Travelling to Southeast Asia? Fancy a drink? You absolutely cannot miss these iconic backpacker bars! These are the places everyone who’s been to Southeast Asia goes to, and they’re sure to bring some wild nights, new friends, and a whole lot of fun. Don’t miss them!
While Southeast Asia is home to beautiful culture, amazing scenery, vibrant cities, and the friendliest, most lovely people, it’s also home to another thing: crazy nightlife.
If you’re backpacking through Southeast Asia, I guarantee you’ll have at least one night out that’s unplanned, serendipitous, and absolutely mental. Southeast Asia is a BIG place, and there are loads of places to go out.
Wanna know what the most iconic backpacker bars in southeast Asia are?! Just keep readin’.
Khao San Road, Bangkok, Thailand
Khao San Road is an absolute blast. This road is home to hostels, bars, cheap stores, and 7/11s. During the day, it’s a pretty relaxed place to hangout with fellow backpackers, but at nighttime, it’s a massive street party. The crowds from bars overlap, everyone has a cocktail bucket in hand, and there are loads of touts egging travellers on to try some laughing gas.
Vang Vieng Tubing, Laos
Vang Vieng has tightened up its reigns recently and cleaned up its act, but you can still have an absolutely wild time. They had to get a little stricter with the party scene, as there were quite a few deaths. I remember going to Vang Vieng as a kid, seeing the drunken tourists do flips off of ledges into the water, and people watching Friends or Family Guy while drinking happy shakes for HOURS. You can still go tubing, where you tube down a river and stop at every riverside bar.
Zoe in Yellow, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Zoe in Yellow is such a fun place to be. The courtyard is packed every night, and it’s so easy to meet people and mingle. My favourite drink is the “Lost in Chiang Mai.” As my friends and I watched the bartender make it, he added nearly every kind of alcohol. I definitely recommend sharing the bucket with friends, or you certainly will be lost in Chiang Mai.
Angkor What?, Siem Reap, Cambodia
There’s no place like Pub Street, but my favourite bar along the street is definitely Angkor What?. The prices are a little more pricey, but it’s an ICONIC bar with good drinks and a guaranteed good time. After a couple drinks here, definitely stroll down the road, find a bug cart, and eat some crickets, scorpion, tarantula, and snake. I can proudly say I’ve tried ’em all. No regrets!
Ko Pha-Ngan’s Full Moon Party
Ah, the Full Moon Party. The last on the list, and possibly the most iconic party in Southeast Asia. Think bodypaint, fire, endless cocktail buckets, and one absolutely wild night.
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