Southeast Asia Backpacking Guide: Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos

The Indochina circuit (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos combined) is one of the world's great extended travel routes, offering an extraordinary density of cultural, historical, and natural experiences at a cost per day that makes extended travel in Europe or North America seem profligate by comparison. The three countries share a colonial French history (visible in the architecture of Hanoi, Phnom Penh, and Luang Prabang), border the same river systems, and connect by efficient overland and air transport, making a 4 to 6 week circuit that covers all three genuinely achievable. The practical question is not whether to do the circuit but in which direction to run it, and which sites to allow enough time to do properly.

Vietnam: From North to South (or South to North)

Vietnam spans 1,650km from north to south, with a climate that varies substantially between regions. Most visitors fly into Hanoi (north) or Ho Chi Minh City (south) and travel in one direction, often crossing into Cambodia by land from the south.

Hanoi

The capital (population 8.2 million), former capital of French Indochina, with a remarkably intact Old Quarter of 36 trade streets (each historically specialising in a single craft: silk, tin, bamboo, paper) still predominantly trading the same goods. Hoan Kiem Lake and the Ngoc Son temple on its island are the geographical heart of the city. The Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology (the best museum in Vietnam, documenting the 54 ethnic groups of the country with reconstructed traditional architecture) is worth a half-day. The street food scene: bun cha (grilled pork with vermicelli noodles, the dish Barack Obama ate with Anthony Bourdain in 2016), pho (beef noodle soup; Pho Gia Truyen at 49 Bat Dan Street is the most cited address in Hanoi), and banh mi from street carts at £0.50 to £1.50.

Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay (2,000 limestone karst formations rising from the Gulf of Tonkin, UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994) is the most iconic landscape in Vietnam and best experienced from a two-night or three-night cruise on one of the bay's junk boats. Budget overnight cruise: £50 to £80 per person. Mid-range: £120 to £220. Premium (Indochina Junk, Bhaya Cruises): £250 to £450. The two-night option allows time to kayak through caves and lagoons inaccessible on day trips; the three-night cruise extends into the Bai Tu Long Bay area, significantly less visited than the main Ha Long Bay area.

Hoi An

The best-preserved historic trading port in Southeast Asia (UNESCO World Heritage Site; the old town dates from the 15th to 19th centuries when it was the most important trading port in Indochina) and the undisputed capital of Vietnamese tailoring: more than 400 tailors operate in the old town, producing custom clothing in 24 to 48 hours at extraordinary prices (suit for £80 to £200; dress for £25 to £60). The Japanese Covered Bridge (1593), the Chinese Assembly Halls, and the pedestrianised lantern-lit streets of the old town make this the most photogenic destination in Vietnam. The nearby beach (An Bang, 3km from town) provides a good contrast to the cultural intensity of the old town.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

The commercial capital (population 13 million) is chaotic, energetic, and historically dense. The War Remnants Museum (formerly the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes) is the most visceral museum experience in Southeast Asia: graphic documentation of the American War (the Vietnamese name for the Vietnam War) including photographs, aircraft, and Agent Orange impact documentation. The Cu Chi Tunnels (75km north of the city; a 250km network of tunnels used by the Viet Cong from the 1940s through the 1970s) provide a ground-level historical perspective on the conflict. The Ben Thanh Market and surrounding street food scene are the culinary focus.

Cambodia: Angkor and Beyond

Angkor Archaeological Park

Angkor Wat (completed approximately 1150 CE, the largest religious structure ever built, covering 1.6 km²) is the anchor of a 3 to 4 day itinerary in Siem Reap. The Angkor pass (1-day: $37; 3-day: $62; 7-day: $72) covers all temples in the archaeological park. The prioritised temples beyond Angkor Wat itself: Ta Prohm (the "jungle temple" where fig tree roots grow through the stone walls, used as a filming location for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider), Bayon (the temple of giant stone faces of the Bodhisattva Lokesvara at the centre of Angkor Thom, the 9km² walled city surrounding it), and Banteay Srei (pink sandstone temple 25km from the main park, with the finest decorative carvings in the entire complex).

Phnom Penh

Cambodia's capital and the site of the most important Khmer Rouge-era memorial sites. The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21 prison, where between 17,000 and 20,000 prisoners were held and tortured under the Khmer Rouge, 1975 to 1979; only 7 prisoners are documented to have survived) and the Choeung Ek Killing Fields Memorial (15km from the city; one of over 300 mass graves sites across Cambodia) are among the most significant and most sobering memorial experiences in the world. They require a full day and appropriate emotional preparation; they are not tourist attractions in the conventional sense but historical testimonies that form an essential part of understanding the country.

Laos: The Quietest Country in Indochina

Luang Prabang

A UNESCO World Heritage town at the confluence of the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers, with the best-preserved traditional Lao architecture in the country: French colonial buildings alongside Buddhist temple complexes (31 active temples in a town of 25,000 people), all within walking distance. The alms-giving ceremony (Tak Bat: monks from all 31 temples walking in procession at dawn to receive offerings from devout laypeople) is observed every morning at approximately 5:30am. The Kuang Si Falls (30km from town, a three-tiered turquoise waterfall with swimming pools at each level) is the best single day trip from any city in Laos.

Practical Information

• Visas: Vietnam e-visa (90 days, multiple entry, approximately $25, apply online at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn). Cambodia e-visa ($30, 30 days, apply at evisa.gov.kh; or visa on arrival at major border crossings). Laos e-visa ($35) or visa on arrival at airports and some border crossings.
• Route direction: North to south through Vietnam (Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, then into Cambodia and Laos) is the most common direction and has better seasonal timing in winter: the north is cooler and drier while the south remains warm. The reverse also works; choose based on flight routing.
• Budget: The Indochina circuit is among the cheapest multi-country travel routes in the world. Budget backpacker: £25 to £45 per person per day (hostel dorm or basic guesthouse, street food, local transport). Mid-range comfortable: £60 to £100 per person per day (private room, restaurant meals, private transport for longer journeys).

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