Planing a trip blind?

[Wildcard]

Im planing on going somewhere this spring for a month or so. Im thinking a week in Vietnam then on to Australia for three. How does one go about planing a low key trip without spending money on a tour operator? I just want to hang out, see the sights and get a few dives in. I don't want to sit on a bus listening to a mono tone guide.
Any ideas? Any one want to join me?

 

[almitywife]

your spring is about April??? you might catch school hols and easter + school hols accomodation prices go thru the roof

if i had 3 weeks to give australia... i would get the barbie camper and start at nrth stradbroke island (brisbane/queensland) and work my way down, a stop at byron, a stop at south west rocks and then arrive in sydney

and when you get into sydney you let us know so we can get some dives in!!!!!!

 

[TSandM]

We've almost never used any kind of agent or tour for our trips. We get an idea of where we want to go, and then start Googling and reading reviews of places, dive ops, boats, etc. Once we have some ideas of where we want to go, I've had good luck on Scubaboard, asking about people who've been there, where they stayed and what they did.

It'd be harder in someplace like Vietnam, where the language is a significant barrier, and transportation might be a little more difficult. But Australia's easy!

I would highly, highly recommend a stop in Byron Bay if you go there. The diving was fantastic, and the town was very pleasant. I can even recommend a great diver's B&B there.

A friend who lives in Sidney says the Solitaries are even better (a little further south).

Have a good time planning -- some of the fun is sorting through all your options.

 

[Wildcard]

Thanks guys. I priced a SUV with camp gear for a month and it was like $4500! Yikes. I'll but a beater and camp gear and give it away when I leave rather than do that. Diving is secondary to the trip. Don't get me wrong I still love diving but I don't need to do three tanks a day every day. Thus my decision not to do a live aboard...Just talked to an old friend. She is going to OZ for 10 weeks! Damn her. Now thats the way to get to know a place. Much of my strange job pattern is just that. i get to go to places I have never heard of and get to know them well. Heck I got four years in Hawaii that way....
So say, if I start far north in Aussi land,buy a beater car and a sleeping bag and head south, how tough would it be to unload said car? Can I even do that as a foriegner?...Morphine is kicking In I see, spelling is getting worse by the minute, LOL.....Seat of the pants trip so to speak. Just go and see what happens. id realy like that. Any advice?

 

[almitywife]

i did a quick quote - this claims $1k for 3 weeks, Travellers Auto Barn - Backpacker car, camper van, 4WD sale & rental Australia might be less i

i will do some research as there are plenty of gits wandering around with clapped out combis so they must do something with them when they are finished,... maybe there is a backpackers auto swap thingy somewhere - if i find anything i will let you know

cheers

 

[Tigerman]

Basically what I did for Mexico this summer was to go online, google for flights and book a flight. However, doing this (atleast here) is far cheaper flights if you book a while before you go, as my wallet found out the hard way.. A weeks notice kinda did something with the more affordable seats

 

[Azza]

In Aussie just buy a crappy old Holden Ute, throw a swag on the back and cruise the east coast...
Personally I would start in Melbourne and work my way up the coast to the top end, then back to Cairns where some mug backpacker will buy your car for what you paid for it. Been there done that...too easy
Australia is a neat place to get away, just be careful which cookies you eat in Byron Bay...then again if you are on morphine the cookies will do just as good a job...

 

[SoSiouxme]

is easy as can be. When you arrive at the airport in either Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, there will be numerous touts to take you to guesthouses. They will let you look at the room before plunking down any money. They expect you to bargain. So your room may cost you $20 - and that's for a decent place - clean, en suite bathroom, mini-fridge with ice cold Tiger beer..etc.

Or, you can book ahead and then pay a metered - official cab - to get you to your guesthouse.

Once you get to a guesthouse...all tours can be arranged through them or not. There is a definite travel infrastructure happening in Vietnam. It is easy to travel in and there are virtually no language problems. Independent travel is easy and cheap in Vietnam.

It is one of the best places I've ever been. Go before it is ruined.

The diving there is nothing to write home about.

 

[Wildcard]

OK I just booked a liveaboard with some time free at the end with Scuba Singles. I'll have about a week free, should be able to see some things, not all of course.
I assume I will need a visa for Vietnam?
Thanks for the tips.