The best 3 month southeast asia itinerary : Discover Bali, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia
I have been dreaming of backpacking Southeast Asia ever since I was a little girl. Reading travel blogs and following along on other’s adventures was my favorite past time, and it’s so crazy to look back at the last few years and see how much traveling I’ve done - and that I have my own travel blog! I hope to be able to inspire people to travel in the same way that Alex, Kiki, and Liz inspired me. I have just arrived home after three months of backpacking Southeast Asia, and it was the absolute time of my LIFE. It was everything I could have hoped for and more!
I’ve gotten lots of questions about how I went about planning this trip, mapping out my itinerary, and the logistics of it all (i.e. how to get from one city to the next, booking hostels, etc.) and I cannot wait to share all my tips and tricks with you!
First up: I’m sharing what I consider to the the best 3 month Southeast Asia Itinerary - it includes not only Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia (the classic backpacker loop) but also Bali! I know a lot of other itineraries include Malaysia or Singapore, but Bali was a higher priority to me and so I made sure to add time to explore that little slice of paradise, and I’m so glad I did!
To be completely honest, I’m such a travel nerd and had done so much research over the years about this region of the world, that I knew exactly what route to take, and what the best attractions in each city were. It didn’t take much planning at all because I knew exactly what I wanted to do! Hopefully this post will be the only one you need to craft the perfect southeast Asia Backpacking Itinerary for you.
The Best 3 Month Southeast Asia
Backpacking Itinerary:
Weeks 1-3: Bali
The first stop of my 3 month southeast Asia itinerary was Bali! I came directly after my year teaching English in South Korea was up, and so my flight was super reasonably priced because I was already in Asia. Coming to Bali after a year of super taxing work and very tough times was exactly what I needed; Bali breathed life back into me, and I stayed for three weeks.
Although I met lots of people who used the entire month long visa and even more who extended theirs to be for 60 days, I knew that I was running on limited time if I wanted to be home for the holidays. I was very strategic when it came to my Bali itinerary, because although it seems like a small island, there is truly enough to do to last you two months.
Thankfully, if you’re on a time crunch like I was, I’ve done all the heavy lifting and put together the perfect 3 week Bali itinerary - I’ll go into more detail in a future dedicated post, but for now, here’s the rundown - but FIRST:
Something to note is that your experience in Southeast Asia is extremely weather dependent. This is why I started my trip in September by heading to Bali first. I met so many people who completed the backpacking loop on the mainland and THEN headed to Bali - and it rained every day they were there. I was so happy with the way I planned my trip, and I think I had a grand total of 7 rainy days on my entire three month trip. September is the very end of the dry season, but I only had one rainy day in Bali. As a result I have much more favorable memories of Bali than some of my friends who didn’t get to experience it fully.
Okay! That being said, I arrived in the Denpasar airport and promptly hopped on a grab scooter taxi with my enormous backpack and headed for my first hostel down in Uluwatu.
I spent three days in Uluwatu trying my hand at surfing, hiking down to the beaches that were surrounded by cliffs, and making friends.
Next, I headed up to Canggu to meet up with a friend from home, and we stayed for 5 days! Honestly, I wish I had spent more time in Uluwatu and less in Canggu, as the beaches aren’t amazing and there’s not much to do besides party, but we made the rookie mistake of booking all of our hostels ahead of time so we couldn’t switch up our pre-made plans too much! That being said, the parties in Canggu and Seminyak are insane, so if you’re into that, you’ll love your time here.
After way too many days of straight parties and laying by the pool, we set out to have an adventure - and went a little rogue. Most Bali itineraries leave out the northernmost regions of the island, but Munduk ended up being one of my favorite stops. We saw epic waterfalls, swam below them and jumped off of them, and were able to see a part of Bali that lots of people don’t get the chance to see. It was amazing.
From Munduk, we headed back south for four days in Ubud. This was (maybe controversially) my favorite city in Bali. The chill, quieter vibes just spoke to me, and I could easily see myself living there. We went to the monkey forest, ate the best food, and hiked volcanoes. I did yoga classes, got a massage every day, and lived my best life.
After a week of laying low, it was time to get back to socializing - and no place better to do that than the Gili Islands! We stayed on Gili T, and it was SO. MUCH. FUN. I met amazing people, danced at reggae bars, and swam with sea turtles. Only bikes and horses are allowed on this little island, and the vibes were immaculate.
Straight from Gili T, we took the (most horrific) ferry to Nusa Penida, where stayed two nights and explored all the island had to offer! Nusa Penida - I don’t care how cliche all the pictures are - is the most picturesque place I’ve EVER been. don’t skip it.
I headed back for one more day in Ubud before heading to the airport!
Week 4: Mainland Thailand
NEXT STOP: Bangkok. To be honest I had a travel blog commitment that required me to SPEED through northern Thailand, which is something I regret! So this isn’t the most comprehensive section of this itinerary.
I started off with 24 hours in Bangkok, as most people give it pretty low reviews in comparison to other Southeast Asian cities, but if you have an interest in exploring more, definitely give it a few days before jumping on the overnight train to Chiang Mai.
I spent three days here, and to be completely honest didn’t ~really~ get the hype behind it. I didn’t mind it, that’s for sure, (and I got to play with elephants :’) but to me, three days is enough.
From here, most people go to Pai … and rave about it for the entire rest of their trip. Plot twist: I didn’t go. I KNOW. I got so much crap for LITERALLY the next two months because of the fact that my time constraints had me skipping out on Pai, but you definitely should not. Half the people I met had a freaking Pi tattoo to commemorate their time there and it will forever be something I regret not doing.
Instead of heading to Pai, I went straight to Chiang Khong from Chiang Mai, with a little pitstop in Chiang Rai to see the temples there on the way. There’s nothing to do in Chiang Khong really, but it’s where you need to be to get on the 2 day slow boat that will take you to our next country (and spoiler alert: it’s a good one).
Week 5 - Laos
Imma be fr: most people don’t even know Laos is a country that exists. I, on the other hand, after obsessively reading travel blogs for the entirety of my childhood, was most excited to visit Laos out of any other country on my itinerary. Hot take.
And while it didn’t end up being my #1 favorite country that I hit, it had one particular town that sucked me in and (violently) spat me back out 11 days later - which if you’ve ever gone backpacking or traveling before, you know is an EXCESSIVE amount of time to stay in one place. I <3 Vang Vieng. More on that in a second.
To get to Laos from Northern Thailand, you have a few options. You can fly from Chiang Mai, or, and in my opinion, the best way to travel from Thailand to Laos, is to take the 2 day slow boat. I know that a two day transit period doesn’t sound like everyone’s cup of tea, but it was honestly one of the best experiences I had while traveling.
The boat leaves Mondays and Thursdays, and as a result they’re normally packed full of other backpackers. While not entirely comfortable, this is the BEST way to make friends. I traveled with the people from my slow boat for the next two months, because everyone is basically on the same route and we got VERY comfortable with each other after being in such close quarters for that journey!
The boat will deposit you in Luang Prabang, which is worth a good 3 days. There are the stunning Kuang Si waterfalls, gorgeous temples, and the previous french influence has resulted in a million amazing bakeries!
From there, take the high speed train to my beloved Vang Vieng. Normally, I would say you could spend 4 days here, as many of the activities are full day things, but like I mentioned before, I stayed ELEVEN DAYS. Part of this was because my Vietnamese Visa hadn’t come in yet, part was because I had a motorcycle crash and a bout of food poisoning, but despite the challenges that I faced while being in Vang Vieng, it was still one of my favorite stops of the entire trip. I have ~never~ seen nature that beautiful. Stay as long as you want:)
loads of the activities like tipsy tubing and touring the blue lagoons take whole days, so the more time the better!
Head down to Vientiane and spend a day there before flying to Vietnam!
Weeks 6, 7, and 8 - Vietnam
oooooo baby you are in for a TREAT. Vietnam is one of my all time favorite countries; I’ve been twice and there’s still so much left for me to do! You can easily spend a month traveling Vietnam from north to south, and lots of people do! I would say for people who are on a little more of a time crunch that you can see what you need to see in three weeks or less by staying in the north and the middle of the country. Here are my recommendations!
Start in Hanoi with a few days in this hectic, crazy city before heading north to Ha Giang. These are some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world, and the motorbike loop is such a fun adventure, whether you ride on the back of a tour guide’s bike or drive your own. Hands down the best thing I did in Southeast Asia.
Head back to Hanoi for a day before setting off on your next adventure: Halong Bay! One thing to note is that Hanoi is the hub for all the excursions, so even if you only stay in Hanoi for 2 days initially, you’ll definitely be back in between other stops! I did a 2 day 1 night cruise in Halong Bay, and it was pure magic.
Next, be sure to hit Ninh Binh as you head south. It’s called Halong Bay On Land, and is absolutely stunning. Unfortunately I had some bad weather when I was there, but I would allow 2-3 days there to see everything it has to offer.
Jumping to the middle of the country, Hoi An is a MUST SEE. It definitely is catered heavily to tourists, which normally I don’t like, but this town was incredible. It is home to the most beautiful architecture, the most delicious Vietnamese food I’ve ever had, and the best shopping. It feels like stepping back in time a little bit!
From here, you can visit Hue or Danang, as both are super close to Hoi An. That’s all I would personally do, although lots of people continue south to Da Lat, Mui Ne, Phong Na, and Ho Chi Minh City as well. I’ve heard from lots of fellow travelers that they much preferred the north and the middle, so just keep that in mind, do your research, and be sure to add in whatever you think would be a good addition to your itinerary:)
Week 9: Cambodia
Cambodia is the country that surprised me the most on the 3 month southeast Asia itinerary. I had heard so many bad things about it! People said it was seedy, dangerous, and expensive. It was the only country that I felt uneasy upon arrival - not because of my surroundings but because of my preconceived notions! Unsurprisingly, it became one of my favorite countries. (it was expensive though fr fr).
Start off in Phnom Penh. There’s lots of history to learn about, that should be done before the rest of the country. Learning about the recent genocide was extremely tough, but gave me such a big appreciation for how kind everyone in the country is despite the pain that they have experienced.
From there, head to the islands! I visited both Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, and I would say if you only have a week in Cambodia to just visit Koh Rong. The beaches are beautiful, the island is so much fun, and it’s a little easier to get around. Did you know Cambodia had beaches like this??? Because I for sure did not. Go off, Cambodia.
Our last stop in Cambodia is Siem Reap. Siem Reap is so intriguing to me. Unfortunately, I was in a rush to get to the full moon party down in Koh Phangan, so I didn’t spend as much time here as I would’ve liked. There is so much more to Siem Reap than the temples of Angkor, and I would love to come back and spend a month or so there! I really wish I spent more time there and cut off a few days in Phnom Penh.
Weeks 10, 11, and 12 - Southern Thailand
We’ve about come to the end of our itinerary! From Siem Reap, I took the bus to Bangkok. 0/10 would recommend, the border crossing took 5 hours and was literally traumatizing. I would definitely fly.
From Bangkok, take the overnight train or fly to Surat Thani, where you can take the ferries to the eastern islands: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao. I skipped Koh Samui because I was trying to make it to Koh Phangan for the full moon party, but depending on your schedule and your priorities, I’m sure you can fit them all in!
Koh Phangan didn’t impress me. The parties were lots of fun, but the beaches and the rest of the island weren’t the best in my opinion. After a few days, I headed to Koh Tao, where I spent 2 weeks and personally ended my trip. It was actually really rainy on the eastern side when I was there in November - so keep that in mind! The clouds foiled my tanning plans but they did look pretty epic ->
(and it’s the best time to learn to scuba dive, bc the fish don’t care whether or not it’s raining:)
My trip wasn’t exactly three months, as I was trying to be home for thanksgiving after nearly a year and a half of living abroad, but I’ll share what my plans would’ve been if I were to have stayed for the full time!
From Koh Tao, I would’ve done a pitstop in Khao Sok National Park on my way to the western islands. I didn’t go so please enjoy a few of my friends photos for this last section!! S/O to my travel friends for coming through for the Thailand photos!
If you’re short on time, skip Phuket. I haven’t met a single person who’s enjoyed that city! I would stick to Krabi and Koh Phi Phi if I were you. The beaches in Krabi are stunning, and the boat tours in Koh Phi Phi - what I’ve seen from my friends instagrams - make me SICK that I missed out. I’ll come back, I know I will :’)
Unfortunately, travel times in Southern Thailand are actually insane, and with my days in Asia dwindling, I didn’t want to spend 24 hours traveling to the west side of Thailand, so I decided to enjoy my final days in Koh Tao, Scuba diving, getting massages, and laying on the beach. No regrets.
Well, a few regrets, but only that I didn’t have more time :’)
That wraps up the best 3 month Southeast Asia Itinerary!
I hope you enjoyed, got some inspiration, and some useful travel tips so that you can plan your own trip through Southeast Asia! It was the absolute time of my life, and a journey that I’ll be telling my grandkids about one day.
If you have any questions, need help forming an itinerary that works for you, or need specific destination-specific tips, drop a comment down below or send me a DM on Instagram! I’m more than happy - excited, even - to help you all get out there and see the world.
Nothing brings me more joy than messages from you guys:) ily
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