My plans begin to take shape...

---

Hi! Well after weeks of thinking, so much that my head hurts, I've booked my first accommodation, the hostel in Bangkok! I booked my flights a few weeks ago, a Qantas flight going LHR-BKK then Singapore to Perth, and back again. Because you can only book a year in advance the Flight Centre advisor booked my return for March 2011, but when I get to Perth I'll be changing this!!

Anyway, I've just booked to stay in Bangkok for 5 nights at the Baan Dinso, the top rated hostel in BKK! I pondered the Khao San Road, then read The Beach and went well off it, I know it's only a book, but I just don't get the appeal of the road, it just sounds so busy and noisy, and having picked some real dives on past trips (Kings Cross Sydney comes to mind...cockroaches on my pillow and prozzies at my door, lovely) I didn't want to take any risks! I then looked into a hostel opposite the Hua Lamphong station, til people on Lonely Planet warned me off. I picked Baan Dinso basically because it's the best, looks clean and safe, and tbh it'll keep my Mum happy knowing that I'm in the nicest hostel possible!! It does look amazing though, with lovely colonial rooms, and you get free internet and breakfast, aaand it's right in the middle of everything, right by the Grand Palace etc, perfect! It's a lot more than I'd originally planned to spend, £21 a night, but when you compare this to UK hotels...well!

Very excited now, it seems so far away and I have all these plans and ideas, but I made myself wait to book the hostel as I tend to rush into bad decisions. This was about 3weeks of thinking, and I think I've made a good choice. Next thing to plan, Penang - how long and where to stay?!

---