Our dream trip across 12 countries – how much did it cost us?

Having finished our 6-month journey, during which we visited 12 countries  (Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Viet Nam, Australia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Japan, the Philippines, China and Nepal), we often get questions regarding the cost of such a trip. In this post you will find information that will help you to realize that you don’t need a lot of money (which does not mean you need very little of it) to make your travel dream come true. Of course now we can call ourselves smarter and advise you which country you could skip right away if your budget is very limited; and this does not mean that it must be Australia, which many people associate with gigantic travel expenses! Sit back comfortably and make yourself decide after reading our tips whether a long travel is something you could go for taking into account various destinations and travel costs:)

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Laos – the things that surprised us…

Previously we knew Laos only from stories. Firstly, we heard that this is an extremely cheap country. Secondly, that we would easily be struck by poverty as it is the case in Cambodia or Myanmar.. Hmm, we started to doubt it as soon as we arrived there and noticed Toyota Hilux vans and other cars of leading automotive brands passing the roads here and there, even in small villages. There are very few old cars on the roads, the rest of them look like brand-new ones. What’s more? We also heard that Lao people are extremely open and communicative (resembling Sri Lankan people in this way).. Hmm, well, and here again we have a doubt .. So how does it really look like?

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Vang Vieng – caving, canoeing and much more – an ideal place for active people

Vang Vieng is a city in Laos labelled as a place for party animals and sports addicts. Indeed, there is no shortage of bars with loud music played every day until 1:00am, and you can spot night life at the Mekong River near the wooden bridge, but you can also find some places where nature is conducive to challenges, extreme sports , exploring caves, or trekking … One thing is certain – it’s impossible to get bored in this small city, and for sure everyone will find something for themselves!

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4000 islands – in search of tranquility and …. the Irrawaddy dolphins!

‘’4000 islands’’  – most probably the name of this place doesn’t sound familiar to you? Let’s change it!  In Laos the islands are must-see if you want to relax during your stay in this country! The hottest part of Laos right close to the border with Cambodia is not only a place to wind down in bungalows in the islands of Don Det and Don Khon, but also a place where you can experience a closer contact with dolphins floating in the Mekong River! How is that possible? Dolphins in the river? Yes, confirmed and seen with our own eyes! 🙂

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Bolaven Plateau – a paradise for those loving waterfalls!

Bolaven Plateau situated in southern Laos is known for its landscapes illustrating unspoilt nature: myriads of waterfalls and green scenery. It can be considered an ideal place to take a rest or the one perfect to have a tour visiting waterfalls while staying in Pakse. Also this time we recommend you to hop on a motorbike although the area you will have to move along covers 180-200km. We purchased a tour at a tourist agency tempted to see 3 more attractions in one day and paid 2,50USD more per capita comparing the costs of taking a motorbike for 2, but later we regreted that we did not do that the usual way – on a motorcycle, despite the large distance to traverse. For sure it would have been more fun! (Especially since our driver was driving his clunker so fu(..)ing slowly!…)

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Kuang Si Waterfall and its neighbourhood – the breathtaking views!

Before we came to Laos everyone was telling us that nowhere in Asia we would see such magnificent natural landscapes with lots of beautiful waterfalls as in this country. And because of that we waited impatiently for this point of our journey but also were half-convinced when hearing these opinions as from our experence in many Asian countries tourists are offered to see waterfalls, which depending on the season look different than in the pictures, and in many cases you can get easily disappointed, e.g. seeing in front of you a watetfall which dried out or which looks flooded in a rainy season with mud everywhere and no more crystal clear waters…

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The mysterious Phonsavan – a land strewn with gigantic jars and bomb craters

Have you ever heard of the Plain of Jars near Phonsavan in Laos with over 2,000 stone jars scattered all over a huge area (some of them being 3m high)? And any idea about bomb craters in this terrain left by the Americans during the Vietnam War? The mysterious surroundings of Phonsavan arouse curiosity of many travelers. Life in the villages situated close to the craters goes on as if the bombs have never fallen in that area and the real purpose of the mysterious jars is not 100% confirmed …

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Yangon – the most interesting places to see in 1 day

Yangon is Myanmar’s largest city with a population of over 5 million people, being the economic and cultural center of the country. You can see that this is practically the only prosperous and ” civilized ” city in this country, focused on business development and having a vibrant life. It is also the most diverse city with a mixture of cultures and religions.

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Mandalay and its neighbourhood – temples dripping in gold vs sad reality

Mandalay is the second largest city of Myanmar with a population exceeding one million, yet not looking like a well developed and organized city. Chaos on the road is nothing new in an Asian country and it’s there. What strikes a contemporary traveller is poverty, decrepit buildings, someone would have said ‘the grunge everywhere’ and general backwardness in thinking and technology as well.

 

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The taste of Burmese cuisine – let’s cook!

How to get to know the authentic Burmese cuisine? Eating out at local bars with Burmese people is a good way but it’s not the same as cooking with a local ‘housewife’… Especially if you can participate in the process of preparing products (by going to the market to get them, the place where the whole experience begins), then in the preparation of various dishes, especially the typically traditional ones (it’s worth mentioning that you choose what you want to cook during a cooking class, so you have the chance to emphasize that you want to cook and eat the food Burmese people eat at home). We highly recommend you a cooking class offered by ‘Y Wine’ in Nyaung Shwe for 15.000MMK (11USD) per person (in our case of course it was Michal who was cooking, and me following his each and every step snapping photos and later even tasting the cooked dishes with him, and yet we only paid for 1 person!).

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