Need advice! What should I do?? Christmas 06

[freespiritz]

Hi guys.

Just wanted your thoughts.

I'm going to China this Sept-Dec w/ my college semester abroad program. Once it's done, I have Christmas break. Unlike everyone else who is jetting home to the US to spend time with family, I [obviously] want to travel. The current plan is boot it like a maniac down the China coast, trave down Vietnam, skip over to Cambodia and fly out from Bangkok (tentatively).

As usual, I don't have a travel partner, because it IS may and freaking early to plan this, but I just found out I need to make a decision about plane tix next week. Blargh!

Should I go ahead and make a decision to stay in South East Asia regardless of whether I can find a travel partner or not, and without having done any much planning yet? I'm afraid I'll end up alone, and I have yet to attempt any solo travel (that's happening July for the first time) and am kinda nervous about that. ALSO, I know my parents will absolutely freak out if I tell them I'm travelling alone. I can understand why, and I don't really want to cause them grief. Heck, they'll freak out if I tell them I'm travelling at all, alone or not.

But I really really really want to see these places, and I don't want to spend Christmas back on campus as a sad little international student with no one else here, scrounging for food...and I'm probably not going to be back in SEA for the next three years.

What would you do? One week to make a decision seems a little rough for me. :P

If all else fails, I'll probably end up visiting California instead. Heh.

[LostFarmboy]

If it was me i'd definately go traveling. SEA is a very popular destination for backpackers, especially for the poms, so you don't have to worry about being alone, you'll meet people on the road. I think every backpacker that has been around SEA, solo or otherwise, has said it was their favorite place to travel.

Go for it!!!

[florencia9699]

I say go for it... once you're over there they are less likely to bug you about your plans... just make sure you assure them that you WILL call/e-amil them often to tell them how your trip is going.. and that you weren't killed in SEA... parents can get the weirdest ideas sometimes! So just let them know where you are and they will eventually ease out a bit.

[lauren313]

Yeah, I would go for it. You never know, you might find someone else doing a semester abroad who is planning on travelling too. Even if they're not doing it for the same length of time or anything, you might have someone to hang with for at least a little while.

[eunike]

SEA is never short of backpackers! Ever. Especially Thailand over Christmas.

If you make an effort to be friendly you'll never be short of people to hang out with. You might not ever speak to these people again, but there's something very special about these seasonal friendships.

You might think of going down to Singapore. It's not too far from Bangkok, and might be a better place to depressurize after all that wandering (and to hear English again! sometimes that helps mentally). It's a great city and it puts out a great New Year's party. It's also more of a transport hub than Bangkok, so your flight home might be cheaper out of Singa, too.

[freespiritz]

I should've known that people on a travel forum would tell me to go for it. :P

It's also kind of funny that I feel more foreign backpacking through SEA (which is technically home) than I would travelling through Europe or Australia or North America. i do enjoy being able to pass as a local though. :D

Well, I'm waiting to hear back from a friend who might travel w/ me...if she says yes it will be definitely a thumbs up go for it, if not...I'm also waiting to see what my parents say. Cross your fingers for me though!

Anyone on tpunk wanna travel with me?

[eunike]

Originally posted by freespiritz@May 5 2006, 07:19 PM
It's also kind of funny that I feel more foreign backpacking through SEA (which is technically home) than I would travelling through Europe or Australia or North America. i do enjoy being able to pass as a local though. :D

[snapback]118230[/snapback]

OMG! That's so true! I'm originally from the Philippines but spent half of 2004 based in HK and going over SEA, and man, I know exactly what you mean.

Happy travels!

[simply_angelic]

I say go for it whether or not your friend says yes. My parents were TOTALLY against me going to Europe last summer especially solo, but I knew that it was something I had to do for me and eventually they gave in...sort of. Just make sure you keep in touch because parents do tend to worry like crazy and keep your wits about you. You'll have a blast! Going to Europe was one of the best experiences of my life and I know that all my future journeys will be even better. You've got an amazing opportunity in front of you. Don't pass this up!!!!

[freespiritz]

Schweetness, I called up a good pal in OZland and she's agreed to come with me! :D

*is excited*

She actually wanted to do the Trans-Siberian railway but I said to wait until I had more than three weeks to do that. :P

Now I just have to coerce the parents into being less freaked out - I told them I was going solo and they freaked, maybe they'll be okay with it now that I have a travel bud.

Vietnam and Cambodia, here I come! Any tips and must-sees?

Any tpunkers who want to meet up, do let me know!

[LiveFreeorDie]

Enjoy the trip!! Sounds great. I have been to Thailand and Singapore but not Vietnam or Cambodia, but they are high on my list. Make sure you check out Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

[worldwidemike]

I would say give yourself at least 3 days at the ruins of Angkor Wat, in Cambodia. There are some outlying sites in addition to the main complex that you'll need extra day(s) to get to, and if you have the time, would be really cool to see. I had only two days of sightseeing there (I did it as a side trip from Bangkok via air), and saw most of the main complex, just didn't get to the ones that were an hour plus away.

Oh, and check out the thread from this TPer who went to Vietnam awhile back...
Katdawg in Vietnam

worldwidemike

[freespiritz]

I'm NERVOUS!!!

I just need some good travelpunk words to soothe my soul

I just bought meself a little ticket from Bangkok to Boston for next Jan...except that I have no clue how the hell I'm getting from Shanghai to Bangkok...and my tentative travel partner looks very likely to ditch me, my parents tell me all these stories of friends who had tough times travelling, rape and robbery and everything nasty.

*chews fingernails*

Well, at least I've made a decision and I know I'm definitely going to be in SEA over Christmas, somewhere, and will get to see Thailand at least, and it will be an adventure.

Someone come travel with me?

[Esterina]

Congrats ! Now you can't step back ! Hehehe !

I spent Christmas 2004 in Hanoi, and we had a great time. It's so amazing to see all the locals, who aren't christian, invade the streets of the capital and party. I'm telling you, thousands and thousands of people, some even wearing Santas hats (sooooo funny !) occupying downtown Hanoi.

Vietnam is a beautiful country. I did the northern half, from Hué to Halong Bay. Gorgeous ! The country is very tourist-friendly, and easy to find tours to visit places. But that was also my dislike though : everything is so "organized", it's hard to get on a bus with locals, hard to visit places on your own, on your pace. Fortunately, I knew one guy from a town near Hanoi, and was able to see "real Vietnam", not the one set for tourists.

Hué is also worth a few days, with visit to the pagodas by boat, and the Ho-Chi-Minh Trail by bus. Hoi-An I heard is beautiful !

In December and January, North Vietnam is rather cold, around 15-20 degrees during the day.

I didn't go to Cambodia, but Laos, but have met several backpackers who did and l-o-v-e-d it !

[freespiritz]

Whee, thanks for the encouraging words, atchoum. I'll probably start worrying about the nitty-gritty of my trip and what the details actually are after I finish backpacking Borneo this July. I do appreciate the itinerary advice though, and all other suggestions are more than welcome! Were you in Vietnam alone?

15 - 20 degrees sounds like a very nice warm Maine spring day, and coming from Shanghai in winter it really shouldn't be bad at all...I'm more worried about flying back to Boston.

[Esterina]

Backpacking Borneo, you lucky freespritiz !

Right, the weather wasn't bad at all (hey I'm Canadian ! Hahaha!), but one better know what to pack...

I was alone in Hué, but in Hanoi I spent days with a local and we went together to the Halong Bay, and spent some more days with a Japanese traveler I had met in Laos. It's easy to travel alone, but we get harassed a lot, unfortunately. You being from Malaysia, I believe you won't get that problem. And you are travelling with a friend, that also should prevent harassment.

May I ask why you're worrying about flying back to Boston ?

[freespiritz]

Yeah, I'm really excited about Borneo this July.

Vietnam sounds like an amazing place...I really wouldn't worry if I had a travel partner (and we'd both look local), but the problem is that my friend who was supposed to join me might very likely not be able to make it now. I figure I'll worry about this later in the year though. Hehe.

And oh, I meant winter-wise when I was talking about going to Boston since you said Vietnam could be chilly.