Southeast Asia 2 month itinerary
 

Hi everyone,

I am trying to plan a trip to southeast asia for approximately 2 months. I have the major destinations mapped out but I'm looking for some advice on how to organize the destinations into an itinerary. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

We were looking to visit
Bali
Thailand
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Japan (the out-islands)
Singapore
Myanmar

We were thinking of flying into Singapore to start and then ending with Japan but let me know if you think of any tips/changes. Thanks!

Japan, of course, is not in SE Asia, though all of the other countries on your list are in SE Asia.

You cannot cover all of those places in 2 months if you want more than a cursory look at them. I'd suggest that you start by deciding what your priorities are.

Some suggestions:

Myanmar is changing rapidly. If you can, I'd schedule it for this trip. I'd say allot not less than 2 weeks for Myanmar, more if you can.

Singapore is a city state, and white you could spend a week or more there, it is the most expensive of your destinations. So if budget is any consideration, you might want to cut it or to spend minimal time there.

You list Bali - is that the only place in Indonesia you want to visit? I'd highly recommend that you choose several places in Indonesia as it's such an amazingly diverse country. I'd also suggest you spend at lest two to three weeks there, though one could certainly spend months exploring Indonesia. At the very least, Id' suggest you visit central (and maybe eastern) Java.

I'd also suggest that you save Japan for another trip.

Once you have done some more research and have decided which places you want to visit on this trip (IMO you need to cut at least half of the destinations on your list), we can be more helpful in aiding you in working out the details.

Other than Bali, which is a small island in a huge country, you are looking at entire countries, each of which may have several individual destinations of interest. For example, in Vietnam you have cities like Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Hue, regions like Sapa and the Mekong Delta plus beaches and off the beaten track area. You could devote 2 weeks to that country alone. Same goes for Indonesia. There aren't too many cities of interest, but thousands of islands, many small towns, hundreds of villages, beaches, mountains, rain forests, river valleys, lakes and volcanoes.

I would start by listing the cities or regions within the countries that appeal to you. For a 60 day trip you could cover 8 to 10 destinations if your travel style is "keep moving" or 4 to 6 destinations if you prefer more depth.

Once you have a rough destination list you can work out the best sequence. Transportation option, local weather and national holidays are all factors to consider. The more places you visit, the more time will be eaten up in transit. Weather patterns vary considerably from place to place which can be significant if you're interested in beach or trekking locations. Major holidays like Lunar New Year, Ramadan and Idul Fitri and the various Buddhist and Hindu celebrations can be pluses or minuses: you might want to plan to be there for them or to avoid them.

So let us know your interests, your timing and your budget. It will be a great trip.