EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BACKPACKING ASIA!
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
- EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BACKPACKING ASIA! How Much It Cost, Places We Missed, Staying Safe as a Girl & more
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Molly xoxo
Flying to Thailand tomorrow for our big backpacking trip until Christmas aaaaah! Loved watching all of your videos since Feb to get us ready! 💕✈️
AAAAHHHH you're gonna have THE BEST TIME!!!! I'm jealous hahaa
Molly your trip has been so inspiring and we have all been so jealous! So glad I found your channel! Living round the corner makes my trip seem so much more real and I can't wait to book my flight
Such a lovely comment - thank you sooo much! And ahhhh do it, you'll have the BEST time!
Thank you so much for this video! I'm planning my SE Asia trip for the fall this year and super excited to get going. This was very realistic 🙂
I’m a binge watcher so am pure buzzing you’re back and I can watch the whole trip 😂 love the transparency in this vid too!
Hahahaha WOW that's SOME catching up, I love it;) Thank you so much for watching though!
The packing cube tip helped me for a holiday to France I’ve just been on. Managed to just get away with hand luggage. They are such a space saver! Thanks for the tip! X
ah no way! Amazing, glad it was helpful and hope you had a lovely time!
Not fussed about any of the nitty gritty details, I'm just glad you two had such a beautiful experience! You're so young, you've got one life, spend your money and make memories! 🥰 Loved all your vlogs, excited for the Florida videos and the Greece videos in a couple of weeks! ❤️
Such a lovely comment, thank you so so much & I'm SO glad you've enjoyed the content:)
These videos are so helpful! Love your vlogs
Thank you so much:)
Thanks for being so down to earth 😀
People go on a holiday for a week and spend over £1000 so when you think that £7000 is spent across 4 months and compare to what people spend for a weeks holiday, I’ve think you’ve done really well! X
For sureeee, totally agree with this, I guess it depends what kind of holiday you're after tho, everybody is different but personally I don't think that was too bad!!x
what a great video! another tip - I also land up saving up on unnecessary expenses like atm fees etc there - using apps like ATM Fee Saver - it helps find atms with no fees or lower fees than others along with withdrawal limits etc. worth adding to your list of tricks!
You’re glowing, Molly
I recently spent around £2000 on 11 nights traveling around Canada and the US, so when you compare that, £7000 on the trip you had is amazing!! Some people spend that on one handbag, traveling is something you will never ever regret so if you are able to fund it it’s worth every single penny!! ❤️
You’re soooo right & it’s so personal! And I bet that was AMAZING though, Canada is so high on my list (& there and the US are more expensive for SUREEEE) 💙
@@MollyThompsonx_ it was my first time visiting Canada, just did Toronto and Niagara this time round but I’m already dying to go back, it’s such a cool place!
Im off in 3 weeks for 7 months around south east asia... what did you do in terms of packing toiletries? did you take full size bottles with you?
I've loved your content so so sooo much and it has given me loads of amazing ideas, thanks!!!
I’ve been following your journey the past few months and I was so excited for this video! I have a few questions:
- how did you find taking your Air Forces? Would you take a different pair of trainers if you did the trip again?
- what insurance company did you go for?
Thank you Molly and Tom!
Hey! Thank you sooo much for following our trip!
Personally airforce were fine for me, they're a great all round trainer and mine are super comfy which i think is key, i probably would take the same pair again just because I know how much walking we did and wouldn't want anything uncomfy. Plus they match everything. The only time it wasn't ideal was on the 2 hikes we did, casual walks and jungle treks etc they were fine, but they were less ideal climbing up a volcano, although still manageable!
Secondly (Sorry lol long answer) we used Safety Wings nomad insurance and i thought they were really good, they cover all sorts of extreme activities and you can easily alter your policy if you end up going anywhere that you didn't originally plan etc! xx
Great video and series guys! Would you recommend taking a travel card? E.g Starling?
Thank you so much! Yes absolutely! We have monzo cards but if we did it again would probably say Starling or even Revolut! I've heard really good things about them!
Did you find it easy booking trips and tours? Loved your SE Asia series, got me very excited about my 5 months travel coming up!
Yesss sooo easy & straight forward!! We just used either local guides (the people working in the hotels and hostels were VERY helpful) or things like trip advisor or get your guide! X
To be fair, I spent 4 months in the USA doing Camp America (10 years ago nearly 😱) and it cost me £6000 ish and my accommodation and most food was free!
Also, I just want to point out, you work (and continued to work) hard for your money… you don’t have to explain yourself! I know plenty of people who got to go back packing round the world on the bank of mum and dad and never earned a penny of it themselves… proud of you for living your life, and also jealous! I also low key have a crush on your pal who travelled with you 😂😂
This is so lovely, thank you so much! And I bet Camp America was AMAZING!!
Completely agree - Molly worked (and works) so hard!! Also Tom is her boyfriend, not her pal 😂💛
@@gracepountney I know! I mean the Irish guy they met 🙄
@@jessicavernon8241 Ahh that makes more sense 😂💛
How many sun creams and bug sprays did you guys bring each? As I know some places in SE Asia don't stock these products
Loved your travel videos so much I feel like I travelled with you it was amazing. How comes you are or were on America I couldn't really tell from your tik tok. Blue the colour really suits you by the way. I don't like flying as I have trouble with my ears and don't really like hot weather, so this was great for me to see places without having to travel. Did you get to see ed Sheeran I saw him on the 11th at the Etihad it was amazing. Lottie reaction to you coming home was so cute, I have a cockapoo too there great how did Tom's dog rosie react I bet she's grown so much. Hope your both doing well. Xx
Thank you so much for watching and always commenting!! We're in America on a family holiday in Florida at the moment! Glad you liked the travel content though, you're right it was ssooo lovely to be reunited with Lottie & Tom's dog Rosie is A LOT bigger now hahahaa
loved the vlogs! Did they asked you about proof of leaving the country?
Thank you so much! They did everywhere other than Thailand or Indonesia, they were really flexible
The olds tell us "work hard and save all your money" when you are young, but i find that advice to be severely limiting. The "opportunity cost" (yes, it's a thing, look it up or ask an economics student) of postponing "once in a lifetime" opportunities until the time when one is "financially secure" is quite steep. Hawaii, for instance, is far more enjoyable as an able young person than in a wheelchair being pushed by your spouse after decades of saving (with all apologies to those who are "differently abled").
As someone who works in the tourism industry, and also someone who has travelled a bit myself, I can say unequivocally that not only is travel more enjoyable while being young, but also that people - service people, locals, anyone outside of those directly associated with your travel - are far more inclined to be helpful to youthful folk, especially couples, than they are to say, a random old man. Call it discrimination or anything you like, but it's the truth. People generally like to see young people and young couples having a good time. Unless one is truly a crass or disagreeable person, people love to help, again especially to help the younger folk and younger couples.
So my suggestion is, if you like to travel (like Molly), do it now. Even if it affects your near-term finances, you won't be lyng in your final bed dreaming of the money you earned. You will love to share the stories of what you DID more than what you earned.
More importantly, leverage your friends and acquaintances! You may know soimeone who is working or studying abroad - take the opportunity (with the approval of the host of course) to visit and have the services of a local expert (and perhaps lodging) in your favour! Of course, bringing gifts and paying for meals is suggested.
Whichever way you do it, do it now. Who knows what government restrictions on travel are coming - soon travel may be a thing of the past entirely. If travel isn't your thing, that's fine. Do something that you may do whilst young. You'll have your whole life to regret your missed opportunities. Money is a resource that may be earned. Time is a resource that may never be replenished.
Exactly! These kinds of opportunities are definitely easier for a young person to exploit! Do it while you have no commitments and can throw everything at it and enjoy every moment!
7k is really good going I’d say- were you there 4 months? Super good
Yeah 4 months!! We didn’t think it was too bad at all for everything we did really
Think it’s also important to note they got a few weeks in the Philippines for free gifted - take that into account when they’re talking about the budget 😭
Valid! Although Tom didn’t get this for free and it was only the 9/10 days on the tour - so the other 2 weeks in the Philippines are included in this budget, and Tom’s tour cost £700 which was factored in to this - so you’re right. It would have been around £700 more depending on when you book because the Tru Tours vary in price & I believe you can do the 10 Day West Coast tour for £550 if you book when they have their sale on - but very fair point to add in.
@@MollyThompsonx_ fair enough - hadn’t realised Tom hadn’t also been gifted!!
@@MollyThompsonx_ do you know when they have sales on?
Me and my boyfriend start our trip around Asia in August for 6 months, Your videos have helped so much, I just had a few questions please. What jabs did you need for Asia? How many bikinis do you think you could of needed?
Thank you 💘
Hey!! Ahh you're gonna have the BEST time! I took around 7 bikinis/swimsuits just because I was wearing them A LOT and if you take enough to last a full week it means you've almost got 2 weeks without washing them if you wear them twice;) Tom + I had 4 jabs, Hepititus A and B, Rabies and Japanese Enchephilitus, although we met so many people travelling without any, but just wanted to be safe tbh! I'd absolutely say get the Rabies vaccine though if you're considering getting any!
Hey Molly, just wondering if you could recommend any good health/ travel insurance. I’m going to Malaysia for my year abroad at uni and wanted to know any good recommendations?! Hoping to go travelling around SE Asia too whilst I’m out there so been loving your vids!!❤️
Thank you so much!! We used Safety Wings Nomad Insurance and found it was really good, covers any countries you're visiting (you can add them yourself so it's really tailor made to your trip) and also covers a load of extreme sports/activies (motorbike riding for example, or scuba diving etc) - safetywing.com/nomad-insurance
Hi really informative thank you!! I've got a trip to South East Asia booked on a tour but then just 8 days afterwards by myself in Thailand. The tour takes me back to Bangkok and I'm debating whether to stay in Northern Thailand by myself or head down to the phi phi islands (but it takes at least 5 hours to travel...??) Any tips on where to go? My tour includes chaing mai
Oooh have the best time, it's gonna be so much fun! I'd say travel down south tbh, if you're going to be alone PERSONALLY I thought there was more of a 'backpacker' community in the south, plus it's well worth going to see if it's not included in your tour - it is longggg to travel to the Phi Phi islands, although completely worth it, but if you wanted to head to just one place I'd say head to Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samui, because those islands are all easier to get to because they're on the same side and a little boat runs between them so it might be easier to explore that way! If you wanted to save time have a look at how much it would be to fly from Pai or Chiangmai to Surat Thani where the port to catch the boat is! xx
I’ve loved all your vlogs and some day would love to do the same as you!! I have one burning question… the bugs??!! How did you cope? Was it a daily thing that you would come across large bugs/spiders? And how did you get rid of them if they were in your room?? I feel like this is the one thing that I would get very anxious about!
Honestly the bugs were the biggest issue for me on this trip, but it was deffo manageable - it wasn't a daily occurance, and smaller bugs you do get used to, plus the experience overall is worth it. However, I totally get the anxiety thing, it made me SO panicky after seeing one in the philippines that was in our treehouse, from that experience onwards I checked everywhere THOROUGHLY and was fussy with where we booked to stay (eg, no more treehouses hahaha) but on the odd occasion there was another inside, either Tom would get it or, on a few occasions i'd ask the hotel staff to come in and get it, they're a lot more used to having them around haha! But 9 times out of 10 if I saw anything that scaredme it was outside and not in my personal space which made it a lot better haha!x
@@MollyThompsonx_ Thank you so much that advice!!!
I'm going at the end of the year, were you happy with the amount of swimwear you took? I don't know how much to take!
also did you use the straighteners and curlers you took, again I don't know if I should take some I'm a frizz ball
I was happy with the amount of swimwear but I did buy more out there because I was spending sooo much time in it and it does get samey, but I'd say about 7 options is good coz then you've got a whole weeks worth (2 weeks without washing if you wear them twice;) and I did use the curlers when we went on nights out just to tame my natural curls and look a bit more put together and less like I'd been dragged through a hedge hahahaa, but I didn't use the straightners no!
I think your budget (although not ‘backpacker budget’) was fine - if you think about it people often spend £1K each on a weeks holiday, so to get 16 weeks out of £7K each is pretty much half of that!
That’s exactly what we thought too💙
I think the enormous difference is not having a home to maintain. People who take a weeks holiday will often have their own home to still pay for, which is a huge chunk of most people's income. Travelling like this is great if you have no financial commitments at home, but you could easily triple those costs if you have your own home to return to afterwards!
@@gilliancullen1409 thats what I am doing for two months in just over a week, still have my home bills to pay for so saved enough to do both. But mostly people that do travel long term don’t have that commitment hence why they are backpackers instead. Each to their own. Point is that 7k for 4 months is still really good and worth the money for every memory created :)
@@daniellawanders8137 oh wow good for you! Totally, it's definitely a lifestyle that favours no commitments. Hope you have a great time!!
How did you feel about the size of your backpack?
This one’s for Tom… Molly talks over him the whole time 🤣
My family had houses in kovolam in Kerala India.. so spent alot of my childhood there. My favourite place on the planet xx
Ahh i bet that was beautiful!
@@MollyThompsonx_ it sure was xx
How did you plan your routes etc or work out where you wanted to go?
Honestly, mainly from talking to other people and meeting people that had visited those countries before - we also used Tru Travel's website as a guide to the must do locations, even if we weren't doing a tour, plus I watch A LOT of travel vloggers so used some videos I'd watched online before (lostleblanc for Bali planning for example, and Kyle & Haylsa have a channel and had travelled Vietnam and we sort of copied their route) - a mixture of things!! x
Hey! Can you link the travel insurance that you bought for a trip like this? I’m doing a similar trip in September, and I can’t find one that actually relates to backpacking/multiple destinations without coming home first?!
Hey! Yesss, so I used safety wings and put in the specific countries we were visiting, they're really good and cover all 'nomad' style travel, and have a lot of added extras you can add on too (diving insurance, motorbike insurance, gadget insurace etc etc!) - safetywing.com/nomad-insurance
hey Molly, I was just wondering which specific DJI drone you used? :)
Hey! I have the mavic mini 2!x
@@MollyThompsonx_ oooo nice, thank you!! ❤️
What would you recommend wearing in religious places to respect the dress code? I’m going abroad in a couple of weeks in a hot climate but unsure as to what to wear when going into temples, churches etc especially when it’s hot🤔
I think anything that’s super super light weight! I honestly found the best thing was to buy it there coz 1) it’s so cheap and 2) they have temple specific stalls outside most major religious places! For example I wore my wrap skirt and just a strappy top most times and then brought a really thin shirt to go over the top of it once we got there!! Thin Thailand style trousers are another good option! It is very warm though!
@@MollyThompsonx_ Ah okay that’s really good to know thank you☺️
I’m going back to Bali in August and my flights are between £1400-£2200 for that alone! Any tips as I haven’t booked them yet, been using sky scanner
Oooh that is expensiveeee, maybe it’s more because of the time of year I’m not too sure? We booked it with Thai Airways from Bali to Bangkok and then Bangkok to London. I’d say keep an eye on Skyscanner and maybe look at booking two separate flights wherever the layover is cheapest (so look at places like Singapore, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, Dubai etc etc) and alter the airport you’re flying into in the UK just to compare prices! We paid £700 but it was only a single, so 2 ways would have been about £1400
Hi Molly! I am 27 and saving to take some time out of work and travel SEA. I am hoping to go next year but I was wondering if you met many other 27/28 year olds while you were there? I really want to go but don’t want to feel too old 😅
Omg SO MANY! Tom & I were often the youngest and our 3 closest friends that we made & travelled in Thailand with were 25,26 and 28 - there’s a huge variety! On our Tru Tours there were a couple of girls in their early thirties too! Anything goes honestly ✨👏
This is so good to hear haha, me and my bf are planning a SEA trip next year and I‘m 28 and he‘s early thirties👵🏻👨🏻🦳
There are solo 80 year old European women traveling around Asia on their own. You'll see every walk of life tourist in Asia - teenagers, couples, solo women, solo men, families with multiple kids of all ages, solo elderly people that live there etc. There are tons of Westerners there and pretty much all of SE Asia and E Asia are perfectly safe, you won't feel out of place at all anywhere. 28 is super young still.
I have such a silly question but how do connecting flights work? Do you have to collect your baggage and recheck it in during the stop? Because some are only 50 minute connections for example!
Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t. Ask the staff when you check in for your first flight to see if they will transfer your bag themselves
If your connecting flight is with the same airline you don’t have to check your luggage in it just goes straight to your final destination
That’s not silly at all !! If you’ve booked it as one through flight (so you’ve done one booking all the way from London to Bali for example) and it’s with the same airline you won’t have to re collect your bag, you just get it at the end. Same with if it’s with partner companies, but Skyscanner tells you when you’re booking, and if you’re not sure you can double check when you’re checking your luggage in! My top advice would be not to book a flight with a connection that’s less than 2 hours just in case either you do have to collect luggage, or (more likely) you end up being delayed or the flight goes from another terminal at your arrival airport! Hope this helps :) xx
Hey Molly! Just wondering if that total of £7k doesn’t include what the organised tru travels tours would’ve cost if they weren’t gifted? I’d love to go on this kind of trip and I know the organised tours would make me feel more secure, so guess I’m just wondering how much the trip would’ve cost with that additional price!
Hey! Yess that does include the month in Thailand (we paid £1200 each for that tour coz we got it when it was on sale) and that was by far the month we spent the least on anything else coz you get so much included! This doesn't include my tour on the philippines, which I got gifted but Tom did pay for so that was an additional £700, but they do hefty discounts on their tours at certain times of the year so you can probably get it at around £550 if you keep an eye onit! x
@@MollyThompsonx_ Ooh okay, thank you! That’s actually a lot cheaper than I anticipated tbh. Thanks for being so transparent about everything! 💜
What company did you book your canyoneering in moalboal with? Xx
We booked it through our hotel (and really recommend them, we stayed at Pawikan Resort and they were SO helpful) but sorry I can't be more helpful!
Is there any country in the world that you haven't been to, but you would like to visit?
SO MANNYYYY!!! Japan like we mentioned in this, also Canada because I had a trip booked there during covid, New Zealand is high on the list too! As well as loads of the Greek Islands and maybe Scandinavian countries too hahaa
@@MollyThompsonx_ You should come to New Zealand, in the summer. Would love to show you around the town I live in.
Love you
Were there any places you visited that didn’t quite meet your expectations?
hmmm not many tbh! I think only really Manila for the reasons I said in this video, and also parts of Cambodia we didn't LOVE, but i think we got unlucky with both the weather and also bad transport here that sort of skewed our views a bit!
Do you have to get a new sim card when travelling or can you keep your own? I am travelling to thailand for month and don’t know about changing sim cards xxx
A mixed bag depending on the country, but I never used UK Data as it's too expensive and most UK Sims won't cover roaming in Asia the same way that some of them cover Europe or the US. We used a mixture of actual physical sim cards (so I had a Thai mobile number in Thailand for example) and an E-Sim which I think most modern smart phones can do, it means you keep your UK number but you're roaming on an international data plan - a little confusing but easier than it sounds! There's a link in the description of the video to the site we used for this!
🥰🌟💕
Not sure if it’s just me but the audio in my AirPods was awful for this video ☹️
Which bank card did you use? Monzo, Starling etc thank you xxxx
Monzo! Although I think if i did it again I'd look at getting a Revolut card !x
@@MollyThompsonx_ why revolut over monzo?
Marjorie Taliban Greene
I’m going to Bali Singapore and aus for a year in September and this video was sooooo helpful! Especially about the white stuff for washing! Love this! X