Travel Notes

  So this trip will take place in March 2013.  I will be travelling with my 81 year old mother so we had to go for comfort hotels in prime locations.  This blew the budget a little.  l I’ll fill in my ratings of the Hotels etc later. COST IN AUD FOR 2 PEOPLE: AIRFARES FOR 2 -$6742 ACCOMMODATION FOR 2 -$5468 FOOD & TOURS FOR 2 -$4000 TOTAL: $16,000 ie $8,000 EACH FOR 1 MONTH TRIP Adelaide to Singapore – singapore Air overnight Singapore – V Hotel Lavendar   Singapore to Dubai – Emirates Dubai 3 nights at Hotel CORP Executive Al Barsha   Dubai to  Istanbul – Emirates Istanbul 3 nights Hotel Amira   Istanbul to Rome – Turkish Airways Rome 3 nights Gli Sciopone B&B   Rome to Venice –...

This trip was postponed due to a family bereavement – it will have to be put on hold until a later date. With 3 weeks to go, I have finally decided that my next travel destination will be Vietnam.  I have sent off my passport to the Vietnam Embassy in Canberra, so they can add my Visa. Now to plan where to go and what to do. Here are the possibilities so far.  I think I will hang out around the Hanoi area because of it’s Colonial history, architecture and the proximity to Ha Long Bay. The Budget is tight at $3000 - Airfares $1600 (Alice-Hanoi-Cairns-Alice) Accommodation and touring for 2 weeks 4 days – $1400 The Touring options so far: Micro Finance I’m thinking of doing a MicroFinance tour.  Looks a bit like doing Kiva  but in...

This trip was mainly take up with the organised Peregrine Adventures Treasures of Turkey Tour.  It was a very good, well organised and informative tour. However, it can be a bit boring to have everything prepared ahead for you.  I don’t think group tours are for me.  I prefer to feel that I can change my direction on a whim and perhaps make a few mistakes, get lost etc.  There is something to be said for launching out on your own not knowing whether your decisions have been good or bad… ———— TRAVEL BUDGET – 3 WEEKS IN TURKEY PLUS 1 WEEK IN PARIS 2012 I ended up going WAY over budget for this trip – in total about $12,000 Airfares, Accommodation and Tours  Total $8400. I then bought 2 Persian Carpets for a total...

I studied Thai Massage at TMC school in Chiang Mai in November 2011.  The course was good, clear and takes you through the steps of giving a 1-2hr Thai massage.  The lecturers were professional and stayed exactly on track for all sessions.  The notes were excellent with every one of the 151 positions explained clearly for both the giver and receiver.  So what was missing?  I think it was what I had been warned about in 2005 – when I first studied Thai massage under a teacher in Alice Springs – she said to me that you can always tell if a person had learnt western style or asian style.  These were very wise words and I have held them in my mind ever since – the mystery of what she meant is opening up to me now as I seek more understanding of...

For rational and realistic reports from on the ground in Bangkok, visit Richard Barrow’s blog, or follow him on twitter @RichardBarrow Also, follow #ThaiFloodEng on twitter   latest info including tide information: http://www.thaitravelblogs.com/2011/10/what-time-will-it-flood-in-bangkok-check-the-high-tide-charts-thaiflood/ Google launches new crisis page with latest information on floods in Thai &...

Chiang Mai is a province in the Northern part of Thailand.  From Bangkok, you can come to Chiang Mai by Bus, by Train or by Plane. It takes around 12 hours to get to Chiang Mai by Bus. It takes around 12 hours to get to Chiang Mai by Train. It takes around 1 hour to get to Chiang Mai by Airplane. Domestic flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai are; - Nok Air / www.nokair.com (departed from Donmuang Airport) - One-Two-Go / http://www.flyorientthai.com/th/home/ (departed from Donmuang Airport) - Air Asia / www.airasia.com (departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport) - Thai Airways / http://www.thaiairways.com/ (departed from Suvarnabhumi Airport) - Bangkok Airways / www.bangkokair.com (departed from Suvarnabhumi...