New Route and other things coming together

As you can see, I have drawn up a new map of our route, of course its still not set in stone,

This is the basic plan,

Fly into HK late March, spend a week or so there, and do a trip over to JWs family in Macau for 2 or 3 days,

Then fly in mid April to Taipei in Taiwan, and travel around the island (down the East coast and up the West back to Taipei)for around 2 months.

Then fly back to HK, and make our way into China for one month, travel North, Cross the border into Mongolia, spend maybe a week there, staying a few days in a ger hopefully.

Then back into China for 1 month, travelling South to the Vietnam border.

Then travel through SE Asia

1 month in Vietnam, 1 month in Cambodia, 1 month in Laos, then cross into Thailand

Because we are travelling in overland, we will only get 15 days in Thailand, but should be ok, because from all reports Thailand has far too many tourists already!!

Then cross into Malaysia, where we'll spend at least 3 months, travelling South and then through Malaysian borneo,

Making our way back to KL, we will fly to the Philippines for hopefully a month, and then fly back to KL, from there, we will go through Singapore and head to Indonesia for a month (hopefully more if we can) From there, we will probably make our way back to KL, and get a flight from there back to HK to fly home! In total, it should take around 14/ 15 months ( or however long we can get away with it for!!!)

Also JW gave his notice to work today, so very exciting that the ball is really rolling!

New Year, New Plans...

Happy New Year!

Its 2011, and the year that we really get our asses in gear and go travelling!

There have been some early hiccups though,

After a bit of research, it became clear that the China visas are going to be a little harder that we orginally thought.

We were hoping for a 6 month multiple according to advice, the most we are going to get is a double entry visa valid for 60 days at a time.

Giving us only 4 months in China.

Even this visa might not be doable, because apparently China are constantly changing their visa rules...we might only be able to get a double entry 30 days at a time, giving us only 2 months!

So, this is going to make a big difference to our trip...

If we can only get a double entry, it will mean that we will have to do Taiwan first before we enter China, and leave out South Korea, so our 1 exit can be to Mongolia.

Really stressed about it when I found out, because I'd been looking at our planned China trip in minute detail and this might mean cutting out the majority of places we planned to go to.

BUT, the truth is we always said we would be flexible about our route and stuff, so we will have to adapt.

If we cant get the Visa we want, we’ll just have to agree to come back another day and do the bits we missed out on!!

AND, it frees up some money to spend more time elsewhere- like the Philippines or Indonesia! OH YEAH!

A new map post

So, now that the ball is rolling (eek!)

I started making some serious decisions about routes and dates (double eek!)

I did a lot of research on adding Mongolia to our trip,
And also maybe venturing to Papa New Guinea.

Nothing's set in stone, and that the good thing about it.

I also thought about Air Asia, and it makes sense to use the cheap flights to cut time and expense when travelling through places,
so I decided that we should use KL as a jump off point for The Philippines and as a end point to fly back from (or to fly from to HK and fly back from there

A very rough and unfinished idea of dates and routes...

Feb/Mar- Arrive Hong Kong

Mar-Oct- China, Taiwan, China, S.Korea, China, Mongolia, China, Tibet, China

Oct- Vietnam

Nov- Cambodia

Dec- Laos

Jan- Thailand

Feb- Malaysia

Mar/Apr- Philippines

Apr/May- Malaysia

May/June- Indonesia

June- Malaysia/HK

June- leave to London

Sayonara Japan?.

I did a lot of thinking this weekend...

About routes and money and dates- all those things Ive been stressing about for a while...

I did some working out, (I hate maths) and tried to think realistically about what we can do with the budget we have, that seems to be getting tighter every time I work it out.

So, basically to cut a long story short, I figured out that to stay and travel in Japan, we would have to more than double our daily budget that we were planning for places like China, Vietnam etc.

This would mean that our trip into Japan would have to be really short, and we'd have to cut out lots of stuff we wanted to see,
not only this, but we would be staying in dives the whole time and wouldn't be able to stop worrying about money.
And considering how much it would cost to get to and from Japan, and the cost of the rail pass to travel around when we are there (around £400 for 21 days EACH!) I realised that we wouldn't be able to afford to do it with the budget we have...

So I'm pretty sure.... that for this trip.... we will have to take Japan off our itinerary :(

I'm gutted, Japan is one of the places Ive always wanted to go, and I was really looking forward to places like Tokyo and Hiroshima...
But I'll keep the guidebook and information I collected, and hopefully we will do a proper trip there, when we can afford to do it properly.

So Sayonara Japan... For now.

China route map

Ive finally completed the rough guide to our route through China,

Starting in Hong Kong,

and leaving China to visit Taiwan, Japan and South Korea and then finally leaving China for the last time into Vietnam at the friendship Pass...

This picture isnt that clear, but you can see the general route,

Also, this isnt set in stone, it will change and evolve as we travel...

It exciting!

Matsu Island

Ive been getting quite deep into routes this week.

Ive had a re think about the China route,


Firstly because Ive figured out that its probably a lot cheaper and easier to fly in to Hong Kong,
And secondly, with the news about the floods in Southern China at the moment, it would be very unwise to be in southern china next summer (rainy season)


So, Ive decided to start in Hong Kong, and do some of the south, before heading to the northern provences for the summer months.
(Ill put a map up on here when I get round to doing one)


Also, been looking at getting to Taiwan...
and (kinda excitedly) discovered (thanks to that reliable man in seat61) that the best way to get there from china is to get a ferry from Fuzhou to Matsu (a tiny island off the coast of china) then to Taiwan.
It looks very cool!!!
see....

Matsu Island...

It doesnt look like there is much there, and even googling doesnt bring up much...

(these pics are from google maps)
But I just like the idea of going somewhere totally out of the way and where not many people go!

where to begin?

So,

time for a bit of positivity!!!

Looking at flights made me feel a bit better (even if they are SUPER more expensive that I originally thought)

I've discovered that actually Chengdu is pretty expensive to fly into (doh)

so I think it might be better/easier/cheaper to fly in to HONG KONG!

The route Ive looked at will probably still work but just in a slightly different order.

and since we might be going in March now (ugh) it might work out well that we avoid the coldest bits at the coldest time.

Rough Itinerary

Nov- Arrive in China

Dec-China

Jan-China, visit S.Korea (Seoul)

Feb- China (chinese new year in Beijing?)

Mar-Japan

Apr- Japan (till early April- My Bday) then China

May- China, Vietnam

Jun-Vietnam, Cambodia

Jul- Cambodia, Laos

Aug-Laos, Thailand

Sep-Thailand, Malaysia

Oct-Malaysia, Singapore

Nov-Indonesia

Dec-Indonesia, Philippines

Japan

Japan makes me excited.

I think its one of the main places Ive always wanted to see.

Im a bit gutted that its more expensive than the rest of asia, because I could happily spend 6 months or more there if I could afford it.

As is stands I think we'll spend 2 months there, going from bottom to top and down again.

Ive worked out you can get a ferry from Qingdao, China to Shimonoseki, Japan.

I cant wait...

China routes (kinda) sorted

As JW has been in SA this week (30 degrees everyday there!- so jealous) Ive been doing quite a bit of late night research on China routes,
I'm pretty much sorted on how we will be travelling through, although every little place or festival I read about I want to go to!
I know, i know, I cant do EVERYTHING, but you know, I feel like the world is out there, and I wanna grab it with both hands and get everything I can out of it.
Also, I'm not sure if Ill ever have an opportunity to go back to China and explore properly, and I should try and see everything I wanna see NOW!

Sometimes I worry that I'm being terribly selfish wanting to travel, travel, travel.
As I know JW is really the settling down type.
But I suppose that I have never been one to settle and stay still for too long,
I would (totally) travel for the rest of my life if I could (you know what why cant I???- Oh, yeah- Money)

I guess we have to compromise.

New Route ideas

New Plan- Fly into Chengdu, travel around China from there( not sure what route yet), include trip to Seoul in S.Korea for a week or so (there is a boat from Tianjin to Close to Seoul)
And head to Japan (by boat) for around 2 months, before heading back into china and then South to Vietnam.

Lots of planning needed, but I feel a little better now I don't have to worry about tours from Kathmandu and Tibet visas!

So, its quite exciting that we'll go to Seoul, that I never really factored in before. Its kinda compensation for not doing Kathmandu!

Seoul, S.Korea

Ok, ok, ok, So I keep changing my mind

I have been researching routes almost every day this week.
I sadly have come to the conclusion that to travel to Tibet through Nepal is just toooooo awkward and expensive ( you need special permits, guides, to join a tour and then it effects your china visa)
So Ive come to the conclusion that after all that, I'll have to kiss goodbye to Kathmandu (for now) and start back at the drawing board again!
I think what the easiest thing will be is to fly directly into China (Possibly Beijing, or another major airport) and travel from there, hopefully still getting a chance to travel in Tibet at some point. I think it might be good to get a multiple entry visa, and then we can head intro S. Korea and Japan from China, instead of doing them later in the trip (might be good because I was worried about missing the Japanese blossoms in spring, but this way it might work.
Its weird how these things evolve over time eh?
Anyway, rather more important things are going on as JW's Dad is very ill, so JW is going out to Cape Town this weekend ( I wish I could go, but with saving money and work, its just not possible)So his focus is on that.

All moved and raring to go!

After lots of stress and a few arguements, I moved everything I own into one room in my parents house this weekend.

I'm back to work today, and can now really start thinking about where, what, when and how much?

I've been reading my lonely planet books like crazy, and trying to get together plans where I can!

So now have a few more route details...

Hopefully, should be starting in Kathmandu in Nepal, then travelling from there to Lhasa, Tibet.

On the way doing Everest base camp.

From Lhasa, travel through Tibet to Golmud.

Through Qinghai province to Xining,

Then on to Langzhou in Gansu.

And head towards Xi'an.

2010 is the year I start travelling

So Im thinking seriously about routes and stuff.

JW bought me a great Lonely Planet book on China to get my teeth into,

I have decided it will be cool to Start in Kathmandu, then travel to Lhasa, Tibet with an organised tour, From Lhasa, the plan is to get a train to Golmud in Qinghai province...then head East.

Map of China's Provinces

Also still mulling over the order, was thinking I might do Japan a little earlier, but I think Ive settled on...

China-Taiwan-China-Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos-Thailand-Malaysia-Singapore-Indonesia-Philippines-Japan

Thinking about routes...

I've been thinking a lot about what direction we should travel in, and where to start.
I thought it would be good to start in Tibet and travel east,
But someone suggested to me that I should start in Delhi, then travel through Nepal (adding extra weeks to my trip)instead.
But, im not sure if Im already taking on too much, and adding more places is over-complicating things...?
On the other hand the more places to see the better, and it is easier and cheaper to fly into Delhi...???
Also been doing a lot of thinking about going to OZ.
I've been doing some research about working holiday visas.
JW is 28, and apparently you cannot get a working holiday visa if you are over 30, that only gives us (well, him) a couple of years before we wont be able to do it at all.
Also with him being South African, we have to apply for his British citizenship before we go (figured it would make travel a lot easier if we are both on a British passport) it costs crazy money, and kinda feels like its a chunk out of what we could be spending on travel.
Although, I know I wouldnt want to do this without him (what fun would it be on my own?)

where, when, how?

The plan is to start in Tibet, travel through china for a few months.
Then through
Cambodia
Vietnam
Laos
Thailand
Malaysia
Singapore

Then spend a few months exploring Indonesia

Through the Philippines, Taiwan.
Explore the Islands around Japan, then spend a few months travelling through Japan.

Then, possibly travel to Australia and New Zealand to do a working holiday for a few months

(possible detours through Northern India, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and North and South Korea?)