Thought I'd post a factfile just so you all know roughly where I might be, when, and how to get in contact.
This is the planned itinerary for the whole trip, all 7 months of it. The flights are in bold as they are slightly more definite dates (still subject to change ofcourse).
17th Oct depart Heathrow - 18th Oct arrive Bangkok
18-24th - Bangkok and around inc. Kanchanaburi and Bridge over the River Kwai
25-28th - Chiang Mai hill tribe trek (elephants, river rafts, general jungle-iness)
28-30th - more time in Chiang Mai for a spot of Thai cooking
31st Oct-2nd Nov - 3 day journey to Luang Prabang in Laos via the Mekong river
3-10th - roughly 1 week in Laos for tubing, caving and presumably some temples
11-25th - 2 weeks in Vietnam from top (Hanoi) to bottom (Ho Chi Minh City or 'Saigon') with trips to Halong Bay and Hoi An along the way. Will hopefully find some tunnels and museums about the war.
26th Nov-3rd Dec - Cambodia - Pnom Penh (the capital), Kep/Kampot/Sihanoukville (southern beaches) and Siem Reap (to visit Angkor Wat)
4-8th - journey to Southern Thailand via Bangkok, first island stop on Koh Tao to attempt to scuba dive
9-12th - Koh Pha Ngan for full-moon party
13-22nd - more time on Pha Ngan heading north to get away from the crowds and then a stay with Brian Tasker on Phuket
23-26th - Christmas time on Penang in Malaysia, christmas on the beach
27-29th - Kuala Lumpur
30th Dec-2nd Jan - New Year in Singapore
This is where the plan becomes dependent on job availability but for now we'll say:
4-8th - explore Cairns and look for work
9th Jan-4th March - working in Queensland, hopefully in a hotel, cafe or bar, Louise will have to drag me kicking and screaming to do fruit-picking or any other farm work, had enough of that for one year
5th March-2nd April - travel down the East coast with Oz experience buses to Sydney (learn to surf haha, sail around the Whitsundays, visit Fraser Island, Brisbane, Byron Bay and have a barbie) maybe a roadtrip to Melbourne/Adelaide if we have time
2nd April depart Sydney, Australia - arrive Auckland, NZ
3rd April - 9th May - complete a circuit of both North and South island on Kiwi experience buses, visiting Paihia, Rotorua, Wellingotn, Nelson, Franz Josef Glacier, Queenstown, Milford Sound and Christchurch
9th May depart Auckland, NZ - arrive Nadi, Fiji
10-22nd - explore Fiji, hopping from one desert island to the next with a Bula Pass around the Mamanuca and Yasawa islands and relax in Nadi before mammoth journey home
22nd May depart Nadi, Fiji - cross dateline (go back in time) - stop in LA - 23rd May arrive Heathrow
You may have noticed that the first section of the itinerary is much more detailed than the rest. This may have something to do with the fact that I have a Rough Guide to South East Asia but not to anywhere else. But we have plenty of time and many backpacker-to-backpacker conversations to have before we get to Australia so I'm sure we will collect a long list of places to see.
To contact me you can leave a comment on this blog, send me an email at ellie_p19@hotmail.co.uk or through Facebook. I will also try to be on Skype when I can (i.e when I'm at a hostel with fast, free internet). My Skype name is eleanor.palmer90. I will be taking my phone with me which I may text from or for calls incase of emergencies.
Hope you've all found this informative, but do take it with a pinch of salt as the plan might change a little, or even alot.
'All journey's have secret destinations, of which the traveler is unaware'
Wow, what a mission. This is extra scary for me because you'll always be my baby sister who cuddles up when there's thunder and we're camping.
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