Regional Travel Chapter

Asia

Long distances, cheap beds, and overnight buses that save you a hotel night.

Street life in central Bangkok, Thailand - photo: User:Diliff (Wikimedia Commons)

Why this region works the way it does

Asia rewards travelers who commit to one corridor instead of collecting countries. Bangkok to Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang is a month if you do it properly. Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka is a week and a rail pass.

Flights inside the region are cheap but the airports are not always close to the city: Kuala Lumpur KLIA is 55 km out, Bangkok Don Mueang DMK feeds different airlines than Suvarnabhumi BKK. Our Asia chapter explains which arrival makes sense for which route.

Places worth building a route around

Old Quarter, Hanoi. Hostels on narrow lanes, night train south from Hanoi station.
Nimman, Chiang Mai. The best value coworking hostels in the region.
Gion and Kyoto Station. Two very different bases for the same city.
Canggu, Bali. Long stay hostels with actual desks and reliable wifi.

Asia guides

Regional Travel Chapters

Southeast and East Asia: Where the Classic Backpacker Route Still Holds Up

From Bangkok's Khao San Road to Hanoi's Old Quarter, the well-worn Southeast Asia loop still earns its reputation, with a northern extension into Japan and Korea for those with more time.

Hana Sato9 min readUpdated January 22, 2026

Other regional chapters

Europe by Rail: A Hostel-to-Hostel Route That Actually Works North America on a Hostel Budget: City-to-City Without a Car The Andes Route: Cusco to La Paz Without Flying Every Leg Africa Honestly: What Overlanding Actually Costs in Time and Flights Australia, New Zealand and Fiji: The Real Distances Between the Good Bits