Planning a Trip

 

How do I plan a trip?

Planning starts with deciding where you want to go and why. I base my trips on fishing, architecture or both. The next thing to do is find out as much information as possible. Join a Facebook group about the location, read Pinterest arcticles.
Also reference travel sites like Lonely
Planet or Travel Fish. Consult Google Maps for interest points and hotels. Determine if local travel will be necessary. Pick an airline and think about insurance and immunizations. Will you need a guide? Much to consider....

Facebook - Pinterest

Lonely Planet - Travel Fish

Google Maps - Location Bloggers

These are my go to's. You can find hotels, restaurants, points of interest and hospitals. I read as much about hotels as I can and find locations that are central to my interests. This also forms the basis of your budget. I never get expensive lodging. But I do consider their services and ratings. Money exchange, rentals and bookings as well as wifi. A good hotel can usually make good recommendations as well as arrange a car for you and laundry and even local maps. A good driver or guide can also save you money and time to get the most of your trip. If you travel between 2 cities on a trip....a bus or train can be a cheap option. But hiring a driver or getting a local flight saves you time to see and do more. Cheap is not always best.

Airlines are varied. I pick an airline like Korean Air due to their good luggage policy and record to travel often. I also joined the preferred flier program to get miles towards future trips. Booking 4 to 6 months in advance can also save you big bucks....like 40% or more!

Points of interest are a big deal. Try to group them by area to save travel distance between them. Also figure the time you will need per day and leave time for lunch or random exploring. You always seem to find unanticipated things to investigate like shops or temples.

Find the local hospital in case of emergency. Copy your passport and travel insurance info (highly recommended). Copy the contact info of your embassy as well. Read up on travel alerts by the embassy and information about safety and customs of the country. This might save you from some bad situations. Carry valuables in a money belt or secure sling pack. And leave stuff you dont need that day in the hotel safe! Also call your doctor and see if you need any shots for your location. Get a copy of prescriptions in case immigration or local police inquire. Helpful apps: GPSmyCity, Google Flights, Google Translate and SD Currency Converter.

Last but not least is picking a guide. Due to language restrictions you may need a guide and or driver. Ask friends...check the above sites I listed or contact the hotel you reserved and ask for recommendations. A good guide and or driver will save you money and fill you in on the local culture, history and food as well as keep you safe. I hope this helps and feel free to ask questions in the comments section!

 

Lang Tho Xuong Hue 2020 Empress Tu Du

Lang Tho Xuong - tomb of Empress Tu Du in Hue Vietnam

Empress Tu Du was the wife of Emperor Thieu Tri. She was known as an attentive mother to Tu Duc the 4th Emperor. She was also known for caring for her people and cutting taxes. Từ Dụ played a significant role in the dethronement of Hiệp Hòa, whom was a pro-French emperor, and enthroned Kiến Phúc. Her life spanned almost the entire Nguyen Dynasty. Her tomb is above and behind her husbands. 

The tomb has the traditional entry columns and a half moon pond in front. A delicate terra cotta lattice work makes up the railings around the terraces and pond. Unfortunately this is in very bad shape as most of the stucco and art work inside the tomb. A wooden pavilion or some structure that used to be in front of the tomb entrance is now gone. I am thinking it might have held a steele  or some sort of marker.

The day I went, there were 2 locals visiting, I assume they left the flowers. After they left the place seemed to have a surreal feel. Maybe the spirit of Tu Du still lingers. Its quite beautiful with the pine trees and isolated hillside. I had contacted the Hue Monuments Commission about information on Kien Trung Palace and they let me suggest some documentation ideas for the site to prepare it for restoration. Lets hope they can get this tomb on their restoration schedule. 

Khao Lak

Thailand

KhaoLak is a small beach town north of PhuKet. Pretty laid back with plenty of places to eat and a variety of lodgings. These range from full service resorts on the beach to small locally owned spots. There are also many adventure tours, fishing, food and shopping options.

I flew Korean Air due to their service and checked luggage policy. Transfer in Seoul and then to PhuKet. Then a shuttle to KhaoLak.  I chose Banana Bungalows to stay as its a thai owned small business and well located. Not 5 star but well priced and with a pool and motorbike rental. They can also arrange tours at very reasonable rates.

I search Travelfish.org for info about asia. This is how I found Banana Bungalow, places to visit and things to do. I couldnt arrange my trip until april which is near the end of the season there. The monsoon season starts may 15. My last day was may 8, so  I was cutting it close. 

One big reason for the trip was to do some fishing. I caught the very tail end of it. Finding a charter boat was tough being the end of the season. A local bartender told me to go to Thap Lamu pier and ask for Ms Chen. Long story short, I found her and one of her sons took me out the next day. We had to go out 7 miles but he put me on fish. Permit and Dorado. We went out on a traditional thai boat...passed the Buddha the fishermen pray to on the way out and had a great day. And the locals are much cheaper than big company boats..$75 with lunch! Wish I found them sooner in the trip.

But there is much more to do! I took the James Bond Island tour and the Elephant tour. These trips are all day and include side visits to a floating town in Phang Na bay, and a raft trip down the Sok river in Khao Sok park.

Stops at a local market and some historic pagodas..monkeys were involved. These are about $80 each and it includes lunch..snacks and the van. Usually goups of 8-12 with a driver and guide. Since I was there at the end of the season I got a discount...$45 each! 

Thai food is also another great reason to go. Many types of curry and seafood are available. They even have a great supermarket there. Its small but they have everything..I got my breakfast cheese and bread there along with coffee, beer and OJ.

 The night markets are fun as well as the local parks, waterfalls with spa fish and even a putt putt and golf course. Of course there is the beach. And if you want a custom suit or clothes made, they have at least a dozen tailors there. I call Khao Lak the adult Phu Ket....give it a try.

Traveling to Siam Reap Cambodia

Siam Reap....formerly the capitol of the Khmer Empire located in the north eastern part of Cambodia. The Khmer peaked in the 14th century and then started a slow decline and finally became a vassel state of the Nguyen Emperors of Vietnam in the 1800's. But prior to that the capitol moved to Phenom Phen, and Siam Reap became a sleepy backwater. Along came the french after they colonized Indochina, and they uncovered the old Khmer capital city with all the temples and buildings we now associate as Ankor Wat.



Travel to Siam Reap and Ankor Wat. 
If you are heading there from the USA a direct flight is difficult. I connected through Siagon HCMC Vietnam. An E-Visa for Cambodia is pretty easy to get online. But before you go I suggest you check your vaccinations. Siam Reap has 2 seasons...dry and wet. February is dry and typically the coolest. There are a huge choice of price points for places to stay. I recommend Travelfish.org to find places to stay. I dont like to spend $$$ for a room since I spend most of my time sight seeing.
Rosey Guest house was my pick. Central location for me was the key. Having a bar and food was a plus as well as 2 tuk-tuk drivers. I did the Grand Circuit and a few additional sites. My driver did a great job to get me to the sites at off peak hours. And the smaller local places seem to work hard to make your trip a good one. Locals generally give the best advice as well.

Currency in Cambodia is the US dollar! Take fresh bills too. If your large bills are too crumpled they might refuse them. I took all 100's. The smaller bills are no problem but make sure the Benjamins are crisp. Most people speak enough english for reasonable communication. The food is quite good too. They have some curry dishes that are great. Dont be afraid to go to the night market and try some of the food stalls. They have many things to buy also. There is also a wide variety of foreign cuisine restaurants. Pub Street...yes, thats its name also has a huge number of bars. Any drink you can imagine.  Other great things to do are cooking classes, Museums, Markets, Ecotours and Apsara dance performances. Again I recommend Travelfish.org for the best info on Siam Reap. I recommend a good travel insurance with medical. Medical care is spotty but if you get sick go to the Royal Ankor Hospitol. UCare Pharmacy for basic needs and Metfone for phone cards is a good choice. You can get by without a phone...all hotels have good wifi as do many cafes. Petty theft and snatch-grab crimes sometimes happen. Avoid dark streets and travel in groups at night. I found the Tuk-Tuk the best way to travel. Get your drivers cell number and they will pick you up at night. Many drivers also have minivan service for groups. Leave questions in the comment section if you have any. I will do my best to answer.

A day in Seoul

A few years back I had a long layover at Incheon airport. I decided to take a day trip to Seoul. I was on my return leg from a fishing trip in Mongolia so A day trip into the city seemed in order, rather than sitting at the airport. I started at the info desk at the airport. The lady there spoke great english and gave me information on the train and subway system..where to exchange some cash and away I went. I got a stanp in my passport  and I was in! A man in the train/subway station explained to me how to buy tickets and gave me a map in english that showed my rout. The train took about 20 minutes to get into Seoul. I was struck how quiet people were on the train...very different than a train in the USA. I transferred onto the subway and in another 20 minutes or so I was walking up the steps into the city. My goal was to visit Gyeongbokgung palace. From Wikipedia: Gyeongbokgung Palace or Gyeongbok Palace, was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Built in 1395, it is located in northern Seoul, South Korea. The largest of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung served as the home of Kings of the Joseon dynasty, the Kings' households, as well as the government of Joseon.

Gyeongbokgung continued to serve as the main palace of the Joseon dynasty until the premises were destroyed by fire during the Imjin War (1592–1598) and abandoned for two centuries. However, in the 19th century, all of the palace's 7,700 rooms were later restored under the leadership of Prince Regent Heungseon during the reign of King Gojong. Some 500 buildings were restored on a site of over 40 hectares.^[1][2] The architectural principles of ancient Korea were incorporated into the tradition and appearance of the Joseon royal court.

In the early 20th century, much of the palace was systematically destroyed by Imperial Japan. Since then, the walled palace complex is gradually being restored to its original form. Today, the palace is arguably regarded as being the most beautiful and grandest of all five palaces. It also houses the National Palace Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum within the premises of the complex.

                                                      

Terra Cotta Army from China

In March of 2018 I took my Mom to see the Qin Terra Cotta Army. It was at the Richmond Museum in Virginia USA.

Horse chariot and rider

This is from the Tomb of Qin Shi Huang...the first Emperor of China. He is credited for uniting the various states at that time into a unified country. I must say it was rather impressive. Each figure had a unique face and were all painted. Being buried for so long has of course removed much of the paint..but they are still amazing.

From Wikipedia: The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.

The figures, dating from approximately the late third century BCE, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. The figures vary in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army held more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remained buried in the pits near Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Other terracotta non-military figures were found in other pits, including officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians.

       Of course there was more than just soldiers.  Weapons, pots, precious metal utensils such as the wine flask to the left were also buried there.  I would have liked to have seen more of the soldiers, but I suppose its hard to ship all that terra cotta. All in all it was an impressive exhibit and one that my Mom and I enjoyed.

                 

                                                     

Candi Sewu in Jogyiakarta Java Indonesia

Candi Sewu and the legend of  Rara Jonggrang. Story from Wikipedia

The story relates that Prabu Boko desired to expand his kingdom, and so began training an army and raising taxes for an invasion of Pengging. His forces launched a surprise attack on Pengging, and the ensuring war caused devastation and famine on both sides. In order to defeat the invader, Prabu Damar Moyo sent his son Bandung Bondowoso to fight Prabu Boko. After a furious battle, Prabu Boko was killed by the prince's supernatural powers. His assistant, the giant Patih Gupolo, led his armies away from the battlefield in defeat.

Returning to Boko Palace, Patih Gupolo told princess Rara Jonggrang of the death of her father. The princess was heartbroken, but before she could recover from her grief the Pengging army besieged and captured the palace. Prince Bandung Bandawasa was mesmerized by the beauty of the mourning princess and proposed marriage, but his offer was swiftly rejected. Bandung Bandawasa insisted on the union, and finally Rara Jonggrang agreed on two impossible conditions: first the prince must build a well named Jalatunda, and second, he must construct a thousand temples in only one night.

The love-struck prince agreed, and immediately started work on the well. Using his supernatural powers once again and summoning all manner of demons, the prince swiftly finished construction and proudly displayed his work for the princess. As a trick, she urged him to enter the well and when he did so, Patih Gupolo piled stones into it and buried him alive. With great effort Bandung Bandawasa escaped, but his love for the princess was so strong that he forgave her the attempt on his life.

To fulfill the second condition, the prince entered into meditation and conjured up a multitude of spirits from the earth. With their help he built the first 999 temples and started work on the final one. To thwart his efforts the princess and her maids lit fires in the east direction and begin pounding rice padi, a traditional dawn activity. The roosters crowed. Fooled into thinking the sun was about to rise, the spirits fled back to the darkness, leaving the last temple unfinished.

The prince was furious when he learned of this deception, and He did not want to pay the blood price of sorcery alone. She tried to plead for mercy, as the prince seemed possessed by preternatural powers. But he placed a curse on Rara Jonggrang, turning her into stone. In this way she herself became a feature of the final temple, completing its construction and fulfilling the conditions for their marriage.