Lady Wanna Tuk-tuk?

“You need Tuk-tuk?”

We were dazed and half-asleep, coming off an eight-hour bus ride across borders into a land where we no longer even recognized the alphabet so elegantly scripted on the signs of businesses and billboards.

“I have tuk-tuk. Where are your bags? Where are you going? Do you have hotel?”

It was dark, the streetlamps at the bus depot were mellow, and the bus pilots were rushing us to find our belongings and move away from the bus so they could drive on.

“Tuk-tuk? I can drive you. Where you want to go?”

We clutched our small carry-ons tightly, realizing with panicky dread that our big backpacks were no longer where we’d stowed them under the bus.

‘I’ve heard of this happening,’ I thought, heading toward the other side of the bus. ‘We should have watched more carefully. But the bus made few stops, and the passengers who had disembarked did so together!’
“I can take you on tuk-tuk. Where you want to go? I can find hotel. Cheap hotel. Where are your bags?”

The Germans--two boys, one girl--had disappeared, as had the one native-English speaking woman on the trip, a regular Cambodia border crosser. We were on our own.

The crush of Vietnamese passengers was closing in around me, and I fought the urgency to lash out. “Where are our bags?”
I grabbed the “conductor” who had seemed to be looking out for us earlier in the trip. “Where are our bags?” Eyes wide in surprise, he led us around the side of the bus where we knew we’d stowed them. The belly of the bus was empty.

“Where are your bags? You should always keep your bags with you!” The tuk-tuk driver’s unwelcome chastisement was the last straw. Enraged and exhausted, I turned to face him and was about to launch a nasty diatribe when I caught a glimpse of the Germans motioning to us from a ways away. They had rescued our bags along with their own, perhaps thinking that the pale faces should stick together. Or perhaps hoping to share a ride to Siem Riep, we soon learned. “Sorry, friends. We’re staying in Phnom Penh for a few days,” we responded. “Good luck!”

“Tuk-tuk?”

Relieved at being reunited with our stuff, Becca and I turned our attention to the persistent tuk-tuk driver, who showed us his carefully laminated and obviously well-used map, and we talked and haggled and he agreed to drive us around the backpacker area on the river and show us good, cheap guesthouses. He promised to stay with us til we chose one, and he kept his promise. Mr. Borat, the persistent tuk-tuk driver whose ass I almost kicked my first night in Cambodia, ended up being the best thing that happened to us in the whole country, possibly the best person we met the whole trip.
Our last morning in Phnom Penh, as Borat sees us off to the bus.

Planning a trip.
The hardest thing about planning a trip to anywhere in southeast Asia is that there is so much advice, and so many resources through which to sift, digest, and decide. That first night in Cambodia, we’d written down the names and addresses of a couple guesthouses Lonely Planet had recommended, but in the end, Borat found us better options. Yet there is no way we could have arranged Borat’s services, or the rates at the guesthouse we eventually chose, in advance. Lesson learned: flexibility is key, but do some research to prepare.

Here are some basic tips I decided worked best as I researched and traveled. Some advice was good, other was bad, and some I simply didn’t end up using for various reasons of flexibility. Pretty soon I’ll post kind of a tongue-in-cheek version to supplement this, but for those looking for a serious hand, here you go. My own dollar and a half for what it’s worth:

Research and planning: Don’t book too many guesthouses or hotels in advance, unless you’re traveling at peak season or unless you’re on a tight itinerary (the latter which I don’t recommend anyway! The more time, the better). We booked several places through Agoda. Occasionally they ended up being excellent, but sometimes were utter fails. And regardless, they usually cost more money than the little cabdriver recommendations we often found on arrival. I often feel safer having the first night in a new country or city pre-booked, but particularly if you arrive during daylight it’s easy to hail a taxi, tuk-tuk, motor, camel…whatever…at the airport or bus/train depot and get cheap doorstep transportation to a place fitting your qualifications. In fact, you probably won’t need to hail transport at all. It aggravatingly makes its presence known and by the end of traveling in southeast Asia you’ll be quite tired of “Tuk-tuk, lady? Transport?” every few steps.


Also, split transport costs with other backpackers in the airport. They’re easy to spot, and often in the same boat as you. Money is saved, and the local economy is still supported while you all get to where you need to go. If, as I suggested, you’re traveling with no particular reservation or guesthouse booked, sometimes the other travelers can recommend places.

Luggage: Backpackers should invest in quality bags. I actually borrowed a bag for my trip, but ended up finding an overwhelming quality selection in Hanoi, Vietnam. North Face and other brands in all sizes and colors line the streets of the French Quarter, and you can find bags virtually all over the country and into Cambodia, though they become scarcer as you move into Thailand and Laos. I had a frame which cushioned my back and took the weight off my spine: it was super easy on the back.

If you’re traveling a little more luxuriously, take a Samsonite 360. This sleek and sturdy luggage line sports 4 wheels that rotate 360 degrees, giving you the smoothest ride/haul through the airport you EVER had. I bought mine on sale at TJ Maxx a few years ago, and have raved about it ever since. Mom just picked up one this past week as well.
Travel light. This is an oft-reiterated maxim of travel advice, but aside from a handful of essentials and plenty of cash, you can’t really under pack. You probably DON’T need that extra pair of shorts, and keep in mind that sweat doesn’t seem to smell nearly as much outside of America, when everyone else is doing it too and you’re sweaty no matter what. It’s a comfort zone stretch! (except maybe not for you slobs reading this).

Lodging, Hotels and Guesthouses: Some may seem shoddy, but you really just want to see how secure they are. Are there locks on the doors? Is the front desk/entry carefully watched throughout the day and night? Is there working water? Air con is also probably more of a necessity than luxury for new SEAsia travelers. Hot water, Internet, and amenities will probably be nonexistent in cheap guesthouses and hostels, but quite often a small breakfast is included. Try to pay for a few nights in advance in order to bargain for a cheaper rate. And don’t be alarmed when the receptionist asks you for your passports. This is the norm in many southeast Asian countries: to keep your passports as long as you stay there. If you really get a creepy or unsecure vibe from a place, obviously don’t stay. Check out time is usually noon, but if you’re not catching a bus til 10pm, you can leave your bags at the front desk. This is common for backpackers all over the continent, and most guesthouses are very accommodating and will watch your bags with no extra charge so you can spend the afternoon doing activities, free from luggage-bearing.

Money: Fold your cash in half with smaller bills on the outside. That way when bartering for items the vendors won’t as readily see you DO have more money than you claim! Always have some American dollars on hand (particularly in Cambodia, where the national riel is devalued practically beyond use). Try not to carry too many large bills at once. Carrying multiple credit cards stashed in various parts of your person/luggage is probably a good idea. Travelers’ checks …what?!

Toiletries: Carry toilet paper or packets of damp wipes, and travel-sized hand sanitizers. Girls, bring your own tampons/pads as they’ll be tough to find.

Document everything while you can, and organize pictures as you go. You’ll be surprised how tough it is to process/remember the details and basics unless you take some notes, particularly on a more extended trip.

Drink LOTS of fruit shakes. And don’t be afraid to eat the street food!

Do a lot, but also rest a lot. Make sure you have lots of time for FLEXIBILITY reflection, and relaxation. Don’t be afraid to extend or shorten your stays in each place depending on what you’re feeling at the time. Don’t feel like you have to do EVERYTHING.

Get off the beaten trail. Get to know the culture, the locals. If you’re there for a length of time, establish yourself as a regular. In Kuta Beach, Bali, I frequented a restaurant with rare, consistent working wifi and decent black coffee. There was also a street stand of babi guling (roast suckling pig) where the woman got to know me and my taste for extra spicy flavor, as well as the local Mini Mart where the teenage employees would grab me new wifi codes as soon as they saw me coming. I love trying new things and places, so becoming a “regular” even in my hometown is sometimes difficult. But usually where coffee is concerned I can hone in on a favorite!

Don’t be afraid to carry on conversations with random strangers. You know that old warning you mom gave you as a child? Discretion and caution is still important, but joke around and smile at people, travelers and locals alike.

Culture. Reflection. Adventure. Kinship. That’s why I travel, why do you?

In Siem Riep, Ram models one of many ways to wear the "krama."