Xoxo, Southeast Asia

My trip to Southeast Asia was an incredible adventure. It was one of those trips that made me grow as a person, that made me see the world in a different way, that pushed & challenged me and that I will truly never forget. To sum it all up into blog posts has been a challenge (in fact, that’s why I’m currently working on a book that has the more personal & detailed adventures) but to go along with my recaps of individual countries, I thought I would attempt to summarize this trip with some of the top experiences and the financial summary / averages of the entire trip.

⋙ Top 10 Sites & Experiences

» VISITING [almost 50] TEMPLES «

I studied Eastern Religion in college, so visiting Buddhist, Hindu, Islam, Confucian and Taoist Temples never ceased to make my heart race. I loved seeing this beautiful aspect of culture that I enjoyed studying in practice. These visits never got old for me and I cannot wait to experience moments like these over and over again. Thank you to all of the monks, devotees, priests & everyone else at these temples that made my experiences so incredible.

» SWIMMING WITH WHALE SHARKS «

This was on my must-do list for SE Asia, and if I have one regret about this experience, it’s that I didn’t do it twice! Getting to not only see these beautiful giants, but getting to swim next to them was unreal. I was proud of myself for overcoming my fear of the ocean and jumping in. Unbelievable. Must-see!

» SAFARI PARK ZOO «

Oh, Safari Park, there are so many amazing things I could say about you. Cuddles (and bites) from leopard cubs, feeding monkeys, bathing elephants, getting drooled on by giraffes and even more than these experiences – the amazing people that I met. Thank you to everyone at the zoo for making this experience what it was, for empowering me to do things I never thought I could have, to Salapong for being the most amazing Thai teacher & sneaking me extra elephant-time every day and to Stacey for finding this amazing place!

» SAPA TREK «

Trekking through the mountains & the rice terraces with the sweetest teenage guide was one of those unforgettable experiences. Seeing this view, talking with locals, meeting our amazing new Canadian friends and even had some rice whiskey at our homestay. This beautiful experience in northern Vietnam is a MUST and when I go back to Vietnam I plan to do this again.

» UBUD «

I had a hunch that I was going to love Bali, but it was even better than my highest expectations. This one island in the most densely Muslim country in the world is almost all Hindu. Because of this, Balinese Hinduism is so unique. Ubud was my favorite spot in Bali. It was near here that I had the best experiences: visiting gorgeous temples set in the most lush environments, walked through rice terraces, had delicious Balinese food and soaked up the amazing spirit of this culture.

» CANYONING «

This was an adventure-junkie experience! As soon as I heard about this, I was all in. I repelled down waterfalls, jumped off cliffs & from waterfalls into pools of water, sliding down waterfalls that made waterslides and so much more! Craving an adventure in Vietnam? This is it!

» SAGADA CAVE CONNECTION «

While in the Philippines I heard about this ‘Cave Connection‘ which took us in one cave and out another cave. We walked crawled, climbed, were pushed & pulled by our guide and waded the whole way through areas with lots of bats and loads & loads of beautiful cave formations. If you’re nearby it’s a MUST.

» LUANG PRABANG «

My time in Luang Prabang brought so many beautiful and unique experiences. I got to swim in waterfalls, visit a massive cave temple, temple-hop, take in sunsets, visit with monks, eat massive bowls of street food for less than $2 and splurge on myself at their amazing night market.

» SWIMMING IN WATERFALLS «

I love natural sites, so visiting waterfalls was always a fun experience for me. The best was getting to swim in them and under them. My four favorites were Tumalog Falls in the Philippines, Kachanh & Katieing Waterfalls in Cambodia and Kuang Si Falls in Laos.

» SONGKRAN [Thai New Year] «

Songkran was the one festival that we really took part in. Volunteering at Safari Park Zoo meant that the Thai staff LOVED to make sure we got to experience this fun (and wet!) celebration. We had multiple small Songkran experiences around the zoo and at our local beer hangout. The big celebration was when we spent the last day of Songkran in Kanchanaburi. We had a few Changs, got soaked and shared a ton of laughs as we were drenched with water and smeared with baby powder!  Happy New Year! Haha

⋙ MONEY BREAKDOWN (101 Days + Prep)

* Many of these costs could have been lowered in different ways. To read more about how click [HERE].

It’s hard to summarize this wild adventure I took throughout seven countries in Southeast Asia. Of course, I had to share a round up my favorite experiences and I wanted to let you see my financial breakdown for the 101 day trip. I’d love to answer any questions you have or hear about your experiences in these places. 

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