Starting Point.

My starting point this year will be Bangkok, not because I love Bangkok that much, but rather because a friend of mine is a flight attendant and I can accompany her for a mere fraction of what a ticket would normally cost. These kind of friends are the best, aren’t they? All together I’ll have 6 to 7 weeks until I meet my friend (the flight attendant) in Beijing again to fly back home.

Second Stop.

The idea is to fly to Dhaka from Bangkok, where you get your visa arrival for 25 US$ – means no hassle with embassy visits. After a couple of days here, I’ll continue to Chittagong by train for another visit to the ship breaking yard. We’ve been here two years ago already and it’s one of the most interesting places you could ever travel to. After Chittagong I’ll continue to the Rangamati hills. Visiting the tribal people are on my priority list, as well as a bit of trekking, cruising on Kaptai Lake, visiting local markets and relaxing in harmony with nature.

The way back to Dhaka will be on a cruise on the Buriganga river, while watching the life along the river banks, followed by a visit to the local wet markets in Dhaka (missed out on this last time).

Always Indo.

After Bangladesh I really think I deserve a bit of beach & sunshine I found out that in Raja Ampat, West Papua, an initiative has been set up where local families build rooms and bungalows for visitors, providing them with 3 meals a day when no other option is available. we’ve been to Raja Ampat before, it’s an amazing area, still very unspoilt and very tranquil with the most stunning underwater life you could ever imagine! I’ll stay for about two weeks for a real beach vacation – including a bit of boat and jungle adventure…

Last Stop.

After Indonesia and fully relaxed, it will take a couple of flights until I arrive in Kunming, China. This will be my stepping off point for a visit to the Honghe Hani Rice terraces, a newly added UNESCO World heritage site, which has 1.200 years of history. I’ve read about this area since some years and I’m really looking forward to tick it off my bucket list. And if there’s still time, I will try to visit the Guoliang Tunnel Road in the Henan Province as well.

Well and then, after almost 7 weeks on the road, travelling time is coming to an end. But there’s always time for a little bit of shopping in Guangzhou before taking the high speed train to Beijing, where my journey comes to an end with the flight back to Vienna.

Suggestions.

What do you think? Good route? Should I change something? Does anyone have a more exciting option for my summer holidays? I’m open and happy for some other suggestions and still have a bit of time to change my itinerary…

My summer travel plans will take me to four countries in Southeast Asia.

For all those who want to hold on to summer a little longer – which includes us of course, a short trip to the Costa del Sol in the South of Spain is the perfect getaway; if you’re looking for nice weather, beautiful beaches, rich culture, fantastic sights, as well as affordable flights, the area around Málaga is just the right spot for a cheap holiday.

The city of Málaga from above.

Málaga has earned a reputation that makes is extremely popular with visitors. Flights are not too expensive from all over Europe, hotels & apartments are widely available, the beaches are well worth travelling there, the water is clear & refreshing and many of the activities & sights in and around the city are free of charge or low cost.

The climate in Andalusia is simply amazing, with temperatures in the high twenties to high thirties Centigrade in the summer months. This is just one of the many reason why we’ve been travelling to Carvajal, which is just outside of Málaga between Torremolinos and Fuengirola, for the last couple of years at the end of August or beginning of September. Staying outside of Málaga simply has to do with the fact that the beaches aren’t too crowded and we came across a very lovely apartment when we first searched for a place to stay at. Plus it only takes about 20 minutes by the Renfe train to the city centre.

The beach along the Costa del Sol in Spain.

Our core activities mostly vary from sunbathing to zipping Sangria, yet there are plenty of things to do both at day and night (among the most popular are for example a day trip to the world-famous Alhambra in Granada or a visit to the Picasso Home Museum), so every kind of traveller should find what they’re looking for.

The Alhambra in Granada, Spain.

The cleaning (luckily) has already been done but the holiday preparation has just begun. We’re actually planning a real big one this summer: Pakistan, India, Indonesia and China … or maybe Africa? As you can see, our tickets are not yet booked and we haven’t decided anything. All we know, it that it’s going to be another great adventure.

So for this trip (wherever it may take us), I was thinking of buying myself a couple of new things. And since I love online shopping, zalando.at is a platform to spoil myself … for example with a new pair of nice trekking boots :)

So anyway, zalando is hereby allowing me to give away two AWESOME vouchers. One 100 € voucher and one 50 € voucher! Not bad huh? Be a part of our raffle and have a chance in winning.

How to participate in the “50 € voucher” raffle:

We all have some things that we can’t live without – especially when travelling … We want to know three items that you can’t live without while travelling. Tell us either by …

• … commenting below …
• … commenting on our facebook page …
• … or by twittering your answer (but don’t forget to also post the article link and @cookiesound – otherwise we unfortunately can’t include you). This could look like this for example: “I’m packing my suitcase and I’m bringing: Camera, notebook and a water kettle. http://bit.ly/Hj7Iiz via @cookiesound“

How to participate in the “100 € voucher” raffle :

If you want to have a chance in winning the 100 € voucher from zalando, fill us in on why you need these three item so badly when travelling. Tell us either by …

• … commenting below …
• … or commenting on our facebook page.
• Please no twitter because we want to read more than just 140 characters :D

Both winners will be announced on Friday, 11th of May 2012.

Good luck!

The sun is shining, air flickers over the pavement, and with every single move sweat breaks loose. As soon as it gets hot, the sport-performance literally melts. A route that we normally reel off easily suddenly becomes more difficult and seems to be endless.  Believe me; I’ve been there…many times. You’re head turns tomato-red; you breathe heavily and sweat stains are all over your cloths (yummy). A positive thing: At least sweat shows that we’re doing something. The sooner you start sweating the better (and fitter are you) because then our body tries to keep a constant body temperature.  Anyway, try not to stress your body too much during high temperatures. It has enough to do with trying to keep itself cool anyway.

First tip: Ideal Timing.

Ambitious summer athletes should be smarter than the sun. Don’t go running during your lunch-break but wait until dawn or use the early morning hours for your active drive. Red area on the thermometer: 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). As soon as the mercury passes this mark, doctors advice against exhausting exercise. Why: The hotter it gets, the more ozone concentration is in the air. Exhaust fumes and fine dust increase stress even more.

Second tip: Dress code.

“Less is more” is the motto during summer. Be sure to buy the right equipments with special UV-protection. Black is a “no-go” (even though it might conceal those nasty fat pads better) – light colours a hit.

Third tip: Sunscreen.

The sun can literally be a burner. It’s not enough to just apply a bit of lotion. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to apply one teaspoon full of sunscreen on your face and nine teaspoons on for the rest of your body. Sweat or water washes away the UV-filter, so if you decide to run a marathon (and you’re not exactly a marathon world champion), you should apply a new layer of sunscreen every two hours.

Fourth tip: Pool rules.

Water rats are often distracted. Whether you’re snorkelling in tropical waters, surfing the waves in Tahiti or just swimming in the local open air pool it’s important not to forget about sunscreen. Also, UV rays occur during shade. Umbrellas or trees only absorb 70% of those. So if you’ve ever woken up with a red nose and didn’t get plastered the day before, you might consider putting on some sunscreen when sitting on the beach with friends next time…

Fifth (and last) tip: Filling station.

Sweat-inducing summer sports raises our liquid need. Our body loses up to one liter of water and also minerals like sodium every hour! This raises the risk of muscle cramps. A look on the scale before and after the training (hell I wouldn’t want to step on a scale if I had to…) helps to know your own body’s water consumption. If you’re thirsty, it’s almost too late. Thirst is an indicator of dehydration.  Headaches and dizziness are even more alarming! Start drinking (mineral)-water before you decide to go for a run. If you hate water (how can you hate water? It’s 90 % of our body so you should love it J) you can also use fruit juices but diluted. ¼ juice, ¾ water if the rule here. If you’re really really crazy enough to work out for more than one hour, isotonic drinks are a good alternative because they compensate your mineral loss.

Personal end note:

If I look around in the subways, trains or just for fun wait outside a McDonald’s, it’s simple to say that 90 % (at least in Austria) of people need to do something. And no, by that I don’t mean order another burger! Get out there and move your ass people! Life is far too short to just sit around.