Round the World
My Round The World Trip was whistle-stop tour of Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney (yes..Australia!) and Los Angeles. Business Class flights all the way and some mighty fine 5* luxury hotels! I know you're all dying to hear about it, so grab yourself a cuppa (or glass of vino...) and make yourself comfy!
Arriving in Bangkok we checked into the Dusit Thani, with just enough time to shower and change before being whisked off for a Chao Phraya dinner cruise. Really nice traditional Thai food, though I was put off a bit by the Sea Bass which tasted like mud!! After the cruise we took the Sky Train back to Patpong Market for a bit of retail fake-therapy.
After 3 days in busy Bangkok we were off to Kuala Lumpur. We spent the first night in the hotel bar in the company of some excellent Malaysian singers. Although we couldn't quite tell if they were male or female! The next day we took the bus into the city and went to the top of the Menara Tower for lunch in the revolving restaurant. It was a bit scary being so high, but we got some amazing views of the city, and of the Petronas Towers, tallest in the World! We then had a tour visiting the Royal Palace, Jamek Mosque, the Lake Gardens, National Monument and finishing in an exhilarating trip to a Pewter Factory! Don’t hold your breath. Swiftly on to Sydney— WOW! Loved it! Even though you guys were having a heat wave, and we were in the pouring rain and 10 degrees, it was still brilliant! The Rydges Jameson hotel is a very funky place, right in the heart of the city, well worth staying at if you're splashing out. We were treated to a day out to the Hunter Valley, and went on a wine tasting tour to the Lindemans Vineyard and the Hunter Valley Vineyard. We stopped off on the way at a little town called Wilabilabingbong, well something like that, where we were offered Dr Jurd's Jungle juice! We were about to tuck in when someone noticed the label said "also removes stains"!!! Hmm, no thanks!
As we came back into the city, we went over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and spotted the Opera House! The locals, were all very friendly and made us feel really welcome! If you get to go there, take a visit to The Establishment pub for some amazing cocktails!! The jet-lag had kicked in by now, and I was looking forward to having some sleep on the 13 hour flight to LA, but then I realised it was only going to get worse, as we had Wednesday twice...how bizarre!
We landed in LA to be greeted by scorching temperatures and blue skies... that's better! Yes, I know you all think I have ginger hair and freckles, but I can sit in the sun for...5 minutes!! We were staying at a the Hotel Angeleno which had its grand opening party on our first night! Any excuse to party, we got glammed up and mixed with the rich and famous! The next day we took a trip to Hollywood, and had a brilliant guided tour. We saw Groemans Theatre, I managed to find Dick Van Dyke's hand and foot prints. Where was Orlando Bloom for Heaven's sake!?
The best bit in LA was when we went on a bike ride from Santa Monica pier to Venice Beach! None of us had ridden a bike for at least 10 years! Our ride leader was a 50 year old hippy who was so cool. We saw Jim Morrisons house, and Muscle Beach, and watched some guys playing basketball...true LA life! After an hour I soon realised that maybe I hadn't put enough sun-cream on, and I was beginning to resemble a lobster! (The lines still haven't faded!)
Our last leg of the trip was to Heathrow, I spotted a familiar face in Economy. I started to hyper-ventilate ..It was only Howard Donald from Take That!!! My dreams had come true, I was breathing the same air as him! To me, having jet-lag is very much like being sozzled, so I was full of confidence when I accosted him in the baggage hall and asked for a photo! HE HAD HIS ARM AROUND ME!! It was the most un-real way of ending an amazing trip!
Gill travelled on a Star Alliance round the world ticket, prices start from only £1139.