Having travelled through south-east Asia on a number of occasions, I’m well aware of the bus situation and how many issues there can be. Buses are often the easiest and cheapest way to get around the countries in the south-east, so no wonder us backpackers sign on up. However, they haven’t reached the likes of the buses you might expect at home with free Wi-Fi, iPhone chargers and reclining seats, so best to follow a few tips for what south-east Asia has to offer.
1. Don’t work on a tight schedule
The bus arrival and departure times in south-east Asia really are more of an estimate. I’ve found that many buses will provide a pick up time, but then they don’t tend to depart until the bus is full, so you could always be waiting around in the heat, waiting for some other tourists to jump on board. What is even more unpredictable is the duration of the bus journey. My friend and I once took what was supposed to be a 14 hour bus journey in Myanmar, which in the end turned out to be 22 hours. We weren’t sure if we’d missed our stop, took the wrong bus or if the bus had just decided to take the scenic route… but there was no explanation for the extra 8 hours on the bus, and the locals didn’t seem as pissed off as we did by the end. So, never plan a bus if you'rere on a tight schedule, leave plenty of time for flights and prepare for the worse.
