1) I'm gonna hang out with myself for a couple weeks and write about it. Sweet! Who wouldn't want to read about that?
2) I'll be in Asia
3) My trip will involve a lot of different stops. I won't be in any one location for more than a few days.
4) I'm taking nothing with me except a backpack with some clothes, my Chromebook and a couple of cameras. And sunscreen, to shield my pale mid-western skin from the type of sun you get when only 15 degrees north of the equator.
5) It may sound like I know what I'm doing, but rest assured, I'm usually in way over my head. The ending result is a long string of snap judgments that I couldn't have predicted. Have you ever cooked dinner with a bunch of random stuff you had laying around your kitchen, and then ended up with an awesome meal? You probably won't ever make that exact meal again, and you probably couldn't if you tried.
My itinerary is booked...I've officially mapped the route that I'm taking and reserved rooms at the places I'm sleeping. Without further ado, here is what we're looking at:
November 27-30: Tokyo, Japan
My plane will depart on Thanksgiving day (also my 30th birthday) and fly me directly to Tokyo. This is a logical stepping stone if you are making your way to Thailand. Since I love Tokyo, I figured why not stay for a couple nights? After I hop over the time zone barrier in the Pacific Ocean, I'm gonna lose an entire day on this flight.
I'll be staying at the Hotel Rainbow, in the Ueno district.
November 30 - December 4: Bangkok, Thailand
Here comes the part that you'll all love: I will be flying...gulp...Malaysian Airlines to make my way from Tokyo to Bangkok, with a layover in Kuala Lumpur. As long as I don't disappear in a dimensional vortex during this flight, I'll be staying in the Villa Phra Sumen for 4 nights. This hotel is conveniently located in the historic downtown area near a lot of attractions. It's also near Khao San Road, which is famous for being a "backpacker" haven.
December 4-6: Krabi, Thailand
After exploring Bangkok, I'm going to hop on a regional flight to Krabi, a beach town in the west coast of southern Thailand. I'll be staying at the Pak-Up Hostel, which has scored rave reviews for being a fun place. They also feature a couple different bars which make this hostel hot spot for late night fun.
December 6-10: Ko Phi Phi Islands
I will board a ferry boat from Krabi Town to Ko Phi Phi, which is a world-famous beautiful island chain. If you've ever seen "The Beach," this is where they filmed it. While here, I'll be taking a 3-day PADI SCUBA diving course to get certified for open water diving. Let's hope I don't get eaten by a shark. I'll be staying at Palmtree Resort.
December 10-13: Phuket
The last leg of this trip will involve taking another ferry boat from Ko Phi Phi to Phuket, which is a pretty well known tourist destination of Thailand. Phuket is known for having beaches that stretch on for miles, and a lively nightlife scene. The area was hit pretty hard by the 2004 tsunami, but it has been rebuilt since then and is looking great. I'll be staying at the Forest Patong Hotel for three nights before finally embarking on a long journey back home.
If you enjoy following the blog, please don't hesitate to email me at ted.bodine@gmail.com while I am traveling. It's nice to have people I can stay in touch with back home and it helps keep me grounded to reality. More to come soon.
-Ted
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