Is it possible to travel to three countries with little money? Yes, it is.
Before the Lunar New Year started last 2017, I was thinking of traveling from Hanoi, Vietnam to Laos to Cambodia, and to Thailand by bus. When I first heard that you can actually travel by bus to these three countries, I included this trip on my bucket list. I must try something different. However, I don’t have enough budget since I am the breadwinner of the family. I send money back to the Philippines to support their needs.
At that time, I only had 7,000,000 VND, around 306 USD. But still, I want to try this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
By the way, I traveled with friends (I was supposed to travel alone but they were interested in my plan, so they asked if they can travel with me. Why not?)
Here’s how it started.
From Hanoi, Vietnam to Laos
We booked a bus ticket from a travel tour for 500,000 VND around 21.22 USD. The bus left at 10:00 PM. The travel time was about 24 hours. Long travel, right? But for me, it doesn’t matter. I just want to experience how to travel to another country by bus. And along the way, we met travelers from other countries. There was a solo traveler from the United States, he joined us. That is the best thing about traveling, meeting new people from other parts of the world and be even friends with them.
Laos
– Finally, after 24 hours, we arrived at Vientiane, Laos (the capital city) We went straight to the hostel, changed our money, took a shower, and ready for dinner. After eating our dinner, my friends want to go back to the hostel to take a rest, so they went back but, I didn’t. I just want to seize the moment and don’t want to waste my time while I was still there. This happens once only, so why not enjoy it? I explored the city by myself and It was great.
– The following day, we rented bicycles to explore the city (highly recommended if you are a budget traveler). We’ve been to different temples around the city.
Cambodia
– This trip was the longest trip ever in my life from Laos to Cambodia. It took 32 hours. We hopped from one bus to another (I think, 4 buses in total). We were so hungry along the way and good thing, one of my friends brought chocolate (snickers) however, only one left and we were 9, and the chocolate melted already. I took the chocolate bar and put it under the air-condition then took a bite. It was a funny experience. So, lesson learned, bring some snacks so you have something to grab when you are hungry.
We arrived in Siem Reap in the evening and we went straight to our hostel, then eat and just rest. The following day, we woke up at 4:00 AM to chase the sunrise in Angkor Wat. When we got there, it was crowded already, a lot of travelers were waiting for the sunrise with their cameras.
– Another bucket list unlocked. To see one of the Wonders of the World which is the Angkor Wat. Overall, it was a fantastic trip.
Thailand
– From Cambodia to Pattaya, Thailand, it took 14 hours (not accurate, I forgot). Then we experienced our first ever hitchhiking 😀 (it was fun). Then, the following day, we took a ferry to Koh Larn Island.
Swimming time ……
We just enjoy the beautiful beach although, it was crowded. The beach was packed with travelers.
Grab a bottle of beer then just chill and enjoy the view.
We stayed on the Island for two days and 1 night then took a bus heading to Bangkok. We stick around in a hostel owned by a Filipino. Then, we met other travelers in the hostel and celebrated Chinese New Year with free Filipino food.
We went to Khaosan Road and I tried my first ever exotic food, specifically, Scorpion (can’t explain the taste) 😉
Indeed, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I will definitely do it again, if given a chance.
“Live this moment, make the most of each second, and don’t forget to take photographs.”
Thank you so much for reading and see you on my next blog. If you have any thoughts, feel free to comment. Have a blessed day and stay safe always 🙂 🙂 🙂
Ryan Gañolon 