Cu chi tunnels......

We had booked a half day excursion to the cu chi tunnels, and it was nice to get out of the city for a while, we got on our air coned bus and started the ninety minute journey to the tunnels, we had our own guide and walked around the tunnels in a small group and it was a really good day and the tunnels were really interesting, the Vietnamese soldiers were so clever...... One example is that they made these shoes.....

 Like sandles and they look like your averages sandles however if you turn the shoe over then you will see that they are made so that when you walk forward the footprint is Infact facing backwards! Just one of there many tricks ! They had many traps all around the surrounding area of the tunnels and also in the the tunnels itself.

......the tunnels themselves have 3 levels....the first level (closest to the ground) was for cooking and resting area, they would only cook once a day early morning and they made it so that by the time the smoke from the cooking reach the tiny chimney it could bearing be seen, however they soon realised that level 1 could easily be destroyed and would cave in when attempted to be invaded so they made a second and third level the second level you could sort of crawl through but the third level you were almost flat on the ground, all the tunnels had escape routes but only level 3 would exit in to the river a very good escape route, the tunnels themselves were never bigger then 60cms wide. We got the chance to go In to these tunnels we went down and I couldn't do it it was to small I had to come out but Luke gave it a of and he said it was small ! But it was good he tried it :)

 

The tunnels were a lovely day out and we really learnt a lot and had some fun, probly our face thing we have done in Ho Chi Minh city.

Vietnam.......stories so far....

So after checking in and sorting out the stuff in our bags to decide what we were going to send home (which turned out to be 2 big bag fulls weighing 5kg!) we decided to venture out to find the post office...... Leaving the safety of the hotel was quite hard as when we arrived we were given this info leaflet on crime and were initially quite worried as it was about not taking your phones or camera out and people snatching bags from you whilst there on there motorbikes, however we decided to wander around but just not to take the video camera or my phone, Luke decided that he would carry the camera and his phone and that we would both wear money belts, anyway.........

Walking around this busy busy city was just as shocking as what it was to us when we arrived and were driving through it ! Crossing the roads was so so dangerous, there was no pedestrian crossing, no body stopped for you, having read the info leaflet we got from the hotel which said the motorists would not stop for you you just had to cross the road and dodge the traffic! It was quite scary at times :( but I just held Luke's hand and we did it, this was the case every single day, every time we crossed a road! 

We quickly found the post office and having found it also found the notre dame cathedral aswell, both lovely lovely buildings :) we took some quick snaps before heading into the post office to investigate sending our stuff back :) it seemed like an easy task we decided to return in few days with our stuff to send back :)

The rest of the day was spent walking around taking in this very different city we were in! We also found a Hard Rock Cafe ! Bonus - English/American food! We were happy.

We spent a couple of days walking around, finding the sights and taking sneaky pics :) we did take the video camera out once but we felt quite vulnerable with it so we didn't do that again, during our days of walking around we got asked by motorists on motorbikes several thousand times if we wanted a ride somewhere - like a motorbike taxi ! Obs we said no who would do that?! We also saw some hideous hideous ways to cook meat/food which was really just on the floor or in pans that were crawling with bugs :( it's was disgusting, and then there were the smells .....oh the smells.... I couldn't even begin to describe them if I tried but they were bad :( we did want to try some of the local cuisine but having seen the way and the conditions it's cooked in we thought we would pass!

Over our time here we went to the Ho Chi Minh museum, went to the Ben thanh market (where Infact we walked in one side and out the other the smell was just numbing!), the post office, notre dame cathedral and lots of other random things! We enjoyed seeingt he sights and the way the local culture lived but were starting to get a little fed up with all the fumes from the motorists and just being in the busy city, there was one other thing we wanted to do .... The cu chi tunnels.......

Chapter 3 - Vietnam :)

So next stop Vietnam.....we were both excited about Vietnam I think because we were venturing to the unknown! And it seems like an exciting place somewhere that you wouldn't routinely go on holiday.

Having left singapore today :) we were now on a very enjoyable flight with singapore airlines to Vietnam :) upon arriving we had a extremely grumpy passport control officer checking our visa etc and the arrivals was actually quite intimidating! After collecting our baggage we made our way out the airport to loads of people it was heaving, humid and hot! We quickly found our driver and climbed into his car and off went to our hotel "the ruby river".

The journey to the hotel was a scary but exciting experience ! There were hundreds of motorbikes more then we ever imagined more then there were cars! It was very dangerous and we even saw a crash on the way! It made us feel a little anxious but we were excited to explore this city :)

We arrived in our hotel, were given a welcome drink and shown to our room, it was lovely, small but perfect for us :) our own double bed in our own room, own bathroom and air con perfect :) much nicer then the hostel we just stayed in! It's safe to say we like having our own room!

Let the Vietnam adventures begin.....

Universal studios singapore :)

This place is one of the reasons I wanted to visit singapore in the first place! I have grown up with disney and universal studios characters and have enjoyed many trips to florida including one with my boyfriend and just love it plus we love theme parks :)

So we had quite high expectations and I think we were right to have high expectations ! It's suppose to be an amazing place, to have fun and enjoy yourself.

We got there before it opened and We were queuing to get in, I was mega excited :)))) we got in and decided to go straight for the biggest roller coaster ! Why not.... It will only get busy later..... We got there and it was shut :( there were two big coasters and they were both shut not just for the day but for the Forseable future :( and the transformers ride was also closed :( we were so disspointed :( but we carried on and had fun on some if the other rides and took some great pics (obviously) ! We walked round the place in 2 hours that's including going on the rides! It was SMALL. Beginning to get disspointed at this point :( 

We decided to go for a early lunch.... We saw a diner when we came in that looked great we went in there and (I don't know why we were shocked!) it was soooo expensive! It sold burgers, fries etc but none of the meals came with a drink which we both find so odd! The drink is a extra £2-£3 ! These burger "meals" were £8 and up :( we were so pleased we had food vouchers that came with our ticket so we had $10 off any food! Thank god, we did look at a pizza place but it was £8 for one slice of pizza! And they weren't big slices!

We decided to go back to the transformers ride to see if it was open......no still not open :( so we watched all the shows there was to see and then went back a couple of hours late and it had just opened :) so we jumped on and it was amazing ! The best ride there by a long shot, so pleased it opened that made our day a bit better :) we decided after this to just wonder around and take some last pics then head put to see some more of sentosa island! One last thing that annoyed us about the studios was there was around four huge built statues of some characters that you could only have your pic with if staff took it with there camera and then you payed for it! Shocking.

Anyway leaving universal somewhat disspointed :( we decided to look around sentosa island, it was soo hot and humid we were struggling :( we saw some of the sights and then decided to find the beach ! Which we did eventually! And Luke just stripped down to his boxers and got straight in! I on the other hand didn't do that as I didn't have swim wear with me :( but I should of it would of cooled me right down! 

Singapore - the verdict

So we had some fun in singapore :) it was defo an experience.....we saw some great sights and enjoyed seeing the culture, the night safari was a favourite as was the currys we tried in aromas of India :) loved being able to just walk around and find different sites, temples, Buddhas and shopping malls (which were everywhere!!). Staying in a hostel was hard but we managed, however we prefer our own space :)

Pro's - lots of interesting things to see, cheap travel, cheap food - at certain places! Lots of places to shop, the mustafa center was defo the place to shop - open 24 hours a day! And bigger then any shopping center I have been to! Truly an experience:) also the airport- you could spend all day there ! It's huge! 

Cons - tourists attractions ONLY serve VERY expensive food :( and food meals don't come with drinks! It doesn't make sense! at times during our stay we felt uncomfortable and intimidated in the area we were staying (little India) we do not like people trying to usher us into there shops! And we estimated to long to stay there, we did not need all the time we booked there we over estimated how big singapore is!it isn't! Universal studios was disappointing :( 

So although having a great time here sadly we would have to say we probly wouldn't return, one visit was enough and we saw all the sights and did all the things we wanted to :) so sadly it's goodbye to singapore 

Sight seeing in singapore.......

So the first thing we needed to do was buy another bag... Sadly I was not coping well with carrying the  backpack :( I really wanted to be able to do it but I just couldn't so we went out and found me a backpack on wheels so I could pull it along and also I could wear it on my back.....perfect! We also realised very soon that we had to much stuff :( although we went through it many times in the uk the reality was it was still to much and was proving very stressful to repack and find stuff all the time :( but that will have to be sorted in Asia when we find a post office.

Seeing the sights ........

Our first tourist destination was marina bay :) we ventured down there in the evening and it really took our breath away :) it was stunning lots of lovely buildings lit up with the water as the backdrop we spent all evening there and wondered round the whole of the bay. It was then we realised that the F1 raving was going to start the day after we leave.... We were gutted :( but we did get to see some if the track.

Our next venture was to take a stroll and just see where we end up! We spent the next afternoon doing that and it great just strolling around taking in singapore :) we wondered into a market, and to some temples, to the raffles hotel :) we also wondered over to a small food cafe and tried the most tastiest onion spring rolls! They were lovely :) we decided to try some of the local tastes by eating in the Indian restaurant below our hotel "aromas in India" we both had lovely currys and am glad we did it :)

It was then time for our night safari.... I have been waiting for this for a while and was excited... We join our tour operated and was walked to where we collect the bus and had to wait for around 20 minutes and during this time we felt quite uncomfortable in the area we were in :( but we rode it out and waited for the bus when it came we were relieved and got on to start our journey to the night safari......

The night safari itself was great and then you got to walk around the different trails and see the animals up close in there environment at night it was a great experience :) we then were hungry it was 10pm and we hadn't had dinner yet..... We went to where the food was and it was soooo expensive so we thought we would get a ice cream instead.....WRONG ! It was £8 for one scoop! Absolutely descracful :; I a hocked at the prices they charge in tourist areas ! Anyway we decided to get the bus back and go to the huge mustafa centre and get our own food! Which we did and it was lovely :))

We spend another afternoon having a wonder down to Chinatown :) we loved it there we got the MRT and walked out directly to the market ! It was great :) we went and found a couple of temples we wanted to find.... Incliding the Buddha tooth temple....which I wasn't allowed into as I was showing my shoulders and knees :(  but Luke went in and took some pics :) a lovely time in Chinatown :) ....

....one last venture was going to the famous "orchard road" we were not impressed :( no cheap shopping here and a lot of people trying to get you in there shops! Not impressed :( 

Chapter 2 - singapore

So having had a amazing time in dubai singapore had quite a lot to live up to! This was also our first ever stay in a hostel so anxiety was a little high! Upon arrival we were collected by one of the hostel staff, he was very friendly and gave us loads of useful tips. The sights on the way looked lovely but as we began to get closer and closer to our hostel which was in little India, the area started to look a little different! (Well compared to what we were used to!) it looked run down and although singapore claims to be a very clean city I was beginning to think that that did not include the tiny suburbs like little India.

.....anyway after driving around for a while we arrive on a street with many restaurants and little shops and right in the middle of it all was a door....... This door led to our hostel "vintage inn", by this point we were both thinking OMG this place/area does not look like some where we would stay! But we ignored all those thoughts and just threw ourselves into being a traveller!

 

....the hostel itself was lovely and I was glad, we made the right decision to stay there. It was small, on 2 floors each floor had one room with 18 beds in pod style, and then had showers and a kitchenette, the pods themselves were very spacious and we had a double pod and were relieved to have our own space even if it was only a small space! We were so jet lag that we fell asleep almost straight away! And when we woke we decided would go for a wonder,check out the place where we were gunna call home for the next 5 days....

......one of the first things to hit us upon leaving the hostel was the smell :( the actual stair case leading up to the hostel stank of I don't know what and the streets just smelt of all kinds of awful things! It was clear that we were in a place we were not familiar with....ASIA!

DUBAI - The verdict.....

... So .... Dubai was truly amazing we absolutely loved it :) we barely saw all the sights but saw everything that was on our list :) we will definitely be returning there in the future.

Pro's - clean, safe, easy to get around, lots of places to eat and lots of lovely sights to see, and the main thing - you feel very safe.

Cons - soooo many rules that the minute you step out of your hotel you feel like your breaking the law! In all the tourist places and the atlantis everything is massively over priced for tourists which we hated..... £10 for a burger no drink! I don't think so, and much like everywhere else in the world the taxi's WILL rip you off.

Thanks dubai for a lovely first stop to our travelling adventure.

Atlantis adventures take 2.....

 So it's day 2 here in atlantis and after a lovely breakfast we decided it was time to sit by the pool and check out those facilities..... We decided on the royal pool as it had lovely views of the city in the distance.....

....after a lovely soak in the pool it was time to swim with dolphins....

 ....we suited up and off we went... It was amazing :) so lovely to hug, kiss and just be with these amazing creatures, definitely well worth it........

 .... We decided that after dolphin swimming we would stay by thepool

For a bit longer... Get our money's worth.

We then returned to our other hotel for our last night in dubai. :(

Adventures in atlantis :)

  So it's morning number 3 and we are off to the atlantis hotel on the palm :) this is what we have been waiting for some luxury :) it looks amazing and something I have wanted to experience for a long time :). So off we go ......so as we drive closer and closer to the palm and the atlantis comes into sight, I feel myself getting more and more excited like a little kid....

....we arrive and the concierge is there to collect our bags and he will take them to our room when it is ready (I am thinking "yes" this is right up my street!) we check in and decide we are going to head to the waterpark for the day, and as we try to find our way around the east and west wing we come across this absolutely huge aqaurium.......

...it is the biggest aqaurium I have seen in a hotel! Any amazed by it but decide will have aroper look later we head into the waterpark, on the way deciding to book a swim with dolphins for the next day :) a dream of both of ours!

 We then head in for a day of fun ......

      

We had so much fun in the water park, had lots of laughs and the slides were awesome ! I

Even tried the water slide the " leap of faith" something I may not have normally done but just thought what the hell ... So I did it and screamed all the way down but loved it.

So we go back to reception to get our room key and locate our room.....it was lovely had a very odd bathroom that opened up to the bedroom.... A massive bath ans seperately shower I decided I needed Ba'ath a shower just to try all the facilities ! Had a lovely evening buffet meal  and had a leisurely wonder around the hotel before it was time for bed :) 

Dubai adventures - the burj khalifa and dubai mall :)

 So it's day 2 in dubai and we have a full day ahead of us....we pre booked the burj khalifa in the uk as we read that the q's can be quite long :( we decided to use the metro to get us to the dubai mall (where we had to collect our tickets, and also the biggest mall !) on arrival we were clearly not prepared for the size of this place! It was huge so many floors so many turns just a maze! It's safe to say we got lost! But eventually found the entrance to the burj and began to make our way up.......

What a journey we went up 124 floors! And at the top what amazing views, luke was so impressed :) dubai looks quite compact from the ground but from that height it look empty! They had a klidescope that showed you past, present and current views!the past ones were the most impressive there was just nothing there it has all been built up from scratch and looks amazing :) the burj was not busy at all which allowed us to take many pics all in all a lovely experience.....

......We returned down to earth where we were lucky enough to see the fountain show, we then ventured into the mall to have a browse and to go to the aqaurium which was huge, it was then time for a late lunch at one of our favourites the rainforest cafe ! Meal was great and the menu was different which was nice. A very busy day for us in dubai but we enjoyed every Minute of it.

When we returned to the hotel we tried to FaceTime the family but failed :( don't know why but we were disappointed wanted so much to talk to our boo"s (chester and Millie! ) and the parents. Oh well thank god for modern technology so we can still keep in touch other ways.

Adventures in dubai - arrival

So the first stop is dubai....... Now after reading about certain rules and regs for dubai we were a bit shall we say paranoid about getting arrested! Especially after reading that staying in the same room whilst unmarried was a crime ! As well as holding hands, kissing and drinking in public, so different to our western world. But having said that we were still super excited.

Upon arriving to dubai we looked like such tourists...... Big backpacks, bottles of water, a map! So naturally we were almost conned into getting into a "taxi" that was Infact a very expensive private car! Fortunately we stood our ground and said no! And got in ur average taxi..... Where we still got over charged :(

We arrived to our hotel... Suite hotel mall of  emirates and it was lovely we were pleasantly surmised as we had picked the second to first cheapest hotel! We had a lovely room, there was a roof top pool and a lovely breakfast being served, also free wifi what more can you want from a 3 star hotel! It also had a nandos attached..... Bonus! We made our way to the roof top pool where we met the rest of the day .

We decided to take a wonder in the evening to the mall of emirates for dinner! We were excited to see there was a ihop! Now I no we should we trying the local cuisine but who can resist the ihop!  Meal was lovely but we were so tired so its off to bed for a long nap, for tomorrow we visit the burj khalifa :)

After a year of planning and lifetime of dreaming we are here :)

So.....having booked a gap year of travels last year with my boyfriend and having been dreaming about it since being able to talk :) we were finally here......on our world travels. It's been a hard and busy year of planning with every spare second spent researching something new :) but now we were ready.....

.......unfortunately I have just recently started this blog so missed out on blogging the run up to our trip, but it was a very exciting time :) but obviously quite stressful. So many things to plan and remember, but all said and done all the stress and late nights were well worth it.

So I will briefly give you a run down of our tour.......

First stop dubai, singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand (Including koh samui & Phuket), New Zealand - north and south islands, Australia - east coast tour, Fiji and USA - cross country tour ending in New York, then onto Florida for 5 weeks were we will also pick up a carribean cruise, then home on the 22nd of July 2014. We will be doing a mixture of organised tours and independent travel as we feel we are simply to old to purely backpack around the world! Plus we like our luxuries :) 

Our itinerary....... 

.....so with the itinerary all ready and our bags packed, we set off on our 11 month dream tour.