The Didgeridoo Diaries

This is a break-down of some pre-trip preperations, expenses, and tasks for anyone curious or planning their own trip:

• Vaccines
• Important Documents
• Selling a Car (Privately) in Canada
• Gear: My Backpack
• Insurance: Trip, Medical, Luggage
• Tourist Visas for Canadians
• To South-East Asian Countries
• To East Asian Countries
• To South Asian Countries

Vaccines
Prevents	Vaccine Name	Cost	Delivery Method	Becomes Effective After	Lasts
Cholera & Traveller’s Diarreah	Dukorol	$75 CAD	oral (liquid)	1 week	booster req’d after 3 months
Malaria	Malarone	~$3 CAD/pill	oral (pill)	2 days	continue 1 pill/day
Typhoid	Typherix	$55 CAD	1 shot (shoulder)	4 weeks?	life
Hep A & B	Twinrix	$35 CAD x 3	3 shots (shoulder)	1-6 months	20 yrs to life
Tetnus, Dipheria, Polio	Booster	free!	1 shot (shoulder)	?	10 yrs

I opted out of the Japanese Encephalitis B vaccine because it’s not fully effective, rare, only lasts two years, expensive, and there is a lot of debate about it’s side-effects.

I also opted out of the Rabies vaccine as well because I think it’s only useful if you’re in very rural areas, more than 24 hours away from medical treatment. And, even if you get the vaccine, you still have to get more shots if your bitten. It’s also $180 CAD per shot, times three shots.

Documents:

• Passport Renewal – $87 CAD – 18 business days (…should normally be 10 business days)
• Driver’s Licence renewal/replacement – $10 CAD – 3 months (not universally applicable)
• Health Card Replacement – FREE – 4-6 weeks
• Australian Working Holiday Visa – $185 AUD – 2 business days for online application

Selling A Car: (in Canada)

• $20 CAD Used Vehicle Information Package
• $60 CAD Safety Certification
• $35 CAD Drive Clean emissions test
• $40 CAD AutoTrader ad (I also put up free ads on Craigslist and Kijiji, but by far AutoTrader was best)
• Sold in about 5 days

Backpack:
I ventured to Hiker’s Haven / Europe Bound in Oakville, Ontario picked up this pack for women:

Asolo 60L Navigator Elle Backpack

Awesome features:

• Fabric: 600D Polyester rip-stop®/1000D Kodra®
• Capacity: 60 litres / 3660 cubic inches
• Weight: 2540 grams / 5.60 lbs
• Main compartment with zippered divider & lower access (for dirty laundry or shoes, etc)
• Neoprene hydration port with router clip
• Multiple gear attachment points
• Bottom zippered compartment with detachable rain fly
• Detachable 20 L day pack
• Detachable toilettries bag w/ mirror
• Extra big zippers with base locking system

I’m most happy that there are packs tailored for women out there because, at 5’4″ and narrow shouldered, the larger packs can be uncomfortable and put tension in all the wrong areas.

Insurance:

• Trip/medical/luggage – $320.60 CAD for 6 months – World Nomads (renewable)

Tourist Visas for Canadians:

TOURIST VISA, ENTRY, and EXIT REQUIREMENTS (FOR CANADIANS) SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Country	Visa Requirements	Entry Requirements	Maximum Stay	Exit Requirements
Brunei	– Tourist Visa: Not Required (for stays < 14 days)	– Passport valid for 6 months from date of departure from Brunei	14 days	– Departure tax of 12 BND from airport
Cambodia	– Tourist Visa: Required, valid for 90 days from date of issue – Fee: $20 USD (or 1,000 THB) – Obtain upon arrival if travelling overland from Thailand via the Trat/Koh Kong or Aranyaprathet/Poipet crossings – Otherwise, obtain visa in advance from foreign Embassy – Valid passport – 1 passport photo	– Valid passport – Valid visa	30 days (extendable)	– Departure tax of $25 USD from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap International airports
East Timor	– Tourist Visa: Required – Fee: $30 USD – Obtain upon entry	– Valid passport – Valid visa	30 days (extendable)	?
Indonesia	– Tourist Visa: Required, valid for 3 months from date of issue – Fee: $45 CAD (single entry, in advance from Embassy) OR $25 USD upon arrival – 1 passport photo – copy of exit ticket	– Passport valid for 6 months from date of entry – Onward/return tocket – Proof of sufficient funds	60 days (visa in advance) OR 30 days (visa-on-arrival)	– International departure tax of 100,000 IDR
Laos	– Tourist Visa: Required – Fee: $30 USD – Obtain upon arrival	– Valid passport – Valid visa (make sure to get entry stamp)	15 days	– Airport tax charged upon departure
Malaysia	– Tourist Visa: Not Required	?	30 to 60 days (extendable)	?
Myanmar	– Tourist Visa: Required	– Valid passport (valid for at least 6 months from date of issue) – Valid visa	28 days	– Enter and exit from the same port
Philippines	– Tourist Visa: Issued upon arrival (if stay is < 21 days) – Fee: $45.60 CAD (3 months, single entry); $91.20 CAD (1 year, multiple entry)	– Valid passport (valid for at least 6 months from date of entry) – Onward/return ticket	21 days (or more w/ visa)	– International departure tax of 550 PHP from airport in Manila
Singapore	– Tourist Visa: Not Required.	– Valid passport (valid for at least 6 months from date of entry) – Onward/return ticket & approprite visa onward destination – Proof of sufficient funds	30 days (typically, not always)	– Disembarkation card
Thailand	– Tourist Visa: Not Required. (for stays up to 30 days)	– Valid passport (valid for at least 6 months from date of departure) – Onward/return ticket – 30 day entry stamp from immigration checkpoint	30 days/visit (cannot exceed 90 days within a 6-month period)	– Departure tax of 500 THB (increasing to 700 THB in Feb ’07)
Vietnam	– Tourist Visa: Required. – Fee: Subject to change, call Embassy – Obtain up to 6 months in advance from Embassy – Valid passport and copy of passport – 1 passport photo	– Valid passport (valid for at least 6 months from date of departure) – Valid visa – Register with local police upon arrival	30 days	– Arrival/departure card

 

TOURIST VISA, ENTRY, and EXIT REQUIREMENTS (FOR CANADIANS) EAST ASIA
Country	Visa Requirements	Entry Requirements	Maximum Stay	Exit Requirements
China	– Tourist Visa: Required – Fees: Single-Entry $50 CAD – Double-Entry $75 CAD -Multi-Entry $100 CAD -2 passport photos	?	30 days (single) 3 months (double) 6 months (multi)	?
Hong Kong	– Tourist Visa: Not Required	?	90 days	?

 

SOUTH ASIA TOURIST VISA, ENTRY, and EXIT REQUIREMENTS (FOR CANADIANS)
Country	Visa Requirements	Entry Requirements	Maximum Stay	Exit Requirements
Bangladesh	– Tourist Visa: Required – Fee: $80 CAD, single entry – Obtain in advance from the High Commission – Valid passport – 3 passport photos – Flight itinerary	– Passport valid for 6 mo from departure date – Onward/return ticket	90 days	– Airport depature tax usually included in airfare
Bhutan	– Tourist Visa: Required – Fee: $20 USD, single entry – Obtain in advance from an authorized travel agent – Valid passport – 2 passport photos	– Passport valid for 6 mo from departure date – Pre-arranged (30 days in advance) tour with authorized Bhutanese tour group (~ $200 USD/day)	14 days	– None.
India	– Tourist Visa: Required – Fee: $62 CAD – Obtain in advance from Consulate General, “red”>valid from date of issue – Passport valid for 6 months – 2 passport photos	– Valid visa issued within 14 days of arrival – Passport valid for at least 6 months from expected departure date	180 days	– None.
Nepal	– Tourist Visa: Required – Fee: $30 USD – Obtain upon arrival – 1 recent photo	– Valid passport – Valid visa	60 days (extendable)	– Airport tax charged upon departure
Pakistan	– Tourist Visa: Required – Fee: $100 CAD – Obtain in advance from the Diplomatic Mission – Passport valid for at least 6 months – 2 passport photos	– Valid passport – Valid visa	?	?
Sri Lanka	– Tourist Visa: Not Required – For stays < 30 days	– Passport valid for 6 months from departure date – Onward/return ticket – Proof of sufficient funds	30 days	?