A Travelescape guide · 15 stories and guides
South-East Asia from India
Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, Thailand and Vietnam from India: trips by the people who went, with each country's entry rules checked in November 2026.
This page gathers Travelescape's writing on South-East Asia for travellers from India: Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, Thailand and Vietnam, with Cebu in the Philippines and Myanmar further afield. Most are trips by the people who went: Isha Goel's five days in Singapore with her brother and sister, Namrata Sinha's Bali, Supriti Shiwam's five days on the island, Anusha's lessons from Thailand, and Nilabh's own trip to Bali and the Gili Islands. A few are the Travelescape Desk's checklists and comparisons.
Start with the three below if you are planning now. Then come the countries, in order: Singapore, for many the first trip abroad; Malaysia, often joined to it by a short flight; Bali; Thailand, with a comparison of the two; Vietnam, from its rivers to Halong Bay; and, further afield, the Philippines and Myanmar, where India's travel advice comes first.
Each country asks Indian travellers for something different before the flight: a visa through an agent, a visa on arrival, an e-visa or, for now, nothing at all. Every one asks for an online arrival card. Those rules changed several times in 2025 and 2026, so "Before you go", near the end of this page, gives them as they stood in November 2026, with the official site for each.
Most of these pages were checked in October and November 2026, and each says when it was written; Myanmar's was checked for safety, not for prices, which are from before 2021; where a post's visa advice is older than "Before you go", go by "Before you go".
Start here
Three to begin with
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Singapore Travel Guide: A 5-Day Trip With My Siblings
Isha Goel's five days with her brother and sister, from Jewel Changi and Sentosa to Gardens by the Bay and Universal Studios, with the visa and 2026 prices. Checked November 2026.
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Visiting Singapore for the First Time as an Indian: What to Know
The first-timer's checklist for Singapore: the visa and arrival card, what you cannot bring, phones, the MRT, costs and the GST refund. Checked November 2026.
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Bali Travel Guide: My Personal Experience From India to Bali
Namrata Sinha's long guide to Bali: the north, south and centre of the island, its customs and offerings, the money to take and how long to stay.
3 stories and guides
Singapore
For many the first trip abroad: about six hours' flight from Mumbai, a visa through an agent in India, and all three pages checked in November 2026.
2 stories and guides
Malaysia
Visa-free for Indians for up to 30 days until the end of 2026, and a short flight from Singapore, which is how the guide here suggests doing both. The eVisa steps in the second page are from 2020: you need them only if the visa-free rule ends.
3 stories and guides
Bali
A visa on arrival or online, and a tourist levy. Three trips: Namrata Sinha's guide to the island, Supriti Shiwam's five days from 2019, and Nilabh's own trip to Bali and the Gili Islands, which ran long when a volcano shut the airport.
2 stories and guides
Thailand, or Bali?
Anusha's lessons from Pattaya and beyond (2023), and the Desk's short comparison of Thailand and Bali on cost, honeymoons and nightlife (2019). Thailand's entry rules for Indians changed twice in 2026: see “Before you go” below.
3 stories and guides
Vietnam
A 90-day e-visa, applied for online. Eilidh Wilson's guide to the river and bay cruises, from the Mekong to Halong Bay, was checked in October 2026; a short guide to choosing a Halong Bay cruise and Samudrika Pattanaik's four reasons were checked in November 2026.
2 stories and guides
Further afield: the Philippines and Myanmar
Cebu's flower gardens, from the Desk's research, in a country Indians can now visit without a visa for 14 days. And Anusha's Myanmar from before 2021: India advises against non-essential travel there and against any travel to Rakhine State, so read its warning first.
Plan it
Before you go
- Singapore
- A visa through an authorised visa agent in India; there is no visa on arrival. The government fee is S$30, about ₹2,700 to ₹3,400 in all with the agent's charge in 2026. File the free SG Arrival Card within three days before you land, on the immigration authority's (ICA's) website or the MyICA app.
- Malaysia
- Visa-free for Indians for up to 30 days, for tourism, until 31 December 2026, as reported. File the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online before you arrive. India's High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has warned of Indians stranded at the airport for not meeting the conditions: carry a return ticket, your hotel booking and enough money.
- Thailand
- The 60-day visa-free stay for Indians was withdrawn in May 2026; in July Thailand's Cabinet moved India to a 30-day visa exemption, reported to start on 15 September 2026. Check the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi before you book, and file the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) at tdac.immigration.go.th within three days before arrival.
- Bali (Indonesia)
- A visa on arrival, or the same visa online before you fly (e-VOA): IDR 500,000 for 30 days. Bali also charges a tourist levy of IDR 150,000 a person, once a trip. Pay only on the Indonesian government's own sites: scam emails have asked travellers for money for an "arrival card", which is free.
- Vietnam
- An e-visa for up to 90 days, applied for on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn: US$25 for one entry or US$50 for several, in about three working days. Agents charge more for the same visa.
- Before you book
- The rules for Indians changed several times in 2025 and 2026. A week before you fly, check each country's embassy or immigration website, and buy visas and arrival cards only there: the arrival cards are free everywhere.
Questions
What readers ask us
Which of these countries are visa-free for Indians?
In November 2026, Malaysia (30 days, until the end of 2026) and, as reported, Thailand (30 days, from September 2026). Singapore needs a visa through an agent, Bali a visa on arrival and Vietnam an e-visa; visiting Singapore as an Indian has the Singapore steps.
Can I combine Singapore and Malaysia?
Yes: the Malaysia guide suggests Singapore first, then a short flight from Changi to Kuala Lumpur, to see two countries for less. Isha Goel's five days show what Singapore alone can fill.
Bali or Thailand?
The Desk's comparison weighs cost, honeymoons and nightlife. Namrata Sinha's Bali guide and Anusha's Thailand lessons are the trips behind each side.
How much does a Bali trip cost?
Nilabh's trip to Bali and the Gili Islands came to about ₹1.5 lakh in all, more than planned because a volcano shut the airport and the trip ran over: his account. Namrata Sinha's guide has a section on the money to take.
Is Singapore good for a honeymoon?
Romantic things to do in Singapore lists the free light shows at Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay, dinner in a cable car and a river cruise at night, with 2026 prices.