I have 12 months...

thailand w/o question...

Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Phillipines

don't forget vietnam.....

travel through asia and australia, spend a few months on the beach in thailand, travel around india, you can easily travel for a year

yes it is easy to get a job in Australia but the job you are most likely going to end up in is very specific: lobby/charity hack.

India comes highly recommended. Easy and cheap to get around, not difficult to get by on a small budget, and just about everyone speaks understandable-ish English.

Obviously you have to work within your budget. That $4k may look like a lot, but you've got $33 a day. For everything. (If you do have $5k still budget your travel for $4k and you'll have money for a few extravagances, such as hiring a guide and auto-ricksaw for Angkor Wat rather than hiring a bicycle.) So, how much of that $33 will go to your bedding? In Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos cheap lodging of less than $10 is available in areas; of course you're roughing it and may be in a dorm. Thailand has become pricey in the popular areas, but it is possible to find a bed for less than $15. You can get good basic meals in the street for $2 - 3. Keep your drinking to a minimum. You'll also have visas to pay for in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. You can travel in Thailand and Indochina on cheap bus and rail (Thai and Vietnam). Though cheap and a good value for the dollar I wouldn't recommend the PI since you have to fly there from elsewhere in SE Asia.

India has been recommended and since you have so much time I'd concur. Affordable food and lodging is prevalent and India's extensive rail network allows you to do a 2 for 1 - get a birth/seat, travel at night, and save money. Entrance fees to temples, museums and monuments are affordable, and in many cases only a donation is requested. Staying and/or eating at ashrams is a cheap option, too. India offers a 6-month multiple entry visa for less than $100, so you can travel overland to Nepal too w/o having to apply for an additional India visa to return.

If you have you heart set on Australia you may want to consider Indonesia as your SE Asia destination. Lots of Aussies visit so affordable travel is easy to obtain. If you have sailing experience, a hearty sense of adventure, and no fear of pirates you may be able to find work on a boat going to Oz.

Lastly, get good travel insurance. Hospitals in Asia have a business model of obtain payment FIRST then provide treatment.

Inner Mongolia.

those places that everyone's recommending in Asia are all really, really fucking hot, btw

Gosh, you make it sound like KSA. In SE Asia the typical temp is between 28 and 33 C - the two seasons are wet and dry rather than hot and cold. Much of the subcontinent can get near-Saudi hot before the monsoon arrives, but at this time of the year it's upper 20s to low 30s C throughout India, and in Dec and Jan it will be cooler yet. Oct is often the best month to visit Nepal because the monsoon has broken, the skies have cleared, and the peaks are visible.

And in Inner Mongolia today's temp is a blistering... 2.
But a heat wave approaches and high temps on 7 Oct are forecast to be 15 C.

Of course it's hotting up in Oz as summer approaches.

I just got back from spending two weeks in Thailand this past friday. I would concur, head there and then branch off to Laos, vietnam, india and indonesia. SE Asia is an awesome destination for a young travelor. I am 33 now and did have some time when I was a youth to travel for a year, but I fucked around in LA and Vegas. I wish I would have taken my tail to asia instead. You will have a ton of fun, meet interesting people and learn some good life lessons.

travel asia and all of it. 4 months will not be enough time but pick what interests you and make an itinerary around it.

Thailand and Vietnam are good on a budget I've been too both and India too (I'm from India). If you're thinking seriously about going to India and have questions ask away I'll do my best to answer

+1 been to both. I highly recommend the two countries if you have never been