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transport

Finding a Home on Wheels

by Keith on July 26, 2010 · 0 comments

The Anticipation
After 8 months of being on someone else’s schedule to get around, whether it was a bus, train, boat, tuk-tuk or even the occasional airplane, I was looking forward to the freedom of driving when we got to Australia. Open roads, stopping at roadside stands for fresh fruit and vegetables, being in control of the air conditioning: it all sounded fantastic. To live the dream we decided that a campervan made the most sense, as we wanted to cover quite a bit of ground from Cairns to Sydney while seeing many sights along the Eastern Coast. In addition to the freedom of being on your own schedule, having a camper is great because you are covering your lodging and transport with one cost. And in a country like Australia where a private double room in a hostel can cost upwards of $52/night, a camper can be quite a cost saver.

The one reservation that Amy and I had about many of the initial companies we looked into was the size of the campers and varied reports from other travelers on the quality once they picked them up. As you can see below, the “campers” from companies like Wicked are really just converted old mini vans. Being crammed into one of these for a couple weeks made us both a little nervous, even if the paint jobs are creative.

Finding the Right Company
We were fortunate enough to find out about KEA Campers while we were in Beijing. KEA operates in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The best part was they have a serious commitment to the environment as all of their campers have solar panels on the roofs that charge the electrical system when it is not plugged in at a campground. In addition, they operate a new and very fuel-efficient fleet of campers. Our 2-person model was a converted Ford Transit van. The best part of this vehicle was that while it was small enough to drive comfortably, the living area was tall enough to be able to stand up and walk around in. And by looking around KEA’s website we were able to get our camper on a “fleet relocation” special which reduced the daily rate from $120 AUS to $80 AUS (~$75 USD) per day. The pickup process in Cairns was pretty easy once we arrived at the depot, which is quite a walk from town. The van came equipped with nearly everything we would need from maps, a coffee press and even dish soap. Many of the other camper companies will not include even necessities such as pots and pans in the stated price, making you pay extra for them.

The Drive
I found the camper was easy and comfortable to drive. One thing to note is that KEA’s entire fleet is manual transmission. I found the driving to be quite easy, even if as the driver I was on the right side of the cab, driving on the left side of the road and having to shift with my left hand. I think I only stalled out twice…the first day. Since the camper was a manual transmission diesel it got much better mileage than other campers. Mileage is another consideration when renting a camper. While some of the campervans may have much cheaper per day costs, if they are older they could get much worse gas mileage than a new, more comfortable van such as a KEA. Fuel costs are likely to be your second biggest cost when renting a camper so be sure you are aware of gas mileage the vehicle will likely get and build that cost into your budget.

Bringing it Back
Due to our change in plans, we had to get to Sydney a week earlier than expected. When I called KEA to explain the situation they could not have been more accommodating. Not only did they take the camper back early, they refunded us for the days we did not use – in full! The check in process in Sydney was quite easy. After pulling in and doing a quick inspection of the van, the agent took us inside to process the paperwork and refund our insurance excess deposit of $7,500AUS – which because of the strengthening Australian dollar, made us a profit of nearly $500 USD. This is another thing to note about KEA. If you do not pay for the extra insurance they will charge your credit card $7,500AUS. That money is refunded when the van is returned in the same condition it was rented in. However, if your credit card company charges international transaction fees or the Australian dollar changes in relative value your refund will not match your deposit. For us it worked in our favor but it could have been the opposite.

All in all I was very happy with our experience with KEA. And while they are not the lowest cost company, their campers are very high quality and they have a clear commitment to limiting their impact on the environment. When Amy and I make it to New Zealand we will be sure to get our camper from KEA.

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New Found Freedom

by Amy on March 18, 2010 · 8 comments

In Vang Vieng, Laos, Keith and I had the happy coincidence of running into Gillian and Jason from one-giant-step.com. We spent the next few days together exploring caves, kayaking down the Nam Song River and just hanging out enjoying the sunsets behind the karsts. Perhaps our greatest adventure was learning how to ride a scooter and going out on our own to explore some of the caves and waterholes off the beaten tourist path.

Having never really ridden on a scooter before, Keith and I jumped at the chance to learn from people with experience. While Jason gave Keith a lesson on how to drive the bike, I suited up in my jeans, facemask and bubblegum pink helmet. Not exactly the most stylish outfit, but I enjoy keeping the skin on my body intact and my lungs dust-free.

It didn’t take long for Keith to get the hang of the bike and soon the four of us were off on the quiet dirt roads that branch out to the west of town. The roads were bumpy and dusty, but with almost no other traffic. And while the fact that no one drives faster than 30 or 40 kilometers per hour can be incredibly frustrating on long, hot bus rides, the slow speeds make riding a scooter an easy experience even when we had to share the road.

The most amazing part of learning to ride a scooter is the new found freedom we have to just jump on a bike and take off, without having to find public transportation (which is often quite limited) or join a tour group (which are often too big or too expensive). For the first time in five months on the road, we were completely on our own schedule, able to spend as much or as little time as we wanted at the different sites around town. Having this freedom will transform how we travel through the rural parts of northern Laos and Thailand. Those sites that once seemed too obscure or difficult to get to are now easily within our reach.

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A Breath of Fresh Air – Aswan and Luxor, Egypt

by Amy on November 20, 2009 · 4 comments

The train station platform in Giza is packed, filthy and loud as we wait for our overnight train to Aswan, which is running late. Old, decrepit trains pull into the station, one after another, and the kid sent with us by the hostel to ensure we get onto the right train looks nervous, unsure which is the right train to put us on. A train pulls in, and many of the other obvious tourists on the platform board. Is this our train? The kid looks unsure. We stand on the platform as the train pulls away. What exactly have we gotten ourselves into?

About an hour later, we are escorted onto a train. Much to my relief, the sleeping cabin is private and clean, with warm blankets and soft pillows. We both sleep well on the thirteen-hour ride south.

Aswan is literally a breath of fresh air after spending several days in Cairo. It’s hot, but the air is clear and the traffic is light. After a quick lunch and settling into our hotel room, we meet up with our tour guide to explore the sites, including the Unfinished Obelisk, the High Dam (which was built to control the flooding of the Nile River, provide hydroelectric power and resulted in the creation ofLake Nassar), and the beautiful Philae Temple.

The next morning we arose at 3am to meet up with the convoy to Abu Simbel, just north of the Sudanese border. All traffic to Abu Simbel is required to travel in one of two convoys and stop at multiple checkpoints along the way. After a nearly four-hour ride, we arrived at the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel. As you can see, all of our pictures are of the exteriors of the temples. Like many of the sites in Egypt, photographs of the beautiful carved and painted interiors of the temples is forbidden.

In Luxor, we explored the Mummification Museum, a small but interesting museum dedicated to all things mummy. A little creepy, but at the same time fascinating. In the late afternoon we meet up with our guide for a tour of the Karnak Temple, catching the sunset before heading to the Luxor Temple, which is lit up after dark.

The next day our guide takes us to the West Bank of Luxor to tour the Valley of the Queens, the Valley of the Kings, Deir el- Bahri (the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut), and the Colossi of Memnon. Again, photography is forbidden inside the amazing tombs, so you’ll have to use you imagination to see the amazing paintings and carvings that line the walls.

It was a hectic four days touring Aswan and Luxor, but the sites were incredible and with the help of a great guide we learned more about ancient Egypt that we could have possible imagined. Next up, recovering from so much site seeing on the beaches of Dahab.

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