Similar to Returning Home and Asian Reflections

London rates up there with Melbourne, Vancouver and New York as being my favourite cities in the world. Everything is here... food, nightlife, great transport infrastructure, fashion, shopping, sights etc. etc. I am very, very happy to be here given that my appetite for travel was approaching non-existent and I was beginning to long for home. I think a touch of home whilst in UK is critical for my ongoing plans to travel.

British Airways' Eye

I don't believe it is super expensive here... I will provide you with some costs as examples. But I don't believe backpackers would be able to get by on anything less than around $AUD100 (unless you've got family and/or friends to stay with). My hostel, the YHA Oxford, for example costs 20 pound per night ($50) for a 3 bed room. You can get cheaper (i.e. 12 for a dorm with 8 beds) but anything more than 4 beds is a bit much for me. Food is relatively ok... 2 for breakfast (tuna roll and OJ), 4.50 for much needed Burger King... haven't had it since Bangkok) and drinks tend to be around the 2 mark. My trip from the airport to Oxford Circus was 4 ($10) which is, by world standards, a fairly good price to get into a city from an international airport.

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben

There is so much to do here. I spent half of today touring the sights... St Paul's Cathedral, walked along the Thames to Parliament House... I needed to do this to have it sink in that I was in London. I'm due to meet up with Daniel who I met in Chiang Mai who will take me to a few places, including a few bars in Soho tonight. Have been hanging out for a good nightlife ever since Bangkok. Maybe that's why I'm feeling a bit down????

Looking forward to meeting up with my second cousin, Wendy and her husband James on Sunday. They live in Cheam, Surry, which I believe is about 40 minutes by train from central London. I am very much looking forward to having a holiday away from the rigours of RTW travel, especially Asian travel.

Leytonstone Underground Station

My reflections of Asia are positive, especially South East Asia. If anything, my travels have developed a strong yearning to get back to SEA. My return trip to this region will include Singapore, KL, Bangkok, Siem Reap and Luang Prabang. Probably over future Xmas holiday breaks. The food, throughout Asia, was absolutely sensational and the value for money excellent. Talking about money, I thought I'd include a run down to provide me with a permanent record along with providing other RTW planners with the cost of a 2 star holiday through Asia.

Singapore 6 Nights $394 ($66 per night)

Malaysia 23 Nights $1925 ($83 per night)

Thailand 27 Nights $3030 ($112 per night)

Laos 2 Nights $374 ($187 per night)

My House on the Left

Vietnam 23 Nights $2603 ($113 per night)

China 52 Nights $7655($147 per night)- I need to add a few more costs to this section.

Total Asia 136 Nights $15981 ($117 per night or £48 or $US90)

I call this a 2 star backpacking journey for the following reasons:

I had 10 internal flights (KL to KK return, Phuket to Ko Samui return, Chiang Mai to Vientiane 1 way, Vientiane to Hanoi 1 way, Saigon to Phnom Penh 1 way, Phnom Penh to Bangkok 1 way, Shanghai to Beijing 1 way, and Kunming to Beijing 1 way). All other flights were covered by Oneworld.

I stayed in a variety of accommodations ranging from caves to buses to tents to bungalows to $3 a night hostels to $75 a night 4 star hotels. I've done this deliberately to keep my trip fairly comfortable and interesting. I have gone past the day of staying every night in a $10 a night shared room. Whilst I love to socialise and meet other travellers, I also like my personal space.

National Museum

I drink beer whenever I want... I don't think twice about not buying a drink due to budget constraints. I'm on holiday for goodness sake!

I tend to eat conservatively and keep expensive restaurants to a minimum, but I didn't hold back in Vietnam - the food was delicious and the best through my journey to date.

I undertook 3 major tours with Intrepid which adds to the cost.

Travelling for short times in countries such as Laos and Cambodia were probably not worth it. I admire other backpackers who spent significantly longer proportions of their year in South East Asia, thus keeping prices down.

All up, I'm $3800 over budget but I don't mind putting this on a credit card with a $10,000 credit limit and 10 per cent interest PA. I'd prefer to enhance the quality of my journey and pay back the $10,000 or so on my return to work in the years to come.

Preston Road Leytonstone

Hope this provides readers with an interesting insight into the cost of travelling... consider the opportunity cost as well. If I had been working and living in Carnarvon, I would of spent a fair proportion of the $16000 for simply working and not seeing and experiencing this world. I have no problem with the money I've spent. I think it's an investment in itself... my attitude to the world and its people is constantly changing as I travel. Travelling RTW is also a very strong reflective tool... being away from work is giving me the chance to reflect on my priorities and where I see my life heading when I return to Australia. I'm also loving establishing friends and contacts all over the world... it will be great returning to select locations with the knowledge that I know someone there.

Proximity to National Museum

St Paul's Cathedral