Backpacking Through Southeast Asia: The One Visa Service I Wish I’d Used Sooner

When I first set out on my big adventure across Southeast Asia, I was that naive backpacker who thought that the most important thing was to buy a cheap ticket and stuff all of my worldly possessions into a backpack. Everything else, they say, will somehow figure itself out along the way.  

The reality, of course, turned out to be quite different. 

Back on my first around-the-world trip, I’d already filled out paper forms at stuffy visa centers, printed photos on a white background (or the best that I could do), and paid extra for rush processing simply because I hadn’t read the fine print. It was a real adventure, but not the kind that you wish for when traveling. 

Back then, I didn’t know there was a service that could save me from all this chaos. I didn’t know about HandleVisa.  

My First Experience With Asia: A Bureaucratic Adventure 

My grand Southeast Asia trip started in Thailand, continued through the temples of Cambodia, crossed the mountains of Laos, and ended along the deltas of Vietnam.  

Just four countries and some 2,500 kilometers from start to finish… What could possibly go wrong? 

As it turned out, everything. 

• In Bangkok, I stood in line for three hours at the Cambodian consulate, holding my passport and a printed reservation (which, by the way, the officers didn't even check).  
• In Laos, I filled out the wrong form and stood in the blazing sun, copying it by hand.  
• And in Vietnam, my first visa was rejected because the photo was the wrong size. 

Each new country became a test of patience. I even lugged around extra sheets of paper, a stapler, and glue because some embassies required me to physically attach my photo to the form. By the end of the trip, I knew what every possible immigration form in Asia looked like. And when friends joked that I'd become a "visa expert," I wasn't laughing. 

In fact, I’d had enough!  

Discovering Handle Visa, AKA How I Finally Stopped Suffering 

I only learned about Handle Visa about a year later, when I was planning another trip back to Asia, this time to Indonesia.  

A friend, well aware of my previous plights with bureaucracy, recommended the site to me. I decided to give it a try, half out of curiosity and half out of desperation. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. 

From the moment I opened the Handle Visa website, I knew this was going to be different. There were no complicated instructions, no endless (and boring) fine print to scroll through for an hour.  

The whole process was super intuitive: I simply had to choose my destination country, read the requirements, and apply from the comfort of my own home. Short, clear, and to the point. 

I filled out the Indonesia eVisa form in less than ten minutes. Handle Visa automatically verified my documents, sent me a confirmation email, and my eVisa had been approved within one day! 

I just stared at the screen for a moment, half convinced I’d missed something. It felt suspiciously easy, like I should’ve been sweating over a photocopier somewhere. But no, that was really it. No waiting in lines, no confusing status updates, no panic about whether I’d uploaded the right file. 

How Handle Visa Changed My Travel (And My Life) 

When I arrived in Jakarta, at midnight and after a ten-hour flight, no less, the only thought running through my head was, "I hope there aren’t any surprises waiting at the border". (Well, that and where I managed to lose my Airpods, but that’s another story.) 

Old habits die hard, so I printed out my eVisa, confirmation letter, and even the email with instructions, just in case.  

However, all my worries proved unfounded: the passport check took less than a minute, and I was already rolling my suitcase toward the exit while the airport glowed in its sleepy midnight haze. 

Since then, I’ve used Handle Visa for trips to Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and even Kenya, and each experience has gone just as smoothly. I’ve stopped stressing about visas and putting off travel “until I sort out the paperwork”. 

Now, applying for a visa is simply another item that I get to tick off my travel to-do list, like booking a hotel or reserving a tour.  

Looking Back 

If I had known about Handle Visa during my first backpacking trip, I would’ve saved myself countless hours, a few sunburns, and probably some unnecessary gray hairs. And maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t have spent so much time waiting in consulates where the air conditioning only reached the security guard. 

These days, it’s different. Thanks to Handle Visa, the process feels lighter, clearer, and calmer. 

Now, I actually understand what’s happening at every step and can focus on what matters: the trip itself. Borders don’t feel like barriers anymore, just formal checkpoints on the way to somewhere new. 

If someone asked what I’d tell first-time travelers heading to Southeast Asia, I’d say: don’t waste your energy fighting paperwork. There are easier ways now, and they make the journey a lot more enjoyable. 

The content has been authored in collaboration with our guest contributor, Helena Capdevila.