At Heathrow

Well the first part of the trip went to plan. The car arrived about five minutes before time, of course we were ready 30 minutes before that!

I'd certainly recommend JC Executive Cars to anyone looking for Airport Transport, a small three car firm the personal contact, regular checks that the trip information is correct and the e-mail contact a day before leaving, were all over and above my expectations.

So we are safely at Heathrow we arrived at 6.50. Checking the bags in went well, I checked in for the flight yesterday over the web, so it was just weighing and handing over the bags. For those interested in such things my bag was 18K and Drew's 23.7K (the limit is 23 each, so between us we were below that).

My bag fitted into the new smaller hand luggage regulations, we had someone in front of us ranting because his bag was to large, by about five inches, after ranting and shouting at the staff he finally conceded and he had to take out the key items he needed and put them in a plastic bag and then check his hand-luggage into the hold. Efficiently BAA offer a facility to do this at the security desk, so at least he didn't need to go back out to the end of the queue.

The new regs about taking belts and shoes off before passing through the metal detector caused the process to be a little longer than it used to be, but mainly because people were having to be told to do it. When people had already taken their shoes off the system worked quite quickly. So 25 minutes after handing our bags over, here we are in the Holideck Lounge, me drinking orange juice and blogging, Drew starting on the free wine. (Well it is 2.30 p.m. in the afternoon in Mumbai, so he is obviously acclimatising himself already.)

The flight takes of at 11.05 so boarding starts at 10.35, plenty of time to make full use of these facilities. I love the quietness of a lounge in a busy airport, it is really relaxing. Time to join Drew in a glass of wine I think.

So we are off

I don't know when I'll next have access to the web, but here we are 15 minutes before the car arrives, ready for the off. As the song goes "Our bags are packed and we are ready to go..."

Here's to a wonderful three weeks.

Less than 24 hours before we leave

Having left the Uni at 4.30 I guess the holiday has started, though marking the four resits from the Business of E-commerce course I taught back last October/November means I have a little more to do before being completely finished for the hols.

24 hours from now and we will be getting into the Car taking us to Heathrow.

For those who have only just found the blog (I know some of my work colleagues have only just got here) it is worth reading this post if you want to know where we will be and when. The post has plenty of links with further info on the holiday.

Twenty Nine Hours to go

I guess the fact I am blogging such a title indicates how ready, indeed excited I am by the holiday. I do love this feeling of waiting, the expectation is almost as good as the holiday itself. Note I said almost.

I note from a quick visit to Google Earth that the weather in Mumbai, our first destination is "Chance of T-storms 50% chance of precipitation " but when you are on holiday the weather seldom matters.

The Ship is on its way

The Bridge Cam is one of the great features on the Princess website being able to see where the ship is, especially these last few days is a great feature.

This current image as the sun goes down over the Bay of Bengal is where we are likely to be in about 8 days time :-)

To keep up with the ship before and during the trip access it at the Ship's Website.

Viewing the route

For those who prefer visual images to words, here is an outline of the trip.

The image is the original from the Princess Website so doesn't reflect the change of Mangalore for Colombo

Yep for those counting it is only four days to go - yipee

Airlines

My brother-in-law always claims that there are more plane crashes just before he goes on holiday - I'd always thought he was joking.

But BA now seems to be in the news a bit often - today it is a fire in an oven on board a plane. Last week it was the 10,000 bags lost story and of course before that there was the chaos after the terrorism threat.

Of course we now have to face the new smaller hand luggage regulations luckily the bag my parents bought me some years ago almost fits (it may be a cm out in one dimension but well in on the other 2) so as long as it is not to fully packed it will be fine. There is a fun article in the BBC Magazine suggesting approaches to getting everything in the bag.

On Thursday we are flying from London to Mumbai as part of the holiday package arranged by Princess, but as a fan of Cardiff Airport, if this flight had not been part of the package I would probably have flown from Cardiff via Amsterdam to Mumbai. Of course that route would have been no better, with a flight having been turned back to Amsterdam on that route.

Five days to go

Yes its Saturday, but as I need to clear my desk before the bread I've spent most of the morning completing work.

I took a break to watch the qualifying for the Turkish Grand Prix.

Then this afternoon managed to get a couple of hours siesta and guess what I dreamed of, yes being at sea, though in the dream it was a small rowing boat, not quite the thing for the Indian Ocean. Clearly the holiday is breaking into my sub-conscious now!!

Did some more work this afternoon and then went to Mass. I'm not sure yet how I'm going to manage to get to Mass next week. I guess someone on the Ship will have an idea?

Update on the Trip Details

Back in April I gave the overview of the trip as it had been planned.

Now seems a good time to provide an update of the plan with more details.

The major change is that due to the activities of the Tamil Tigers we are no longer going to be visiting Sri Lanka. The fighting flared up in May and has continued right up to this month. There appears to be no sign of it coming to an end. Indeed the South African cricketers cancelled their tour due to the increased violence.

The cruise company notified us a month ago that the cruise would now not go to Sri Lanka, but would have an additional stop in India. This means we have a period of three days at sea, rather than the maximum two days in the original plan.

Thursday 31st August

4.30 Leave home for our journey to Heathrow traveling with JC Executive Cars

We've used Lounge Pass to access the Holideck Lounge for our wait.

11.05 a.m. BA139 from Heathrow leaving from Terminal 4 we then arrive at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Terminal 2 (also known as Sahar Airport) (Mumbai) at 12.15 a.m. on the 1st September (local time = 7.45 p.m. on the 31st UK Time - An 8 hour 40 minute flight.)

We are then transferred to the Park Plaza Royal Palms Hotel for the night.

Friday 1st September

Morning around Bombay for sightseeing.

Afternoon embark on the Pacific Princess for departure at 6.00 p.m. (UK - 1.30 p.m.)

Saturday 2nd September

10.00 a.m. (UK - 5.30 a.m.) Arrive at Mormugao in the Indian state of Goa.

Day in Mormugao - we have booked ourselves on the Spice Plantation and Old Goa Tour

Depart 5.00 p.m. (UK - 12.30 p.m.)

Sunday 3rd September

7.00 a.m. (UK - 2.30 a.m.) Arrive at Mangalore in the Indian State of Karnataka.

Morning in Mangalore - Today we are going on the Mangalore City Tour

Depart 1.00 p.m. (8.30 a.m.)

Monday 4th, Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th of September

Traveling south from Mangalore then around the southern tip of India and then across the Bay of Bengal to the Thai resort of Phuket

Thursday 7th of September

1.00 p.m. (UK - 7.00 a.m.) Arrive Phuket

Afternoon in Phuket in Thailand - Visit Khao Phra Taew National Park

Depart Phuket at 6.00 p.m. (UK - Midday)

Friday 8th September

8.00 a.m. (UK - 1.00 a.m.) Arrive Penang in Malaysia

Day in Penang - See the highlights of Penang by Trishaw

Depart Penang at 6.00 p.m. (UK - 11.00 a.m.)

Saturday 9th September

8.00 a.m. (UK 1.00 a.m.) Arrive Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia

Day in Kuala Lumpur - A heritage walking tour of Kuala Lumpur

Depart Kuala Lumpur at 6.00 p.m. (UK 11.00 a.m.)

Sunday 10th September

8.00 a.m. (UK 1.00 a.m.) Arrive in Singapore

Day in Singapore - Tour of Chinatown and visit to Raffles Hotel including a chance to try a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar where is was invented

Depart Singapore at 6.00 p.m. (UK 11.00 a.m.)

Monday 11th September

Travel across the Gulf of Thailand to Vietnam

Tuesday 12th September

7.00 a.m. (UK 1.00 a.m.) Arrive at Phu My the Port for Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam

Travel to Ho Chi Minh City for Day of Sightseeing in what was Saigon

The two hour drive from Phu My to Ho Chi Minh City follows the Saigon River
passing through a landscape of small villages, rice paddies, and oil and rubber
trees. Your drive through Ho Chi Minh City passes the Rex Hotel, Reunification
Hall, the Botanical and Zoological Gardens, Notre Dame Cathedral, the French
Colonial Post Office, and Ho Chi Minh Park. The drive to the Sea Goddess Temple
travels through Chinatown and the vast Binh Tay Market.

A visit to the National History Museum and the Sea Goddess Temple. Lunch is a buffet with Vietnamese and Western dishes being served in a hotel in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy a drink along with views of the City Hall and central area of Ho Chi Minh City from the rooftop terrace of the historic Rex Hotel; the site of the U.S. military's weekly updates on progress in the war in Vietnam also known as the infamous "Friday Night Follies." Visit the Reunification Hall - The former Presidential Palace is now a museum and exhibition center.

We fly to Seim Reap in Cambodia for dinner and an overnight stay

Wednesday 13th September

Early Breakfast in Seim Reap before we travel to the world famous shrine of Angkor Wat

Temple Complex - The tour takes in what is known as the small circuit,
visiting a number of major and minor temples. These include the South Gate at
Angkor Thom, a self-contained, 10-square-mile city built by Jayavarman VII. At
the heart of Angkor Thom stands the Bayon temple with its 54 towers carved with
images of Avalokitesharva. You also see The Terrace of the Leper King, The
Terrace of the 12 Elephants, the Baphoun, and the Royal Palace.

We lunch in the Angkor Cafe Restaurant and return to Seim Reap for the evening and overnight.

Thursday 14th September

Leave Seim Reap to fly to the capital of Cambodia -Phnom Penh

A tour of Phnom Penh and lunch in a local restaurant

Drive from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville

Depart Sihanoukville at 5.00 p.m. (UK 12.00 Midday)

NB - The ship and the passengers who did not opt for this excursion will have traveled by sea to Sihanoukville while we had been traveling through Vietnam and Cambodia.

Friday 15th September

Travel up the Gulf of Thailand to Bangkok

Saturday 16th September

7.00 a.m. (UK 1.00 a.m.) Disembark at Bangkok in Thailand

Transfer to the Shangri-La Hotel Bangkok for the remainder of our stay

Day in Bangkok

Sunday 17th September

Day in Bangkok

Monday 18th September

Day in Bangkok

Leave Shangri-La Hotel at 9.00 p.m. (UK 3.00 p.m.) for transfer to Bangkok International Airport

Again we used Lounge Pass to book the Louis' Tavern CIP Golden Lounge so we can wait for the plane in some comfort.

Tuesday 19th September

12.20 a.m. (UK 6.00 p.m.) BA10 Bangkok International Airport from Terminal 2 arriving at Heathrow - Terminal 4 at 6.25 a.m. (A 12 hour 25 minute flight).

Travel home from Heathrow with JC Executive Cars

One week to go

Wow,

time is rushing past. Yes this time next week, British Airways willing, we will have landed in Mumbai. While that will be after midnight there I'm sure it will still give Drew a taste for the hussle and bustle of Indian life that I remember from my last visit to the city back in 1990.

I checked earlier to see where the ship (is it ship or is it boat, I'm not sure!!) is. The bridge camera shows it is currently in port in Port Kelang, the Malaysian port near Kuala Lumpur, see the location on Google Maps, on its way towards our meeting with it next Friday.

The packing lists are all written, the tickets are all ready, all we have to do now is count down for the next 6 days. Keeping focused on work rather than day-dreaming about the holiday. Luckily there is enough to be done to keep my mind on it, but the temptation to check where the boat/ship is remains.

Mapping our photos

For the last couple of weeks Drew and I have been discussing how to provide mapping information with our photos for our holiday. With a lot of travel on the holiday it would seem useful to show where we are.

So it was nice to find that someone has already created such a tool to work with Flickr. I'm sure we will be using it.

Thanks to Ewan who made me aware of this through a discussion on its use in a learning and teaching context.

Even the best of Holidays may have downsides!

Well today was jab day.

So what do I need. This useful Fit for Travel site indicates what you need for each country:

India: tetanus; poliomyelitis;hepatitis A; typhoid
Thailand: tetanus; poliomyelitis; hepatitis A; typhoid
Malaysia: tetanus; hepatitis A; typhoid
Singapore: None normally recommended
Vietnam: tetanus; hepatitis A; typhoid
Cambodia: hepatitis A, typhoid; tetanus.

So with my Hep A still up-to-date from a jab in 1998, today meant the joint Typhoid Polio jab in my left arm and the tetanus one in my right arm. Drew's going for the same on Monday.

Then there is our old friend Malaria. The WHO have some good resources on Malaria. Having taken all three of the types of Malaria drugs in the past it was interesting to see what was relevant for this visit. Again I turned to Fit for Travel for this information.

India: See the map, tends to need Chloroquine together with Proguanil
Thailand: As the map shows the main tourist areas including Bangkok are less prone to Malaria than other parts of the country
Malaysia: Like Thailand the areas we are visiting is relatively low risk - see map
Singapore: Malaria is not normally present in Singapore
Vietnam: The map indicates that Ho Chi Min city is low in effect, but we are now staying overnight in Vietnam, so may be at risk. The recommendation outside of the cities is Mefloquine (sometimes known as Larium) or Doxycycline or Malarone
Cambodia: Is more of a risk (see map), indeed Ankor Wat is mentioned specifically as a highly malarial area, but even the coastal areas are potentially a problem. Doxycycline is usually recommended for western provinces. Malarone is an alternative to Doxycycline

Another site called Preventing Malaria offers a detailed travel report which offers the same conclusion. So for complete cover it is going to be Doxycycline or Malarone. Now given the difference between the 51 tablets (starting 7 days in advance and remembering to take them on return) for Doxycycline and the 30 for Malarone (only needing 2 days before and 7 afterwards).

The fact that Doxycycline has known side-effects which make it unsuitable for some people and that Malarone has less side-effects (apart from people with weak Kidneys) made both the Doctor's recommendation and my choice much easier. The fact that the 30 tablets come to £100 (so £200) raises the cost of the holiday - but what do we work for if not paying for our holidays :-)

We are not the only ones on Hols in September

Well Drew and I won't be the only ones away in September. My sister (Janet), her husband (Martin) and Mother-in-Law are going to be away at the same time. I think this is to celebrate Martin's Mothers birthday and coincides with Martin's Birthday.

They clearly like living it up as they are staying at this lovely old Cotswold Inn. Like me preparing for the Cruise by looking at the website they are also preparing, by looking at the sample Menu - yum

Its getting closer

Last Friday was quite an exciting day. The tickets arrived for the flight and the cruise. So all the planning (it was last September when we first booked this holiday!!) has come to fruition.

I've been spending a lot of spare time recently checking out the Princess Cruises website not only does it tell you all about the cruise ships, but you can look in detail at individual cruises. It's like starting the holiday before you get there.

So by selecting the Ships link you can see all you need to know about the Pacific Princess which we will be traveling on. From there you can look at details of the rooms, ours is an 'Owner's Suite With Balcony' the deck plans (our room is 7005 on Deck 7) as well as information on all the other things we can expect on the Cruise.

My favorite feature though is the Bridge Cam which allows you to see where the boat is at any moment in time, as I write this it is at sea on route to Hong Kong, and given the time difference it is quite dark. So anyone who follows this blog for our travels can see where we are by looking there.

So though I still have some reservations as this is my first cruise, the more I read about it, the more ready I am to believe we are going to have a wonderful time.