We recommend budgeting approximately $35 USD per day for your daily meals, drinks, and personal expenses, plus a separate "activity fund" of $100 to $200 USD to cover your chosen optional adventures on the ground.

Because your major highlight activities and private transport are already covered in your base tour price, your daily out-of-pocket expenses in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam will be very low.

Here is our official budgeting and activity price guide, prepared by our local Southeast Asia Tour Leaders:

1. Your Optional Activities Budget

To make planning easy, we use a simple pricing key to categorize optional activities across our Asian routes:

• FREE = No Charge
• $ = $0 - $100 USD (Note: Because Asia is so affordable, almost all of our optional activities sit comfortably in this budget-friendly tier!)
• $$ = $100 - $250 USD

Here are some of our travelers' favorite optional experiences across our routes:

🌴 The Best FREE Activities

• Vietnam: Wander the bustling Hanoi Night Market, explore the chaotic stalls of Binh Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City, or soak up the sun on beautiful Bai Xep Beach.
• Cambodia: Relax on the pristine white-sand beaches of the tropical island of Koh Rong.
  

🎈 Paid Optional Activities (By Country)

Unlike our New Zealand routes, you do not need an app to book these. Your local Tour Leader will help you coordinate and book all of these experiences directly on the ground:

• Thailand ($ Tier): Grand Palace & Temples of Bangkok, Bangkok Backstreets Food Tour, Chaopraya River Dinner Cruise, Doi Inthanong National Park (Chiang Mai).
• Laos ($ - $$ Tier): Mekong Sunset Cruise ($), Vang Vieng Tubing or Ziplining ($), Tamarind Cooking Class ($), Hot Air Ballooning in Vang Vieng ($$).
• Vietnam ($ - $$ Tier): Guided Food Tour & Train Street ($), Hao Lo Prison ($), Lantern Making Class in Hoi An ($), Clothes Tailoring in Hoi An ($ to $$ depending on what you buy!).
• Cambodia ($ - $$ Tier): Kampong Phluk Floating Village Tour ($), Phare Circus Performance ($), Countryside Quad Bike Tour ($), Scuba Diving in Koh Rong ($$).

2. Food & Drink Guidelines

Eating is one of the absolute highlights of traveling through Southeast Asia! Street food and local restaurants are incredibly delicious, culturally authentic, and safe.

Daily Meal Budget Breakdown ($35 USD / day):

• Breakfast ($3 - $5 USD): Often included at our partner hotels. If not, a local noodle soup, fresh fruit, or a French-style baguette on the street is incredibly cheap.
• Lunch ($5 - $10 USD): Perfect for a fresh local lunch (like Pad Thai in Thailand or Pho in Vietnam) and a fresh fruit shake.
• Dinner ($10 - $15 USD): More than enough for a hearty, sit-down dinner with your group at a local restaurant, including a cold local beer (usually only $1 - $2 USD!).

Guide Tip: Outside of capital cities, large Western-style supermarkets are rare. Instead, you will buy fresh fruit, cold bottled water, and snacks from local family-owned convenience stores and street vendors, which directly supports the local community!

3. Cash is King in Southeast Asia

Unlike New Zealand (which is almost entirely cashless), cash is the absolute standard in Southeast Asia. You will need physical cash for street food, local markets, tuk-tuks, temple entry fees, and tipping.

• Local Currencies: You will use Thai Baht (THB) in Thailand, Laotian Kip (LAK) in Laos, Cambodian Riel (KHR) in Cambodia, and Vietnamese Dong (VND) in Vietnam. ATMs are widely available in main towns to withdraw local currency.
• The Power of the US Dollar (USD): We highly recommend carrying $100 to $200 USD in cash as a backup. In Cambodia, USD is widely accepted alongside local Riel. In Laos, you will need clean, undamaged USD bills to pay for your Visa on Arrival at the border.
• Crucial Tip: Make sure any USD cash you bring is completely clean, crisp, and free of any tears, folds, or writing, as local banks and border officials will reject damaged foreign bills.

Yes, most nationalities require a visa or an e-Visa to enter the countries on our Southeast Asia tours. Visa requirements vary depending on your passport and travel route, and you are ultimately responsible for securing the correct visas before your tour departs.

Here is a quick, practical country-by-country guide to visa requirements for our Southeast Asia destinations (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam):

1. Thailand:

• Entry Rules: Many Western nationalities (including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and EU countries) are granted visa-exempt entry for tourist stays of up to 30 or 60 days.
• What you need: You do not need to apply in advance; you will receive an entry stamp at immigration when you arrive.

2. Laos:

• Entry Rules: Most travelers require a tourist visa to enter Laos.
• What you need: You can easily obtain a Visa on Arrival (VOA) at major international airports and land border crossings, or apply online for a Laotian e-Visa ahead of time.
• Tip: If getting a Visa on Arrival, you must carry passport photos and crisp, undamaged US Dollars (usually around $40-$50 USD) to pay the fee at the border.

3. Cambodia:

• Entry Rules: Almost all international visitors require a tourist visa.
• What you need: Like Laos, you can purchase a Visa on Arrival (VOA) at border crossings and airports, or apply online for a Cambodian e-Visa in advance.
• Tip: The border Visa on Arrival fee must be paid in cash using clean, unwrinkled USD bills.

4. Vietnam (Important!):

• Entry Rules: Most international nationalities must apply for an e-Visa online in advance before arriving in Vietnam.
• What you need: You cannot get a Visa on Arrival at land borders for Vietnam. You must apply for your Vietnam e-Visa through the official government portal at least 1 to 2 weeks before your tour reaches the Vietnamese border. Processing usually takes 3 to 5 business days.

Essential Border Checklist:

• 6-Month Passport Rule: Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned departure date from Southeast Asia.
• Blank Pages: Ensure your passport has at least 2 completely blank pages per country you are visiting for stamps and physical visa stickers.
• Onward Travel: You may be asked by airlines or immigration officials to show proof of onward travel (such as a flight out of Southeast Asia).

Disclaimer: Visa regulations change frequently. We strongly recommend checking the official embassy website for each country on your itinerary at least 4 to 6 weeks before you travel.

Our standard accommodation is in carefully selected twin-share hotels, guesthouses, and resorts, plus the occasional scenic overnight train or boat where noted in your itinerary. If you are traveling solo, we will automatically pair you in a comfortable twin-share room with a fellow group member of the same gender.

We believe that where you stay is a massive part of your adventure. Here is what you can expect on our tours:

• Curated Twin-Share Properties: You will stay in clean, comfortable, and highly rated local hotels and resorts. Our properties are chosen for their excellent amenities, friendly local staff, and fantastic locations close to the highlights.
• No Single Supplement for Solo Travelers: If you are traveling on your own, you do not have to pay a forced single fee. We will pair you with another solo traveler of the same gender in a twin-share room. It’s a great, natural way to make friends from Day 1!
• Want Your Own Space?: If you prefer complete privacy, your own bathroom, and a room entirely to yourself throughout the journey, you can easily purchase a Private Room Upgrade at the time of booking (subject to local availability).
• Unique In-Transit Experiences: On select itineraries, we include unique local transit experiences like cozy overnight sleeper trains (perfect for crossing major regions in Vietnam) or traditional riverboats (like our slow boat journeys in Laos) where facilities are shared and cozy.

Our Southeast Asia small-group tours have a maximum capacity of 24 passengers per tour, plus your expert local Tour Leader. This optimal group size ensures a highly social, fun, and diverse travel experience while remaining small enough to feel like a close-knit group of friends.

Here is what you can expect from our group dynamics on tour:

• The Perfect Social Balance: With a maximum of 24 travelers, our groups are large enough to guarantee a vibrant, multi-cultural, and social atmosphere, yet small enough that you will easily get to know everyone by name on Day 1.
• A Multi-Cultural Mix: Our tours attract active, adventurous, and open-minded travelers from all over the world (including the UK, Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia). It is a fantastic environment for sharing stories and making lifelong international friends.
• Easy Navigation Off the Beaten Track: Despite the fun group size, our routes, local transport (like private air-conditioned minivans and scenic local boats), and boutique accommodations are perfectly scaled to keep your journey smooth, flexible, and completely stress-free.
• More Time with Your Tour Leader: Your local Tour Leader is there to guide you every step of the way, sharing deep cultural insights, pointing out hidden local gems, and helping you book exciting optional activities on tour.

Stray Asia Adventure tours attract active, open-minded, and social travelers from all over the world who want a fun, hassle-free way to explore Southeast Asia's best highlights and off-the-beaten-track gems. While most of our travelers are aged between 20 and 50, we have no maximum age limit - it is all about your spirit of adventure!

If you are wondering if you will fit in, here is a quick look at the typical traveler profile on our Asia Adventure tours:

• Solo Travelers (A Huge Community): Around 75% of our passengers join our tours solo! Because our tours are designed to be highly social, you will instantly make a group of lifelong global friends. Plus, our twin-share accommodation setup means solo travelers are paired for free, with no single supplement fees.
• Like-Minded Adventurers: Our travelers are people who want to truly experience a destination, not just look at it through a window. Whether it is trying local street food in Bangkok, taking a slow boat down the Mekong River, or exploring the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, everyone in the group is there to embrace new experiences.
• A Diverse, Global Mix: You will travel with a fantastic, multi-cultural mix of people from the UK, Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. It is an incredibly welcoming and enriching environment.
• Independent but Organized: Our travelers love the freedom of independent travel but appreciate the safety, comfort, and ease of a guided group tour. You don’t have to worry about planning routes, booking local transport, or finding quality hotels - we take care of the details so you can focus on the journey.