This is a record of my travels in Asia — day trips and business trips excluded.
I have not been travelling far and wide than I wanted to be, but it is a matter of what I want to achieve more than reaching the far corners. Nevertheless, I will still want to see the whole world in my lifetime. I will keep building this list with my journeys to see the world that I live in.
Why only Asia?
1. I have more leisure trips in Asia than any other places. Most of my trips outside Asia were work-related and, technically, not considered as travelling. And there are still a few more countries in East Asia that I have not visited.
2. Asian countries are nearer to my home country — Singapore. I can choose to travel over land or water without always needing to fly.
3. Singapore passport allows free visas to almost all the countries in Asia.
I will start with my first backpacking trip in 2005 as my memories and old photos (using films) of trips before 2005 are pretty hazy.
Note: All expenses stated below include air tickets, visa and travel insurance, if any. If you want to track your travel expenses too, download iTreasurer (iOS only) — made by me too.
— YEAR 2005 —
February '05 — Vietnam
Period: February 2005 (13 days)
Expenses: SGD 1,185
Places: Ho Chi Minh City, Cu Chi Tunnels, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi, Halong Bay, Sapa
Remarks: My first backpacking trip.
April '05 — Through West Malaysia to Thailand
Period: April~May 2005 (13 days)
Expenses: SGD 750
Places: Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Hat Yai, Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya
Remarks: Singapore to Ayutthaya and back using trains and buses only.
November '05 — Ipoh, West Malaysia Period: Nov 2005 (4 days) Expenses: SGD 170
Places: Cave Temples, Gua Tempurung
— YEAR 2006 —
May '06 — Beijing, China
Period: May 2006 (10 days) Expenses: SGD 1,100
Places: The Great Wall, Summer Palace, Heaven Altar, etc.
August '06 — West Malaysia
Period: August 2006 (13 days) Expenses: SGD 520 Places: Penang, Cameron Highlands, Taman Negara (Malaysia National Park), Malacca
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November '06 — Eastern China
Period: November 2006 (28 days) Expenses: SGD 1,750 Places: Nanjing, Wuxi, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Tunxi, Huangshan (Yellow Mountain), Wuyuan
— YEAR 2007 —
Got a new job and not enough annual leaves to travel. But, I accumulated more leaves for 2008.
— YEAR 2008 —
January '08 — Hong Kong
Period: January 2008 (9 days)
Expenses: SGD 1,420
Places: Disneyland, Big Buddha, Ocean Park, The Peak, Macao (day trip)
May '08 — Siem Reap, Cambodia
Period: May 2008 (6 days) Expenses: SGD 550
Places: Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Ta Prohm, Kbal Spean River
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Sabah, East Malaysia
Period: September 2008 (8 Days)
Main objective of the trip was to hike to the top of Mount Kinabalu, the highest point of Southeast Asia. Other places visited include Kota Kinabalu (city centre), Poring Hot Spring and Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park.
Expenses: S$683
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— YEAR 2009 —
May '09 — Taiwan
Period: May 2009 (13 days)
Expenses: SGD 1,670
Places: Taipei, Chiayi, Alishan, Nantou, Sun Moon Lake, Qingjing Farm, Yeliu, Jiufen
October '09 — Sichuan & Xi'an, China
Period: October 2009 (15 days) Expenses: SGD 2,080 Places: Jiuzhai Valley, Songpan, Wenchuan, Chengdu, Leshan Big Buddha, Xi'an, Terracotta Warriors
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— YEAR 2010 —
April '10 — Phuket, Thailand
Period: April 2010 (5 days) Expenses: SGD 700
Places: Patong Beach
Remarks: Songkran Festival — It was difficult to stay dry.
June '10 — Southern Vietnam
Period: June 2010 (8 days) Expenses: SGD 900 Places: Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh Long (Mekong Delta), Cu Chi Tunnels
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November '10 — Ancient Capitals of Thailand
Period: November 2010 (9 days) Expenses: SGD 780 Places: Bangkok, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya Remarks: A circuit around Northern Thailand using trains. And to experience Loi Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai.
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— YEAR 2011 —
November '11 — Hoi An, Central Vietnam
Period: November 2011 (7 days) Expenses: SGD 775
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December '11 — Cambodia
Period: December 2011 (9 days) Expenses: SGD 2,742 (include family expenses) Places: Siem Reap, Phnom Penh
Remarks: Family trip.
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— YEAR 2012 —
May '12 — Taiwan
Period: May 2012 (16 days) Expenses: SGD 1,800 Places: Taichung, Chiayi, Tainan, Taitung, Hualien, Taipei
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October '12 — Guangxi & Yunnan, China
Period: October 2012 - January 2013 (84 days) Expenses: SGD 3,600 Places: Hainan Island, Guilin, Yangshuo, Longji Rice Terraces, Chengyang Bridge, Nanning, Kumming, Yuanyang Rice Terraces, Dongchuan Red Earth, Dali, Nuodeng, Shaxi, Lijiang, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La, Meri Snow Mountain, Xiamen, etc.
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Solo Traveller in Guangxi & Yunnan, China (landing page for the trip)
China #17: Lost Paradise of Shangri-La's Dukezong Ancient City (香格里拉独克宗古城)
More stories: #China2012
— YEAR 2013 —
January '13 — Northern Taiwan
Period: January - February 2013 (23 days)
Expenses: SGD 1,590 Places: Kinmen Island, Taichung, Taipei, Yilan, Hualien, Taroko Gorge Remarks: Continued from China trip (Oct 2012).
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March '13 — Kuala Lumpur & Malacca, West Malaysia
Period: March 2013 (4 days) Expenses: SGD 200
Places: Kuala Lumpur, Petronas Twin Towers, Malacca
August '13 — Thailand
Period: August 2013 (19 days) Expenses: SGD 1,050 Places: Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Pai, Sukhothai
Remarks: As a travel partner to a Chinese traveller and show her around Thailand.
— YEAR 2014 —
Back to a desk-bound job and no annual leaves to travel again. Well, I made up with more trips in 2015.
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