Home Sweet Home

Eight and a half years of travel

It’s happening! 
After nearly 9 years of travel we’re settling down. We’ll be calling Bali, Indonesia our home.

Greetings from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

It’s been 2 years since the last post, and over 7 since we set off on this adventure. Where has the time gone?

2021 – We have a Plan ……

We’ve finally resigned ourselves to the fact that we’re going to be in Australia for a while yet. So much so that we’ve formed a “bold and cunning plan”, something we’ve avoided for a while because, well, things keep changing. 

We’re in Tropical Queensland!

On 14th June, after 10 weeks of social distancing in Victoria, we were finally on the move again. Heading as far north as we could get, leaving behind winter and chasing summer so that we’d never have to experience this again:

The Best Laid Plans …..

Self-isolating in style

That time has come round again – It’s 5 years to the day since we retired, left The Netherlands and got on a one-way flight to Bali to start our lives as “Permanent Tourists”. And here we are – More “Permanent” than “Tourists” 🙂

Down Under in Darwin

We’ve been back in Australia for just over 3 weeks now and are really enjoying the laid back life style of Darwin.

Things are Changing

We didn’t just celebrate our birthdays in May, but also 4 years of retirement and being permanent tourists. Settling down is not yet a consideration: We have no idea where we’d want to live long term plus we still get really excited about planning and moving on. It is definitely time to start considering other destinations besides South-East Asia though.

Time to Catch Up

It’s been quite a while since the last post and this is mainly because we’ve spent the past months mostly returning to places we’ve already visited (Hue and Hoi An in Vietnam, Bali, and Krabi, Thailand).

Lazy Days on the Perhentians

After several hectic days in Kuala Lumpur we were ready to head off to the Perhentian Islands.

What’s Next?

Decision made!

With our travels in Australia over, it’s time to think about what to do and where to go next.

Australasia Travels

Final Weeks Down Under

 

Sad to be leaving Australia and the camper – Excited to be returning to Asia

After returning to the mainland from Tasmania, we’ve spent our last six weeks in Australia slowly heading back to Brisbane.

Tasmania – Part 2

Returning to Hobart from New Zealand

Returning on 23rd December, we drove straight down to Kayena in order to spend Christmas with friends.

Three Weeks around New Zealand

How to do the Haka

After an early start we arrived in Auckland from Hobart via Melbourne. A short distance but we lost another two hours bringing us to GMT+13 – We’re ageing fast!

Tasmania – Part 1

After our return from Fiji we picked up the camper in Brisbane and spent two weeks slowly heading south towards Melbourne where we’d be catching the ferry boat to Tasmania.

Bula from Fiji

Shimmying in Fiji

Yet another marvellous flight. We weren’t looking forward to the early takeoff (08:15) but the 3 hours to Fiji started off well!

Coastal Roads

Whale feeding

We’d decided to spend our last 4 weeks in Queensland returning to Brisbane via coastal roads.

Return Down Under

Not a good idea to watch “The Walking Dead” whilst in the Outback on a deserted campsite!

After 6 months in Asia, the final month spent on Bali staying at the rather swish Maya Hotel , we flew to Brisbane.  For the first time we used Virgin Australia and what a wonderful flight experience that was!  We stayed for two chilly, rainy days, made worse by the fact that we had no weather appropriate clothing with us (we’d left all our cold weather gear in the camper on departing Australia for S/E Asia).

Two Years on

Another double celebration

It’s been a while since the last post, which doesn’t mean we haven’t been enjoying ourselves but more that we haven’t done much worth writing about.  After leaving Thailand, we spent 3 months in Vietnam.  

January in Thailand

Bangkok car fumes beat those of Vientiane

Originally we were only going to stay in Thailand for a week.  However, as our passports are filling up at an alarming rate and we want to postpone getting new ones for as long as possible,  we decided to stay for the full length of the 30 day visa which is issued on arrival.

Return to S/E Asia

A hair cut is in order

Our last day in Queensland was spent driving down to the Sunshine Coast where we bade  a temporary farewell to our home of the last couple of months.  Until we’re reunited (around June 2017), we’re fortunate enough to have private, free parking in a very scenic spot.

Outback Adventures

Outback dining

Leaving Queensland and driving South into New South Wales we very nearly became the dumb tourists who underestimate the vast distances between “towns”. It would have been very embarrassing to run out of diesel in the middle of the Outback!!!

A lot of “Firsts”

Dinner’s up!

We left Redcliffe, Brisbane with no real plan. What we hadn’t realised was that the day we chose to set off coincided with the start of a long weekend, consequently the roads were packed with families heading out to the coast.

Introducing our New Home!

Stocking up for our first trip

After leaving Vietnam mid August and spending a few days in Kuala Lumpur, we eventually arrived back on Bali.

Spending time in Vietnam

Well, it’s been nearly three months since we arrived in Vietnam and the  time has flown past.

And on to Cambodia!

Arrival

After four months in Thailand we headed off to Cambodia with a six day stop-over in Kuala Lumpur.

One year on!

Celebration time!
Not only is it my  birthday (56!!😱), but 8th May also marks one year of being retired and one year since we left Europe.

Islands of SW Thailand – Part 2

The Fearless Critter Killer

Beginning of March and after more than seven weeks on Ko Libong we’re ready to move on. Our stuff is loaded onto a long-boat and we head off to our next destination: Another small island to the South called Ko Sukorn.

Islands of SW Thailand – Part 1

Life on an island

It’s been quite a while since the last post but that’s because we’ve just spent seven  weeks on an idyllic island and really, no matter how much we enjoyed it here, there’s only so much you can write about a small island without repeating yourself, re-using the same adjectives and posting similar pictures – which I’ll probably end up doing anyway😀
So, here goes …..

2016 arrives in Southern Laos

It took us just over one and a half hours to fly South from Luang Prabang to Pakse. Pakse hasn’t changed much, though the hotel we stayed in (Athena Hotel) is much swisher than anything that existed seven years ago.

Christmas in Laos

 

We left Bali on 6th December and flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

One of the things we did during our three days there was check our P.O. Box and, happily there was actually stuff in it – replacement bank cards (stolen when my bag was snatched) – and a few other things we’d been expecting. It works ! 👍

A Purchase was made!

With our visa running out in Bali, we had to leave the country and do a visa run.

This actually came at a very opportune moment because for some time we’ve been considering buying a vehicle in Australia in order to eventually travel around the country.

Change of Plan

Decisions, decisions

Our 60 day visa for Indonesia is about to run out and tomorrow we’re due to fly to Darwin and spend a few days there and in Brisbane. We were going to return to Bali on a 30 day visa before flying to Laos beginning of December. However, the immigration authorities here in Indonesia have thwarted that plan by deciding to change the rules 🙂

Return to Bali

the flight to Bali was uneventful

Flew from Kota Kinabalu, Borneo back to Bali on 8th September.  A mere 2.5 hour flight and we were back on Indonesian soil. We’re intending to stay around 3 months this time.

Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan – Borneo

Joining locals for a drink

From one end of Borneo to the other and we land in the capital of Sabah – Kota Kinabalu. The flight takes nearly 1.5 hrs, showing just how big Borneo is.

A Month in Kuching, Borneo

A typical headhunter scene in Borneo

A mere 1hr, 45 min. flight from Kuala Lumpur and we’re in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak on Borneo (third largest island in the World). Kuching is a rather strange city, very different to anywhere else in Malaysia. It’s elegant, quiet and clean and not a lot goes on but it does have a fascinating past.

Malaysia here we are!

KL Skyline 

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Note: Drawing is not to scale!
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We arrived in Kuala Lumpur after a three hour flight and headed to “hotel Geo“. An OK hotel in a fantastic location, on the edge of China Town.

It’s very humid here in KL and when the sun gets through the cloudy skies, it’s downright sizzling!

Final days in Indonesia

Dodgy pavements

Well, we survived the boat rides and are back in Sanur enjoying our last few days in Indonesia before our two month visa runs out (has it really been that long?).

3 days left on Gili Meno

Starry skies

We’ve spent the last week further exploring the island and finding new places to eat and drink.   If you want to treat yourself, there are a couple of swanky places here and when we do occasionally crave a clean table and a decent toilet 🙂 these are the places to go.

Meandering on Gili Meno

Life on Gili Meno

We left Gili Air after 12 days and got a small taxi boat to Gili Meno.  The crossing took 10 minutes and was very pleasant with not a wave in sight.

Chilling on Gili Air

Heading to Gili Air

It was a bit of a wrench, but we left Ubud and  headed across to Padangbai where we spent the night.

1 Week in Ubud

Dining on suckling pig in Ubud

We left Sanur and after a one hour drive arrived in Ubud – Central Bali. Being inland, it’s much warmer and more humid here.

2 Weeks in Sanur, Bali

Enjoying the villa

10 days into our retirement and life is good!

We’re enjoying being spoilt, discovering new restaurants and just getting to know Sanur a little better.

The Hughes’s have landed

And we’ve made it!

The last few days in The Netherlands were spent saying goodbye to some wonderful friends and colleagues.  This, more than anything else, brought it home that we were leaving for good.

4 Weeks left and raring to go!

Well, this is the last post from The Netherlands and boy, are we looking forward to blogging from more exotic locations in the future 🙂

Time is running away from us and all of a sudden we only have four weekends left before we leave, one of which I’ll be in Berlin visiting my father: Leaves three to get the final bits and pieces sorted out.

The Wonderful City of Delft

For the last few years, we’ve been very fortunate to live in the centre of the Dutch city of Delft.

Not only is it steeped in history but, because it’s a student city (University of Technology), it’s also a fun place to be.

60 Days and still counting !

D-Day

And we’re down to two months !

Focus at work is out the window  and the Boss is looking forward to my leaving nearly as much as I am 🙂

Excitement is a constant state of mind at the  moment and I’ll be suprised if we make it to May without me giving myself a heart attack. Dave’s not doing much better.

90 Days and Counting !

It’s hard to imagine that in three months we’ll be off; the waiting is becoming more and more difficult and as for concentrating on work – nigh on impossible.

All the big things have been taken care of: House is sold, belongings have been given away or sold.  The camper has found a new owner and we’ve handed in our notice.

MM2H

We know that we will spend most of our time in Asia and although we don’t intend to settle in one particular country in the foreseeable future, we do need somewhere where we can have mail sent (PO box), a local bank account and a place to go when visas run out.