Southeast Asia and Cambodia Invasion #2

Matty9999 · Post by **Matty9999** » Thu Jan 05, 2023 2:49 am

Hey guys, traveling again soon, once i get my last package in the mail. this is my 3rd major excursion. You may remember that i was in Thailand and Cambodia in 2019 and 2020 and 2021, and flew to Serbia via Germany in 2021. Since then I've been all over Europe and north Africa, and the Balkans (eastern Europe). its now 2023!

For the next travel plan there are a few changes, Im coming in with a lot more experience than when i got on the 777-300ER at JFK, this time ill be making a few stops around Europe, then taking a flight more than likely through the Mideast, then to India which ill explore, then back to Thailand.

I'm going to change my baggage back to a backpack, this is a major difference. Ill be leaving my bicycle as well as two jumbo suitcases in Albania because it is just too cumbersome and costly to haul 2 to 3 jumbos around the world and i prefer the convenience of being able to walk around with my baggage. Note that for my second excursion i only had a backpack that weighed about 19 lbs. This time ill be taking 25 to 30 lbs because i wont be camping with the pack and dont need to walk with it all day. In Asia ill mostly be staying in hotels or Airbnbs, guesthouses, etc.

Second major difference, there's no or little coronavirus going on, even China will be open in a few days so ill consider going there as well. Stay tuned.

Londonmail · Post by **Londonmail** » Thu Jan 05, 2023 5:33 am

Sounds like a plan......

Matty9999 · Post by **Matty9999** » Sun Jan 08, 2023 11:37 pm

Londonmail wrote: ↑Thu Jan 05, 2023 5:33 am Sounds like a plan......

Thanks it is. Today i just got approved for a 1 year tourist visa inside India. Took about 20 hours to approve and the cost was $40, us passport, however I wont be using the full 1 year. ill probably be spending maybe 1 to 3 months there before i come back to Thailand.

Prior to entry ill be meandering my way across Europe. Ive got a flight to Athens, ill spend 8 nights there, then hit Romania, then Saudi Arabia, but the these are technically just stopovers before I get to my long term stay inside India. It was just cheaper for me to schedule connections using different airlines for maybe 1/2 the price of a direct flight on the same airline (or with interconnections). I spread out the trip so just in case there is an issue with one connection ill have enough time to reschedule that particular leg or get a workaround to make it to the next part of the trip.

A few extenuating circumstances: ive got a drone so i cant change planes in UAE, instead ill be going to Saudi. I spent 78 days in Schengen EU, so i cant spend anymore than 12 additional days which is why you see the plan to go to Romania vs. another transfer point just in case i get jammed on the next connection.

Brody · Post by **Brody** » Mon Jan 09, 2023 1:42 am

Matty9999 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 08, 2023 11:37 pm
Londonmail wrote: ↑Thu Jan 05, 2023 5:33 am Sounds like a plan......
Thanks it is. Today i just got approved for a 1 year tourist visa inside India. Took about 20 hours to approve and the cost was $40, us passport, however I wont be using the full 1 year. ill probably be spending maybe 1 to 3 months there before i come back to Thailand.

that's awesome. I've always wanted to spend some time in India. Hopefully I will some day.

Matty9999 · Post by **Matty9999** » Thu Feb 09, 2023 8:28 pm

Brody wrote: ↑Mon Jan 09, 2023 1:42 am
Matty9999 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 08, 2023 11:37 pm
Londonmail wrote: ↑Thu Jan 05, 2023 5:33 am Sounds like a plan......
Thanks it is. Today i just got approved for a 1 year tourist visa inside India. Took about 20 hours to approve and the cost was $40, us passport, however I wont be using the full 1 year. ill probably be spending maybe 1 to 3 months there before i come back to Thailand.
that's awesome. I've always wanted to spend some time in India. Hopefully I will some day.

Hey guys my first week in india, and boy is it a handful... theres a few pluses and a few minuses... the food is spicy, cheap and delicious so every day im ordering something new and i can eat tons.

Now for the bad news, the first day i came in via a Taxi in the taxi line, and i experienced an attempt at extortion. it was bizzarre, the driver refused to drive me to my hotel, which he apparently called and the hotel agrreed to go along with the scam, and come and get me for about 4 times what i paid for the booking on booking.com. Eventually i walked out of the scam without any loss, and a local indian helped me book a room at a another place.

John Bingham · Post by **John Bingham** » Thu Feb 09, 2023 11:09 pm

I spent a few months in India on a couple of trips. It's an amazing place with great sites and fantastic food, however it has some serious disadvantages. Outside of Egypt they are the most annoying people I've ever met. Both times I went with women friends, and the amount of harassment is unbelievable. Desperate, horny, creepy freaks everywhere. Other twats who just want to follow you around talking crap and interfere with your plans or try to sell you some crap you never wanted. No, I don't want to go to your brother's houseboat in Kashmir and get kidnapped. Sometimes in the middle of nowhere I would be surrounded by fifty peasants all looking at me and pointing and talking shit. At first I wished they would all die but later I barely noticed.

Alex · Post by **Alex** » Thu Feb 09, 2023 11:20 pm

Ah, India... That's one country that I will certainly never visit, unless I'm forced at gunpoint. I just cannot stand Indians wherever I encounter them, and the thought of spending time in THEIR country - and quite literally surrounded by more than a billion of THEM - well and truly horrifies me.

That obviously doesn't apply to all of them, so when I find an Indian restaurant that has decent food and less irritating wait staff, I'm game. But I wouldn't travel there for the food or the sights, plenty of other interesting countries inhabited by more pleasant people!

truffledog · Post by **truffledog** » Thu Feb 09, 2023 11:39 pm

John Bingham wrote: ↑Thu Feb 09, 2023 11:09 pm I spent a few months in India on a couple of trips. It's an amazing place with great sites and fantastic food, however it has some serious disadvantages. Outside of Egypt they are the most annoying people I've ever met. Both times I went with women friends, and the amount of harassment is unbelievable. Desperate, horny, creepy freaks everywhere. Other twats who just want to follow you around talking crap and interfere with your plans or try to sell you some crap you never wanted. No, I don't want to go to your brother's houseboat in Kashmir and get kidnapped. Sometimes in the middle of nowhere I would be surrounded by fifty peasants all looking at me and pointing and talking shit. At first I wished they would all die but later I barely noticed.

The most dangerous things in India are insane traffic, tasty streetfood that will lead to serious diarrhea and agressive monkeys that will grab any food or drink you are holding in your hands. Never got harassed once while travelling with missus on many trips criss crossing India.

John Bingham · Post by **John Bingham** » Fri Feb 10, 2023 12:13 am

I don't remember ever being too concerned with traffic or monkeys. I did get sick as a pig from food a few times on my first visit. At the time there was a scandal about restaurants deliberately poisoning tourists so they could extort them for medical fees so that's not so surprising. I'm glad things have suddenly improved and women no longer get harassed by desperate rapey weirdos on every corner.

sigmoid · Post by **sigmoid** » Fri Feb 10, 2023 10:39 am

In India, you must avoid the cities as much as possible.

It's been decades since I was there, but I had positive experiences in these places:

Darjeeling and Sikkim, up near Nepal and Tibet

Nani Tal, a charming Himalayan lake town

Bodh Gaya, where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained Enlightenment

Jaisalmer, with camel tours in the desert

Ellora and Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra

Mount Abu, a hill station near the desert

Diu Island, formerly controlled by the Portuguese (1541 - 1961)

Kerala, including Kochi city and Varkala Beach

Southeast Asia and Cambodia Invasion #2

Southeast Asia and Cambodia Invasion #2

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Re: Southeast Asia and Cambodia Invasion #2

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