Indochina In-Depth: Temples & Teal Water — Self-Launched

Land at Suvarnabhumi and take the Airport Rail Link + MRT/BTS to your hostel in Banglamphu or near Hua Lamphong (~£1.50) — ignore taxi touts. Settle in, grab a 60-baht pad thai and a Beer Chang on Khao San, and pre-book your Cambodia border transport for tomorrow.

🚌Airport Rail Link + BTS/MRT, ~£1.50

🛏Hostel dorm, Banglamphu (£8-12)

• →Airport Rail Link into the city
• →Khao San Road evening orientation walk
• →Street food dinner

Take a morning minivan or bus from Mo Chit / Khao San to Aranyaprathet (~£8, 4-5 hrs), then cross at Poipet on foot and pick up a shared taxi or bus to Siem Reap (~£8-10, 2.5 hrs). Watch out for the fake 'visa office' scam before the border — buy your visa at the official counter (US$30).

🚌Bus + shared taxi overland, ~£17

🛏Hostel dorm near Pub Street (£8-12)

• →Overland border crossing at Poipet
• →Siem Reap old market wander
• →Optional Phare Circus ($18-25)

Book a tuk-tuk driver the night before (~£15-18 for a full day) and get to Angkor for 5:15am for sunrise. Do the classic small circuit: Angkor Wat, Bayon's smiling faces, and tree-swallowed Ta Prohm. Pay the 1-day temple pass on site (£30). Khmer lunch at a Planeterra-affiliated or family-run spot, then Pub Street in the evening.

🚌Shared tuk-tuk, ~£15

🛏Hostel dorm (£8-12)

• →Angkor Wat sunrise with tuk-tuk driver
• →Bayon and Ta Prohm temples
• →Pub Street night out

Giant Ibis or Virak Buntham bus down to the capital (~£9, 6 hrs). Check into a riverside guesthouse, walk the Sisowath Quay at sunset and eat at one of the cheap local restaurants around Street 172.

🚌Air-con bus, ~£9

🛏Guesthouse double/hostel (£8-14)

• →Bus to Phnom Penh
• →Riverside orientation walk

Do the sobering Tuol Sleng (S-21) prison and Choeung Ek Killing Fields — book a shared half-day tour (~£20) or take a tuk-tuk yourself. Afternoon at the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda (~£7). Evening street food crawl in the Russian Market area.

🚌Tuk-tuks, ~£6

🛏Guesthouse (£8-14)

• →Tuol Sleng and Killing Fields
• →Royal Palace & Silver Pagoda
• →Street food crawl

Bus to Sihanoukville (~£7, 4 hrs) and the speed ferry out to Koh Rong (~£12 each way). Book a beach bungalow on Long Set or 4K beach and spend the afternoon in the water.

🚌Bus + ferry, ~£31 return

🛏Beach bungalow/dorm (£10-16)

• →Bus to Sihanoukville
• →Speed ferry to Koh Rong
• →Beach afternoon

Kayak or hike the island or join a cheap snorkelling boat trip. After dark, swim off the beach to see the phosphorescent plankton light up — a local boatman will show you where.

🚌On foot

🛏Beach bungalow/dorm (£10-16)

• →Kayaking or hiking
• →Snorkelling boat trip
• →Plankton swim

Ferry back to Sihanoukville, bus toward Phnom Penh and get off at Chambok (~£10 combined). The community tourism project runs simple homestays (~£10-15 with home-cooked dinner and breakfast) — book direct or via the Chambok Community-Based Ecotourism office. Walk to the waterfall and eat with your host family.

🚌Bus + local transport, ~£12

🛏Village homestay (£10-15 with meals)

• →Community homestay
• →Waterfall walk
• →Home-cooked Khmer dinner

Head to Bavet/Moc Bai border and cross into Vietnam (~£15 overland), then on to HCMC by bus (~£5). Check into a District 1 backpackers hostel. Evening at Ben Thanh market and a rooftop bar on Bui Vien.

🚌Bus + border crossing, ~£20

🛏Hostel dorm, District 1 (£7-11)

• →Bavet/Moc Bai border crossing
• →Ben Thanh Market
• →Bui Vien backpacker strip

Self-guided walking day: War Remnants Museum (£1.50), Reunification Palace (£1.50) and a cyclo ride around Cholon. Get to Saigon station for the ~20:00 Reunification Express sleeper to Nha Trang (soft sleeper ~£20-28, book on Vietnam Railways or 12Go Asia).

🚌Reunification Express, ~£24

🛏Sleeper train berth (£20-28)

• →War Remnants Museum
• →Reunification Palace
• →Overnight Reunification Express train

Arrive early. Book a mud bath at Thap Ba or I-Resort ($20-25) and spend the afternoon on the beach. Evening street food crawl: nem nuong (grilled pork skewers), banh canh and fresh seafood at the night market.

🚌Walking/Grab, ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm (£6-10)

• →Mud bath
• →Beach afternoon
• →Nha Trang street food crawl

Free morning for the beach or the Po Nagar Cham towers. Take an afternoon train to Da Nang (~£10-15, 9-10 hrs) or a cheap VietJet flight (~£25). Shared taxi or local bus from Da Nang to Hoi An (~£5).

🚌Train to Da Nang + bus to Hoi An, ~£18

🛏Hostel dorm in Hoi An (£6-10)

• →Po Nagar Cham Towers
• →Train or short flight to Da Nang
• →Transfer to Hoi An

Walk Hoi An's ancient town (day ticket ~£5): Japanese Covered Bridge, assembly halls and old merchant houses. Get measured for a tailor-made outfit (£25-40) and pick it up tomorrow. Evening lanterns on the Thu Bon river.

🚌Bicycle hire, ~£1

🛏Hostel dorm (£6-10)

• →Hoi An Old Town walking day
• →Custom tailoring
• →Lantern-lit river walk

Take a half-day cooking class that includes a market tour and cao lau/white rose noodles (~£25-30) — many small operators offer this, bookable locally or via Klook. Afternoon free for Cua Dai or An Bang beach.

🚌Bicycle/boat, ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm (£6-10)

• →Market visit and noodle cooking class
• →An Bang beach afternoon

Option A: hire a motorbike with a rider or the open-tour bus over the Hai Van Pass (~£8-12). Option B: local train Hoi An → Da Nang → Hue (~£8). Afternoon: motorbike city tour to the Imperial Citadel (~£5 entry) and Thien Mu pagoda.

🚌Bus or train, ~£10

🛏Guesthouse (£7-11)

• →Hai Van Pass drive or train
• →Imperial Citadel
• →Thien Mu Pagoda

Cycle or Grab out to the tombs of Tu Duc and Khai Dinh (£3 each). Sunset boat back down the Perfume River (£3) or take an evening food walk for bun bo Hue — the spicy local noodle soup.

🚌Bicycle + boat, ~£5

🛏Guesthouse (£7-11)

• →Royal tombs cycling
• →Perfume River boat
• →Bun bo Hue food walk

Bus to Phong Nha (~£7, 3 hrs) and check into a riverside homestay. Afternoon at Paradise Cave — walk the boardwalks past giant white stalactites (~£10 entry). Optional adventure caving with Oxalis from ~£40.

🚌Bus, ~£7

🛏Homestay/dorm (£7-12)

• →Paradise Cave
• →Optional Oxalis adventure caving
• →Riverside homestay evening

Morning for the Botanic Garden or Phong Nha cave by boat. Then overnight sleeper bus north toward Hanoi/Halong (~£20, 11-12 hrs). Book a 1-night Halong Bay junk boat through Klook or GetYourGuide (~£60-85 including meals and kayaking).

🚌Sleeper bus, ~£20

🛏Sleeper bus (£20)

• →Phong Nha cave boat
• →Overnight sleeper bus
• →Book Halong Bay junk cruise

Board your junk for a cruise past the limestone karsts, a cave visit and a seafood lunch, with optional kayaking. Overnight on board or at a Halong/Cat Ba guesthouse depending on the tour — compare operators on Klook and GetYourGuide.

🚌Junk boat

🛏Onboard junk or Halong guesthouse (£30-45 included in cruise)

• →Halong Bay junk boat cruise
• →Kayaking
• →Seafood lunch

Disembark and bus back to Hanoi (~£6, 3.5 hrs). Check into the Old Quarter. Afternoon walk around Hoan Kiem Lake and Tran Quoc pagoda (free), then egg coffee at Cafe Giang.

🚌Bus, ~£6

🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm (£6-10)

• →Tran Quoc Pagoda
• →Hoan Kiem Lake walk
• →Egg coffee

Temple of Literature (£2) and the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum. Evening Hanoi food tour or DIY street food walk (~£10): bun cha, pho, banh mi. Optional water puppet show (200,000 VND / ~£6.50).

🚌Walking/Grab, ~£3

🛏Old Quarter hostel dorm (£6-10)

• →Temple of Literature
• →Hanoi street food walk
• →Thang Long water puppet show

Cheap flight Hanoi–Luang Prabang (Vietnam Airlines/VietJet, ~£70-100 one way if booked ahead). Otherwise take the 24-hour overnight bus to Luang Prabang (~£30) — much slower. Settle in and explore the night market.

🚌Flight, ~£85

🛏Guesthouse (£8-13)

• →Flight to Luang Prabang
• →Night market
• →Mekong riverside sunset

Wake early to watch (respectfully, from a distance) the morning alms-giving. Visit Wat Xieng Thong (~£2), Wat Visoun and the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre (~£3). Climb Mount Phousi for sunset (~£2).

🚌Walking, ~£1

🛏Guesthouse (£8-13)

• →Morning alms-giving
• →Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Visoun
• →Mount Phousi sunset

Share a tuk-tuk or songthaew out to Kuang Si (~£8 return, or ~£5 on a group shuttle). Turquoise tiered pools, jungle trails and a bear sanctuary. Get back for dinner and a Beerlao by the Mekong.

🚌Shared songthaew, ~£8

🛏Guesthouse (£8-13)

• →Kuang Si Waterfalls swim
• →Tat Kuang Si bear sanctuary
• →Mekong riverside dinner

Board the public slow boat from Luang Prabang to Pak Beng (~£20 for the two-day trip to Huay Xai, buy on the pier). 6-7 hours on the water, reading and watching river life. Overnight in a Pak Beng guesthouse.

🚌Public slow boat, ~£20 (2-day fare)

🛏Pak Beng guesthouse (£7-11)

• →Mekong slow boat Day 1
• →Village stops along the river

Continue the slow boat north (~6 hrs) to Ban Houayxay. Instead of a hotel, hop off at one of the riverside villages that offer community homestays (e.g. Ban Khonkam / Pakbeng village homestays, ~£10-15 including dinner). Eat laap and sticky rice with your host family and get a traditional welcome.

🚌Slow boat + village walk

🛏Village homestay (£10-15 with meals)

• →Mekong slow boat Day 2
• →Village homestay and home-cooked meal
• →Local performance or storytelling

Cross the Friendship Bridge from Huay Xai to Chiang Khong (~£1), then bus to Chiang Rai and onward to Chiang Mai (~£15-20, 6-7 hrs). Evening Khantoke-style dinner or a wander around the Sunday Walking Street.

🚌Bus + crossing, ~£18

🛏Old City hostel/guesthouse (£8-14)

• →Huay Xai–Chiang Khong border crossing
• →Bus to Chiang Mai
• →Night bazaar

Half-day northern Thai cooking class with a market visit (~£25, book via Klook or GetYourGuide). Afternoon at Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang, then a cheap massage (~£5).

🚌Songthaew, ~£3

🛏Hostel/guesthouse (£8-14)

• →Northern Thai cooking class
• →Wat Chedi Luang
• →Thai massage

Songthaew up to Doi Suthep temple (~£2 each way). Book a bus to Chiang Rai / Mae Sai for tomorrow. Myanmar e-visa (~$50) must be applied for online well in advance — do it before you leave home. Optional Khantoke dinner and show (~£18).

🚌Songthaew, ~£4

🛏Hostel/guesthouse (£8-14)

• →Doi Suthep temple
• →Songthaew ride
• →Optional Khantoke dinner and show

Bus Chiang Mai → Mae Sai (~£10, 5 hrs), walk across the Friendship Bridge to Tachileik and clear Myanmar immigration with your pre-approved e-visa. Then bus/songthaew to Kengtung (~£8-10, 5 hrs).

🚌Bus + border + bus, ~£20

🛏Kengtung guesthouse (£10-15)

• →Mae Sai–Tachileik border crossing
• →Bus into Shan State
• →Arrive Kengtung

Arrange a local guide and trek through rice paddies to Akha, Lahu or Ann villages (£25-40 including lunch and guide). Bring modest clothing. Evening at Kyaing Tong market.

🚌Local guide transport, ~£5

🛏Kengtung guesthouse (£10-15)

• →Guided hilltribe trek
• →Kyaing Tong market
• →Village lunch

Long travel day: bus/songthaew back to Tachileik and onward, or a domestic flight from Kengtung to Mandalay (~£60-90, book ahead — it's the sane option if you're short on time). Check into Mandalay and see U Bein Bridge at sunset.

🚌Domestic flight or long bus, ~£70

🛏Guesthouse (£10-16)

• →Transfer to Mandalay
• →U Bein Bridge sunset

Hire a bike or shared taxi for Mandalay Hill at sunrise, Shwenandaw Kyaung (Golden Palace Monastery), Mahamuni Pagoda and Kuthodaw's 'world's largest book'. Optional day trip to Inwa by horse cart.

🚌Bicycle/taxi, ~£6

🛏Guesthouse (£10-16)

• →Mandalay Hill sunrise
• →Shwenandaw Kyaung
• →Kuthodaw Pagoda

Morning boat or bus down the Irrawaddy to Bagan (~£12-20, 5-9 hrs). Buy the Bagan archaeological zone pass (~US$25/£20) and find an e-bike rental (~£5/day) for tomorrow.

🚌Boat or bus, ~£16

🛏Guesthouse in Nyaung U (£10-16)

• →Irrawaddy river journey
• →Bagan temple zone pass
• →E-bike rental

Cycle or e-bike to a sunrise viewing spot (the climbable temples change — ask your guesthouse). Explore Ananda, Thatbyinnyu and Dhammayangyi. Evening meal at a Sanon-style social enterprise restaurant supporting local trainees.

🚌E-bike, ~£5

🛏Guesthouse (£10-16)

• →Bagan sunrise temple tour
• →E-bike temple circuit
• →Social enterprise dinner

Overnight sleeper bus or afternoon flight to Yangon (~£18 bus / ~£55 flight). Check into a downtown guesthouse near Sule Pagoda.

🚌Sleeper bus, ~£18

🛏Guesthouse (£12-18)

• →Sleeper bus to Yangon
• →Downtown orientation

Circle Line train loop around the city (~£0.50) for a real slice of local life. Afternoon at Bogyoke Market and the Shwedagon Pagoda at golden hour (~£5). Celebrate the trip over a Burmese curry.

🚌Train + taxi, ~£5

🛏Guesthouse (£12-18)

• →Yangon Circle Line train
• →Bogyoke Market
• →Shwedagon Pagoda

Morning flight Yangon → Bangkok (~£60-90 on AirAsia/Thai Lion). Check into a Bangkok hostel and spend the afternoon recovering by the rooftop pool or at a night market.

🚌Flight, ~£75

🛏Hostel dorm (£8-14)

• →Flight to Bangkok
• →Night market

Grand Palace and Wat Pho reclining Buddha (~£10 combined), ferry across the Chao Phraya (~£0.30), Chatuchak or Talat Phlu market. Evening rooftop bar or Muay Thai at Rajadamnern.

🚌Boat + BTS, ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm (£8-14)

• →Grand Palace and Wat Pho
• →Chao Phraya ferry
• →Muay Thai or rooftop bar

Keep this as a flex day for delays earlier in the trip. If you're on schedule, day-trip to Ayutthaya by train (~£2 return, 1.5 hrs each way) for the ruined capital, or hit the malls and get a proper Thai massage.

🚌Train, ~£3

🛏Hostel dorm (£8-14)

• →Ayutthaya day trip
• →Thai massage
• →Shopping

Last morning for souvenirs at MBK or a Thai breakfast, then Airport Rail Link back to Suvarnabhumi for your flight home.

🚌Airport Rail Link, ~£1.50

🛏—

• →Airport transfer