Round-the-World Trip

SUMMER 2015

I will be finishing my Master of Regional Planning this May and intend to travel a bit before I set off to join the workforce. My girlfriend, Irene, and I are in the midst of planning a round-the-world trip and hope to visit a number of countries in the northern hemisphere. Our first destination is Scandinavia, with a June 11th flight from NYC to Oslo, Norway. We bought this ticket on a whim back in October when we found an amazing deal for $235 including taxes. We will be flying on Norwegian Airlines, which is a budget carrier that recently began transatlantic service. This find initiated the decision for our world-traversing trip. 

The current itinerary is set from New York all the way to Hong Kong, with stops in Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Our final destination is Tokyo, Japan, where Irene's family lives. Our planned return to the U.S. will likely be sometime in mid to late September. Also, my younger sister Amy will be joining up with us in Bangkok for the last third of the trip. Here is our trip by region & cities: 

Scandinavia (Norway/Sweden)

• June 12 - 17

• Stockholm, Oslo

Central Europe (Poland/Czech Republic/Germany/Austria/Slovakia/Hungary)

• June 17 - July 9

• Warsaw, Krakow, Wroclaw, Prague, Munich, Salzburg, Linz, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest

Mediterranean (Italy, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro)

• July 9 - July 25

• Milan, Venice, Trieste, Pula, Zagreb, Zadar, Split, Mostar, Dubrovnik, Kotor, Sarajevo

Middle East (Turkey, Oman, United Arab Emirates) 

• July 25 - August 3

• Istanbul, Muscat, Nizwa, Dubai)

Southeast Asia (Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia)

• August 4 - August 29

• Bangkok, Yangon, Mandalay, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Saigon, Hanoi, Singapore, Kuala Lampur, Phuket, Krabi

East Asia (Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Japan) 

• August 29 - ???

• Macau, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Shanghai, Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo 

Nearly every region of our trip has a focus country/city in which we will dedicate additional time. While in Central Europe we will spend a week in Poland visiting the 3 largest cities in addition to other significant sites such as Auschwitz Concentration Camp. Our eyes are set on Croatia for the Mediterranean, with over a week in the coastal parts of the country. This will include some of the cities made famous by Game of Thrones (Irene: "how can you have Game of Thrones in the same paragraph as Auschwitz?!?!". Although we are expecting the ruins of Myanmar (Burma) to be a highlight of Southeast Asia, the largest chunk of time will be spent along the beaches of Thailand and Vietnam. The last segment of our trip around East Asia will include about a week in Taiwan and 2+ weeks in Japan. Irene has a number of relatives in both countries. 

We are extremely excited to travel the world and see new countries! Irene and I are especially looking forward to Central Europe and the Middle East as neither of us have been. Irene has traveled more extensively in Western Europe (having lived in London) and I have more experience in Asia (Hong Kong/Shanghai). My sister has yet to travel outside North America and will be touring Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan with us. Also, she find an incredibly cheap flight from Seoul to Los Angeles ($280 including taxes) and will be visiting South Korea by herself for a few days. 

I should also mention that we will be celebrating Irene's 24th birthday in Dubai. I'm a bit jealous because my 24th is going to be in Philadelphia for the 2nd year in a row....

Highlights: 

Milan Expo 2015

World Expo 2015: After visiting the Shanghai 2010 World Expo I am excited for the opportunity to visit the next major exposition in Milan, Italy. Shanghai's theme was improved city living, which was very interesting considering my interests in urban planning and China's rapid rise. The 2015 Milan Expo promises to be very worthwhile as the theme is food systems and innovation. A world expo...... about food....in Italy....SIGN ME UP. 

Auschwitz: Main Gate

Auschwitz: This year is the 70th anniversary of the infamous camp's liberation by the Soviet army. Sadly, it is likely to be the last decade anniversary that most survivors will be able to visit the camp. Visiting the Nazi concentration camps and Khmer Rouge killing fields are a somber reminder of our past and an important lesson for the future. 

Plitvice Lakes National Park 

Dubrovnik (Location of King's Landing scenes form GOT)

Plitvice Lakes/ "King's Landing" Dubrovnik: As an avid Game of Thrones fan (Irene: *rolls eyes* "Game of Thrones is everywhere!!"), we are excited to visit the famous sites of Croatia. This part of the trip is meant to be a relaxing break from the previous segment and we will likely spend a lot of leisure time at the beach. We also plan to visit Croatia's first national park, Plitvice Lakes. 

Wadi Bani Khalid Desert Oasis

Oman: Sharing a border with the modern UAE, this Middle Eastern country is famous for its preservation of local culture, customs, and buildings. Oman also offers amazing ecological diversity and scenery. We are looking into visiting the Wahiba sands, ancient forts, and maybe even a tropical oasis or two. 

Bagan: City of Temples

Myanmar: This country formerly known as Burma has only recently opened up to outsiders. Last year saw a record 2 million visitors, while adjacent Thailand saw nearly 25 million. In traveling to the country, we are hoping to see it before the waves of tourists ruin some of its most sacred sites and temples. 

Taiwan Night Market

Taipei: Taiwan streetfood is well known across Asia. In the US, we can thank the Taiwanese for their bubble tea! This is one of the last East Asian countries I have yet to visit and have waited for a good reason to go. We are especially excited to eat xiaolongbao (小笼包）at the original Din Tai Fung. This dish originally came from Shanghai/Jiangsu Province, but this chain perfected it! (Irene: "I'm so offended that you chose simplified chinese. How are the Taiwanese and Japanese supposed to read this?!")