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Backpacker routes

Routes worth the bus ride

Suggested itineraries with honest transport notes. Each hostel is booked separately — there is no package.

Southeast Asia · 3–4 weeks

Thailand to Cambodia & Vietnam: a mainland Southeast Asia loop

A three-to-four-week route from Bangkok north to Chiang Mai, then by air to Siem Reap for Angkor, and on to Hanoi and Hoi An in Vietnam. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Bangkok
  2. 2Chiang Mai
  3. 3Siem Reap
  4. 4Hanoi
  5. 5Hoi An

Central America · 3–4 weeks

Guatemala to Panama: volcanoes, surf and Caribbean islands

A three-to-four-week route through Antigua, Lake Atitlán, El Tunco, La Fortuna, Santa Teresa and Bocas del Toro, with a flight over Honduras and Nicaragua. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Antigua Guatemala
  2. 2Lake Atitlán
  3. 3El Tunco
  4. 4La Fortuna
  5. 5Santa Teresa
  6. 6Bocas del Toro

South America · 3–4 weeks

Colombia to Peru: Caribbean coast to the Andes

A three-to-four-week route from Cartagena and Medellín in Colombia to Quito, Lima and Cusco, using flights for the longest legs. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Cartagena
  2. 2Medellín
  3. 3Quito
  4. 4Lima
  5. 5Cusco

Southeast Asia · 2–3 weeks

Northern Thailand loop: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai and Chiang Rai

A two-to-three-week loop from Bangkok by overnight train to Chiang Mai, up into the hills to Pai, and on to Chiang Rai. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Bangkok
  2. 2Chiang Mai
  3. 3Pai
  4. 4Chiang Rai

Southeast Asia · 2–3 weeks

Thai islands: the Gulf (Koh Tao, Koh Phangan) and the Andaman coast

A two-to-three-week island route that starts on the Gulf of Thailand at Koh Tao and Koh Phangan, crosses the peninsula to Ao Nang, and finishes at Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Koh Tao
  2. 2Koh Phangan
  3. 3Ao Nang
  4. 4Koh Phi Phi
  5. 5Koh Lanta

Southeast Asia · 3–4 weeks

Vietnam north to south: Hà Giang to Ho Chi Minh City

A three-to-four-week route along the length of Vietnam from Hanoi and the northern mountains to Ho Chi Minh City, using trains, buses and one internal flight. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Hanoi
  2. 2Hà Giang
  3. 3Ninh Bình
  4. 4Huế
  5. 5Hoi An
  6. 6Đà Lạt
  7. 7Ho Chi Minh City

Southeast Asia · 2–3 weeks

The Laos slow route: Chiang Rai to Don Det

A two-to-three-week route from Chiang Rai in Thailand across the Mekong into Luang Prabang, then south to Vang Vieng, Vientiane and the river islands of Don Det. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Chiang Rai
  2. 2Luang Prabang
  3. 3Vang Vieng
  4. 4Vientiane
  5. 5Don Det (Si Phan Don)

Southeast Asia · 2–3 weeks

Bali, Lombok and Flores: Canggu to Labuan Bajo

A two-to-three-week island route from Bali's west coast and rice terraces to the Gili islands off Lombok and on to Labuan Bajo in Flores. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Canggu
  2. 2Ubud
  3. 3Uluwatu
  4. 4Gili Trawangan
  5. 5Labuan Bajo

Central America · 5–7 weeks

The Central America Gringo Trail: Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and Nicaragua

A five-to-seven-week overland route from Antigua and Lake Atitlán through Guatemala, Belize and Honduras to León, Granada and San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Antigua Guatemala
  2. 2Lake Atitlán
  3. 3Flores
  4. 4San Ignacio
  5. 5Copán Ruinas
  6. 6León
  7. 7Granada
  8. 8San Juan del Sur

South America · 2–3 weeks

Bolivia's salt flats and the Atacama: Cusco to San Pedro de Atacama

A two-to-three-week high-altitude route from Cusco in Peru through La Paz and the Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia to the Atacama Desert in Chile. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Cusco
  2. 2La Paz
  3. 3Uyuni
  4. 4San Pedro de Atacama

South America · 3–4 weeks

Patagonia and Argentina: Buenos Aires to Puerto Natales

A three-to-four-week route from Buenos Aires through the Lake District at Bariloche and the hiking base of El Chaltén to Puerto Natales in Chile, with optional extras. Each hostel is booked separately.

  1. 1Buenos Aires
  2. 2San Carlos de Bariloche
  3. 3El Chaltén
  4. 4Puerto Natales