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TRAVEL BLOG AND ITINERARY
a travel blog
General Location: Singapore City, Singapore Author: Kyle & Dan 45 Comments
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Part one of our year-long journey brings us to Southeast Asia, China, Taiwan and Mongolia. It also brings us to Hong Kong and Macau for those of you who may be confused as to whether or not they are a formal part of China (they are).
London is a thing of the past as we land in Singapore, destination number 1. We will be travelling through this wonderfully exotic part of the world until 15 June 2007, and at that time you will have to tune in to see where our journey takes us next.
We're planning on visiting the following places, hopefully in this order:
-- Singapore
-- Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia
-- Brunei
-- Indonesia (Bali)
-- Thailand
-- Laos
-- Cambodia
-- Vietnam
-- China
-- Macau
-- Hong Kong
-- Taiwan
-- Mongolia
| Trip Itinerary (Travel Blog Entries) | |||
1 |
Singapore City | Jan 04 '07 | Singapore: Food and Shopping Galore, and More |
2 |
Kuching | Jan 10 '07 | Malaysia, Borneo (Kuching): Up Close and Personal
"Imagine Kyle and Dan, sitting in a bath tub in the South China Sea with 4 other people and the boat driver, scaling large waves with no life jackets…" |
3 |
Niah | Jan 16 '07 | Malaysia, Borneo (Niah Caves): 40,000 Years
"Inside the cave, the sound of disembodied voices mingles with the squeaking of millions of bats and swiftlets to create an eerie atmosphere" |
4 |
Gunung Mulu National Park | Jan 18 '07 | Malaysia, Borneo (Gunung Mulu): Largest Caves in the World
"Legend has it that if you wash your face in the crystal clear waters of the river within the cave, you will be granted youth" |
5 |
Bandar Seri Begawan | Jan 20 '07 | Brunei, BSB: Modern Living in the Middle of the Jungle
"The water village has over 30,000 residents, all living in wooden houses built on stilts in the river." |
6 |
Temburong | Jan 21 '07 | Brunei, Ulu Temburong: Hangin' with the Locals
"We were the only people for miles around and therefore, the peace and tranquility of the canopy tower was amazing to behold." |
7 |
Bali | Jan 24 '07 | Indonesia, Bali: Paradise Lost Amongst the Monkeys
"We had no idea at the time that there were around 300 monkeys there, and it was amazing to see so many of them in one place!" |
8 |
Kuala Lumpur | Jan 29 '07 | Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur: Peaceful Harmony Amongst Diversity
"Though multi-racial and of different religions, the people live in constant peace and harmony where exchanges of warm smiles and friendly greets are customary." |
9 |
Cameron Highlands | Feb 04 '07 | Malaysia, Cameron Highlands: Too Cold For Comfort
"The scones were served with cream and fresh strawberry jam from one of the many strawberry farms in the area" |
10 |
Penang | Feb 05 '07 | Malaysia, Penang Island: Colonial and Chinese Influence
"Knowing that the deadly cobras could strike us where we were sitting, we were on the edge of our seats in anticipation and fear" |
11 |
Langkawi | Feb 09 '07 | Malaysia, Langkawi Island: Last But Certainly Not Least
"His incessant banging with a hammer started promptly at 8:00am each morning and was a much more painful alarm than our Timex watches" |
12 |
Ko Phi Phi Don | Feb 15 '07 | Thailand, Koh Phi Phi: Islands of Jaw-Dropping Beauty
"We haggled the price with Ben and ended up getting him to throw masks, snorkels and flippers into the deal" |
13 |
Phuket | Feb 19 '07 | Thailand, Phuket Island: Patong is Wrong, the Rest is Best
"YOU SHOULD LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN AT HOME if you are visiting Patong Beach" |
14 |
Phangnga | Feb 22 '07 | Thailand, Phang Nga Bay: Mr. Boh, James Boh
"Rising from a thin base and soaring out of the water, Nail Island from a distance looks like a giant rocketship being launched out of the sea" |
15 |
Ko Samui Region | Feb 23 '07 | Thailand, Koh Samui: Big Buddha's Island
"There is actually a mummy in a glass case, who died about 30 years ago in a meditation pose, sitting in a prayer position" |
16 |
Ko Tao | Feb 27 '07 | Thailand, Koh Tao: Our Brush With Jaws
"It was only the next morning when we realised that there was a HUGE gecko living in the bungalow with us" |
17 |
Bangkok | Feb 28 '07 | Thailand, Bangkok: Thailand's Congested Capital
"Once we donned some super-trendy surgical trousers, we were ready to move speedily through to see everything" |
18 |
Kanchanaburi | Mar 03 '07 | Thailand, Kanchanaburi: Floatin' on a River
"The people in the photographs were emaciated from a lack of any substantial food and from the heavy physical work they had to endure" |
19 |
Ko Chang | Mar 06 '07 | Thailand, Koh Chang: Elephant Island
"We both took a long, hard look at the river we would be swimming in and noticed all the large mounds of elephant dung floating around" |
20 |
Chiang Mai Province | Mar 11 '07 | Thailand, Chiang Mai: Long-Necked Ladies
"Making curry paste from scratch is easy" |
21 |
Huay Xai | Mar 15 '07 | Laos, Huay Xai: Slow Down for Pum Pao
"We immediately understood why so many people leaving Laos at the Huay Xai border were covered in dust" |
22 |
Luang Namtha | Mar 16 '07 | Laos, Luang Namtha: Village Voyage
"Normally, when you board a bus in Laos, you can take a "sick bag" from the driver or ticket inspector" |
23 |
Luang Prabang | Mar 18 '07 | Laos, Luang Prabang: Streetside Sightseeing
"We think one of these gave us both a problem which starts with a capital D" |
24 |
Vientiane | Mar 21 '07 | Laos, Vientiane: Laos' Biggest Village
"We were warmly greeted on the streets by everyone we passed, as they took time out of their daily routines to say Sabaidee" |
25 |
Siem Reap | Mar 24 '07 | Cambodia, Siem Reap: An Ancient Marvel
"On closer inspection, however, enormous faces started appearing and we could see all of the carved visages in the stone towers" |
26 |
Phnom Penh | Mar 27 '07 | Cambodia, Phnom Penh: Fields of Death
"This woman was casually eating fried beetles whilst talking to us, picking off the wings and legs before popping them into her mouth" |
27 |
Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) | Mar 30 '07 | Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City: Don't Miss Saigon
"Many parts of the tunnels are so small that the Vietnamese had to crawl through the tunnels on their stomachs, elbows and knees" |
28 |
Mui Ne | Apr 02 '07 | Vietnam, Mui Ne: White and Red Sand Dunes
"There were many children and adults at the top of the dunes, sliding down on rented pieces of plastic" |
29 |
Nha Trang | Apr 03 '07 | Vietnam, Nha Trang: Takin' It Easy
"We headed to the beach with Mads and Frida, to watch all of the Vietnamese locals enjoying the waves and the fresh, cool air" |
30 |
Hoi An | Apr 05 '07 | Vietnam, Hoi An: Pointy Hats and Local Delights
"We took a stroll through Central Market and we were amazed at the proportion of women wearing Vietnamese conical hats" |
31 |
Hue | Apr 09 '07 | Vietnam, Hue: Finding Elaine at the Citadel
"They 'kindly' offered to drive us around on their cyclos until the gates were opened, and we knew immediately that we had been duped" |
32 |
Tam Coc | Apr 13 '07 | Vietnam, Tam Coc: Halong Bay on Land
"After lunch, our group went to the river to board rowboats that were 'manned' by women of all ages" |
33 |
Cuc Phuong | Apr 14 '07 | Vietnam, Cuc Phuong: Spider and Leech Heaven
"We could see leeches everywhere, standing at attention and waiting for a victim to latch onto" |
34 |
Hanoi | Apr 15 '07 | Vietnam, Hanoi: Scams and Gruesome Sights
"You will see skinned, headless frogs that were still hopping around in the basket they were thrown into" |
35 |
Guilin | Apr 17 '07 | China, Guilin: A Superb Greeting
"We were, at that point, able to understand why the Chinese hold Guilin close to their hearts" |
36 |
Yangshuo | Apr 20 '07 | China, Yangshuo: Cycling for Scenery
"Half an hour later, four of us were sweaty and exhausted from the hard work we had put in, mimicking a hamster" |
37 |
Guangzhou | Apr 22 '07 | China, Guangzhou: Stressful Times
"The hotel had blocked access to our room and they also asked us to pay additional money before they would give us a new keycard" |
38 |
Hong Kong | Apr 27 '07 | China, Hong Kong: Friends and Bright Lights
"The meal with Ben was the first time either of us had eaten beef tendon, which was surprisingly good" |
39 |
Hualien | May 01 '07 | Taiwan, Hualien: Taroko Gorge-ous
"The leaves were sticking out of our mouths, so that we could see who was able to capture the best 'kiss a goat' photo" |
40 |
Taipei | May 03 '07 | Taiwan, Taipei: The Chang Dynasty
"Don't listen to anything you're told in Taiwan, China or Hong Kong - stinky tofu tastes just as it smells...like poo" |
41 |
Macau City | May 08 '07 | Macau: A Big Win in an Old Portuguese Colony
"Luck was shifting back to the dealer and it was time to go, so we made a quick getaway to the cashier and changed our chips" |
42 |
Xiamen | May 09 '07 | China, Xiamen: Island Peanut Soup
"The snotlike substance was covered in a tasty peanut powder with other ground spices and sweet flavours mixed in" |
43 |
Shanghai | May 11 '07 | China, Shanghai: China's Biggest City
"It hovered on the track and could reach a high speed of 431 kilometres per hour, over 280 miles per hour" |
44 |
Chengdu | May 16 '07 | China, Chengdu: Pandas, Pigs, Pussycats and a Puppy
"At People's Park, we bumped into a huge group of people doing light aerobics to some great Chinese music" |
45 |
Leshan | May 19 '07 | China, Leshan: Big Ole Buddha Near a Sacred Mountain
"It was a struggle to fit the entire statue in our small camera lens; one foot alone was over twenty times the size of a person" |
46 |
Lanzhou | May 20 '07 | China, Lanzhou: Quick Glimpse of Muslim China
"He kept spouting off the few English phrases that he uses to teach his class, such as 'I like to exercise in the mornings'" |
47 |
Xiahe | May 21 '07 | China, Xiahe: Yak Lunch with Tibetan Monks |
48 |
Xi'an | May 24 '07 | China, Xi'an: Coffee Breaks with Terracotta Warriors
"At times the crazy man was yelling, pointing his finger wildly and spitting on us as he spoke" |
49 |
Pingyao | May 29 '07 | China, Pingyao: Rescuing a Kitten in the Ancient City
"We walked into the courtyard and came upon three enormous cows with huge udders that looked ready to burst" |
50 |
Beijing | May 31 '07 | China, Beijing: A Great Big Wall and Forbidden City
"There were some exotic snack stalls serving up live scorpions on sticks, as well as seahorses and cocoons" |
51 |
Ulaanbaatar | Jun 05 '07 | Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar: Blue Skies At Last
"We were a little adventurous and tried horse steak, which was delicious and some of the best meat either of us had ever eaten" |
52 |
Gorkhi-Terelj | Jun 07 '07 | Mongolia, Terelj National Park: Our First Ger Camp
"The scenes depicted awful and very graphic moments that were supposed to represent punishments for various sins" |
53 |
GunGaluut Nature Reserve | Jun 08 '07 | Mongolia, Gun Galuut Nature Reserve: Endangered Animals and Nomads
"It was really serene to listen to them singing as we looked around at the empty landscape" |
54 |
Hustai National Park | Jun 10 '07 | Mongolia, Hustai National Park: Happy Birthday Dan
"Something that very few people in the world have done - spotting some of the only true wild horses left in the world" |
Comments or Questions for the Author
Jack and Jersey says:
How exciting!!! It sounds like so much fun. I do hope to see you both on your trip to Kansas City. Have a safe trip! Heather
mrsb says:
I am very jelous already. I am glad to see that Nashville is on your list of places to visit. Even though Kim told me that it would only be for a couple of days. You guys have a fantastic time and be safe! You know Grandma isn't going to rest easy until you are back in the states! LOL
Rebekah says:
Guys you will have the time of your life and hope to see you out here in Australia in around 11 months time! incase you need enticing - it's clear blue skies and highs of 33C in sydney today....and i'm just leaving the office for the beach..aaah it's a hard life!!! Enjoy the trip of a lifetime you two! Karlijn write to me - i lost you for a while there! R x
Sara & Dan says:
What an amazing time you'll have! We just visited Bangkok and Siem Reap, Cambodia in December. I can't wait to hear your experiences!
Kyle & Dan says:
Thanks everyone for the comments. :-) *Sara & Dan - if you have any favourites from Bangkok and Siem Reap let us know! *Kelli my sis - nothing gross yet, in fact the Singapore food is anything but gross, very niiiice (you will see on our blog when we update it this week) *Dave,Rob,Sally,Karlijn - thanks from Dan for your comments * Ralph- we hope to see you in NYC this summer in July * Heather-KC here we come, prob in Aug Kimberly&Carmen - we are prob moving Nashville out one day and will add an extra day to stay for the whole weekend, we will keep you posted. Be sure to keep Grandma reassured we are alive! Rebekah- we will be seeing you in 11 months for sure! Roxanne- we'll definitely give you some idea for your Thailand trip, we will be there for 1 month from around the second week of Feb... We leave Singapore tomorrow morning to get a flight to BORNEO from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, supposedly the Amsterdam (in that it is seedy) of this area for Singaporeans, but we will see...
Lee & Kelly Tyler says:
Hi Dan & Kyle, What a great adventure you guys are going to have, Singapore looks very interesting and the food sounds right up my street, Best of luck in Borneo and stay away from them spiders! Keep taking pictures and posting your progress and hopefully see you in the valley of the sun sometime this summer. Take Care Fella's - Lee,Kelly & Baby Jack
Kyle & Dan says:
Hi Mum and Marc! Got the comment just fine, and I like J and M, it's simple! Borneo very cool and we will write lots on the blog in a week or two. Love, Kyle
Kyle & Dan says:
Kelli, luckily we didn't see any other spiders on that website... gross!
Vivi says:
Hi Kyle & Dan, I finally got myself an account to this website. It's great reading your travel plan, and I envy you very much. I got myself on a Korean project and also managed to travel around SouthEast Asia from Jan. 15 to Jan. 20. Hope you guys have fun in my neighbourhood. I may be able to join you for a couple of places like, Thailand, Combodia or Vietnam. I will let you know once I have the schedule confirmed. Enjoy yourselves!!!
longhornval says:
Hi guys! It sounds like your trip is off to a great start. Love the blog and all the pics. Happy Travels! - Valerie
Charleen & Richard says:
Hey guys!! I've just read through your entire schedule and can't wait to hear/read all about your travels. You'll have the time of your life - be careful, full time travel is incredibly addictive. We've only been back to working life for (nearly) two years and are already in the process of planning our next year off to travel through Asia (on a tandem bicycle!). In fact, we probably won't be in Sydney when you get here as we're currently planning to take off in Aug/Sept. I'll have to pick your brains in the meantime on your recommendations of what to see and what to avoid, and maybe we'll be able to meet up on the track somewhere!
Kyle & Dan says:
Hi Charleen and Rich! Glad that you have been able to see what we are up to, but we are gutted you won't be in Sydney when we are there at the end of the this year. Riding tandem through Asia sounds like a brilliant experience, rather you than us! ;-) We will be in the US and off to the South Pacific around Aug/Sep so I think we will miss you, but if your plans get delayed and you are still in Oz when we are there, do let us know!
Rachael IMS says:
Hey Dan I have been keeping track of your excursion - wow!! Archie and I are doing fine. He's sitting infront of me eating a book at the moment -- very advanced!!! Take care and keep the photos coming xxx
TerryP IMS says:
Hey Dan, Sounds like your having a great time out there it sure brightens my dull life in IMS. Keep on including me in your updates as they are most informative. Enjoy!! :-)
Kyle & Dan says:
Welcome back! We hope that you enjoy the latest stories. :-)
F&M says:
Hi guys.. It was really nice hanging out with you again in Hong Kong :-) I've just checked your travel plan and maybe we'll be in Xian around May 25th also. We'll see.. Lots of things can happen. Continue your AMAZING journey ;-) Hugs and shit from Frida & Mads..
Kyle & Dan says:
Hi Frida and Mads! That would be great if you are in Xi'an when we are there. We booked a room in Xiangzimen International Youth Hostel which is right inside the walled part of Xi'an and we think is an old temple which has been converted to a hostel. We have 3 nights there and will leave Xi'an for Pingyao on 28th May for a couple of days and then on to Beijing on 30th May for a few days before going to Mongolia. Hopefully our paths will cross! By the way, there are photos of you guys and us in Nha Trang on our journal now. Cheers! Kyle and Dan
Slacker says:
oops...I think I posted this on a photo instead of the general comments, so I'm doing a little copy/paste :) Okay...finally I'm getting a chance to comment. I've been looking at the pictures all along (umm, i mean reading your entries...) and I'm so jealous! I get hungry every time I see the food and then lose my appetite when a spider, a barbequed rat or creepy bug shows up! The photography is amazing! Good job guys. Maybe you should consider a new career. What kind of camera are you using? I'm so excited about your visit to LA. Keep me posted when you know the dates and details. Keep up the great posts :-) I LOVE it!!!!
Kyle & Dan says:
Thanks Shelley - we get all of the comments, whether they are on photos or the stories. You probably have a couple emails now with letting you know our replies have been posted! See you in Sept, but we will talk to you before then!
Kyle & Dan says:
Maycongp- We didn't have any problems getting visas but we are travelling on British passports and it is more of a formality. For you, you will need to check with each different country you are visiting, what the rules are. Good luck, and enjoy your travels!
Kyle & Dan says:
Hi Kimberly! Glad that you are still getting caught up! We are enjoying Arkansas and the change of pace. :-) We will see you next month, which is good - going to Fort Smith this weekend to see Dad, Linda and Grandma which will be great! Spending this week with Mum and Marc and MeeMaw and Bob. Talk to you soon! Kyle x
Karlijn says:
Wow!!! How cool is this, just travelling the world in a year. Enjoy. I will be reading your travel journal as often as I can. Love, Karlijn