Where Am I Going In September?

At the beginning of September, I am leaving the UK! I will be spending 4 months travelling around Asia before I land in Australia for Christmas. After Christmas I will be starting my Bachelor of Science degree at USyd. 

Itinerary

Pre-Australia, I will be visiting:
- Italy
- UAE [Dubai]
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Vietnam
- Laos
- China [Hong Kong]
- The Philippines
- Malaysia
- Singapore



I decided to visit Rome because flights from mainland Europe to Asia are significantly cheaper than direct from London [£200 less]. I will explore Rome for 5 days before travelling to Dubai for a 2 night stopover. 

As many backpackers will know, Dubai is a very difficult place to find affordable accommodation so I will be staying with Airbnb hosts in Dubai Marina. 

From Dubai, I fly to Thailand. I land in Bangkok and from there I am travelling south via Koh Sok national park to Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samui. I will spend a couple of weeks exploring these islands, and then return to Bangkok. 

My return to Bangkok marks the start of a 30 day journey through Cambodia [Siam Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville], Vietnam [Can Tho, HCMC, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Ha Long] and Laos [Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang, Muang Pakbeng], before re-entering Thailand to see Chiang Khong and Chiang Mai. I will return to Bangkok [by sleeper train] and then fly to Hong Kong. 

I am staying in Hong Kong for approximately a week. During this time, I am meeting up with some school friends and teachers and helping them at a conference promoting my old school. 

Hong Kong is a perfect gateway to The Philippines, with many daily flights. I haven't completely decided my route around The Philippines, however I have decided that I want to visit Manila, Palawan, Borocay, the chocolate hills [Bohol] and the rice terraces [Ifugao]. I have scheduled between 2 and 3 weeks in this country. 

From The Philippines, I will return to south Thailand via Phuket airport. I will travel to Hat Yai via Koh Yao Yai and Krabi. This is where I begin my train journey into Malaysia. I am travelling down the west coast through many cities such as Langkawi and Penang before reaching Kuala Lumpur. I am considering visiting The Pehetian Islands on the east coast, however in November the climate means the islands will not be at their best. Either way, I will continue down to Singapore, which will be my final stop before landing in Australia!

Of course, this blog will be fully up to date throughout my journey, and I will be writing about how I applied as an international student to USyd in a later post. 

Thank you for reading! <3