Southeast Asia* is a magic place and, although harrowing at times, well worth the experience. I say “experience”, because traveling is so much more than seeing and capturing sights for Facebook and Instagram bragging rights. I’m sure many reading this are aware of this, but sadly, I see so many that are not.
*When I refer to Southeast Asia, I can only speak of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. I wish I had time and money to experience the rest and hopefully I will some day.
1. Every country and its inhabitants are different. Do not expect that because they are all close together and populated by Asians that they are all going to be similar. While there may be common threads in culture and some landscapes, there is a reason some of the most hectic tragedies and wars have been fought over these lands in the recent past.
Hutyee Boat - my Muslim host signing me in on Ko Lanta, Thailand
Monks on their morning alms route in Luang Prabang, Laos
2. Almost everything is negotiable, so learn the skill. Prices are the most commonly negotiated, but bear in mind that Asians can make almost anything happen for you if you use the right avenues. When it comes to price:
2.1 Never act 100% interested, even if you are desperate for the item/activity/hotel/whatever. Hover around 60-80% depending on their attitude
2.2 After first price is given, immediately respond with “What? No! This is not my first time in [the country]”
2.3 Next they will say “OK, how much you pay?”. In which case you respond with something only slightly ridiculously low. Do not let pride or pity get in the way of your negotiation - they will not sell it to you if they are not happy with the deal. If they do not ask how much you will pay, still follow up with a low price
2.4 If you’re still not sure/happy (and even if you are), walk away and show genuine disinterest in continuing the negotiation. They will either call after you with a better price, or not. Either way it’s a useful opportunity to think it through as these exchanges can be intense and emotional and perspective here is key. You can always pick up the negotiation where you left off
2.5 If a negotiation has not gone well, you can always send in somebody else who hasn’t been seen to be part of your group and get them to try a fresh angle. Another option is to come back later and they may not remember you - after all, all tourists look the same
2.6 The bigger the group or the larger the number of items you are negotiating, the better your standing. Asians get excited about big numbers, so be sure to throw around some big (yet reduced) numbers and buy in bulk and save
2.7 If you hear somebody else getting a good deal, don’t be afraid to piggyback off their deal and act like that is the standard price because that’s what somebody else paid
2.8 Good cop; bad cop works wonders:
2.8.1 Good Cop shows some interest (but not too much) and asks the price
2.8.2 Bad Cop is outraged at the cost
2.8.3 Good Cop calmly offers a much lower price
2.8.4 Bad Cop is further outraged by the counter offer and storms off encouraging Good Cop to do the same
2.8.5 Good Cop lingers and ‘behind Good Cop’s back’ asks whether it is the “best price”
2.8.6 An amicable deal is struck:
2.8.6.1 Good Cop gets the item at a reasonable price
2.8.6.2 The Asian is having a chuckle at Bad Cop as he/she still made bank on the sale
2.8.6.3 Bad Cop is having a chuckle with Good Cop at the theatrics of it all. Bad Cop is usually male and is also pleased to be enjoying pineapple on a stick away from the hustle of the market while waiting for Good Cop to seal the deal
I negotiated a two for one deal for freeing birds from their tiny cages at this temple in Laos
The price for a kayak for half a day was 300 baht
As I only had two and a half hours I convinced the lady that 200 baht was reasonable. She agreed.
3. You do not have to buy all of your food from restaurants and stalls; both breakfasts and lunches can be catered oneself.
3.1 Breakfast - buy/pack a cheap plastic bowl and spoon. Cereal can be bought almost everywhere and small cartons of milk and yoghurt are readily available. Watch out for sweetened milk, and if you do fall prey to it, just add some water and it does the trick
3.2 Lunch - buy a small plastic bread board and carry a knife of some sort. Bread and tomatoes are fairly universal and see what else is going at a market to add to the mix for a great sandwich.
3.3 That said, it is sometimes cheaper (and certainly easier) to eat at a stall or cheap restaurant, particularly if your hotel room does not have a refrigerator for storing fresh items
A quick stop for a snack and a drink on a pier in Nha Trang, Vietnam
4. Wildlife and nature conservation in general are lost on this crowd; a sad and alarming truth. As a traveller one can only try and support and encourage the communities and organisations that practice sustainability.
Although it's not every day you get to hold a massive snake
5. One does not necessarily have to experience the raging shits (a dodgy tummy) from eating ‘local’. Rolling the dice at a street stall is part of the experience, but be sure to give yourself the best odds:
5.1 Don’t pick ones that have pre-cooked their food well in advance; there’s no telling when that might’ve been
5.2 Go with busier stalls experiencing higher turnover; one hopes that the food is fresher
5.3 If you taste that something is not right, abandon the food immediately
Who really knows what goes into an angry bird kebab
6. If you are arriving at a city/town late at night - particularly from another country - it is useful to book your accommodation in advance and make sure to pick one with a free airport/train/bus transfer if possible. However, even if you are planning on staying more than one night, it is best to only book one night and assess the situation from there:
6.1 Hotel and guest house websites, TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet, friends’ recommendations etc are all useful, but can be deceiving. You can only truly understand the levels of service, cleanliness, quality etc by experiencing them yourself
6.2 This is another opportunity for some price negotiation for further nights’ stay. Even if you intended on staying four nights, you may be able to “throw some big numbers around” and once again, buy in bulk and save. Show your usual 70% interest in possibly staying a few extra nights, and use the ultimate grand total to your advantage. One such opportunity went as follows: we booked accommodation in advance for Vang Vieng as we knew we’d be arriving late on the bus but as we were still learning, we had booked two nights in advance for $32 for the room (a bit of a splurge but some late decision making backed us into a corner). As it panned out, our corner room with a view was ideal and seeing as we had some extra time to spare, we thought we’d look at extending our stay:
6.2.1 Me: “Yes I slept OK, thanks. Listen, we were thinking about possibly staying another night, is there availability? (with knowledge that the hotel is obviously not at all full)
6.2.2 Manager: “Yes that is possible”
6.2.3 Me: “OK, we were thinking then for 3 nights that we pay $42, otherwise we must go somewhere else as we were not planning to spend so much here.
6.2.4 Manager: considers for a short moment and agrees.
6.2.5 Me (the following day): Hi, we just love it here so much we were thinking one more day. Can we say $50 for all the nights?
6.2.6 Manager: considers for a short moment and agrees once again.
6.2.7 Me (thinking): “Wow, that’s a $14 saving we just made. A $16 a night room just became a $12.50 a night room. Breakfast is included and this place is much nicer than anything else we’ve seen in this little town. Best of all, the Manager seems to like our vibe and is happy with the deal. Good times”
View from the deck of my 300 baht a night double bungalow in Thailand
Staying with friends is obviously first prize
Ricky and Michelle's place in Bangkok had an amazing pool on the roof for a dip any time
7. Be prepared to have your budget sideswiped by unexpected turns of events. And luckily this works both ways, however it does err on spending more as all travel is wont to do.
7.1 Having your own custom wool and cashmere blend suit tailored exactly to your specifications is something that a reasonable amount of money can indeed buy… in Vietnam. So take the opportunity.
7.2 Experiences of a lifetime are invaluable and while you can’t do it all, be prepared to spend a little here and there for previously identified bucket list moments.
7.3 Every now and then you will cut a deal, or come across a special that will save you some cash. Tuck it away and write it off to that suit and perhaps celebrate with a $0.50 beer.
Tailors in Hoi An, Vietnam are open late and tempt travellers with great value bespoke clothing
8. Free Wifi is a real thing here and makes staying connected a breeze. Almost all restaurants, coffee shops, some buses and accommodation offer the service, so save some bucks and communicate via social networks, email and Skype.
Probably not Ricky and Michelle's finest photo, but who can argue with free wifi and $0.50 beers as advertised in the background?
Indeed, the sign reads "happy day" as opposed to"happy hour"
9. Weather is key as a lot of the experiences are outdoors; not to mention there is a lot of time spent on foot, bicycles and scooters. Be sure to travel at the right times of year for the various countries. While South Vietnam mostly played ball, North Vietnam let us down on this front a bit and it shows in the photos.
While South Vietnam was saturated with sunshine and colour;
North Vietnam was less accommodating
On rereading the lessons above, I have no doubt that there are many more, and the advice should certainly be taken in consideration with other guides, books and word of mouth. While I recalled some tough times on the road - it wasn’t a complete breeze; I have no doubt it was all totally worth it.
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