Haha, yea, I agree on the direct flight to korea .. I saw some from Matta fair and they were quite cheap but with limited time since it is return tickets - longest is probably around 2-3 weeks. Anyway, I'll check in the next matta fair, probably got other sweet deals.

Oh, so you're already free from the common financial burden that plagues students huh? heheh.. good for you
You've been to 3 previous trips, mind sharing them? :>
Well, life is just that way, when got time no money and likewise. So i figured why not travel first and commit later!?
I think you share the same thoughts too. It is alot ore affordable to go travel nowadays compare to last time but then I curse being in Malaysia - weak money. Living here is ok, going out is tough. Kinda envy those gwei lo backpackers!

From what I have checked previously, you can get a good price of air ticket from MAS during promotion time to Seoul. And this can be cheaper compare to going from China to Korea route. This route can be very interesting but considering with tight budget might not be a good idea. probably you can have a more realistic plan to make it with RM4k-5k.  The expenses there are very high as well. Probably you can check again during MAS big promotion and see wether you can get a good price or not. Even the air ticket to Europe is not that expensive.

As a student,I agree it's pretty hard to travel in budget. Got to have much limitations (at least this is what i faced for my 3 previous trips). But, that's definately not the reason to forbid you going out to see and experience the world,broaden your perspectives of views. I think this is the best time to learn. and somemore, only students has longer holidays. when you start working, finding a longer holidays might be hard. and for worst, in the end, you will end up with the routine work for years and years, burried in endless work.

I haven't free from it till next year after graduate. Hope to work first to save enough money , so I will get better budget to go out again, to countries which I prefer.I started backpacking only last year Sept.My first travel out of Malaysia was to HK and Macau, going alone for all my trips from the beginning. I couch surf fully there and for my Tianjin-Beijing-Harbin and Melbourne-Canberra-Sydney, I couch surf 80% of the time. So my trip basically rely on couch surfing. It's definately a good way to meet locals and got much good experiences so far ( but still, I think anyone who wants to try this out esp if u are traveling alone as a girl,you need to be very careful when you find your host, and read all the safety precaution before embark. It'll be safe enough if you be careful, and there's no reason why girls cannot go travel solo) .

I agree it's not easy for us due to our weak money. But still, if you really notice, some gwei lo are also on very low budget.They work and travel in order to sustain their living. I have also met quite a number of backpackers who just quit their job and travel. Some think that they should do so before they start a family or I have ever hosted a danish girl backpacking in south east asia and then will join her dad for backpacking in India or some work and travel before they go into college or university, to let them have more understanding of what they want before starting their course. What they do is mostly different from our Asians culture which seem to be unlikely to happen. I mean these are some of the points that we can rethink back if our society should really follow the rules & belief set.

Wow, nice to hear u took the dive early. Couchsurf seems interesting, good way to know the locals and customs. Do you have to host in order to couchsurf?
After you suggested wwoof, I think I might try it in Korea.

Rules and belief set is so typical. But i guess all these ties down to the same family / culture values of asians -responsibilities towards family is of prime importance.

so algretto currently u hv start working??so how u manage to take long holidays?any tips?wut is ur next destination??

you dun really need to host.after my 1st n 2nd travel by using couch surf,i feel i owe ppl so much by their kindness to share. so i start hosting when i m free last few months,but now not as i am very busy with my clinical attachment and studies.in future,if i have a good place 2 host n time,i would definately like to host again.i hope to at least give travelors some feel of local's culture,which is also what i expect from them.

yep,u got to try out that or maybe after i come back from wwoof taiwan,i can share my experience.u can decide after that.

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Added on October 2, 2009, 4:41 pm

Well,i havent graduated.but as i said earlier,a good way is to quit and travel.but not all people can do that.if u think from another way,that's a good idea to help you have a fresh start. or otherwise,u need to have a super good and open minded boss to let u off.but i dont think u can easily find such boss.
my next destination would be taiwan next month.basicaly planing to wwoof in just 10days n a week in taipei.it's not a long trip. december wil be going to bangkok,not really backpack,but to bring my grandma to visit her sister.

i want to join u guys backpacking.. anyone going somewhere in SEAsia? I am 29yo malay guy..single, like music, nature and animals. Bored with routine job..i want to start seeing other places.

im going april next year.. interested?

hey Jcizz your plan is very interesting & budget vice is quite economical. do pm me once you have finalised the plan. i'm very interested & i'm not a shopaholic. hope to make this my 1st backpack trip.

hi guys...

im wondering if RM800/USD250 is sufficient to backpack 10 days in Thailand --> Vietnam --> Cambodia?

budget not included flight...

definitely enough.. for me

if u take backpackers hotel for accommodation will only set u back about Rm300 for 10 days.
You have Rm 500 for food.

So unless you plan to do some shopping spree there, it should b basically enough

I may not go Japan after all due to all the visa applications headaches. Might just backpack to Korea. Still interested?

hi guys...

im wondering if RM800/USD250 is sufficient to backpack 10 days in Thailand --> Vietnam --> Cambodia?

budget not included flight...

hi all the sifu here..I am wondering how big is your backpack size. I am planning to get one..just not sure about the size...any recommendation?thanks

10 days? i highly suggest you stick to one country.

hi all the sifu here..I am wondering how big is your backpack size. I am planning to get one..just not sure about the size...any recommendation?thanks

thanks for the reply...

i was thinking the accommodation should be less than RM300 only...
in thailand, backpacker hotels approx. RM20-30 per nite... cambodia cheapest is around RM9 per night (yes, it's true...), normally around RM20 is decent 1...

shopping not really... maybe will get some local tees, keychains n magnets only...

we wanna shoot a documentary only...

any of you heading to bangkok on march-april next year???