Southeast Asia

The plan for my Southeast Asia trip was simple. I had done some research on the Internet before I left the UK, ordered a Rough Guide to Southeast Asia and a map on Amazon. I had a flight from Delhi to Singapore and a flight from Bangkok to Delhi eighteen days later. I did not book any accommodation or overland travel but I had a rough idea about the itinerary. After so much travelling in India, I was in no mood for too much thinking or planning. I was lazy and looking for a good time. The fact that I was going alone made things even simpler. I did not have to compromise or explain anything to anyone.

The route I followed was this:
Singapore
Melaka, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Cameron Highlands (Tanah Rata), Malaysia
Penang (Georgetown and Batu Ferringi), Malaysia
Phuket (Karon Beach and Raya Island), Thailand
Bangkok, Thailand

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I only packed a very small backpack – the same one that I used to take to university every day with my laptop and my books. I had better things to spend my money on than a new (bigger) backpack, so the kitchen sink clearly had to stay at home. All I took with me was a couple of t-shirts, underwear, bikini, a skirt, a pair of cargo pants, flip-flops, my camera, sunglasses, money and passport. I discovered all sorts of little ways to save space.

Instead of carrying shampoo, shower gel, soap and washing powder, I used shampoo for everything instead. Packing spares or just-in-case things was out of the question. Luckily, Asia is a relatively cheap continent so it’s not a problem to buy any extras along the way. I cut my hair short and hence eliminated the need for a hairdryer. Internet cafés are cheap and plentiful in all backpacker destinations, so there was no need for me to carry my laptop. Travelling light has its advantages, especially if you are moving on to a new town every couple of days like I was. Firstly, my back and shoulders thanked me. Secondly, all that packing, unpacking and repacking took less time – handy if you need to get the hell out of somewhere quickly! Thirdly, the less things I had, the less I worried about having something stolen. I could take all my things onto the plane as cabin baggage, so I didn’t have to wait for my bag to appear (or not appear!) on the carrousel when I arrived.