This article discusses the whole nine yard of backpacking in Cambodia including details of my expenses, itinerary and some personal tips in going around Siem Reap, Cambodia.
For backpackers like me (and I hope you are too), the most critical part of the trip is the PLANNING STAGE. This will help you save money and effort 100% guaranteed.
In the Philippines for example, airlines such as CEBU PACIFIC and TIGER AIRWAYS usually have promos- cheaper airfares that is. Catch is, you need to get ahead of everybody to get the best deal. Price and date are critical. You need to contend with the budget and some factors like weather or local holiday (you don't want to get shoulder to shoulder with so many people on your vacation). You may want to subscribe to these airline websites for their automatic promo updates.
In my case, I got myself Cebu Pacific. Originally, I wanted to go to Bali, Indonesia. But because all seats were gone, I had to choose the next best thing- Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Ticket for Manila to Siem Reap: PhP 1,500 (USD 35).
Then the next decision is where to go after Siem Reap. I figured Thailand will be great for a trip to the sea. So it was Thailand. And since a friend of mine has recommended Pattaya, Thailand, I decided to choose that destination.
Ticket for Bangkok to Manila : PhP 4,500 (USD 105)
The planning stage was a bit arduous as I had to ask my friends, consult the Internet and check out my budget to make all ends meet.
Other matters that need to be settled are supporting documents that you'll need when you go out of the country. For Filipinos, you need to make sure whether countries you'll visit require VISA or not.
Afterwhich, ensure that you have documents like bank statements/certificates, employment certificates, round trip ticket, cash, credit card, etc. Everything that will prove you can support yourself when you go out of the country.
This is for IMMIGRATION purposes. The immigration can be very strict and hold you if they deem that you are not fit to travel. I always encounter problems with the immigration. That no matter how much I question the sense of their existence, I still can't fathom why they should put too much strain on people who would like to travel outside of the Philippines.
