Day 93 – Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi.

I woke up when Steph and Lucy were leaving to say goodbye, one of the worst things about travelling is saying farewell to people you meet! I then got up and caught a taxi just gone 9 to take me to the airport. Today was mostly spent in airports and on planes… WOO!

My flight from Langkawi was supposed to leave at 11.25am but didn’t end up leaving until just gone midday, which for once I wasn’t bothered about as my flight to Hanoi wasn’t until 7.10pm. That flight landed in LCCT so I then had to get on a shuttle bus to take me to KLIA. I arrived over there just gone half 2 so I had about an hour until check in and 4 hours until my plane. I wrote some more of this blog and updated Facebook. Once through immigration I then had to get on a train to my gate. Luckily the wifi in the airport was pretty good, giving me something to do!

I’ve become one of those people who wait to the last minute to board the plane. Well, I sit by the gate and don’t join the queue until there are only a few people in it. I don’t really see the point in queuing when I don’t put my bag in the locker and I have a seat number anyway. My flight was with Vietnam Airways and I didn’t realise until I looked yesterday that the flight included a meal! It’s only 3 hours long and cost me about £40, winner! It was some chicken and rice dish and is probably the first plane meal on this trip where I’ve eaten all of it. We had little turbulence and overall was successful journey.

My visa was really simple to do and I don’t really know why I was worried about it. As soon as I walked out there was a guy waiting for me and within 40minutes I was at my hostel. Absolutely cream crackered I went over the road for some water and then just crashed out. I’ve gained back an hour though! WOO!

Day 88 – Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi.

Check out was 12, which worked well with me as I needed to leave around then as my flight to Langkawi was at 3. I could have got a train but after walking around with my bags in Melbourne for too long I’ve decided to treat myself when it comes to airport drop offs/pick ups. Right outside my hostel was a taxi rank so I jumped in one of those which took my right there, I was going to the LCC terminal as it’s a domestic flight, I hope it’s easy to get from there to the International airport, as that’s what I’ll have to do when I get back here on Monday.

The LCC is probably the most disorganised airports I have ever been to. It was a right nightmare to navigate around and I’m glad I grabbed something to eat before going through because there is nothing by the gates. The internet was quite quick in the airport, which meant I could do some research on Vietnam and collate everything everyone else has told me about the places I’m going to.

My time in Langkawi will be spent at 3 different places to sleep. This is because I arrive a day early and leave a day later than Steph and Lucy. My first check in was at Adina Drive-In Motel. The room was massive but quite grimy. Only good thing was I got given a towel and nothing beats a fresh towel.

I arrived just gone 5 and didn’t really do a lot with my evening, I went and found some free wifi to check the plans for tomorrow, grabbed something small to eat and chilled in the room. This island is already more commercialised than I thought it was going to be as it has a mini shopping mall with a Starbucks, McDonalds and a KFC!

Day 81 – Darwin to Singapore.

My final day in Darwin, I checked out just before 10am and put my bag in the storage room. I had 5 hours to fill before I got the airport shuttle at 3pm so first things first, was some breakfast. I walked over the road to Gloria Jeans and got myself some raisin toast (amazing) and some iced tea. The thing I’ve come away loving the most this time from Australia, ok I mean chocolate, is a Cherry Ripe. The packaging describes it as ‘ripe juicy cherries and coconut in old gold rich dark chocolate’ it’s just awesome. I like that and all of the Cadburys Marvellous Creations, the thing with them being new over here is that they are always on offer! Obviously I’ve loved other things but what is more important than chocolate aye? I then popped round the corner to book myself on the airport shuttle.

The weather wasn’t that good but it was still humid so I decided to pop to the Darwin Library to use their free wifi. It upsets me I’ve become one of those people. I finally managed to book my bus from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur; I researched some more on Asia and checked in online for my flight.

I slowly made my way back to Melaleuca to get my bag and made my way over to the transit centre to get my bus. On the way to the airport it started to rain, I think I got the best out of the weather whilst I was in Darwin, which was lucky!

On arrival the queue for check in was a little long and although I checked in online the woman wanted to see my onward flights, I wasn’t quite sure why but I had them on me so it made no difference. I then went through 1 security desk where I was ‘randomly’ chosen to have my bag swabbed, obviously nothing came up so I went through, I then went through another security desk and eventually got to border control, seems like a right nightmare for such a small airport. On the other side there was 1 café/shop, that was it. Finally boarded the plane, which took off on time. Landing in Singapore I gained an hour and a half back, so now I’m only 8 hours different from the UK, which I guess will become 7 on Sunday when the clocks change.

I got the airport shuttle, which dropped me right outside my hostel ‘Matchbox’ in Chinatown which was lovely for £4! I arrived there about half 10 and the room was pretty cool. So I was in a dorm but you get your own little pod to sleep in, even got a towel and the best thing is Singapore has UK plug sockets! YAY! It just means less adapters and also the wifi was pretty quick! I’ll put a photo of the pod below so you can see what I’m talking about, easier than trying to explain it.

Day 77 – Alice Springs to Darwin.

I needed to check out by 10am but lucky for me the airport shuttle was picking me up at 9.55am. I checked in alright and because it’s only a domestic flight I was even allowed to take my own big water bottle through customs with me which was a bonus! Today I was flying with Qantas and the flight was barely full so I had a whole row to myself, which was awesome! We even got given an inflight mean for a 2 hour flight which I didn’t know I was getting, I’m glad seeing as it cost me an arm and a leg to fly with them, not that I had any other choice seeing as they are the only airline who fly north. I watched The Book Thief on the plane and found the movie dragged and didn’t tell the story anywhere near as good as the book. I didn’t even get to finish the whole film before we landed, 15minutes early I’d like to add!

The shuttle to the city was easy peasy and the guy dropped me right outside. It wasn’t the sunny here but bloody hell was it hot! I’m staying at Melaleuca on Mitchell which is in an awesome location and walking distance to pretty much anything you want to do, bonus points for coles being a 2 second walk across the road. I went for a walk around and down to the waterfront to see the lagoon and wave pool which I’ll go to at some point, it doesn’t look like there is a lot here to do but it’ll be nice to rest after an intense 3 days along with the early starts! I probably walked about 30k in the past 5 days as well as paddle boarding on Monday.

Day 73 – Sydney to Alice Springs

The first of many early starts this week, Valerie dropped me off at the airport just gone 6am which was super helpful of her as getting a bus or train at that time of the morning would have been near impossible. I was the only person at the check in counter making it quick and easy, my luggage has gone up to 16.6kg… I’m not quite sure where it’s come from as I’ve only added a dress since my last flight but oh well; at least it’s not over.

The flight left on time and arrived on time, I could get used to this! The package I booked includes my airport transfer so I went and got my ticket from the desk and jumped straight on the bus. These have been so easy in Australia; I hope it’s as easy in Asia! I was dropped right outside my hostel but unfortunately I had to wait just over an hour to check in, good news was they had free wifi so that occupied my time and I even managed to write a little bit more of this blog.

It was cooler in Alice Springs than I first expected, don’t get me wrong it was bloody hot but not as humid as I was expecting. I walked into the little town which was only about a 5minute walk from my hostel on the hunt for a fly net, a supermarket and a large lunch so I didn’t have to go out or buy anything for dinner.

Success! Fly net was about $6 and I spent about $12 in Coles on water and other things. I then found a little pub to have some lunch in which was alright too. I made my way back to the hostel, sorted out my bags as I was leaving my big bag here but it had to be in the locker before 7pm meaning I needed to be organised! I took two little rucksacks with me on tour so one for all my clothes and stuff whilst the other one would be the stuff I wanted to take on walks with me. The evening was spent chilling, reading and sleeping.