24 Hours, 4 Countries, 3 plane rides

Every traveller has their preference. Some would prefer to get to their destination as quick as possible with the least number of connections. Others are cost-conscious, but aware that a 42 hour transit is a little unnecessary. And then there is the ultra budget traveller who will fund their adventures by cutting corners and saving on their flight costs at the sacrifice of a few days travel.

In this trip, we're a hybrid of #2 and #3. We landed great fares from Calgary to Kathmandu and returning Singapore to Calgary through edreams. The company is based in Spain, and this is the second trip I have used them for and had zero problems.

So on top of our main round trip flight- we had to get from Delhi to Kathmandu at the end of our tour to trek through Annapurna. After the trek we had to get to Phuket, Thailand, for some down time in the sun. After some creative planning (and the good fortune of having parents who live in Singapore and who have been more than helpful in the planning process) we managed to get extremely reasonable flights from Kathmandu to Phuket, flying via Kuala Lumpur and Singapore... However now after leaving Kat at 1130pm Sunday, we are now on our third airplane in less than 24 hours,countries been in 3 different countries since yesterday (and have the passport stamps to prove it), and last but not least- all that saved up sleep we had banked from Annapurna is slowly being drawn down- as we haven't had a proper sleep since Saturday night.

Airport Insights:
1. Wifi is available in most airports. For free wifi, search for a coffee shop, which usually offers free wifi to customers (The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf in KL for example)
2. If you're not there long, use your credit card and save the hassle of changing currencies (side note- the only country which will exchange Nepal Rupee is India. KL and Singapore won't take it)
3. No matter where you are, airports are triple the price. In Kathmandu we rarely paid more than NPR200 for a meal- at the airport it was 220 for a coffee.
4. Don't bother buying coffee once you're through security. Airports in some Asian countries have another security point before entering the gate for your plane... And no your NPR200 coffee cannot come.
5. Ladies lines make the process faster! In Nepal and India there are separate lines for women- and when there are only 5 women on the flight from Kat to KL- this means you get to buzz right through.
6. USD is still the king of currencies. If you have it, they will take it. And usually if you need to have a visa to enter, they expect it paid for in USD.
7. Don't be afraid to venture out of an airport on a long layover. Many Asian airports are well connected to the city by train, so check your boarding time and go see something!
8. Don't discard your bag tags, departure cards or visa receipts. These things get requested at random and it can be a hassle if you don't have them.
9. Lines ups don't exist in some places. It's more of a crowd than a line. So for my fellow Canucks- drop the manners and be assertive!!!
10. Patience is key. We have been very fortunate that we have had no delays or changes to any of our flights, no lost baggage and no long line ups for immigration and customs. But waiting is part of flying, and letting it ruin your travel buzz isn't worth it. To pass the time, we suggest the spotting game (or spotting BINGO), or the "guess what this is" game (best played in small souvenir shops with local food).

Only one more flight after this one... Thailand- the Tender Trio is coming.
L, B & the Ging

Sent from my iPad