45

I think you're doing too much too fast. I'd personally eliminate the Vietnam part of the trip, and add the time to the Philippines and Sumatra. Aside from the cold you'll experience in Northern Vietnam, you're investing a lot of time and trouble (and money) getting to Donsol for basically one day. And if you're going to make the effort to get to Bukit Lawang, you would get excellent value and a great experience overlanding to Lake Toba via Brastagi.
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Lake Toba would be a great place to reflect on all you'll have seen, but your current really ambitious, really rushed itinerary would make everything you'd see a few brief snapshots lost in a blur of planes boats, and buses. Adding another day at El Nido, Donsol, etc, would let you breathe and enjoy.

Alternatively, I'd be tempted to just drop Sumatra from your itinerary, keep Vietnam, and put the Sumatra time into the Philippines.

46

Thanks Karlo.

We are not going to donsol because its too much time and whalesharks are not 100% percent guaranteed.
So now we have more time in el nido and bukit lawang as you said.

What do u think about this trip ? we found a very cheap flights by cebu airlines that allow us to coonnect fast between jakarta to PPS and PPS to HCMC. So we dont need to sleep at airport first night, and we dont need to be at manila one night. if we sufered a delay i think we are ok cause we would only lose 1 day at el nido(we have 4) or HCMC (we have 2).

Morning Afternoon Night Airline
17-12-2012 : flight -> flight -> flight to PPS : jkt to pps by cebu
18-12-2012 : bus to El Nido -> el nido -> el nido :
19-12-2012 : el nido -> el nido -> el nido :
20-12-2012 : el nido -> el nido -> el nido :
21-12-2012 : el nido -> el nido -> el nido :
22-12-2012 : bus to pps -> flight manila -> flight ho chi min : pps to HCMC by cebu
23-12-2012 : ho chi min -> ho chi min -> ho chi min :
24-12-2012 : ho chi min -> ho chi min -> ho chi min :
25-12-2012 : flight to hue -> hue -> hue : Vietnam Airlines
26-12-2012 : bus to hoii an -> hoii an -> hoii an :
27-12-2012 : hoii an -> hoii an -> hoii an :
28-12-2012 : flight to hanoi -> hanoi -> hanoi : Vietnam Airlines
29-12-2012 : hanoi -> hanoi -> hanoi :
30-12-2012 : bus to halong bay -> halong bay -> halong bay :
31-12-2012 : halong bay -> bus to hanoi -> flight to Singapur :
01-01-2013 : singapur( 1 hr tour) -> flight medan -> bus bukit : airasia
02-01-2013 : bukit -> bukit -> bukit :
03-01-2013 : bukit -> bukit -> bukit :
04-01-2013 : bus to medan -> flight to KL -> KL :
05-01-2013 : KL (petronas tower) -> flight to bali -> bus to ubud : airasia
06-01-2013 : ubud -> ubud -> ubud :
07-01-2013 : ubud -> ubud -> ubud :
08-01-2013 : ubud -> ubud -> ubud :
09-01-2013 : fast boat to gilies -> gilies -> gilies :
10-01-2013 : gilies -> gilies -> gilies :
11-01-2013 : gilies -> gilies -> gilies :
12-01-2013 : fast boat -> fast boat -> flight to yogya : airasia
13-01-2013 : yogya -> yogya -> yogya :
14-01-2013 : yogya -> yogya -> yogya :
15-01-2013 : flight to jakarta -> Airport -> Flight to Chile : airasia

• How is Cebu airline?
• its singapur a good place to be at new year eve.?.
• should we book fats boat from ubud to gilies in advance or its easy to book at ubud 3 days before de trip?

Like always thanks for your time!. :)

47

I assume you researched enough to relaized that that daytime temperature in Hanoi will be 19-20C and night time 14-15C. That is quite cold especially when you add the winds it is quite uncomfortable.
It looks like you will be traveling 7 full days in a period of 30 to cover all you want to do. Very ambitious.In my opinion it would be far more pleasant without Hanooi in the same time or even 1 day less.
Best of luck and enjoy whatever you decide.

48

Still looks like a lot, but it's much more doable. Singapore isn't exactly Party Central, but I'm sure you could find a good time there on New Year's Eve.
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Going from Denpasar's airport to Ubud, rather than bus, you'll want to go to the taxi desk at the front of the terminal, and hire a car and driver for the trip.I don't know about booking that fast boat, but Ubud has become such a tourist show that there will definitely be operators there willing and able to get you to the equally heavily-touristed Gilis.
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I personally found the area around Hanoi far more interesting and approachable than HCM City. There are lots of good day trips from Hanoi, Hoalu among them. You might trade a day in HCM for another day around Hanoi. Another good reason to add a day in the North is the potential for bad conditions at Halong Bay. It's no thrill being there with rain and low overcast, or worse yet, dense fog. If you can be flexible, you could avoid a bad day at Halong and wait for a better one. We were there for two days in March, and had a clear afternoon when we could appreciate the limestone formations, followed by a morning where we could barely see the front of the boat from the captain's cabin.

49

Thanks ashley and Karlo.

• im from chile so here the temeprature its between 16 and 22 the most time of the year (sometimes - 5 during nights) so im ok with 18C. And i think if im not on a beach its better 18c than 30c with rain.
• Thanks for info about ubud taxi and gilies. i think i will book at ubud when ill be there.
• i will book from pps to ho chi min, and i think i will check if its good idea to book vietnam airlines 1-2 days before. if its good idea i will do it during the trip, so i have the flexibility to stay more time in hanoi, if im ok with 1 day at HCMC.
• Singapur is just the place we will be at new years eve, may be we could try to exchange it with KL(05-01-2012).

Its KL best place for new year eve than Singapur?.

Jaime.

50

I would make and educated guess Singapore is better for New Years Eve. I was referencing 65F and the win which often can feel like 56-60 but that might be similar to the area of Chile you are familar with.It just can be a bitting wind. That's what I experienced bit I am from NYC.

51

Sleeping at the airport can be as real downer based on the seating arranh=gements. You want to have fun so good decision. Now that you are not going to donsol you might spend a fourth day in Bali. First and second time travelers iften say and I aggree that 4-5 days is not too much. After Christmas you can find a nice hotel for $50-$65/nighh vs. a hostel through Agoda.com if you make reservations 45-60 days in advanvce.Before Christmas the same place can be $100USD/night. With a guide, I can give you the one we used last year and the one we ae using the same one this year in Dec., Putu, at $65USD for 10-11 hrs. and take the long trip to magnificant West Bali to the most unusual Papuan rice fields that are different than others I have ever see, It is a 8AM-5PM trip but worth it if the weather is decent. or better.Food can be had for $10-$12/person a day and eat pretty well at local resturants.

52

That would be "Pupuan rice fields" rather than "Papuan", ashley. We don't want to divert our Chilean amigo off to New Guinea for a day!

53

Right!

54

• Finally we decide to take a direct flight from PPS-Manila to hanoi.. was cheaper to later connect from HCMC to KL/SIN than hanoi to KL/SIN.
• Also we are going to spend 3 full days in hanoi(with halong bay) and 1 full day at HCMC.
• We are going to be at singapur for new year's eve.
• And we are going to spend 3 days at ubud.. cause we dont have more days.. but day trip to terraces sounds nice, so we will try to do it..

But we have one problem.. i couldnt finde a direct flight from medan to bali..

We need to get from bukit lawang to Bali in 1 day..
And it seems a bit dificult to connect the flights..

For example:
AK 1355
1755 (MES)
1955 (KUL)

QZ 8396
2040 (KUL)
2345 (DPS)

But i think 45 min its not to much time to connect the flight..

The other option its arrive to Medan before 11:35AM its that posible?

QZ 8054
1135 (MES)
1335 (KUL)

AK 1364
1625 (KUL)
1920 (DPS)

i have read that buses from bukit lawang start at 5:30 pm and the trip inside a van takes 3 hours, so if all gois right we could be at medan for 08:30 but im not sure if its to risky.. what do u think ?.

Jaime.

pd: thanks for the info ashley, once i have finished buying all the tickets i will read the post again looking for info about good places to stay and good guides..

55

There is one guide we like though he is not as excellent as Wiedy, who is one of the best, in Bali I can give his email. We used him only once and are using Putu this Dec. 7 and Dec. 22. He is 550,000Rp. for a 10 hour day with van and petrol. He is only 50,000Rp. more than the run-of-the-mill we researched of the better guides with excellent English.You will need that almost 8.5+ for the Pupuan rice trip. He said something about raising his rates slighly in 2013.
Wiedy because of his training and demand I think is now getting 650-675,000Rp. for 10-11 hours with van and petrol included as well. He is much more flixible and picks you up at the airport if you use him for 2 or more days at no charge. He also returned us to the airport unless we were to stay way out. As I indicated you must insist he is your guide not one of his staff. Just tell him Stan recommended you and that should do it for Java.

56

ashley, is your Putu a middle-aged semi-plump guy who works out of Ubud and used to work with the Forestry Department in Bali Barat Reserve?

57

No; He is a 6 ft. somewhat althethic looking fellow about 40-44 years old who lived in Ubud in the familiy compound. He has been doing this type of work for 18+work. I have his email somewhere if you need it because we are using him. I will ask his permission as I always ask Wiedy in Java,

58

I'm not looking for a driver, Ashley, but about 17 years ago, I was helping a friend who is a university professor scout Bali and Java for sites where he could use a half million dollars in American National Science Foundation grant money to catalog the fungi of that area, and help local university biology students gain credits and the expertise to carry on the research when his grant was finished. Our Putu had just started being a driver at that point, after his Forestry stint.
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He was a big man, but I'd think he'd be a bit older than 44 at this point. I believe my professor friend used him on subsequent research trips. If it's the same guy, I'd heartily second your recommendation. He was solicitous, very intelligent, and provided excellent company as we bounced around the least exploited backroads of Bali.

59

Thank ashley and Karlo and all the people that have been helping us.
I have all flight tickets, so now i will start looking for hostels and tour guides.