If you want to travel Asia cheaply, here are 10 tips you should know about!
Asia is commonly regarded as a backpacker’s paradise, and many people travel the continent on a shoestring budget. Depending on which part of Asia you travel in, it’s possible for visitors to travel on next to nothing for a budget compared to traveling in Europe or North America.
Below you’ll find the ten best tips for cheap travel in Asia. From learning the cheapest modes of transportation to figuring out how to eat affordably, this guide will teach you how to travel Asia even if you don’t have much money to spend there.
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How Can I Travel to Asia Cheaply?
Traveling to Asia on the cheap involves looking at your trip from a few different angles. You’ll need to take a look at where you stay, how you get around, and what kind of things you buy while you’re out and about. Even if you’re planning to travel Asia on a shoestring budget, it’s always a good idea to plan on taking more money than you think you’ll need.
What Countries Are Included in Traveling to Asia?
Asia is the largest continent on the planet, so there are tons of countries contained within it that you might be interested in traveling in. To see Asia as a traveler, the continent can be broken up into several major sections (Source: WorldAtlas):
- China: China is one of the largest, most culturally diverse, and most populous nations on the planet. Most travelers recommend that you spend at least a week or two in China alone, so it can be a good idea to make a special trip just around the different Chinese provinces. Traveling in China can be expensive or cheap, depending on how you plan.
- Southeast Asia: When travelers mention backpacking in Southeast Asia, they typically mean countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Backpackers love Southeast Asia because it offers a diverse range of attractions and can be easily traveled on a small budget.
- South Asia: South Asia contains many contrasting cultures in countries such as Nepal, India, Iran, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, the Maldives, and Afghanistan. While South Asia can usually be traveled cheaply, many areas of it, such as Afghanistan and Bhutan, are considered relatively high-risk for travel.
- East Asia: Outside of China, there are several other popular countries in East Asia that draw travelers such as Mongolia, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. Some of these countries, like Japan and South Korea, can be very expensive to travel in without careful planning.
- Central Asia: Central Asia is made up of countries that are less known to travelers such as Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan. While these countries can be traveled very cheaply since they aren’t major tourist attractions, they don’t have as many amenities for tourists either.
Almost anywhere in Asia can be traveled cheaply if you plan ahead. These tips will also help you get the best bang for your buck.
10 Tips for Traveling to Asia Cheaply
Following these tips for traveling to Asia cheaply will help you stay on budget and keep your money in your wallet for fun activities instead of necessities. To save more of your budget for souvenirs and interesting tours, you need to look for the best deals in transportation, accommodations, and food.
Go Overland and Overnight in Asia
Some of the cheapest options for traveling in all parts of Asia are the local bus systems. While buses aren’t the quickest ways to get around Asia, there are a few good reasons to consider taking overnight buses as part of your cheap transportation:
- It saves you a night in a hotel. Using an overnight bus not only helps you get to where you need to go, it also keeps you from having to spend money on a place to sleep. These buses are known as “sleeper buses” for a reason.
- It saves you from wasting a travel day. If you don’t travel at night, you’ll be doing your travel during the day when you could otherwise be taking in the sights and participating in local activities.
There are some things to consider when you’re taking overnight buses for overland travel. These buses are often a target for thieves since they’re full of sleeping passengers, so be sure your items are both secured and inconvenient to access for anyone who might try to go through them. You should also keep all valuables directly on your body to keep them safe.
Stay in Hostels for Cheap Accommodations
Hotels can be very expensive in some parts of Asia, especially popular spots such as Japan, China, and Korea. Cut some of the expenses of your stay in these places by choosing hostels over hotels.
While hostels sometimes have restrictions that hotels don’t and you probably won’t want to spend much time in them due to cramped quarters, hostels are cheaper than hotels and are also a good way to meet other travelers if you’re backpacking alone.
Accept Haggling for Good Deals
Some people might find the idea of haggling off-putting, especially if you’re traveling in a third-world country where the money you are bringing in is worth much more than the local currency. However, it’s easy to get fleeced when traveling Asia for this reason.
Haggling is an accepted practice throughout much of Asia, and in many places it is outright expected. Do some research on haggling effectively and don’t be afraid to walk away from a stall or vendor if you think the price of something is too high. You can usually negotiate a lower price that is still fair to the seller if you go through the trouble to give it a shot.
Eat in Asia on the Cheap
One of the advantages of traveling in Asia is that it’s pretty easy to get delicious, affordable food all over the place in most Asian countries. Here are some tips for keeping your food budget trim while you’re traveling in Asia (Source: The Wandering Blonde):
- Always go with street food. Street food can be had at ridiculously cheap prices throughout much of Asia and this food is often comparable in quality to the food you could get in many restaurants. A full meal can be had at many stalls for less than two dollars.
- Get some fruit for breakfast and snacks. Fruit can make a cheap and hydrating snack that is relatively easy for you to carry with you while you’re traveling. There are also many fruits to try in Asia that can’t be had at your local groceries elsewhere in the world since they don’t travel well enough for global export.
- Drink water. Taking water with you can help you avoid foodborne illnesses from local water sources, and it can keep you from giving in to temptations like bubble tea stalls. While beverages from street vendors aren’t necessarily that expensive, they will tack on additional costs to your trip. Water is also important for hydrating in hot tropical climates.
- Go for fresh food. When you’re eating cheap at Asian street vendors, it’s always a good idea to go for food stalls where you can see the food being prepared fresh in front of you. Food stalls that have food sitting out already cooked may make you sick. Food poisoning can cost you money by forcing you to change your plans too.
Food can make up a big part of your budget when traveling Asia since you’ll need to eat every day, so it’s a part of your budget you should look at carefully if you’re trying to travel cheaply. You want to be sure to taste all the great meals that Asia has to offer without it breaking your wallet at the same time.
Minimize Your Souvenirs
It’s tempting to try and buy a bunch of cool souvenirs on your trip through Asia, especially if you’re visiting multiple countries. However, you need to take a few things into consideration when it comes to buying souvenirs in Asia:
- You buy it, you carry it. Souvenirs are generally a poor idea if you’re backpacking in Asia since you’ll only end up having to lug them around. This can end up costing you more in transportation since
- Souvenirs are tourist traps. Knick-knacks and souvenirs are some of the most notoriously overpriced items you can buy when you’re traveling in Asia. Since tourists are unlikely to know the general value of things in their travels unless they’ve done a little research, it’s easy for street vendors to over-charge for their wares.
- Anything you buy has to be shipped back. If you buy a suitcase worth of souvenirs for friends and family back home, you’re going to end up paying for additional luggage fees on the trip home.
Try to stick with life-changing experiences and some great photographs for your main souvenirs on a trip to Asia. Keep in mind that any Asian souvenirs that you want for your family can be bought and shipped from Asia to your house a lot more conveniently than trying to lug them around with you and keep them in good condition for your entire trip.
Travel With a Group for Discounts in Asia
If you’re not dedicated to the idea of solo travel, traveling with a group of four or more people can get you discounts in many places where you wouldn’t get a discount otherwise. This goes for group activities as well as general tours throughout Asia.
You can get some good deals on travel packages that involve adventure tours for solo travelers looking for safety and affordability. An alternative way to get some group discounts while traveling solo in Asia is to meet up with other backpackers at the hostel you’re staying at and see if anyone wants to go in together on a day trip.
Pre-Game Before You Go Out Drinking in Asia
When you go out in the evenings in Asia, one of the most expensive things you’re likely to invest in is alcohol. There are plenty of bars that cater to foreign tourists that have overpriced drinks.
If you want to save some money when you go out at night traveling in Asia, try pre-gaming at the hotel or hostel with a six-pack of beer or a bottle of cheap liquor. Having a few drinks before you go out can save you a ton of money over the course of your trip.
Use Ferries for Island-Hopping
If you’re traveling in Southeast Asia, chances are you’ll be doing a lot of island-hopping between different islands and nations. There are many kinds of boats you can use to travel between islands, but the way to save some money traveling between islands is to use public ferries. Ferries aren’t the fastest way to travel, but they’re definitely one of the cheapest.
Your alternative for using the ferry is to hire private boats to get you from island to island in Southeast Asia. While this might be the preferable choice for travelers who enjoy privacy and solitude, you’ll pay extra for the privilege.
Pay Up for Traveler's Insurance
Travelers looking to travel cheaply in Asia might consider traveler’s insurance to be an unnecessary expense, but they’d be wrong. Nothing can completely destroy your budget while you’re abroad like running into a medical emergency that needs necessary and expensive treatment. (Source: World Nomads)
Traveler’s insurance is affordable and most policies cover a wide range of different injuries and illnesses. Do yourself a favor and prepare for the worst to save money in the long run.
Walk Around Where You Can
Cabs are by far one of the most expensive things you can indulge in while you’re traveling around Asia, especially in popular travel destinations or countries with congested traffic. You might get weary of walking constantly, but it’s the best way to travel if you want to blend in with the locals and soak in the sights at the same time. Plus it has the benefit of being free!
Here are a few extra tips for being safe if you save money by walking around while traveling in Asia:
- Beware of scams. Some Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand may have especially high populations of scammers that work the tourist trail to try and take advantage of generous and gullible vacationers. Keep a sharp eye out to avoid being a target. Don’t let yourself get sucked in by a deal that sounds too good to be true.
- Don’t buy illegal drugs. While some Southeastern Asian countries are sometimes seen as meccas for recreational drug users, possessing these substances in some countries is punishable by death and even alcohol is banned in some Asian nations. (Source: Human Rights Watch) Unless you have thousands to throw at your legal defense, don’t even think about it.
- Protect yourself from insect-borne illness. Want to avoid an expensive hospital trip? Wear insect repellent to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes while you’re walking around. Dengue fever and malaria are prevalent throughout Southeast Asia. (Source: CNBC)
If you take some measures to stay safe while walking around in Asia, you’ll have plenty of time to savor the sights and sounds of the country you’re staying in. Walking rather than riding in a cab or tuk-tuk can save you a bunch of money in transportation fees, too.
Asia Is a Cheap Travel Destination With Planning
Asia is such a diverse continent of countries that you could easily set up a cheap or an expensive vacation depending on how well you plan ahead. Knowing where you’re going and the best deals for the areas you’re visiting can help you get the most out of your Asian travel budget without skimping out on the fun. While visiting asia Bangkok is preferred by many tourist, here is do’s and don’ts of bangkok one should know before planning to visit.
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