Best of Thailand & Cambodia — Self-Launched Version
11 days · Thailand & Cambodia
Odynovo charges £2,650
No-markup version: ~£865 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 11-day backpacker route running from Siem Reap to Bangkok via Chiang Mai and Phuket, covering the temples of Angkor, Bangkok's Grand Palace and canals, Chiang Mai's hill country and elephants, and beach time in the Andaman Sea. Book your own guesthouses, join shared day tours for the temples, and use local buses, budget flights and the overnight sleeper train instead of private transfers. All costs are approximate per person in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive Siem Reap
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Land at Siem Reap International Airport (REP) and grab a tuk-tuk or the airport shuttle to your guesthouse in the centre (about £3-5). Settle in, get a Cambodian SIM/eSIM data plan, and pick up an Angkor pass option at the ticket office or online. Spend the evening on Pub Street or the quieter riverside for a first Khmer meal and cold drink.
🚌Tuk-tuk from REP airport to centre, ~£4
🛏Hostel dorm or private guesthouse room in central Siem Reap (£8-15)
- →Arrive and check in
- →Buy Angkor pass (1-day £30 / 3-day £50)
- →Evening wander of Pub Street and Old Market
Angkor Thom & Angkor Wat
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Join a shared small-group or minivan temple tour (or hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day, roughly £15-18 split between travellers). Start at the South Gate of Angkor Thom, then Bayon's face towers and the Elephant Terrace. Afternoon at Angkor Wat itself, then climb Phnom Bakheng for sunset. Carry lots of water — it's hot and exposed.
🚌Shared tuk-tuk or minivan tour, ~£10-15 per person
🛏Hostel dorm or private guesthouse room in central Siem Reap (£8-15)
- →South Gate of Angkor Thom
- →Bayon Temple & Elephant Terrace
- →Angkor Wat
- →Sunset from Phnom Bakheng
Banteay Srei, Ta Prohm & Villages
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Option to start pre-dawn for the classic Angkor Wat sunrise (temple opens ~5am). Then head out to the pink sandstone carvings of Banteay Srei by tuk-tuk or shared car, stopping at local village workshops and sugar palm stalls en route. Return via Ta Prohm — the tree-strangled 'Tomb Raider' temple — and Ta Keo's steep stairway.
🚌Tuk-tuk day hire to Banteay Srei and back, ~£15-20 (split between 2-4)
🛏Hostel dorm or private guesthouse room in central Siem Reap (£8-15)
- →Optional Angkor Wat sunrise
- →Banteay Srei Temple
- →Local village & sugar palm stops
- →Ta Prohm & Ta Keo temples
Tonle Sap floating villages & bus/flight to Bangkok
Siem Reap → Bangkok
Morning boat trip on Tonle Sap to the floating villages of Kompong Khleang or Chong Kneas — book a shared boat at the pier or through your guesthouse (£15-20). Afterwards make the border run: either a direct bus or minivan from Siem Reap to Bangkok (roughly 8-9 hours, ~£20-28), or a cheap AirAsia flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok Don Mueang from around £35-50 if you'd rather save the day.
🚌Shared boat on Tonle Sap (~£18) + Siem Reap-Bangkok bus (~£25) or flight (~£45)
🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse near Khao San / Banglamphu (£10-18)
- →Tonle Sap floating village boat trip
- →Cross into Thailand and travel to Bangkok
Bangkok temples & canals
Bangkok, Thailand
Do a DIY walking morning: start at the Pak Khlong Talat flower and vegetable market, then walk to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (entry ~£14, dress code covers shoulders and knees). Ride a local Chao Phraya orange-flag express boat (about 16 baht) across to Wat Arun, and in the late afternoon take a shared long-tail boat through the Thonburi klongs (£15-20 for the boat split between passengers).
🚌Chao Phraya express boat (~£0.40 per hop) + shared long-tail canal boat (~£6 per person)
🛏Budget hostel or guesthouse near Khao San / Banglamphu (£10-18)
- →Pak Khlong Talat flower & vegetable market
- →Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew
- →Wat Arun
- →Thonburi klong long-tail boat ride
Bangkok to Chiang Mai — Doi Suthep & hill village
Bangkok → Chiang Mai
Fly Bangkok (Don Mueang or Suvarnabhumi) to Chiang Mai with AirAsia, Nok Air or Thai Lion from about £25-40, or take the overnight sleeper train from Krung Thep Aphiwat for ~£20-30 in a fan/lower berth. On arrival hire a red songthaew up the mountain to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (shared, ~£3-5) and stop at the Hmong village of Doi Pui on the way down.
🚌Budget flight Bangkok-Chiang Mai (~£30) or sleeper train (~£25); songthaew to Doi Suthep (~£4)
🛏Old City guesthouse or hostel, Chiang Mai (£8-15)
- →Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
- →Doi Pui / Meo hill tribe village
- →Old City evening
Elephant Nature Park
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Book a day visit to Elephant Nature Park directly (from about £65-80 including transport, lunch and a full day with rescued elephants — it fills up days ahead, so reserve online). This is the ethical, no-riding option. Evening back in the Old City: night bazaar or Sunday Walking Street if your dates line up.
🚌Included in the Elephant Nature Park day tour pickup
🛏Old City guesthouse or hostel, Chiang Mai (£8-15)
- →Elephant Nature Park full-day visit
- →Chiang Mai night bazaar
Chiang Mai free day, fly to Phuket
Chiang Mai → Phuket
Use the morning for a DIY Old City temple crawl (Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh) and a khao soi lunch before heading to the airport. Fly Chiang Mai to Phuket with AirAsia or Thai VietJet from about £40-60 direct, or cheaper via Bangkok. Transfer from Phuket airport to Patong or Kata with the shared airport bus (~£3) or a shared minivan (~£5).
🚌Flight Chiang Mai-Phuket ~£50; Phuket airport shared bus/minivan ~£3-5
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Patong, Kata or Karon (£12-20)
- →Wat Chedi Luang & Wat Phra Singh
- →Khao soi lunch
- →Fly to Phuket
Phuket beaches & water sports
Phuket, Thailand
Free day on the Andaman coast. Relax on Kata, Karon or Patong beach, or book water-skiing, windsurfing or (where offered) parasailing directly from a beach operator for around £25-40 per activity. For something calmer, take a songthaew south to Nai Harn or Rawai for good cheap seafood at the fishing village.
🚌Local songthaew along the west coast, ~£1-2 per hop
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Patong, Kata or Karon (£12-20)
- →Beach day at Kata/Karon/Patong
- →Optional parasailing, water-skiing or windsurfing
- →Rawai seafood evening
Phuket island day
Phuket, Thailand
Another free day — either a full beach-and-snorkel day trip to the Phi Phi or Similan/James Bond islands (join-in day tours from about £45-70 with lunch and pickups), or keep it cheap with a scooter rental (~£8/day) to explore viewpoints, Big Buddha and Phuket Old Town's Sino-Portuguese streets.
🚌Scooter rental ~£8/day or join-in island tour transport included
🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Patong, Kata or Karon (£12-20)
- →Optional Phi Phi or Similan join-in island tour
- →Scooter loop of Phuket viewpoints & Big Buddha
- →Phuket Old Town
Phuket to Bangkok and onward
Phuket → Bangkok
Take the shared airport bus or minivan to Phuket International (HKT) and fly to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) for your onward flight — domestic fares from around £35-55 booked in advance. Allow at least 3-4 hours between flights if connecting internationally on a separate ticket.
🚌Phuket airport transfer ~£4; HKT-BKK flight ~£45
🛏—
- →Fly Phuket to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi
- →Onward/connecting flight home
Self-launched vs. Odynovo
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Odynovo | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£865 | £2,650 |
| Duration | 11 days | 11 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,785 per person (67%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Odynovo-style trips? Check them out here.~£865
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Thailand & Cambodia — Self-Launched Version cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £865 per person for 11 days in Thailand & Cambodia. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Odynovo?+
Yes — Odynovo charges around £2,650 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £865 — a saving of roughly £1,785 (67%) per person.
How long is the Thailand & Cambodia trip?+
This itinerary runs 11 days, covering 11 day-by-day stops through Thailand & Cambodia.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, beaches trip through Thailand & Cambodia, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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