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The Planning stage:

During the early early months of 1988, my wife Noi and myself, planned a self - supported journey to an area of the world we both loved -South East Asia.
We discussed the plans with our daughters Theresa and Susan, who were independent and living in their respective houses.

It was our agenda to select a route, via different countries and NOT use any travel agencies or help in any way.

We wanted an open Air Ticket in which we could change the dates of departure from each country we landed in. We had no idea at the time if this could be done but life is a challenge and we decided to go for it.

When I think back at how strong we both were at the time, full of confidence, excitement and no unease at all, as we were at a fitness peak, swimming, squash, walking and I was into weight lifting and running each evening.

Planning:

a. Where did we want to go?? Concentrate on the three main areas -- Log each stop / work out timing.

b. The dates of the journey? ( July very hot Hong Kong.)

c. Wet seasons? This is a not too important point / Typhoons HK July.

d. Did we want to use any services? (agencies) Did not want to be in the hands of local agents.

e. How long a time scale on holiday? (At least a month) Need to work out how long each City/Town.

f. Air Tickets? (Open one if possible) Try Soho Chinese Agency/see any specialist Agencies.

g. Which airline? BA/Singapore/Malay.

h. The cost? Did I need use of Visa/loan/what is the best way to take money Dollars/Pounds/Cheques?

i. Air flight?

j. Meals? Eat local / (Need medication)

k. Hotels? Cheap / comfortable / try and get tourism hotel guide each country/cities.

l. Travel transport? Air/Bus/Train/Trishaw/Kerbau taxi (buffalo).

m. Maps? Will have to get maps for all regions / road / City /Town / general.

n. Embassies / Singapore / Malaysia / Thailand / Hong Kong / China / Get advice about China.

o. Visa / China?

p. Inoculations / Medical / Anti-Malarial.

q. Telephone communications each country / Viable?

First Aid:

a. We might be away from medical services - best to take a Mini First Aid box.

Languages:

Just in case Noi or I became in an area where either one was unable to communicate (ill), we helped each other
--- I needed a brush up in Malay and help in bits of Cantonese.

So the Chinese and Malay became more frequent in our home; even the dog learnt the words jalan jalan when
it was walkies time.

Noi was fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokien, Haaka and Malay.
The only country where we might flounder was Thailand!

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EXECUTION:

There was NO internet in those days, so everything had to be done by writing letters or phoning or walking.
Not sure that I would have used the internet anyway.

We were both working at the time but because I was working in the City, at lunch times I could ring and visit travel agencies/specialist air travel reps to check out the feasibility of travelling on an open ticket at the correct price?

WHEN: - We decided on the main areas of Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. It is never cool or warm in Thailand or Malaysia, but July was out due to typhoons in Hong Kong. We went there in 1982 and it was awful in the typhoon, so we decided on October, and as I was not being able to have more than one month's holiday from work, it had to be one month.

FLIGHTS: This was the bugbear as on many visits to all the major travel agencies, it was flights and hotels included.
I rang many and finally went to yellow pages, and THERE I saw it --- specialist tailored flights Woodcocks -- but I had been there ? Tried again and I was pointed to a set of stairs to an office where I sat and discussed my plans. It was so easy - an open air ticket in which I could contact the airline at each destination and ring and confirm my next date flight out. Airline - Taiwanese (China Airways) cost £660 each. Nothing else included - just the flight - to Bangkok then to Singapore and finally Hong Kong Any internal flights we could get ourselves.

Booked tickets: - Flight from Gatwick to Schiphol then to Bangkok on the 12th October return 16th November from Hong Kong.
Maps:
Contacted each embassy and asked advice, requested maps and accommodations lists. These arrived in a very short time.

There were many hours spent looking at the maps and trying to get the whole trip done within the time scale and yet see everything we wanted and not be dependent on relatives - a difficult decision.

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All my thanks to  Jan Gell
A wonderful person who is proof reading my pages.

"Copyright Leslie Parkin ( A tribute to Noi) © 2005. All rights reserved.

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