In the paradisiacal corners of Southeast Asia, there is one undiscovered place that is not at all well-known not only among our fellow countrymen, but also among travelers from other countries. Alfiya Guzairova, who went to winter in Southeast Asia, tells how to get there, where to live and what to do on the Perhentian Islands, located off the eastern coast of mainland Malaysia.
The Perhentians are very small and consist of two islands - Besar ("big") and Kecil ("small"). There are also several very small uninhabited islands: Rawa, Susu Dara, Seringgih, where you can go by renting a boat. Besar is considered a more expensive island and has several large resorts. Kecil is a slightly cheaper, backpacker-friendly option. We chose it for our vacation, and further we will talk only about it.
Transport
Most tourists get to Perhentian by flying to the airport in Kota Bharu, then take a taxi or intercity bus to Kuala Besut, where high-speed boats depart from the pier. We reached the islands by a nine-hour road from the center of the country - the Cameron Highlands. Usually, when you buy a ticket to Perhentian while in another city in Malaysia, along with the bus tickets you receive round-trip boat tickets. And this, by the way, is profitable: if you buy separately, a round-trip boat will cost 70 ringgit ($16.5) per person, and a comprehensive ticket (no matter what city) makes a one and a half discount on the boat. You'll also have to fork out an additional 30 ringgit ($7) entrance fee per person to enter the protected area (they'll charge you right before boarding the boat).
The boat from the pier (and back from the islands) runs three times a day: at 08:00, 12:00 and 16:00. By the way, when you return to the mainland, be sure to call the phone number indicated on the ticket - the boat doesn’t just show up, you need to inform when, at what time and from which beach you intend to leave back. We found out after the fact, so we waited on the pier for six hours. But when we finally got on the boat, they organized a free trip around the islands.
Housing
Before boarding the boat, the boatman will ask where you have booked accommodation and take you to the desired beach. On the Internet, a lot of blogs, articles and the Vinsky forum are full of messages in the spirit: “If you don’t have accommodation booked, then just tell them to drop you off at Coral beach or Long beach on Kecil, there are many cheap options there.” Looking ahead, I will say that this advice does not work at all. For the first night we booked accommodation through Booking.com at Anis Perhentian, intending to find something better and cheaper on arrival. Accommodation for one night cost 80 ringgit ($19), while common price on the mainland - 40-50 ringgit ($9.5-12) per night. In the same reviews about Perhentians, people wrote that having arrived without a reservation, they found accommodation for 50-60 ringgit ($12-14), and mid-October is already the very end of the season, so prices should be even lower. Nothing like this. As soon as we got off at the pier, we went in search of our guesthouse, spending about an hour on this - the mark with the address indicated in the booking has nothing to do with reality. Having quickly abandoned our backpacks, we decided to go to other beaches in search of housing before dark. We walked through three beaches - Petani beach, Mira beach, Orang Hutan beach (spending one and a half to two hours on this) - and there was nothing anywhere.
In general, all available housing is bungalows, which must be booked on the mainland in Kuala Besut, because the owners themselves do not live on the islands, there are only signs with telephone numbers everywhere. We got into a conversation with a Frenchman who had been living there for a week, who told us that perhaps one bungalow would become available in four days and it would cost 180 ringgit ($42.5) per night. Horrified by the price, we decided to continue our search in our village the next day. In the village itself, at first glance, there are many guesthouses in the marina area, but this is a false impression. There are either no free rooms, or the doors are simply closed and there is not a soul. In one place we managed to meet a Malay who called his friends on the mainland and announced the price - 170 ringgit ($40) per night. Desperate to find a roof over our heads for the following days, we went in search of food in the pitch darkness. Again, everything was either closed, or we came across a local barbecue party, where we were told: only for locals. In the end, we finally came across one eatery, where we decided to ask if there was a free room. Hearing the answer: “150 ringgit,” we hurried back to our Anis Perhentian after dinner. As a result, we managed to agree to stay the next few days in our guest house, where the price per night scared us much less.
Wasn't here hot water(however, as in all bungalows, but in the local heat this is not a problem), Internet (although Booking.com and the hostess claimed the opposite), and the shower was shared with a lizard.
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Things to do
Kechil is a tiny island, in the south of which there is a fishing village (we lived there), then clockwise to the north there are beaches of varying degrees of privacy (you can walk through the jungle to them). Long beach, as well as D'lagoon beach, are located on the other side of the island - these two beaches, as well as Turtle beach and Adam&Eva beach, are connected by another path in the jungle.
We most often hung out at Mira beach. This is the most beautiful, clean and heavenly beach, where there are very few people. From the fishing village it takes half an hour to walk at a brisk pace. By the way, there is also a beach near the pier in the village, but no one swims there except local children. You won't be able to swim at Coral beach or Long beach either. But the usual swimming and sunbathing is not the main activity on the islands, which are famous for their easily accessible beautiful underwater world. And the coolest thing is that you don’t have to swim far to see exotic fish among the corals. We rented masks for the whole day in the same village for 5 ringgit ($1) (on the beaches the price is 3-4 times higher).
Everywhere you can see taxi offers to other beaches: from the village to Petani beach - 5 ringgit ($1) per person (15 minutes walk), to Mira beach - 10 ringgit ($2) (35 minutes walk), to Coral beach - 15 ringgit ($3) (worth the deal since it's a long walk through the jungle). After noon, taxi prices double, and after 16:00 they triple.
Day trips on a boat in a group are also actively offered for 40-50 ringgit ($9.5-12) per person (visiting a fishing village, shark point, beach turtle, diving to corals, etc.). They grow everywhere on the island fruit trees(bananas, coconuts, pandans), but, unfortunately, to get them without good knife Did not work out.
In the village itself, during all the days we met only one more white man, and of course, for the locals we were a walking curiosity. In the evening after the beach, we sat in the marina area where men played volleyball (and invited people to join), ate local divine spicy burgers and listened to the evening call to prayer. If we lived in a bungalow on some Coral beach, nothing of this would have happened. Another significant advantage of the village is its relative cheapness (food, water, housing) compared to other places on the island. For example, breakfast at a local eatery on the pier costs 4-6 ringgit ($0.9-1.4) per person (Indian roti plain or with banana plus coffee), while at other beaches (for example, Coral beach) Pancakes alone would cost 15 ringgit ($3.5), not including coffee.
I have already written about our expenses for preparing for the trip, posted monthly reports on expenses, and today I want to summarize how much wintering in warm countries can cost.
Our winter gradually flowed into summer, but I will only consider the cold Russian months. It turned out that during our trip we captured 5 cold-cool months - December-April. In May it was already possible to return to Russia, but we extended our trip a little, which we don’t regret one bit.
To start some background information.
We are a family of 2, we eat in cafes for locals or cook at home (mostly, we cooked at home when we lived in the village, because there was a full-fledged kitchen at home). We practically don’t eat meat, mostly seasonal fruits, vegetables, and seafood. They didn’t save much on food; they periodically bought expensive European products. But in general, we were lucky that we liked the local cuisine (at least Thai), because... this is the most a budget option nutrition.
We traveled by buses, ferries, and flew only by plane. When it was possible, if not, we used public transport.
During our travels we stayed in inexpensive guesthouses, in European style.
In general, the trips turned out to be quite budget-friendly, and we didn’t save much; in 5 months we lived in, visited, and.
2. Preparation costs
The total costs consist of the costs of preparing for the trip and the actual monthly expenses on the spot.
I have already written about the costs of preparing for the trip.
There we have already taken into account such expenses as:
- Purchase of additional equipment
- Buying backpacks
- Insurance and health
- Buying clothes and shoes
- One way tickets
- Buying all sorts of little things
- Other expenses associated with long-term departure.
In total, all the preparation took 81340 rub. In addition to tickets, all costs are individual; they can be either much more or much less, or there may be no other additional costs at all.
3. Monthly expenses
I wrote about monthly expenses in separate reports for each month, the expenses turned out to be as follows:
(includes expenses for purchasing another laptop)
It turns out that in just 5 months we spent 200650 rub.
In addition to these expenses, you need to take into account return tickets. If you buy return tickets immediately, it will be much cheaper. Regular tickets from Moscow will cost approximately 30000 rub. for two, but you can find it cheaper if you catch special offers.
Thus for the whole winter(if we were only going for the winter) it took 81340+200650+30000 = 311990 rub.
If we compare it with the reports of other winterers, it turns out a lot. But at the same time, we bought ourselves laptops, and it took a lot of preparation, because... I didn’t have anything at all before the trip, so I had to buy everything.
4. How you can save money during wintering
To make wintering cheaper, you can do the following:
- Go not for 5 months, but, for example, for 7-8, then in terms of 1 month the costs will be less.
- Do not travel around different countries, but live in one place. Immediately there is a big savings - if you rent housing for a long time, the cost is lower, you do not need to spend money on moving, or re-equipping your home each time. When you live in one place, you start to figure out where you can eat cheaper and tastier, where prices are lower, etc. But this option is completely unsuitable for those who, on the contrary, want to travel to different places. In addition, in order to spend the entire winter in one place, you need to resolve visa issues in advance. For example, in Thailand on a double-entry visa you can live no more than 5 months, and you will still have to leave the country once to renew the visa.
- You can buy a used bike at the beginning of winter, and sell it at the end of winter. This results in savings on rent. But this method is good only if you understand bikes (to buy a normal working bike) and if you don’t move from place to place.
- Buy last minute air tickets at low prices.
- Go to less touristy places - for example, to the north of Thailand. But such savings are not suitable for everyone, because... I still wish there was a swimming sea nearby.
- Eat only in local cafes, do not buy European products. But this option is also not suitable for everyone. Although you can save a lot. We didn’t succeed, we spent a lot on food, almost like in Moscow, but this is a matter of habit.
In general, I got the impression that life in Asia costs the same as in small Russian cities. True, for the same money you can get much more high level comfort, impressions, sea and sun, amazing fresh fruit. The cheapness of Asia is felt only in comparison with the cost of living in Moscow, and it’s not that much of a budget to live in Asia. It will be difficult to accumulate such an amount at once, so best option, if you want to spend the winter in warm countries, find a remote source of income, work and travel.
Where to go for the winter this coming winter? First of all, this question concerns us ourselves. It always seemed that Asia is so big, there are so many countries, but in reality it turns out that the number of places where you can spend the cold Russian winter relatively inexpensively and safely is not as many as it seems at first glance. I would like to reason with you. Today this topic is relevant.
Wintering in Asia - we need a country where there will be
- Convenient visa regime.
- Peaceful and adequate population.
- Inexpensive housing with amenities.
- Food products are cheaper than in Russia.
- The ability to move around cities in case your permanent residence gets boring.
You can also include minor points here, but they are completely different for everyone.
Let's proceed to the countries and analyze each of them individually. What is suitable in them and what absolutely does not meet our requirements. We have already been to some countries and have little experience. Some haven’t yet, so I will rely on the opinions of people found in blogs and forums who live in these countries.
1. Vietnam
The people in Vietnam are not as welcoming and smiling as those in Thailand, but they are not aggressive either. The Vietnamese behave with dignity. Girls are not harassed.
Products are not as cheap as in Thailand. Only alcohol and vegetables are inexpensive in Vietnam. Especially when compared with prices in Russia. For two people on a budget of $300-400 a month for food you can live very well. .
Getting around in Vietnam is convenient. Although the distances are quite long and the speed is very low, modern air-conditioned trains will help you.
There is a controversial issue about the resorts in Vietnam. In large cities the sea is dirty; for swimming it is better to go to the islands. There is civilization in many cities. Basically, winterers, like tourists, prefer to live in or in. I suspect they also live in the city. But, judging by the blogs, long-term accommodation has not yet been established.
2. Cambodia
Local Cambodians are quite noisy, but at the same time warm-hearted people. There will be no trouble, but cases of theft in the country are not uncommon. However, expats most often describe the Khmers as pleasant and good-natured people.
Housing in Cambodia varies in different amounts. Here you can live like a king, or you can live on a budget. Renting a room in a guesthouse or hotel for $300 is quite possible. This is the most common option. .
There are not many places in the country where to the white man would live the way he was used to living. The most popular among tourists are 3 cities: , and . Phnom Penh is the capital. Siem Reap is a small town where people go just to visit, and Sihanoukville is a beach resort.
It turns out that living for a long time in Cambodia is not a problem. Yes, and you don’t need to be a millionaire, but you need to remember that this country has long been worth more than one dollar and you have to pay for everything here.
3. Indonesia (Bali)
The visa regime is interesting. Without leaving the country, a person has the right to stay here for six months on his visa. It is called a social visa and is issued at the embassy or consulate of a third country. It cannot be issued in Indonesia. However, there are still some difficulties. To obtain a social visa you will need to provide your passport, return ticket from Indonesia and a letter from your sponsor. Any Indonesian who is willing to come with you to the immigration office a couple of times can act as a sponsor. If you cannot find a candidate on your own, then an agency will do it for you.
By now, the internet is awash with rumors that thefts are becoming more common in Indonesia. Foreigners' houses are robbed. Conflicting opinions are written about the Indonesians themselves. Some people like these people, but others consider them fanatics of their faith. I heard that there are a lot of scams in Indonesia and the locals want to make money from vacationers.
It is theoretically possible to rent a house in Indonesia for a more or less reasonable price, but most often those living there pay at least $500 for housing, and this amount is provided that the person rents for a long time. Often they may be asked to make a deposit in full and not for one, but for several months at once. Here, as agreed with the owner. Although, finding an option for $300 is theoretically possible to this day.
Not everyone in this country manages to eat varied and tasty food. Some people like Indonesian cuisine, but for others it’s not even a cuisine. Fortunately, there are supermarkets with a good range of products in Indonesia. Products are more expensive than in Vietnam and Thailand. I think if we came to live in this country, our monthly food expenses would be about $400 at best.
The good thing about Indonesia is that the island of Bali alone can be explored for years and there will be hidden places you haven’t visited yet. And if you are already tired of Bali, then a trip to the island of Java will leave indelible emotions, judging by the reviews of almost everyone who has been to this country. You definitely won't get bored.
We conclude that Indonesia is more problematic in terms of visas than the countries described above. Prices here, to put it mildly, are high for state employees, both in terms of rental housing and food. But such a big plus as the nature and size of the country is worth it, even if only for a short time, but to save some money and come to Bali.
Where can I order a transfer from the airport?
We use the service - KiwiTaxi
We ordered a taxi online and paid by card. We were met at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You've already talked about your experience In this article.
4. Philippines
Visa-free entry into the Philippines is only valid for 21 days. Further, visas are extended every two months (up to 59 days). After this period, for the second extension, you need to apply for an I-CARD at the migration office. If you extend this visa for the whole year, you will run up about $600 per person. There is information on the Internet that it is no longer 600, but 700 $. But, according to this scheme, you can stay in the Philippines without leaving anywhere for up to 2 years. Agree, the conditions are more than favorable if you plan to live here for a long time.
I've never read about Filipinos negative reviews or creepy stories, but I didn’t come across any enthusiastic opinions either. I think that people are like people, but this is just my opinion, not yet formed from personal experience.
Renting a home is common in the Philippines. It depends on what place and on what island you would like to live. This plays a huge role in the Philippines. I’m glad that you can rent a no-frills house on the less popular island of Boracay for about $500. Although in Boracay, if you come in the off-season and for a long time, there is also a chance of finding housing for that amount.
The winterers spend approximately $300-400 a month on food. This is for two. It turns out that the amounts are approximately the same as in Indonesia.
The Philippines is perhaps a country where the number of beautiful and sometimes untouched places is simply off the charts. There is a lot to see here, you just need money to get around. Most often you will have to pay for ferries, boat rentals, sometimes even planes. Just bikes are not enough here, unless, of course, you want to sit on just one of the islands in the Philippines.
The picture we got is positive. The visa regime is humane, although costly, but student visas in Thailand would cost no less. In addition, there is no need to make visa wounds. The people in the Philippines are adequate. Compromises can be found with food and rent. Only one factor sometimes prevents travelers from spending the winter in this country - frequent typhoons and earthquakes. You are not protected from them anywhere in Asia, but you need to understand where the probability is greater and where less. Nobody wants to expose themselves to unnecessary danger. Although, sometimes you really want to give up on everything and rush into the world of beautiful beaches.
5. Sri Lanka
You can stay in the country for 6 months without leaving the country. A visa to Sri Lanka for 30 days costs $30. Available at the airport upon arrival for $35. Then in immigration for 2 months for $25. After this, you can extend for another 3 months for $110. However, people write that there are problems with the second extension, Sri Lankan officers are mischievous and extend it for just a month, then for two, then for two weeks. Total visa costs are $165-170 per person for six months.
The Sri Lankans are so far the most unpleasant and deceitful people we have met on our way. You should not expect honesty, kindness or understanding from them. The locals are trying to make money off the Europeans by any means possible. But we remember that even in this country there are pleasant exceptions. This mainly applies to women. .
The most convenient way to travel in Sri Lanka is by train. There are trains in all directions. You can also use buses, which transport ordinary locals. The fare is cheap. There are a lot of cities to visit.
Preference is given to resorts:
A standard single-entry visa is issued for a period of validity from one to three months; a double, triple or multiple-entry tourist visa is issued for a period of validity from 90 to 180 days (the validity of the visa begins from the moment of issue, and not from the date of first entry).
Hindus are cunning and savvy people. They are intrusive, but at the same time they do not have aggressive politeness, like, for example, the Nepalese. We would not advise one girl to go to India, but thousands of winterers live in India as a group or as a couple. Petty robberies and rapes most often occur in large non-resort cities in India.
It is possible to rent housing within walking distance from the beach for $500. In order to rent a room in a guesthouse or small house You will need to pay a monthly amount, most often you can agree to do without a deposit. as elsewhere in Asia, bargaining is appropriate and necessary.
Those who fall in love with Indian cuisine will not be able to get used to the abundance of spices, aromas and pungency in food for a long time. Even a budget traveler can afford to eat in cafes at least once a week. As far as I remember, there was no large supermarket chain in Goa. Only one large supermarket was noticed, but judging by the prices, it is aimed exclusively at tourists. Small food shops are scattered at the resorts; winterers in India most often have their own kitchen in the house. Most Indian expats spend about 8-10 thousand rubles a month on food.
Travelers get around India using trains, slip buses and planes. Trains are the cheapest, but they are not for the faint of heart. Airplane tickets are inexpensive when traveling within India itself.
North and South Goa, as well as the state of Kerala, which differs from the previous two in greater purity, are suitable for wintering.
In India, conditions for wintering are good, both in terms of visas and prices. But India is not for everyone. You can fly there and within two days cry bitter tears, saying, I’ll never come back here again. Or accept and love this country, it is so unique and inimitable that if you understand it correctly, you will not want to leave even after six months.
Bottom line
So the list of countries that we have selected for wintering in 2019 - 2020 has come to an end. There are a couple more interesting countries, such as,. But Russians are given a visa there only for 2 months. If you're lucky, you can extend it for another 2 months. Otherwise, in order to survive the winter, you will have to apply for a visa every month, that is, travel to a neighboring country for at least 3 days, spend money and effort on it, but it is not a fact that after the second or third such visa, you will be allowed back into the country. So, the option with Malaysia is possible, but not the most convenient.
It’s definitely not worth going to Laos for the winter; your stay there is only possible for 30 days without any extensions. Well, I think that no one will go to Burma for the winter for another 5-10 years. Still in Asia there are countries such as China, Korea, Japan,. These countries are quite expensive, the situation with visas is more complicated, and not every winterer will be able to cope.
If you don’t need to go to the office every day or go on business trips, it doesn’t really matter where you live. You can afford to go for the winter to the sea or to a cozy European town. We will tell you about not the most popular, but extremely interesting and inexpensive places for possible wintering.
1. Beaches of Agonda, Goa, India
Goa - popular place wintering grounds of Europeans. The northern part is considered democratic, the southern part is more pretentious and, accordingly, expensive. Agonda is a small quiet village almost in the very south of the state. Clean beaches, measured life and ridiculous prices for the south. A hut on the seashore will cost 120 USD per month, and lunch at local establishments will cost 2-3 USD.
There are many yogis and temples in Agonda, so you can combine a trip with spiritual enrichment.
2. Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
A small Bulgarian town between Sofia and Varna is not very popular among tourists, although it is incredibly beautiful. Colorful houses are scattered on the hills, there is a medieval castle and an ancient bridge over the Yantra. Housing here costs about 200 EUR per month - inexpensive by European standards. And also affordable prices for food, wine. Only there are few shops and cafes in Veliko Tarnovo - after all, it is a non-tourist town.
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3. Ho Coc Beach, Vietnam
Ho Kok Beach is a unique place for diving enthusiasts: there is a huge barrier reef nearby, and dense rainforests. Plus, there are practically no tourists, so prices are low. Housing will cost 150-200 USD per month.
4. Pearl Islands, Panama
The archipelago in the Gulf of Panama is another fabulous place. Once upon a time, local residents mined pearls here, pirates hid from the authorities, and now it is a beautiful and not too touristy resort. A house on the seashore will cost 300 USD per month.
Local landscapes could be seen in the TV series Lost.
5. Avarua, Cook Islands
The Cook Islands are ideal for unity with nature and a break from people. This is an archipelago located 2000 km northeast of New Zealand and is considered part of it. The capital of the archipelago, Avarua, is located on the island of Rarotonga, and this is the best place to live.
The local landscapes are indistinguishable from the Maldives or Seychelles, but the prices for everything you need are much lower. For example, housing will cost 130 USD per month. There are almost no tourists here; local aborigines live their own lives, and do not harass guests in the hope of making money from them. But you won’t be able to buy real estate here: foreigners are only allowed long-term rentals.
6. Koh Tonsai, Cambodia
Another secluded island away from tourist places is located in the Gulf of Thailand in southern Cambodia. Ko-Tonsai is wild nature and several fishing families who rent out bungalows to those who want them for practically pennies. They also feed the guests, preparing what they catch. Local delicacies made from the freshest seafood cost no more than 5 USD per serving.
You shouldn’t expect comfort with sunbeds, umbrellas and cabins on the beaches here - everything is very naturalistic, almost primitive.
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7. Ksamil Beach, Albania
Albania is gradually gaining popularity among tourists, but its southernmost part still retains its authenticity - it is too difficult to get there. In the south is national park"Butrint", and in it - the most beautiful beach in the country - Ksamil Beach. Nature, climate, food, beaches - everything here is like in neighboring
9. Guanajuato, Mexico
The hilly, colorful town in central Mexico is often called the most beautiful in the country. Lovers of authenticity and Cervantes should come here - the locals adore him and organize the Cervantino festival every year. Housing in Guanajuato is inexpensive, about 200 USD per month, as well as food and entertainment.
10. Las Trancas, Chile
But if you want to go away in winter, the ski resorts of Chile are suitable. For example, Las Trancas, next to the best in the country, Nevados de Chillan. The season is not very long, from June to October, and the rest of the time it is simply beautiful here and you can swim in the thermal springs - they are always +40 °C. If you settle not on a mountain slope, but at its foot, it will cost relatively little: about 300 USD per month.
Here we are at home - we returned from the winter of 2016 - 2017 🙂 Probably many readers have noticed that new articles have not been published on the site for a long time, and they were not published because we traveled a lot for twenty-four days, collected information for the site and rested :) Today I will sum up the results and budget in Asia.
I should immediately note that this time, unlike we bought tickets immediately there and back, i.e. we knew for sure that we would return home in the spring. Many people ask me why this time we decided to return and not go to Asia without a return ticket? I answer: in the summer we feel good at home 🙂 There are so many interesting and tasty things here 🙂 I don’t want to live in Asia permanently, I like a change of places and events. And in general I want to wear beautiful dress, high heel shoes, going to theaters, good restaurants, etc. and so on. Therefore, the thought that this year the winter will last only the cold season and we will return home in the spring warmed my soul :)
Winter preparation budget
About 970 dollars. The budget includes plane tickets on the route Moscow - Ho Chi Minh City - Moscow, train tickets Kyiv - Moscow, Aeroexpress tickets to Domodedovo, visa support for a visa to Vietnam,.
Vietnam
3 months in Nha Trang
We spent the first three months in Vietnam, in Nha Trang. No matter what anyone says, for me Nha Trang is one of the ideal cities for a stay for 3-6 months: cheap (current prices in Nha Trang), good housing (about choosing housing in Nha Trang), delicious food, good wine, beautiful embankment, sea , . But, as I already wrote, this year we were unlucky with the weather; it rained almost the entire time we spent in Nha Trang. I wrote about the weather in Nha Trang in autumn and winter here:
While we were living in Nha Trang, we managed to go to a mountain that we already loved and was new to us.
Conclusion: I am completely satisfied with wintering in Nha Trang, especially ours in the center next to the sea :)
Nha Trang: a rare sunny January day. The wind is cold, you have to wear a jacket 
Bai Dai Beach in Nha Trang 
How delicious the food is in Nha Trang! Restaurant Mix - I recommend visiting it just once
Budget in Vietnam for 3 months
If we talk about the budget, then for 3 months in Vietnam with all the trips, internal flights and purchases, we spent only about 3260 dollars, i.e. approximately $1090 per month. Vietnam is an inexpensive country for wintering.
Thailand
Bangkok
On the 61st floor against the backdrop of evening Bangkok Phuket
Result: We will definitely return to Phuket, it’s convenient to live there, although our soul still yearns to be with us :)
Kata Noi is the only beach I liked in the south of Phuket 
Our compatriots love Ao San Beach, but I didn’t like it 
Viewpoint on the Panwa Peninsula 
Rare photo together 
Walking around Phuket Town at night We spent our last five days on the island of Koh Lipe in the south of Thailand. Once upon a time, many years ago, in 2006, I was already on vacation on this paradise island, fell in love with it and dreamed of returning. My dream came true 🙂 Yes, of course, Lipe Island is no longer the same as it was in 2006, when few people knew about it at all... There are a lot of hotels, cafes, shops and even Walking Street :) But the beaches and the underwater world are still beautiful , despite the abundance of boats near the shore.
In Lipe, we stayed in two different hotels on different beaches: at the Lipe Beach Resort in the northern part of the island (I can safely recommend the hotel for a vacation!) and at the Varin Beach Resort on Pattaya Beach.
Conclusion: Koh Lipe island is one of the best places For beach holiday in Thailand. Five days seemed not enough, I will definitely come back more than once.
Snow-white sand and bright turquoise sea on Koh Lipe 
Beach near the popular Mountain Resort hotel 
Northern part of the island 
Eastern part - Sunrise Beach 
Vibrant landscapes Budget in Thailand for 2 months
For two months in Thailand (Bangkok - Phuket - Koh Lipe) we spent about $3,000. Those. on average $1,500 per month.
Malaysia
From the Thai island of Lipe to the Malaysian island of Langkawi, it is just an hour's journey by fast boat. We spent the first night at the GeoPark Hotel, which is located in the park right next to the cable car to the mountain with an observation deck and the Sky Bridge. Of course, we went up and examined the island from above. In the morning we still managed to run to the nearby “seven wells” waterfall and on the way see black monkeys with white faces (I had never seen such monkeys in the wild before). We stayed for two more nights at the Best Star Resort on the popular Chenang Beach. We rented a bike and rode around the island.
It should be noted that the island of Langkawi is a Duty Free zone and when we got to the shops, our eyes just ran wild: martinis, wine, beer, Austrian sweets, Swiss chocolate - huge selection and the prices are cheap! After Langkawi, we flew to Perhentian Islands via Kuala Lumpur; I planned to leave all my things in storage at a hotel in KL, and fly only with hand luggage. But after what we saw at Duty Free, we decided to buy one additional piece of luggage and take some goodies with us to the islands :)
The island of Langkawi left an ambivalent impression... I didn’t want to stay there for a long time, I would consider Langkawi as an island for transit from Kuala Lumpur to Lipa. For example, fly from Russia/Ukraine to Kuala Lumpur, then a short flight to Langkawi, spend one night there, buy alcohol in numerous Duty Free stores and the next day sail to Thailand on Koh Lipe.
The eagle is the symbol of Langkawi island 
I'm sitting on a bridge high in the mountains. Scary! 
Climbed to the “seven wells” waterfall 
That's it, the sunsets in Langkawi are amazing! The Perhentian Islands or Perhentian Islands are another super place for a beach holiday. We spent almost a week there, lived on the large island of Perhentian Besar on two beaches and, accordingly, in two hotels: Tuna Bay Island Resort and Coral View Island Resort. I really liked the first hotel, I can confidently recommend it to everyone who is going to Perhentian. The second one is also okay, but compared to the first one it looks a little shabby.
People go to Perhentian for the underwater world, good diving and snorkeling. The number and variety of fish is impressive! I even swam with a huge turtle! But we didn’t get to see the sharks, although we went to Shark Point several times... And chipmunks and monkeys also came to visit us on the veranda :)
The only thing that marred our holiday in the Perhentians was the bad rainy weather. It rained every day, one day it rained like that all day... Perhentian is a summer resort.
One of the beaches on the big Perhentian Island 
Walking around the island 
One of the distant deserted beaches 
Turtle Beach 
The pier goes far out to sea. And the water is clear, clear 
Chipmunk is our guest. We feed him nuts :) 
Another guest refused watermelon! 
These monkeys are eating some fruits (or leaves?) from the bushes 
What a piece huge turtle Kuala Lumpur
We went to Kuala Lumpur to visit my friend who lives there. So we drank a lot of delicious wine on the veranda of her luxurious house and didn’t go anywhere much. Although this time we managed to climb to the open observation deck on the Menara TV tower, otherwise the last time we arrived, it started heavy rain and they didn’t let us go upstairs.
Kuala Lumpur remains a transit city for me, I don’t like it...
On the outdoor observation deck at Menara Tower in Kuala Lumpur Budget in Malaysia
In twelve days in Malaysia we spent a little more than $1,000.
Singapore is a city that I have been dreaming of visiting for about 15 years, ever since I started traveling around Asia :) I can’t say that I fell in love with Singapore, and I certainly wouldn’t want to live there (Bangkok is much closer and more pleasant to me) , but still this city could not help but impress. I think we have already seen too much in life, so the skyscrapers were not amazing, they are much nicer in , and what impressed me most in Singapore were the rich Chinese and Indians and the crowds of people in expensive stores like Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton :) Yes, in Singapore everything is expensive!
We spent four days in the city (almost exactly 96 hours allotted for visa-free transit), but we did not manage to visit everything we had planned. Perhaps I will return to Singapore someday :)
View of the bay and the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel 
Well, I’m in his background :) 
Walking on the roof of The Pinnacle skyscraper 
In one of the central parks of Singapore 
A display of tulips in one of the greenhouses at Gardens by the Bay 
Waterfall and tropical plants in the Cloud Forest greenhouse 
At the Singapore Zoo: a lemur is very close! 
Orchids in the botanical garden 
At the entrance to Universal Studios Sentosa Island 
Night Singapore. View from the embankment near the bay 
Futuristic Gardens by the Bay Budget in Singapore
Spent about $850 in 4 days
Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City
Since our flight to Moscow was from Ho Chi Minh City, after rich, beautiful Singapore we had to stop for several days in Ho Chi Minh City. I don’t like Ho Chi Minh City, it makes me depressed. It’s strange, I love and, but I don’t like Ho Chi Minh City...
We spent 2.5 days in the city, shopping was not a success, we had difficulty finding inexpensive fruit to take home, I am silent about clothes, I only bought sneakers and summer sandals. No bags or dresses for you 🙁 I’ll update my wardrobe at home in Kyiv 🙂
Flight Ho Chi Minh City – Doha – Moscow – Minsk
The way home this time turned out to be very long. Ho Chi Minh City - Doha - a little more than 8 hours, a long connection in Doha of about 16 hours, during which we managed to get on a free excursion from Qatar Airlines around Doha, flight Doha - Moscow 5.5 hours. This time, Qatar Airlines, unlike , pleased us with the service on board and very tasty food.
Doha in the fog. It’s early morning, and it’s +40 outside! In Moscow we spent the night in a hotel near Domodedovo Airport, slept well and flew to Minsk the next day.
Unfortunately, the weather upon returning home did not please us: snow was flying in Moscow and Minsk, no greenery, everything was still grey. But in Kyiv the trees are green, everything is in bloom, but it’s wildly cold. I don't remember such a cold spring. Now we’re coming to our senses, getting some sleep, eating up :) and starting a series of articles on Singapore, Malaysia and Koh Lipe. Well, I’ll try not to forget about Phuket. So, subscribe to site updates and stay in touch!
