Asia Travel Guide

Sri Lanka's beaches and hill country, Taiwan's night markets, and Laos's slower-paced river towns reward travelers looking past Asia's most-visited destinations like Bangkok and Tokyo.

Thailand and Japan both work well for first-time visitors to Asia, offering strong tourism infrastructure, English signage in major cities, and a wide range of accommodation and dining options.

November through March offers Southeast Asia's driest, most comfortable travel season, avoiding the monsoon rains that dominate the middle of the year across Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

A two-week Southeast Asia backpacking trip typically costs $1,000–$2,000 per person, covering budget accommodation, street food, and budget flights or buses between stops.

Bangkok, Hanoi, and Taipei rank among Asia's top street food destinations, each offering night markets and food stalls that rival or exceed sit-down restaurant quality at a fraction of the price.

Requirements vary — many Southeast Asian countries offer visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry for US citizens, while Japan and South Korea allow visa-free tourist stays; India and a few others require an advance e-visa.

Group countries by region — mainland Southeast Asia, for example — and use budget airlines or overland border crossings to connect stops, since flying between distant regions like Japan and India adds significant time and cost.

Independent travel works well in tourism-established countries like Thailand and Japan, while a guided tour can simplify logistics in destinations with more complex visa rules or less English signage, such as parts of rural India or China.

Tap water is not safe to drink in most of Asia outside Japan and South Korea, so budget for bottled or filtered water and avoid ice from unknown sources when traveling elsewhere in the region.

An eSIM or local prepaid SIM card offers the most affordable data option in most Asian countries, typically costing far less than international roaming charges through a US carrier.

Set a daily budget per country rather than one figure for the whole trip, since costs in Japan can run three to four times higher per day than in Vietnam or Laos for comparable comfort.

Overnight trains and buses save a night of accommodation cost and work well on routes like Bangkok to Chiang Mai or across Vietnam, though comfort varies significantly by operator and class booked.

Trying to cover too many countries in one trip is the most common mistake — Asia's size and travel times mean two or three well-explored countries almost always beat a rushed six-country tour.

Withdrawing local currency from an ATM on arrival typically offers better rates than exchanging cash at a US bank beforehand, though carrying a small amount of local currency for the first day is still wise.