Southeast Asia is a beautiful destination packed with stunning beaches and amazing wildlife, but the is region not known for it’s stellar transportation. If you’re backpacking Southeast Asia on a budget, you are going to be spending a lot of time on buses. It’s a necessary evil, but by the end of your trip you will be a pro! Here are a few tips on surviving bus travel in Southeast Asia:
Don’t Expect to be on Time
First and most importantly, don’t expect to arrive at your destination on time. There were so many times that I was told I’d arrive at a destination by 2PM but ended up getting there right before 10PM. Bus travel in Southeast Asia is rarely on time. You just have to go with the flow and hope for the best. Try and remember that it’s not the end of the world. Take a deep breath and enjoy the views of the Cambodian countryside.
Top Tip- If you are traveling solo, make sure you exercise caution when taking overnight buses in certain countries like Myanmar and Cambodia. They often arrive very early and leave you in the middle of nowhere at 3AM. Try to find a buddy for these trips or have a hostel awaiting your arrival!
Bring Snacks & Drinks
Since there are frequent delays, you don’t know how long it could be until your next meal. Suck it up and buy the Pringles from the nice ladies who sell them while you’re boarding the bus. You’ll thank me later when your bus has broken down on the side of the road and you haven’t eaten in 6 hours. Even if the bus doesn’t break down, you don’t know when your driver plans to stop for meals. Bringing your own snacks can help to prevent any hangry outburst hunger pains.
Hope you enjoy this post on surviving bus travel in Southeast Asia! FYI-This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of the product links, I’ll earn a small percentage at no extra cost to you. All proceeds go to keeping this site up and running.
See Also: How to Avoid Food Poisoning While Traveling Southeast Asia
Keep Your Valuables With You
It blows my mind every time I hear how someone got robbed on an overnight bus because they left their money/passport/camera in the backpack under the bus. Please don’t do that.
Have all of your valuables in your daypack and keep that under your feet or on your lap the entire time. If you want to be extra cautious keep your money and passport in a money belt and sleep with it on your person. Most people aren’t out to rob you, but it never hurts to be smart and take preventative measures.
Top Tip- Invest in a good lock for your backpack or luggage. It’s not fool proof but it could certainly convince an opportunistic thief to skip over your luggage. I used a Master Lock flexible lock while backpacking SEA and never had my bag rummaged through. It was also handy for locking up my valuables in hostel lockers. I always packed my cash, credit cards and passport in my money belt while traveling across borders or on overnight buses. It help me feel more secure that my important documents and emergency money were on my person at all times through transit.
Pack Some Toilet Paper
This is a rule that applies to way more than bus travel! Seriously, carry toilet paper with you. Many of the buses don’t have bathrooms, so they will make stops at rest areas or on the side of the road. These facilities don’t usually provide toilet paper or charge a ridiculous price for it, so grab a pack at 7-11 and keep it in your daypack.
Layers are Everything
The buses in Southeast Asia are either hot as hell or an icebox. If you are taking an air-con bus then pack multiple layers and a blanket. The drivers of these buses tend to get a bit overzealous with the AC. I typically wore pants and a t-shirt, then layered with a sweatshirt, socks and a blanket. Sometimes I was still cold! It’s always better to be over prepared and peel a few layers off than shiver your way through a 5-hour bus ride.
Motion Sickness Medicine is Your Friend
Pack some Dramamine, Gravel, or whatever it is called in your country because you might need it! The road to Pai, Thailand has 762 curves. The ride up to this beautiful town was brutal, and I never get motion sick. Since Southeast Asia is such a mountainous region, many rides can be bumpy and curvy. Packing a motion sickness medication can make an unbearable ride much more enjoyable. Another perk of these medications is that they can help you nap through some of the terrifying hair-pin turns. Some views are better left unseen.
Sometimes Seats are Optional
Typically when you buy a bus ticket in your home country you are guaranteed a seat. This is not always true with bus travel in Southeast Asia. You might have to share a row meant for 3 people with 5. Sometimes you have a reclining chair or it’s literally a mattress for you to sleep share with someone else. Other times you might not get a chair at all, and will have to brave the entire journey on a plastic stool in the aisle.
Stand your ground if you feel that a situation is unsafe, but be prepared to either deal with the uncomfortable journey or be left behind with no refund. That’s just sort of how things work here. You can avoid these types of mishaps by following the next tip!
Pay more for your safety
This isn’t your home country. Safety standards aren’t the same and it’s important to remember that. The roads in Southeast Asia can be dangerous and the drivers are often underpaid and overworked. Not trying to scare you, but road traffic accidents are the cause of over 300,000 deaths a year in Southeast Asia. So please don’t book the cheapest bus company because you are on a budget.
Do your research! A quick Google search can bring up hundreds of testimonials from other backpackers. Always go for the bus companies like Giant Ibis, who have an excellent safety records. If Google doesn’t have anything, ask other travelers or the staff at your hostel. You’re here to have a good time and learn about other cultures, so protect yourself and make sure you get there in one piece!
Follow these tips for surviving bus travel in Southeast Asia and you should be a pro in no time! Just remember that the long and tiring bus rides are bringing you in the next part of you adventure 🙂
Long-Haul Bus Ride Essentials
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762 curves on the road to Pai! That’s insane, but I bet the views on the journey make it worth it.
Haha it was definitely an adventure! The views were ok but the little town of Pai was definitely worth the journey!
THis is so inspiring! I love the post:)
irenethayer.com
Great tips!
I can not imagine a busride without taking toiletpaper and snacks 🙂
x
All such amazing tips. Hahah I could only imagine my face if someone tried to bunk with me on my precious seat. I need to invest in a theft proof travel bag, next on my list for sure.
Anita recently posted…Stay away from Camagüey (Cuba) if you crave culture
Haha right?! Thankfully I had a travel partner so this wasn’t too weird. I could just imagine how awkward it could get if you were solo.
I spent the better part of 2 years living in Cambodia so I can well relate to this topic and agree with everything you have included in this post. A great summary and extremely useful – something I would definitely recommend to anyone travelling there. The point you make about the road toll there and making sure you are careful about which carrier you book with are particularly important.
Nicole Anderson recently posted…Don’t date a girl who treks
This brings back so many memories of travel in SE Asia! We traveled through Laos, Cambodia and Thailand via various buses (we took the train in Vietnam!) and can totally relate to everything. Bus don’t run on time, they make frequent, unscheduled stops, there are often more people than there are seats.. but it’s all part of the experience right?! Great post!
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Sometimes I miss the unpredictable adventures I had in Asia when trying to get from place to place. For some reason, I never find myself having tea in some strangers house because my bus broke down 5 miles from civilization while traveling America 🙂
Great tips. I always have my passport, cards & money in my money belt. Its such a lifesaver indeed. And I totally agree about carrying your snacks & toilet paper as well! I was also thinking of buying that Go Girl urination device.
I actually met a girl who swears by one of those! I’m a little to nervous to try it out but she thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.
I haven’t really travelled in SE Asia yet but from what I’ve read the condition of the roads and the craziness of the drivers are quite similar to that of S America! So with that in mind you’ve got some great tips here. I actually booked myself on the cheapest bus once but missed it because my taxi got held up in traffic. I jumped on the next one, and the one that I was supposed to be on ended up flipping over. Nobody was seriously injured but scary to think I narrowly missed something like that for the sake of saving a couple of pounds!
Yikes! Yes, I had to remind myself that safety was most important that a few extra dollars often because it’s almost too easy to get lulled into a false sense of security.
Great guide! I think bus travel anywhere is a true adventure and the best thing is you meet locals and see how they move around and interact with them. I always take toilet paper everywhere I go, especially on bus trips!
I have traveled in SE Asia with trains and flying but I haven’t had an opportunity to use the bus companies. I’ve heard many pros and cons in SE Asia. That’s crazy though about the seating arrangements. 3 seats for 5 people?! Sounds like it can be cramped up especially for a long bus ride with no guaranteed stops. However given my own experiences using buses in Central America which sounds almost similar to SE Asia, I wouldn’t mind trying it though. I would just pay a little more for safety. Kudos to you though for going through that and making this list!
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Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED every minute of it. It’s definitely similar to Central America in terms of travel safety, so if you are smart about it, you’ll be fine.
These are great tips that I learned as I’ve been traveling to Southeast Asia. One of the craziest things I saw in Laos was the optional seat. The buses were from the 1960s and imported from Korea so they were moldy too. I wish I would have packed motion sickness medication because I almost tossed my cookies a few times on minivans.
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You can find it at almost any 7-11! Works just like dramamine. Definitely worth investing in some if you plan on taking more buses.
Awesome insight into the bus travel on South East Asia and just on time for my overland Indian adventure. I have a money belt that I plan on using and buying snacks for the road is a big one. The one thing I am most worried about and what you also mention is the motion sickness. I always get it and would totally need to stack up on the tablets haha! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, definitely bring some motion sickness pills if you get even a little bit nauseous on car rides. Enjoy India!
These are great tips, thank you. I prefer travelling by bus, as opposed to flying because you get to see more of the country -but I have to have the window seat!
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