The difference between a guy and a girl when travelling
Short Note: I am flying to Hanoi, Vietnam tomorrow. Travelling is a never ending journey for me.
Guy – Kenny
Kenny sends an email to Nicole, his travelling partner to Vietnam trip.
Hey Nicole,
Hope you're slowly recovering from your Tokyo Drift. :)
Our trip to Hanoi will be more backpacker style and Not So Fast Not So Furious. I've pretty much planned for the trip months ago and here's what we're gonna do.
Thursday, 6th September 2007
3:35pm - Kenny arrives KL from Kuching. Flight AK5207.
4pm - Meet at LCCT Airport.
5pm - Flight AK672 KL to Hanoi (3.5 hours)
7:30pm - Arrive Hanoi Noi Bai Airport. Check out and book 'Airport Taxi' to travel agency in Hanoi town (45mins, USD$10). Travel Agency address: Vietnam Impressive Travel ltd. 19 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh, Ha Noi. Tel: (84-4) 747 8271
If time permits, also book one-night boat tour to Halong Bay.
8:45pm - Pick up train tickets from Travel Agency (USD$44 per person, booked). Depart for Hanoi Train station a short distance away.
9:15pm - Take train from Hanoi Train Station to Lao Cai Train Station (9 hours). Overnight in train.
Friday, 7th September 2007
6am - Arrive Lao Cai Train Station. Change into hiking outfit and store luggage at train station. (If no luggage storage facilities available, we will book a cheap hotel in Sapa). Take shuttle bus to Sapa town (25,000 dong per person, 1 hour)
8am - Arrive Sapa town. Go to Sapa Tourism Information Centre.
Pre-book bus back to Sapa at 6:30pm.
Visit Sapa Market.
Either arrange for guides or self-hike to Cat Cat Village (3km south, 1.5 hour) and surrounding areas (5,000 dong admission fee)
Walk to Cat Cat Waterfall, then to Sin Chai Village. Take motorcycle back to Sapa (USD$1 per person)
If return to Sapa before 2pm, hire a 4WD to Tram Ton Pass for breathtaking mountain views and waterfall. Otherwise, hike up to Radio Tower lookout within Sapa town.
6:30pm - Return to bus terminal, Sapa town for bus to Lao Cai.
8:15pm - Take train from Lao Cai Train Station to Hanoi Train Station (9 hours). Overnight in train.
Saturday, 8th September 2007
5:30am - Arrive Hanoi Train Station. Free time until 8:30am. (If haven't yet done so, book Halong Bay tour from nearby travel agency or hostel, expect to pay USD$40 - USD$55 per person)
8:30am - Wait for bus to pick up from stated location in Hanoi to transfer to Halong town (3.5 hours)
12noon - Arrive Halong town, go on boat tour around Halong bay.
Swim and kayak around the area.
Overnight on boat.
Sunday, 9th September 2007
6:30am - Follow boat tour programme.
12noon - Depart Halong town for Hanoi
4pm - Arrive Hanoi. Check into guesthouse (yet to book. About USD$6.50 per person. I'm thinking this.)
6pm - Dinner at Bobby Chinn's restaurant. Explore surrounding areas.
Monday, 10th September 2007
8am - Explore Hanoi's sights and sounds, according to Lonely Planet guidebook.
Visit Ho Chi Minh's Masoleum
One Pillar Pagoda
Temple of Literature
Dong Xuan Market
Vietnamese massage
6pm - Depart Hanoi town for airport
8pm - Depart Hanoi for KL. Flight AK672 (3.5 hours)
Tuesday, 11th September 2007
12:30am - Arrive KL. Nicole to return home, Kenny to stay overnight in KL.
7:40pm - Kenny's flight from KL to Kuching. AK5214.
Note:
- Hanoi is one hour ahead of Malaysia (meaning when its 8pm in KL, it is 7pm in Hanoi)
- We might be having trouble finding a power socket to charge our gadgets. Get a spare battery for your phone and make sure its fully charged because we might not be able to find a power socket until Day 4.
Packing List:
- We'll be hiking on the 2nd day so make sure you got good shoes, windbreaker, warm but light clothing (Sapa is the coldest town in Vietnam). What you wore to Taman Negara should be fine.
- We'll be doing some swimming and kayaking on the 3rd day so make sure you have some swim wear with you.
- Bring your own towel. We won't be getting any 5-star treatments anytime in Hanoi.
- Vietnam uses Type C European round style sockets (refer to: http://users.pandora.be/worldstandards/electricity.htm#plugs_c). Bring a converter.
- Vietnam uses a mix of US dollars and Vietnamese dongs. Bring a mixture of both. About RM1,000 equivalent should be fine.
I think that's about it! Hope we'll have some great fun ahead! :D See ya this Thursday, babe.
Kenny
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Girl – Nicole aka me
Nicole’s initial travel plan in mind:
Day 1
5pm: Fly to Hanoi
Free and Easy
Day 2
Free and Easy
Day 3
Free and Easy
Day 4
Free and Easy
Fly back to Malaysia
Packing list
RM500 and enough undies to survive for four days.
38 kissed Nicole
Woah woah woah! Kenny is so thorough. Never seen a travel iterinary such as this before. Woah... Now everybody knows how convenient it is travelling with blogger Kenny :) Have fun!
ReplyDeleteOi! :P
ReplyDeleteNo wonder you get ripped off by taxi drivers when you travel.
*swt* really really simple nicole's plan if compared to kenny's. hahahahah.. blek.
ReplyDeleteKenny = tour package style.
ReplyDeleteNicole = backpacker style.
I prefer your style, Nicole. Kenny, it's nice to prepare ahead, but so rigid @_@
Almost like bootcamp wei. Ahahaha. Enjoy your trip!
are you sure kenny is your travelling partner.
ReplyDeletehe is more like your travelling guide...kakaka!!!
btw,kenny are you gay??
kenny forgot to put toilet breaks into the itinerary. how careless of him :P
ReplyDeletesong for nicolekiss: turning vietnamese i think she's turning vietnamese i really think so :)
ReplyDeletesong for kenny: que sara sara, whatever will be, will be, the future's not ours to see, so don't plan so carefully! :P
actually, wen u really think about it, a trip is fun if it's half-planned. if it's too planned, it can get be a bit stifling, having to follow such a rigid schedule/activity. Mix it up a bit la, so that you'll enjoy a detailed, yet flexible holiday :)
ironic, bcos this advice comes from a dude with practically NO travelling experience... :P
this post made me laugh , walauuu kenny so precise meh, nicole so laid back heheh
ReplyDeletebut i like it when someone plan eveything for me. HAHA
ReplyDeleteLazy people like me is like that one lah~
Well, when you're trying to cover 3 towns in 4 days, it's always wise to plan ahead. But most of the time we are indeed free and easy lah. The most important thing here are bus/train schedules 'cos those things don't wait for ya.
ReplyDeletejiejie nic
ReplyDeletemy uncle stays in hanoi :) was told that the local food there are nice :)
take lots of photos ok ? and remember to see the famous water puppet :)
Kenny is a good example of a logical thinking, male chauvinist. He does lotsa number crunching and plans the most logical and effective solutions everyday. Little did he know that
ReplyDeletemost women regard planning ahead is unromantic. "A dull possessive geek" is what women might call this type of man.
Nicole, on the other hand, is the perfect image of a happy-go-lucky, ever mood swinging female. She can change her decisions in a matter of split-seconds depending on her mood. She believes in fate and destiny, and if ever she misses a train or a bus, only then she will blame others. Men usually refer such being as PMS b-i-a-t-c-h.
Logical vs Love
Effective vs Exotic
Define vs Destiny
Rationale vs Romantic
Classic!
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ReplyDeleteIt's not so much about female or male style of travelling. More about being a tourist or a traveller. I'm totally on Kenny's side. Most trips require at least a little planning to get the most out of it. Kenny's pretty organised so you're lucky to have a 'guide' travelling with you.
ReplyDeleteHope the both of you will enjoy the trip, despite the conflicting sytle of travelling...
i*m a guy and i*m with nicole, so it*s not really guy vs girl but tourist vs traveller.
ReplyDeletei*m a guy and i*m with nicole, so it*s not really guy vs girl but tourist vs traveller.
ReplyDeleteI'm still stuck on the "Free and Easy" statement. LOL! Sending out wrong signals la.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, have a safe trip.
LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, if I were to plan a trip, I'll probably take Kenny's path instead of your KISS approach. Only thing is I'll probably do it last minute instead of months ahead. :P
Still, this is a funny post. LOL!
Hey hey, actually you are right. Free and Easy!! Haha... I love that!!
ReplyDeletewell....then i dun a problem with your schedule clashing with his. hahahahaha..........
ReplyDeletehave good fun in vietnam!
correction: "well...then i dun SEE a problem........"
ReplyDeleteWow! I wished i had a guide like Kenny when I travel. Only then I can let my brain rest and just follow suit.
ReplyDeleteI missed Hanoi. The people there are very friendly. I would give water puppet show a miss though. A shop to visit in Hanoi - Ipanema. They sell pretty bags and accessories!
Have fun!
Wow! I wished i had a guide like Kenny when I travel. Only then I can let my brain rest and just follow suit.
ReplyDeleteI missed Hanoi. The people there are very friendly. I would give water puppet show a miss though. A shop to visit in Hanoi - Ipanema. They sell pretty bags and accessories!
Have fun!
hi nicole...so totally agree with ya what girls would do and what i would do.gosh...sounds so packed. good luck with your hectic journey, totally so furious.
ReplyDeleteNo wonder people always say ladies' brain are simple!
ReplyDeleteno no, ladie's brain are complicated!
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole,
ReplyDeleteJust some tips... the taxi driver might bring u all to another "hotel" by giving the reason that it is fully booked.
Just be aware..
two more thing... the train... make sure there is air cond... else ......... enter a plain white T-shirt... exit a charcoal alike ;) hahahah
ReplyDeleteAt Ho Chi Minh's Massoleum, you can actually bypass all the local queue... :)
I foresee a clash of travel iternary coming ur way haha
ReplyDeleteif hanoi is one hour ahead of kl isn't it the other way round? 7pm kl means 8pm hanoi?
ReplyDeletekenny= well-organized,
ReplyDeletenicole= goes with the 'feel'
kenny + nicole= a well-organized feel
*so jealous of kenny*... i wanna go too >.<
have an exciting trip and have a safe traveling ;)
haven't seen u for ages... take care + *hugs*
r u wit kenny?
ReplyDeleteI prefer to see kenny with nicole rather than with his gf. I dunno why, I like nicole better. she's real, natural and easy going.. kenny's gf? well, I think she's fake, in many things. hmm.. it's just me thinking, though. no offense here.
ReplyDeletegood luck kenny...
ReplyDeleteif u noe wat i mean...
FREE AND EASY!!! lolz
ReplyDeletehmm...kenny's prep work is a must for any rough-n-tumble journeys we are going to partake - definitely not a male chaivinist possesive freak as quoted above. it is a rough-but-definite guide of where to hit during the hazy speedy time ahead during the cramped-up 4 days. you definitely cannot afford to take any chances and waste those precious 4 days unless you can afford to while away your precious time and money.
ReplyDeleteand..kenny & nicole an item? hmm...dont think so - not yet anyway. but hey...guys, give nic a break (banish those misgiving snideful thoughts) for what she is (young spriteful spirit that cannot be possessed), i'm sure they are best of travel buddies and he is definitely not gay, and nic got herself a good trusty friend, who comes in handy too. but kenny is sure one lucky-jerk-i-would-want-to-kick-his-butt-for-once to have such a beautiful travel companion.
"i rued myself to oblivion"
Nicole, you're so right. I've similar experience with my guy friends. They're so rigid and stick-to-schedule, while for me I'll just like to be spontaneous and go with the flow..
ReplyDeleteI thought guys are the "free and easy" species, and girls should be the one doing that ... what you call... iterinary? Looks more like a diary to me. Anyway, I think the both of you make the perfect travelling partner coz one is too rigid n ur so free n easy. Lolx!
ReplyDelete