It will be hard to beat Asia for budget travel using everything from cheap flights from Singapore, tuk-tuks in Thailand, boats from Manila, trains in Vietnam, horse-drawn carriages in Myanmar to Pedi taxis in Cambodia, traveling in Asia is always a trip. . !
One of the best things about Asia is the different modes of travel available to you on vacation. You want to see the scenery, so taking ground transportation will be the cheapest, really allowing you to see the country and save money.
In most of Asia, the two most common modes of budget adjustment are buses and trains.
Today, buses in most of the region are in fairly good condition, running from major cities on major routes. On a cost per mile basis, they are generally the best performers. First class buses will have toilets on board and air conditioning. Most buses in Asia will have some form of entertainment, usually popular movies on DVD or VCR players.
Trains in the Asian region are everywhere in terms of comfort and modernity. For the most part, expect the trains to be older. First class on most trains is comfortable if a little pricey, but if you take the night trains you can save on a night’s hotel, which will reduce the actual cost, but deprive you of seeing all the scenery. Another benefit of night trains that I like is that most night trains will get you into a city early, so you can find out by browsing and talking to other travelers where the best deals on cheap accommodation are.
For horses, Pedi taxis and tuk tuks are best for local travel only, but will almost always be the cheapest you’ll find in Asia and great for photo albums.