My mission

sturll

Some of you may know i am going around the world this summer. Huge problem was crossing the Pacific, another problem was time - i have only 8 weeks. Oh and im taking 2 kids with me age 4 & 7.

So below is my itinerary, i have never been to the Far East before. I have had to cheat and miss Thailand and Cambodia due to recommendations by the FCO so i fly straight from Vietnam to Malaysia.

Please look over this and comment/criticise. I would genuinely appreciate being advised on feasibility, bewares, places worth a visit, places to avoid etc...

Dews - Leeds - London - Cologne Cologne - Moscow
On Train

Arr Moscow
Day in Moscow
Day in Moscow
Train to Beijing
On Train
On Train
On Train
On Train
On Train
Arrive Beijing
Day in Beijing
Day in Beijing
Train To Hanoi @ 1616 On Train
Arr Hanoi @ 0810
Day in Hanoi
Train to Saigon @ 1900 Train SE1 On Train
Arrive Saigon @ 0520 Day in Saigon
Catch up
Fly to KUL with Air Asia @ 0850 arr 1140
Fly to Kota Kinablu with Air Asia @ 1930 arr 2155
Day in Borneo
Day in Borneo
Fly to Sandakan With Air Asia @ 0705 arr 0750
Day in Sandakan
Day in Sandakan
Fly to Kota Kinablu with Air Asia @ 1420 arr 1555 Fly to SIN with Air Asia @ 1805 arr 2020
Fly to LAX with China Airlines/AA- collect car Day in LAX
Drive to Yosemite
Yosemite - Death Valley - Vegas
Day in Veags
Day in Vegas
Day in Vegas
Day in Vegas, Train to Chicago @ 1545 On Train
Arr BUF@ 0830, Collect Car
(Drive to NYC Yet to be planned 12 days)
Arrive New York
Day in New York
Drop car off, sail from NYC - UK



Thank you.

nw_man

Cant comment on most of those places, except to say wow you have a dream !!

Can I be cheeky and ask what its costing you ?

Tell me to get lost if you like :rotfl:

Moonchild

Just wondering why and what FCO advice about Cambodia & Thailand? I presume you're not going to be trekking around the border region? Be a shame for the kids to miss out on Thailand & Cambodia (imagine how education Angkor Wat could be!) compared to the slightly more sterile lifestyle of Malaysia?

sturll

The sailing from the UK is costing £1500 but would only be £240 if i used my miles on Virgin and flew.
The flight accross the Pacific is costing £1000 but again if you went at a different time of year could be driven down to around £600.

The reminder of the costs including accomodation (most of which is booked) has come in at approx £1600 - But £750 of that is the train from Moscow to Beijing. Some internal flights particularly in Borneo have cost £20 all in for 3 of us.

MoonChild: If we travelled through Thailand it would have meant going through South Thailand which is advised against. I was looking at KO Samui and various other places but crime is rife, there have been murders of UK citizens, kidnappings and druggings all within the last 12 months. Not travelling through Thailand ruled out Cambodia but meant we could go to Sabah and Sepilok Orangutang habitat. It's well documented that most likely by the time my kids are my age there will no longer be Orangutangs in the wild and possibly the world. I felt this was more important for them rather than some historical sites wihich will remain an oppertunity in the future.

I was also looking at Loas which looks amazing and is extrodinarily inexpensive. I think 2 days to Loas including travel came in at £60 all in. But time constraints meant it just wa not do able.

No doubt when i return i will be frustrated with myself because its simply impossible to see and do everything. Maybe in the future we'll take a year out. But for now we have the most amazing summer to look forward to (hopefully)

M4RKM

wow.. you're in Dewsbury.... just down the road from me!!!

good luck on this trip... it look amazing!!!!!

blindman

bewares ....places to avoid etc...

Dewsbury :eek:

10 miles from my home town. Small world.

Drive to Yosemite
Yosemite - Death Valley - Vegas

Is this over two days? Long drive. Not enough time in Yosemite.
I found Death Valley to be incredibly boring....Just a Been there done that place TBH.

Vegas.
Why so long and with the kids?

Drive BUF to NYC

I assume there'll be a large drop off fee?

dmg24

My friend did the Trans-Siberian railway last year, but split up the journey with a break in Mongolia. He said the journey was very tiring, and would have been mindless without the break. Would it be possible to split your journey in two?

My only concern regarding the intensity of the journey would be jetlag, and general fatigue - could you build in a few rest days? Tired children make for very moody travelling companions!

Are you planning to blog your trip as you go? :T

Reggie_Rebel

Five days in Vegas with two little ones would worry me.

Also have you checked that Death Valley will be open?

Tojo_Ralph

sturll wrote: »

Some of you may know i am going around the world this summer.

I believe you just might have mentioned it once or twice.
...

sturll

Dewsbury is a sh*t hole and fortunately i am luck enough to live on the fringes of wilderness
Nonetheless it is my closest train station!

Yosemite to Vegas is in one day. A few years back i stopped off in DV and realised that really most of the journey was sight seeing so have incorporated it into one day this time.
But i love Death Valley and fitting in a round of golf, a swim in the natural spring pool and all the little things that make DV a special place.

BUF - NYC car hire has no drop of fees since it is in the State of New York with USRentacar. Only really going to Buffalo to see Niagra falls which i have always wanted to see then driving south to Lynchburg TN and back up to New York via DC. I was tempted to maybe go up to Toronto and spend a night there. But i think id rather go in Winter.

Vegas is the comedown. There is so much to do using Vegas as a base, first on my list will be Willow Beach and hiring a boat for the day. Then maybe some horse riding and perhaps the rest of it by the pool at Luxor.

As for splitting up the journey across Russia this is something i spent an awful lot of time considering and was too looking at Ulan Bator in Mongolia. However there are two routes across Russia which leave on different days and the price between them is quite big. Having had to fit certain things on certain days and all within a budget unfortunately the only stop along the route will be half a day in Irkusk. Which really is a shame and probably my biggest bug bear with the whole journey.
Having had to gain permission from the school since the children will be starting 3 weeks later it was suggested that we make a video diary which my children could then present as part of an assembly. I was extremely surprised to find the school completely support this trip.
Due to expecting times whereby power might be a problem i won't be blogging this but will certainly be writing a diary on it during and after our return.
As daft as it sounds we are getting our vaccinations (HEP A, Typhoid and Tetanus) this evening and have gained permission to film this so to document to the journey from the planning and prep stages.

In terms of things being open - Yes. Everything is fine.

Thanks

inspector_monkfish

hey sturll
how you doing?

may i ask, is there a mrs sturll helping you out with all this? or are you doing it all on your own?