Thailand

The "Banana Pancake Trail" of Southeast Asia starts here for a reason. Thailand has the most developed backpacker infrastructure in Asia — Khao San Road in Bangkok is the spiritual home of budget travel. Solo travelers find friends within hours at hostels that organize group activities (pub crawls, island hopping, cooking classes). The food is incredible ($1-3 per street food meal), temples are stunning, and the islands (Koh Lanta, Koh Phangan, Railay Beach) offer everything from full-moon parties to meditation retreats. At $25-40/day, it's affordable enough to extend your trip when you inevitably don't want to leave.