THE PLAN
Rather than start my journey completely on my own (’cause let’s face it I’m new to solo travel/ have never been to SE Asia) I’ve decided to begin my adventure with a tour company, Stray Asia.
Stray
Stray is a guided adventure travel network that helps kindred spirits such as myself get off the beaten track and immerse themselves in local culture. The service includes a hop-on and hop-off travel service that takes travellers to unique and remote destinations across SE Asia. Passes are valid for 12 months from your first day of travel whereby passengers manage their itineary using an online timetable. If you want to stay anywhere for longer than is scheduled you simply ‘hop off’ and jump on another Stray bus at a later date.
Lot pass
There are a number of travel passes available through Stray Asia; being the travel hungry backpacker I am, I’ve opted to do the Lot!
My travel pass includes Northern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam; starting in Bangkok and ending in Hanoi.
The minimum length of time this trip takes is 38 days, but like I said before, the entire beauty of this trip is the passenger’s ability to hop off and explore at leisure.
What’s includeD? –
TRANSPORT
Yes, yes, I know it’s stupidly cheap to travel by land and air in SE Asia, but though easy on the bank balance, is not always safe, comfortable and reliable. Much to the delight of my worried Mother and Grandmother, Stray provide mostly private transportation (minus a few train rides), which are both air conditioned (hallelujah!) and driven by experienced drivers. Generally speaking, Stray journeys are taken by mini-bus. Routes tend to be scenic, meaning sightseeing as you go rather than paying for additional side trips. From reviews I’ve read it seems drivers are more than happy to pull over for those once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities and much needed relief breaks! Travelling in this manner allows passengers to get closer to the action. Likewise journeying in small groups means there’s shared experiences between travellers and the opportunity to make friends along the way!
Local guide and or Western Tour Leader
Another bonus to the Stray package is the inclusion of an experienced tour guide on all your trips. Stray guides not only offer heaps of invaluable insight into the local history and culture but also help with more practical matters, such as arranging visas and finding a suitable place to crash for the night. I cetainly feel much safer knowing they’ll be nice people around if I run into any tricky situations whilst I’m out there! Again, from countless reviews I’ve read, travellers commend the Stray team for going above and beyond to enrich the travelling experience.
ENTRANCE FEES
Though the company’s mantra is all about straying from those well-trodden paths, Stray also acknowledge that tourist traps are hot spots for a reason- people generally flock to these sites because there’s something totally awesome to go see! For this reason there are a number of entrance fees included in the Stray travel package. For the Lot pass I’m doing, the following admission prices are included in my travel itinerary:
- Ayuttaya UNESCO Temples
- Pha Tok Secret War Caves
- Pha Ou Budda Site
- Tham Jang Limestone Caves
- Phu Hin Bun National Park
- Kong Lor Caves
- Turtle Cave
- Hotay Pitok Ancient Library
- Tad Ngeuang Watefall
- Wat Phou UNESCO Temples
- Preah Vihear Temples
- S21 Prison
- Killing Fields
- Udong Historical Site
- Bamboo Train (ohmerged!)
- Dantania Falls
- My Lai Memoria
- Marble Mountains
- Vinh Moc Tunnels
- Thien Duong (Paradise Cave)
- Cuc Phuong National Park.
It’s nice to know these must-see experiences are included in my travel pass price, and give me something concrete to look forward to on my trip. They offer a great combination of history, culture and natural beauty.
HOMESTAYS/ Remote locations
And finally, last, but by no means least, there are also a handful of Homestay and remote village experiences. In each of the countries I am visiting with Stray I will get the opportunity to spend a night/ few days in a local community; often staying with a family in their own home. Most of these places have had limited exposure to Westerners, and offer a genuine insight into the traditional way of life specific to each region. In Laos I shall be visiting two villages; Xe Champhone in the South, with a focus on wildlife, and Ban Pak Nguey which is situated on the Mekong River. In Cambodia, I will spend time in Battambang experiencing fishing and farming opportunities with the locals and a remote beach stay in An Hao, Vietnam. I’m really excited about these inclusions in my trip. Not only because they provide an authentic and unique glimpse into rural societies and traditional religion/culture, but also because they help support local operators in each area. Stray’s ethos is all about sustainable and responsible travel. This means having a positive influence on the communities visited with minimal disruption and negative impact on the environment. Booking with Stray helps fund worthwhile projects and initiatives allowing travellers to ‘give something back’. This said, here’s a big thumbs up to Stray Asia! Looking forward to backpacking with you all very soon!