* 24th October: Rule out going to Indonesia before Christmas due to bombing and unrest there
* 27th October: stay in Guilin area of southern China for a week - the 'most beautiful place in the world'! - while waiting for a Vietnamese visa to come through
* 1st November: add Cambodia and Laos into itinerary for some off-the-beaten track travel!
* 26th November: Nha Trang washed out so move scuba fun to Thailand/India
* 2nd January: Ko Samui washed out by monsoon so beach/diving fun extended by an extra trip to the Andaman Coast
* 5th January: Extra time planned for Thailand to fit in Thai cooking class
* 7th January: Direct flight home planned for start of April to allow skiing and Greek island trips on our return
* 22nd January: Delay return to Bangkok to allow additional trek in southern Laos
* 26th January: Extra Thai beach time to hang out with Alissa and Tricky while our India visas get processed
* 5th February: Cunning decision to avoid the south during the cool season and head for the Himalayas!
* 15th March: Drop end trips to Maldives/Kerala and head to the sands of Goa instead
Actual vs. planned itinerary
| Month |
Planned |
Actual |
| September |
Sept 4 - St. Petersburg Sept 7 - Moscow Sept 9 - TransSiberian Express Sept 14 - Irkutsk / Lake Baikal (excursion on the lake) Sept 21 - TransMongolian Express Sept 23 - Ulaan Bataar (excursion in the Gobi desert) Sept 30 - TransManchurian Express |
Sept 4 - St. Petersburg Sept 8 - Moscow Sept 11 - Trans-Siberian Express Sept 15 - Irkutsk / Lake Baikal (excursion on the lake) Sept 20 - TransMongolian Express Sept 22 - Ulaan Bataar Sept 23 - Expedition into Mongolian mountains, plains and desert Sept 30 - Trans-Manchurian Express |
| October |
Oct 2 - Beijing to meet up with Robert Oct 7 - explore north of China Oct 9 - flight to Xi'an (terracotta warriors) Oct 14 - explore south of China |
Oct 1 - Beijing to meet up with Robert (and enjoy the National Holiday!) Oct 5 - Great Wall trek Oct 7 - Flight to Xi'an (terracotta warriors) Oct 9 - Flight to Shanghai Oct 13 - Day trip to Suzhou Oct 14 - Bye Robert! Oct 15 - Train to Tunxi (Huang Shan, Yellow Mountain) Oct 19 - Train to Jingdezen, Bus to Juijiang Oct 20 - Boat up Yangzi River Oct 24 - Chongqing-Chengdu Oct 25 - Giant Pandas Oct 26 - Sichuan cookery course Oct 27 - Flight to Nanning (Vietnam visa) Oct 28 - Bus to Guilin (home of the dog eaters) Oct 29 - Bus to Yangshuo (most beautiful place on earth?) |
| November |
November - Vietnam, Malaysia |
Nov 7th - Bus to Guilin, bus to Nanning (pick up 'Nam Visa) Nov 8th - Train to Pinxiang, moto to Vietnamese border, Fidel Castro's car to Lang Son, minibus to Hanoi! Nov 11th - Bus to Halong City: Halong Bay trip Nov 15th - Train to Sapa: Hill tribes trek Nov 22nd - Train to Hanoi Nov 23rd - Train to Danang, bus to Hoi An (tailor town, ancient Cham ruins) Nov 26th - Train to Nha Trang (washed out scuba diving) Nov 27th - Train to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City |
| December |
beginning December - Indonesia end December - Thailand (meeting Doug/Sarah and Po/Marijke) |
Dec 1 - Boat Expedition up Mekong Delta to Phnom Penh, Cambodia Dec 7 - Flight to Ban Lung, Ratanakiri Province (Waterfall/Virachay jungle trek) Dec 11 - Flight to Phnom Penh Dec 12 - Aquafoil to Siem Reap (Angkor period temple expedition) Dec 16 - Pickup truck and bus to Bangkok Dec 17 - Flight to Phuket (Diving courses) Dec 21 - Bus/Boat to Similan Islands (Diving expedition) Dec 23 - Overnight bus to Bangkok (for Christmas with Doug & Sarah) Dec 27 - Overnight bus/boat to Ko Samui (for New Year with Po & Marijke) |
| January | INDIA!!!! |
Jan 2 - Bus/Boat/Bus to Khao Lak (beach with sun) Jan 4 - Boat to Similan Islands (diving adventure with Po & Marijke) Jan 7 - Overnight bus to Bangkok Jan 8 - Overnight train to Chiang Mai (cooking course) Jan 12 - Overnight bus to Vientiane, Laos Jan 15 - Bus to Luang Phabang (temple city) Jan 17 - Flight to Phonsavan (Plain of Jars) Jan 18 - Bus to Vang Vieng Jan 20 - Bus/raft to Saisombun 'Special Zone' (white water rafting expedition) Jan 23 - Minibus to Khammuan (trekking/caving homestay expedition) Jan 25 - Minibus to Ta Kek, boat across Mekong river to Thailand, overnight bus to Bangkok (Indian visas/Alissa) Jan 27 - Minibus/boat to Ko Samet (beach fun with Tricky) Jan 30 - boat/minibus to Bangkok (India visas, Alissa AND Tricky) |
| February | INDIA!!!! |
Feb 1 - Flight to Calcutta/India! Feb 5 - Overnight train to Varanasi Feb 9 - Overnight train to Haridwar Feb 11 - Bus to Rishikesh Feb 14 - Train to Ludhiana Feb 16 - Train/Bus to Shimla (strange change of plans to include a Himalayan adventure) Feb 18 - Bus to Manali Feb 21 - Bus(es) to Ludhiana Feb 23 - Round trip to Pakistani border Feb 25 - Car to Delhi Feb 28 - Train to Agra (Taj Mahal and heavenly engagement!) |
| March | INDIA!!!! |
March 2 - Bus to Bharatpur bird sanctuary, train to Sawai Madophur (Tiger Safari) March 4 - Train to Jaipur March 6 - Train to Jaisalmer (Camel trek into Great Thar Desert) March 11 - Train to Jodphur March 14 - Bus to Udaipur March 20 - Flight to Bombay, flight to Goa March 23 - Overnight bus to Hampi (yikes!) March 24 - Overnight bus to Palolem beach, Goa March 28 - Overnight train to Bombay March 31 - FLIGHT TO PARIS-AMSTERDAM-EDINBURGH - HOME AT LAST!!! |
| April | Getting home (in some way - boat? via Greece?) before the 12th for a 30th birthday party for Magnus! |
First 48 hours back involved bouncing between Paris-Amsterdam-Edinburgh-back to Amsterdam then off to the south of France for a ski trip!
Next trick - getting a job... |