SE Asia, Australia, NZ...travel tips??

[LaurieL622]

Hi everyone!

I'm graduating college in about 5 months and I'm trying to plan a trip either to south east asia (thailand!) or australia/nz...hopefully all three. I'm still a bit indecisive about WHERE exactly i'm going but i figured January/Feb travel is best done around that area because of the lovely weather. Anyone whose done it before, and/or lives there...gimme any advice you'd like! Actually...everyone should give me advice on backpacking-anywhere! Right now I'm open to go anywhere , not limited to the south pacific area. I need something to help get me started...oh and what are everyone's feelings about traveling alone ? i'm a 22 yo female from the states, i speak (almost) fluent chinese and extremely broken french.

Thanks !

[joanofarc]

man, you just HAVE to know chinese, don't you? now voyd's gonna be all over this post get out of here! ahha! just kidding:

welcome to the boards! i'm going to thailand in 12 DAYS! i've been to indonesia before too, so i have a little experience w/ s.e.a. and we have tons of down-under'ers here too the help you there... i'm a research maniac so ask and ask away! again, welcome!

[LaurieL622]

Thanks Joan!

I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun...what parts are you going to? I actually lived in Bangkok for a year about 10 years back. But I speak no Thai and don't remember too much about getting around. Anway, you have to email me when you get back and tell me all about your trip!! August is supposed to be monsoon season over there so hope you don't get caught up in the floods/rain.

Have you been to OZ yet? If anyone has, tell me about your experiences! Esp. if you backpacked alone!

Thanks

[worldwidemike]

Hi Laurie,

I've been to Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Myanmar and Bali (Indonesia) in SE Asia. They have all been great. I would have to say you really can't miss the major temple complexes there: Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar. They are such stunning, once-in-a-lifetime sights. You can fly direct from Bangkok to Siem Reap, which is basically where Angkor is. And you can also fly from Bangkok to Yangon, and connect up to Bagan. The flights are pretty cheap, and if you do a search on Bangkok travel agencies, you can probably find one who will do all the legwork for you.

While in SE Asia, I have heard rave reviews of Laos, for a more unspoiled place to visit. Ask Tpunker Atchoum...she's been there, and I'm sure she'll respond to a PM...

Our very own My Retro Career is planning a SE Asia trip...he's a great guy. Who knows? Maybe you'll be there at the same time! Feel free to check out my web site, Laurie, for my travelogues on the above countries...

worldwidemike

[ponk]

hey laurie, nice to see people coming down to sea! have loads of fun and bring a sun block lotion. hmmm dont know much about indon, been to thailand once, bangkok, but i'll be going to koh samui some where end of the year, but if you ever hop down kuala lumpur, malaysia. i'd be glad to help you around! ! cheerz!
Ponk

[pasique]

hey lauriel, if you like to shop and travel cheap, please do come to indonesia, where $1 is worth a fillet o' fish (not a good analogy, i know). seriously, jakarta and bandung is shopping heaven! you can even buy an Andre Valentino high heels with just $18 (on sale, usually $36). well, you get the idea). there's also one of the wonders of the world, the borobudur and some other temples in java. if you need to tan on the beach, i highly recomend Lombok (beaches as beautiful as Bali, but less crowded). if you wanna see some unique ancient traditions, you can go to Toraja or see the Badui. need a dive? come to Bunaken! yeah, we got it all here..

i've never been to any other asia countries, so i can't give much comment about it. but i went to australia and i think you'll find it quite the same with U.S. (but again, i've never been to the states, so can't be really sure about it).

so, if you happen by aby chance wanna come here, please do contact me. i'll show you around (if i got time, that is.. )

[crious]

Laurie

If you are heading to New Zealand you may want to look into the working holiday visa. I am getting one for my trip in July 2005. They are good for 1 year and it is free of charge for U.S. citizens. I am not sure where you are from but I know they had agreements with a lot of other countries as well. It is a cool way to be abe to go and be legal to earn a few extra bucks while you are there. Hope this can help and if you are there around July 2005 let me know

[LaurieL622]

hey everyone!

Thanks so much for the advice & tips. I can use anything, so keep them coming!

Please feel free to drop me a line! I'm not sure if you guys can get ahold of my email through the msgboards?

Thanks!