If you’re planning a trip to Southeast Asia it’s good to know that you have a few different options for accommodation. Whether you are looking for a luxury resort, budget hotel, or penny pinching hostels there will always be plenty of accommodation to suit your needs.


1.Hostels– Hostels are usually top choice for backpackers. This is the ultimate affordable accommodation, in Southeast Asia you will pay as little as $2 per night. There are usually 4-10 bed dorms with shared bathrooms, a comunal kitchen and lounge/enterainment area. If you are a

Photo by Thomas van Ardenne

die hard backpacker this is the way to go, no question about that. It’s also a great way to meet other travelers (especially if you’re traveling solo). Personally I wouldn’t stay in a hostel in Southeast Asia. There’s always the concern of making sure you’re things don’t get jacked, and I’m pretty sure that about 66% of people traveling for the first time to Southeast Asia experience some level of dodgy stomach. Not a pretty situation when you’re sharing a toilette with ten other people.

I was staying at a guesthouse in Bangkok and two of the levels had rooms that all shared two bathrooms. Unfortunatly I was having a problem with the shower in my room so I was told you use the shared one two floors down until they could fix it. Well, I’m at the front of a three man line waiting my turn and this poor guy comes barreling around the corner hunched over, holding his stomach. This could only mean one thing. I felt so bad for this guy, and we all would have let him jump the que but it wouldn’t have helped because there was someone in the shower, unaware of his unfortunate situation. Turning green in the face with beads of sweat running down his forehead he says something about beers, streetfood, and bulshit shared bathrooms. Next thing you know he’s running back toward his room. I think we all know how this stroy ends. Poor guy.

2.Guesthouses– Guesthouses are essentially hotels. There really is not a huge difference at all other than perhaps the structure of the building. They are not usually big concrete rectangles. That’s the only difference I see anyway. You get the same amenities. Typical rooms are either one single/double/queen or two twins with a private ensuite, and option of fan or air conditioning. A lot of guesthouses have T’V’s and WiFi in the rooms. This is my top choice of accommodation when I’m in Southeast Asia. You can get a room from $3-$18 per night, and they are all over the place, you will always have dozens to choose from. Some guesthouses charge for the beds, not for the room. So if you get a room that would sleep two, then you pay for two, even if you are alone. This can catch people off guard a lot of the time because it doubles the price of your room, though it still ends up being less expensive than a hotel. Occasionally you will find a guesthouse with a safe in the room but they will always have a place at the front desk to lock up valuables. All guesthouses have a travel agency so it makes for easy booking when you want to go see the sights and explore the area.

Guesthouses are ideal for the budget traveler (even a backpacker budget!) besides, why deal with doorms and shared bathrooms when you can get your own room with a private ensuite for a couple bucks more. If you are a solo traveler know that you don’t have to stay at a hostel to meet people. You can meet people all the time while lounging in the guesthouses restaurant. Also hopefully you plan on going out and doing things (where you will also meet people) instead of hanging around a hostel all day.

3.Hotels- Hotels in Southeast Asia are just like hotels in other countries. The only difference between a hotel and a guesthouse is that you will always have a TV and almost always have air conditioning. One nice thing about staying in hotels is that you will more often than not have a safe in your room. In my experience I’ve stayed at guesthouses that were a lot nicer than the hotels I have stayed at, and the guesthouses are half the price. I’d say if you can’t find a nice guesthouse than go for the hotel, and be ready to pay about $30 for the night. You can actually find some pretty nice hotels though if you really look. So if it’s in your budget it might just be in your best interest to “upgrade” to a hotel.

4.Luxury Resorts– We all need a little pampering sometime and there is no better place to do it than in Southeast Asia. Since everything is about 100x cheaper here the value you get out of aluxury resort is astounding! If your budget can handle $100-$400 a night for accommodation you will be living it up like you wouldn’t believe. A $200 suite is basically the equivilant to a $1200 suite in Europe or America.
As you can see there are accommodation options to fit every budget, and there are no shortage of places to stay on your next visit to Southeast Asia.