Major changes to itinerary

* 20th October: take 4 days for a trip through the 3 Gorges on the Yangzi river - they'll be gone in a couple of years!
* 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...


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