12 Months in Southeast Asia/Oceania 2013 – Itinerary nearly done – what do you think?

by Steve
(Malta)

Hi all,

Planning a 1 year trip to Southeast asia/Aus next year…6 year old dream coming together :)

Spent the last few weeks reading through all the great advice in these forums.

Check out my rough itinerary below. I don’t plan to stick to this religiously though it’s my rough guide before I leave. :)

What do you think? Am I missing anywhere special? What about my timings?

Quick notes:
- We’re 2 30 yrs old.
- Budget of US$4,000 - US$6,000 a month (I expect to save in some regions to make up for the more expensive areas like Aus/NZ).
- We’ve decided not to do India/Nepal/Tibet this time round.
- I haven’t decided if/when we should make space for Fiji, Philippines and South Korea
- I have a 2 month buffer at the end which allows me to move things around as I need too.

TIMELINE:
Thailand 4 weeks Jan 9 to Feb 6th
Laos 1-2 weeks Feb 7th to Feb 18th
Vietnam 2 weeks Feb 18th to Mar 4th
Cambodia 1 week Mar 4th to Mar 9th
New Zealand 4 weeks Mar 10th to Apr 7th
Aus – NSW 2 weeks Apr 7th to Apr 21st
Aus – QLD 3 weeks Apr 21st to May 12th
Aus – NT 1-2 weeks May 12 to May 21st
Aus – WT 3 weeks May 21st to Jun 11th
Indonesia 6-8 weeks Jun 11th to July 30th
Malaysia/Sing 4 weeks Jul 30th to Aug 27th
China 5 weeks Aug 27th to 1st Oct
Japan 4 weeks Oct 1st to 31st Oct
Buffer 7 weeks Nov 1st to Dec 22nd

Itinerary
Thailand – 4 weeks - Jan 9 to Feb 6th
Bangkok 3 days
Koh Chang 3 days
Kaeng Krachan National park
Ko Tao
Chumphon
Phangam
Koh Samui
Koh Phangan
Phuket
Koh Phi Phi
Krabi
Koh Kho Khao
Railay
Phang Nga
Koh Lanta
Koh Hong or "Room Island"
Phetchaburi
Hin Daeng
Trang province
Chang Mai 1 week
Pai and San Kamphaeng


Laos 1-2 weeks - Feb 7th to Feb 18th
Fly in from Chang mai to Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang - 4-5 days
Vang Vieng - 3 days
Vientiane - south 2 days

Vietnam 2 weeks - Feb 18th to Mar 4th
Hanoi - Fly in from Laos - 3 days
Halong Bay - 2 days
Ninh Binh
Hue - 3 days
Hoi An - 3 days
Nha Trang - 4 days
Saigon / Ho Chi Minh - 3 days

Cambodia - 1 week - Mar 4th to Mar 9th
Phnom Penh - 2 days
Angkor Wat - Siem Reap - 3 days
Kampot/Kep - 1-2 days

New Zealand - 4 weeks Mar 10th to Apr 7th
Queenstown
Central Otago
Christchurch
Auckland
Wellington
Hokitika
Arrowtown - not necesity
Fiordland

AUSTRALIA - 2 months
Sydney/NSW - 2 weeks
Apr 7th to Apr 21st
Blue Mountains
Byron Bay hinterland
Nimbin
Coastal Grand Pacific Drive
Mount Warning - forest
Yamba
Coffs Harbour

Queensland (QLD) - 3 weeks Apr 21st to May 12th
Cairns
Moore, Norman, Hardy, Saxon, and Arlington reefs and Michaelmas and Upolu
Heron Island
Wet Tropics Rainforest
Whitsunday Islands
Lamington National Park
Port Douglas
Lizard Island
Coral Sea -
Lady Elliot Island / Rottnest Island /Ningaloo Reef
Tully River
Fraser Island

Northern Territory - 2 weeks - May 12 to May 21st
Darwin - 2 days
Kakadu National Park - 3-4 days
Top End
Litchfield National Park - 1-2 days

West Australia - 3 weeks - May 21st to Jun 11th
Kimberley
The Bibbulmun Track
Cape-to-Cape
Perth
Margaret River
Bunbury and Rockingham / Monkey Mia
The Northwest Cape

Indonesia - 6-8 weeks - Jun 11th to July 30th
Bali - 3 weeks
Ubud
Kuta
Seminyak
Benoa
Lombok
Senigigi
Gili Islands
Kuta Lombok - amazing beaches/Koeta
Java - 1 week:
Jakarta
Yogyakarta
Bromo

Sumatra
Kelimutu
Komodos
Labuanbajo
Samosir
Flores/Komodo etc
Kelimutu
Komodos
Labuanbajo - great underwater

Sulawesi
Mamasa/Tana Toraja valleys
Bunaken National Park
Lembeh Strait
Noth
Lahendong and Leilem
Torajaland

Singapore - 5 days - Jul 30th to Aug 6th

Malaysia - 4 weeks - Aug 6th to Aug 27th
Kuala Lumpur
Malacca
Pedas Hot Springs -
Taman Negara National Park
Perhentian, Redang, Tioman
Cameron Highlands
Penang
Langkawi
Kuala Terengganu
Perhentian Islands
Tioman Islands
Kuantan
Kota Bharu

Borneo - Sarawak(west) and Sabah (North) 2 weeks
Borneo
Mt Kinabalu - north
Niah Caves
Gunung Mulu National Park - Caves
The Pinnacles - limestone points
Layang Layang
Kota Kinabalu!


Hong Kong - 1 week - Aug 27th to Sep 5th

China - 4 weeks - Sep 5th to 1st Oct
Macau
Shenzhen
Guangxi
Guangxi: Guilin - South west - inland & Yangshuo/Dali
Yunnan
Kunming
Yunnan: Lijiang
Sichuan : Chengdu
Xi’an, Shaanxi Province / Changan
Henan / Luòyáng -
Beijing
Shanghai / Suzhou

Japan - 4 weeks - Oct 1st to 31st Oct
Kanto: Tokyo / Nikko / Yokohama
Kansai/Kinki: Kyoto / Nara / Nagaya / Kumano Kodo/Osaka
Hyogo
Iga Ueno
Chugoku: Miyajima/Hiroshima
Hagi
Shikoku
Naoshima
Matsuyama
Kyushu
Takachiho
Kurokawa Onsen
Nagasaki
Beppu
Yufuin
Yakushima

7 week buffer

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Answer: Hey, nice work! :-) I would say that you've covered lots of interesting places. I'll only comment the part that concerns Asia:

4000-6000 USD for two people in Southeast Asia sounds realistic and leaves you with a good margin. What you save in Southeast Asia is needed for more expensive countries like Japan and Hong Kong.

Don't know if the cities/towns/islands you've written are in chronological order. Anyways, checked flight prices from KL to Hong Kong and from Kota Kinabalu to Hong Kong - cheaper from KK with AirAsia. So, an idea would be to finish off Malay peninsula, then fly to Kuching or other place in Sarawak, work your way through Sarawak and then end your journey in Malaysia in KK.

Thailand:
Are you flying from south Thailand to Chiang Mai? If so, you should consider Nok Air which has flights from Trang to Bangkok, or from Hat Yai (further south) directly to Bangkok (2 hours by air compared to 21-23 hours by bus/train). Cost 2700 baht in January 2013. Minivans leave Trang bus station for Hat Yai (1 hour). You have to speed travel to make it to all these destinations in Thailand in 4 weeks, but it's doable.

Vietnam: If you during your trip realize you have more time, maybe a couple of days in the Mekong Delta (boat trip in the Delta canals and nice small towns and fish farms along the way).

Cambodia: Just have in mind that traveling in Cambodia in March is going to be hot. Siem Reap is worst than Phnom Penh weatherwise during the hot season.

You've covered Malaysia and Indonesia pretty good and as far as I know timings is also good, so don't have much comments here. Haven't been to China and Japan, so can't comment on this.

Amanda

Posted: Oct 01, 2012