First, my apologies for no “Trip of the week” this weekend. Partly it is due to being swamped with work and I’ve had a killer toothache this weekend. But the main reason is because this week I’m leaving on my next “Road Trip” to San Francisco. So I’m actually a bit on overload doing trip planning for two trips at the same time!

With that said….I will not be posting again here until after September 19^th, 2007 when I return from my San Francisco Road trip. Of course there will be lots of stories, lots of history and lots of pictures. Believe it or not, I grew up in California and have never been to San Francisco! Most people don’t believe me but it’s true. So this will be a real treat for me. Unlike some of my other road trips, this trip I’m staying at just one hotel and then doing outings around the Bay Area with a permanent home base. So be sure to come back and visit all the updates about San Francisco.

As for South East Asia trip planning….things are coming along and there has been a bit of a change in the preparations. Most of my trips I go alone. I enjoy traveling alone because it forces me to interact with the locals, go where I want, do what I want, and allows a lot of freedom. On the other hand, it is nice to travel with someone to share the experience with and to have those common stories and memories for a life time. The problem with traveling with someone is that it is often difficult to coordinate times off from work, costs, etc and usually does not come to fruition. I went to Costa Rica with a close friend and we still laugh and talk about our adventures.

I have a good friend from Minneapolis that confirmed with me this week that he is going to join me on the first part of the trip in Vietnam and Cambodia! We haven’t seen each other in a few years but still keep in touch. We have a lot of the same tastes and interests and I’m sure we will travel most excellently together! Aside from having someone to share the experiences and memories with, it make traveling a little less stressful because I don’t have to do all the work coordinating a schedule, finding lodging, busses, etc. It becomes a shared labor of love! In addition, I can live it up a bit more (rather than staying in dormitory hostels) I can upgrade because we can split the cost. With that said, my friend Michael, has confirmed he will be joining me. We both will arrive in Ho Chi Minh City on the same night at the same time but different flights. We will travel around HCMC and the Mekong Delta for several days before heading up to Phnom Pehn, Cambodia and eventually Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. After that, we will part ways as he returns to Vietnam to explore the northern part of that country and I will venture west to Bangkok!

In the last two weeks, I’ve had two main issues I’ve been trying to address. First, is the whole Vietnam Visa issues. I need to get my stamp in my passport prior to going. This is the first time I’ve had to purchase it prior to my departure. Usually I have just gotten them at the border crossings or airport. I visited the Vietnam Embassy webpage and it stated I needed to send two money orders (one for the visa, one for processing fee), an application, a photo, a return envelope prepaid and certified, my passport, and mail it certified. I gathered all of the required stuff but when I went to the post office I got the run around about purchasing a prepaid certified envelope and that they had never heard of that. I became frustrated and went to another US Post office which understood what I was trying to do. My new Visa photo looks like I’m stoned and I attached it to the application. I’m a bit nervous about sending my passport through the mail but that is what was required. After gathering all the requested stuff and solving the post office fiasco, my application for a Vietnamese Visa in on its way to Washington DC. I’m anxious to get it back.

Now the second issue I’ve been addressing the last two weeks has to do with the second part of my journey. The first part for Vietnam, Cambodia and getting to Bangkok has been pretty set. However, I am not sure what to see, where to go, and most importantly how to transport from city to city. From Bangkok to Singapore where I will come back to the US is over 1,200 miles….a daunting amount of territory to cover in the remaining two weeks. Plus busses run very slow there and I’m getting to that age where I can’t really deal with a bus ride more than 4 or 5 hours. I have found out that there are sleeper car trains for $50 one way which is tempting. In addition, I was shocked to find out that Air Asia has some cheap one way flights (as low as $30 and $50). I’m beginning to think of perhaps flying from Phnom Pehn (after Angkor) to Bangkok. Then fly from Bangkok to Penang. From Penang take the bus or train to Kuala Lumpur and eventually Singapore. The problem is that I will miss a lot of south Thailand but I only have a limited time. So, my plans are still a bit up in the air, however, I do feel a sense of relief knowing that I have train and flight options for a relatively cheap price and will help in the interest of time and emotional health! However, I will probably not start making decisions on this until October.

In October things will step up to the next gear with firming up an itinerary and searching for locals…hospitality club and couch surfing in some of my various stops in South East Asia. The first week with Michael we will probably be staying in regular hotels. But when I’m on my own I like the hospitality club and couch surfing for a number of reasons. One it is nice to meet locals and they can often help you plan stuff and is sort of like having a safety net should something happen to you in that country. Second, if they do let you stay with them…you really get to see how the locals and the people live and more immersed in the culture. Third, you save a bit on money without having to pay for lodging . And Finally, I often get to see and do things off the beaten path and that most “tourists” don’t get to see.

So, October will begin the more in-depth planning, purchasing of transportation tickets, travel insurance, and other last minute issues! So stay tuned for follow ups to Road Trip Fall 2007-San Francisco and Trip Planning South East Asia-Part III!

I often get questions on “how do you come up with these ideas for international trips?”  “How do you plan these trips?”  “How do you figure out where you are going? Where you are staying?  What you are seeing?”

I decided that I would start a few articles to help answer those questions especially in light of my next upcoming trip this November.   I had bought my ticket back in March and it seemed like such a long time before my trip.  But I started thinking this weekend, “My god, its only 2 ½ months before I go and I don’t really have any plans set up!”   Besides this, I need to get my visas for Vietnam and Cambodia beforehand.  This can be a tricky thing since the Visa stamp is only good for three months from the date of issue but you don’t want to wait until it is too close to the trip in the chance that your passport gets lost in the mail or something.

So how do these trips come together??

Well, usually the biggest upfront expense is the plane ticket to wherever I go.  I usually purchase my plane ticket in March or April when I get my income tax refund.  Also, early in the year is the Los Angeles Travel Convention that was one of my “Trip of the Week” entries back in January.  At the travel show I visit the numerous booths and pick up literature on various world destinations.   I then have a handful of “dream” spots I would like to go such as Egypt, India, or a Safari in Africa.  After I have this handful of dream destinations I then begin looking on line for flight deals.   Because of limited income and my wanting to go as cheaply as possible, usually the destination with the cheapest air flight wins out.   This years contenders were South East Asia, India, and various safaris in Africa.   After plugging in various dates and destinations into the numerous travel and airline sites,  South East Asia came out the cheapest with a roundtrip ticket into Ho Chi Minh City and out of Singapore for less than $1000.

Sometimes I find the best deals on Orbitz or Travelocity or simply by going directly to the airline website.   It takes several hours of research on the internet to track down the cheapest flight.   It requires patience, perseverance and ingenuity.  Depending upon travel plans, sometimes you simply have to leave in the middle of the week or in the middle of the night or from a neighboring airport.  If you keep playing with all the possibilities you can find a cheap flight, though most are non-refundable.

Now some people would rather spend an extended time in one country.  I do enjoy that myself such as my two-week trips to Italy or Ireland.  However, on some of these very far and distant destinations I do try to pack in as much as possible and shop around for open ended or multiple destination tickets as I did this year.

With that said, I purchased my ticket for South East Asia last March and knew I would be traveling to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.  I especially wanted to visit Angkor in Cambodia and Bangkok in Thailand.  I figured while I’m in the region why not tack on Vietnam and Singapore.     Once the plane ticket was purchased, the trip sort of goes into a hibernation state. I know I’ve got my ticket, where and when I’ll go, but I don’t plan on much until the time gets closer.

Now the time is closer!  So my next thing is to figure out what I want to see in those countries, what cities I want to visit and stop in, what adventures I might want to see, and begin studying the logistics of my trip.  In addition I use this time to research the history, culture, and special issues I may encounter on the trip (such as health, immunizations, costs, cultural norms, the foods, religious observances, local holidays, etc).  Lastly, I write down my “dreams”.  I always seem to have romanticized dream for each of my trips.  For example, last year I wanted to smoke a hookah in a bar in Jordan or ride a camel through Petra.  Other dreams of the past were swinging through the canopy of Costa Rica, kissing the Blarney Stone in Ireland, ATVing Sand Dunes in Baja.  Whatever it is I write it down.  So for this trip….my romanticized dreams are to snorkel in the emerald water, ride an Elephant, and go to a Buddhist Meditation Class.   Usually these dreams come about.  The first step is to simply imagine it and believe it in your mind.  So I’m sure by the time this journey is over, I will have ridden my first elephant!

My first stop on the research stage is Lonely Planet Books.  There are numerous travel books. I happen to prefer Lonely Planet because they are more geared toward budget travel and backpacking.

So today was the kick off for my trip planning.  The first order of business is a “to do list”.   My “to do list” keeps me organized and on track until the day I take off on my trip.   Items on my “to do list” include:

-Make Trip Itinerary

-Make City Itinerary

-Organize contacts

-Get Flu Shot/Immunizations

-Organize credit/finances

-Organize post Card/Souvenir List

-Print flight schedule

-Pay all bills

-Transportation to airport

-Kitty Care

-Work to get done before trip

-Copies of web pages/sites/contacts

-Confirm reservations/seats

-Camera Batteries

-Toiletries to get

-Haircut

-Final Laundry

-Visa For Vietnam

-Visa for Cambodia

-General idea of where and how to get around

-Forward Mail

-Travel Insurance

This to do list becomes my blueprint and guide for the next 3 months and helps reduce any anxiety I have that I might forget or overlook.   After doing my “To Do” list. I then begin looking more closely at my itinerary.   I spent much of today reading my Travel Book learning about the history and customs of my destinations. I also peruse the “Must See” sites as well as off the beaten path jewels to see.  I also investigate with my book and online how to transport from city to city and the estimated costs and times.  For example, I learned that I could take a bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for about $7 and about 7-hour bus ride.  But there is an optional bus/boat ride for about the same price and same amount of time.    So I started estimated costs and times for travel between cities and regions as well as looking at options for bus, boat, or trains.   

I then make out a calendar and an itinerary list, which generally lists the days of the week, what city I’m going to and what sites/things to do in that city.   Today….I worked on Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.  At that point I began to get overwhelmed so took a break and will continue with my Malaysia and Singapore Plans.  I also realized that I needed to get my Visas for Vietnam and Cambodia so will get the appropriate photos and application this week and begin sending that off.

I also began doing some research on line.   My online research includes the websites for the department of tourism for the countries I will be visiting, Lonely Planet Website, and a new discovery Seat61.com.  Many of these website offer specific bus and train tables, costs, travel warning, weather alerts, and a myriad of photos and things to do lists.

Lastly, I glance through my book 1000 Places to See Before You Die by Patricia Schultz. I got this book a few years ago.   While it is not possible to visit every place listed nor would I want to, it does give some excellent suggestion on Top Must See Places such as Angkor Wat. 

So that brings us to the end of Phase I.  I now have the following planned:

• What countries I am going to
• What visas/immunizations I will need
• A general itinerary of what cities I will visit
• A general schedule for the trip
• A more confirmed schedule for Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
• Information on how to travel between those countries by boat and bus.
• A general idea of budget for travel, food, and lodging.
• A basic understanding of the history, culture and customs.

In the upcoming weeks I’ll be adding the more confirmed itinerary for Malaysia and Singapore as well as beginning to look for contacts and local lodging with the use of Couch Surfing and Hospitality Club.

Also, I will begin immersing myself more into the culture by buying/listening to local music, picking up a few phrases in their language, and eating at restraints that serve authentic food.

Stay tuned for these upcoming articles on “How to plan a cheap International Trip!”