I am entitled to 20 days annual leave each year but I usually try to only take maximum of 15 days which easily give me 3 weeks off. The balance 1 week I carry forward to the next year. I limit myself to the allocated annual leave, if I don't have any more annual leave days, I don't get my holidays. I am not allowed to purchase extra annual leave or to take unpaid leave, not for holidays. Despite my constant and recurring itchy feet, I am amazed I could be discipline in that sense.
Last year, I spent the 3 full weeks in Central Asia. This year, I decided to also go back to Asia as it would stretch the dollar further. My friend, S wants to go to Sri Lanka. I am OK with the idea as I have not been, plus many moons ago, I have had the intention to visit this tear drop country though the visit didn't materialised.
S wanted to spend 2 weeks in Sri Lanka at the minimum, so that was how my 2 of my 3 weeks annual leave in Sri Lanka. KL is always in the itinerary because that's where home is (sort of) and I have always try to include Singapore to visit friends. As the years passed, many of my friends have moved across the causeway to earn the higher S$. Ah.. and Bangkok, I've always wanted to visit this friend when he jetted around the world but the plan has never been hatched. The stars aligned this round and so I've included Bangkok in the list.
So that was how I took 7 flights and visited 4 countries in 3 weeks' time. Little P referred this as my Asia tour but I thought that sounded too much like a concert tour, so it was referred to as my crazy Asia holiday!
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| M = morning, A = afternoon, E = evening |
This round I travelled out of Melbourne in the morning with S, had a 5 hours transit in KL and so only reached Colombo at night. Departure from Colombo was a late night flight and I took went straight to Bangkok thereafter. There was a technical error on my part though because I totally forgotten that my flight out of Singapore as actually 1.20 am on 2nd Oct, so technically I only have one full day in Singapore. Oh well, better than none :P. All flights were with AA except the Singapore to Melbourne leg was with Scoot.
10/09, Day 00 - On flight. Reached Colombo* at night (Ocean Studios Apartment)
11/09, Day 01 - Colombo*
12/09, Day 02 - Colombo, train to Habarana* in the morning (Le Grand Meaulnes)
13/09, Day 03 - Habarana*, day trip to Sigiriya and Dambulla
14/09, Day 04 - Habarana*, off to Polonnaruwa and Minneriya National Park
15/09, Day 05 - Habarana, bus to Kandy* in the morning (Three Three Five Guest House)
16/09, Day 06 - Kandy*
17/09, Day 07 - Kandy, train to Nuwara Eliya* (Heidis Home)
18/09, Day 08 - Nuwara Eliya, train to Ohiya* (Hill Safari)
19/09, Day 09 - Ohiya and off to Horton Plains, train to Ella* (Idyll Homestay)
20/09, Day 10 - Ella*
21/09, Day 11 - Ella, bus to Mirissa* (Amara Guest House)
22/09, Day 12 - Mirissa*
23/09, Day 13 - Mirissa, tuk-tuk to Galle* (Leynbaan Vill)
24/09, Day 14 - Galle, train to Colombo and taxi to the airport
25/09, Day 15 - Bangkok*
26/09, Day 16 - Bangkok*
27/09, Day 17 - Bangkok, flight to KL*
28/09, Day 18 - KL*
29/09, Day 19 - KL*
30/09, Day 20 - KL, evening flight to Singapore*
01/10, Day 21 - Singapore, red eye flight back to Melbourne
02/10, Day 22 - Reached Melbourne in the afternoon
*referring to where we/I stayed overnight
S and I parted ways after Sri Lanka, she took a flight home to Alor Setar while I fly to Bangkok. I bunked at my friend's place in both Bangkok and Singapore. Given that I had very limited time in KL and there were some errands that I needed to run, I opted to stay in Cititel Mid Valley by choice for 2 nights and another night at my sister's place which is less convenient to run my errands.
Side note: Why the blogs I enjoy reading no longer have any updates and made private? :(
It sounds crazy on first glance but I can see some logic to it. But how do you keep flight costs down? I'm asking because I like open-jawed itineraries too, and would like to see what you booking strategy is.
ReplyDeleteHaha... well, it is mostly eating and catching up with friends in Bangkok, KL and Singapore so it wasn't as hectic as it sounded.
DeleteThere is no scientific methodology to my booking but I found out that airport tax & admin charges for flight MEL-CMB-KUL (with transit in KUL for MEL-CMB flight) is more expensive than breaking it up to 2 flights: MEL-KUL and KUL-CMB-KUL. Of course we need to re-check in but the transit was 5 hours so we think the savings of about AUD80 pp is worth the hassle.
Not sure if it applies to flights departing from other country though
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