This was my second extended backpacking adventure, after Central America. And I arrived in Asia on the back of a year in New Zealand, which concluded with a well-planned four-week road trip around that country. And, in contrast, it felt nice entering Asia without a set itinerary, and three months to take time to explore freely.

The plan was to see the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. Aside from that, the destinations and activities could be decided on the go. There were some positives and negatives of this approach. Without doing much research, we inevitably went to better known places initially. When some of these disappointed, though, we could decide to do something a little different – and we visited locations we hadn’t known existed.

The time in each country varied. In the larger two, Thailand and Vietnam, it was around four weeks. And in the smaller two, Cambodia and Laos, around two weeks. Each of the four countries had a different feel and, while there were similarities, the culture, the food, the sights, and the people made each uniquely enjoyable.

I was fortunate to see so much of this region. But travelling can be challenging. It is hot, sweaty, and stifling in the tropics. And the bus journeys are long and uncomfortable. So, you should be prepared for uncomfortable moments, on an ambitious trip like this. Ultimately it can be very rewarding, however, and well worth the effort.