Gap Year: South-East Asia & Australia

My first longer length travel in May-July 1994.  A school friend and I spent 3 months travelling over South-east Asia and Australia.  Starting in Thailand we went overland to Malaysia and Singapore, we then flew to Indonesia (Java & Bali), flew to Brunei, from there we headed down to Australia (Darwin, Alice, Cairns, Airlie Beach, Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne), our last stop was Hong Kong before flying home.

As backpackers we stayed in dorms or cheap rooms, took lots of long-haul buses and overnight buses. Bought sarongs, saw wonderful sights and had my first experience of Asia.

Highlights:  Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bangkok;  colonial architecture of Malacca in Malaysia; the satay in Malaysia & Indonesia;  the temples of Prambanan and the Buddhist mountain stupa of Borobudur in Java;   seeing the sunrise from Mt Bromo Indonesia ; partying in Kuta, Bali; having a drink in the Long Bar of Raffles Hotel in Singapore; Kakadu Park in Northern Territory;, Australia;  walking in Kings Canyon Australia; crazy wonderful week on a bus with 40 people going from Darwin to Alice Springs; sunset view of Ayres Rock;  sunrise from the top of Ayres Rock; snorkling on the Great Barrier Reef;  seeing the Sydney Opera house for real;  views of Hong Kong from the Peak, great night out in Hong Kong.

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