Travel Planning

[Nate]

I've started doing some planning at last for this travelling thing I'm doing, after going through the list of places I want to go to I've finally decided OZ, NZ, Malaysia and Thailand.

I've got 6 months to do this in and atm trying to figure out a budget. Have any of you guys gone on the tours that these companies do? What did you think of them? Worth the money? They do seem a bit expensive.

Atm the flight plan is: June 12th Melbourne make my own way to Sydney and fly to Auckland Aug 11th make my own way to Christchurchand fly to Singapoore Oct 7th make my own way to Bangkok fly to London Dec 9th. Flight with Qantas is £1200

This is what I've been looking at for the first month:

(1-8 total): June 12th – June 19th : Melbourne Habitat HQ £143.92
(8-11 total) June 19th – June 22nd: Intrepid tour Melbourne – Adelaide £350
(11-19 total) June 22nd – June 30th Adelaide Glenelg Beach Hostel £143.92
(19-28 total) June 30th – July 9th Intrepid tour Outback Track Adelaide – Alice Springs £1040
(28-30 total) July 9th – July 11th Alice Springs Alice Lodge Backpackers £29.56
(30-31 total) July 11th – July 12th Alice Springs – Darwin (THE GHAN TRAIN) £107

So how do you think I'm doing, is this the right way to plan? I'm a complete novice to this all really.

 

[DaGaffer]

If you're travelling on your own then tours can be a nice way to meet people etc. Don't know much about Intrepid, although I've heard good things. In NZ I'd definitely recommend one of the tour bus companies if you're travelling alone. The good news is they're all dead flexible so you can hop on/off buses pretty easily (for instance if you don't warm to your fellow travellers, stop over a day and get the next one along). In NZ, Kiwi Express, Magic and Stray are the three main ones, and its horses for courses; Kiwi Express (and Oz Express) are younger and are known as "the fuck bus" for good reason, Magic trends a bit older, and Stray is the one that goes a bit more off the beaten track (its the one I used) - highly recommended; saw tons of NZ but never felt constrained by my ticket.

Heard good things about the Gahn - I didn't do it but originally planned to before I had to compress the Oz leg of my trip.

The last bit from Singapore to Thailand looks a bit vague; lots of choice there; depends what you want to do; I certainly wouldn't restrict myself to Malaysia/Thailand; there are cheap AirAsia flights all over the region if you cba doing it all overland, so places like Angkor Wat and Saigon are relatively easy to reach (you'll need visas though); even doing it overland I managed Bangkok-Siem Reap-Bangkok - Surat Thani - Ko Phangnan (full moon) - Samui - Kho Tao - Surat Thani - Phuket - Kuala Lumpur - Singapore in less than two months.

 

[taB]

It looks like you've got tours organised for the easy bit and nothing set in stone for the Asia part. You're spending a grand on ten days of being shown around convict land when you could do it yourself and meet decent randoms at a fraction of that. Personally I'd do it the other way around. There's a lot of Malaysia et al. to see between the two places and it's less easy to get around (although still fine).

My experience of Intrepid was good, they're an Australian company so should know what they're doing down there. I did some stuff in China and the Trans-Sib railway with them. Fucking yonks ago now .

Oh, and obligatory: Go to Laos.

 

[Nate]

Cheers for getting back to me guys

Yeah I've also heard about the legend that is Gahn, was a celt I think? (sorry that's daoc talk) I'll check out the fuck bus for sure! But yeah I keep getting told I should travel around the three countries Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. When you went travelling did you have the visas all sorted out before you went or did you decide you'd go to some of the different countries while you were out there?

Yeah I've been looking at driving around Australia, if I hired a car I suppose I could ask around if anyone wants to hitch a ride somewhere to lower the cost of hiring and fuel? Seems a bit difficult to plan for things that way but if I'm set on the way I do things and whether or not I have someone on the journey doesn't really matter if it's cheaper. I was thinking of doing the big bit from Adelaide - Alice Springs as a tour since there is a lot to see around that bit and I haven't got a clue about how to get around them all.

 

[Nate]

Where did you go to get out of Alice Springs as you didn't go on the Ghan gaf?

 

[russell]

Wow. can I come?

 

[Nate]

Yes, but only if you keep asking what my drink of choice is

Been looking at this Greyhound bus service, seems much better for cost of travel. I can get this hop on / hop off kilometre pass which you buy so many kilometres and it lasts for 90 days. Bit longer then what I have planned to stay in Australia for but still looks good. http://www.greyhound.com.au/australia-bus-pass/oz-flexi-bus-passes/kilometre-passes.aspx 5,000 Km e.g. Darwin to Sydney via Tennant Creek, Townsville, Noosa & Byron Bay Adult: $799

 

[DaGaffer]

Where did you go to get out of Alice Springs as you didn't go on the Ghan gaf?

I didn't. my original plan was to fly into Darwin from Singapore, then Gahn to Alice, cross country back up to Cairns, then down the east coast to be in Sydney for NY. Because of my various issues I ended up flying to Cairns from Singapore and just doing the east coast. So I've still not seen Ulurhu.

 

[DaGaffer]

Yes, but only if you keep asking what my drink of choice is

Been looking at this Greyhound bus service, seems much better for cost of travel. I can get this hop on / hop off kilometre pass which you buy so many kilometres and it lasts for 90 days. Bit longer then what I have planned to stay in Australia for but still looks good. Kilometre Passes - Greyhound Australia 5,000 Km e.g. Darwin to Sydney via Tennant Creek, Townsville, Noosa & Byron Bay Adult: $799

I used the Greyhound from Cairns to Hervey Bay (to go to Fraser Island). The Greyhound is terrible. Seat pitch is awful, and because of stupid jobsworth Aussie officials, you have to wear a seatbelt all the time, so you can't recline or sleep across spare seats. Its a fucking nightmare. My Greyhound ticket was good for the whole east coast but in the end I couldn't face it after Brisbane and hired a car! (which I actually slept in on a couple of occasions).

 

[djpringle]

Cheers for getting back to me guys

I should travel around the three countries Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. When you went travelling did you have the visas all sorted out before you went or did you decide you'd go to some of the different countries while you were out there?

Not sure about Laos but Thailand doesn't require a visa for short stays. Vietnam however does require either a tourist visa or an official visa on arrival document (only relevant at major points of entry, HCMC, Hanoi and Danang I think) not at border crossings. Cambodia, you can get a tourist visa on arrival at the airport.

 

[Nate]

Ok so I've now had a few of my injections and things are all going ahead with the planning I've got practically the 182 days planned now for where, when and how.

Now what do I do first?

Buy the plane tickets?
Get the visas?
Buy the tours?

I'm thinking the plane tickets will be there whether I get the visas or not but will be going up in price the longer I leave it..but the visas are quite important, if I don't get the visa I can't get in the country for the tour and flying there would be pretty pointless the tours will be there no problem yet the visa application form asks for contact companies details..the tours say to put down the details of the tour company in that country, yet if I haven't got the tour bought how do they know who I am when the embassy rings them up and asks them who I am?!

This is bloody confusing!

ps. I won't be doing tours till I get in to Asia taking your advice taB

 

[ford prefect]

Personally I would sort out the tickets first so you can confirm dates and then sort out your visas, which usually doesn't take long. Have a good hunt around online for the tours, you can usually find some pretty good discounts.

 

[DaGaffer]

Where in Asia are you actually going to now? You don't need a visa for Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore. You can get a visa for Cambodia at the border or in Thailand (PM me if you're going to Cambodia), ditto Laos, but Vietnam you should get here, and it takes about a week during which time you won't have your passport, so take a copy if you're booking other tickets at the same time. Australia you need to do the online thing rather than get a physical visa.

Personally if you've started the jabs it would be off to STA for the plane tickets next, then the tours (NB. I'd also look on some sites like Lonely Planet Thorn Tree for advice on tours, it can sometimes be cheaper to buy them locally).

 

[Nate]

Cheers again guys,

The plan now is

Sept 2nd – Sept 7th Hong Kong
Sept 7th – Oct 13th Hong Kong > Vietnam > Cambodia > Thailand Bangkok £1745 Intrepid Tour
Oct 13th - Nov 19th Bangkok - Laos - Bangkok
Nov 19th - Dec 3rd Bangkok – Singapore £885 Intrepid Tour
Dec 3rd - Dec 9th Singapore
Dec 9th Singapore - London

I've been looking for cheap flights and it seems a pretty good deal to go straight with Qantas as I can earn something like 20,000 points with them which will help with flying to Japan when things calm down there(I'm planning on doing that next year) Had a chat with one of the online guys with STA and the best he could do was £1400 where I can do £1200 with Qantas.

 

[DaGaffer]

OK, I'd send in your passport for the Vietnam visa now. As Intrepid are taking you cross-border on their tour, I'd ask them about the Cambodia and Laos visas (they probably have a local "fixer" at each border crossing who wanders off with your passports to jump the queue).

One question; do you really need to spend nearly a grand on a tour from BKK to Singapore? Its a really easy route to do yourself, and it seems to me it misses some good stuff like the islands for Full Moon etc.

 

[Nate]

Ok will do, I also need to send one off for China but I'll do that 2nd.

I suppose I don't really, I was mainly doing it for ease and time.

 

[Nate]

<threadnomancy>

I've done a bit more:

Spoiler

54 days of Australia
(1-3 total): June 12th – June 14th : Melbourne Hotel
June 13th Melbourne Boat Show oooh
(3-6 total): June 14th – June 17th: The Great Ocean Road Mini Cooper S £184 rental Melbourne – Melbourne
June 14th : Melbourne to Warrnambool beach backpackers £16 Hertz rental
June 15th: Warrnambool to Halls Gap – Grampians Hostel £21 Hertz rental
June 17th: Grampians to Portland to Melbourne Hertz rental
(6-10 total): June 17th - June 21st: Melbourne Habitat HQ £64
(10-11 total) June 21th – June 22nd: Melbourne – Adelaide Greyhound £246 2k km
(11-13 total) June 22nd – June 24th Adelaide Glenelg Beach Hostel £36
(13-14 total) June 24th – June 25th Adelaide – Coober Pedy 5:15 Greyhound
(14 total) June 25th Coober Peddy Radeka Down Under Hostel £20
(15 total) June 26th Coober Peddy 5:50 – Alice Springs 14:30 Greyhound
(15-22 total) June 26th – July 4th Alice Springs - Uluru – Alice Springs
(23-24 total) July 4th – July 5th Alice Springs 18:00 – Darwin 17:30 (THE GHAN TRAIN) £107
(24-30 total) July 4th – July 11th Darwin – Kakadu NP – Darwin
(30 total) July 11th Darwin 6:20 – Cairns 9:20 Jetstar £144
(30-55 total) July 11th – August 5th : Cairns – Sydney Oz Experience £209
(55 total) August 5th Sydney - Christchurch

28 days of New Zealand
New Zealand Kiwi Experience Coach Funky Chicken £235 covers most of nz
(55-56 total)1-2 nz August 5th- 6th Christchurch: Jailhouse Accommodation
(56 total) 2 nz August 6th – Christchurch to Kaikoura
(57 total) 3 nz August 7th – Kaikoura to Nelson
(58 total) 4 nz August 8th – Nelson to Westport
(59 total) 5 nz August 9th - Westport to Lake Mahinapua
(60 total) 6 nz August 10th – Lake Mahinapua to Franz Josef
(61 total) 7 nz August 11th – Free day in Franz Josef
(62 total) 8 nz August 12th – Franz Josef to Wanaka
(63 total) 9 nz August 13th – Wanaka to Queenstown
(64 total) 10 nz August 14th – Free day in Queenstown
(65 total) 11 nz August 15th – Queenstown to Christchurch
(66 total) 12 nz August 16th – Domestic Flight from Christchurch to Auckland JETSTAR
(67 total) 13 nz August 17th – Auckland to Mercury Bay
(68 total) 14 nz August 18th – Mercury Bay to Rotorua
(69 total) 15 nz August 19th – Rotorua to Waitomo
(70 total) 16 nz August 20th – Waitomo to Taupo
(71 total) 17 nz August 21th – Free day in Taupo
(72 total) 18 nz August 22th – Taupo to River Valley
(73 total) 19 nz August 23th – River Valley to Wellington
(74 total) 20 nz August 24th – Wellington to Taupo
(75 total) 21 nz August 25th – Taupo to Auckland
(75 -83 total) 21 – 28 nz August 25th – Sept 2nd Auckland
2nd Sept Auckland – Hong Kong

97 days of Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore
(84-97)1-13 Asia Sept 3rd – Sept 16th Hong Kong
(97)13 Asia Sept 16th Hong Kong – Bangkok flight
(97-102)13-18 Asia Sept 16th – Sept 21st Bangkok
(102-130)18-46 Asia Sept 21st – Oct 19th Intrepid Tour Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia Oct 17th – Oct 31st Visa lasts 15 days
(130)46 Asia Oct 19th Bangkok – Phuket Flight Air Asia £37
(130-141) 46-57 Asia Oct 19th – Oct 30th Phuket
(141) 57 Asia Oct 30th Visa Run Phuket to Ranong Oct 29th – Nov 13th Visa lasts 15 days
(152) 68 Asia Nov 10th - Full Moon Party Koh Phangan How to get there?
(154) 70 Asia Nov 12th Koh Samui – Kuala Lumpur Flight/Train
(175-181) 91-97 Asia Dec 3rd - Dec 9th Singapore Train

I'm wondering if for my 2nd entry to Thailand and first to Malaysia I need an onward ticket bought to get in to the country. I haven't got either of those yet, the one in Hong Kong I will be getting pretty soon once I've decided I'm happy with the amount of time I'm spending there. I've changed my mind about visiting China and will spend more time in Malaysia instead, it's too much like hard work figuring out what the hell I put on the 7 different pages of visa for china, finding that you can't book the visa more then 3 months in advance without spending another £90 and giving them all of my debit card details through the post just seems daft. 5 days doesn't seem worth all that bother when I'm not even going to the places I'd of liked to in the country with that tour.

 

[Zenith]

Remember: Be flexible. When im out on travels i just try to keep as flexible as possible, I always want to change plans halfway. Stops you from beeing so stressed aswell. Looks good though! good luck

 

[Agell]

Nate,

Sorry just seen this, I am currently living in (not so anymore) sunny Adelaide. There is a backpackers place on Pultenay street in Adelaide that may be of more interest than the Glenelg place. It will be winter when you get here and most people hit Rundle St/Hindley St in the central business district.

Metro ticket(s) are the de-rigeur to travel around on whilst in Adelaide. Buy an off peak ($15) and an on peak ($30), off-peak is 0900-1500 mon-fri and peak is any other time. They give you 10 trips each for a max of 2 hours each (no matter how many changes in that 2 hrs)

Give me pm if you wanna meet up and reminisce over the old SC days, or want me to check anything out (or ask around) for you before you get here.

 

[Nate]

Hey Agell,

Cheers for that mate, I keep fiddling with my itinerary since I find different ways of doing things. It turns out Greyhound are doing a trip from melbourne down the great ocean road, through adelaide, stopping at coober pedy, up to alice springs, travelling around ayers rock and then back to alice springs for £500, it would of cost me £200ish to get to alice springs and then £350 to get around uluru so really liking the look of this since it also covers some accommodation, food and park fees! It lasts like 90 days from when you start so can stop longer then the paid accommodation in different areas(they only pay for like 1 or 2 nights).

But yeah sounds good, I'll let you know when I'll be in Adelaide and would be great to meet up and have a drink