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Down Under: my experiences in South-East Asia, Australia & New Zealand.

Guido's Down Under Experiences: November 2004

FlyingDutchman
2006-03-19 20:13:01

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not really matter where your stopover is: Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur are all great places to shop and taste Asian food. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, travelling through Malaysia, Thailand (most recommended) or China for a few weeks gives a good impression of South-East Asia and will make you consider a longer trip to this part of the world.

* Try not to split up your visit to Australia like I did (i.e. 7 weeks Australia, 6,5 weeks in New Zealand, another 7 months in Australia). It will severely limit the way you can travel around, since you are missing a lot of flexibility.

* There is always a trade-off between flexibility and price, especially when it comes to flying. You can save a lot of money by booking flights early, especially in the holiday season (instead of paying A$240 for a one-way ticket from Sydney to Tasmania, I could have paid less for a return ticket, if only I had booked it earlier). On the other hand, having flights booked in advance limits your choices when you are travelling. Always try to get tickets that allow free changes of flight dates, especially for the intercontinental flights.

* Do buy a car if you want to experience Australia properly, and potentially save lots of money on expensive tours. It will also give you a lot more flexibility and the possibility to avoid the backpacker crowds (I did not see any other individual backpackers in the Kimberley, probably because there are not many backpackers with a 4WD to get there).

* Do not buy a car if you are not prepared for a bit of hassle with it (breakdowns, servicing, selling it at the end). As a rule, you always spend more money on a car than you would like.

* Do visit Western Australia, my best travel memories were of this part of the country, with long stretches of empty highway, and the odd phenomenon of natural beauty. My favourite parts of Australia were Karijini National ...