Fellow without a netters,
Our first post booking dilemma has arisen.
I told you in my last post that the Jungle line in Malaysia was closed during the daytime for maintenance and according to the very well informed 'Man in seat 61', it may be closed for up to two years (2014 - 2016).
That is disappointing but we are without a net don't forget !
So, as I am a solution based traveller I decide that moaning and sulking will get us nowhere. I decide to contact Ms. Wong at Han Travel.
Han Travel are organising our three day trip to the Taman Negara.
Ms. Wong has a solution, she can take us by coach from the Taman Negara to Kuala Besut on the North-East coast of Malaya and get us there by half five at the latest.
We then have to get a bus to Kota Bharu as we are about thirty miles south of our intended destination.
However, this means we can get to KB earlier than expected as we are up very early the following day when we have to get to the Thai border for half five in the morning.
Problem solved for 35 MR each (£7) !
Monday, 10 November 2014
Sunday, 5 October 2014
All booked
Here's what we have been up to.
Once we decided our route, the next step was to choose our accomodation. You can spend an absolute age on this one. We went for a deadly combination of trip advisor, booking.com and recommendations.
We found a mixture of the exotic, the functional and the downright cheap. The result was a smorgasbord of hotels that suited our overall budget and meant that when we woke up in the morning, we knew we were in South East Asia not South East England !
The Vie in Bangkok, the Renaissance in KL, the Majestic in Melaka, the Frangipani Palace in Phnom Penn and the Hua Hin Resort and Spa. These are our City hotels. We have a lovely little place on the beach at Had Yao in Trang province. A basic hotel in Kota Bharu for £8. A family run place in Siem Reap.
We have decided to have 13 nights on three special islands and we went for Koh Lanta's Crown resort. The Anantara on Koh Phangan and finally the Koh Tao Heights.
Oh, and if you think I've got it all sorted out. The Jungle line is closed for maintenance. We have an hour to get from the Catamaran port to Chumphon railway station. Now I thought that the port of Chumphon was at Chumphon because it is advertised as in Chumphon. It is actually as close to Chumphon as London Luton airport is close to London.
Not to mention the land border in Southern Thailand at Sungai Kolok. But we don't mention that.
Still, if a journey is easy or there are elderly rich fat people doing it, it's not worth doing.
That's what my Nan used to say.
And she built a yurt in Mongolia's Gobi Desert in the 1930's.
Once we decided our route, the next step was to choose our accomodation. You can spend an absolute age on this one. We went for a deadly combination of trip advisor, booking.com and recommendations.
We found a mixture of the exotic, the functional and the downright cheap. The result was a smorgasbord of hotels that suited our overall budget and meant that when we woke up in the morning, we knew we were in South East Asia not South East England !
The Vie in Bangkok, the Renaissance in KL, the Majestic in Melaka, the Frangipani Palace in Phnom Penn and the Hua Hin Resort and Spa. These are our City hotels. We have a lovely little place on the beach at Had Yao in Trang province. A basic hotel in Kota Bharu for £8. A family run place in Siem Reap.
We have decided to have 13 nights on three special islands and we went for Koh Lanta's Crown resort. The Anantara on Koh Phangan and finally the Koh Tao Heights.
Oh, and if you think I've got it all sorted out. The Jungle line is closed for maintenance. We have an hour to get from the Catamaran port to Chumphon railway station. Now I thought that the port of Chumphon was at Chumphon because it is advertised as in Chumphon. It is actually as close to Chumphon as London Luton airport is close to London.
Not to mention the land border in Southern Thailand at Sungai Kolok. But we don't mention that.
Still, if a journey is easy or there are elderly rich fat people doing it, it's not worth doing.
That's what my Nan used to say.
And she built a yurt in Mongolia's Gobi Desert in the 1930's.
Sunday, 14 September 2014
Itinerary
Restricted by annual leave in our respective jobs, the itinerary for this trip is spread out over 30 days. Some things had to be left out, most notably, Singapore and the Bridge on the River Kwai.
We decided that the trip had to include Bangkok, Angkhor Wat, Terendak, The Taman Negara, The Jungle line railway, Ko Lanta, Ko Phangan, Ko Tao and Hua Hin. The itinerary lent itself to a clockwise circular tour of the South-East Asian countries of Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia.
When we can, we will use the railway and local buses and ferries.
Bangkok is the cheapest place in South-East Asia to fly to from the UK so we begin and end our journey there.
After a couple of nights in the Thai capital we will venture by rail to the Cambodian border. Onward by coach to the town of Siem Reap for Angkhor. Our plan is to take the Tonle Sap boat trip to Phnom Penn before flying to Kuala Lumpur.
From KL we plan to get a coach to Melaka on the straits coast. Visit my wife's birthplace at Terendak. Return to KL for two nights prior to a three day trek in the Taman Negara.
Taking the Jungle line railway up to Kota Bharu, we plan to cross back into Thailand and continue up the Isthmus of Kra to Phattalung.
Crossing from the east to the west coast, we will take a ferry to Ko Lanta before exploring the islands of the Gulf of Thailand, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao before returning to the mainland.
Two train journeys via Hua Hin will complete our trip back to Bangkok followed by a return flight.
That's the plan !
We decided that the trip had to include Bangkok, Angkhor Wat, Terendak, The Taman Negara, The Jungle line railway, Ko Lanta, Ko Phangan, Ko Tao and Hua Hin. The itinerary lent itself to a clockwise circular tour of the South-East Asian countries of Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia.
When we can, we will use the railway and local buses and ferries.
Bangkok is the cheapest place in South-East Asia to fly to from the UK so we begin and end our journey there.
After a couple of nights in the Thai capital we will venture by rail to the Cambodian border. Onward by coach to the town of Siem Reap for Angkhor. Our plan is to take the Tonle Sap boat trip to Phnom Penn before flying to Kuala Lumpur.
From KL we plan to get a coach to Melaka on the straits coast. Visit my wife's birthplace at Terendak. Return to KL for two nights prior to a three day trek in the Taman Negara.
Taking the Jungle line railway up to Kota Bharu, we plan to cross back into Thailand and continue up the Isthmus of Kra to Phattalung.
Crossing from the east to the west coast, we will take a ferry to Ko Lanta before exploring the islands of the Gulf of Thailand, Ko Phangan and Ko Tao before returning to the mainland.
Two train journeys via Hua Hin will complete our trip back to Bangkok followed by a return flight.
That's the plan !
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