tourisme travel: The cheapest countries in Asia: travel on a tight budget

You are many to ask me advice to find a cheap country to go on vacation in Asia

Several classifications are interested in the least expensive countries in Asia, notably through the cost of living in the major Asian capitals and the most tourist cities.

Let us first eliminate the issue of theft, often one of the main expenses upstream of the trip. If you do not see yourself spending hours searching for the price of your dreams, quickly compare ticket prices using the biggest metamotors on the market like Momondo, Liligo or Skyscanner. They have the advantage of including in their results the companies of Asia and the Middle East. We have explained our research method in detail for those who want to get started.

The other major item of expense is accommodation. For hotels, Booking is the most complete, even if Agoda, the specialist of Asia, has its fans. For apartments and private homes, I recommend Citadines and the community spirit of Bedycasa or GuestToGuest. On the hostel side, Hostelworld and Hostelbookers are very good. We have provided basic tips to find the best hotels and prepare well for your trip to Asia.

Note that it is easy to find stays or tours organized in Asia at relatively affordable prices, especially on Lastminute.com. Depending on your budget, it is often a good compromise for a first discovery.

Now that the transportation and accommodation expenses are settled, we can look at the cost of living. Very honestly outside of Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and especially Tokyo, all destinations in Asia offer very affordable prices for a European tourist. But it is necessary to see that it is the disorientation offered that is the main asset of Asia for a budding traveler. Take the low cost of living on site as an additional asset to explore other cultures, not as a starting point for you to embark on an adventure.

Other benefits arise when traveling in Southeast Asia. Despite the monsoon (June-October) constraints, which sometimes amount to an hour of continuous rain in the late afternoon or at night, it is possible to travel all year round, which is not The case in Europe with the rigor of winter. It is also rare to be confronted with the tourist crowd in Southeast Asia, and if this happens it is out of touch with what happens during the peak tourist season in Europe. Finally, one can very well get out most of the time without speaking local languages other than by jabbing a few words.

It is relatively simple for students or young couples to set out to discover Asia on a tight budget. I offer a selection of the cheapest countries in Asia, based on what I saw on the spot, but also regularly ranked by Tripadvisor and Priceoftravel. Depending on your final choice, count about 10 to 25 € per day on the spot, I started with the cheapest country.

The cheapest countries in Asia :

1) Hanoi, Vietnam

Hanoi is a beautiful city, mixing French colonial architecture with Vietnamese buildings. Among the places of memory to be discovered, one will remember the tomb of Ho Chi Minh and the prison Hỏa Lò.

The food is also a delight, with some of the best phở in the country, if you take the trouble to sit on the plastic chairs that surround the street restaurants. A dozen euros a day is enough to be the happiest of tourists.

For the first time in Asia, we will pay attention to two-wheelers. It will also be an opportunity to learn how to cross a street in the middle of the chaos of traffic.

Ho Chi Minh City is no exception, offering a much more modern and young face than Hanoi. Life is a little more expensive, but without making a big difference.

It would be a shame not to visit Hoi An, south of Danang, which is often the best travel souvenir of those who have the chance to pass there. The architecture is that of a fishing village in the Chinese spirit. The restaurants are excellent, there are unfortunately no accommodation in hostels and the night of hotel increases a little the cost of the stay. Some local specialties are not found elsewhere and the bánh mì are exceptional.

2) Pokhara, Nepal

The contrast between the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and Pokhara was very well expressed by Julien Blanc-Gras in Touriste:

"Kathmandu, the name makes you dream. Reality less. This city is a basin, a hell of pollution. Unbreakable. I have to buy a protective mask. If I believe the rumor, the petrol imported from India is cut with junkies by smart little ones, which thus improve their margin and poison their children. (...)

In Pokhara, the lake reflects the snow-capped peaks and cows stroll inside the shops open on the street. The city serves as a base for the trekkers who have come to defy the Annapurna dominating the bottom of the landscape. "

Pokhara is the main hub of tourism in Nepal. The place is not only more pleasant than Kathmandu, but also more affordable. Guided treks in the surrounding mountains are expensive, so enjoy the city before confronting the elements. Choose your dates according to the climate, because Pokhara changes its appearance half of the year under a torrential rain, plunged in a thick fog or an icy cold.

It would be wrong to stop at Kathmandu. Get out of the neighborhood to Thamel backpackers to explore the city. The former backpackers of India have found refuge in Nepal for some, feeling the return of their first emotions as a traveler. The reception of the Nepalese plays for many.

3) Chiang Mai, Thailand

Paris-Bangkok is the second most sought-after flight on the Internet behind Paris-New York. Those who knew the country twenty years ago despaired of the tourist flood and know that parts of the north of the country are still preserved.

Capital of the north, Chiang Mai does not escape the boom of the expatriates, while being the starting point of many tourists who want to make treks in the region. It remains that the city is cheaper than Bangkok, while offering many temples and ramparts. The evenings are cooler and the night market is spectacular.

Bangkok and Phuket are the other two major tourist destinations in Thailand. Hub for many air routes, Bangkok is still a dream destination for backpackers, but prices have been on the rise in recent years. The size of the city can be daunting, however the main attractions are within walking distance from the backpackers area of Kho San Road. The street food is prodigious, at all hours of the day and night. The central district is made up of a suite of shopping centers that will make the paradise of fashion shopping enthusiasts or electronic products.

The island of Phuket is the most expensive part of Thailand, it is nevertheless possible to stay in town rather than in the beach villages. Amateurs will tell you that other seaside areas are more beautiful and cheaper elsewhere in Thailand.

Gabriel showed how some French rappers live in Thailand for part of the year. "I bar in Thai with Egypt Air" sings Seth Gueko. The documentary Thailand: Eldorado or mirage? Of Lionel de Coninck and Mahaut Chantrel went to meet these expatriates who have chosen a country where daily life is about five times cheaper than in France. Today, they would be just over 30,000 French to live in Thailand. Some will remember the example of Jean-Paul, retired from La Poste, who lives with 1300 € monthly in Chiang Mai, in a studio of 30m2 for a rent of 100 € per month.

4) Goa, India

Goa is popular with European tourists for its beaches and has long been associated with hippie and electro culture. Do not overdo it by choosing your accommodation, as the first rates offer much lower comfort than a hotel with a single star. The fish dishes are wonderful and the culinary culture of Goa gives amazing blends of flavors between India and Portugal.

Outside of Delhi and Bombay, and despite galloping inflation in recent years, India remains a very affordable country to discover when on a tight budget. Bombay is sealed by the cost of hotels, Delhi is too often seen as an entry point to radiate to Rajasthan or Agra. Get out as far as possible from the Pahar Ganj backpacker area. The hotel offer for small budgets is flourishing and it would be unfortunate not to enjoy it for your first hours in India.

5) Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Phnom Penh has the advantage of being a crossroads between Siem Reap and the Mekong Delta. The tourist infrastructure is well developed and the main attractions affordable.

On the way to the temples of Angkor, Siem Reap remains one of the world capitals of backpackers, with some of the cheapest beds in the world. The bike paths are also very pleasant. All is at a ridiculous price, except access to the imperial and religious city of the Khmer Empire.

6) Vientiane, Laos

Often forgotten, Vientiane is a crossing point for tourists who take the time to discover the whole region. The city is modest, but its development is accelerating.

With its colonial old town, Luang Prabang has been somewhat victim of tourist craze, with rising prices for accommodation. It must be said that most tourists arrive from the Thai border after two days of slow boat trip on the Mekong. Local attractions are practically free, the temple that overcomes the city offers a beautiful view.