Backpacking trip through South Asia to Autralia

[northern-monkey]

Hi,
Basically, me and one friend are wanting to go backpacking. our ideal destinations are; Bangkok surface travel so Singapore with stops along the way. we are then going to fly over to Cairns and then surface travel down to Sydney, where we will then fly over to New Zealand and on to a short stay in Fiji and then back home. we hope to be getting a working visa in Australia to earn a bit of extra money on the side. our basic worry is how much money we should take to cover all of these destinations as we don't have a clue. we want to do it on the cheap, but would like to be able to do certain activities along the way. this is our first time traveling and we are lost as where to start. any help wold be appreciated!!!!!

Thanks
Chris & Ste

[Greg]

Hey Chris and Ste, welcome!

Lots of people ask that same question and there isn't any right answer. Most of the places you listed (maybe aside from OZ and NZ) can be done for cheap.  Singapore is certainly the most expensive of the Asian places you named.

The good news is that this is a VERY common route for travelers, many end up in Australia looking for work and then hit up Fiji on the way out.

The old mantra is "pack half as much and take twice as much money." 

[northern-monkey]

Hi mateies,

W are a bit lost as to what route to take through Thailand, and we are traveling from Bangkok to Puckett but want to see some of the Islands on the way. What route, eg, plane, bus, train etc would you recommend to get from Bangkok to Puckett? (Cheapest, preferably )

Could you recommend any of the Islands, perhaps Ko Phangan or Phi Phi on the way?
We were thinking of the cheapest way of getting across the Thailand. We are a bit worried of spending a bit too much money here before we get to Singapore

Any advice would be great, because we have absolutely no clue as to what day it is lol

[Greg]

Hey guys,

You've got a lot of choices obviously. Here's a brief summary of many of the fun Thai islands.

You basically need to decide, if you have the time, then I recommend taking the overnight train from Bangkok to Surat Thani in the south.  From there you can get a short bus/boat combo to Ko Phangan (for party) or Ko Tao (for diving).  When you are finished, you can get buses from Surat Thani over to the west coast to hit up Ko Phi Phi or the other islands.  If budget is a big concern, Ko Phi Phi is very expensive compared to other islands....consider Ko Lanta which is very close, it is great.

You can, of course, get buses from Bangkok as well...but the train is more interesting, more fun, and enjoyable in my opinion. They are open-air so you can smell the jungle and feel the air as opposed to
a bus. Either way, if you book a tourist bus anywhere from Bangkok (especially Khao San Road), mind your bags...they are big targets.

Hope this helps, cheers!
Greg

[northern-monkey]

Hey Greg,

Thanks for the info, we are considering a lot of the options that you have suggested
Budget is a big concern for us, unfortunately, and I suppose taking the cheapest travel options would be very beneficial, considering the fact that we are also going to be spending a lot of time in Australia and New Zealand.

Thanks again, but be warned, we will have many more questions before we head out there

[northern-monkey]

Hello again,

Just a quick question; We are considering changing our path slightly, including Bali after Singapore. just wondering, due to our budget of course, is there any possibility that you think £2000 can get us through these destinations? we are considering spending about 2 months maximum in this part of the trip, mainly touring, sight seeing etc.

Chris & Ste

[Greg]

Hey guys,

Depends on your level of luxury but 2000 Pounds is plenty for 2 months in SE Asia for most travelers. OZ and NZ are a different story. Singapore is certainly more expensive....but you can live like a rock star on that amount of cash in the other SE Asia countries!

Check on AirAsia hops...they're pretty cheap for getting around.

[SaraJohnson]

Hi,
As Greg said you have got enough money to travel through these destination in south east Asia region except Singapore because it is the most expensive country of the south Asia.So it is up to you guys how you manage your budget that you will have enough money remain with you to enjoy your trip with no difficulties and stress.
I think work permit visa for travelers in Australia is so difficult because you people are wanderers and have no permanent stay in the country so you cannot think about the option of work in Australia.You have to cut back your expenses and budget in order to travel these two countries oz and NZ.Packing should be light and money should be more enough to have an easier and enjoyable trip.

[northern-monkey]

Hello again,

Cheers for your help, guys. We will take your info into much consideration, its proving to be a massive help. As we mentioned before, money has always been a big worry because of us being at University, and hopefully we will budget our destinations properly so that we don't get stuck abroad!
Luckily, both of us having contacts in Australia will help. Also, budget for our last three destinations is going to have to be tight!

P.S,
We have been considering visiting Indonesia on a short stay, just for the experience, before we make it to Australia. we are hoping this is just as in-budget as we hope it will be

[Greg]

Hey guys,

Indonesia is even cheaper than Thailand, so no problem there.  I recommend checking http://www.couchsurfing.com for some locals to stay with in Singapore and/or NZ and OZ.

Your biggest expenses will be partying and western food splurges - beware of both!