Vietnam - Cambodia - Thailand - Laos -A Travel Kwento

Indochina or mainland South East Asia is a popular travel destination among backpackers worldwide. Firstly because traveling here is way cheaper than other countries. And mainly because Indochina has a lot to offer. It has diverse culture and religion, rich history,  warm people, mouthwatering foods,  pristine beaches and majestic mountains, frisky nightlife and serene countryside living. It basically offers a bit of everything. And Indochina as my first travel destination abroad is a perfect choice.

I promised myself that  I'd only travel outside the country, if and only if , I have explored my beloved Philippines.  And since I have traveled half of Ph, this year I would start to get to know my dear Asia, yay!

*So hanggang dito prinopromote ko pa din ang Pinas hihi. Click the link below to see snippets of my travels in the Philippines  http://jecsjourney.blogspot.com/2017/02/doktora-explorer.html 

Will now be sharing to you how we spend ten days in Vietnam-Cambodia-Thailand-Laos with a budget of only...300$ / 15,000 Php! Yep, you read it right 10 days in 6 cities, in 4 countries, with only 15,000 Pesos in our hands.

Tips

1. Travel light and wear comfy ootds. Expect a lot of walking. Put on your sunscreen lotion and have an umbrella or  a cap. We got tanned at Siem Reap, Cambodia and at Ayutthaya ,Thailand huhuhaha.

2. Most Indochinese can't speak fluent English , but they do understand basic English. Converse by phrases and short simple words. And since you are the foreigner in their country, you must at least know a few local language.

3. Be wary and alert. Sad to say,  but there are a lot of local scammers, especially at known tourist spots. We've been scammed on our first day huhu.

4. Have a map. Luckily all our accommodations provided us with maps. Download or have screenshots of maps from the net. Your maps will be your best friend for the whole trip.

5. Download Uber and Grab. These transport groups are available in Vietnam and Thailand. Better to ride them than be scammed by taxi drivers. Wi-fi is available almost everywhere, even at local eateries.

6. Know their culture, observe proper dress codes especially when visiting temples.

7. Download currency conversion apps. You can pay Thailand Baht at Laos, Philippine Peso, and US Dollars at Cambodia.

8. Research, research, research.

DAY 0- NAIA, PHILIPPINES to TAN SON NHAT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, VIETNAM

1:00 am = Arrival

Take the airport taxi services offered inside the airport or book an Uber/Grab.  ( Usual rate ranges from 10-11$ for the entire taxi ride)

*Don't ride taxis outside the airport. All of them are scammers. We paid 20 *effin dollars for a 12-minute ride to our accommodation, ugh!

Change only a few dollars (enough for your accommodation, breakfast and transpo) at the airport. Then find a local money changer or bank to buy Vietnamese Dong using your USD at the city center. I bought my Vietnamese Dong at Techom Bank, they offer good rates, better than local money changers. You just have to present your passport, easy as that (no need to have an account at their bank). 

2:00 am = Checked-in at Saigon Backpackers Hostel (5$ )

Book your accommodations  prior your trip. Research well and read reviews of your hotels. We booked using Booking.com, we found cheaper deals here than other hotel booking sites.

*This is a backpacking trip, so all our accommodations are backpacker inns/hostels. Meaning, we share the room with fellow backpackers.

 DAY 1- VIETNAM

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

8:00 am = Start of our DIY walking  Saigon City Tour

(1USD= 22,000 VND = 51 PHP)

Feeling namin sobrang yaman namin, kasi hundreds of thousands yung perang hawak namin haha!

Banh Mi (20,000 VND)

Huyen Sy Church

Ben Thanh Market

Pho (50,000 VND)

Good gracious it tastes heavenly! Fan ako ng lahat ng noodles and noodle soup, sobrang saya ng Vietnamese food! 

*Paper towels/ wet wipes will be given to you. Thought it's free, but they'd charge you for 2,500 VND if you used it.

*If they knew that you are  a Filipino, they'd insist you to buy their version of Halo-halo haha.

Reunification Palace/ Independence Palace (40,000 VND)

This is the Presidential Palace in the 70's and it is also the site where the Vietnam War ended.

Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon

Saigon Central Post Office

We bought cards (25,000 VND) near the post office, 'coz we were intending to send them to our friends in the Philippines but... we don't know their home addresses so hahahuhu , weak, so wala kami napadalhan ni isa.

Book Street

Saigon Opera House

War Remnants Museum  (15,000 VND)

This is  a must visit. Be brave and ready your hearts.

Xa Loi Pagoda

Water Puppet Show (130,000 VND)

My friend doesn't want to watch the show, so I watched it alone.

While I was at the show, my friend (my friend who can't be named and must not be seen kasi  naka-sick leave lels ) went to a local coffee shop. Vietnamese coffee is said to be a must-taste. After the show, I went straight to the cafe.  Took a sip (not a coffee lover here, sorry) from her coffee, and , yeah, it was good.

Bui Vien Street

*Night life

Food Trip ( 145,000 Dong *dinner included)

We were always excited to eat and eat and drink and drink (ehem this is an alcohol-free trip lels) while walking that we always forget to take photos haha.

There are a lot of travel agencies in Pham Ngu Lao. You just have to find who offers the cheapest deals among them. Glad we found one. We bought our tickets for the Cu Chi Tour and bus ride to Phnom Penh at Hostel Venus.

DAY 2- VIETNAM 

Saigon Backpackers Hostel (6$ with free breakfast)

8:30am- 3:30pm = Cu Chi Tunnels (5$ Entrance, 4$ Van transfer)

Handicrafts made by the victims of Agent Orange.

Cu Chi tunnels are the tunnels that the Vietnamese built during the war. It's a must visit too, War Remnants Museum v.20 ang feels ko dun. 

*We met a group of Pinoys traveling with us on the tour. Our tour guide called them "group of six" ,and since he wasn't fluent in English he would pronounce it as ''group of sick'' haha. They were always missing, that's why the whole tour group knew them and we were always laughing every time our guide would shout " Where are youuuu group of  six/sick?".

The tour finished later than the schedule, so we were running for our lives (literally, chos , because the last bus trip to Phnom Penh is at 4pm and if you miss the bus you must buy another ticket). We were planning to have Chao Long for lunch, but since the tour finished late we had no time to eat out ( I miss Puerto Princesa's Chao Long) . So we just bought snacks at Circle K (Circle K is Vietnam's MiniStop/ 7/11, parang kabute yang convenience store na yan,  every 20 steps meron ulit, saludo!).

4:00 pm- 10:00 pm (10$, crossing Vietnam-Cambodia Border)

*7:00-7:30pm Dinner (2$)

As soon as all the passengers were settled, the bus conductor collected all our passports. He'll be the one presenting them to the immigration officer. It's okay not to bring your luggage with you when you alight at the  Moc Bai Border Gate. You also need not to go in line and face the immigration officer one by one, all the passports are stamped together and will be given directly to the bus attendant. You just have to wait for your name to be called, easy-peasy. But you have to present yourself the stamped passport upon leaving the building. When we got on the bus, the conductor again collected our passports. The ride to Bavet Border Gate was just a few minutes. The same scenario happened, our passports were taken cared by the bus attendant. We had a stopover just near the border. We were sooooo soooo hungry (we haven't had lunch diba?) , again, that we didn't mind taking photos of our food haha.

* We met an Irish who works in Dubai and has a lot of Pinoy friends. He gave all praises to the Philippines, especially our beaches. He visited the Philippines for about two weeks, he went to Cebu, Boracay and Palawan . It was so nice to hear compliments about Pinoys and our dear Pinas.

Upon our arrival at Phnom Penh, we intended to buy bus tickets to Siem Reap. The bus operator insisted that we need not to buy tickets. And just buy as we get on the bus, because there are hourly departure of buses and vans. Don't believe them, as much as you can, convince them to let you reserve a bus ticket (gamitin mo lahat ng powers mo besh)

10:30 pm- Checked in at Lovely Jublly Villa (3.7$)

* Tuk-tuk from the bus station to our hostel (1$)

Complimentary drink upon check-in 

DAY 3- CAMBODIA

Phnom Penh

US Dollars are widely accepted here, you don't have to change your money to Cambodian Riel.  But if you pay in US Dollars, locals will give your change in Riel. A currency converter app is very useful here.

(1 USD- 4000 Riel)

8:00-8:30 am = Breakfast (2.2 $)

8:30-8:45 am= Tuktuk ride to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (1.5$)

8:45-10:30am= Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (8$ , we suggest that you avail the one with audio sets)

During Pol Pot's reign Tous Sleng High School was turned into a prison ( Security-21 prison) and was later made into a museum. It just looks like a typical high school, that's why we highly recommend you to listen the audios prepared at each station. Having a peek at Cambodia's dark history was really heartbreaking.

10:30-10:45am= Tuktuk ride to Cambodia's National Museum (1.5$)

Just recently, about two months before our trip, all entrance fees at tourist attractions in Cambodia, especially the  museums and wats increased. And since we're on a budget, we weren't prepared for those price hike, we decided to skip this one. Plus the museum is close from 11 am to 2 pm.

National Museum of Cambodia (10$)

11:00 am - 2:00 pm = DIY walking tour and food trip

Food Trip (3$)

Pagodas are everywhere and  we just went inside every pagoda we passed by.

Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument

Royal Palace Park

*Bird food (500 Riel)

2:00-3:30pm=  Royal Palace (10.25 $)

*Tuk-tuk to our inn (2000 Riel)

*Tuk-tuk to Mey Hong Bus Station at Khan Toulkork (3000 Riel)

* As I have told you earlier, it would be best to have reserve tickets. We insisted to buy as early as possible ,but ayaw nila tapos pagdating namin doon wala na daw available ticket huhu. We then chose to take the sleeper bus. Well, we were able to save cost for a hotel accommodation, so it's quite okay that we missed the bus. They let us use their comfort room so we can take a shower (diskarte lang sa pakikiusap hihi).

A local pharmacy in Phnom Penh

Dinner (1.5$)

11:00 pm- 4:30 am= Sleeper bus to Siem Reap (10$)

I super love this experience hihi. I didn't mind the long hours of travel because the seats are so comfy.

*There were three Americans sitting next to us, whom we exchanged stories and photos with about travels and our home countries. We also met six Pinay Titas, they are OFWs who are on vacation, ang dami nilang kwento, ang saya, at tulog na ata lahat ng tao sa bus nagkwekwento pa sila. It was a lovely bus ride indeed.

DAY 4- CAMBODIA

Siem Reap

*Sros Seng , our tuk-tuk driver and our guide for the whole Angkor Wat Tour, was recommended by my friend who just had an Indochina trip months ago. So prior our trip, we already communicated with Sros through Facebook. He fetched us at Mey Hong Bus Terminal and brought us to our hostel. 

4:45 am= Checked-in at Central Hostel (3$)

They were kind enough to let us leave our bags, freshen up, change our clothes even if check-in time is at 2 pm. Make sure to put sunscreen lotion and have an umbrella or cap with you. Proper dress code must also be observed.

5:30-6:00am= Tuk-tuk ride and buying of ticket pass

The ticketing station and the temples in the complex are far from each other, so we highly suggest that you hire a tuk-tuk or a van/ bus (big vans our also called buses here in Cambodia). Angkor Wat is best explored at dawn, sunrise watching here is said to be a magical experience, unfortunately we arrived a few minutes late. Usual sunrise is at 5:30-6:00am.

6:00-6:45am= Breakfast (2$)

6:45am-3:00 pm= Angkor Wat Tour (37$)

Angkor Wat is a temple complex , an archaeological park , built in the 12th century. This UNESCO World Heritage Site of about 163 hectares is said to be the largest religious monument in the world. This is my 'most-anticipated-part' of our Indochina trip, I was sooo giddy and excited, and it is way beyond what I imagined to be.  Its grandiose architecture is truly startling and astonishing. Despite the scorching heat of the sun and the tiring long walks, it definitely is my fav.

Ankor Wat

 

Central Ankor Thom

I. Bayon

II. Baphuon

III. Phimeanakas

IV. Terrace of the Elephants

Ta Prohm

 

* Sros Seng is very commendable. Every after temple compound ,he would give us a cold bottle of water for free, so kind and accommodating. He even let us borrow a book guide about the temples. You can find him on Facebook, just send him a private message. The whole tuk-tuk ride is 15$, so we paid 7.5$ each. If you are doing it solo, find a fellow traveler to come with you, so you can save. One tuk-tuk can even accommodate 4 persons. That would be a win-win situation, you'd meet new friends and you'll be able to save a few dollars.

3:00-5:00pm= Food trip along Pub Street (4$)

5:00-7:00pm= Freshen up

7:00-11:00pm= Eat, shop, relax around Pub Street and Angkor Night Market.

*shopping ain't included in our 300$/15K budget

Food Trip (2$)

Again, we didn't took photos of our food. Sorry for being an 'inefficient blogger' haha.  We had fried noodles, crepe, and ice cream.

Fish Massage (1$)

* We met Yuki Matsushita at a fish spa massage stand along Pub Street. She's a Japanese who is currently having her internship in Thailand, she had a 4-day break and she thought of visiting Cambodia, so spontaneous! We also happen to be staying at the same hostel, so we went home together. Shared stories with her near the pool 'till I don't know what time haha, she's amazing, so jolly and full of energy! She was on a solo trip that time, and she'd be going to Angkor Wat too. Good thing she found a fellow solo traveler and...of course we recommended Sros Seng to them , and they went with him the next day.

DAY 5- CAMBODIA-THAILAND 

Hey, this is a heads up, this would be a wordy post.

6:30am= Breakfast (1$)

We had noodles and bread,  as usual walang picture (it's either lagi kaming gutom, kaya kain agad, plus hindi kasi talaga kami mahilig magcapture ng mga food, pagaaralan ko po ang food photography promise).

Better bring drinks and snacks with you, because it would be a long-tiring day, plus there will be no lunch-stopover.

8:00am- 8:00pm= Bus to Bangkok, Thailand  (10$)

Just beside our hostel is a bus ticketing office. Make sure that you buy tickets a day prior your trip. We availed Hang Tep bus services, despite it having a lot of bad reviews circling around the net. Firstly, it's a lot cheaper than other bus lines, even less than half the price of big bus companies. Secondly, we have read this one blog of a backpacker sharing about his bus ride experience with Hang Tep. He said it was okay. And with that one positive review, we decided to take a 'leap of faith' haha. We asked the bus operators why are there such issues, they told us that those were mostly because of miscommunication and social-strata-comfy issues. Plus leg rooms are less especially for Caucasians. Direct bus and direct trip is different. There is only one schedule of direct bus departing from Siem Reap to Bangkok and it is at 8 in the morning. If you are on a direct bus, it means that you'll be riding the same bus 'till you arrive at Bangkok. While a direct trip is where you may or may not be transferred to another vehicle,  a van or bus, upon crossing the border gates. A van maybe less comfortable ,especially to Caucasians, again, since the leg room is smaller , plus the bags would take up some space too. Since we took the direct bus, we had a smooth and comfy ride. Hang Tep buses are like typical provincial buses in the Philippines, bottom-line our experience with them is fairly good. Praise God, it was a right decision , we arrived safe at Bangkok and we were able to save about 10-12 dollars.

11:00am - 3:00pm =Poipet- Aranyaprathet Border Crossing

Upon our arrival at Pompeit Border Gate, everyone hurried to fall in line at the immigration office. Unlike in crossing Vietnam-Cambodia which was so simple and easy, we brought all our bags with us and we went in one by one. Make sure to fill-up the Cambodia departure card properly before falling in line.  A group of Malaysian were asked to pay a certain amount of money by an officer. They too were confused what was that for. They even asked us if we payed too. Good thing, we weren't asked to pay anything. South East Asians are free to travel at SEA countries, so visas and other fees are not required, hmmmmmm (this is a common scam upon crossing borders, as I have read in other blogs, so be careful and know your stand). Porters and tuk-tuks will offer to accompany you at the  Aranyaprathet Border Gate, just kindly decline (another scam).

The Aranyaprathet Immigration Office is just a few meters from Poipet, just follow the other tourists or ask the locals, you won't get lost for sure. Fall in line immediately and fill up the Thai arrival card. We were in line for about three hours, good thing it is air-conditioned and we had snacks with us, so less hanash on our side. But ready your handkerchiefs , since there are a lot of tourists, different nationalities and smells are all over the place hoho.  The immigration officer didn't ask us anything, they just scanned our thumb marks and took our pictures. Our bags were scanned too upon leaving the building.

The bus attendants will be waiting for you outside the gate, so make sure to remember their faces. We waited for all the passengers to finish getting their stamps before we get on the bus.

8:00pm-9:30pm= Dinner at Khao San Road

We first looked for a money changer, then we had dinner. We were too tired to explore the place, so we went to our hostel right after.

(1USD- 33.10 Baht )

Drinks (27 Baht)

Pad Thai (80 Baht)

* Chompoo , a Thai local, who I met in Cebu (we did canyoneering together) , told me to never trust a tuk-tuk driver and even take caution in riding taxis. It's better to book an Uber/Grab or ride their public buses and trains. We weren't able to buy a sim card with internet data, luckily we passed by a travel agency who were kind enough to let us use their internet, yay!

Uber to Hostel (45 Baht)

10:00 pm= Checked-in at Petit Hostel (150 Baht)

DAY 6- THAILAND

CHILL/ REST DAY

This is my fave hostel so far, because of its interior and this . I exchanged my pink pouch and aztec skirt for the white hat and dress.

10:00am= Breakfast (FREE)

*Grab to  Hua Lamphong Station (45 Baht)

12:30- 6:30 pm=  Bangkok Train Station/ Hua Lamphong Railway Station

 If you're planning to go to Laos buy tickets as early as possible, at least six hours before your trip, because sleeper train tickets are easily sold-out. There are 1^st class (air-conditioned) and 2^nd class (fanned) sleeper and sitting cabins. In the sleeper cabins the lower beds are more expensive than in the upper decks. We chose the 1^st class, air-conditioned, sitting cabins. The seats are reclinable so it is comfortable too. They will provide you with free towels, which you can use as your blanket. There are two toilets in each cabin, one has a seating bowl and the other is a traditional squatting toilet.

We both agreed to just bum around at BTS ‘coz I was not feeling well that time.  Anyway, there are a lot of food stalls there, pwedeng pwedeng mag-food trip. We just people watched and had  a heart-to-heart talk hihi.

I don’t usually drink meds when I’m sick. Since I’m on a trip, rest would not be possible, so I had no choice but to take meds.

* Paracetamol + Phenylpropanolamine + Chlorphenamine (10 Baht, haha Pharmacist here!)

Mariooooooo, okay na ako guys magaling na ako!

Food Trip

Shrimp Paste Fried Rice (40 Baht)

Mixed Berry Frappe (50 Baht)

Bread (26 Baht)

Pork on stick (15 Baht, I don’t know what it is called haha the vendor just keeps on saying it is pork)

Pad Krapow Moo Saap (50 Baht, this is a packed-dinner we bought inside the train)

*listed above were my personal food expenses. My friend and I usually would buy different foods so we can share and eat as many as our budget can.

*use of comfort room (6 Baht)

6:30pm-4:30am = Train to Nong Khai Station 

DAY 7- LAOS

4:30-5:15am= Freshen-up

Public showers and toilets in Thailand are common especially in train and bus stations.

You can take the train to the Laos Border at Thanaleng Station for only 70 Baht. The train operates at 7:30 am. If you choose to take this route,  we suggest that you take the 8:20 pm trip to Nong Khai so you wouldn’t be waiting that long.

We met a local Laotian Tita, who was with us in the sleeper train. She offered to accompany us as we cross the border, that’s why we didn’t took the train or the bus.

5:15-5:30am= Tuk-tuk to Nong Khai Boundary Post (30 Baht)

5:30-6:30am= Crossing Thailand-Laos Border

There were hundreds (an estimate of about 400-500) of tourists waiting for the immigration office to open at 6:00 am. And when the gates opened, all the tourists ran as fast as they could, as if they were all in a marathon. It was so funny, can you imagine? We were really shocked that we were left standing while everyone is running to the gate. This is why it’s better to cross the border through Thanaleng Train Station, since there will be less people. One option (which I think is the best) is to take a bus with a route of Nong Khai-Vientiane.

We lined-up one by one, got our passports stamped, bags and thumb marks scanned, photo taken, and were done. There were a lot of people, but the processing was fast, so it took us less than an hour. You have to take a bus (20 Baht) to the Laos Border Gate. When you already cross the Thailand-Laos Friendship Bridge, it means you are near the border. Upon getting off the bus, get your arrival and departure card, fill them up, and get in line. Same process goes, photos will be taken, thumb marks and bags will be scanned, and then you’re good to enter Laos.

Outside the immigration building, you can find public buses and vans going to Vientiane. There are also van tours that you can avail. Tita was fetched by his nephew, we hop in their car and they drove us directly to the bus terminal.

6:30-7:00am= Laos Border to Vientiane South Bus Terminal (***Baht, they asked money since they went all their way to accompany us to the bus terminal, pang-gas siguro)

*Actually umasa kami na libre yun haha. Though mas napamahal kami huhu, it’s okay at least hassle free yung pagcross ng border at pagpunta sa bus terminal.

7:00-11:00am= Vientiane to Vang Vieng (200 Baht)

From the bus stop at the main highway the town center of Vang Vieng is just a few meters away, so you don’t have to take a tuk-tuk.

11:30= Checked in at Army Barracks Guesthouse (6$)

1 USD= 8,300 Kip

We changed our USD to Kip at our hostel.

1:00-2:30= Lunch

Yogurt Fruit Shake (15,000 Kip)

Beef, Bacon, Chicken Baguette (25,000 Kip)

2:30-6:00pm= Tham Jang , walked around town

From our hostel Tham Jang is just a kilometer away.

Vang Vieng Resort entrance fee (2,000 Kip)

Tham Jang entrance fee (15,000 Kip)

We took a dip on a small lagoon near the cave. There we met an Austrian couple and shared travel stories with. They were so shocked that vacation leave in the Philippines is only two weeks at most. Most of the travelers that we have met are travelling for months, two months at least. We even had an American roommate in Siem Reap , she went crying (literal teh may paluha siyang ganap) to me, telling me that her vacation sucks because it ended that fast. Guess what, she's been travelling for 8 weeks already and for her that's too short (hiyang-hiya ako sa 10 days namin, first world problems besh)!

Street Food (2,000 Kip)

We were planning to go tubing, but it was raining for about a week since we came, so the rivers were all muddy.  Bikes for rent are available almost everywhere. We wanted to go biking ,but the rain poured when we are about to do so.

6:00-8:00pm= Freshen up

8:00-9:30pm =Dinner

Fruit Shake (7,000Kip)

Noodles and Baguette (14,000 Kip)

*We also met two Pinays, Jonay and Pam. They were on an Indochina trip too. They started from Ha Long Bay ,in the Northern Part of Vietnam, then they crossed Laos and will be ending their trip in Chang Rai, Thailand. We got inspired to do another Indochina trip with that kind of route.

DAY 8-LAOS

It was raining hard so we can’t go biking and go to the other caves and lagoons. We just strolled around town and watched the Laotians do their morning routines.

Nam Song Bridge (4,000 Kip)

Yung waiting shed inugat na kakaantay

Breakfast-FREE

9:00am-1:00pm=Van to Vientiane (50,000 Kip)

Since we do not know how to commute ( bus/ van terminal, schedules and prices) from the Laos Border Gate to Vientiane (kasi diba naka-private car kami nila Tita), we decided to skip our itinerary in Vientiane. As you can see, we had ample of waiting time for today.We suggest that you book the earliest trip to Vientiane so you can still tour around the city before going back to Bangkok.

3:00pm-4:00pm=Bus to Nong Khai (15,000 Kip)

*Crossed the border again, same process to undergo.

*Told you earlier, it is way easier to cross the border by a public bus by this route.

4:00-4:15pm= Tuk-tuk to Nong Khai Train Station (30 Baht)

Food Trip

Baguette and drinks (8,000 Kip, Vientiane)

Street foods (30Baht, Nong Khai)

Pad Krapow Moo Saap (50 Baht)

*I took a shower at the train station. Good thing that their public showers and comfort rooms are clean.  (10 Baht)

6:15pm-4:15am= Sleeper Train to Bangkok (498 Baht)

Day 9- THAILAND

Ayutthaya, Thailand

4:15-5:00am= Took a bath at the BTS (10 Baht)

5:00-6:00am= Breakfast (50 Baht)

Khao Pad with chicken (Ngayon ko narealize na importante pala talaga magtake ng photos ng foods, for documentation purposes. Sorry na po, gutom kasi kami palagi, so dasal then kain agad haha.)

6:30 am= Inn Stations Hostel (385 Baht for two days)

* If you're on a budget find a hostel/inn near the Hua Lamphong Station, it's accessible almost everywhere. Our hostel is just a few blocks away from the BTS.

Morning walk at Bangkok

9:00-11:00am= Train to Ayutthaya (20 Baht)

There's also a 7:20 am trip , but we were not able to catch it. Ayutthaya is an UNESCO Heritage Site Center that's why we wanted to have a glimpse of her even just for a day.

11:00am-4:00pm= Bike around and Wat hopping 

Bike rental (50 Baht)

Remember this hat? It's the one I exchanged with another traveler.

Wat Maha That (50 Baht)

Wat Yai Chai Mang Khon (20 Baht)

It was burning-hot that we got tired and tanned easily. We decided not to enter other Wats anymore, since we can see them just across the street hiha.

Food Trip

Dragon Fruit Shake (50 Baht)

Thai Green Tea (80 Baht)

Khao Pad and Tom Yum (50 Baht)

Charcoal ice cream (67 Baht)

Nori biscuit and juice (50 Baht)

4:00-6:00 pm= Train to Bangkok (20 Baht)

6:00-7:00 pm= Freshen up

7:00-12:00 am= Food Trip at China Town

Yuki just got back from Cambodia. She invited us to have dinner with her friend Bluee (Thanayong Keatteppawan is his real name), a Thai local. 

*Thanks Bluee for the sweet treat.

Dry Noodles (70 Baht)

Street foods and more noodles (70 Baht)

Lime juice (10 Baht)

DAY 10- THAILAND

Bangkok, Thailand

10:00 am =Breakfast (FREE)

11:00am-1:00pm=Wat Arun (20 Baht)

*Uber from hostel to Wat Arun (50 Baht)

*Boat ride from Wat Arun to Wat Pho (3.5 Baht)

1:30-3:30pm= Wat Pho (50 Baht)

3:30pm-9:30pm= Food trip and Shopping

We took a public bus going to Pratunam (13 Baht). Pratunam is a shopping centre, there are malls , massage parlors, market, and night market which starts at 7pm, just walk around and you'll find the perfect pasalubong for your family and friends.

Food Trip

Thai Milk Tea (25 Baht)

Mango Sticky Rice (60 Baht)

Barbecue (10 Baht)

Street Foods (30 Baht)

People were lining up at this resto, so we tried their food.

Hainanese Chicken (60 Baht)

Longgan Juice (20 Baht)

*We didn't include our shopping expenses in our 300$ budget

9:30-10:30pm= Thai Massage (200 Baht)

10:30-10:45pm= Uber back to our hostel (50 baht)

DAY 0- SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT , THAILAND to NAIA ,PHILIPPINES

You can take the train from Hua Lamphong Station to the airport ( 60 Baht, 1 hour). But our flight back to Manila is at 9:30 am and the train opens at 6:00 am. So we decided to take UBER instead, but of course it is way pricier (220 Baht each, 45 mins)

I know our trip was fast-paced -2 days per country. Yes, we are crazy. Reality check, we did it because we were on a strict budget and we can't extend longer because of work. Now ,we have more reasons to come back. And we will surely do this trip again,  why don't you join us on our next Indochina travel? Let's!