) and cross the bamboo bridge to the pottery village of Ban Chan. Evening: sunset from Mount Phousi (free, ~£1 donation) overlooking the Mekong and the town's roofs.

🚌Bicycle hire ~£2; walking

🛏Luang Prabang guesthouse — £8-25

• →Lao cooking class with market visit
• →Bamboo bridge & Ban Chan pottery village
• →Mount Phousi sunset

Bus north to Nong Khiaw (3-4 hrs, ~£3). This is where the G tour heads off the beaten track — hire a boat or guided day trek to remote villages along the Nam Ou river (~£20-35), or stay the night in Muang Ngoi (accessible by 1-hr longtail boat, ~£5) where there's no road access. Trek to Tham Pha Tok cave (used as a shelter during the secret war) and swim in the Nam Ou. Riverside bungalows £6-12.

🚌Local bus ~£3; longtail boat ~£5-8

🛏Nong Khiaw riverside bungalow — £6-12

• →Bus to Nong Khiaw
• →Longtail boat on the Nam Ou
• →Village trek and Tham Pha Tok cave

Morning hike to the Nong Khiaw viewpoint or a secluded waterfall (Tad Mook / Pha Kuang) with a local guide (~£15-20). Back on the afternoon bus to Luang Prabang (~£3). Farewell evening: last Mekong sunset, a Lao massage (£4-7) and dinner at a local restaurant — laap, sticky rice, tam mak hoong papaya salad and Beerlao (~£5-8).

🚌Local bus ~£3; walking in town

🛏Luang Prabang guesthouse — £8-25

• →Nong Khiaw viewpoint/waterfall trek
• →Return bus to Luang Prabang
• →Lao massage and farewell dinner

Breakfast at a local café, last wander through the morning market, then onward travel. Luang Prabang International Airport has connections to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi and Vientiane — budget ~£40-80 for regional flights, or take the Laos-China Railway south to Vientiane (~£10-15). If you're staying on, Vang Vieng and Vientiane are easy onward hops.

🚌Tuk-tuk to airport ~£3; regional flight ~£40-80

🛏N/A — departure day

• →Morning market
• →Airport transfer
• →Optional onward Laos-China Railway to Vientiane