Category Archives: Misc

Vietnam and East Timor take shape

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I have to throw a couple of “thanks” out here. First of all to Thao in Ho Chi Minh City who’s helping me plan what promises to be an awesome week or so motorcycling around the south of Vietnam. I’ve been wanting to ride round the whole country since well before that Top Gear episode, but time is short. However, covering around a quarter of the place and seeing many towns and roads I’ve not encountered before promises to be amazing!

I think the plan right now is to circle round from HCM to Da Lat, then Nah Trang, Mui Ne Beach and back to the city again. If there’s time I’d love to get as far up as the DMZ near Da Nang, but that might be pushing it.

Next up, TravelFish on Twitter put me in touch with Matt who’s been able to provide me with some very useful information regarding flights to and from East Timor. I was about to give up on this adventure (mainly due to time constraints), but now it looks like it could be both affordable and enjoyable. I may try and make part of the journey there by land, but fly back out to Denpasar. He’s done this journey before and knowing this gives me a quite a bit of comfort.

I’ll likely be flying with Mupati. Unfortunately, their web page is still at the “under construction” phase so I wasn’t able to check times and prices on there. The only other alternatives were from Singapore (far too expensive) and Darwin (stupid long route round and as a result, very expensive as well). Flying from Bali is still not cheap, but it’s a lot cheaper.

Any other time I’d have just turned up and winged up, but two to three years ago I wasn’t on any real schedule. I also had a hell of a lot more money!

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Vietnam flights booked

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The trip is coming together. I’ve just booked my hostel in Bangkok (I’m staying in the HQ Hostel, recommended by Honey from Couchsurfing.com) and also my flight to Ho Chi Minh City, and from Hanoi back to Bangkok.

I have a friend in HCM who I’ve not yet met and I’m hoping we can work out a 3-4 day moped-based trip to Dalat and back to HCM from where I’ll get another flight up to Hanoi. I would use the bus, as usual, but tim constraints make that difficult.

My main task now is to work out how to get to/from East Timor, and how quickly I can get to Ko Tao from Bangkok airport.

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Train ticket available

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National Express East Coast 43300 leads 43238 ...

Ride me for £9!

Due to flying from London, I now have a ticket from Kings Cross to Perth, Scotland available. I’d originally planned on heading back home for a few days, but the flights from Heathrow were far cheaper.

The ticket is on the East Coast Main Line, leaves Kings Cross at midday on the 29th of June and stops at Peterborough, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh and a few other places. Obviously, you can get off before Perth if you want.

Note that it’s only one-way. If you’re heading back to London, you’ll need to book that separately. I recommend thetrainline.com and to do so quickly before the prices rise again.

I’m only asking £9 for it – that’s what it cost and why I don’t mind flinging it away if it’s not going to be used. But better to be used by someone. Contact link on the right, or post in the comments if you’re interested. As it’s to be collected, you’ll have to get it off me when I’m in London, though – it requires my payment card and the booking number to get it out of the machine.

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Booked!

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Etihad Airways

Mmmm... comfy to fly in

Sweaty palms already, folks. I’ve booked my (return) flight to Bangkok and have pencilled in my other destinations in this little 2-month jaunt. I’ll be away for almost the entire of July and August, and hitting a few new places predominantly within countries I have already visited.

As ever, details are on the calendar (link always on the left of the main page)  and will be updated as and when I confirm flights and so forth. My main new destination, if I can figure out how to get there and away easily, will be East Timor. I’ve heard the diving’s amazing.

The basic plot is:

  • Go to Graspop with Marina and company
  • Return to London and set off to Bangkok the next morning
  • Work my way down to Kuala Lumpur, perhaps stopping off for some diving on the way
  • Meet up with the delectable Leah for a night before she flies to Oz
  • Somehow get to East Timor for a week or so
  • Meet up with Leah again in Bali and island-hope for 2 weeks until she has to head home
  • Work my way back to Bangkok to an eye operation (1 week stay in Bangkok)
  • A week or so in Vietnam to see somewhere new and to visit the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation
  • Back to London, back to Scotland

I’m happy to say I’m flying Etihad again on the same schedule I booked at the start of the year. No, they’re not paying me. I’m just happy to recommend them as currently the cheapest deal going for the route I’m flying, and as the best carrier I’ve yet had long-distance. That’s personal experience speaking, not bribery!

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Almost there

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Just have to check a few dates before I book the actual flights, but I already have some destinations down on my Google Calendar. Those dates are as good as permanent.

With luck, I should be booking things and forking out actual cash (*sob*) tonight or tomorrow. Please feel free to take pity on me and send large cheques or PayPal donations. As ever, donations are rewarded with a postcard from wherever I’m going!