Tayls Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) Anybody fancy telling us about their favourite place that they have visited, or where you plan on going in the near future? Need advice from others on how to go about planning a trip or are you seeking recommendations? Why not whack it in this thread and I am sure someone will be able share their experiences to make yours even more enjoyable. (or of course begin a specific location thread). Happy travelling! Edited January 12, 2013 by Tayls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I've got one : I'm looking at going to Belgrade in April and then i'll probably carry on down to Skopje and als take in Kosovo I've heard there aren't easy routes into Kosovo from Serbia as they are still a bit bitter about the whole new country thing so anyone done the border crossing ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LockStockVilla Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I've got one : I'm looking at going to Belgrade in April and then i'll probably carry on down to Skopje and als take in Kosovo I've heard there aren't easy routes into Kosovo from Serbia as they are still a bit bitter about the whole new country thing so anyone done the border crossing ? I know all my mates went to both Serbia and Kosovo in the summer...not sure order and all, but I will certainly ask them about this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 I've got one : I'm looking at going to Belgrade in April and then i'll probably carry on down to Skopje and als take in Kosovo I've heard there aren't easy routes into Kosovo from Serbia as they are still a bit bitter about the whole new country thing so anyone done the border crossing ? My mate is doing Skopje and Pristina next month. I'll ask him how he is going across the border. He's going in from Macedonia, not Serbia as you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted January 14, 2013 Share Posted January 14, 2013 It's possible that I'm going to Saudi Arabia now instead thanks to Villatalk :-) Just Yemen and then I've done all the Middle East Skopje To Pristina is quite easy , 90 min bus ride or a slowish train , was just trying to take a short cut by not going all the way around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tayls Posted January 14, 2013 Author Share Posted January 14, 2013 It's possible that I'm going to Saudi Arabia now instead thanks to Villatalk :-) Just Yemen and then I've done all the Middle East Skopje To Pristina is quite easy , 90 min bus ride or a slowish train , was just trying to take a short cut by not going all the way around Nice how did you manage to sort that out in the end? (Saudi) What's there to do in capitals like Skopje and Pristina? Seeing as we are on that part of europe at the mo, anybody been to Zagreb or Podgorica? Me and a couple of mates are looking at one of those for a summer hol, possibly end up in Dubrovnik. Croatia apparently has the most amazing women - so I want to try and avoid it somehow as I'm not interested in seeing them. Plus my gf will beast me. So do your best to put me off!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) My greatest travelling experience was when I went to China... My sister was living in Beijing through work so went over the see her. After spending a few days around Beijing we went down to the Huangshan mountains and hike those. I then went to Xian on my own... This is when it got interesting.... I arrive in Xian with my only lingo being please thanks and hello.. Unfortunately, on the morning that I arrive in Xian my bank card got inadvertently snapped... This left me with approximately £50 (in Yen) to my name which needed to include hotel,food and expenses... I had to check out the hotel I was in, and after a shameful call to my sister managed to get an online booking (which she paid on her card) into another hotel.. Obviously I still wanted to see the sights of Xian and especially the terra cotta army... I managed to get the bus out to see the terracotta army. After that I still wanted to see the rest of the city.. I managed to hire a push bike and cycled round the city for a fee days. Christ I saw some sights that I wouldn't have if I'd had to rely on public transport which was my original plan if I had money with me... Also found the best restaurant ever, purely by accident.. I had the lonely planet guide with me and went to a restaurant they recommended... The people there were so rude and refused to serve me saying "no English no English" ( so obviously could speak some English)... There was a place next door, being late I decided to go in just in the hope of getting som food.. This new place couldn't speak but were so hospitable and friendly, through sign language and pointing at the menu manage to get 4 different dishes (felt bad leaving some) of the best foo I ever tasted..(at a ridiculously cheap price) Edited January 15, 2013 by mikeyp102 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 This new place couldn't speak but were so hospitable and friendly, through sign language and pointing at the menu manage did you do the universal gesture for chicken complete with noises Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Loving this thread. Very inspirational. Anyway, I'm planning 'The big one' for this time next year. Will have to sell the house to do it, which is a particularly frightening thought, but I figure you only live once. So this is the plan: Nepal Pokhora region and Trekking the Annapurnas for a few days, staying in the tea huts. Raft down the Seti River to Chitwan National Park for a bit of a Jungle Safari Thailand Not Yet planned, but the general idea will be to fly into Bangkok, perhaps head north for a few days, then using public transport make my way down to the Malaysian peninsular, stopping at various places along the way. Borneo (Malaysian) Stay at Lankayan Island Dive Resort Dannum Valley Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary Hiking the Headhunters trail Australia Port Lincoln to go swimming with the big white fish Kangaroo Island Obligatory Sydney to Cairns camper van route New Zealand South Island Queenstown Milford Sound Franz Josef Glacier Kaikura Kahuringi National Park Obviously it is a little more detailed than this, have some pretty solid Itineraries lined up for Nepal and Borneo, but any feedback by those who have been to the areas mentioned would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 did you do the universal gesture for chicken complete with noises Contemplated it, luckily the menu had pictures of the food so just ignorantly pointed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyp102 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Loving this thread. Very inspirational. Anyway, I'm planning 'The big one' for this time next year. Will have to sell the house to do it, which is a particularly frightening thought, but I figure you only live once. So this is the plan: Nepal Pokhora region and Trekking the Annapurnas for a few days, staying in the tea huts. Raft down the Seti River to Chitwan National Park for a bit of a Jungle Safari Thailand Not Yet planned, but the general idea will be to fly into Bangkok, perhaps head north for a few days, then using public transport make my way down to the Malaysian peninsular, stopping at various places along the way. Borneo (Malaysian) Stay at Lankayan Island Dive Resort Dannum Valley Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary Hiking the Headhunters trail Australia Port Lincoln to go swimming with the big white fish Kangaroo Island Obligatory Sydney to Cairns camper van route New Zealand South Island Queenstown Milford Sound Franz Josef Glacier Kaikura Kahuringi National Park Obviously it is a little more detailed than this, have some pretty solid Itineraries lined up for Nepal and Borneo, but any feedback by those who have been to the areas mentioned would be great. Why sounds amazing... Have contemplated going myself.. But at the moment it's just an after thought, but if circumstances change who knows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 As I say, it's going to basically require me ditching everything I've worked for over the past 8 years; house, job, car etc. But I figure it's probably what I need, and if I don't do it now, then I never will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Nepal Pokhora region and Trekking the Annapurnas for a few days, staying in the tea huts. Raft down the Seti River to Chitwan National Park for a bit of a Jungle Safari I've done this Kathmandu to Pokhora was the longest coach journey of my life , over turned lorries , coaches , chickens in the seat next to me , loud Indian music blarring away ... about 9 hours , so my advice is take the plane Trekking wise I'd go for Base Camp .. Annapurna does have the more beautiful sights , and a hot spring , but Base Camp has Everest ..and well it's Everest you have to see it and smell it The white water rafting was ok just the day before you see the dead bodies that they cremate and lob in the river , sort of puts you off wanting to fall in if you go book a yeti air flight around Everest ..amazing stuff and they give everybody a turn in the cockpit for the best view Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 Really appreciate that Tony, cheers. In all honesty, Nepal has made it's way to the periphery of our plans, and may well get replaced by Canada depending on the money situation. Travelling in the country leaves me a tiny bit reluctant, more so because my other half will be coming with me and I'm probably more concerned for her safety than I am for mine. I know Air travel in the country isn't particularly safe (in comparison to the norm) and I'm not sure as I want the doubt hanging over me. That said, I really would quite like to go. Can I ask if you went on an organised trip? or was it all just independent travel? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I did it with a company back in 2001 , but you can just rock up in kathmandu and get yourself a guide if you feel brave .. I got helicoptered off Everest base trail after a night in a gammow bag due to altitude sickness , had a day in hospital and then got bored the next day and found someone to take to me to Annapurna whilst I waited for my colleagues to come back from the base camp hike when i went back in 2008 it was just for long weekend , was travelling around India with my mate and it was his 40th so I scheduled a trip over to Nepal and an Everest flight followed by a dodgy massage for his 40th I'm doing Bhutan this year all being well , flights there can be quite scary but as I always say , people get killed crossing the road so when your time is up your time is up ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattJ83 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 [ Borneo (Malaysian) Stay at Lankayan Island Dive Resort Dannum Valley Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary Hiking the Headhunters trail I have spent some time working in Borneo and have travelled around the Malaysian side quite a bit. If your going to go diving then you need to go to Sipidan. Best diving i have ever done. Sepilok is worth seeing if you have not been before. A couple of people i know worked around Dannum valley, and although i haven't seen it myself - it sounded amazing! The deer cvave in the mulu national park is worth seeing if you are heading to do the headhunters trail. Have you considered any of these whilst you are there: - Visiting Brunei - Mt Kinabalu - Long Pasia is very good for trekking and still fairly off the beaten track with some great trekking - KK has some good diving around TARP. There is a british dive company which are good and i think they recently had a whale shark in the area. Very good viz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shillzz Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 I did it with a company back in 2001 , but you can just rock up in kathmandu and get yourself a guide if you feel brave .. I got helicoptered off Everest base trail after a night in a gammow bag due to altitude sickness , had a day in hospital and then got bored the next day and found someone to take to me to Annapurna whilst I waited for my colleagues to come back from the base camp hike when i went back in 2008 it was just for long weekend , was travelling around India with my mate and it was his 40th so I scheduled a trip over to Nepal and an Everest flight followed by a dodgy massage for his 40th I'm doing Bhutan this year all being well , flights there can be quite scary but as I always say , people get killed crossing the road so when your time is up your time is up ..... Yeah, that's a good way of looking at it, and were I travelling on my own it wouldnt bother me at all. It's the fact that I'm going to be responsible for my other half, who has seemingly put all her trust in me that leads me to being a little more careful than I otherwise would be. [ I have spent some time working in Borneo and have travelled around the Malaysian side quite a bit. If your going to go diving then you need to go to Sipidan. Best diving i have ever done. Sepilok is worth seeing if you have not been before. A couple of people i know worked around Dannum valley, and although i haven't seen it myself - it sounded amazing! The deer cvave in the mulu national park is worth seeing if you are heading to do the headhunters trail. Have you considered any of these whilst you are there: - Visiting Brunei - Mt Kinabalu - Long Pasia is very good for trekking and still fairly off the beaten track with some great trekking - KK has some good diving around TARP. There is a british dive company which are good and i think they recently had a whale shark in the area. Very good viz. To be honest, it was either Lankayan or Sipadan, though the famous dives at Sipadan might be a little too advanced for my other half, hence the preference for Lankayan, but I think you may still be right on this one. Was fully intending on seeing the caves, definitely, along with the pinnacles etc. Mt Kinabalu looks good, but I think there'll be plenty of chances in some of our other destinations for climbing mountains, hence I thought I'd stick to the stuff that's fairly unique to Borneo. Though everywhere seems to make quite a big deal about it, so maybe I should reconsider? Massive thanks for the feedback, again I really appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 My favourite country as a whole was Cambodia. I thought it was wonderful. The Angkor Wat complex on the outskirts of Siem Reap needs no introduction. Absolutely amazing. We hired our own private guide and auto rickshaw driver and went all over the complex over 3 separate days. It meant we stayed away from the large swathes of coach parties there and saw some of the parts that aren't on the normal tour guide list. Our guide was a lad no older than about 25 but was so knowledgeable and spoke perfect English. When we gave him a decent tip (along with the driver) at the end he nearly cried with happiness! We started our Cambodia trip in Phnom Penh. Fascinating for all the wrong reasons... The Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng genocide museum are very harrowing. Its chilling to think what happened in very recent history. Phnom Penh also had a cracking night-life... we had a few hedonistic nights out there! Reports are now that there has been a lot of development in recent years in PP and its losing its edginess, for want of a better word. Won't be long before McDonalds and Starbucks line every boulevard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 my best experience is in china, never felt so foreign, im 6ft 2", had a lot of pictures taken of me, some by people who walked right up to me and took a pic and others who asked me to pose, including a south korean school class at the terracotta warriors, can remember being on the tube in shanghai and just being stared at, people check out your clothes etc really strange experience going to st petersburg in september, not sure what to expect, would probably rather be going to moscow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted January 15, 2013 Share Posted January 15, 2013 (edited) First time I went to china in 2001 everywhere I went people wanted to have a photo taken with me , I've got fair'ish hair (least I did then ) and blue eyes ... Got dozens of photos of me and class loads of identical looking Chinese school girls in their track suits :-) When I went back 2 years ago nobody even gave me a second glance , probably the Olympics really opened the Chinese up to foreigners ? When I went there in April they even have a hooters in Beijing !! I did the killing fields on my birthday (needed a lot of drink that night !!), was staggered to find out nobody stood trial ( think some have now ) and lots of them are still living amongst the community they helped butcher !! Did you do the hot air balloon over Angkor Watt Alex ? Was on a rope and didn't go up that high but gave a great perspective view of the complex Edited January 15, 2013 by tonyh29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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