Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TRANSPORTATION
It is very cheap and easy to travel around Southeast Asia. Hub cities like Bangkok specialize in getting tour-
ists to their next destination, even if it's two countries away. There is a whole industry in Asia meant to keep
you, the tourist, happy and on the move.
Local public transportation costs from a few pennies to a few dollars. In Bangkok, the public bus costs
10 cents USD while the metro train system costs $1 USD per ride. In Singapore, the local train system starts
at $1 USD. In Vietnam and Laos, a bus ride will cost you the same. No matter where you are in the region,
you'll find yourself spending very little on local city transportation.
Taxis (metered taxis) and tuk tuks (small shared taxis with no meter, where you have to haggle) are nor-
mally double to triple what the local transportation is, and you often have to haggle over the price. They start
really high and you work toward something you are willing to pay. Eventually you come to a compromise,
which is usually about half the price they started with.
In Singapore and Indonesia, taxi drivers do put on the meter. In Bangkok, you can get taxi drivers to use
the meter, but if you're hailing one in a tourist area, he might try to avoid using it. In Vietnam, the meter is
usually rigged, but if you can get a reputable company like Mai Linh, you won't have any problems. This
does not apply to tuk tuks, where you always need to haggle on a price.
Trains
Trains are also very cheap in this part of the world, but most train lines don't travel between countries. There
is a train that runs from Singapore to Bangkok, though you have to switch trains twice in Malaysia (once
in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and once more at the border town of Butterworth). That's the closest thing
they have to a regional train. That train costs $75 USD and takes a day and a half of travel. It's a beautiful
scenic journey through the countryside, but if you are pressed for time, the three-hour flight from Singapore
to Bangkok costs the same.
You can buy train tickets at the station or online at KTM (Malaysian Railways; ktmb.com.my) if you are
going north to Bangkok. If you are going south to Singapore, you can use thailandtrain ticket.com or simply
book at the train station.
To book Malaysian trains by phone or email, email callcenter@ktmb.com.my or call them on + 60 3
2267 1200 if calling from outside Malaysia or 03 2267 1200 from within Malaysia.
But generally, I never prebook trains. I find it easier just to go to the train station and book the ticket
there, as the online websites are very confusing and the price is the same online as it is in person.
Generally, in Southeast Asia, train prices are determined by distance and class, so the farther you go, the
more you pay. Night trains with sleeper cars are more expensive than day trains. The night train to Chiang
Mai, Thailand, from Bangkok takes twelve hours and costs $15 USD. However, that same train during the
day is $7 USD. In Vietnam, trains run up and down the coast and cost $78 USD from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh
City. In Indonesia, trains go through the island of Java. The trains aren't glamorous, but the seats are com-
fortable and there's a dining car. Ticket prices start at $26 USD. There are no regular trains in Cambodia and
only one train line in Laos—from the Thai border to the capital of Vientiane.
Train tickets in other countries are also best bought at the train station. At the time of this writing, there
is no English version of Vietnamese or Indonesian train websites.
Buses
Buses are the best way to move around from country to country in Southeast Asia. Bus costs vary between
$5 USD and $8 USD for a five- to six-hour journey. Overnight buses cost $10-15 USD, depending on dis-
