Tokyo – Seoul – Singapore, 2015
Since July 2015, I’ve been taking journey through Asia. My first stop was Tokyo, Japan, and my final destination before home, I expect, will be Singapore. My travels will take me to 9 different countries using at least 5 different modes of transportation: aeroplane, boat, train, bus, and tuk-tuk.
That’s the rough plan, anyway. On this page I will keep a high-level intinerary of where I’ll be (City, Country) and for how many days, and keep links to related blog posts and other pages.
What’s the purpose of the trip? I’ve always been a keen traveller, but since I visited South Korea for the first time in 2010, I fell in love with the place and decided that I had to live there at some point. That’s where this idea began. I soon realised I could extend the trip and see other parts of Asia I’ve always wanted to see, too. Over weeks of map-trawling, flight-searching and spreadsheet-tinkering, it started to look like a real itinerary.
Of course, this is a break from my life. But while I’m out there I won’t just vacationing.
First, I’ll continue working on my side projects. Second, I’ll be bouldering wherever I can find rocks to climb or a gym to climb in, just like I do in London. Third, I’ll be learning about the places I’m staying and trying to get familiar with the culture. Last, but certainly not least, I’ll be hoping to make some friends on the way.
That’s where you, the reader, come in. If you’re in any of the places listed in my itinerary, and any of the things I’m saying sound interesting to you, let’s meet up and get a drink of coffee, beer, or whatever it is that people drink around here. I’d love to meet you.
Travel Log
Since the trip is underway, I’ve been writing about it.
Itinerary
This is a loose, high-level plan. The destination headings in black are confirmed, meaning I’ve booked stuff and decided to go for certain. Grey headings still may change, but it’s part of my plan and probably likely to happen.
2 July 2015: Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo, as many will attest, is a world apart from most cities in the Western hemisphere. While there are common elements – subway systems, department stores, coffee shops, bars, and music – there’s something so different about it.
This difference is a big part of what makes it so interesting at first, but once you dig a little deeper and gain a little understanding, it's even more interesting. Here's some blog posts which touch on Tokyo:
14 July 2015: Seoul, Korea
This is where I stayed for the longest time, almost 3 months. It was great fun and I’ve written a fair amount about it.
Like Japan, this is a far cry from the UK, culturally -- in a different way though. Here's some blog posts which touch on Seoul:
6 October 2015: Beijing, China
More of a pitstop on the way to North Korea, but an interesting city to be sure. I’ve been before, I didn’t do much sightseeing, but I did have some great food!
8 October 2015: Pyongyang, DPRK (North Korea)
I’m quite interested in North Korea because it seems more unlike my home country than any other place I’ve visited. Due to the nature of their Internet access I do not expect anybody reading to be from the DPRK, but anybody else who happens to be taking a trip there at the same time as me, it’d be great to meet! Get in touch.
12 October 2015: Taipei, Taiwan (Republic of China)
The capital of the other China. I don’t know much about Taipei or Taiwan for the matter, so if you do, I’d love to hear from you. I am doing a sport climbing course while I’m there, though. Especially if you’re into rock climbing, please get in touch.
22 October 2015: Hong Kong
This is one of the places that most people rave about when I tell them about my trip. I’m here for just under a week, and I understand there’s quite a significant tech community in Hong Kong. If you’re part of it, please get in touch and I’ll buy you a beer. :smile:
1st November 2015: Hoi An, Vietnam
A convenient first stop in south-east Asia, from here I can take a train up to Hanoi (I like train trips). Once again, my knowledge of this place is very limited, so if you can help me in that regard, please get in touch.
3rd November 2015: Hanoi, Vietnam
6th November 2015: Cat Ba Island, Vietnam
11th November 2015: Siem Reap, Cambodia
15th November 2015: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
17th November 2015: Kampot, Cambodia
22nd November 2015: Bangkok, Thailand
23rd November 2015: Phitsanluok, Thailand
24th November 2015: Chiang Mai, Thailand
27th November 2015: Pai, Thailand
30th November 2015: Chiang Mai, Thailand
3rd-4th December 2015: Bangkok, Thailand
4th-5th December 2015: Ao Nang, Thailand
8th December 2015: Koh Lanta, Thailand
14th December 2015: Koh Lipe, Thailand
16th December 2015: Penang, Malaysia
17th December 2015: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
19th December 2015: Singapore
20th-21st December 2015: London, United Kingdom
I’ll finally be flying back home from Singapore to London on the 20th to arrive on the 21st. It’s only days before a national holiday which I like to spend with my family: Christmas. I expect it’ll be a harsh change from Singapore’s warm (~30°C) climate in December to South England’s cold (~6°C) but I also expect I’ll be quite pleased with that by then. Bring it on!
What’s next?
After that, who knows? I might move back to London, I may continue travelling for a while. I already have some destinations in mind if I do, but I will probably be travelled out by then at least for a few months. We’ll see. That’s Future Dan in 2016’s problem. :wink:
If you’re going to be in any of the places I have mentioned above at the same times as me (maybe you’re a local, or a fellow traveller) or if you have any advice or ideas of things for me to do, I’d really like to hear from you. Thanks for reading, and happy travels.