I'm currently for 1 month in Hanoi, Vietnam (after 4 months in Indonesia/Philippines/Vietnam). Life is dirt cheap here - you can find an apartment for $400 (or

I'm currently for 1 month in Hanoi, Vietnam (after 4 months in Indonesia/Philippines/Vietnam). Life is dirt cheap here - you can find an apartment for $400 (or much less if you get some local contacts or go to some smaller city), food $3/day (eating out). Vietnam is also booming at the moment and many companies are looking to get a foot there. Laos and Cambodia are other exotic destinations in the region. You should not go to Singapore except if you like big westernized cities. I've been several times in Indonesia and lived 2 months in Jakarta, but would not recommend it. Meditation and yoga are big in Bali though, check it out. to answer your questions: - I made sure somebody would take care of my incoming mail at home. Also make sure your financial situation,tax etc is handled. - learning the local language + spending time on your own stuff sounds awesome - 3 months for $5000 should be definitely doable. Renting an apartment beats moving around from hotel to hotel, however you might be interested in checking the country too :-) Mostly, avoid restaurants that serve western food and touristy neighborhoods, as your money will not go far there. - doing web dev work would help you keep up to date. You can also see whether locals need help with their website/design needs (for example hotels, travel agencies etc.) Relax. I know it sounds daunting when you're at home, but it's really not as dangerous or complex as people say. Don't forget to pack light. I have a 35-liter backpack and that's been enough for 5 months traveling/living in SE Asia, including laptop for work :-)