New Zealand - South Island 22nd August - 2nd September 2009

We havent been very good at updating our blog recently and we are moving around so much its hard to find the time so we decided to just write about New Zealand twice - the south island and the north island.

We arrived in New Zealand after a long flight from Singapore to Sydney and then Sydney to Christchurch. We had about an hour to wait at the airport in Sydney for our flight to NZ - and what was the first thing Emma did?? Buy Uggs of course!!


As we descended to land we flew over the Southern Alps and it gave us an idea of what an incredibly stunning country New Zealand is! The cold air was a welcome change from a month in Asia and although it felt a little strange wearing gloves and hats in August -we enjoyed being able to walk around without needing to stop every 5 mins to find some air conditioning!



One of the first things we noticed about Christchurch when walking around the town was how quiet it was. It was Saturday afternoon and there was noone about!! It really was like a ghost town! We were told that ppl in New Zealand spend the weekends with their families and so Sat and Sun are always very quiet - a bit of a change from Brent X at the weekend thats for sure!



After a wander around and a VERY early dinner followed by an extremely early night we were ready the next day to take the Magic Bus which was to become our source of transport for the duration of our trip http://www.magicbus.co.nz/. The magic bus is for travellers and it takes you around NZ, books your activites and accomodation and basically makes your life really easy as well as introducing u to some cool ppl from all over. Weve made friends with hawaian girls, ppl from Oz and Belgium to name a few. The towns in New Zealand are pretty small and very quiet - the best parts of the trip are not the towns that we stopover in themselves but the unbelievable scenery that we see on the drives from town to town. Everywhere you go and everwhere you look the views are simply stunning - we will try at some point to put some photos up though they won't do the scenery justice.

Our first stop was a gorgeous small town called Kaikoura about three hours north of Christchurch. The town is situated in between two mountains surrounded by sea -with views if the snow capped mountains it really was stunning! We hired bikes and cycled around the town, went to a seal coloney and tried to buy some warm clothes! This was our first hostel experience and we were pleasantly surprised - it was clean, we had our own bathroom and it even had a hot spa!! So we spent the evening in the hot spa and at about 8pm decided to get some dinner - easy you would have thought! Off we went to the fish and chip shop only to discover that EVERYWHERE closes at about 6pm (restaurants included!!) So we were left we the only option - pasta from the petrol station -yum!!

Our next stop was Nelson at the far north of the south island. We arrived in Nelson fairly late and had little time to see the town. Our drivers told us that there wasnt much there and really it was just a stopover town. So once again we spent our evening in the hot spa! Who said hostels were bad?!?!

Onto Greymouth and the weather was really bad! Very wet and grey and windy and cold, so we decided to stay in with a pizza and a dvd!! Franz Josef was our next stop - and we were SO excited. We had been told by several ppl that the BEST thing to do in the whole of New Zealand is climbing the Franz Josef glacier. However (much to mum and dad W's delight) the weather was so bad that they were not taking any climbs up there at all. We were SO disappointed although we did see the glacier from a safe distance and it was incredible.

After the disappointment of Franz Josef we were off to Queenstown aka the adventure capital of the world. Here you can do almost anything you can think of sky dive, bungee, canyon swing, heli ski etc etc. We booked to go to this place where the scenery is meant to be stunning, however an Avalanche blocked our course...we then booked on to go for a helicopter ride, however again the weather didn't permit it. It is almost as if mum and dad (W) are controlling the weather over all the activities they may not be so happy about.

However we managed to go on a jetboat (still pretty cool though watch this clip!!!) http://www.shotoverjet.com/ and it was AMAZING!!!! We got soaked with freezing water but had the best time! This was also the river they used to film bits of Lord of the Rings!

The following day we took a gondola to the top of the mountain and saw the stunning views and had six goes on the luge - rather than explain, better you watch the clip!! http://www.skyline.co.nz/. We loved Queenstown - it was beautiful as well as loads of fun. Its small but it lively and bustling (even at night which is a big deal for NZ!!) The winter games were taking place while we were there, so the town was full of snowboarders and skiers giving it a really good atmosphere.

After Queenstown we left for Dunedin, which is a quite large town and very popular with students. We went to the Cadbury factory which was cool cuz they have lots of chocolate that we dont have at home and we learnt that Dream (cadburys white choc) was invented in New Zealand! They also have the largest chocolate waterfall in the world - very willy wonker!

Next was Lake Tekapo http://www.laketekapountouched.co.nz/. A village (if u can call it that!) on the lake surrounded by mountains. The lake was bluer than the sky and just beautiful - again we have some amazing photos from it!! We had a group bbq with all the ppl from the bus (including Hula lessons from the Hawaian girls!)and had a great time.

So now we're back in Christchurch - its a week day so much busier than when we were here before. We learnt today that Christchurch is the closest large city to Antarctica! It is the most beautiful sunny day and officially the first day of spring in New Zealand. We've seen gorgeous tiny lambs and ducklings very cute as well as blossoms on the trees - it really is the most beautiful place on earth!! Those women reading this may (or may not) be interested to know that we went to a Pandora shop in Christchurch today and the charms etc are sooo much cheaper here because it is now partly owned by australians. Obviously this meant Emma had to buy a charm!

We went on a gondola ride along the river (although they didnt sing to us - Emma seems to think we're in Venice!) We also visited the Cathedral, and we're meeting the ppl from our bus for a final dinner before we all go our separate ways tomorrow. We are flying to Wellington, New Zealands capital city for the first stop of our North Island adventure.

So far we have simply loved New Zealand. Its very quiet and rural but its the most beautiful place either of us have ever seen. We have heard that the north island isnt as beautiful and much more densly populated. To give you an idea the population of Auckland is larger than the population of the whole of the South Island! Anyway we will update you again next week!

Lots of love Em and Sam x x

Singapore 17th - 21st August 2009

Hello all!

So we left KL and headed south for the very short journey to Singapore (or so we thought!) Our flight was delayed well over an hour which was almost three times as long as the flight itself! On arriving, being good little travellers we got a shuttle bus to our hotel rather than a taxi. Once we settled in to our room (a little disappointed that we had no view whatsoever) we decided to go for a stroll around Clarke Quay. Its really pretty and very modern - much like the areas around canary wharf. We stopped to eat at what was advertised as a pub (a slightly smarter three hammers) and ordered a few snack bits like wings and potato wedges - nothing special! Our bill was soo expensive that we decided we had to eat at mc donalds for the rest of our trip! And that was really a very good introduction to Singapore (AKA the most expensive place on earth!!)

We went to Orchard Road which is the Oxford/Regent/Bond street of Singapore. At home while we may have a starbucks on every corner - they have a Gucci or a Cartier!! Mall after mall was full of designer labels and we were a little disappointed as we had been told how AMAZING singapore is for shopping - and im sure it is amazing if u have a limitless credit card (Black card anybody??) There are no 'high street' shops and we ended up in an internet cafe to buy some time!

That night we went on a night safari - the only one in the world and it was amazing!!! By day its a zoo (but not the kind where u walk around and see animals in their cages) These animals are roaming free and all thats between u and them is a small feeble looking electric fence to keep the lions away!!! We started the safari by taking a 40 min tram ride around the park. We saw all kinds of animals ( lions, tigers, bears, elephants, giraffes, wolves, hyenas, wild dogs, hippos, crocs, leopards, flamingoes, buffalo to name a few!) We then followed trails on foot to see the animals really up close. Seeing these animals so close and at night is like nothing we've experienced before and we loved every second!!

The following day we wandered through china town and then took the subway to Marina Bay. The subway is fantastic - clean, on time and most of all air conditioned!! At the Marina we took a Riverboat Cruise along the Singapore river to see the sights. Well we discovered that Singapore doesnt really have any sights to speak of other then modern office block after modern shopping mall after modern hotel! We keep forgetting that it is a very new city, in fact celebrating its 44th birthday at the end of this month, therefore there is no incredible architecture to look out.

Singapore is an extremely modern and very clean city - however while some people have described it as clinical (which i think is a bit harsh) it does lack some character. Everything is very modern and purpose built which gives it a certain disneylike feel rather than a lively cultural city. To keep it so clean there are fines for everything, and not the sort of 25quid kind. For example, eating in the subway is a 500 pound fine; smoking is a 2,500 pound fine and the list goes on.

Tonight we are heading to raffles hotel where we have been told to order the famous SINGAPORE SLING - though we may just settle for a glass of tap water.

We head for New Zealand tomorrow, but don't actually arrive until the following day, so we will update later next week!!


Hope all is well back home


love Sam and Em!!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Kuala Lumpur - 14th-17th August

We both loved Vietnam and would definitely recommend it as a place to visit. Every location we stayed in was completely different as I tried to explain with the north/south divide still prevelant within the country.

However, it was on to our next country, Malaysia. The flight took a little under 2 hours and upon arrival we were apprehensive about catching a taxi as we heard there were a lot of ways they would try and rip people off - claiming they could not fit luggage; pressing buttons to make the fare go up etc - of course we did get ripped off and had to upgrade from a budget taxi to a luxury taxi so it could fit our luggage in - bull****!! Nevertheless we both had a good sleep in the car on the way to the city (approx 75km from the KL airport).

Our hotel was centrally located in the city, opposite the next incredible mall. 6 floors of cheap clothes;watches;shoes;bags;dvds - and yes all fakes!!! The city is highly developed and there is mass loads of construction work going on around; people we have spoken to have said that the malaysian gvnt. intends to create a very business friendly environment just like Singapore.

Our room was on the 20th floor of the 21 storey hotel, with an incredible view over the city. When we arrived we wanted to immediately immerse ourselves in the cultural heritage of the malay food - but then we walked past a Nandos...and it was Great!!!

After a couple of days of shopping, touring on an open decker bus and chilling out, I was sooo excited to do a tour that I had found to go swim and feed elephants and ride them through their sanctuary. The tour was advertised as being an incredible experience...What a sucker I am!!

It was basically London zoo apart. Hundreds of people crowding round 4 elephants (who must have been terrified) to have their photos taken and then ride them on a 30 second trip in a circle. The swimming element entailed 20 people knee high in water splashing the elephants. We (especially me) were so dissapointed - 60 quid down the drain unfortunately, and they didn;t accept card so we couldn't even send the bill off to our wonderful fathers!

Despite this, Kuala Lumpur is a must go city. We weren't sure what to expect considering it is a Muslim country with some very high penalties for crimes which you would get an ASBO in the UK for. However, it is a modern multicultural city, which we would have loved to spend longer in. In fact we have both decided we would love to come back to Malaysia in order to explore some of its increidble Islands!


Lots of love


Sam and Em



p.s. if you send us a message, please remember to add your name. I also don't know who is sending the cheeky messages, but they keep us amused!

xx

Saigon - 11th - 14th August

So after another very short flight (30 mins compared to the 14 hour train journey from Hoi An - we are still confused why anyone would take the train - something to do with this thing called money we have heard so much about - not sure what it is, we just use a little piece of plastic that seems to get us everything!!) we arrived in Ho Chi Minh - the new name for Saigon, though most people still call it Saigon here.

The city could not be more different to Vietnam's capital of Hanoi. Saigon is a western city, high rise office buildings with all the Americanised restaurants, bars etc, quite ironic given the history between the countries. However, we have a learnt a lot about the history of vietnam whilst being here. Prior to it becoming communist, there was a mass divide in the country between the communist north and republican south. This divide has yet to dissapear, and this is blatantly obvious as you make your way down the country. Never the less, talking about politics events
today is a very stupid thing to do for the locals, especially if you speak out against the communist party (you will be arrested). In fact when they came to power, many people (from the south) were sent to "re-education camps" to change their mind status from republican to communist. From what we have been told, these camps were not the sort of holiday camps you would want to go to - one tour guide told us his father was in one for 2 years and his uncle for 10!!

We found our way around the city fairly easily - there is a definite parisian feel to it, given vietnam was controlled by the french for many years. We visited the palace (which was more like a government building than a palace!) and the shopping malls, and market. We also visited the history museum from the Vietnam War (titled the American War in Vietnam), which needs to be taken with a pinch of salt given its very pro-vietnam attitude, for example right by the entrance is the american decleration of independence -

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...

And right next to this statement were pictures of deceased, burnt, tortured etc. bodies from the vietnamese that were killed by the Americans - a sort of 2 finger salute to their former enemies. However, this was the only anti-american element to our whole trip. Our tour guide told us that there are two views if the war - for the older generation the war never ended and for the younger generation the war never happened!

We also took a trip to the Cu Chi tunels which were the network of tunnels that the Communists lived in for up to twenty years during the war. The tunnel were extremely narrow and very low and this was the tunnel that had been renamed the 'international tunnel' as it had been widened for tourists!!! It was unbelievable to see how they had managed to live for all those years and well worth the long and bumpy coach journey there! Sam also had a go shooting an AK47 which made him very happy! One of the most interesting parts of the trip was our tour guide who spoke to us about everyday life in Vietnam and gave a real insight into the workings of the country, as like a lot of places many things are 'covered up' for tourists.

We also have to give a shout out to Kath and Maz - a couple we met whilst in Halong Bay (see earlier). We managed to meet up with them in Nha Trang and were staying at hotels next door to each other in Saigon. We hope we get to see you guys soon and hope u get back to Southampton safely!!!

We had a really great time and met some really nice people on the way, but were excited for our next adventure -Kuala Lumpar Malaysia!

Love Sam and Emx

Nha Trang - 7th-11th August

So we left the incredible town of Hoi An, leaving suits, shirts, dresses and who knows what else to be flown back to London.

Once again we opted to fly to Nha Trang on a 40 minute flight, as opposed to the 12 hour bus journey that some of our fellow "travellers" have decided to take. In our defence, these plane tickets cost 25 quid each, so well worth it.

Nha Trang is a bustling city right on the beach. Far noisier than Hoi An; but far more life too. It has a similiar feel to a European beach resort. We stayed at the best hotel we think we will stay in on our entire trip - the Novotel. Just for some background to this hotel, we initially were going to stay somewhere else (more expensive), but decided to save money and stay somewhere less elaborate. So I (sam) booked to stay at the Novotel online, for a great rate, which could not be cancelled, changed or moved at all (under any circumstances) - I think you know whats coming next.

I accidentally booked to stay on the dates we are in Saigon (11-14th) - oops!! I tried to speak to Agoda (who were about as helpful as Emma is in giving financial saving advice), but finally got hold of the Novotel (through our reception in Hoi An), who were able to change our dates, subject to an upgrade of a room. So basically in the end, I think we could have stayed at the plush hotel for less - just shows our parents that in fact, it is better for us to stay in 5* resorts.

Anyway, back to Nha Trang.

We took a cyclo tour around the main part of the city, with its bustling markets and (at last) a supermarket - where finally we could buy proper food (such as oreos and pringles). The beaches in Nha Trang are not as golden sanded as in Hoi An, mainly because the locals have not learnt how to keep them clean.

After dragging ourselves away from the amazing airconditioning in our amazing room we decided to go to The Sailing Club for dinner - a gorgeous restaurant right on the beach. We sat down right on the sand, admiring the beautiful view and surroundings. Our food came and it was delicious (something you cannot take for granted in Vietnam!!!) There we were, excited about how wonderful the next four days would be and Sam froze 'Emma dont look' he said (of course i was gonna look - silly boy!!) Right across from us there was an enourmous rat!! Emma screamed and insisted on moving back to the saftey of the restaurant!! The australian waitress told us that at sunset the rats come out onto the beach. Emma spent the rest of the meal with her legs up on the seat looking around in fear!

We spent the next few days at the Sailing Club and Louisiane Brewery. These two restaurants/beach clubs were awesome and perfect for Sam and Emma. Sun beds are under a pound for the day, and drinks/food/alcohol/ are brought to you when required - we settled in quite nicely. Although Emma insisted on going back to the hotel pool at the first sign of the sun going down to avoid the rats!!

The second day was much the same as the first, but this time we went back to our hotel to check out the swimming pool, which though small, was perfect to chill in after a heavy day on the beach. Going back to our room, we spotted someone who was on our Halong Bay Boat Trip, and got chatting again. We ended up meeting them later for a drink at the Sailing Club which also had a massive beach party with vietnam dancing, judo, sword fighting, fire throwing etc. The show was awesome (and we got some great photos to show you all). We learnt that the club is a hotspot for the rich of Vietnam, mainly those who work for the gvnt, or city boys, or mafia (no joke!)

Our third day was much like our second (and first). We lazed around on the beach drinking fresh juice and having a pretty stressful time!! We met a nice girl who was travelling on her own so we went for dinner with her which was cool and ended up clubbing (yes like proper students) with her, the mafia and other rich vietnamese who just wanted photos with us, and boughts us drinks - we could get used to this!!

We were both pretty upset at leaving our beautiful seaview room with a HUGE walkin shower but Saigon was awaiting us (Emma booked the hotel this time so no mess ups!!)

Again we flew, this time the flight was only around 30 mins as opposed to an 8 hour bus journey - we know you understand!

We will write about Saigon in a few days time when we arrive in Kuala Lumpur!

Missing (an ickle bit) and loving you all

Em and Sam
xxxxxxxxxxxx

Hoi An (Vietnam) 3rd-7th August

After flying from the craziness that is Hanoi, arriving in Hoi An was very much welcomed. It is a beautiful small beach/river town about 30km from the main airport town of Danang.

We decided to stay 2 nights in the town part and 3 days on the beach (see later). The town is quite incredible, old buildings line the streets where only people and mopeds are allowed. There is a river running through the town and we took an hour boat ride wich took us into a more rural part of town and could witness some of the 'real' vietnam.

The streets in Hoi An are lined with tailors, making anything from dresses (of which emma got 2) to suits (Sam got three) to shirts (Sam got 5 (one free dad!! see I did well!!!) to shoes (of which Emma got none!!!!! - she has had a bit of an upset stomach). The quality of the clothing is incredible, and after being measured up, we had our first fitting the next day, and 2 further fittings to make sure we were happy with everything they made - they are on their way back to London now - we hope!!!

The hotel we stayed in was a little bit further out of the town than we had hoped for, and after walking in the 34 degree heat twice, we decided to cab it from then on. It was quite an open hotel, with lizards everywhere and was the first time in which they gave us mosquito nets to sleep in (this didn't stop emma getting bitten on the bum - at least she thinks it was the mozzi).

There are loads of small cafes and pattiseries all over the town, and the food we ate was miles better than that in Hanoi. We went to the "expensive" restaurant which has a view over the main town area. I think the bill came to 10quid for the two us including drinks.

The people in the town were all friendly, something which we weren't entirely expecting whilst travelling through vietnam, but from the hotel staff to random people on the street, it was a very nice town. We were there during a full moon festival, where all the street lights are turned off at night and everywhere is lit with lanterns and candles, there were even floating laterns on the river. It was a really amazing experience. People lit incese and left offerings of fruit and drink on their doorsteps, and we also visited the temple that night which was incredible.

After trying to find a place to stay on the beach, we came across a nice little hotel called the Palm Gardens Resort. Since Emma had been suffereing with an upset stomach we decided (she decided) that a cure better than medicine would be to check out of our sweet little hotel and check in to a quaint, small, intimate - oh who are we kiddin - 5* deluxe hotel, with a massive pool, private beach and not the sort of place two 23 year old students should really be spending a few nights, but hey, its Emma and Sam!!! Emma felt better immediately - what a miraculous recovery!!!

The beaches in Hoi An have golden sands and beautiful sea - you wouldn't be mistaken for thinking you were on an idylic carribean island. We spent our days lounging in the sun and eating lovely food both in the town and on the beach.

Emma was a little distressed to leave her hotel but all things come to an end and we were off to our new destination - Nha Trang - another beach town, but this time more of a city. We have been told that Nha Trang is a party town - and Sam is a little excited that there is a water park close by! After another bumpy flight, where Emma thought we were going to land in the sea we arrived. We will update you soon (now that we have a computer that works wahoo!!)

Lov to you all

Sam and Emxx

Halong Bay (Vietnam)

Dear all,

Sorry we have not updated you for a while – the internet at our last hotel was not very good! So we went to Halong Bay which was beautiful. After a 3 hour very bumpy bus journey we arrived at the port, where the captain had to take all our passports and take them to the local police station! We were then taken onto a small boat that would take us to our cruise ship (I say cruise ship but what I really mean is a large boat!!) So off we went sailing to our boat enjoying the view and the breeze. We see ahead of us our cruise boat and marvel at what we would be calling home for the next three days. However, our smiles turn to fear when we realize our small little boat is heading straight for the cruise boat and doesn’t seem to be slowing down – it crashed straight into it, causing the engine to die and for us to drift out to sea and wait to be rescued by another boat passing by!! After that excitement we were then aboard ship where we enjoyed a lovely seafood lunch (emma and sam ate rice!!), whilst sailing out to Halong Bay which is approx 2 hours away from the port.

The tour guide gave us a room at the back of the boat that had a balcony (although the door wouldn’t work so to get to the balcony you had to climb through the window!) and titled it the "honeymoon suite" (dont worry parents). Once we arrived at the bay we went on a tour of the caves that were really incredible and enormous with stalagimites and stalagtites appearing all over.


The one common thing in all asian countries is people trying to sell you things. This doesn't stop on the cruise boats in the open sea. Woman in their rowing boats (which by the way must be exhausting), float around each of the 150approx boats in the bay selling anything from beer to cigarettes to oreos and pringles (of which we bought the latter two). "you want something" (said in a sterotypical but truthful asian accent) is their way of communicating, which became a joke between the two of us; Sam using it wherever he could, and one time saying it in front of one of these woman by accident.

We then had a choice of sunbathing on the deck or going for a "leisurely" hour kayak around the bay. It was a gorgeous day and so we decided to kayak – BIG MISTAKE! We stepped into our kayak and the first 5 minutes were pretty enjoyable as we admired the emerald green sea and the beautiful rock islands. Then we realized that the tour guide must have formerly been in the army. He kayaked so fast we could barely keep up – our arms were aching and Sam kept yelling at Emma for not rowing in time with him! (Emma did NOT enjoy kayaking one little bit!! - and her effort level showed it!) We then arrived at this amazing lagoon. We stopped to admire for all of two minutes and then the army officer had us working again! By the time we came back to the boat we were exhausted and were HORRIFIED to discover that the crew only turns on the air conditioning at night time! After a loooong cold shower and a lovely dinner we played cards on deck with some new found friends and went to bed - only to discover that our room was directly above the air conditioning generator. As we had not had the air conditioning on during the day we hadn’t noticed but now our whole room vibrated, not in a peaceful rock to sleep kind of way, but more like a vibrating to the extent that you fall off the bed kinda way!! - so much for the honeymoon suite (though maybe we didn't get the whole vibrating idea!)

The following day we were woken up at seven for breakfast (Emma doesn't like mornings and therefore slept through breakfast - sam did no such thing, so don't panic dad!!). We were then told that we were going on a three hour kayak!!!!!! Emma begged (and stropped a little bit - who would have thought) and pleaded not to go but Sam is mean and off we went! We were taken to a smaller boat where we would spend the day. Emma refused to kayak so Sam went off with the others. Emma then changed her mind when the tour guide said she could go in his kayak (which basically meant she could sunbathe while the poor guy did all the work!!) With a different tour guide the kayak was much more enjoyable; we went at a slow pace and explored caves and lagoons. We saw monkeys, jellyfish, crabs, bats and fish. We then kayaked through a floating village where 400 people live. The village includes a school and a hospital and was really quite amazing. The people of the village all make a living through fishing, which 2-3 times a month they go inland to sell, in order for them to be able to purchase other neccesities like rice and medicine - these people have very little to their names - bathing, drinking and playing in the same water, however the children were so friendly shouting out hello to us.

After a bbq lunch on the boat and time to swim in the sea we returned to our cruise boat! The following day we had a three hour cruise back to the port and we returned to Hanoi after a really enjoyable few days.

Back in Hanoi we were desperate… for a burger – rice and noodles gets a bit much after a while! Sam found an American burger place – we were SO excited. However once our order arrived we discovered why the Vietnamese people are so small and so thin – the portion was tiny (even by Emma’s standards!) We then returned to our hotel to pack up and get ready for our next adventure – Hoi An!

Oh btw, Surpise Surprise Sam got an eye and ear infection from jumping (just the once) into the sea, which everyone did on countless times. So the Credit Card bill which says "International SOS Doctors/Hospital" isn't fraudulant Dad, so don't worry. The hospital btw was very clean, and it has all cleared up!!