A surfing lesson in Byron Bay, white-water rafting on the Tongariro River in New Zealand and a cookery course in Chiang Mai were all money well spent, but some of the best experiences were unexpected.

Off the backpacker track in Cambodia, hundreds of miles from the temples of Angkor, we were approached by a smiling stranger, Mr Tree, who offered, for a few dollars, to take us on a boat trip, then for a meal at his home.

The boat trip along a muddy estuary was nothing special, but the meal cooked by his wife, using a car battery for power, while the rest of the family stared at their Western visitors, was special.

As we rode home through the fields on the back of his motorbike, we were intrigued by the sound of pounding music. A wedding reception was taking place in a tiny village. Sensing our interest, our guide drove into the community and introduced us to the bride’s father — who promptly put us on the top table.

Page 2: Need to know ()

Need to know

Getting there: We used Great Escapade tickets (Virgin, Air New Zealand, Singapore Air), which start at £1,069pp, arranged through Travelbag (0800 0825000, www.travelbag.co.uk). Most tickets allow 28,000 miles, with unlimited stops, and are valid for 12 months. Extra miles can be bought, and travel dates changed, but the route cannot be altered. Budget airlines such as Air Asia (www.airasia.com) now operate in South-East Asia — a return flight from Johor Bahru, in Malaysia, to Sarawak, in Borneo, cost us £50.

Before you go: We arranged a policy with Insure and Go (0870 9013674, www.insureandgo.com), costing £388 for ten months. House letting: Our two-bedroom house, in Battersea, southwest London, was let while we were away. Jobs: We both left our jobs but it is becoming increasingly common to negotiate unpaid leave.

Budgeting: The total cost for our ten-month adventure, including flights, was £17,036. About three quarters of that went on accommodation, ranging from 80p for a hut overlooking a beautiful stretch of river in Laos, to £75 for a room in central Sydney on New Year’s Eve.

We blew almost £2,000 in the first three weeks in the US, including £82 for three nights in a grim hostel in San Diego, an internal flight and a small fortune on car hire. By contrast, a month in Laos, where a beer is 40p, cost a total of £350 and nowhere in South-East Asia did we spend more than £8 a night on a room.

Although our approach was prudent, we did not slum it and kept to our golden rule — no dorms. We deposited our travel funds in a Nationwide Flex account, which pays interest, offers a good exchange rate, allows withdrawals from cash machines and banks using a debit card, and can be managed on the internet. A credit card was carried as back-up and £200 in dollar traveller’s cheques were hidden in our luggage.

Packing: Pack as if travelling for a week. Take jeans. Take a cheap, pay-as-you-go mobile phone, a torch and padlock.