To Infinity and Beyond.

[Muddy Boots]

Ok guys I'm looking for recommendations on the following destinations.

Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, New Zealand, Oz, Lima, USA and Canada.

I'm planning a trip and am after places / experiences or recommendation in these countries.

Things to see, places to visit, your experiences, anything you like really just throw it out there.

I'll write a formal write up a bit closer to the time of Departure (November 2013)

I'm taking a 12 month Sabbatical involving the countries above.

I'll do the usual kit list and stuff as well.

Also at the end of the trip if time and coinage allows there is an add on to visit Nepal and Base Camp Everest.

Many thanks,

David

 

[BOD]

Try this. It's free.

http://www.sospecies.org/sos_news/success_stories/?11799/Community-cats

http://www.sospecies.org/sos_projects/mammals/tigers2/malaysia_tiger/

http://www.junglecraft.com.my/index.php/category/jungle-trips/

 

[mrcharly]

Oz is huge. Unless you have a very large travel budget or a lot of time, I don't recommend it as a travel destination for experiences and places. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying there is nothing to see. It's just that all the truly amazing bits are so far apart from each other that you can spend all your time travelling between them.

NZ - judging by comments from friends who have been - is a different story. Compact (by comparison) with a wealth of mountains, lakes and sea.

 

[IanM]

I was in Singapore a few months ago for a few weeks. In the last thirty years it has become blindingly expensive and now not really a tourist destination, many attractions have moved to Taiwan.

Singapore is OK for a day or two stopover but that is all.

A beer was £8-10 and they asked £42 for a Singapore sling in Raffles. OK if you need a Rolex or collect Louis Vuitton luggage, there is shop, after shop, after shop, selling those. Looking for a souvenir, stuff was what we may buy in the UK or made in China.

Korea is good fun though if you can get out into the countryside.

 

[santaman2000]

I think mrcharly's right. the US alone could take longer than a year. And just what do you mean when you say the US? The CONUS only? Or are you including all the territories (Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa)

If you plan to limit yourself to just two or three of the bigger attractions in each country it can certainly be done; it's just that you will indeed be limiting yourself.

 

[Muddy Boots]

I'm booking the flight this weekend and Singapore has been added as it's the first port of call on the Round The World Ticket.

I've heard about the prices there and in Oz so the idea is really only as a flying visit.

For Lima / Peru the idea is Machu Pichu.

With regard to America I'm thinking Grey Hound Bus. Really not much I want to see there to be honest.

Don't get me wrong I sure it's an amazing place but From Peru it is on the way to get to Canada hence it is on the list.

New Zealand the idea is to get a campervan.

 

[sandbender]

Ok guys I'm looking for recommendations on the following destinations.

Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, New Zealand, Oz, Lima, USA and Canada. ...I'm taking a 12 month Sabbatical involving the countries above....I'll do the usual kit list and stuff as well..."

I'd have to mirror the comments from others here, too many places, too much to see, too little time to do anything other than move onto the next thing. I could take twelve months to get around Poland and not see and do all that I wanted to do, all those places, I won't live long enough to travel around them.

You do not need a kit list, you don't really need anything unless the whole trip is about a specific expedition that requires some specialised gear.

Get your self some good footwear and start wearing it now, start trying to live out of a fifty litre rucksack now.

I have a lot of family in New Zealand but I have yet to visit, the photos look nice. Out of your list I think I'd be tempted to head for Vietnam and spend most of my year there, but thats just me. Whatever you end up doing, wherever you go, have fun. The adventure is all about the getting to the place, not the arrival.

Post some pics when you get back.

 

[bearbait]

With regard to America I'm thinking Grey Hound Bus. Really not much I want to see there to be honest.

Deserts, swamps, forests of all kinds, mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, geothermal activity, loads of national parks, friendly people, Bison, Black and Grizzly Bears, Cougar, Moose, Wolves, Coyotes, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Eagles, First Nations or Native American history, art and historic dwellings, etc. etc. No, I guess not.

Maybe if you specified your interests it would be easier for people you give you some recommendations or suggestions?

 

[ex-member BareThrills]

Grand Canyon is up there on things to do before you die. We flew out by chopper after our wedding. Its a truly amazing sight to behold.

 

[santaman2000]

Generally speaking, stay away from greyhound bus. Crowded, and slow. Takes roughly three times as long by bus as in a car and the stops aren't at particularly nice places.

 

[santaman2000]

Deserts, swamps, forests of all kinds, mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, geothermal activity, loads of national parks, friendly people, Bison, Black and Grizzly Bears, Cougar, Moose, Wolves, Coyotes, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Eagles, First Nations or Native American history, art and historic dwellings, etc. etc. No, I guess not.

Maybe if you specified your interests it would be easier for people you give you some recommendations or suggestions?

Yeah it really would help to know what the OP's interests are.

And you left out beaches and at least 7 distinct styles of cuisine. Not to mention that the Everglades is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist. (and both are delicious)

 

[Bluffer]

If you get to Nepal at the end of your travels, there are more interesting treks than Everest base camp. I'd rather trek to Gokyo if in the Khumbu region, or Langtang or Annapurna region in other parts of Nepal.

Everest base camp is a nice trek right enough, but the route tends to be 'there and back' and you retrace your steps, I'd much prefer to do a circular route myself, but I'm sure it would be an experience whatever you choose!

 

[wingstoo]

New Zealand the idea is to get a campervan.

We did that three years ago, vowed that if ever I got the chance to go again I would just hire a cheap car and go B&B type stop-overs.

Cost a LOT of money for the van, especially as we paid the top rate for the insurance etc up front as they check the van over when returned and then start adding up the bill for every stone chip and scratch.

We got a car for a few days on South Island from a firm called "Pegasus" IIRC

Picton / Marlborough Sounds Address:
1 Auckland Street, Picton 7220

The trouble we found with the camper van was you still have to pay for a pitch as a lot of places don't let you "wild" camp with them.

Some fantastic places to go, here is Mrs Wings and little wings at Hells Gate near to Rotorua, hot, and smelly, but amazing...

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/76789218@N03/sets/72157634998305973/

 

[Goatboy]

Some fantastic places to go, here is Mrs Wings and little wings at Hells Gate near to Rotorua, hot, and smelly, but amazing...

Hold fire there Wingstoo, you may try and finish by saying they're amazing but that's no way to talk about family!

 

[wingstoo]

Truthful though... Especially after the walk around the site

 

[bullterrier]

I'd tend to agree about sticking with a car for NZ, and use a tent or motel. Don't know the figures but I'm sure it would be much cheaper. Rent a dent is a firm that does cheapish basic cars... Check their prices out and do the maths.
If you want to do the outdoors bushcraft thing then there's no shortage of opportunities here.
What sort of things are you interested in?

 

[santaman2000]

You might try here if you want your trip to pay for itself www.[B]craterofdiamondsstatepark[/B].com Just this week a 5.16 carat diamond ws found by a tourist and was valued between $12,000 and $15,000 when it gets cut and polished. It's open to the public and you can keep anything you find.

 

[wingstoo]

Link didn't work S2000...

http://www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com/

 

[santaman2000]

Thanks....

 

[Muddy Boots]

I'd tend to agree about sticking with a car for NZ, and use a tent or motel. Don't know the figures but I'm sure it would be much cheaper. Rent a dent is a firm that does cheapish basic cars... Check their prices out and do the maths.
If you want to do the outdoors bushcraft thing then there's no shortage of opportunities here.
What sort of things are you interested in?

Yeah we've had some pretty high quotes for campervans.

Thanks to the guys that replied with this as an idea.

Certainly worth looking at.

Quite up for camping and motels.

Deserts, swamps, forests of all kinds, mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, geothermal activity, loads of national parks, friendly people, Bison, Black and Grizzly Bears, Cougar, Moose, Wolves, Coyotes, Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Eagles, First Nations or Native American history, art and historic dwellings, etc. etc. No, I guess not.

Maybe if you specified your interests it would be easier for people you give you some recommendations or suggestions?

Actually in fairness I kept the brief on this fairly non specific for a reason.

I'm taking the trip to change my perspective on things rather than just heading to places I think would be best.

Like I said before in no way were my comments meant to be offensive about the USA.

I've said there is some wonderful places there and no doubt you could spend the 12 months just travelling there.

The brief is to see places and organize the trip in a way that it couldn't be covered with a normal annual leave entitlement from work.

It's part of the reason Nepal - Base Camp has been added towards the end as it is doable in 3 weeks from the UK if we don't hit it this time.