On August 4th we'll be flying out of Auckland headed for Bangkok. From there we'll take a direct flight to Macau. From Macau we'll potentially explore Hong Kong before heading into mainland China.
From there we'll catch an overnight train to Beijing, where we'll stay for a while, taking in the sights (Great Wall, Forbidden City, and of course, the Chinese Circus!).
Following Beijing we intend to strike out west, exploring the remote western reaches of China, the ancient Silk Road, which linked the Orient with the Middle East and Europe. From western China we will head to the mountainous provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, where we'll catch glimpses of Tibetan culture, pandas, and hill-tribe peoples, as well as viewing the Himalaya and the upper reaches of some of the greatest rivers in the world.
We will cross from China into Vietnam via Kunming, following the Red River down to Hanoi. We'll travel the length of Vietnam, from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, taking in sights such as Halong Bay.
From Ho Chi Minh City we will head up through the mighty Mekong delta to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. The highlight of Cambodia will most definitely be Angkor Wat, and we'll also explore the southern towns (Kampot, Kep & Sihanoukville) and Battambang, before following the Mekong River up to Laos.
The itinerary gets a bit sketchy from here. We'll probably follow the Mekong north through Laos, investigating many of the fascinating places along the way, including Luang Prabang and the Plain of Jars.
From Laos we'll cross into northern Thailand, heading towards Chiang Mai. At Chiang Mai we'll catch a plane across to Mandalay in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). We will explore Myanmar travelling roughly from Mandalay to the former capital Yangon (Rangoon), before flying back to Thailand, and spending our last few weeks on the beaches of Thailand.
I've attached maps outlining our rough itinerary below. You can click on them for a larger picture.
