I am now almost 4 months into my first solo backpacking trip and wow has it been incredible. I have already seen and experienced so much more than I ever could have imagined. Met so many more people than I anticipated, laughed, cried and marveled (sometimes all at the same time). It’s hard to believe that it has only (and at the same time already) been 4 months.

Disclaimer: the text is rather long and English is my second language, so I apologize in advance for any awkward phrasing or misspelling! This is also my first time posting on Reddit so if there are any formatting errors, etc. please let me know and I will try to fix it ASAP!

With that out of the way, please enjoy a recap of my last 4 months:

My journey started in Bangkok, Thailand. I wanted to start my travels here, since this is the city where I was born but haven’t been to since my family moved away when I was 2 years old. My first impression of Bangkok was that is pure chaos. There are scooters everywhere, so many people, some cars, crazy Tuk-tuks and an incredible mix of history but also modernity. Over the days I spend in Bangkok, I came to realize that the city can’t be described in just one sentence or word. Bangkok is Khao San Road (backpacker party street) just as much as it is the thousands of temples, busy shopping malls, delicious street food and so much more. I completely fell in love with the city and it was the perfect start for me. My route took me into the north of Thailand, with a stop in Ayutthaya followed by a ride in 3rd class of the sleeper train up to Chiang Mai.

It was better than expected but still not great. I got to Chiang Mai a little sleep deprived but all that was quickly forgotten and the city won me over in a heartbeat. There is just so much to do! From hikes to exploring temples, to day trips to the ethical elephant camps, to cooking classes and the sticky waterfalls. I spend a couple days here before heading to Pai.

Pai is often described as backpacker heaven and I still haven’t decided if I liked the city or not. It is located in the mountains so there is plenty to explore but the city itself feels more “western” than anything else. It is home to a vibrant hippie scene with lots of drugs (if one is into that, I am not and still found plenty to do) and a lot of live music and bars. Pai to me is one of those places that you have to experience to understand and decide if you like it or not.

Up next was another quick pit stop in Chiang Mai before heading to Chiang Rai for a couple days. Looking back, one day definitely would have been enough to explore the major tourist highlights of the city (white temple, blue temple, black house). But I also enjoyed taking a breather after a hectic first 20 or so days.

From Chiang Rai, I made my way to the Laos border and crossed into country nr. 2 of this trip. I decided to take the slow boat to Luang Prabang. Everyone I saw online was raving about this experience and the landscape you will see over the two-day journey. Well, I was underwhelmed. The slow boat is no longer used by the locals to get from the border to Luang Prabang but instead draws lots of tourists. On my boat it was mostly drunk guys yelling and getting more and more drunk as the day went on. This quickly ruined the illusion of this being a peaceful and calm journey. It was still nice but definitely not what I expected. After that start, I was a bit scared about how I would like Laos but those fears quickly evaporated over the next couple days. I explored Luang Prabang for a bit before heading north to Nong Khiaw and went on a couple of hikes which allowed me to watch a stunning sunrise on top of the mountains as well as some beautiful sunsets.

After Nong Khiaw, it was time to make my way south and the next stop was Vang Vieng, also known as the adventure capital of Laos. Among other things, Vang Vieng offers the cheapest hot air balloon ride in the world (did it for a sunrise and it was worth it!), tipsy tubing (sitting in an inflatable tube sipping beers as you glide down a river and stop at 3 bars), relaxing by the lagoons, some hiking, paramotoring and so much more. Vang Vieng was so much fun! Up next was a quick stop in Vientiane (the capital of Laos), I only spend one night here since I didn’t hear anyone actually enjoy the city.

After that, it was time to take on the Thakhek Loop. This has been one of my highlights of the trip so far! The loop takes 3-4 days and takes you through stunning vistas, to caves, a zipline, local kids running up to your bike waving and wanting high fives and just shows you more of the country than you would see by simply sitting in a bus.

At last, it was time to relax a little in the 4000 islands of the Mekong Delta. I headed to Don Det and was able to enjoy the island for a couple days before making my way down to Vietnam and meeting up with some friends I met in Bangkok and got along with amazingly.

Due to being German, I get a free 45-day visa for Vietnam, this allowed me more time in the country than others often have and I took full advantage of it. The trip started in HCMC, which I really enjoyed as a city (more so than Hanoi). It’s big and hectic but still felt comfortable. The war remnants museum was impressive!

We headed to the sand dunes of Mui Ne, followed by Da Lat (where we stayed at a hostel for 1 euro per night) and then Nha Trang. Sadly, the weather started to turn bad here and it started to rain lots but we still made the most of it and I ended up getting my first tattoo. We took a night bus to get to Hoi An and got some tailored clothes while we were there. Hoi An was amazing and I really enjoyed the time we spend there. After Hoi An, we spend a couple nights in Da Nang. We didn’t realize how close the two are to each other. Looking back, it is def possible to spend some time in one or the other and then take a day trip to the other.

From Da Nang, I rented a motorbike and drove the Hai Van Pass. I got lucky with the weather and had so many great views along the way! It took me around 5h to get to Hue.

Once I arrived, I quickly dropped my bag of in the hostel and then drove to the abandoned water park. This one is seen all over social media and is one of those spots that is worth the hype and was very fun to explore.

From Hue I took a night bus to Ninh Binh (well Tam Coc technically) and wow! The nature surrounding the city is breathtaking. Up next was Hanoi and with it the attractions of northern Vietnam. While the south was pretty, the north was simply breathtaking! We ended up doing the Ha Giang Loop, trekking in Sapa, visiting the beaches of Cat Ba and did a cruise in Ha Long Bay over Christmas. All of which were simply breathtaking! The Loop is definitely crowded and sees a lot of tourism but to me was one of the most impressive things I have done so far.

After 40 days, it was time for me to say goodbye to Vietnam and make my way to Cambodia. I rushed down to Koh Rong Samloem to spend new year’s here and my Birthday there. In total I stayed 7 days and was blown away by the island! It was incredible to just sleep in, relax by the beach and read after the last adventure filled months. I was also lucky enough to go and see the bioluminescent plankton multiple times. Swimming with them and starring up into a sky filled with stars was simply surreal.

After being properly rested, I had back to Phnom Penh for 3 nights. Phnom Penh had two very different emotions for me: disbelief and euphoric joy. During the day I went and explored S21 Prison and the Killing fields. Both of these deal with the rule of the Khmer Rogue and if you do not already know about this, please read up on it. It is unfathomable to think that this happened roughly 50 years ago and yet it is barely talked about. In the evenings I ended up going out and seeing the other side of Phnom Penh, a very happy and open night life.

Eventually I made my way to Siam Reap and was blown away once more. I knew that I wanted to see Angkor Wat and all the other temples but I did not expect to be as impressed as I was. I ended up buying a 3-day pass (if you buy at after 16.40 you can head to Angkor Wat for free on that day and your pass does not start until the next day!) So, I did just that and the sunset was magical. I ended up going back for sunrise the next morning and was the third person in, the sunrise was even more spectacular. I rented a motorbike and drove around to most of the close temples and enjoyed almost all of them!

After Siam Reap, it was back to Bangkok for a couple nights before making my way south with a sleeper bus. I got to Surat Thani and took a ferry to Koh Samui right away. I only spend a day here before heading to Koh Pha-Ngan for 2 nights and then making my way to Koh Tao. I enjoyed the first two islands but was very excited for Koh Tao. I started getting my diving license yesterday and so far, absolutely love this island.

Well, this got a lot longer than I had planned… if you made it all the way to the end, thanks for reading! In general, I have found that traveling in South East Asia is relatively easy if you bring a smile and are not stressed about time. Sometimes the buses and trains are on time but more often than not, they are running on “Asia time” and show up/ depart whenever they do. A lot of the locals speak some basic form of English or are happy to communicate with pointing and hand signals but they always appreciate any effort you put into using their language even if it is simply to say “hello” and “thank you”. I was a little worried at first about feeling lonely because I am solo backpacking but the only times I was really alone were when I chose to be. It is so easy to meet other travelers in hostels, on the buses or during activities. I really don’t have too many complaints so far other than traveling being a bit harder when you are tall. I am 6’3 and often can’t fit my legs into the sleeper buses or assigned seats, so leg cramps and lower backpain have become a constant part of travel days.

I can't wait to see what the next weeks/ months hold for me!