Money Money Money- How much our SEA travels cost

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  Bangkok, Thailand
Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Here it is all you travel planners. The moment you have all been waiting for. Drumroll please. We are proud to present, for the first time ever...what it cost us to travel for 4 months in Southeast Asia. We hope this helps for those in the midst of planning a big trip.  SHHHH do not tell everyone how cheap it is to travel or everyone may quit their jobs and do it and nothing would get done in the world.

Cheers,
Frank & Kay

Notes:
- Currency below is in $$ US Dollars
- Costs are for 2 people.  Divide in half for per person costs.
- Most hotels (includes hostels, guesthouses, etc) were Budget+1.  Clean, safe, and usually with a private room and private bathroom.
- Travelled mostly by public bus, with many ferry boats, a handful of cabs, and very few private shuttles or 1st class buses, a couple of Air Asia flights.  And a random hitchhike or two.
- Total costs include everything:  food, transportation, entertainment, etc...

OVERALL COSTS
Overall Total:  $8069 ($7563 excluding all airfare) Our roundtrip flight to Thailand from DC was on Frequent Flyer Miles at no cost to us. YEAH!
Days of Travel:  105 nights / 106 days   (3.5 months)
Average Daily Cost:  $76.85  ($72.04 excluding all airfare)($55.14 If you take out the scuba diving.)
Total Cost of Internet Usage at Cafes and Hotels:  $132.23

Tranportation Costs:
Flights:
DC-Thailand -Free- Thank you United Miles
Malaysia- JB to Tauwau - $110.00
Malaysia- KK to Kuching - $76.00
Malaysia- Kuching to KL - $145.00
Malaysia KL to Thailand Chang Mai -$175.00
Total: $506

BREAKDOWN  BY  COUNTRY
Thailand:
Total Expenses:  $1506.83
Days of Travel:  25
Approximate Exchange Rate:  1 USD = 35 baht
Daily Averages: 
     - Total:  $60.27
     - Hotel:  $9.90
     - Transportation:  $16.73
     - Food:  $12.53
Notes: Went diving in Koh Tau, took a cooking class, visited lots of temples, rented bikes in Chiang Mai, spent two nights traveling on trains. 
 

Malaysia:
Total Expenses:  $3870.27
Days of Travel:  44
Approximate Exchange Rate:  1 USD = 3.5 Ringgits
Daily Averages: 
     - Total:  $87.96 ( take out diving and our average is $52.44)
     - Hotel:  $19.44
     - Transportation:  $16.68
     - Food:  $10.56
Notes:  We spent about 3 weeks scuba diving and received advanced and rescue diver certifications. The total cost for scuba diving in Malaysia was $1526.86. This is actually really cheap considering the certifications and that we did over 30 dives each.

Singapore:
Total Expenses:  $214.30
Days of Travel:  3 days
Approximate Exchange Rate:  1 USD = 1.5 Singapore Dollars
Daily Averages: 
     - Total:  $71.43
     - Hotel:  $22.67
     - Transportation:  $2.36
     - Food:  $31.39
Notes:  Include a ridiculously overpriced watered down Singapore sling at Raffles. Do not buy.

Laos:
Total Expenses:  $867.45
Days of Travel:  20 days
Approximate Exchange Rate:  1 USD = 9600 Kip
Daily Averages: 
     - Total:  $43.37
     - Hotel:  $8.06
     - Transportation:  $9.03
     - Food:  $12.36
Notes:  Includes a 3 day jungle trek at $56 a day, Tubing in Vang Vien, bikes in Luang Prabang and a night bus to Pakse.

Cambodia:
Total Expenses:  $1104.85
Days of Travel:  13 days
Approximate Exchange Rate:  1 USD =  3950  Riel (dollar is widely accepted and distributed from ATM's) 
Daily Averages: 
     - Total:  $84.99
     - Hotel:  $19.54
     - Transportation:  $11.92
     - Food:  $25.55
Notes:  This includes 3 day passes to Angkor Wat at $60 per person, living like royals at $35 a night in the capital and eating a lot of great meals in Siam Reap.
     - Transportation:  $3.92
     - Food:  $22.56

Let us know if you have any questions or comments! (or if you want even more details)

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