Last night in Langkawi

After a three country jaunt with my parents, we've reached our final night of travelling together. It has been an opportunity for dad to visit some of the places that impacted on his family during World War Two, including a visit to his uncle's grave. I have a couple of posts about my first trip to Kanchanaburi earlier in the blog. This time, we stayed a little more upmarket (this whole trip has been four star minimum!) and also had an opportunity to visit Hellfire Pass, which is a very fitting memorial; it was closed during my last visit.

We also had four nights in Singapore, which was about my sixth or seventh trip, although this trip saw me make it to Sentosa Island for the first time. I'm also now back in Langkawi, having visited in the April holidays in 2009, travelling with my good buddy Brandon in our week off from our educational duties on Groote Eylandt. There are no blog posts of that trip, with some of the details on Facebook, which has replaced this blog. I'm starting it up again, since having read through a few of the old entries, this is probably as good a way as any to keep recollections of my travels. Having visited Moonbi to catch up with the Hillier and Leedham clans, I was able to proofread Fred's stories of travelling to India in 1970. The level of detail is fantastic, no doubt a result of him keeping detailed diaries. I'd like to do the same, but I find typing easier than writing... though I am making some attempt at keeping a written journal too.

Tomorrow we have a late morning flight to Kuala Lumpur, where I part ways with my folks and head to Delhi, as they head back to the Gold Coast to have Christmas with my sister and her husband. As I will be meeting up with friends early in the new year, I figured it would be easier to stay in South East Asia, rather than returning to Australia just to return again in a couple of weeks. As it turns out, a spur of the moment decision is seeing me head to Bhutan via Delhi and Kathmandu, at considerable more expense and flight durations than a return to Australia. Still, it will be far more of an adventure! I decided that since I would be spending Christmas away from family and friends, it would be best to replace it with an amazing experience, and a 14 day gentle trekking tour through Bhutan seemed to fit the bill. Bhutan is an expensive destination... you cannot travel without being associated with a tour company, which charges $US200 a day minimum. But with the Aussie dollar doing so well, and the fact that the minimum charge is going up, now is an affordable time to travel.

Off to Delhi tomorrow, for the first small chapter of this trip. A $100 visa was needed for two short stopovers, so I will have to make the most of my only full day there. I'm staying near the Red Fort in Old Delhi, so it should be a good introduction. Hopefully my visa can be used again later in the year for a follow up visit.

Oh, and I get to travel Premium Class tomorrow... with a lie flat bed! Admittedly, it's on Air Asia, but with premium seats on sale for less than a regular seat, I was mad not to book it!