Stuck at the drawing board

[Dave_Sanderson]

Hey guys! First off great website – it’s helped me loads already. I take my hat off to you Greg 

About me: I’m 21, from Liverpool, England, and I finished uni about 5 months ago. Since then I’ve done some travelling around Europe, but at the moment I’m stuck in a horrible 9-5 job (actually its 7.30-5, but who’s counting?) on minimum wage and questioning why I didn’t go for that graduate job in the summer when I had the chance. The only thing keeping me going in this job is the thought that in a few months I can leave it all behind and set off across the globe!

My plan: After spending hours in front of my computer getting ideas of where to travel, how to travel, how to fund my travels, etc., etc. I’ve still not really sorted out exactly where I want to go. I plan to visit SE Asia and then make my way to Australia and work out there for 12 months (possibly longer). I was thinking of starting off in Hong Kong, making my way to Hanoi, then down to Ho Chi Minh, across to Cambodia, then Thailand (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Koh Tao/Samui) and then down through Malaysia to Singapore and over to Oz. There are far more places I’d love to visit, and hopefully will do in the future, but I don’t think I could spend much longer in the job I’m in to afford a bigger trip.

Time really isn’t an issue as I hope to take my time wondering around these cool places, without having to worry about a schedule all the time. My only concern is money – but doesn’t everyone worry about that before their first real travel adventure? I should have about £2500-3000 ($3900-4700) saved up by summer 2012, depending on when I go.

I was planning on leaving around June-July time next year. Is this a good time of year to travel to the above places, or is it worth waiting a bit to coincide with better seasons?


Any advice/suggestions would be more than welcome 

[Greg]

Hey Dave,

That's a fair amount of money for SE Asia, so you should be OK. Keep in mind that Hong Kong and especially Singapore can be ridiculously expensive compared to their neighbors. I would certainly arrange some couchsurfing in both of those spots if I was you.

I would personally swap out Phuket for another nearby island on that side (e.g., Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe, or Koh Phi Phi) unless you like resorts, prostitutes, and old men chasing the latter.

June could be pretty crap weather in the north, so Laos, Cambodia, and even Thailand may be rainy. You'll get better prices on rooms, but you'll find better weather by going south to Malaysia and especially Indonesia. Of course, I just spent months in Thailand starting in June last year, and it didn't rain that much. The world's climate has shifted and no one can really predict anymore...just ask any of the tour operators or rice farmers there.

Best of luck with the awesome trip!

[Dave_Sanderson]

Hey! Just as an update to my travel plans:

I've decided that i'm going to start off in Bangkok (traveller cliché i know), and then semi-wing it around SE from there. As i mentioned in my original post the countries i want to visit are Laos; Vietnam; Cambodia; Malaysia; and Singapore. I'd also like to visit Indonesia and the Philippines if i still have the money. Unfortunately don't think i'm going to have the cash to do both a SE asia tour and then go on to work in Australia. It was a difficult choice for me to make, but travelling seems like the right thing to do at this point in time. Hopefully the chance to work in Oz will present itself again in the future.

Departure date: This is still undecided, but i really want to get it sorted asap. I've revised my earlier date and i'm now thinking of leaving in late august/early september? I know this is still supposed to be rainy season in the area, but my itch to travel is getting somewhat unbearable to try and push it back any further =P also i should have an extra £600-800 saved up for my travels which helps.

I'm really excited to finally get things moving properly, and i think this is only going to get better once i have my flight booked.

Thanks again

p.s. love your description for Phuket. you should write more travel reviews haha!

[Greg]

Hey Dave,

Keep your eyes and ears open while in SE Asia...you'll find no shortage of Australians there and may very well end up hearing about a work opportunity. Lots of travelers end their SE Asia travels in OZ to work/pick fruit, so you never know.

No worries about the BKK cliche, I always start there, too. It's arguably the backpacking hub of the world. 

If you didn't already, check out my site http://www.thailandtips.info for some help on Thailand -- at least know about the scams and you'll find someone tidbits of useful infoporn.

Give me a heads up when you get in country, I'll probably be in the neighborhood for the next few months!

[Dave_Sanderson]

Well if the opportunity arises I'll sure try and take it. The only reason I changed my mind over Oz was that I was going to get a working holiday visa, which requires around £3500 in the bank, but I've been told by a friend that you also need proof of funds once in the country. If I wanted to go travelling before hand and then 12 months in Australia it would have meant pushing back my travel plans 6-8 months to secure the funds to do so (which I'm not keen on given my current job).

Will definitely let you know of my travel plans once I get a flight booked (hopefully this week!!). Actually, on the subject of flights I know a lot of countries prefer you to have an onward flight booked when applying for visas, but as I'm not sure what date I am going to be returning is it worth buying a cheap, fully refundable ticket (which I have no intention of using) just for this purpose or is it fine just to show a credit card to the border officials?

Thanks again for all the advice

 

[Greg]

Hey Dave,

That onward ticket thing is total BS about 75% of the time. It's a safeguard to filter out bums who will get stuck in the country. The only time that I was ever checked on it was literally last year as I was trying to leave the US to fly to Bangkok. Thailand, of all places. It was less Thailand's fault, and more the fault of an overworked/underpaid airline counter employee who didn't want to take any risks. In the end, I talked my way through it.

Interesting that Thailand may be trying to "crack down" on the onward ticket requirement. I've been flying there yearly for the last six years with a one-way ticket. This year, I called the Thai embassy in D.C. and they confirmed that to apply for a visa, I had to have an onward ticket. On a whim, I called the Thai embassy in Chicago and they said don't worry about it! Total inconsistency. I applied for the two-month visa in Chicago and got no trouble over my one-way ticket.

So, in the end, it's all based on the whim of whatever official you are dealing with. A little charm goes a long way. And don't wear your worst clothes that day either...no joke, they base a lot of it on appearance.
http://www.startbackpacking.com/travel/tips-for-crossing-borders-by-land/

On that note, the sufficient funds requirement falls into that same category: Unless you're wearing a burlap sack that day, you can usually talk your way out of it or just flash a credit card.

[Dave_Sanderson]

Ok thanks for clearing that up. Hopefully I won't have any problems. 

Also booked my flight to Bangkok earlier this week. Arrive on the 25th August! Finally getting somewhere with this trip haha. Got a one-way ticket so fingers x it all goes well.

Now to start counting down the days until departure 

[Greg]

Hey Dave,

Excellent! I'll actually be in Bangkok on the 27th if you want to meet up. 

Not 100% sure, but I'll probably be staying here: http://goasia.about.com/od/wheretostay/fr/Khao-San-Road-Hostel-Charoendee.htm

Just ping me on Facebook if you're up for a meetup -- http://www.facebook.com/bucho.ky

Happy travels!
Greg

[Dave_Sanderson]

yeah that'd be cool, look forward to it.

also thanks for the info on the hostel, not actually started looking at accommodation yet, but I think I want to stay around the Khao San area - at the centre of the action

will message you closer to the time

 

[Dave_Sanderson]

Hey! Just as a bit of an update as to where i am with travel prep:

Departure is just over 2 weeks away!! Can't believe how quickly it's come around.

Injections, credit cards, accommodation (took your advice on the hostel, thanks  ), and most of my gear is all sorted, and leaving my crappy job, finally, on friday. Just a few bits and bobs left to get and then i'm all ready for x amount of months backpacking across SE Asia

Thanks again for the info and advice

Will be trying to keep a travel blog whilst away. If interested, link is: http://davesmisadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

Can't wait to set off now

Peace

Dave

[Graefyl]

Hi Dave, wish you well mate. Enjoy (try to stay sober on the plane  )

Where you leaving from?

[Dave_Sanderson]

Thanks 

Will try to (no promises, though)! But there's plenty of time to party when Im out there

And Im flying from Manchester

[Graefyl]

flying from Manchester

Makes it a ton cheaper than HotRot seeing as you're up near there.

[colderby]

Congratz on making it happen Dave, i'm sure you will have the time of your life .  I am in Bolton want to do something similar but I won't be ready until next year.

Keep us updated on the road how you are going on 

[Greg]

Hey Dave,

Congrats and enjoy the road for all that it is, my friend!

I'm sure I'll see you out here in the field somewhere. Down in Malaysia now, getting my visa for India. Keep me posted and I'll check on your blog (thanks for the link to Startbackpacking by the way!)

Another escapee gets out of the maze -- wooohoo!
Greg