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Routes That
Actually Worked

Day-by-day itineraries and city guides, written after the trip with every cost logged.

Country Guides

Eleven countries, in full detail

Each one covers month-by-month timing, a real cost breakdown, the dishes worth ordering with prices, where to base yourself, a route that works, and the practical notes on visas, money, SIM cards and etiquette.

Golden temple spires against a bright skySouth-East Asia Thailand

Four regions, one of the deepest street-food cultures on earth, and the easiest country in Asia to travel badly. Here is how not to.

$38 mid-rangeNov – Feb Kuala Lumpur skyline at dusk with illuminated towersSouth-East Asia Malaysia

Three cuisines that have been arguing productively for two hundred years, and the most underrated eating in Asia.

$40 mid-rangeMar – Sep (west) Illuminated supertree structures in a garden at duskSouth-East Asia Singapore

Expensive to sleep in, absurdly cheap to eat in. Three days here is a masterclass in hawker food if you spend your money in the right place.

$95 mid-rangeFeb – Apr Rice bowl with a soft eggSouth-East Asia Vietnam

A thousand miles of coastline and three distinct food cultures. Do not try to see it all in ten days — everyone does, and it does not work.

$32 mid-rangeVaries by region Misty limestone hills with a hot-air balloonSouth-East Asia Laos

The slowest country in South-East Asia, and the one that punishes a tight itinerary. Give it two weeks or give it a miss.

$32 mid-rangeNov – Feb Sea temple silhouetted against a sunset in Bali, IndonesiaSouth-East Asia Indonesia

Seventeen thousand islands, and most visitors see one. Bali is worth it — but Java is where the country actually is.

$35 mid-rangeMay – Sep The Great Wall running along a forested ridgeEast Asia China

Eight distinct regional cuisines, a payment system that locks out foreign cards, and the best high-speed rail network on earth. Prepare properly and it is the most rewarding trip here.

$60 mid-rangeApr – May, Sep – Oct Traditional street leading up to a pagoda in Kyoto, JapanEast Asia Japan

The most rewarding country in the world to eat in, and the one where preparation pays off most. Book early, walk a lot, eat standing up.

$95 mid-rangeMar – May, Oct – Nov Grilled meat on a wooden boardEast Africa Uganda

Home. The most underrated food country in East Africa, and the easiest place on the continent to have a good time cheaply.

$40 mid-rangeDec – Feb, Jun – Aug Grilled skewers over charcoalEast Africa Kenya

Nyama choma, Swahili coastal cooking and the best-organised safari infrastructure in Africa. Also the most expensive country in this guide.

$65 mid-rangeJun – Oct, Jan – Feb Turkish breakfast of many small plates covering a tableEurasia Turkey

One of the four or five genuinely great food cultures on earth, and a country most visitors experience only in Istanbul.

$50 mid-rangeApr – Jun, Sep – Oct
Before You Fly

Arrival cards and entry registration

More countries now require something filed online before you board — a digital arrival card, a customs declaration or a travel authorisation. Missing one usually means a queue at a kiosk rather than a refused entry, but it is an avoidable half hour. These are the official government portals for the countries covered here plus the ones most often combined with them.

Only use the official portal

Every link below is a government domain. Free arrival cards in particular attract convincing lookalike sites that charge a fee and harvest passport data — Thai Immigration issued a public warning about fake TDAC sites on the day the system launched. If a page asks you to pay for a free card, close it.

Checked September 2026. Requirements and fees change often — confirm on the official site before you travel.
Country What you file Who needs it Timing Official portal
Thailand TDAC Free Mandatory, all arrivals Within 3 days tdac.immigration.go.th
Malaysia MDAC Free Mandatory, most visitors Within 3 days imigresen-online.imi.gov.my
Singapore SG Arrival Card Free Mandatory, all arrivals Within 3 days eservices.ica.gov.sg
Indonesia All Indonesia (e-CD) Free Mandatory customs declaration Within 3 days allindonesia.beacukai.go.id
Japan Visit Japan Web Free Optional, saves real time Before departure services.digital.go.jp
Philippines eTravel Free Mandatory, all arrivals Within 72 hours etravel.gov.ph
Cambodia Cambodia e-Arrival Free Mandatory, all arrivals Within 7 days arrival.gov.kh
South Korea K-ETA Paid · ~$10 Visa-waiver nationals 72 hours minimum k-eta.go.kr
Kenya eTA Paid · ~$30 Mandatory, replaces visa 3 days minimum etakenya.go.ke
Vietnam E-visa Paid · ~$25 Mandatory for most 3–5 working days evisa.gov.vn
Uganda E-visa Paid · $50 Mandatory for most Allow a week visas.immigration.go.ug
Turkey E-visa Paid · ~$50 Depends on nationality Instant to 48 hours evisa.gov.tr
United Kingdom ETA Paid · £16 Visa-exempt nationals 3 days minimum gov.uk
United States ESTA Paid · $40 Visa Waiver nationals 72 hours minimum esta.cbp.dhs.gov
All Guides

Six routes, every cost logged

Golden temple spires against a bright skyThailand Itinerary Bangkok in Five Days, Under $400 5 daysBudget Halved papaya on a banana leafMalaysia Food Guide Penang Hawker Crawl: 14 Stalls 2 daysMid-range Turkish breakfast platesTurkey City Guide Istanbul Neighbourhood by Neighbourhood 4 daysMid-range Grilled meat on a wooden boardUganda City Guide Kampala for First-Time Visitors 3 daysBudget Bar interior lit at nightJapan Food Guide Tokyo Standing Bars After Midnight 1 nightMid-range Fried rice cooked in a panVietnam Itinerary Overland from Hanoi to Hue 7 daysBudget
What's Inside Every Guide

Written after the trip, not during it

Guides are written once I am home, so the routes reflect what actually worked. Each one opens with a day-by-day plan, then breaks down transport, beds and food with the prices I paid in local currency.

  • Day-by-day route with walking distances and travel times
  • Every cost logged, split into transport, stays, food and entry
  • Named stalls and restaurants with the dish to order
  • What I would skip on a second visit

If a place only works for a camera and not for a traveller, it does not go in the guide.

Warm-lit restaurant interior
Common Questions

Before you plan

Are the guides free?

The web guides are free to read. Longer PDF itineraries with offline maps are in the shop.

How often are prices updated?

Every guide is reviewed twice a year, and the update date sits at the top of the page.

Can you plan a custom trip?

Occasionally, for a small number of trips a year. Send the dates and rough budget through the contact page.

Do you take sponsorships from tourism boards?

Sometimes for travel costs, never for the opinion. Any sponsored trip is labelled in the guide and in the video.

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