Travel thread 2013-2014

[Curare]

[sistymatic]

Outlook crew: who are you flying with and what is your flight path? The bus from UK seems fun, but is there a cheaper flight path to a EU destination?

7 of us are catching a bus from Split. Perhaps check out the Outlook site or EUfest, they'll have some suggestions

[littlegracie]

Outlook crew: who are you flying with and what is your flight path? The bus from UK seems fun, but is there a cheaper flight path to a EU destination?

I got a bus from the UK last year and it sure was super fun. People were handing out lines of coke on a plate for a whole lot of the way down. Crazy epic party bus. It was pretty extremely painful as well... It's a long freaking time to be sitting on a bus. Trying to get some sleep on a bus seat that you're sharing with someone else next to you wasn't easy & I'm only little.. You're almost twice by size :P

[HunterM]

Outlook crew: who are you flying with and what is your flight path? The bus from UK seems fun, but is there a cheaper flight path to a EU destination?

dude,

9 of us are doing this.

28-Aug-12 Perth to Dubai
28-Aug-12 Dubai to Amsterdam
28-Aug-12 Amsterdam to Pula

not even going to the UK

edit: + 1 for EUFEST they have all sorts of bus options. they are even picking up us from the airport in pula and driving us to our accommodation

[~Msv~]

I got a bus from the UK last year and it sure was super fun. People were handing out lines of coke on a plate for a whole lot of the way down. Crazy epic party bus. It was pretty extremely painful as well... It's a long freaking time to be sitting on a bus. Trying to get some sleep on a bus seat that you're sharing with someone else next to you wasn't easy & I'm only little.. You're almost twice by size :P

Sounds shit house.

[littlegracie]

Sounds shit house.

haha

it was more the bus ride back that was the most painful. being totally broken from 4 days & nights of partying and the 2 days & nights of travel the days before on a bus that's run out of cocaine. not fun.

[HunterM]

i couldnt think of anything worse being stuck on a bus high, when all i want to do is slam dunk the moon

though the price is right

[sistymatic]

on a bus that's run out of cocaine. not fun.

First World Euro-trip Problems

[HERETIK]

Less than a month and counting till Egypt and the Red Sea for some intense scuba diving WOO!@

[HunterM]

[HERETIK]

TOO LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATE

[fatnick]

dude,

9 of us are doing this.

28-Aug-12 Perth to Dubai
28-Aug-12 Dubai to Amsterdam
28-Aug-12 Amsterdam to Pula

not even going to the UK

edit: + 1 for EUFEST they have all sorts of bus options. they are even picking up us from the airport in pula and driving us to our accommodation

cheers bloke. Emirates then?

[Slurm]

Peaceful Bay during off-peak is insanely cool.

[saki100]

Do you remember catching the ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan? (or vice versa?) - here is our experience... enjoy your reminiscing! - http://magictravelblog.com/2012/02/h...hangan-easily/

[BLEGH!]

19 days till holidays for meeeeeeeeeeeee! Woooot Wooooot!!

[Vito Corleone]

89 days for I.

[heyuinthebush]

Do you remember catching the ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan? (or vice versa?) - here is our experience... enjoy your reminiscing! - http://magictravelblog.com/2012/02/h...hangan-easily/

I caught that ferry and thought it was okay. We caught it the day of the full moon party and it was hardly packed. You get what you pay for I guess. And those two islands are party islands - they are the equivelant of Bali really. I would be curious about the other boat companies, we weren't aware there were other places to go to (that weren't speed boats).

Where were you staying on Koh Phanang?

[saki100]

we ended up staying near Chaloklum Bay, north west corner. Was lovely. I had been to KP before, many years ago and had done the Haadrin thing before. perhaps i had too many memories!

[Vito Corleone]

Yeah it's outside 2012/13, but right now I'm thinking of 2014 doing USA and South America and of course the FIFA World Cup.

[heyuinthebush]

we ended up staying near Chaloklum Bay, north west corner. Was lovely. I had been to KP before, many years ago and had done the Haadrin thing before. perhaps i had too many memories!

Ummm, I will have some of that! What sort of accom did you get? My family is looking at spending xmas in thailand next year and are looking for somewhere that's toddler friendly.

[saki100]

We stayed at the Utopia Resort (review coming out tomorrow) was an awesome and beautiful place but it is set up on a cliffside so it isn't really toddler friendly.

If you are interested, we stayed at a nice place on Koh Samui which would totally work with families with kiddlettes - http://magictravelblog.com/2012/02/k...-house-review/ - that place is more like apartment living.

or - http://magictravelblog.com/2012/02/k...resort-review/ - loved this resort

We stayed on Samui for christmas, I really enjoyed it there. We stayed far enough north of the main bar area that we were able to enjoy the best of both worlds

[heyuinthebush]

We stayed at the Utopia Resort (review coming out tomorrow) was an awesome and beautiful place but it is set up on a cliffside so it isn't really toddler friendly.

If you are interested, we stayed at a nice place on Koh Samui which would totally work with families with kiddlettes - http://magictravelblog.com/2012/02/k...-house-review/ - that place is more like apartment living.

or - http://magictravelblog.com/2012/02/k...resort-review/ - loved this resort

We stayed on Samui for christmas, I really enjoyed it there. We stayed far enough north of the main bar area that we were able to enjoy the best of both worlds

Sweet, thanks! I will have a look at those. I am curious though, we are wanting to cook our own xmas lunch - fresh produce, seafood etc, and I have no idea where or how we would go about sourcing that kind of stuff... I mean there are convenience stores but what about markets? Any ideas, suggestions?

[saki100]

depending on where you go, there is always a Tescos, of Big C, or Carrefoure or something close to that near by in Thailand. Here you can get EVERYTHING you need for your lunch or the local markets of course

[saki100]

ps. You can have an awesome xmas buffet lunch / dinner at any full on awesome resort that will have everything you could imagine you could ever want for about $30 AUD each. i mean awesome lunch!

[heyuinthebush]

Is it wrong to want to be organised and book hostels months in advance rather than A month in advance?

[HunterM]

Is it wrong to want to be organised and book hostels months in advance rather than A month in advance?

no. i have booked six months in advance

[heyuinthebush]

Good. I don't know why my friends are so laid back about this, especially when I said I will pay for the deposits.

[disintegration]

Because, what if you want to stay longer in one place? Leave earlier? Change your itinerary at the last minute? Dont have an itinerary. Im such an impulsive traveler, most of the time i wouldbt know what country i was going to be in let alone the hostel. I guess its different for as flights would be involved...

[heyuinthebush]

Because, what if you want to stay longer in one place? Leave earlier? Change your itinerary at the last minute? Dont have an itinerary. Im such an impulsive traveler, most of the time i wouldbt know what country i was going to be in let alone the hostel. I guess its different for as flights would be involved...

Mmm... Sure, if that is how you are planning your trip. But for the most of us, we are not. We have already locked in dates for the place I am talking about. So I don't get what the deal is.

[disintegration]

True

Most do discounts if booked online/in advance also.

[HunterM]

Good. I don't know why my friends are so laid back about this, especially when I said I will pay for the deposits.

yeah i get too enthused about it all too.

put hundreds down so far (thousands) for our trip in deposits etc and mates are just paying me back as they save

[sistymatic]

yeah i get too enthused about it all too.

put hundreds down so far (thousands) for our trip in deposits etc and mates are just paying me back as they save

Same here! I have to keep reminding myself that I can't afford to pay everything at once if I want to be able to eat during the week

[heyuinthebush]

True

Most do discounts if booked online/in advance also.

And the funny thing is, I am just talking about one place as well. I checked out New Orleans and there only seems to be about 5 or so "hostels". Miami and NYC there are heaps of places so I am not so concerned about having a bed to sleep in, I just have this gut feeling about New Orleans.

[mutz]

Outlook crew: who are you flying with and what is your flight path? The bus from UK seems fun, but is there a cheaper flight path to a EU destination?

flying perth --> doha --> zagreb with qatar airlines!

[aleks]

flying perth --> doha --> zagreb with qatar airlines!

$$?

[fatnick]

yeh qatar are expenno. $1300 one way!!!

[sistymatic]

And the funny thing is, I am just talking about one place as well. I checked out New Orleans and there only seems to be about 5 or so "hostels". Miami and NYC there are heaps of places so I am not so concerned about having a bed to sleep in, I just have this gut feeling about New Orleans.

Go have a look on AirBnB.

[heyuinthebush]

Go have a look on AirBnB.

That site would be handy but we are doing it budget. I was told to look for places around $20 a night... LOL

[sistymatic]

That site would be handy but we are doing it budget. I was told to look for places around $20 a night... LOL

You might be surprised... If there's a group of you might be able to find a place around $20 pp. Have you had a look yet?

[heyuinthebush]

Yeah, there were a couple of places but they were a bit more than $20 a head

[dart]

Is it wrong to want to be organised and book hostels months in advance rather than A month in advance?

no.

i'm a bit like that too.

and i LOVE planning & booking early

part of me would like to be able to just leave a whole lot of stuff up to chance and not book anything til i arrive even, but that's way beyond my comfort zone.

i guess i sacrifice some of the randomness of a holiday by doing that, but at the same time, often these days you can book somewhere and cancel with a day or two before you're meant to arrive with no financial penalty.

otherwise a penalty can be a night's accomodation, so not that much of an expense if you really want to change your plans and go elsewhere. but you do have the potential benefit of having more places to choose from with regards to accomodation, which can be something to bear in mind during a high-season.

and all depends on what sort of holiday you want, if you're going somewhere for an event or a few events, then you'll know where you need to be on what day so you might as well book in advance. if you're just going with no particular reason to be anywhere at anytime, well you could just land in somewhere like europe and then just go off on a whim.

ie: you could land in vienna and then catch the next train "somewhere"

[HunterM]

yeh qatar are expenno. $1300 one way!!!

mine was via emirates i thinks.

[mutz]

$$?

about $1100

[Petar]

we just booked our europe tickets for June - 3 month stay, excitement..

Pro tip: travel without kids.. (our tickets alone total 10k )

[dart]

we just booked our europe tickets for June - 3 month stay, excitement..

Pro tip: travel without kids.. (our tickets alone total 10k )

3 months! awesome stuff

[kyler]

ie: you could land in vienna and then catch the next train "somewhere"

I thought this was going to be fun on my first trip, arrived into London and just decided to find somewhere to stay...I had no idea where anything was or even how to find a backpackers. Many, many hours of walking around with two bags (huge mistake) I was sweaty, disgruntled and no closer to finding any accommodation. I can't complain too much, I was in London after all...eventually found a place and paid through the nose.

This sort of 'planning' probably would work better in Europe though, but on my second trip we always had some idea of where we wanted to go. We were travelling in a large group so we normally would book prior to avoid wasting time when we could be out seeing things.

All part of the fun in the end

[kyler]

That site would be handy but we are doing it budget. I was told to look for places around $20 a night... LOL

Yeah, there were a couple of places but they were a bit more than $20 a head

If you are staying in backpackers, which most are really nice nowadays you can definitely keep under $20 in most places. I think the average we paid last time was about €15/night and the most we paid was €60 in Amsterdam (over Hallowe'en, utter rip off) but the standard of hostel surprised us.

www.hostelworld.com is a good resource

[heyuinthebush]

Kyle! I emailed you yesterday... Did you get it this time??

[d-vo]

Usa locked for early march. Jackson hole here I come. Hnggggghhh. Excited a touch.

[~Msv~]

we just booked our europe tickets for June - 3 month stay, excitement..

Pro tip: travel without kids.. (our tickets alone total 10k )

Im amazed at the wealth TS has bought to you :P