Trip Planning

So today I have learnt that there is definitely not enough time for everything; to visit everywhere - maybe, but not to experience everywhere. Planning where I will go, an how long I will stay somewhere is a precious balance. I would like to visit many places and see different landscapes and environments, but I would also like to experience cultures, to 'get-to-know' villages, towns, cities, and the people within them. There is a fine line between seeing too much but not enough...

My current travel plan in my head consists of a flight to Bangkok, Thailand. Overland travel through Laos, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos again before heading back into Thailand, southern Thailand, Malaysia and finally Singapore. I then want to visit the Philippines, Palau, South Korea and Japan before the painful journey back to reality... in 6 months... will I really get to experience the different cultures? Or will it all whiz past in a blur whilst riding trains and buses? I guess I won't know until I'm there.

Anyway, this week has been a productive week as I have finally decided on a leaving date and my initial 2 nights' accommodation.

I am hoping to fly with Swiss airlines from Manchester > Bangkok (via Zurich) leaving on Monday 24th March and arriving on Tuesday 25th at about 3pm local time. The decision to go on this date was based purely on price as this flight costs a mere £274! From Bangkok international airport I will then catch the airport skytrain to my first accommodation at Link Corner Hostel which costs only £9 a night for a private room - which I hope to use to catch-up on sleep for jet-lag and to settle myself in before diving into dorm-style accommodation for the rest of my trip!

So there we have it, my first 2 days are sorted.... and it only took me about 3 months! Now on to the other 185 days... eeek!