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Australians get 30 days visa-free on arrival. Extensions are straightforward.

• •30-day visa-free entry stamped on arrival at any international airport
• •Extend up to 36 months at any Bureau of Immigration office — first extension costs around ₱3,030

E-visa system makes entry easy. 90-day stays are now possible.

• •Apply for an e-visa online (approx USD $25) — approved in 3 working days for 90-day single entry
• •Visa-free for 45 days if you have a valid passport — recently extended from 15 days

Generous visa-free entry for Australians. Long-stay options available.

• •60-day visa-free entry on arrival (recently extended from 30 days)
• •Can extend for 30 more days at immigration for 1,900 baht — or look into the new Long-Term Resident visa

Visa on arrival makes Cambodia one of the easiest countries to enter.

• •30-day tourist visa on arrival for USD $30 — bring a passport photo
• •E-visa available online for USD $36 total — saves time at the airport queue

Filipino food is hearty and meat-heavy. Street food is everywhere and very affordable.

• •Try adobo (chicken or pork braised in vinegar and soy) — the unofficial national dish
• •Balut (fertilised duck egg) is famous but not for everyone — try it once for the story!

Vietnamese cuisine is fresh, flavourful and incredibly cheap. Pho is just the beginning.

• •Pho bo (beef noodle soup) for breakfast is a must — look for busy street stalls
• •Banh mi (Vietnamese baguette) is the best sandwich you'll ever have for under $2

Thai food is world-famous for a reason. Be prepared for serious spice levels.

• •Pad thai from a street vendor beats any restaurant version — watch them cook it fresh
• •Say 'mai pet' (not spicy) if you can't handle the heat — Thai spicy is a different level

Khmer cuisine is milder than Thai food. Fish and rice are staples.

• •Fish amok (steamed fish curry in banana leaf) is Cambodia's signature dish
• •Try lok lak (stir-fried beef with pepper-lime dip) — simple and delicious

San Miguel dominates. Beer is cheap and widely available.

• •San Miguel Pale Pilsen is the classic — around ₱50-80 in a local store, ₱100+ in bars
• •Red Horse is the strong stuff (6.9%) — a local favourite but it creeps up on you fast

Vietnam is a beer-drinking nation. Some of the cheapest beer in the world.

• •Bia hoi (fresh draught beer) in Hanoi costs as little as 5,000 VND (~AUD $0.30) per glass
• •Saigon Beer and 333 (Ba Ba Ba) are the popular local brands — light and easy drinking

Beer is popular despite high alcohol taxes. Singha, Chang and Leo are the big three.

• •Chang is cheapest and strongest (6.4%), Leo is smoothest, Singha is the premium choice
• •Buy from 7-Eleven — cheaper than bars. No alcohol sales 2-5pm and after midnight

Beer is incredibly cheap. Draft beer promotions are a Phnom Penh institution.

• •Angkor Beer is the national brand — a decent lager for around USD $0.50 a can
• •Happy hour draft beer in Phnom Penh can be as cheap as USD $0.25 a glass

Jeepneys, tricycles and Grab taxis. Traffic in Manila is legendary.

• •Grab is your best friend — safe, metered and air-conditioned. Use it in cities
• •Jeepneys are iconic and dirt cheap (₱12-15) but confusing for newcomers — ask locals for routes

Motorbikes rule. Grab is widely available. Crossing the road is an art form.

• •Grab bike or Grab car for everything — cheap, safe and avoids haggling
• •To cross the road: walk slowly and steadily. Don't stop or run. The bikes will flow around you

BTS/MRT in Bangkok is excellent. Grab, tuk-tuks and songthaews outside the city.

• •Use the BTS (Skytrain) and MRT (metro) in Bangkok — fast, clean and avoids horrific traffic
• •Grab is better than tuk-tuks for fair prices — if you do take a tuk-tuk, agree price first

Tuk-tuks and Grab. Roads between cities have improved a lot.

• •Grab and PassApp are both available in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap
• •Tuk-tuks are everywhere — agree a price before getting in, or hire one for a full day (~USD $15-20)

Philippine Peso (PHP). Cash is king outside major cities.

• •ATMs dispense up to ₱10,000-20,000 per withdrawal — BDO and BPI ATMs are most reliable
• •GCash (mobile wallet) is widely used — you can load it at convenience stores

Vietnamese Dong (VND). You'll be a millionaire — 1 AUD = ~17,000 VND.

• •ATMs are everywhere — Vietcombank and BIDV have the best rates and lowest fees
• •Carry small notes (20,000-50,000 VND) for street food and taxis — many can't break 500,000 VND

Thai Baht (THB). ATMs charge a 220 baht fee per withdrawal for foreign cards.

• •That ATM fee is unavoidable — withdraw larger amounts to reduce the per-transaction hit
• •SuperRich or Vasu exchange booths in Bangkok give the best exchange rates — much better than airports

US Dollar is the main currency. Cambodian Riel used for small change.

• •USD is used for almost everything — riel comes back as change for amounts under $1
• •Bring clean, undamaged US bills — Cambodians will reject torn, marked or old-series notes

Generally friendly and safe for tourists. Be street-smart in cities.

• •Don't walk around with your phone out in busy areas — snatch theft happens on motorbikes
• •Avoid isolated areas at night in Manila, especially Tondo and parts of Quezon City

Very safe overall. Bag snatching by motorbike is the main risk.

• •Carry your bag on the building side of the footpath — motorbike bag snatchers target the road side
• •Watch out for overcharging in tourist areas — always confirm the price before ordering or buying

Safe for tourists but common scams exist. Never disrespect the monarchy.

• •The 'Grand Palace is closed today' scam — it's not. Ignore touts who suggest an alternative
• •Lèse-majesté laws are serious — never say anything negative about the King, even jokingly

Mostly safe but poverty-driven crime exists. Watch your belongings.

• •Bag snatching from motos is common in Phnom Penh — don't put your phone/bag on the table at street cafes
• •Don't buy drugs — penalties are severe, and setups by police are not uncommon

Officially illegal but openly operating in certain areas. Be cautious.

• •Angeles City (Fields Avenue) and parts of Manila (Burgos Street, Makati) are the well-known areas
• •Always verify age — penalties for underage involvement are severe, and ignorance is no defence

Officially illegal. Exists but is less visible than neighbouring countries.

• •Bui Vien Street in Saigon is the main backpacker/nightlife strip — expect touts and offers
• •Massage parlours with 'extra services' exist but police raids happen — use caution

The most well-known in Asia. Technically illegal but openly tolerated in certain zones.

• •Patpong, Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy in Bangkok; Walking Street in Pattaya — the main areas
• •Ping pong shows are tourist traps — often overcharge or scam with huge bills

Exists but the government has been cracking down. Street 136 area largely shut down.

• •Phnom Penh's previous red light areas have been heavily raided — the scene has shrunk significantly
• •Be extremely cautious — trafficking and exploitation are serious issues in Cambodia

Cheap data and easy to buy. Globe and Smart are the two main networks.

• •Globe or Smart tourist SIMs available at the airport — around ₱300-500 for a week of data
• •Globe has better coverage in Manila; Smart/TNT is better in the provinces

Very cheap data. Pick up a SIM right at the airport arrivals hall.

• •Viettel has the best coverage nationwide — tourist SIMs at the airport from around 200,000 VND
• •Mobifone and Vinaphone are also good — data is incredibly cheap, about AUD $5 for 30 days

Easy to get at the airport. AIS, DTAC and TrueMove are the main carriers.

• •AIS and TrueMove H have the best tourist packages — 15-day unlimited data from around 300-600 baht
• •Airport counters set it up for you on the spot — just hand over your passport

Very affordable data. Cellcard and Smart are the main providers.

• •Cellcard has the best coverage — tourist SIM with data for around USD $3-5 at the airport
• •Metfone (Vietnamese-owned) is the cheapest option for data-heavy use

Strong Aussie expat community, especially in Manila, Angeles City and Cebu.

• •The Woolshed (Makati, Manila) — Aussie pub with NRL/AFL on the big screen and cold beers
• •Cebu has a growing Aussie scene — check the Australian & New Zealand Association of the Philippines (ANZAP)

Growing Aussie presence in Saigon and Hanoi. Bui Vien has everything.

• •OMG Sports Bar (District 1, Saigon) — popular with Aussies for live sport and pub grub
• •Pham Ngu Lao / Bui Vien area in Saigon — the main expat/backpacker hub with bars everywhere

Huge Aussie expat community. Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai are the main hubs.

• •The Sportsman (Sukhumvit Soi 13, Bangkok) — long-running Aussie sports bar. Great steaks
• •Chiang Mai has a big retiree community — check the Chiang Mai Expats Club for meetups

Laid-back expat scene. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap are where Aussies congregate.

• •Riverside area in Phnom Penh has plenty of expat-friendly bars and restaurants
• •Pub Street in Siem Reap — touristy but a great place to meet other travellers over cheap beers