South-East Asia beginners: what you need to know By Ben Groundwater

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• South-East Asia beginners what you need to know
• By Ben Groundwater

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• It might start with Bali. That seems to be the
  entry point for many people into South-East Asia,
  their first taste of this incredible part of the
  world.
• You drink a few Bintangs, laugh at five people on
  a scooter, enjoy the food, get a little feel for
  the atmosphere that mix of crazy and
  traditional, chaos and peace, commercialism and
  religion and you're hooked.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• So for those wanting to extend their South-East
  Asian experience, to get more out of it than the
  Western enclaves of Kuta, this is your guide.
• First bit of advice don't be afraid. You've
  probably heard some scams of dodgy goings on in
  South-East Asia, of protests in Thailand, of land
  mines in Cambodia, of scary roads in Vietnam and
  military juntas in Myanmar but you're really
  not in that much danger. Dont, in general take
  minor complaints to the police as this will
  usually end up with you paying more than you have
  lost.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• While the chance of finding yourself in the wrong
  place at the wrong time does exist, in general
  South-East Asian countries are incredibly
  friendly places, and mostly quite safe. You'll be
  met with smiles rather than machine guns. You'll
  be treated with respect.
• If this is your first trip to South-East Asia,
  you're probably wondering where to go. Do you
  relax on a beach in Thailand? Or hit up Angkor
  Wat? Do you go island-hopping in Halong Bay? Or
  temple-hopping in Luang Prabang?

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• It's a tough decision, but with a few weeks you
  can cover a lot of ground. Budget airlines mean
  it's possible to skip from place to place by air,
  to go from Hanoi to Siem Reap to Phuket to KL and
  Jakarta all in a regular-sized holiday from work.
  Of course this leaves little time for cultural
  immersion, but if your priority is to see the big
  attractions then you can do it all on a
  reasonable budget.
• Independent travel is simple in South-East Asia,
  with extensive networks of buses and trains which
  needn't be booked in advance. These buses and
  trains range from the comfortable to the hellish
  the journeys themselves are similar. Be
  prepared for butt-jarring 12-hour rides along
  dusty back-roads. Get set for squalid train
  toilets and cramped seats.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• But that's part of the fun. South-East Asia is
  all about new experiences, the occasionally
  bizarre and off-putting, and it's your duty to
  get yourself amongst it.
• Try new things. Eat the street food. Jump on the
  back of a motorbike taxi. Drink the snake wine.
  Put ice in your beer. Sleep in a 5-a-night beach
  bungalow. Add the extra chillis.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• Take as many different forms of transport as you
  can. Ride in a tuk-tuk take a motorbike tour
  around Vietnam take longboats on lakes and
  ferries up rivers sit on the back of an
  elephant sit on the roof of a bus.
• If all of this sounds intimidating, or you're
  after a more relaxed experience that avoids the
  hassles of touts, take a tour. Go cycling around
  Myanmar with World Expeditions. Take an
  overlander with Intrepid. Have some fun with
  Contiki.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• While South-East Asian countries are
  predominantly safe places, where the main things
  you have to worry about are the state of the
  roads and the power of your latest hangover,
  there are scams to watch out for. People who
  approach you because they "just want to practice
  English" usually want to do much more than just
  practice English.
• There are touts for karaoke bars that turn out to
  be brothels. There are swindlers selling dodgy
  art. There are kids everywhere, youngsters who've
  been put to work selling postcards and
  guidebooks, trading on a cute face and a
  tourist's guilt. Don't support this industry.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• Pack light, and don't bother with fancy clothes.
  South-East Asia is hot, year-round. You'll be
  sweating like crazy. And there won't be any
  fine-dining or many strictly policed nightclubs.
  For backpackers you'll have your toes in the sand
  most nights you'll dine at plastic tables on
  street corners.
• Don't be too stingy. Don't get obsessed with
  haggling and saving every last baht or dong or
  kip. Sure, you can knock the price down just like
  any local would but if you find yourself
  battling hard over 50 cents or so, it's probably
  time to get a bit of perspective.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• Book hostels in advance. You don't want to be at
  the mercy of the touts when you arrive somewhere.
  Similarly, try to get an idea of how much a
  tuk-tuk or taxi should cost in the city you're
  going to it pays to know when you're being
  ripped off. Meters generally don't exist.
• If you're going to hire a scooter, make sure you
  can ride a scooter.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• Go to the cities, but get out into the
  countryside as well. Places like Bangkok and Ho
  Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur are great, but the
  real beauty of South-East Asia lies in its rural
  areas, in the long stretches of rice paddies
  backed by soaring limestone cliffs. You'll be
  welcomed in the countryside you'll realise that
  South-East Asia isn't all chaos and noise.
• Be respectful of local dress standards. Take off
  your shoes in temples. Don't get steaming drunk
  and make an arse of yourself.
• If a situation feels dangerous, it probably is.
  Leave. Use your judgment. Use your instincts.
  Just because you're allowed to do something in
  South-East Asia, doesn't make it safe.

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South-East Asia beginners what you need to
knowBy Ben Groundwater

• By the same token, don't be scared. South-East
  Asia is an amazing place for travellers
  affordable, exciting, and delicious. You could
  spend a week there or you could spend a year
  there. Just open yourself to the experience of
  something new, and enjoy.
• Have you travelled in South-East Asia? What are
  your tips for first-time visitors to the region?
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