Budget SE Asia trip, Summer 2016 Updated real-time - Page 2 - PassPorter - A Community of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel Forums
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Wow!! This is going to be an amazing trip. It is fun to watch you save on the other thread and spend those savings on this one!! Can't wait to follow your planning
Thanks Sena!!! Yes, it's made it fun to save too, since we have such a worthy and tangible goal to save for! I never thought we'd have the tickets this soon. I'm so used to agonizing for months on whether we can really afford something, even though in the end we know we're probably going to decide to go. This time, DH said "What, are we going to fiddle while Rome burns?" We know the tix won't get much lower than what we paid.
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Congrats on the plane tickets! You got a great price!
Thanks! I know, I can't beleive the price, actually! I get to lower my overall savings goal by about 1000 bucks, we expected to pay more like 1300 per ticket when we planned this, or more. I wish I could find my estimates spreadsheet! I think we planned up to 2000 per, actually.
Oh, we're "fine" with Ryan Air, Cheryl! But flying Singapore as the lowest carrier to our destination is a huge plus.
Well, you're better than me then - we've only ever flown once with Ryanair (c. $40 for the two of us to Venice back in 2001, not long after 9/11, when all the airlines dropped their prices through the floor to get everyone flying again), and we swore never again. It was not a nice experience and I've heard bad things from friends in the intervening years as well.
I love your budget trips. They are so different from the usual. Hope you get to buy your tickets in January. I wish I had summers off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntermom
Getting even more exciting.
Thanks so much for following along, Huntermom. I'm glad you like reading about our low-income jetsetter experiences! I think I love finding the deals and the travel hacks as much as I like the travel itself. There's some weird stuff to see over there in Asia.
You work in law, right? Minimal vacation time? When I was looking into career choices, extended time off was the #1 consideration because of DBF to be DH's then-career as a comic juggler. He traveled May-Oct with the show. Now that I'm the sole breadwinner, I'm so glad I got myself set up with the time off. At least for now.
That said, I did really enjoy staying home this past summer. I grew veggies and swam in the river a lot. So, if my district ever goes to year-round school, or if I have to take another job with minimal vacation, I'll live with it. But I'm taking advantage now.
Great start! What an amazing adventure you all will have!
It's going to be wild. Really looking forward to some of it. I'm even looking forward to antimalarials. (They make me feel WEIRD. Whee! ) Not looking forward to dysentery, which I think is a given at some point. But yes! Thanks for following along!
I keep wanting to read more about the trip NOW! I'm looking forward to hearing the itinerary and route details, especially through China, as you should be going through the amazing scenery of Guangxi, right? Okay, I'll try to be patient and let the plans unfold in this PTR....
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I keep wanting to read more about the trip NOW! I'm looking forward to hearing the itinerary and route details, especially through China, as you should be going through the amazing scenery of Guangxi, right? Okay, I'll try to be patient and let the plans unfold in this PTR....
Bwahahaha!!! Reminds me of checking in on your recent TR! I have to admit that I'm not too familiar with Chinese geography (yet), but yes, we will be going through Guangxi province, and seeing the limestone Karst formations of this region easily tops the list for things I want to see in all of China. We're so lucky that our route takes us right through this area.
For those less familiar than Laurie, here's a stock picture from the web:
It's right out of a classical Chinese painting. I cannot wait to spend some time in this stuff.
Bwahahaha!!! Reminds me of checking in on your recent TR! I have to admit that I'm not too familiar with Chinese geography (yet), but yes, we will be going through Guangxi province, and seeing the limestone Karst formations of this region easily tops the list for things I want to see in all of China. We're so lucky that our route takes us right through this area.
For those less familiar than Laurie, here's a stock picture from the web:
It's right out of a classical Chinese painting. I cannot wait to spend some time in this stuff.
Oh wow - that is just stunning!
One day, I want to tour China. I know what tour I want to take - it's just finding the time (in amongst everything else I want to do ) and the money, as it won't be cheap. Maybe for my 50th in 2022... Ok, now I said that out loud, that is far too far away!
One day, I want to tour China. I know what tour I want to take - it's just finding the time (in amongst everything else I want to do ) and the money, as it won't be cheap. Maybe for my 50th in 2022... Ok, now I said that out loud, that is far too far away!
I will be 45 in 2023, and I already have a savings account to pay for a trip that summer! $70 bucks comes out faithfully every month. I've been planning this one since my son was 14 months. So, it's not to early to plan! Every now and then I think..."Oh wow, that's only ___ years away." Now that's only 8 years!
I love my law practice and wouldn't trade it for the world. I work a lot but also manage to go to Texas 1900 miles away once a month to visit my grandson. I can take time off when I plan but don't think I could ever manage a full summer without coming back to too deep a mess. I did take an involuntary year off due to illness, Made me love ever day day I can work so much more,
But you also have a little one. When mine were home, I worked only part time.
Enjoy your trip. It sounds wonderful and what an adventure for your son.
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...I can take time off when I plan but don't think I could ever manage a full summer without coming back to too deep a mess...
...But you also have a little one. When mine were home, I worked only part time.
Enjoy your trip. It sounds wonderful and what an adventure for your son.
It will be a great adventure! I can totally relate. I'm looking at having a sub in my office for my DL trip in December, and honestly, it strikes fear in my heart! I'm independent in my role, I definitely wonder what I will find when I come back. It will be fine, but I can't imagine leaving for longer while the school is open.
My sis (lawyer) does clean-up work for defunct law practices through the Oregon Bar Assc. I have some sense of what kinds of messes can occur when there aren't eyes on something for a while!
Yes, when DS is out of the house, I'm pretty sure I'll work full time for a while. It won't look like it does now, unless DH is more significantly disabled at that point.
Single-fare on the Airport Express train (part of HK train/subway system) are just under $8 per person, with a discount for kids. Regular jouneys run about $2. At the airport shuttle price, I doubt we will look for a cheaper but less convenient route. That's do-able.
HKDL is RIGHT ON the subway/train line. The station is even closer than the HK DL hotel is to the front gates. So, that's a no brainer for us. I've found cheap rooms for 30 per night in town, and that's online. Once I make some connections on the ground, we might be able to do even better than that.
HK will be one of our more expensive places to visit, perhaps even the most expensive, but it's still feeling affordable compared to other world-class cities. Try to find lodging on the subway line in NYC (or even brooklyn) for 30 bucks a night!
Visiting DLHK. HKDL entrance is much less expensive than any other Disney Park. Here's the breakdown:
1 day ticket: $65 adult; $46 child. Family total:$176
2 day ticket (7 day window): $88 adult; $62 child. Family total: $239
Silver Annual Pass: $128 adult; $91 child. Family total $348
I checked on blackout dates for the silver (basic) annual pass last night to be sure that it would make sense for us to buy them. They only allow 7 weekends a year, and have occasional mid-week blackout dates as well. But I was thrilled to find out that DS's birthday, Sunday the 26th of June, just 5 days after we arrive in HK, is one of the weekends that silver pass users can go to the parks!
What I have read about DLHK crowds is that they are pretty good on the weekdays, and pretty bad on the weekends.
At this point, I'm planning the silver pass for at least DS and I. DH will decide if he wants to visit or not, and how much he wants to go in for. I thought it was under 100 for the annual pass, but I was doing my exchange rate wrong, so we'll see what he wants to do. Those who have read my other TRs might remember that DS worked in theme parks in the past, as a comic juggler/street entertainment guy. And he worked them in Asia, in Lotte World in Seoul and Huis ten Bosche in Japan. So, he is averse to paying money to go somewhere that effectively feels like work. We did talk him into one day at DL 2 years ago, and he loved it, but said it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. With the price of passes lower at DLHK, he might be convinced, though.
My plan for the parks is to visit at least one weekday during the week we land, to get the lay of the parks and see the must-see stuff without serious crowds. Rope drop isn't until 10am usually, so it will be easy to be there at opening.
Then, on Sunday, DS's 8th B-day, I plan to have this be a mellow day in the park crowds. How fun to take my DS to the park on his birthday!!! I'm off to research reservable experiences. I'm thinking character dining at this point, but I'll report back on what's available.
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It was not a nice experience and I've heard bad things from friends in the intervening years as well. 
) and the money, as it won't be cheap. Maybe for my 50th in 2022... Ok, now I said that out loud, that is far too far away! 
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