Blimey, good job our plans are fluid 🙂
We’ve always wanted to go back to SE Asia as on our 4 month backpacking trip we feel like we rushed bits. So we’d planned to go back to Thailand and Cambodia in a year or three.
Ankor complex (Siem Reap – Cambodia) is one of the must see sites in the world, and my mother wanted to go. So we suggested we’d go at the same time to look after them as it can be tough going especially as my mother can’t walk too far. Anyway, despite new hearing aids, the “…in 2017…” bit wasn’t heard and excitement grew that it was within a few months, so we adjusted plans accordingly. (I thought it was only blokes who had the gift of selective hearing…)
Anyway, after a yo-yo of suggested itineraries that had varying levels of toughness (long journeys etc etc) which my parents decided they couldn’t do, we managed to design a compromise itinerary of Siem Reap, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi and Ayutthaya – all of which would be achievable for them. These stages are doable easily with realistically good transport links (albeit a bit more expensive than hanging off the back of a truck!) We’d accompany them from the start to Kanchanaburi and then go on our own plans including skirmishes with the Burma borders, jungle trekking and remote tribes in the North, and then down to the “oh my god” beautiful beaches in the South.
Despite the “simple” start, the agenda is still going to be out of this world and hopefully becomes the best trip the parents have been on – and they’ve had some good ones….
Even with experience there is a huge amount to plan and do, so our Alpine adventure this year, Portugal over Christmas and Scandinavia next year are now postponed. What we do for parents 🙂
We’ll do the usual planning/budget on here as knowing what we do we can look back on our last plan and laugh – I mean – taking bed-bug sheets and mosquito nets was a bit stupid – they never came out! In $1/night sheds in the jungle maybe, but we pay a bit more and get much better. But it should be a more up to date guide for anyone looking for advice.
So, rucksacks out of loft… No mouse nibbles 🙂
Flights booked…..
Now the adventure starts!