Have you been somewhere AI in Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia in February?? Going for 18 days for sunshine, swimming and studying....

[loveyouradvice]

Love to hear about your experiences and recommendations - I'm on a budget so really looking for somewhere calm, beautiful and soothing and not too expensive. I am really only looking for breakfast and supper (or lunch) rather than AI but that seems rare t find...

I'm aiming to do 18 days for £3,000 or thereabouts... with my priorities being a great pool for swimming twice a day, healthy food and calm for studying 6-9 hours a day. Sunshine but not too hot!

What are your thoughts?

ps for those who recognise me - I thought I was going Cape Verde or Gambia, as closer and cheaper... but realised it wasn't really what I was looking for...

From personal experience of SEA I think you'd absolutely regret going AI. You can get very good accommodation on a budget and similarly food.
Last year we went to Thailand. I recollect looking on FB or forums and this British couple spent around £200gbp on a dinner. Where we were everything had to be boated over as no road access so that did impact slightly. However we were eating out, good healthy meals for about £10 for a dinner!!!

You shouldn't go AI! Such amazing and cheap food (and cheap drink) in SEA.

Good advice.... thanks!

For places to visit in each country, you can make a reference on Travelfish site.

Rushed here to beg you not to go AI, but I see others have wisely beaten me to it! There are so many wonderful, cheap places to eat in all those countries - plus if you're doing lunch and dinner at a hotel, it limits how much you can get out and explore! Please, please just do accommodation with breakfast 🙏🏻 And have an amazing time!!!

Same!

Go on booking.com and see whats available accomodation wise. With 3000 GBP I could probably live for almost 6 months in south east asia! Even with fancier accomodation, the best food will be local food which isnt expensive!

All of this, I wouldn’t dream of going AI in SEA, with that budget you’ve got plenty of options OP, go but don’t do AI it’s an absolute waste.

No need to go AI and often incredibly cheap if you avoid the major tourist hotspots.

We only ever book b&b in Thailand. AI would be such a waste of experience

AI would be a complete sin in countries with amazing, cheap food.

I have just come back from 30 days in Sri Lanka. It was AI because I was doing Ayurveda, so the food is part of the whole treatment plan. I did eat out a couple of times, though, as the food wasn't as good as it can be.
I wouldn't go AI in SEA, B&B would be enough as there are always delicious and interesting places to eat.

Which parts of Cambodia and Thailand? We stayed in four seasons koh samui, only breakfast was included but some days we had all our meals at their restaurant. For phuket we were at anantara and were AI but also spent many meals eating outside. Thai food is fab and it'll be a waste to eat only at the hotel.

For cambodia we've only been to siem reap and stayed at park hyatt. Again, it wasn't an AI rate but anything you need they'd be able to sort it out for you so no worries on that end.

what a waste!!

even when I go with the kids only book 1 or 2 nights then wing it and move around

we stayed in 4star bungalows for 40£ a night off season Thailand

food is so cheap anyway and so many great random places to go and try out

From my experience the hotels had the worst most expensive food anyway

we also were in Cambodia and Laos and winged it too