new & old phuket hotels

http://www.salaphuket.com/
(go before 10/31)
six senses http://www.sixsenses.com/Six-Senses-Destination-Spa-Phuket/About-Naka-Yai-Island.php (northeast of Phuket)

sri panwa
jumeirah private island
yamu

new Koh Samui hotels

http://www.x2resorts.com/ (US$187 per night)
0600 0705
return 15:30 17:00

the library

http://www.samuizazen.com/beachfront.html

Tamil Nadu

1. Chennai airport
2. weather best Jan-May
3. hotels: visalam http://www.cghearth.com/, Bangala http://www.thebangala.com/, Fisherman's cove http://www.tajhotels.com/, Taj coromandel, Taj garden retreat, taj madurai, bangala karaikudi, khemvillas.com, ramathrafort.com
4. see Brihadishwara Temple, Chettinad Museum, Dakshina Chitra, Government Museum, Meenakshi Sundareswara Temple, Ranganathaswamy Temple, Shore Temple, Thanjavur Royal Palace & Museums
5. internal flights Air India/Jet Air (to Madurai)
6. in Karaikudi stay at Bangala
7. car hire http://www.royaltourstravels.in/

Sikkim

1. avoid monsoon season (June-mid Sept)
2. March & April (orchids) (Sept through Oct)
3. Delhi connect to Bagdogra via Indian airlines http://www.indian-airlines.nic.in/ or jet airways http://www.jetairways.com/
4. from Bagdogra 30 min drive to Kalimpong & 50 miles drive to Gangtok (Sikkim's capital)
5. driver Ellison Poe http://www.poetravel.com/
6. a 2nd innerline permit required to go to Sikkim (from consulate or tourist office)
7. www.himalayanhotel.biz/ in Kalimpong $65
8. Netuk House $96, Tibet Road, Gangtok, Sikkim
9. rhododendron trek, trek to Kanchenjunga
10. see Dubdi Monastery & Tashiding Monastery
11. see karmaquests.com (re: rhododendron trek, snow leopard quest)

pelling. The elgin mount pandim
gangtok. Mayfair gangtok

alternative Thailand

1. Mekong: chill out on banks of Sangkhom, boat along it from Chiang Khan
2. Um Phang: trek this remote village through Burmese borderland jungle to hilltribe settlements & a huge waterfall
3. http://www.castaway-resorts.com/en/lipe_resort.html koh lipe
4. Amphawa: stay riverside /fertile plains, life revolves around floating markets & cottage industires
5. Pak Nam Pran: quiet sandy beach, weekending Bangkokians
6. Khuraburi: village on Andaman coast
7. Ko Tarutao National Marine Park: 51 islands (Ko Yao Noi) surrounded by limestone, in the centre of Phang Nga Bay, midway between Phuket & Krabi, Ko Yai Noi: kayak, snorkel, rock climb (Ko Jum: another supremely laid back island) (Ko Lipe)
8. 4 seasons chiang rai
9. Ko Hai (aka Ko ngai) no roads, addresses, stores, ATMs (stay at http://www.coco-cottage.com/ $46) http://www.thapwarin.com/ US$70 http://www.kohhai.com/ US$58, http://www.kohngairesort.com/ $44, or go to Ko Muk (more remote 30 min away by boat) http://www.komooksivalai.com/ $190 (sits on a long spit of beach) ( fly to Trang Nok Air 90min, van service 45 min to Pak Meng pier, 20 min speeboat to the beach... or from Krabi) (take trip to Emerald Cave on Ko Muk, 80 meter long cave, primal darkness & emerge on perfect small sandy beach surrounded by impressive cliffs, scuba w/rainbow divers) (day long snorkel Ko Rok --hour away by speedboat)
10. http://www.krabisandsea.com/ $65 68 simple breezy bungalows steps from the water- beach Rai Lay
11. www.thecliffandriver.com

or 2-4 wk

Chiang Rai to Bokeo nature reserve (laos) to luang nam tha to Muang Sing to Nam Ha protected area to LP to Hanoi to Mai Chau to Dien
Bien phu to sapa to bac Ha to cat ba island

Or koh samet

Egypt without the crowds

1. Luxor West Bank (by sunrise balloon)
2. Edfu: Temple of Horus (visit 6-8pm)
3. Abu Simbel: visit by air from Aswan
4. Luxor: temple of seti at Qurna (little visited... think I've been here?)
5. Kom Ombo: lunchtime quietest, see souq al gamaal (camel market in Daraw) on Tue a.m.
6. Aswan: temples of Philae 7 am, 7th century monastery of St. Simeon (stay Cataract hotel)
7. adrere amellal

see kom ombo, & temple of horus
abu (not yet booked)

overnight Eskaleh

in Cairo stay at Villa Belle Epoque - suburban Maadi area, 15 min from city center, 1920s townhouse with 13 rooms
************************************

EK381 Fri 2/12/10 00:35 HK 9hr5min arrive 2/12 05:40 Dubai
EK927 Fri 2/12/10 08:50 Dubai 4hr5min arrive 2/12 10:55 Cairo

Cairo to Luxor
Fri, Feb 12 16:00 17:10

2/12 overnight al moudira
2/13 drive luxor to aswan, overnight old cataract
2/14 see Abu S. & etc, overnight old cataract
2/15 see Aswan sights, fly to Luxor, overnight al moudira

Luxor to Cairo
Tue, Feb 16 10:00 11:00

EK924 Tue 2/16 19:15 Cairo 3hr10min arrive 2/17 00:25 Dubai
EK384 Wed 2/17 03:15 Dubai 9hr55min arrive 2/17 17:10 HK

Sichuan

• Emei Shan


• Songpan


• Langmusi (explore on horseback)


• cruise down Yangzi, get off boat at Wuhan & take train north to Wudang Shan

¤ litang horse festival
¤ gongga shan hike
¤ jiuzhaigou resort

dazu grottoes