S E Asia part of our Round the World Trip
 

Want to thank all who gave such great help planning our trip and share the results . As I have said, I have some mobility issues (walk with the aid if canes) and we are in our early seventies. This is proving to be a bigger problem on this trip than in the past. Not sure if it is just age or a combination of things....but we are moving more slowly and more affected by the humidity than in the past. This is our fifth trip to this part of the world in the last 11 years.

We started with a cruise on QE from SF to SYD (cheaper and more fun than the long haul flight) then flew on to Tasmania and drove around for a week. Back to Melbourne for a couple of nights on the GOR, then on to SEAsia.

We are currently in Bangkok, the first of two stays book ending our trip to Burma. We got to Bangkok yesterday evening after our four days in Bali. We are in the KW of the Shangri-La. I got a great deal including all transfers, club features and laundry and dry cleaning almost a year ago. It sure was nice to be met at the air port and driven to the hotel in a new Mercedes Benz...beautiful car. The room is very nice and big and the food..breakfast, tea and cocktails in the river Lounge has been excellent and plentiful variety so far. This is our fifth time in the city..we are using it as a place to rest more than ant thing. But I do have a couple of places we want to visit when we come back for the second stay.

In Bali, we took advantage of the Alila's Two Faces of Bali package for that part of our trip and it was perfect for a taste. The resorts are beautiful and we thought very reasonable for what we got. Also really liked the Manggis area. It is beautiful and much calmer than other parts of the island as far as we are concerned and we found there was lots to do that interest us. Wish we could have stayed there longer. The food was excellent at both hotels. Both chefs went out of their way to make adjustments to the traditional Balinese food that interest me, so I could enjoy it. (I am allergic to all Soy products!)

We used Putu for a full day of touring on the transfer day between Manggis and Ubud, He is as good as Bob says. otherwise we used the hotel car and driver or the shuttles. Shuttles were free and the car and driver were $18/hr and the driver acted as our guide also. More than Putu, but for short impromptu trips...a good deal...new comfortable cars...so much easier for me to get in and out.

We leave for our week in Burma on the 21st.

As we have done before, we are doing a daily Blog with pictures. If you are interested in what we are doing click on the link..it is in order starting with the latest post...there is an archive at the bottom by date and place.

www.rtw50thanniversary.blogspot.com

Thanks for sharing your fabulous trip with us! I look forward to spending more time reading your blog -- looks like you created a great anniversary gift to yourselves!

I look forward to reading more.

Paule

It sounds like a fabulous trip. After my last long-haul flight, I wondered about the practicality f taking a cruise on one of the long legs.

Enjoying your report!

Amazing blog and congrats on the occasion!

I'm also enjoying your report, good to see things working out so well.
Loved the Tassie section, and congrats on your milestone anniversary !

>>>We are in the KW of the Shangri-La.<<<


Warm Friday morning greetings to you, cwn, from Hong Kong -- and congratulations on your rather special journey. You have a fine art of travel; well done.

You chose well with the Krungthep Wing at the Shangri-La. It's been awhile since I've stayed at the SL for Bangkok meetings (of late, it's been primarily the Four Seasons, now rebranded as the Anantara Siam); will always consider the SL to be a special Bangkok business travel haven. Back in the day when I was a happy corporate lodger in the KW, the wing offered a most efficient and appreciated butler service. Two lovely butlers, Khun Orawan and Sophie, were particularly gracious and memorable. Glad all appears to be working well for you.

Time permitting before your Shangri-La departure, consider partaking of the KW's fine lap pool and adjacent plunge pool. Also, the hotel does offer a most rejuvenating Chi Spa. My recent comment about Bangkok spas on my profile page neglected the SL's spa. Enjoy.

Thanks again for your impressions and photos. As always, should future travel find you in our fine home of Singapore, honoured to offer suggestions. Flying back home to SIN from HKG today, so smooth travels (and flights) to you and all,

macintosh (robert)


... Singapore Airlines, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

Thanks for reading and the kind words. We enjoy sharring our travels. Having a great time so far even if we do get a little tired some days.

Tomorrow we head to Myanmar so there made be a lapse in up dating, but we will post when we can. We will be back in Bangkok on the 27th and will catch up for sure then.

Carolyn

for me this could not come at a more appropriate time as I consider a similar trip for our 50th..

reading along..

I give Cunard a D minus....

we love Celebrity and have had nothing but positive experiences. we leave next month on our 3rd transatlantic crossing with them and plan to book a forth while on board.

Hi Guys,

We are spending our last night in Rangoon at the Strand. Love the hotel! The room is very comfortable and huge.

We have had the best and my husband will say the worst experiences of all our travels so far. I will describe our days in detail and post some pictures when we get back to Bangkok tomorrow.

It has been an incredible time, we have seen interesting things, met delightful people and learned a lot, but we had to work around my mobility issues often. We saw everything I really wanted to and the people have been so kind.

I wish I had a video of me the boat load of Myanmar tourist loading up next to us, our boat driver and DH trying to help me get down the 4 foot drop from the dock to the lake boat!!! or maybe NOT! We did have to skip some places I was hoping to see. More on that in the Blog over the next few days.

We started in Mandalay cruised to Bagan and loved that part...the riverboat was neat modern and old fashion that the same time, would do that again. Glad we started in Mandalay..it would have left a sour note to end there.

Bagan was great for me...OK for DH, but he is not into pagodas or cathedrals for that matter. One day was more than enough for us, but you definitely must see it to believe it.

Inle Lake was an after thought in my planning, but am so glad we went there, that and the river cruise were the best part of the trip. DH like it very much as did I.

I could like Rangoon, I found the city a very interesting mix of old and new but the traffic has been horrible and is a real turn off to sit in a traffic jam for 15 minutes to go a block. Again more later.

Bob, We found the QE OK, much the same as Celebrity for us. We have sailed on most of the mass market lines. We sail what ever is going our way, because we find the mass market cruise lines very similar...the QE had better food and day time entertainment to our taste than HAL, Princess and Celebrity. Everyone has their favorite...Ours are the new builds of Seabourn ...450 passenger ships that are wonderful, super cabins, service and food and not that much more per day than the mass market lines.

I'm looking forward to the full report of your Burma time!

Did you take one of the Pandaw boats from Mandalay to Bagan cruise?

anxious to read more..

we liked Rangoon too-- we did not go up north

Glad you are back to good wifi. Enjoying the blog.

Are you continuing your blog on another forum?

Yes looking forward to details ref Burma as we go in November ( I went to Yangon/Bagan a few years ago but am sure it's changed a lot)

There are several new entries to the blog, just clink on the link provided in the OP.

CWN, your photos are fantastic and bring back so many happy memories.
Thanks for sharing.

I can't believe the traffic in Rangoon now. when we were there there were few cars

Ok Guys, Thanks for reading and making the nice comments. We have all the blog loaded now. We have had several days of fast internet and enforced inactivity for me. I have keep my feet in ice packs and raided the medicine pack big time. Walking is much easier and less painful now thank heavens.

Yes I will continue to post a daily report as we have internet until we are finally back home. We are half way trough our trip...I can't believe it.

www.rtw50thanniversary.blogspot.com

We leave for South Africa tomorrow afternoon. We rent a car in Jo'burg and will drive the East coast and the Garden Route with stops for self drive safaris in Kruger and Addo. We are both really looking forward to this section.

We are in love with Mauritius and are already working on trip ideas to return. If fact both the Seychelles and Mauritius are really nice.

I guess you figured out that my DH did not care for Burma. He says he is glad I made him go, but.... I on the other hand loved it and am so glad we went. I have trooped through 100's of Battlefields with him all over the world, so a little turn about is good for the soul or something...anyway we are still married and may actually make it to the actual anniversary date!

My favorite part was the cruise..I would go back just to do a longer cruise. I loved the time we spent in the little village..it was different than the rest. Plus life on the river was so interesting to see.

What was it your DH didn't like about Burma?

Which boat did you take down the Irrawaddy?

I think it's a shame he didn't want to take his shoes off and actually go "in" some of the temples,you missed out on some of the best bits... You are a better person than me, I would have left him in the car! ;)