I haven't traveled as much as I used to since the creation of the Hotlist in 2005. Sure, you guys had the opportunity to follow my adventures and misadventures in NYC (twice), Washington D. C., Poland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and last spring's stint in L. A., San Francisco, and Las Vegas. But it's time to take it up a notch. . .
I've had it with the Canadian winter and I have so issues that need to be thought over, so on Friday morning I'll be leaving it all behind to fly to Southeast Asia. Can't wait, even though the entire transit time with the stopovers will amount to close to 30 hours.=(
I'll be visiting Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. I was supposed to spend a week in Bali and perhaps Lombok (Indonesia), but it's still the back-end of the wet season there, so that part of the itinerary was scrapped.
The provisional itinerary is this:
In Thailand, I'll be visiting Bangkok, Ayuthaya, Sukothai, Lampang, Chiang May, before hitting the beaches of Southern Thailand. I've decided to focus on the West Coast, where I'll spend time in Phuket between Karon and Kata beaches, Ko Phi Phi (yeah baby!), and Ko Lanta.
Then it's off to Malaysia, where I'll spend time in Kuala Lumpur, the Cameron Highlands, probably a beach resort in beautiful Langkawi, and Melaka.
Finally, I'll cap off the trip with a couple of days in Singapore, from which I'll be flying back home.
If any of you have suggestions or insider tips, feel free to share them with me!;-)
All in all, I'll be spending 6 weeks in Southeast Asia. But fear not, for I've been thinking about you and there will be a lot of fresh content on the Hotlist throughout my travels. It's been a bit of a pain in the ass to set up because I'll have to write all the posts prior to my departure and then post them periodically as I come across reliable internet access, but it should work.
So no worries, for you will still get some book reviews. Two or three will already be written beforehand, and I'll be bringing a couple of novels with me to kill the time during those long flights and bus and train rides. Quite a few giveaways that should really appeal to most of you, as well as a couple of surprises along the way. Last but not least, there will also be a number of exclusive excerpts from forthcoming eagerly anticipated SFF titles.
Speaking of extracts, George R. R. Martin was kind enough to permit me to post a never-before-seen excerpt that should go up on Thursday night, on the eve of my departure. Can't say more at the moment, but GRRM fans out there will doubtless sink their teeth into this one! You may begin to salivate. . .
Stay tuned for more.=)
I've had it with the Canadian winter and I have so issues that need to be thought over, so on Friday morning I'll be leaving it all behind to fly to Southeast Asia. Can't wait, even though the entire transit time with the stopovers will amount to close to 30 hours.=(
I'll be visiting Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. I was supposed to spend a week in Bali and perhaps Lombok (Indonesia), but it's still the back-end of the wet season there, so that part of the itinerary was scrapped.
The provisional itinerary is this:
In Thailand, I'll be visiting Bangkok, Ayuthaya, Sukothai, Lampang, Chiang May, before hitting the beaches of Southern Thailand. I've decided to focus on the West Coast, where I'll spend time in Phuket between Karon and Kata beaches, Ko Phi Phi (yeah baby!), and Ko Lanta.
Then it's off to Malaysia, where I'll spend time in Kuala Lumpur, the Cameron Highlands, probably a beach resort in beautiful Langkawi, and Melaka.
Finally, I'll cap off the trip with a couple of days in Singapore, from which I'll be flying back home.
If any of you have suggestions or insider tips, feel free to share them with me!;-)
All in all, I'll be spending 6 weeks in Southeast Asia. But fear not, for I've been thinking about you and there will be a lot of fresh content on the Hotlist throughout my travels. It's been a bit of a pain in the ass to set up because I'll have to write all the posts prior to my departure and then post them periodically as I come across reliable internet access, but it should work.
So no worries, for you will still get some book reviews. Two or three will already be written beforehand, and I'll be bringing a couple of novels with me to kill the time during those long flights and bus and train rides. Quite a few giveaways that should really appeal to most of you, as well as a couple of surprises along the way. Last but not least, there will also be a number of exclusive excerpts from forthcoming eagerly anticipated SFF titles.
Speaking of extracts, George R. R. Martin was kind enough to permit me to post a never-before-seen excerpt that should go up on Thursday night, on the eve of my departure. Can't say more at the moment, but GRRM fans out there will doubtless sink their teeth into this one! You may begin to salivate. . .
Stay tuned for more.=)
21 commentaires:
Hope you have safe and happy travels! I need a holiday so badly - I'm super envious.
Wow Pat, I'm envious of all your traveling. It's awesome that you get a chance to see the world often. I'd say I wish I were in your shoes, but if being a Cowboys fan comes with it, I'd have to decline :)
But really, have a great time and I'll be looking for more pictures on par with the (I believe Polish) women you mingled with your last time overseas!
I'm as envious as isis and Todd.
I must I would have a real problem to be out of office for six weeks in a row.
I wish you a safe trip and and a great time.
How can you do this? You should know that liquid and PC doesn't fit together. My notebook is not waterproofed. How shall I read your post on Thursday with an extraordinary salivation??
Blogger has a feature that allows you to post now and have Blogger publish the post at you chosen date. You might check into that, and then can forget about the Hotlist for 6 weeks. :D
Have a great time - I don't travel at all, so to me this is like going to Neptune, and I hope it is for you, as well. (Not the methane, but all things Neptunian - music, beauty, exotic locations, and far-out vistas and people to share them with.)
I actually just got back from a trip to SE Asia on December 15th, except I went the other way, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand. Phuket is incredibly busy, I would actually avoid that and spend more time at Ko Lanta if I were you. Make sure you try the diving and snorkeling! Unbelievably clear water there.
Watch out for suit/gem scams in Bangkok!
Glad to see you coming to Asia. I've been to Thailand a couple times, but not Singapore or Malaysia, yet. In Sukhothai, if you rent a bicycle to pedal around the sites try to go out to Wat Saphan Hin. It's a bit farther than others, but nice. There was a great little massage place right around the corner from the Lotus Village guest house (http://www.lotus-village.com/) where we stayed. Thai massage is great and cheap. You can go every day. In Chiang Mai there's a lot to do. If you want to do trekking, check Pooh's Eco Tours (http://www.pooh-ecotrekking.com/Pooh.htm). Also, spending a day at the Elephant Nature Park is pretty incredible (http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/). No where else could you spend a day intimately with these huge creatures, even taking a swim/bath in the river together. It's not the same as riding one around in some little tourist attraction, not to mention the often cruel conditions in which they are kept and used. Internet Cafes are literally everywhere in Thailand so you should have no trouble keeping in contact with the rest of the world. Have a great trip!!
Bangkok is stunning. Make good use of the water taxi - it's easier to navigate than the bus system. If you want to join a tour for other places near Bangkok (Ayuthaya, water market, etc.) you can set those up with local hotels (ask that they pick you up at your hotel as they'll be doing this for others and traffic downtown in the morning is horrendous).
Watch out for the tuk-tuk drivers. They'll flat out lie to you that a tourist attraction is closed and try to get you to go somewhere with them. And make sure your taxi drivers use the meter.
Also, if you go to Ayuthaya, the roadway there (with actual Thai houses) is more interesting than the buildings you'll be going to see, so keep your camera handy on the bus/car.
Enjoy your trip and post pictures!
Hey! If you're stopping by Singapore say when! *Singaporean reader here* I'm flying off to Japan next Sunday, but if you're in Singapore before then, I'd love to meet and greet *grins*
so so jealous, Langkawi is my favourite place in the world. Got back from there beginning of november and already planning to go back again. So much to do on such a small island!
have fun in south east asia!
-from a Malaysian
I'll be in Thailand during Lunar New Year (12 Feb-15 Feb) should be a blast.
Hey Pat, have a great time in SE Asia. That being said I hope you like humidity! Also, you should have added Australia to the tour while you were nearby ;-)
When in Singapore head out to east coast to the and try the chilli crab.
Nothing to loo at bur great food.
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Singapore/Singapore-1495679/Restaurants-Singapore-East_Coast_Seafood_Centre-BR-1.html
Can't believe you're coming all this way and not visiting the great land of Oz. Shame on you Pat.
Anyway, in Singapore go check out Sim Lim Square for tech gadgetry goodness, and in Thailand I quite like Phi Phi Island and Kamala beach - although when I was there in the middle of 2008 all the beaches were filthy, whether that was left over from the Tsunami or not I dunno.
Also in Singapore this might be open - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_%28roller_coaster%29
Don't bother going to Sentosa Island (boring!) but the Sing Zoo is good fun as is Little India, the History of Asia Museum (go on the free guided tour) and a visit to Changi Prison Museum is always a must.
it's not that bad in Asia( i mean the internet connection) even here in middleEast(oh yes middleEast) we have reliable internet connection.i assure you:)
it's my first comment here, but i've been reading here for a long time...
have fun
Thanks, guys! It should be a lot of fun! Christ, it better be!:P
Gabriele: But if I did that, no one would get any updates about the trip. And I'll use the blog this year instead of sending different things to different people. It will be more convenient that way...
Anrake: Thanks for the tips. I'm considering doing the Elephant Nature Park thing, though it lasts a full day. So it will have to be that or a hilltribe trek, as I'm not in town long enough to do both.
Jaradcel: I'll be in Singapore at the very end of the trip, likely February 28th to March 3rd.
Marduk/Jebus: Australia was a close second as far as contenders for this trip went. But SE Asia meant a much less expensive trip, so it won out in the end. When Bali got scrapped, I condidered spending close to a week in and around Sydney. But when I visit Oz, I want to spend at least 4 to 6 weeks. So a couple of days would only have been a tease... No worries, one day you'll see me Downunder!
Bluestar: Well, I've been to 30 countries thus far, and "reliable internet access" can be a relative notion. So is "high speed" internet. While things should run without a glitch in Bangkok, KL, and Singapore, elsewhere it remains to be seen. But with the posts written in advance, all I need to do is click to publish. Et voilà!=)
Ah ok, I didn't know you want to blog a travel diary, too and make us all jealous with pics of sunshine. :)
Except me. I like snow. :P
You still could put up some posts, though, for the times you're somewhere in the wilderness. ;) There's a Posting Options feature in the lowere left corner of the text field that will open a datum bar. You can set the datum by hand and date posts in the past (I've done that and it works) or predate them to the future. Only make sure you hit Publish, and not Save.
Hey Patrick, I'm a Singaporean who's been following your blog for quite a while. If you need a tour guide or some friendly tips on where to visit just let me know.
Pat, Cool. The Elephant Park definitely requires a full day. It's about an hour by car from Chiang Mai. Stop by their office in downtown Chiang Mai for full details. The park owner/manager Lek is way cool and so is the foreign lady running the daily operations. have a great trip.
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