The Banana Pancake Trail
The classic Southeast Asia backpacker loop: Bangkok, northern Thailand, the Mekong in Laos, the length of Vietnam and Angkor in Cambodia, then back to Bangkok. The best hostels at every stop, and how to get to the next one.
Photo: Zaonar Saizainalin on Pexels.
- 🗺️ stops
- 8
- 🌏 countries
- 4
- 🛏️ hostels
- 901
- 💸 best cheap bed (Siem Reap)
- €0.90
The route
Map © OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenFreeMap. The line joins the stops in order; it is not a road or flight path.
Stop by stop
Getting to Chiang Mai · ~583 km as the crow flies
- Overnight sleeper trainabout 11–14 hEvening departures, morning arrival; book ahead in high season.
- Overnight busabout 9–10 h
- Flight
✈️ Search flights BKK → CNXFlights Bangkok → Chiang Mai
Times are typical ranges; operators change schedules, so check before you book. Sources: Backpackers Wanderlust, The Backpacking Family.
Getting to Luang Prabang · ~352 km as the crow flies
- Bus to Huay Xai + 2-day Mekong slow boat2–3 daysOvernight stop in Pak Beng; boats leave in the morning, seats are first come, first served.
- Direct bus20+ h
- Flight
Times are typical ranges; operators change schedules, so check before you book. Sources: Backpackers Wanderlust, Go Laos.
Getting to Vang Vieng · ~109 km as the crow flies
- Laos–China Railwayabout 1–1.5 hVang Vieng station is about 4 km from town; arrive 30–60 min early.
Times are typical ranges; operators change schedules, so check before you book. Sources: North Vietnam travel guide, Gecko Routes.
Getting to Hanoi · ~425 km as the crow flies
- Train or bus to Vientiane, then fly to Hanoiflight about 1 h
- Long-distance bus via Vientianeabout 25–30 hNo direct bus; you change in Vientiane.
Times are typical ranges; operators change schedules, so check before you book. Sources: North Vietnam travel guide, Rome2Rio.
5HanoiVietnam · 132 hostelsAlso around here: 📍 Ha Long Bay📍 Ninh Binh
Getting to Hoi An · ~629 km as the crow flies
- Reunification train to Da Nangabout 16–17 hHoi An has no station: 30–45 min by car from Da Nang. Day trains cross the Hai Van Pass in daylight.
- Sleeper bus, direct to Hoi Anabout 17–20 h
- Fly to Da Nangabout 1 h 20 min
✈️ Search flights HAN → DADFlights Hanoi → Da Nang (for Hoi An)
Times are typical ranges; operators change schedules, so check before you book. Sources: Local Vietnam.
Getting to Phnom Penh · ~605 km as the crow flies
- Fly from Da Nangabout 1 h 10 min
- Bus via Ho Chi Minh Cityabout a day to HCMC, then 6–7 h to Phnom Penh
Times are typical ranges; operators change schedules, so check before you book. Sources: North Vietnam travel guide, Local Vietnam.
Getting to Siem Reap · ~231 km as the crow flies
- Express bus (day seats or night sleeper)about 5.5–6.5 hGiant Ibis and others run several departures a day.
- Flight
✈️ Search flights PNH → SAIFlights Phnom Penh → Siem Reap
Times are typical ranges; operators change schedules, so check before you book. Sources: Move to Cambodia.
Back to Bangkok · ~365 km as the crow flies
- Bus across the Poipet borderabout 7–10 hYou clear immigration on foot at the border; ends near Khao San Road.
- Flight
Times are typical ranges; operators change schedules, so check before you book. Sources: Gecko Routes, Hello Angkor.
Watch: The Banana Pancake Trail: Southeast Asia in 8 stops
Watch on YouTube The classic Southeast Asia backpacker loop in 90 seconds: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Hanoi, Hoi An, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, with the train, boat and bus times between them (checked 11 Oct 2026).
Video transcript
There's a loop through Southeast Asia that backpackers know by name. The Banana Pancake Trail. Eight stops. Four countries. One backpack. It starts in Bangkok. Then the overnight sleeper north to Chiang Mai. About eleven to fourteen hours. Into Laos, and two days on the Mekong by slow boat, with a night in Pak Beng. Luang Prabang. Then the Laos–China Railway to Vang Vieng, in about an hour. A short flight to Hanoi. The Reunification train south, to Da Nang, and the old streets of Hoi An. Phnom Penh. The express bus to Siem Reap. Angkor at sunrise. Then over the border at Poipet, and back to Bangkok, where it all began. More than three thousand kilometres, as the crow flies. And more than nine hundred hostels on Hostelworld across the eight stops. We picked three at every stop, and every leg, with how long it really takes. The Banana Pancake Trail. Plan it on AirConnect.
FAQ
What is the Banana Pancake Trail?
The classic Southeast Asia backpacker loop: Bangkok, northern Thailand, the Mekong in Laos, the length of Vietnam and Angkor in Cambodia, then back to Bangkok.
How long is the Banana Pancake Trail?
About 3,299 km in straight lines between our 8 stops (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Hanoi, Hoi An, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap), back to Bangkok; real road and rail distances are longer.
Which countries does the Banana Pancake Trail go through?
Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia.
Where is the cheapest good hostel bed on the Banana Pancake Trail?
Siem Reap: Mad Monkey Siem Reap, rated 9.8 on Hostelworld, from €0.90 a night (the lowest dorm price among hostels rated 8+ from 50+ reviews, 11 October 2026).
Hostel prices and ratings from Hostelworld's public listings (11 October 2026). Distances are straight-line between city centres. AirConnect may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you.