RTW Trip Planning

I've come a little further in the planning of my big round the world adventure. It's a lot of work. I know, I know, poor me, right!? Well, it's all exciting and interesting, even the pesky details. And, a lot of work.

Here are my tentative itineraries: November/December in Taiwan-Vietnam-Thailand-Burma.  April and May in Barcelona-Morocco-Istanbul-Greece.

I have great friends, and I'd love to travel with them. However, most of them have 9 to 5 jobs and can't do it, including my girlfriend, Laura. A few might be able to join me en route, though! My friend Kelly is turning 50 in December, so she's trying to finagle a trip to meet me in Thailand or Vietnam for some diving. That would be so much fun! I'm also trying to convince my friend Jennifer to meet me in Greece for a little sun and blue water (and a little history!).

Here's a picture of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Isn't it amazing!? Ha Long Bay sealed the deal for me about going to Vietnam.

There are also historical/political reasons for visiting Vietnam - at least, for this American. I grew up in the Vietnam "conflict" era, and would like to visit a country that I've heard and seen so much of over the last 46 years. In fact, my Uncle David (my Dad's sister Jane's significant other of 30+ years) is a Vietnam vet and has a LOT to say about his experience there.

Also, Laura did her senior thesis in college (Anthropology major) on the Hmong people, and would very much like something made by the Hmong.
Thanks to http://robynppblog.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html for this picture of a Hmong woman and her

A note about airfare:  I decided to split the trip up when I realized that with some research and advance planning, I can buy separate airfare for each location cheaper than buying a RTW (round the world) ticket. I'll have more flexibility, and can purchase on the spot vs. being stuck to a schedule. Also, the months I chose hit an optimum weather vs. too many tourists balance. I couldn't do that with a RTW ticket - I'd end up somewhere in the worst weather.

Thanks to Laura for sending me a link to Easy Jet - inexpensive airfare in Europe. If you can find a cheap round trip to a larger destination in Europe, then you can fly easily throughout Europe - including Morocco.

Intra-Asia travel can be accomplished with Malaysia Air and Tigerair/Mandalay - both have good safety records, and both relatively inexpensive. San Francisco to Taiwan is an easy ticket to find as well.

So...now it's time for the pesky details...