Hello we are a couple from Denmark and Italy that are thinking to travel around in Asia from September and forward, but we have no idea how to plan the trip from the beginning to the end.
We need to know for example which order of the countries we want to go, a route..
and we need to know which injections we need for the trip and when to do them and if it´s better to do in Denmark , Italy, or in the country that we are going to.. (now we are in Denmark)
and then we dont know about the rules of visa in all the countries and how to get it.
how can you know how much money you need for the travel?
so we would like if someone could help us in all this confusion....
how do you organize a trip like that?
We would like to go in all the countries of Asia and there are also lots of islands everywhere (for example Philippines Islands, the Islands of Thailand and so on) and its almost impossible to know how much cost for go to all those islands and how much cost the food and living in all the countries and places.. and there are some activities that we would like to try during our trip then we dont know how much money extra we will need for this because there will be lots of things to do during the trip that we dont know from home so it´s impossible to know how much money to save up before to go.
we dont want to plan to much we want just to go there and explore it all with our backpacks and see the wild, the culture, live with the locals, eat the local food, and so on.. and we dont know for how long we are staying in each country and how long the total travel will be.. we would like also to try finding some work during the travel around but we dont know about the rules of working permission and so on.. we are thinking to use couchsurfing to find people to stay with in every place so we save money and live the life of the country.
we are thinking also to buy some backpacking gears like Tent, Sleeping Bag, Compass, Multi-tool, Flashlights, First Aid Kit, Water Filter, Pots/Pans, Tableware/Cutlery, Hiking Boots, Axe, Lantern, Knife, GPS, Solar Charger, Fishing Gear and so on..
like this: http://gizmodo.com/5936650/the-ultimate-backpacking-outfit
so we can travel from country to country by foot to save more money and experience the nature and sleep over night for free..
so we want a travel with a lot of experiences, live like the locals, try as many crazy stuffs possible, see everywhere, see some of the important sightseeings... and most important CHEAP AS POSSIBLE..
any tips how to organize all this and tips to do it as cheap as possible?
how to plan a travel?
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You will probably get better advice on this type of trip from Thorntree, the Lonely Planet's forum.
But here are some things to be aware of. Many countries will not allow you to camp or will allow it only at campsites in designated parks, so camping is not a way to travel for free. Check on hostel prices on websites like hostelbookers.com
You say you want to visit every country in Asia. That covers a lot of territory and involves a number of very expensive visas - all of the central Asia countries and China have expensive visas. It would be smarter to choose a few countries, close together where you can travel overland, like Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and VietNam. You have to get a visa in advance for Vietnem, but you can get a visa on arrival for the other ocuntries, though you have to make sure the visa can be issuued at the land border you choose. If you enter Thailand by land, you only get a 14 day stay.
For immunizations, look at this: www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx and look at every country you plan to visit.
As for money, using ATMs is the easiest, most efficient way to get local currency.
You need to read some guidebooks. I'd suggest the Lonely Planet Asia guides, but you should start with "The Rough Guide to First-Time Asia". For general travel planning you could also try Hasbrouck's "Practical Nomad".
Thai Lan - Cambodia - VietNam - Lao.
Lonely planet Asia guides is usefull
But in September, the Weather is not good
November to March are the best time to visit.
That gizmodo stuff is for serious backcountry hiking, in a temperate to cold climate. It is vanishingly unlikely that you'll be doing that on your own in Asia.
Firstly, buy a guidebook. Initially one of the generic south east Asia ones will be cost effective but won't goes into great detail but will be sufficient for your initial needs. Asia is a huge place incorporating many diverse countries and cost can vary wildly depending on your type of travel and your location. Guide like Lonely Planet do give cost for each country but these should be taken with a pinch of salt as they never seem to be particularly accurate.
Staying in hostel in most of SE Asia will cost anything from €5 to €25 per person deepening on whether you are happy with a bed in a dorm or require private facilities. Eating in local as opposed to tourist restaurant will save you a fortune and IME the food is usually much better and more authentic ( but do check out the hygiene issues etc.). It is perfectly possible for a couple to travel in Asia for less than € 80 per day, often a LOT less, but allowing a little more will enable you to stay in nicer places now and again and don't forget that entrance fees and tour cost for some of the major sights can quickly mount up. Angkor Wat is consider by some to be a highlight but entrance fees alone are $25 per day to which you will need to add the cost of transport.
I once made the mistake of buying all the gadgets. Most are still in the boxes! Don't waste your cash. Travel light instead it is much more enjoyable. We are spending 6 months in South America later this year and are travelling with hand baggage only. Believe me, a heavy backpack quickly becomes a real pain both, metaphorically and literally !