Mabuhay from the Philippines! We’ve just arrived in Manila and we can’t wait to spend the next month slowly exploring various parts of the Philippines, a country that we’re revisiting simply because we’d enjoyed it so much the first time.
This is the first stop on our itinerary as we transition into full-time travelers and digital nomads – writing, taking photos and blogging along the way. Many people have been asking us how we’re going to juggle travel and work – if you’re curious to know how it goes, stay tuned as we update you here every week on all the highs and lows of our location-independent lifestyle.
From the Philippines, we’ll then fly back to continental Southeast Asia, traveling overland through Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, China and (wait for it…) North Korea! By summer, we hope to be traveling on the Trans-Mongolian railway from China through Mongolia all the way back to Europe. It’s not our first time traveling in Southeast Asia, but it sure is our first time slowly making our way overland – so we’re looking forward to see every inch of the region. Here’s a quick look at our rough itinerary and what we’ll be doing at each country, so if you’re in the area, be sure to let us know!
Feb to March: The Philippines
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking our time to explore a few of the 7,107 islands that make up the Philippines. Starting off in Manila, the Department of Tourism (DOT) Philippines has arranged an action-packed itinerary for us where we’ll get to swim with whales sharks in Donsol, go wakeboarding near Legazpi, visit Panglao Island and go on a food tour in Manila. For the rest of the time, we plan to go on several scuba-diving trips with Monarch Sands Resort in Dumaguete before heading to Palawan and spending time working on the beach.
End of March: Vietnam
Starting our journey possibly from Ho Chi Minh city, we plan to take the train to travel along the coast all the way north traversing through Nha Trang, Hue, Hoi An up to Hanoi. Along the way, I really hope to do some exciting activities like dirt biking and forest trekking. In Hanoi, we’ll be taking a few days to head out to cruise Bai Tu Long, the lesser known alternative to Halong Bay; and if time permits, we’ll catch the train up to get acquainted with the tribes of Sapa. We’ve only got two weeks in Vietnam though, since we need to meet some friends up in Thailand.
April: Thailand
We’re excited to be meeting some friends in Chiangmai, where we’ll spend at least a week to work and unwind. Then we’ll train it down to Bangkok, of course making stops in small towns like Ayutthaya and Phitsanulok along the way. A few days in Bangkok for Songkran should be quite the highlight – followed by taking the train further down south to the Suratthani region and then island-hopping to Koh Samui and Krabi, where we’ll be staying at the Amari Resorts. We’ve also partnered with Hostelbookers, who will be providing part of our accommodations in the entire trip – including on Koh Lanta, where we’ll relax for a week or two.
May: Myanmar
This part of the trip is one that I look forward to most: Burma has always been in my radar and I’m stoked to finally get the chance to visit. We’ll be traveling with Myanmar Travel – starting from its capital Yangon to the spiritual heart of Bagan then Mandalay and ending the trip in Inle Lake. We haven’t decided what we want to do thereafter, but a visit to the Golden Rock Temple is definitely in the works.
May to June: China
In the second half of May, we intend to cross the borders over to Laos and then China – traversing through Yunnan, Guizhou, Chengdu, Xi’an and up to Beijing. This part of the trip is still up in the air, but we’ve got plenty of time to decide which route we’ll take. I’m really excited about China since I’ve seen very little of China and this overland trip will definitely give us a better glimpse of my ancestral land.
June: North Korea
We’re both stoked to visit North Korea, a country that’s been largely cut off from the outside world and where travel is so controlled. We will be traveling with Koryo Tours on the five-day Spring/ Dragon Boat Festival trip, starting our journey in the capital PyongYang, followed by hiking on Mt Ryonggak then Kaesong and finally DMZ, the line that divides North and South Korea. Few people have had the chance to go to this unexplored part of the world – so we’re really looking forward to it.
July: Trans-Mongolian
After North Korea, we’ll spend a few weeks seeing more of China, perhaps visiting Inner Mongolia or Xinjiang. While Alberto will head back to Spain for a good friend’s wedding, I’ll head back to Beijing to hop on the Trans-Mongolian train, slowly traversing through Mongolia, Siberian and eventually arriving in Russia. I’ll then probably fly back to Spain to join Alberto.
That’s what we’ve got planned for now, we don’t know where we’ll go next – follow us to find out!
Cool trip, very jealous about North Korea!
I'm heading overland from Mexico to Chile in a couple of months time!
Cool trip, very jealous about North Korea!
I'm heading overland from Mexico to Chile in a couple of months time!
Wow Nellie what an itinerary!! I am very excited for you two and I cant wait to see all your post on this epic adventure you are taking on. Good luck!!
i've just completed nearly the same trip, sans dprk, but not in the same order…ahh brings back memories…you have to do golden rock in myanmar just for the truck ride up/down
and make sure you stay the night there too…wishing you and alberto the best of overland trips…
hey Edric, been awhile! Didnt know you traveled on the same route too – would have loved to see you again! Thanks for the tip – definitely looking forward to seeing the Golden Rock.
Same here, Nellie, this is my next target the Golden Rock.
Great trip! If you need any tips on stops along the Trans Siberian, please let me know! I stopped several times and can recommend some places to stay and contacts in some of the cities if you're interested.
Brilliant, thanks Katie, will definitely knock on your doors when we start planning that stretch! I might be traveling with G Adventures though, then everything will be taken care of by them. Anyhow, thanks for offering to share tips!
hey Katie, yes would love to pick your brains! We still haven\’t finalized our plans, might even drive from China to Spain. I\’ll definitely be in touch for some ideas, cheers!
Good luck and enjoy! Alberto me das mucha envidia!
Can't wait to read about the North Korea leg! What a great trip you've got planned.
Great to see you here Akila! Yes very excited about the North Korea leg, and taking the Trans-Siberian from China to Europe… will definitely report back here!
OMG This is almost exactly what I want to do in about 6 months! Even with the North Korea bit. I can''t believe we planned the exact same trip! Although I am giving Vietnam a miss
Wow what a coincidence! You’re going to North Korea too! We really liked Saigon the last time we went, so we decided to spend more time in Vietnam now. Very sad to miss Laos though – are you guys going there?
Hombre Borja,
Me alegra ver que te has convertido en asiduo en WildJunket!
We will be posting pictures along the way, don't miss out!
Un abrazo!
Sounds like an amazing year! I just visited the DMZ here in South Korea and found it to be fascinating. I'm sure actually visiting North Korea will be even more so. Have fun and safe travels!