Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tukmax]

I will complete my contract in June 2011 at which point I plan on taking a sabbatical around Asia (and perhaps beyond). I have $15,000 USD to spend and all the time in the world. I plan on traveling for at least 6 months, maybe longer. I'm a frugal traveler (I stay in hostels and use couchsurfing and I don't blow my money on souvenirs etc). I want to do it as cheap as possible so I can see as much of the world as possible. I have a fair bit of travel experience already.

I have only been to Beijing in Asia so far. I would like to go to;
Japan, China, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Hong Kong, Singapore, and perhaps Mongolia and Malaysia to name a few. Those are the essential countries I want to see but beyond that I am thinking of checking out Turkey, Egypt, and perhaps parts of Eastern Europe if I have the time/money/health to do so. Any other countries you recommend?

I was wondering what tips you guys might have for traveling in that time of year. What country order should I travel in?
I do sweat a lot in hot temperatures so which country would be best to go to in the June - August period? Also, do you need to have a return air ticket books when you visit countries in SE asia? I like to go at my own pace instead of having all the dates set in stone.

thanks for your help!
Tukmax

[Kurtz]

It's a bit hard recommending places considering you didn't mention what would like doing eg, hiking, museums, temples etc.

You'd be mad heading straight to SE Asia as you'd be heading into the monsoon season and it will be very hot. You're better off in Indonesia that time of year if you want cheap easy traveling. Egypt will be scorching hot too around August.

Eastern Europe would be nice, spend the summer there, head through Turkey and then onto SE Asia.

I would also consider the mountains in India if you like hiking, and then onto Nepal for the October hiking season.

Best do a google search on the countries on your list which will give an indication of the best time to visit.

[tukmax]

[BoholDiver]

Due to your timing, I would recommend buying a 1-way ticket into Vladivostok. Then take the Siberian Railway to Moscow. Once there, do the former Warsaw Pact Countries. Once you hit Italy, head south and east into Turkey and Egypt.

Fly over the middle east (better safe than sorry) and start again in India, maybe Jaipur. Go through Delhi and then to Colcata. From there, enter SE Asia from the other side.

See Myanmar if you wish but it could be more trouble than it's worth. Go through Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, maybe Vietnam. Then get down to Malaysia and see the Cameron Highlands and KL. Fly over to Kota Kinabalu and see Sabah and some more of Borneo. Then onto Indonesia.

By then you should just about be tapped out of money.

[warren pease]

[Capo]

I will spend I have budgeted to spend $6k in 3 weeks this winter vacation are you sure $15k is enough?

[JBomb]

go to North Korea.

[warren pease]

[bucheon bum]

[interestedinhanguk]

[Drew345]

Roughly like this and you could have decent weather and a good travel schedule:
June Bangkok
July Koh Samui
August Sumatra-Java
Sept Bali
Oct - Nov Nepal (fly there of course)

By Dec, Jan, Feb the weather is good everywhere: India, Laos , Myanmar...

Mar, April, May head north through China, Yongshou, Kunming, Lijiang...

[Capo]

[Capo]

by the way I could easily manage 6k with 3 weeks in thailand. When your on holiday why act like a student backpacker watching the pennies...make it hail!

[zhanknight]

Earlier this year we did just about six months on around 10,000, and that was with a start in NYC. So, yeah, 15k should be doable for that same time frame. The most expensive place we went was Borneo. Oh yeah! I'm saying 'we' cause there were two of us, so if there is just one of you, you should be just fine on that budget.

[travel zen]