http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/adamD/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from adamD en-us Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:14:08 BST Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:14:08 BST After a night I Wanaka and taking on the Steep 56 hour return hike to Royrsquos Peak for a great view over Wanaka and its nearby lake I made a move for Queenstown The sun was just setting on the way there providing some awesome views to photograph at the North by lakes Wanaka and Hayes. I finally arrived in Queesntown in the dark down some very steep winding roads and followed directions to my http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/Queenstown/blog-288739.html After a 48 hour stop off in pretty but pricey Singapore I finally arrived at the other side of the planet after three months of near uninterrupted sun plenty of rice dishes and getting an awful lot for the pound in Thailand Laos and Cambodia. Touching down in the very British Christchurch made me feel like I had just landed back home in ways. With nothing too spectacular nearby and at the time w http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/South-Island/blog-288736.html Entering Cambodia overland from Loas in the North East was a doddle despite some scepticism on the Internet this really was the easiest of border crossings with Visas available. I heard from another traveller about the awful overland border crossing from Bangkok heading straight to Siem Reap leaving many travellers stood in line for hours this took minutes.The transport although cheap was someti http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Cambodia/South/Phnom-Penh/blog-276382.html Just a quick update with this temporary entry. Since Koh Tao I have had a week in Bangkok before the over night sleeper train to Chang Mai where I spent a few days and did a downhill mountain biking trip which was awesome.From there it was a bus journey to the ThaiLaos border where I stayed for the night and got to know a few people also doing the same trip. The following day was a lenghtly journ http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Laos/West/Vientiane/blog-250496.html I was forced to wait 7 days on the quiet island of Koh Tao until I could get diving due to an eye infection. The local doctor actually advised me to wait longer but I could wait no more as by the end of the week I was so bored as I was just dossing about letting the eye get better and spending as little as possible. I suppose I could have been stuck in a worse place but I was just itching to make http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Tao/blog-243747.html So I decided to trust my instinct and do the Visa run to take the extra 30 days in Thailand while I am here the decision was swung by the low cost of scuba diving in Koh Tao which I have never done before. First of all before I go into the visa run my finishing piece on Koh Phangan from what I have seen of it including the full moon party the day before I left. Many people head over to Koh Phang http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Pha-Ngan/blog-239375.html Just a quick update after Luke and Mark made their way back to Bangkok I spent a day climbing up some great waterfalls and did some zip lining. I will have to get the shots off the camera later they say more than words There is some great scenery around here. There was also the mummified monk nearby which I have some creepy shots of as I walked into the room alone toward closing time.That eveni http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Pha-Ngan/blog-237352.html After waking up with a hangover a few days ago in the make shift hotel room with no hot water I wasn't sure about the bedding and to top it all off I banged my head on a low door frame I had it and went for a cruise on the nippy little moped to find something a little bit better. I have been staying in this tidy little hotel just out of the centre for just a small fee more. Well worth the effort http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Samui/blog-233291.html When Luke and Mark arrived with me on the 30th they had 1 night of accommodation booked and I had trouble finding any after the previous 2 nights at a high price so I stayed in with them well mark was out all night. Eventually I stumbled up on a restaurant 2mins from the beach which had 2 single bed rooms available for just 800 Baht each. So we took them to share between the 3 of us. The girls http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Ko-Samui/blog-232466.html After my last post I later hooked up with the boys in Bangkok and ended up having another crazy one until the early hours. Ed was off so he hooked up with me and introduced me to some other chaps including Satish from Malaysia. I can't remember much more apart from being on an elephant. I don't think these elephants are in their healthiest environment though. Anyway I woke up the next morning with http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South/Phuket/blog-231295.html This post is probably going to be a little longer than usual as this was a big day for me it seemed like longer than a day.My connecting flight to Bangkok from Singapore took approx 1.5hrs which seemed like just a few minutes in comparison to the 12hr Marathon before it. As well as it being daylight I was also sat next to a girl who just came from Australia who made good conversation. Here we we http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central/Bangkok/blog-230658.html I am in quite a daze at the mo have just got of a 12hr flight from Heathrow in Singapore awaiting the connecting flight to Bangkok shortly. Where I will remeet up with Mark and Luke who have gone via Kuwait. Despite being advised to get there early and ask for a seat with extra leg room by the travel agent when I got to Heathrow they said it didn't work like that so I had to suck the whole 12hr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Singapore/blog-230355.html One Week to go Just One week I ask myself but strangely though I'm not sure how to feel right now. I feel quite blank at times I have had moments when I feel like shouting yeahhhh at the thought the biggest change in my life so far but I have been so busy with all the stuff I have had to organise and deorganise that I have not let myself loose focus yet.I have been frantically cutting all my t http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Warwickshire/blog-228650.html For the when and where I have this initial plan with easily changed dates for a small fee or free. There is a good chance some of the latter destinations may also change. I am set to leave the UK on Christmas Day 2007 as one of my best friends and current house mate Luke is going that day for 3 weeks from London Heathrow along with another local friend. So it is someone to get a lift to the airp http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Warwickshire/blog-217196.html Well this is my first ever blog entry Even though I have spent much of my time online being a freelance web developer and for personal use I have just never had the need for a 'blog'. Only something ongoing and interesting warrants an online diary and should be quality before quanity.So what are my reasons for flying around the Earth for up to 12 monthsI'm 23 now and have always lived in and a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Warwickshire/blog-217162.html