Round The World 2009-2010

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So I'm leaving on my big trip 3 weeks and 40 minutes!

I'm almost ready save 2 shots and buying my travel insurance and international cell phone plan. I've got my tickets for the first two desitinations (to prove onward travel etc.) but no more. I will be buying airline tickets along the way whenever I feel like it to where I feel like it. instead of telling you boring details I'll tell you where I plan to go and what I plan to do:

Singapore:
I decided on Singapore because it seemed like a conveniet place to fly to and just about the most gentle introduction to international travel there is ( I haven't travelled abroud since I was a baby). I plan to visit the zoo, eat everything in sight, and get moving to Malaysia ASAP.

Malaysia:
Kuala Lumpur is a definate stopping point- because that's where the train ends. I might visit Taman Negara national Park or Cameron highlands or both depending on time and energy. After that its a quick flight to Kuching on the island of Borneo. In Borneo I will fly to the town of miri and take a smaller prop plane to the village of Bario. Bario is a remote village in the heart of the Borneo jungle. I will trek around in the jungle for a while before returining to Kuching and Bako national Park.

Indonesia:
First stop is Jakarta just because I can. The real purpose of my visit is to see the highlands of the rarely visited island of Papua. I will take a 10 day trek with my dad to visit the Yali tribe, one of the most remote and uncivilized tribes in the world. This will be a tough trek so my dad and I will spend the remainder of a 1-month visa relaxing and snorkeling in Bali.

China:
I will fly into Beijing probably. I want to visit Tienanmen Square and the Forbidden city (along with every other tourist in China). I expect China to be tough travelling because I don't speak a word of Chinese. I wanted to visit the remote Western province of Xinjiang but my visa was denied multiple times and they requested a day to day itinerary and hotel bookings. Since I barely know where I am going I gave up on that and decided to visit the touristy but scenic Yunnan province. I'm thinking about Kunming, Dali, and Guilin. My next stop will be Nepal, and fortunately for me the best way to get there is to fly with a stopover in Lhasa, Tibet. I will probably visit Tibet very briefly pending the political situation.

Nepal:
I want to do a long trek such as the Around Annapurna trek which is about 250 miles. The trekking season is October and November becuase it's after the monsoon and before the really really cold part of the year. This will be a long and cold month in Nepal.

India:
I'm not really sure what there is to do in India but I have been assured India itself is what to see. I will probably visit Varanasi, Delhi, and Jaipur. I don't know what I am going to do with the rest of my time there but I'm sure India will keep me entertained despite my best efforts to relax. I'll pretty much be winging it in India.

Thailand:
I'm not really into the beach and party scene of Thailand but I have to stop there twice for flights so I might as well get off the plane and see what there is to see.

Cambodia:
See the ancient temples of Angkor and the countryside of Cambodia.

Oman:
This is a very last minute addition to the itinerary suggested by my parents who used to live there. I wanted to see the Middle East but didn't want to have to keep following the political situation to make decisions about where is both safe and worth my effort to travel to. Oman seems like an easy way to get a taste of the Middle Eastern culture without ecountering the unlpleasant political side.

United Arab Emirates:
Who doesn't want to see the worlds tallest building, worlds largest man-made island, and the worlds largest indoor ski resort? This will be a quick stop I suspect becuase a week here could keep me travelling for months in SouthEast Asia.

South Africa:
Again I really don't know what to do here but I will figure it out. maybe a quick Safari in Kruger National Park?

Namibia:
Maybe Etosha National Park?

Botswana:
Again, I don't really know what to do here but I'm sure there is something worth seeing.

Zambia:
Victoria Falls and probably other stuff too.

Tanzania:
Relax on Zanzibar island and catch the cheapest Safari I can find out of Arusha, near Kilimanjaro.

I will spend about one month in most countries because most visas last one month. I'll probably spend a little longer in India (one year visa) and a lot less in small places like Singapore, UAE, and Swaziland. So here's a map to see where I'm going.

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Comments

[Melissa]

Sounds Incredible!
I'm jealous of your plans here.. This trip sounds incredible. I hope one day I'm able to take a trip like this.

[nicole fr]

winging it is definitely the best way to go! also if you need any advice about places in south africa to visit, i have a good friend who was born and grew up there, so let me know.