Posts Under On the Road Category
During December 2009, I went on a 5 week trip around Asia covering Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Taipei (Taiwan), Tokyo (Japan) and Hong Kong. I had intended to write some thoughts on each place I’ve visited. Of course after almost four months the details are bound to be sketchy, and since I’m not a photo-whore (and there were times when I just either forgot to bring it or recharge the batteries) I’ll try to post my general feelings on each country, accompanied with photos where appropriate.
Flying with AirAsia
The first stop was KL, for two reasons. This time I took a risk in flying AirAsia. Honestly, at that time of year the fares were not super cheap, but it was flexible and allowed me to buy one way tickets, which for some other airlines is almost as expensive as buying a round trip. AA did surprise me though. Although AirAsia X (which is the company which flies from KL to Australia) has quite small seats, for the “average Asian” this is acceptable. The plane smelled new! The food was ok. Speaking of flexibility, it also allows you to pay for what you need in terms of luggage. On the way there, I selected a smaller allowance (15kgs) while on the way back, the largest one (30kgs). So I guess with any budget airlines, planning is key and be aware of any extra costs. Besides airfares, you also need to pay extra for food (although there’s nothing wrong with bringing your own!), luggage allowance and your seat. For a long-haul flight, it would be good to book your own seat. Otherwise, once the plane takes off you can also move around if there’re any empty ones.
Yes, I finally have some time to write a post, the free internet access here is quite fast, but I’m sitting in the hotel room in my pjs with a running nose and a sore throat, not a great combination. I first started feeling the sore throat on the way from Taipei to Tokyo. At the time I thought it was because the night before I had eaten a lot of “healthy foods” at Shilin night markets, but now it seems it was something more serious!
I did have my swine flu vaccination before I went, so I’m not too concerned there! But I am concerned that I might get stuck in quarantine once I leave Japan!!! So I might stay indoors today (it’s raining outside anyway and bloody cold) and hopefully feel better for the next few days. The trip so far has been great, I am really surprised at how much I like Taipei – definitely somewhere I would visit again. I’ll try to write a post on the cities I’ve been, and of course a separate post on the concert I went to last week in Taipei Arena!!!
