The Plan

It's probably about time I actually said where we are going. Originally there were grand plans to take in Europe, Asia, Australasia, South America, North America and perhaps even Africa, but after a reality check the decision was made and the trip was trimmed down into something which was a) achievable and b) enjoyable. A nine-month dash through the continents, ticking off the countries on the way, seemed to defeat the purpose of actually going! After all, this was about slow travel, but it was still important to us to try and travel overland as much as possible.

It was intended that we would leave London on the Eurostar and head off into Europe seeing how far we could go via train (planning on getting all the way to Singapore!) but due to the time of year, the seasons were against us; a Siberian winter, whilst an experience, might not the most relaxing or fun way of travelling the world. As such, we had a miraculous idea. Rather than go as far as we could overland and then just fly back, we could fly out to somewhere and then come back overland. As such, the decision was made, no expensive RTW flights for us - "a single ticket to New Zealand please!"

We found a cheap ticket to New Zealand on Cathay Pacific which stopped over in Hong Kong, and it would be rude not to spend a few days there wouldn't it?, so our first stop is Hong Kong!

We'll be having a week in the former British colony - Marie has been before - and we've booked the accommodation, we've got 5 nights, split between time in Kowloon (for the city and the noise) and Cheung Chao Island (for the beach and the quiet). Its probably the most expensive place we'll be visiting!

After an all-too-brief stopover in Hong Kong, its back on the plane, to complete the outward journey. So Stop Number Two - Auckland, NZ.

We'll be spending about a week in the Auckland area, probably heading out from the city and into the Northland. Not decided too much on the plan there just yet! All we do know is that after that week we fly again, courtesy of Air New Zealand, this time out into the South Pacific to the Cook Islands. Stop Number Three - Rarotonga!

We have got two weeks in the Cook Islands, we are also talking about probably flying to the island of Aitutaki, north of Rarotonga, and a true paradise (it must be good - it's where they film Shipwrecked!). Once our two weeks in the Cook Islands are up, its back to Auckland and then from there, its anybody's guess really, but the basic plan is travel through New Zealand then head across to Australia. We'll spend a couple of months in Oz before jumping across to Malayasia, or maybe the Philippines or Borneo, or both! Its then an overland adventure heading from Kuala Lumpur up into Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before crossing over into China. We'll head through China towards Beijing from where we'll get the Trans-Mongolian Express through Mongolia and into Russia, ending up at Moscow. Then, if we have the time (or more importantly- the money!) we'll head back through Eastern Europe, into Germany, then France and back to the UK!

Thats the plan anyway.