Your South East Asia Booking Pack
Starting in Bangkok
The Dragon Trip is the all-encompassing, flexible trip for adventurers seeking to discover the real Southeast Asia, showing you the very best parts – including cultural, historical and adrenaline-inducing attractions, jaw dropping scenery, and mind-blowing nightlife! Over the next few weeks, it’s our goal to show you a side of Southeast Asia that you’ll remember forever.
Joining your tour in Bangkok
Meeting Point
There is a pre-departure briefing at the lobby of Lub d Siam Hostel at 5pm on Day 1 of your trip. Here, you can meet your Adventure Leader and the rest of your first group.
If you are going to be late to the pre-departure briefing, please inform us of this, by emailing mytrip@thedragontrip.com.
Your hostel’s address
Lub d Siam Hostel
925/9 Rama 1 Rd.
Wangmai
Pathum Wan
Bangkok 10330 (next to BTS National Stadium Metro Station)
Phone Number: +66 02 612 4999
This is the address of Lub d Siam Hostel in Thai: 925/9 ถนน พระราม 1, วังใหม่, ประทุมวัน, กรุงเทพ 10330
Please note – In Koh Rong Samloem, Cambodia (x3 nights), due to limited availability there is only the option for a double room upgrade and no twin room.
If you have any queries or issues with your trip, email our Ops team on mytrip@thedragontrip.com.
We can collect you from the airport
We can arrange an airport transfer to pick you up from Bangkok airport and drop you off at your hostel for an additional cost. If you are planning on spending additional time in Bangkok before your trip starts, we are also able to book pre-trip accommodation for you. To find out more, email info@thedragontrip.com.
How to get to your hostel
By private airport transfer: If you would like to book an airport transfer, email us on info@thedragontrip.com.
By taxi: The best way to reach your hostel from Suvarnabhumi Airport is by taxi, which should cost you about 500 Baht – between £11-12 GBP.
By public transportation: For public transportation, you can get there with two transfers, using the city’s metro system. Firstly, take the Airport Rail Link City line all the way to the end, and transfer to the light green line at Phaya Thai station. Then, get off at Siam station, and transfer to the dark green line towards National Stadium. The hostel is just at the exit of BTS National Stadium Metro Station.
For the location details, please visit https://lubd.com/destination/bangkok-siam/?pages=contact
Insurance
Don’t forget your insurance! It’s compulsory to have travel insurance on all Dragon Trips.
Please bring details of your travel insurance along with you to the pre-departure briefing. In the event of an accident, we may need to contact your insurance company on your behalf, so we will need the insurance company’s name and phone number, as well as your policy number.
Please make sure your insurance offers ‘Bad Weather or Natural Disaster Coverage’.
Please fill out our online emergency contact and insurance form: https://forms.office.com/r/htee0teG2n
Don’t forget your passport!
Have you sent us your passport details?
The Dragon Trip needs your passport copy to book accommodation and transport tickets in advance of your trip.
Please ensure that your passport is valid for six months of onward travel, with a spare page for every country you plan on visiting (all those stamps!). If you need a new passport, make sure you send us your new passport details as soon as possible, or you may experience some difficulties whilst on tour.
Do I need a visa?
Visas are available upon arrival in all of the countries we visit in South East Asia for the majority of nationalities. However, in regards to Vietnam, most nationalities will need to apply for an e-visa in advance, except for UK citizens who can get one for free. Please make sure you check your country’s status before you travel.
For more information, please visit: SEA visa information
*Please note, this visa information is for British, Australian, American, Spanish, German and Mexican citizens. For differing nationalities please check your visa requirements before travel, and feel free to contact our team if you have questions.
*Please note that you are not allowed to enter Vietnam with Emergency Travel Documents, so please make sure you keep your passport properly during your tour.
Visa information is subject to change without notice. For the most current information, please visit your nearest embassy.
Keep in touch!
We want to hear all about your amazing travels across Southeast Asia.
Whether you’re on the tour or reliving your amazing experiences, be sure to use the hashtag #thedragontrip to join in with our amazing community of fellow Dragons.
In addition, if you tag our profile in your photo with the handle @thedragontrip, we might just feature it! We love to see all the fun you get up to on your adventures.
Lastly: if you don’t want to have your photos appear on our social platforms, please do email us to let us know.
Meet Your Fellow Dragons
As many of our Dragons travel solo, we want to take to make the process of meeting your fellow travellers as easy as possible. We create WhatsApp groups for every departure date in advance, meaning that you can get to know everyone on your tour before you hit the ground.
You can also like us on Facebook and join ‘The Dragon Trip: Adventure Advice‘ Facebook group – here, you’ll be in a community of past, present, and future Dragons who can all share tips and advice.
Our Ultimate Packing Check List
On all of our trips you will be required to carry your own bags, so pack light! South East Asia has tonnes of local markets in case you forget something, and you can always borrow from others in your group – that’s what friends are for!
Documents:
- Passport (with a copy of the photo page)
- Insurance Details
Money:
- Your credit/debit card (we suggest using ATMs at each country)
- USD (This can be used in some places in Laos and Vietnam, and everywhere in Cambodia. Visa-on-arrival fees will be paid in USD too.)
- Local currency
The Essentials:
- First Aid Kit (with medicine for diarrhoea, paracetamol, disinfectant etc.)
- Camera and charger
- T-shirts
- Shorts/skirts
- Long pants (for hiking)
- Long trousers and sleeved shirts (when visiting temples and some of the local villages)
- Swimming costume
- Flip-flops
- Sensible walking shoes/hiking boots
- Towel
- Washbag
- Flashlight/torch
- Mosquito repellent
- Sunscreen
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Lightweight waterproof
- Earplugs (for a better sleep in the dorms, night train and sleeper buses)
- Warm clothes for camping
- Moneybelt (pick-pocketing and motorbike snatching is common in some cities)
- Locks for bags
- Waterproof backpack cover
FAQ’s
Do I need to bring power adaptors?
Yes – these are available to buy in airports or various stores before you arrive. Make sure you get adaptors that will work for all of Asia. In Southeast Asia, the most common type is a Type A adaptor.
Do I need to bring a sleeping bag?
All bedding/linen is provided in the hostels.
Who looks after our bags when we are on transport or day excursions?
Your bags will be stored at the hostels, where they are tagged and recorded. On a couple of occasions, they will be stored at storage facilities in railway stations.
How much stuff can I bring?
We strongly recommend packing very light for The Dragon Trip. All the cities will have places you can wash your clothes, and you can easily pick up supplies.
Suitcase or backpack?
A suitcase is OK, but a backpack or holdall is much more convenient.
Will my phone work?
Your phone is unlikely to work, but it’s possible to buy a SIM out there. Wi-Fi is available in all of our hostels.
Your Welfare on Tour
Our adventure tours are a safe space where everyone is welcome. We kindly request that you show respect to your fellow adventurers, our Adventure Leader, as well as the local people and places we encounter throughout our journey. Any form of discrimination, bullying and violence is strictly prohibited, and we expect all travellers to adhere to the laws, customs, and regulations of each destination we visit. Behaviours that contradict these expectations or impede our staff’s ability to fulfil their duty of care or follow the planned itinerary, may result in the removal of the individuals involved from the trip. If you encounter any concerns during your travels, please promptly communicate with your Adventure Leader or local guide. Alternatively, you can discreetly contact the Adventure Leader via WhatsApp. They will be able to address the issue directly and help find the best solution.
Top Tips from The Dragon Trip
Try saying that tongue twister really fast.
On the weather:
- While Southeast Asia is a tropical climate, from November to February the weather can be cold – especially in Northern Thailand, Laos and Northern Vietnam.
- May to October is wet season all around Southeast Asia. It doesn’t rain for very long but when it does rain, it pours.
On how to travel sustainably:
- We cover the cost of up to 20kg in weight on our flights. This keeps fuel usage down and reduces the impact of the flight on the environment.
- Packing as light as possible keeps your carbon footprint low. We recommend 10-15kg, especially as you are expected to carry your own luggage.
- Use local laundry services. This money goes straight into the local community, and is available in most of our hostels with the price of $1-2 per kg.
- Pack a reusable water bottle. Many of our hostels provide filtered water, which reduces your need for single use plastics on tour.
Stay connected:
- Your Adventure Leader will invite you to a WhatsApp group chat on Day 1, to keep in touch with you and the rest of your group.
- Maps.me: This is a great app to stop yourself from getting lost! You can download it to your phone for free. We recommend downloading many maps from different cities in Southeast Asia before your trip, and using these maps later when you don’t have Wi-Fi.
- Bring electronic products at your own risk. Some customers choose to travel with iPhones, tablets and laptops, but although theft is rare on The Dragon Trip there is petty crime in some areas we visit.
- Download the taxi app GRAB, an Uber-like app that you can use to book taxis online and pay in cash. It’s useful and safe, and can be used in all Southeast Asian countries.
Food & Drink:
- There will be lots of great nights out on The Dragon Trip, but please remember to always drink within your limits. Never journey home by yourself at night, and never leave another person in the group alone. Always follow the legal drinking age limit (Thailand – 20, Laos and Vietnam – 18, Cambodia – none).
- Drugs are illegal in all four countries we visit. If our guides see you committing any crime while traveling with us, they are obliged to report to Head Office and to the police, so please don’t put them in that position!
- The food is delicious throughout Southeast Asia and you won’t be able to get enough of it. Try anything and everything possible. Your Adventure Leader will be able to recommend all of the best spots.
Pack patience:
- Southeast Asian countries are still developing countries, and they can be very different from home. Some systems or ways of doing things which you may take for granted back home aren’t necessarily the same here. Please be patient with The Dragon Trip and Southeast Asia as a whole, as sometimes things don’t run like they may back home, despite our best efforts.
- You may meet many people from lots of different backgrounds and cultures on this trip. You may have different opinions or ways of doing things. Treat everyone how you wish to be treated and remember to work together as a group.
- Always try to arrive a couple of minutes early to check outs or departure times. Being late may mean missing transport connections, and you don’t want to delay the whole group.
Navigating a new culture:
- Be respectful of local culture, dress appropriately at temples and religious sites, and be polite and kind.
- Agree on a price before getting in taxis or tuk-tuks. Ignore the tuk-tuk drivers telling you the temple is closed because of a Buddhist holiday, and turn down any offers to be taken to a shop. It’s going to be an out of the way market with outrageous prices.
- In Thailand, it’s illegal to show disrespect to royalty, a crime which carries up to 15 years imprisonment. Do not, under any circumstances, say or write anything negative, or even make jokes, about the Thai royal family.
Southeast Asia tipping policy:
- Although tipping in Southeast Asia isn’t compulsory, tips are expected and appreciated in many places throughout Southeast Asia. If you’re happy with the service provided those who have assisted you on your tour, leaving a tip is a good way to show your appreciation. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels.
- The exact amount you tip is a personal preference, however, we suggest 1-2 USD per person per day for your local guides, drivers, boatman, and others. You may choose to tip individually, but in order to make the process more simple, your Adventure Leader will offer to collect money on the first day for the entire tour in each country and divide the tips each time on behalf of the group.
In case of Emergencies
No matter where you are or what you do, safety always comes first. We conduct our own health and safety checks, but sometimes things happen that our out of our control.
Emergency services numbers are listed below:
Thailand & Laos: 191
Cambodia: 117
Vietnam: 113
To contact our staff:
Email: mytrip@thedragontrip.com
24/7 emergency contact number: +84 284 458 1410
Contact Us
Any questions or feedback?
Contact our London Team: info@thedragontrip.com
(Please note that this email is only monitored from Monday to Friday,between 9:00 and 17:30 (Friday 17:00) UK time, if you have any urgent issues, such as flight delays, or cancelling the trip at late notice, please contact our Southeast Asia Team)
Contact our Southeast Asia Team: mytrip@thedragontrip.com
To read our full terms & conditions, click here.
