How to travel cheaply around Asia. Interesting route through Southeast Asia Tourist route through foreign Asian countries

Hello, dear friends. I hasten to please you, we completed not only our hitchhiking trip Central Asia, but also the first unlimited journey, which lasted exactly 4 months. Congratulate us and yourself too!!! Hooray!!! What does it mean? And this means that firstly, today, or rather right now, you have the happiness of seeing final article on Central Asian countries and all, all, all the information that we managed to collect during this period on them, and secondly, time is freed up for articles about new adventures around the world. True, I have not yet decided how to present all this... In any case, I suggest subscribing to the LiteTrip blog news so as not to miss anything new 😉

So, today there are four countries on the program: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan And Kazakhstan. We will show you our route, inform you about approximate prices and tell you how you can hitchhiking around Central Asia and is a tent needed there?

Route and budget.

So, we entered Central Asia, and to be precise, we entered Kazakhstan from Russia, let’s together trace the time and path of our movements.

• The total mileage from the Russian border to the final city of Shu (Kazakhstan) is 4,700 km.
• Financial costs for two (excluding return tickets home) – $50.
• The amount of travel time is 22 days.
• The weather is mostly hot +35, with the exception of mountainous areas.

On the way back from the town of Shu (Kazakhstan) we spent on Railway tickets and bus – 6000 rubles.

Travel map of Central Asia.

Kazakhstan:

• 11.09 – 14.09 —
• 15.09 –

Uzbekistan:

• 15.09 — 16.09 —
• 16.09 – 17.09 –
• 17.09 —
• 18.09 –
• 19.09 —
• 20.09 –
• 21.09 –

Tajikistan:

• 22.09 –
• 22.09 –
• 23.09 –
• 24.09 –

Kyrgyzstan:

• 25.09 –
• 26.09 –
• 27.09 –
• 28.09 —
• 28.09-29.09 –
• 29.09 –
• 30.09 –

Hitchhiking and transport.

Public transport in Central Asia is represented by a small number of buses and trolleybuses in the capitals, minibuses and taxis both within the city and between nearby cities. If we take village roads, then such a situation as “hitchhiking for money” often occurs there. Moreover, this happens automatically: the car stops when your hand is raised, the person silently sits down and pays. Therefore, you should definitely ask about free travel. If we talk about long distances, for example, through passes, they use “private taxis”, which are usually packed to capacity.

Despite being cheap public transport in Central Asian countries, which we, of course, also used when moving within cities, we were more interested in hitch-hiking. I wrote about it in detail in a separate article. In other countries the situation is almost the same.

In general, traveling by passing transport is not difficult. The only thing that bothers me is a large number of taxi drivers (who, by the way, can also give you a free ride and even invite you to visit) and the speed of the trucks is too low, since the latter are heavily loaded. On average, we traveled from 300 to 600 km per day.

They can be transported on almost any vehicle with wheels. However, there are not enough cars, mainly those who had the good fortune and means to purchase them, and they are “taxed”.

Registration for Russians.

I have already written about registration in separate articles, however, it is not difficult for me - I will repeat. In addition, registration is not required everywhere; more precisely, only in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Registration in Tajikistan can be done in several places:

Even upon entering Tajikistan, we were reminded that Russians can stay in the country without registration for no more than 3 working days. It is also important to know that weekends or official holidays not included in the three-day period!

I clarified the registration issue at the Dushanbe OVIR, where they said that we can specifically stay in Tajikistan without registration until the 25th, taking into account the fact that we crossed the border on the 21st. It turns out 5 days, BUT as I already highlighted above, this takes into account weekends. The usual period is 3 days. If we do not register within the specified period and do not have time to leave the country on time, then punishment awaits in the form of a fine in the amount of 9 to 15 thousand rubles.

1. OVIR. To do this, you need a passport and the owner of the apartment, in which your presence is completely optional. Registration is done within 1-3 days. The payment consists of two amounts: payment for OVIR services and state duty. For foreigners with whom Tajikistan has a visa regime, payment for staying in the country for up to 3 months is 140 somoni (1,070 rubles), and for more than 3 months - 230 somoni (1,760 rubles). For those arriving without a visa, payment for a stay of up to 3 months is 90 somoni (690 rubles), for more than three months - 130 (990 rubles).

2. Hotel. It is possible to negotiate with some hotels that have a special person who, for a nominal fee (from $5 per day), will register for N number of days, and on the same day.

3. Firms and private individuals. In the city you can find special private companies or individual entrepreneurs who will solve this issue in literally 1-2 days and it will cost about $25-35.

4. Try to cross the border back and forth, if you are in close proximity to it. However, we did not do this and the consequences are unknown. In addition, it is unclear how the border guards will react to this and how long it will take.

IN Uzbekistan All the same rules apply as for Tajikistan. If you are puzzled by the issue of obtaining registration, then the options are the same, only the amounts will be slightly different. Personally, we didn’t bother, but decided to take an inexpensive hotel in Bukhara, which automatically registers visitors. The hotel owner explained to us that registration would cost him $5-7, plus the cost of transportation to take the documents. In addition, you also need to earn a couple of “kopecks” yourself. Therefore, you can’t count on less than $15. We offered him 10 euros, and with great grief he agreed.

Currency and exchangers.

Kazakhstan. The country's national currency has been put into circulation since 1993 and is called Kazakhstan tenge (KZT). The name “tenge” comes from the medieval Turkic small silver coins “denge” or “tanga”; from them, in turn, came the name of the Russian coin “denga” (half a kopeck) and the word in general money. Approximate rate: 1 ruble = 4.5 tenge, 1 $ = 182 tenge.

You can exchange currency (dollars, euros, rubles) in Kazakhstan both in banks and exchange offices, which are most often located in markets. Don't forget to count your change carefully. In the northern part of the country you can easily pay even in rubles, but keep in mind that the exchange rate will be higher than for the local currency.

Uzbekistan. The country's currency since 1993, after the Soviet ruble, is Uzbek som (UZS). At the time when we were hitchhiking around Uzbekistan, the exchange rate was 1000 sum = 15 rubles, 1 $ = 2320 sum. There are 4 types of banknotes in circulation with denominations from 100 to 5000 soums, and coins - in 10, 25, 50 and 100 soums.

You can exchange currency for Uzbek soums at any bank branch, but you should know that every month from the 25th to the 1st of the next month, banks DO NOT carry out currency transactions. However, even if you have problems with official exchangers, you can look for an unofficial option, for example in the markets. Here, almost anyone can exchange for dollars at the official bank rate. What are the benefits for locals? The problem is that many imported goods (equipment, cars, etc.) in Uzbekistan can only be purchased in foreign currency, and local banks are prohibited from issuing such currency.

Tajikistan. National currency Tajikistan is Tajikistani somoni (TJS), one unit of which consists of 100 dirams. The name of the currency comes from the name of the “father” of the Tajik nation – Ismail Somoni. 1 somoni = 8 rubles, 1 $ = 5 somoni.

The situation with exchangers is the same as in Kazakhstan: it is possible to exchange currency both in banks and on the market. The main thing is to follow the current exchange rate.

Kyrgyzstan. The country's currency is called Kyrgyzstani som (KGS), one unit of which consists of 1000 taiyn. They say that among the currencies of the CIS countries, the Kyrgyz som has the most low level inflation. 1 som = 0.7 rubles, 1 $ = 55 soms.

It is believed that the Kyrgyz som is the only payment currency within the country. However, in fact, many hotels and tour guides accept dollars and even euros. In the exchange offices on the market, they calmly accept all common currencies, and sometimes they even cheat in favor of the client :).

Traditional cuisine. Food and prices.

They say that the most traditional food Central Asia is samsa and pilaf.

Samsa is a filled pie baked in a tandoor (clay oven). Typically, natural meat is used as a filling, so meat-eaters will appreciate this pastry. However, we managed to eat samsa with pumpkin, potatoes, and other vegetables.

But with pilaf it turned out to be more difficult than I thought. You know that Mila and I are not cafe-goers, especially when you are in such hospitable countries as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan. And when visiting, to our surprise, we were rarely treated to pilaf. As I understand it, in modern world In Central Asia, pilaf is often prepared for some holiday, for example, a “children’s wedding,” a meeting of dear guests, and so on. However, one of the locals shared one of the family's traditional secrets. For example, in an Uzbek family, pilaf can be seen almost every Thursday; the wife prepares it for her husband, adding a special root to the dish (something like “Viagra”). Therefore, Thursday for an Uzbek is considered the day of “home warmth” :). I don’t know whether this is true or not, but in one of the houses pilaf was prepared for us just on Thursday;).

At lunchtime, due to the intense heat and the not very good state of the stomach of Mila, and later myself, we ate mainly fruits, dairy products and sometimes baked goods.

The only thing I would advise to those who have not been (or have visited little) in Asian countries is to be careful with food. Disorders are possible not because the food is poorly prepared or of poor quality, but due to the fact that it is not familiar to our stomachs.
Some prices in Uzbekistan:

• bread – from 1400 sum (20 rubles),
• samsa - from 1000 sum (15 rubles) per piece,
• fruits - apples from 500 sum (8 rubles), peaches from 1500 sum (22 rubles), etc. per kilo, depending on the season, of course,
• sour cream – 2400 sum (37 rubles).

Some prices in Kyrgyzstan:

• bus fare – from 6 soms (4 rubles)
• yogurt – from 70 som (50 rub.)
• pies – from 25 som (20 rub.)
• bread, flatbread – from 15 som (10 rub.)
• watermelon – 20 soms, pomegranate – 30 soms.
• museums and attractions - from 25 soms (20 rubles), sometimes free.

Some prices in Tajikistan:

• lunch – from 8 somoni (60 rub.)
• bottle of water – from 2 somoni (16 rub.)
• bus fare – from 2 somoni.
• ice cream – 1 somoni (8 rubles)

Some prices in Kazakhstan:

• ice cream – 48 tenge (11 rub.)
• cottage cheese – 126 tenge (28 rub.)
• pancakes (2 pcs.) – 116 tenge (25 rub.)
• lunch for one – from 250 tenge (55 rubles)

Housing.

I didn’t even expect that the countries of Central Asia have such hospitable people. You won’t believe it, but during our entire journey through them we never set up a tent. In any city, village, in general locality there is a kind person who will gladly shelter tired travelers.

But I had to rent a hotel once just for registration. If it were possible to resolve this issue differently, I would do so. The average price for hotels started at $20 per room, and of course you’ll have to run for a discount.

People.

As has been mentioned more than once above, the residents of Central Asia delighted us with their kindness, hard work and, of course, hospitality.

There is a certain simplicity and openness in people, so regardless of a person’s social status, he is ready to help his neighbor. Of course, they do not have that sparkle that lights up in the eyes of Caucasians when they hear Russian speech, but mutual assistance and Muslim hospitality are no worse for this. I was surprised that even the “traders” sometimes forgot about the “gain”; human relationships are most important to them.

For residents of Central Asia, family relationships are one of the first places. When you go to a family holiday or an ordinary feast, you see all the members, young and old. And neither children nor old people are superfluous to anyone, everyone is equal and loved in their own way. At some point, being in this small world home comfort I even want to create something of my own, similar. This is great and indescribable.

For the most part, Central Asians are very hardworking. This is understandable; the economic and social conditions of the countries after the collapse of the USSR, frankly speaking, are not heavenly, otherwise we would not have written so many anecdotes and stories about Tajiks. But there are individuals who, even in their own country, manage to make “candy” out of nothing. Such examples are truly worthy of admiration, and maybe even imitation. Because people no longer wait for the state to start taking care of them; they themselves become masters of their own lives.

We were very glad to look at the other side of the “coin” of the all-Russian image of our Asian brothers and say a huge thank you to them for this opportunity.

Timezone.

• Uzbekistan and Tajikistan - GMT+5 hours. (one hour ahead of Moscow time, there is no change to daylight saving).
• Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan - GMT+6 hours. (two hours ahead of Moscow time, there is no change to daylight saving).

Cloth.

In all countries of Central Asia, except, perhaps, Kazakhstan, they wear national clothes, which differ slightly in cut, embroidery and costume details. This is especially true for women. However, there are no particular complaints about tourists, since we all once lived in the USSR and the local residents can hardly be surprised by anything.

Religion.

The predominant religion of all four Central Asian countries is Islam, the remaining small part is Orthodox Christianity, and only in Kyrgyzstan there is a small percentage of the population professing Buddhism and Judaism.

That's all, dear readers! Share your questions, impressions and other thoughts in the comments below, while we relax and think about what to please you with next time 😉

Asia is a colorful continent that boasts beautiful ancient temples, aromatic food, lush rice fields, tall skyscrapers and many others.

As a huge part of the world, it is represented by the largest tourist routes, which can seem endless and exhausting.

Entertainment

The article contains 50 best attractions, products and experiences that can be obtained when tourist trip at one time or another Asian country. Their knowledge will help the traveler find certain guidelines and correctly build a program for visiting the most interesting places.

Get to know the fauna

Play with the monkeys at the Sacred Monkey Sanctuary in Bali, Indonesia.

Get up close and personal with the elephants at the Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Huge animals will seem so kind and dear to you.

Feed the deer in Nara, Japan. The city is simply teeming with these animals.

Take a camel ride to a yurt in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

Asian food and shopping

A boat trip to the Bangkok Floating Market offers the opportunity to purchase fresh seafood.

Enjoy Dim Sum at a Hong Kong restaurant. These are small dessert portions that include fruits, vegetables, meat or seafood, which are wrapped in a thin dough. The dish is usually served in the morning. The color scheme of these little dumplings is impressive.

Play with cats while enjoying a cup of coffee at one of the many coffee shops in Taipei, Taiwan, the city where the cat cafe craze began.

Enjoy a bowl of a specific spicy laksa soup popular in Penang, Malaysia, with noodles and fish.

Try kimchi, aromatic pickled cabbage cooked in South Korea. Believe me, it's very tasty!

Sample delicious local dishes at one of Singapore's many eateries.

Enjoy food in restaurants in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Try Beijing duck, one of the city's oldest and most popular dishes.

Enjoy cocktails while taking in the stunning views of Hong Kong. The Ozone Bar is one of the highest in the world.

Enjoy a creative cocktail at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.

Enjoy South Korea's delicious bulgogi (“fire meat”), a dish of thinly sliced ​​beef marinated in a sweet sauce with grilled peppers, onions and legumes, cooked over an open fire.

Learn how to prepare delicious Thai delicacies by taking a cooking class. The Bangkok Blue Elephant Cooking School is a great idea.

Go shopping at Myeong Dong, a vibrant shopping district in Seoul, South Korea.

Variety of recreation

Swim in the pool at Marina Bay Sands, with breathtaking views of the Singapore skyline from the 57th floor.

Travel back in time and explore the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The ancient monument is a temple complex structure in the Khmer state. The temple is even featured on the Cambodian flag.

Ride the elevator to the top of Taipei on the 101st floor and photograph the impressive views.

Asia in Asia

Feel like you're in another country and explore Singapore's vibrant Little India district. It is an ethnic quarter where Hindus live. It is located in the Rochor district of Singapore. This place contains all the main historical monuments cultural heritage India.

Getting to know India

See the intricate layers of bright blue, yellow, pink and green used to decorate the Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu, India.

Relax on a floating boat as you take a boat trip through the waters of Kerala, India.

Explore the Buddhist monuments that fill the Ajanta Caves. These buildings date back to the 1st-2nd centuries BC and are located in Aurangabad in India.

Enjoy photography in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

Getting to know China

Imagine being the hero of the movie Avatar as you hike through the quartzite sandstone columns in Zhangjiajie National Park in China, which inspired the movie masterpiece.

Take a stroll through Shanghai's Bundu district and admire the city's towering skyscrapers.

Climb the impressive Great Wall of China.

Admire more than 8,000 terracotta warrior figurines in Xi'an, China, which were built to honor China's first emperor after his death. Their height is 183-195 cm. On this moment The work of archaeologists is considered unfinished.

Watch the horse races in Hong Kong's Happy Valley.

Delightful Japan

Inhale the rich aroma of fresh, vibrant flowers at Tomita Farm in Furano, Japan.

Relax in one of the many onsen (hot springs) in Japan. They say that thermal source Takaragawa in Gunma is one of the best in the country. He is able to improve his health and restore peace of mind.

Wake up super early and head to Tokyo's famous Tsukiji Fish Market to see huge, fresh fish. Look around and have breakfast in the outer part of the market.

See the 600-year-old floating Torrey Gate at both low and high tides. They are located on Japanese island Miyajima.

Take a serene stroll bamboo grove in Aroshiyama (Japan). The rustle of bamboo will delight your ears and give you peace.

View impressive works of art and architectural monuments, scattered throughout the small island of Naoshima, Japan's "art island".

Program for active recreation lovers

Swim in the pool against a stunning backdrop of hanging gardens Bali resort in Indonesia. Such a vacation will truly relax you.

You can jump, smoke a pipe or kayak on the fast-flowing Ariel Point River during one day tour in Boracay in the Philippines.

Take a boat ride on the waters of Inle Lake in Myanmar.

Sail through Ha Long Bay in Vietnam.

Try gambling in Macau.

Wander through the lush rice fields of Ubud, a city located on the Indonesian island of Bali.

Soak up the sun's rays at Ngapali Beach in Myanmar, which has been named best beach in Asia this year according to TripAdvisor.

Dance the night away on the beach at one of Thailand's famous Full Moon Parties.

Watch the sunrise from Mount Brom, an active volcano on the Indonesian island of Java.

Feel the power of the waves on the Indonesian island of Bali. This the best place for surf lovers.

Visiting attractions

Travel to the Malaysian city of Kuala Lumpur to admire the Petronas Towers.

See prayer flags at Tiger's Nest Monastery in Bhutan. The legend of the origin of the holy place dates back to the 8th century, and it is associated with the real historical figure of Guru Rinpoche. He made a huge contribution to the spread of Buddhism from Tibet to Bhutan.

Admire the mysterious Chocolate Hills in the Philippine province of Bohol. In total, there are at least 1,300 mounds on an area of ​​about 50 square meters. m. The hills are called chocolate for their brown-chocolate color in the spring, as well as for unusual shape, resembling a gigantic truffle. Their occurrence is unclear to scientists and scientific research is being carried out. They are depicted on the flag and coat of arms of the province

Take a tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace, which dates back to the 14th century. This is one of the largest palaces in South Korea.

Southeast Asia- one of the most pleasant regions on the planet to travel. People go there from all over the world. All countries except Singapore And Brunei, cheap and visa-free. Or light visas, like And. Based on my experience, I will give you different recommendations for creating a route.

Features of traveling in Southeast Asia

I can recommend it to lovers of trekking and mountain landscapes northern(Phongsali), northern Vietnam(Laokai), state in Malaysia (Mount Kinabalu- 4100 meters), central Sumatra, northern(Chiang Rai city).

For educational recreation will suit . At the moment, it's almost like a museum under open air. In addition, it is worth visiting major cities Malaysia And .

How to plan a summer itinerary

A couple of years ago in the summer I vacationed in Malaysia and Indonesia. The first visa-free country in Indonesia visa placed at the airport. In Malaysia visited:

• All large and ancient cities on the peninsula;
• Cameron Highlands Tea Plantations;
• Penang Islands And Langkawi.

IN Indonesia managed the following places:

• Large Medan city in Sumatra;
• Lake Toba;
• Bukittinggi City near the equator.

Traveled between countries on the plane of the world's most famous low-cost airline Air Asia.

Hagricultural plantations in Malaysia.

An example of a route through South-East Asia for the winter

I managed to quickly see four countries and travel along the following route: Bangkok-Vientiane-Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City-Phnom Penh. Additionally I had time Kanchanburi province in Thailand west of Bangkok.Traveled by buses and by train in Vietnam.

Among the attractions visited I can recommend:

• Museums of Hanoi. Interesting and cheap;
• Mountains in northern Vietnam;
• Picturesque surroundings cities Vang Vieng in Laos.

IN South-East Asia all roads lead to Bangkok. Most fans hiking Bangkok is associated with Khaosan road - this is the starting point hiking across Southeast Asia. The route loops through Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.

As part of a tour group from Khao San Road, you can go to Chiang Mai, raft down the Luang Prabang River, cross the mountains beyond which you will discover Vietnam, delve deeper into Cambodia, and finally return to Bangkok. Only you may be deathly tired of stepping on every footprint left on the road by the previous tourist group.
They can also offer you this route: first go south from Krabi or from Koh Phi Phi, have a blast at the Full Moon beach party on Koh Phangan, and then go diving on Koh Tao. You might even be lucky enough to get to Malaysia. Or maybe not…
So why do you have to travel only off the beaten path? Sure, places like Angkor Wat and Luang Prabang are quite interesting, but the most unique and memorable experience awaits you only if you take the initiative and head a little further than everyone else on foot. groups.

Here are eight fresh ideas for getting off the tourist trail in Southeast Asia.

Biking along the Mekong River

Many tour operators offer bicycle tours of the Mekong Delta. This way of seeing places is more exciting than zipping around them on a bus or boat.
Bike tours They will take you away from the main roads and drive you along the muddy rice paddies. You'll feel like travelers exploring places at your own pace, rather than tourists being driven from place to place.
If you're an experienced cyclist, why not try traveling on your own?

Visit Vietnam National Parks

Most people come to Vietnam and go to standard nature excursions along Halong Bay, Sapa and the Mekong Delta.
But Vietnam is replete with National Parks, which will give tourists a great opportunity to see, in my opinion, the best that the country has - its natural beauty. However, despite the fact that the parks offer magnificent landscapes, wonderful hiking trails, rare creatures darting here and there, and tranquility reigns everywhere away from noisy crowds, most parks remain deprived of the attention of travelers.
Editor's Note: The author of Vietnam Expert has traveled extensively National parks Vietnam, especially in the North of the country.

Visit the temples in Lopburi, Thailand

Those eager to explore Thailand's archaic ruins always focus their attention on two main attractions: Ayuthaya and Sukhkothai. Of course, Lopburi cannot compare with these places in its grandeur, but this city has some truly beautiful temples that make it worth visiting.
Most people visit as part of a day tour from Bangkok, but those who choose to stay for a longer period get to experience everyday life Thai village, visit the huge market that unfolds at night along railway station, watch the schoolchildren swirling in the center of the town, just wander around the city and be completely immersed in the life of the Thai province.
Beware of the hyperactive packs of monkeys that roam the city. They are famous for being able to steal things right out of your hands!

Relax in Kep, Cambodia

This laid-back French colonial town is a great alternative to Sihanoukville, the vibrant beach party capital of Camuoja.
The beaches of Kep are peaceful and there are no crowds of people there. You can get to Kep if you don’t go straight from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, but stop in Kampot.
Be sure to organize a trip to Koh Tonsay, or “Rabbit Island,” where cozy bungalows are located, and local residents They serve fresh seafood dishes such as shrimp and crabs in a hot pepper sauce.