Dave's ridiculous (half) world tour

Right, so as promised, here’s my first blog.
As I write this, I’m still preparing for the trip in London, so I can’t report back yet on what it is like diving with leather-backed turtles in some tropical paradise, or trekking up some giant volcano
I’ve bought a round-the-world-ticket from London going east, via fourteen countries, back to London, and cash-permitting, I think I’ll be on the road for about 8 months. I’ll probably be posting blogs and pics every couple of weeks, depending on accessibility to internet café’s.

HIGHLIGHTS

- Diving in Sipidan in Borneo, Blue Corner in Fiji, and the Similan Islands in Thailand are probably top of the list.
I’m taking an extra BIG bag for diving – some might say its madness to drag such a large extra burden around for the better part of a year, but if you’ve dived, you’ll know that using familiar equipment can really change the enjoyment and down-time of your dives. So, when Im cursing this extra bag, I’ll hopefully still see it that way!

- Trekking in Nepal is going to be awesome. The mountainous views, the clean air, the Nepalese cultures – its all going to be very different to what I’m used to. I’m doing the Annapurna route – a 3-week mountain trek.

- Cambodia – Boeng Leak Yaom crater lake – came across this while researching my travels and it sounds and looks ridiculously amazing.

- I also think the 2 – day climb on Mount Kinabalu in Malaysia should be pretty awesome.

- Lastly, but it’ll take precedence very often – chilling on a remote beach with a cool beer in hand, hammocks making some guest appearances!

TOP TRAVEL FEARS (the ones I’ve been having feverish nightmares about)

- Cambodian bus drivers
- Malaria again
- unfriendly king cobras
- Running out of air at 32 meters down
- Circus folk
- Polio
- 8-foot Fijians on a boys’ night out.
- Koala's

THE ROUTE:

Thailand
6th Feb – 15 March 2008

Nepal
13 March – 08 April T

Cambodia, Vietnam
09 April – 30 April

Singapore, Bali, Komodo
30 April – 23 May

Philippines and Palau
23 May – 24 June

Borneo (Malaysia only)
24 June – 24 July

Australia
25 July – 22 August

New Zealand
22 August – 13 September

Fiji (& surrounds)
13 September – 29 September

California & NYC
29 September – 11 October 2008

For those of you meeting me here and there along my travels, see you soon.

Until I post a ‘real’ blog… Cheers!