2019 Travel Plans

[RooFlyer]

Will you be doing a tour in the Stans? @RooFlyer If so, could you possibly share, this region is on my bucket list too.

Yes, this one from Exodus - The Five Stans of the Silk Road . I like it because unlike many tours of the Stans, there is no domestic flight in the middle. Although the airlines of the region are improving, that's still a bit far for me.

I did Iran with Exodus last year, and it was good; JohnM has done lots of tours with them and is also happy with them. they are an English company, so much of their web info are for Britons, but they have an office in Melbourne.

There will be TR next year

 

[RooFlyer]

The problem of booking early.Our next trip has been thrown into disarray.The major part was B2B cruises Honolulu to Easter Island.They were cancelled today 8 weeks out from the start date and ~ 6 weeks until we were leaving home.
So back to 2018 planning.

Hey, perfect timing. Why don't you and mrs.dr.ron come to Siberia with me in 8 weeks? Nothing like the autumn colours by the lake while observing a Lake Baikal seal. Steam baths, walks through the forests, 6 hour 4WD trips to get there, rustic accommodation, local cooking … what's not to like?

 

[leadman]

Yes, often when travelling its the "don't count your chickens" scenario! Especially on business where so much as ad hoc, you plan for something 20 minutes later its a totally different plan. I'm sitting typing this in Northern Greece and called my father today; he thought i was in the States, but i told him that was last weeks plan!

 

[Bindibuys]

Award flights booked for SYD-NAN-CXI-HNL-NAN-SYD. in J with FJ.
Hubby and friend fishing at Christmas Island for a week before joining me in Hawaii for another 5 days.
2020 planning for Cuba and USA on the drawing board.

 

[nonimcinerney]

Looking at flying to Rome Sept 19 then travel around before flying home from London waiting patiently to be able to book hopefully I will score some cheap business class, the one from Etihad sounds great to me just have to get to Jarkarta

 

[kirstyoz]

2020 planning for Cuba and USA on the drawing board.

Me too! Looking at September into October 2020 flying into LA, doing Vegas, nyc, DC, Orlando, and into Havana from there. Still pretty fluid but we have our half a mil QF points saved already to do the long haul J return!

Also got Tokyo booked for a week December 2018 and weighing up options for 2019 as we need to save for the big trip... my cousin lives in Koh Tao so wouldn’t mind visiting him... on the other hand I do love Hong Kong and haven’t been for a while... tough decisions!

 

[qbc1511]

East Africa in October. A much awaited trip to Serengeti and Masai Mara - 12 night luxury safari with the "and Beyond group". Having done much research, we discovered that for 2019, their off peak rates start Oct 1 (usually this is Nov 1) so chances of seeing the migration of animals is still a very high probability. They also have a promotion on where if you book a minimum of 6 nights - they'll fly you free between the various lodges so we're going to the 4 different lodges they have and flying by private plane between locations is included. We're planning to fly in/out of Nairobi and connections aren't the best but likely go with Etihad as they've always been good on business class. We've realised that the only way to do a safari in Africa is at the top end so we're looking forward this once in a lifetime trip. Any one been to any of the "and Beyond" lodges and any advice/pointers is always appreciated.

 

[qbc1511]

Three weeks in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, AKA the 5 'Stans . Fulfilling a MAJOR bucket list ambition; its over a year away and I'm already poring over maps and guides.

Trying hard to find a suitable tour in Sudan.

Hi there - we're planning a similar trip in April - starting and ending in Almaty. Been a challenge finding flight connections and so far from Sydney - seems flying via Bangkok and on Air Astana seems to be the best bet, Flights are expensive though! What are your flight arrangements?

 

[David F]

Usual solo trip to USA for a month in Feb 2019 to avoid Qld heat . Qantas Dreamliner PE ( not great reviews!) to LAX and then onto San Diego for a week. Back to LA to continue on Qantas metal to NYC for 8 nights and then a week in Baltimore before flying back home. Have been to NYC before but other cities are first timers.

 

[ajd]

Hoping to head to CHC on work's dime for a conference in January, technically not leisure but it's a conference I enjoy sufficiently and it means another excuse to go to NZ, so it basically counts.

In the early stages of figuring out if/when/how I want to finally try out a 280k and make my way to Europe for a few months - thinking of taking some unpaid time off work and putting some extra time into my Masters degree while travelling. If I do go, I'm hoping to catch up with some friends in Eastern Europe, plus I'm obliged to do the usual UK/Ireland/France/Germany I suspect.

 

[lsrgc8]

Oct/Nov 18 - 280K Award departing Syd stopping Tokyo, Los Angeles, Bogota, New York, Madrid.
Mar/Apr 19 - 280K Award (part 1) departing HK stopping in Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Norway.
June 19 - 280K Award (part 2) departing Syd stopping in DFW, Miami, Bogota, LAX before returning home via Melb.

Very happy getting 2 separate holidays on the one ticket, got to thank this forum for that outcome

Not sure we will have the energy to do anything during second half of 2019

Hi, how do you get to separate your trips on one ticket? @nickfromeastryde

 

[Imw]

November 2018 to South Africa - returning 1st January 2019 - arriving 2nd Jan of course, so officially start of our 2019 travel. We have one week Pretoria, one week Joburg (running seminars and training mainly) then fly down to CapeTown 3 December to 1 January. Accommodation all booked. (The Strand Pavilion (timeshare), Club Mykonos Langebaan (time share) and then Krystal Beach hotel at Gordons Bay. Looking forward to relaxation, family catch-ups and great food. My excursions will definitely include the penguins at Boulder Beach. Each time we go to South Africa (three times in 2017) we try to see "something". So far elephants, giraffes, cheetahs and lions have been ticked off the list.

Further into 2019 we have plans for Hawaii, England (family) and add in something in Europe. Maybe a second trip to South Africa and Zambia later in the year.

Pleased to say I retired from "paid work" this year so it makes planning a whole lot easier not relying on being able to get the necessary holidays.

I forgot to say we are booked on Qantas PE with upgrades requested when we booked earlier this year at a great special (Mel - Cpt $5000 return for both of us, in peak season, we were pretty happy with that)

 

[RooFlyer]

Just putting a plug in for the Destination Trip Report Index - see what other AFFers have found and reported on from around the world. And how to get there, what airline, class, plane? Airline Trip Report index.

 

[RooFlyer]

Hi there - we're planning a similar trip in April - starting and ending in Almaty. Been a challenge finding flight connections and so far from Sydney - seems flying via Bangkok and on Air Astana seems to be the best bet, Flights are expensive though! What are your flight arrangements?

The tour starts in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) and ends in Almaty. At the moment I'm hoping to get EK J or F to Dubai on QF points, then FlyDubai to Ashgabat. Air Astana Almaty back to HKG and a QF points flight back from there.

Air Astana looks decent and I've flown FlyDubai once before and it was OK too.

 

[djd]

Booked for economy flight to Cambodia in April on Thai, because QF almost triple and even Air Asia almost double the price!

 

[CMak]

East Africa in October. A much awaited trip to Serengeti and Masai Mara - 12 night luxury safari with the "and Beyond group". Having done much research, we discovered that for 2019, their off peak rates start Oct 1 (usually this is Nov 1) so chances of seeing the migration of animals is still a very high probability. They also have a promotion on where if you book a minimum of 6 nights - they'll fly you free between the various lodges so we're going to the 4 different lodges they have and flying by private plane between locations is included. We're planning to fly in/out of Nairobi and connections aren't the best but likely go with Etihad as they've always been good on business class. We've realised that the only way to do a safari in Africa is at the top end so we're looking forward this once in a lifetime trip. Any one been to any of the "and Beyond" lodges and any advice/pointers is always appreciated.

We did Ngala ( near Kruger) and their tented Chobe camp. We loved their product and had no complaints. Would use them again in a heartbeat.
CMak

 

[JohnM]

I have the proverbial shedload lined up for next year but as I’m still in the midst of my biggie DONE5 for this year, I’ll leave spilling the beans in detail on 2019 until after I get home in early September.

Suffice to say at this stage: Chile, north western Argentina, Uruguay, the 5 Stans that @RooFlyer swiftly opted to join me on when I told him I was going, Hill country in N India, Sri Lanka, probably Mexico, and an adventure-style small-ship cruise to Wrangel Island if anyone who is not aware of why someone would want to go there cares to Google it...

That little lot should add up to about a third of the year.

Memo to @RooFlyer: and what, may I ask, is unsuitable about my trip to Sudan in November this year...? And I thought geologists were tough people who could throw out their swag anywhere.... More illusions shattered...

 

[MR61]

Still enjoying trips planned for 2018! - just returned from live aboard diving with Minke whales; heading off to New Zealand South Island for solo independent camping September; Celebrity Solstice cruise to South Pacific Islands October; then 2019 January week at Separation Creek/Wye River; February J awards booking on SQ to Istanbul, Cairo (for a G Adventures tour of Egypt); Amman (for a G Adventures tour of Jordan); Dubai overnight stay; April drive up to Byron Bay for Bluesfest; November live aboard diving Lizard Island to Raine Island and return; December hope to fly to Buenos Aires for a week or so and then Antarctica cruise - looking at Ponant or Silversea.

 

[esther_a]

I have planned an Qantas award RTW trip in J for August-October '19: MEL-SCL-LIM-UIO-MAD-REK-BCN-KTM-MEL
I've been working up to this for many years! It's our retirement adventure including Machu Picchu hike, Galapagos cruise, Amazon visit, Iceland tour, Viking cruise, and Kathmandu hike. Some LATAM flights/legs will be with BA Avios (purchased via SPG). Fingers crossed that I can get the dates I'm hoping for once the award seats are released! The worst part is MEL-SCL for which there is a direct flight with no award availability so it might be a long trip via SYD and/or AKL.

 

[RooFlyer]

<snip>
Memo to @RooFlyer: and what, may I ask, is unsuitable about my trip to Sudan in November this year...? And I thought geologists were tough people who could throw out their swag anywhere.... More illusions shattered...

Too much roughing it on that trip, I'm afraid, viz the Trip Notes " ... toilets and showers are not readily available (other than on nights 1, 9 and 10) (though there is a water basin available to wash)."

I've done my geo time living for months at a time out of a swag, but now i'm just a soft uni student and need my comforts.