Travelling between countries

How to get about cheaply while you are away.

Airlines

Cheap airlines operating between asian countries.
http://www.frommers.com/articles/3426.html - an interesting article with link to many cheap airlines.

http://www.airasia.com - tremendously cheap internal flights in Malaysia, Thailand, etc. Also flights between some asian countries. Has free seating. Book and pay for it online (or over the phone), print out itineries with barcodes if possible.

http://www.evasions.com/airlines9.htm - links to a whole lot of budget airlines in asia

http://malaysiaairlines.com - cheap flights

http://www.jetstarasia.com/valuair/

http://www.tigerairways.com/home/

Sailing from Japan

You can catch a ferry from the south end of Japan to Russia, China, Taiwan and Korea.
http://www.seejapan.co.uk/transport/sea/international.html

South East Asia

Thailand (Bangkok) to Laos

Consider catching the train from Bangkok to Nongkhai. It's really cheap, you get to see the countryside and there are night trains too (it takes a while!) From Nongkhai you cross a bridge into Laos on a special bus. It's pretty easy to book at the train station across from Bangkok airport.

Vietnam to Cambodia

You can take a trip up the Mekong from **Saigon*** to Phnom Penh. You will have to make an overnight hotel stop. There are many small stops on the way and the scenery is great. At the Cambodian border get off the boat, line up and pay US$20 for the visa. Finished in 30 minutes and onto a bigger boat for another hour before a bumpy bus ride the rest of the way to Phnom Penh. About US$25 total for the hotel, a meal ticket etc. but a long ride! There are other tours where you can stay at villagers' homes that may be worth investigating.

Thailand to Cambodia

Take an early (5:50am) train from Bangkok (main train station) to the boarder - around 6 hours and ￥100. Not a living hell at all, but slow (20 kms. per hour). All the train windows are open and you get to see/smell/listen to the countryside. 20US$ visa at the border - bring 2 passport photos (though you can usually pay extra to have some taken there.) Ignore the guy that tells you it will be faster in line if you pay US$30. Next 9US$ for a taxi/bus from Poipet boarder to Battambang, Cambodia - about 3-4 hours. The trip takes all day, but isn't difficult and is a good chance to see the countryside.

JET holiday info