Contributed by Lakwatserang Hampaslupa
Planning this entire trip is totally overwhelming. The excitement intensifies once you discover new places to go in the course of your planning. Imagine… 5 countries in 10 days, a total of 6,970 miles. You have to list all the places you want to go, taking into consideration the time allocated in each destination. What you need in this kind of trip is intense research and well of course — a budget, minimal but a conservative one.
People tell me that this trip is impossible. With just 25k? But what can I say? It’s one hell of a budget trip! We really made the most of our resources to fully cram most of the cities’ key highlights. So in this post, I will share with you an overview of our itinerary, breakdown of expenses and some snapshots of our trip. Ready? Here it goes…
Also read: Backpacking Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos & Thailand: 11-Day Itinerary & Cost Breakdown
Batu Caves
Also read: Perfect Southeast Asia Backpacking Routes for Filipino Couples
*Not part of our destination but just a connecting city to our next stop— PHUKET!
Since it’s already my second time in SG, I opted to go to places that I wasn’t able to visit before. Note that you’ll spend more if it’s your first time, assuming you’ll spend time in Universal Studios and other attractions in Singapore.
My friends went to Universal Studios but I took a trip to Pulau Ubin with my sister.
So now, let’s talk about the damage done to my wallet. Summarised below is the breakdown of expenses.
| Pre-booked Flights and Transportation (used the rate that was charged by the credit card company) | in ₱ |
| Cebu, PH to Manila, PH (Cebu Pacific Air) | 499.00 |
| Manila, PH to Kuala Lumpur, MY (Cebu Pacific Air) | 2,001.50 |
| Kuala Lumpur, MY to Ho Chi Minh, VN (Air Asia) | 957.83 |
| Ho Chi Minh, VN to Phnom Penh, KH via bus (www.giantibis.com) >> $19.00 | 904.76 |
| Phnom Penh, KH to Siem Reap, KH via sleeper bus (www.giantibis.com) >> $16.00 | 761.90 |
| Siem Reap, KH to Bangkok, TH via bus (www.bookmebus.com) >> $19.00 | 904.76 |
| Bangkok, TH to Phuket, TH (Air Asia) | 258.19 |
| Phuket, TH to Singapore, SG (Air Asia) | 1,085.10 |
| Singapore, SG to Cebu, PH (Cebu Pacific Air) | 2,876.00 |
| Subtotal | 10,249.04 |
Pre-booked Accommodations and Tours (used the rate that was charged by the credit card company) |
|
| Vintage Hostel Saigon (Vietnam for 1 night with free bfast) | 348.60 |
| Bliss Villa (Cambodia for 1 night) | 169.50 |
| Asialoop G-House (Phuket for 3 nights) | 739.13 |
| i.Stay inn (Singapore for 1 night with free bfast) | 723.50 |
| Phi Phi Islands Tour Package (http://www.phukettoursdirect.com/phi-phi-islands-tours.html) >> ฿1,400.00 | 1,966.00 |
| Subtotal | 3,946.73 |
| Exchange rates used below: | |
| MYR = 11.46 | |
| VND = 0.0021 | |
| USD = 46.60 | |
| THB = 1.35 | |
| SGD = 34.20 | |
| Day 1: Cebu > Manila > Kuala Lumpur (Currency: PHP) | |
| Transpo to airport | 35.00 |
| Food and drinks | 107.00 |
| Travel tax | 1,620.00 |
| Subtotal | 1,762.00 |
| Day 2: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Currency: MYR) | |
| Airport to KL Sentral (bus) >> RM11.00 | 126.06 |
| Shower plus locker in KL Sentral >> RM8.00 | 91.68 |
| Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner >> RM30.95 | 354.69 |
| Train rides >> RM10.30 | 118.04 |
| Miscellaneous (souvenirs) >> RM30.00 | 340.80 |
| KL Sentral to airport (bus) >> RM11.00 | 126.06 |
| Subtotal | 1,160.33 |
| Day 3: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (Currency: VND) | |
| Taxi to hostel >> ₫36,000.00 | 75.60 |
| Lunch/Dinner >> ₫100,000.00 | 210.00 |
| City Transpo >> ₫25,000.00 | 52.50 |
| Miscellaneous (souvenirs) >> ₫115,000.00 | 241.50 |
| Subtotal | 579.60 |
| Day 4: Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Currency: USD) | |
| Lunch/Dinner >> $5.67 | 264.22 |
| Day 5: Siem Reap, Cambodia (Currency: USD) | |
| Transpo to hotel >> $ 1.00 | 46.60 |
| Admission fee to temples >> $ 20.00 | 932.00 |
| Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner >> $ 8.50 | 396.10 |
| Tuktuk plus guide >> $ 12.50 | 582.50 |
| Miscellaneous (souvenirs) >> $ 12.00 | 559.20 |
| Subtotal | 2,563.00 |
| Day 6: Bangkok, Thailand (Currency: THB) | |
| Tuktuk to bus terminal >> $ 1.67 | 77.82 |
| Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner >> ฿190.67 | 257.40 |
| Miscellaneous >> ฿83.33 | 112.50 |
| Taxi to airport >> ฿126.67 | 171.00 |
| Subtotal | 618.73 |
| Day 7: Phuket, Thailand (Currency: THB) | |
| Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner >> ฿190.00 | 256.50 |
| Van (phuket tour) >> ฿300.00 | 405.00 |
| Subtotal | 661.50 |
| Day 8 : Phi Phi Island, Thailand (Currency: THB) | |
| Environmental fee >> ฿400.00 | 540.00 |
| Breakfast/Dinner >> ฿213.33 | 288.00 |
| Miscellaneous (souvenirs) >> ฿400.00 | 540.00 |
| Subtotal | 1,435.50 |
| Day 9: Singapore (Currency: SGD) | |
| Transpo to airport >> ฿162.50 | 219.38 |
| Lunch/Dinner >> SG$ 14.00 | 478.80 |
| Miscellaneous (train rides) >> SG$ 10.00 | 342.00 |
| Subtotal | 698.18 |
| Day 10: Singapore (Currency: SGD) | |
| Lunch/Dinner >> SG$ 14.00 | 478.80 |
| Miscellaneous (train and boat rides, bike rental in pulau ubin) >> SG$ 20.00 | 684.00 |
| Subtotal | 1,026.00 |
| Grand Total | 24,987.52 |
Also read: Backpacking Southeast Asia: 7 Great Destinations to Kickstart Your Adventure
Is this trip worth every penny? Hell yeah! Being able to achieve almost all that was planned is mind-blowing. Travel details, insights and tips in every country will be posted soon. Thanks for reading!
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