low cost carriers

Wiki link

Virgin Blue (australia, NZ, fiji, indo, other small islands)

Jet Star (Australia, NZ, japan, se asia, + more)

Air Asia (SE Asia)... based in Malaysia

Tiger Air

Cebu Pacific (philippines)

Viva Macau (japan to Macau)

Travel Docs/ Vaccinations

Australia

• U.S. Passport Valid 3 Months Beyond Intended Stay
• Tickets and Documents for Return or Onward Travel
• Visa or Electronic Travel Authority is required.
  
• Australia joined the U.S. Visa Waiver Pilot Program in July 1996. An Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), valid for entry for 1 year and a stay up to 3 months, is required. There is no charge for a tourist ETA. The ETA can be issued by most travel agents or by telephone with the airline carrier.
  Note: The ETA may not be available for passengers entering Australia by EVERY airline; or by every cruise vessel or sea or private aircraft. CHECK WITH THE AIRLINE WHEN YOU BOOK. If the ETA is not available you will require a visa issued prior to travel
• Vaccinations - International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever required if arriving from, or transiting through, an infected country within 5 days

New Zealand

• U.S. Passport must be valid 3 months beyond intended stay
• Tickets and Documents for return or onward travel
• No Visa Required for stay up to three months
• Visa required for stay between 3 months and 6 months
• Vaccinations - None Required

Japan
http://www.traveldocs.com/jp/index.htm

• No Visa Required for Stay up to 3 Months
• Vaccinations - None Required

Fiji

• U.S. Passport must be valid 3 months beyond intended stay
• No visa required for stay up to three months
• Tickets and Documents for return or onward travel
• Vaccination: International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever required if arriving from infected area within 5 days

Laos

• http://www.traveldocs.com/la/index.htm
• Vaccinations - International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever required if arriving from infected area within 5 days
• Visa Required. May be obtained on arrival at Vientiane Airport (only), for stay up to Fifteen Days

Tourist Visa

• Visa for stay up to 15 days can be obtained at Vientiane Airport only (not border crossings).
  For stays exceeding 15 days:
  
• 2 Visa Application Forms, fully completed and signed
• 3 Passport-type photographs
• Completed Cover Page and Credit Card Authorization forms (print from browser)
• Submit your Passport, must have at least six months remaining validity and one blank visa page
• Photocopy of travel agency, or airline itinerary

Thailand

• U.S. Passport must be valid 6 months beyond intended stay
  
• No visa required for stay up to 30 days
  
• Tickets and Documents for return or onward travel
  
• Vaccination: International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever required if arriving from infected area within 5 days

Vietnam

• U.S. Passport must be valid 3 months beyond intended stay
• Tickets and Documents for return or onward travel
• Vaccinations - International Certificate of Vaccination required for Yellow Fever if arriving within 6 days from an infected area.
• Visa Required
  For visa service instructions select a TDS Visa Center below:
  

  Washington DC
  
New York

San Francisco

Submit your Passport (must have at least 6 months remaining validity)

• 1 Visa Application Form, completed and signed
• 1 Passport-type photograph
• Completed Cover Page and Credit Card Authorization forms (print from browser)
• Visa Approval Form (usually issued by the Consulate for $40.00)
  

Korea

• U.S. Passport must be valid 6 months beyond intended stay
• No visa required for stay up to 30 days
• Tickets and Documents for return or onward travel
• Vaccination: None required

Indonesia

• U.S. Passport must be valid 6 months beyond intended stay
• Tickets and Documents for return or onward travel
• Visa required (eff. 2/1/04) Visa can be obtained on arrival at airports for stays up to 30 days
• Vaccinations - International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever required if arriving from infected area within 5 days

Good travel resources.

• Lonely Planet Guide basic info on Asian countries...
• CIA Factbook
  
• International WWOOF
• WWOOF Australia
• WWOOF NZ
  
• WWOOF Japan
  
• Bicycling Australia and NZ forum
• Wind? No concern?
• New Zealand bike Guide
  
• New Zealand Accomodations

Any other resources? send em over, and I'd love to take a look...

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=436849&highlight=flying

http://www.delayingtherealworld.com/resources.php

Currency rates... where to go?

Not that we're heading to countries for the most bang for the dollar... BUT... it's nice to know that some places will be cheaper than others.

We're heading to Aussie land first... where the dollar is kicking that giant kangaroo's tail.




And it's doing well in NZ as well... where their dollar is flightless like a their birds...






Japan is a different story. We may have cut that one shorter... and eat sushi elsewhere.




The Korean Won?





And Thai Bhat is looking good too... we'll see how it does 7 months from now...





Vietnam

Courtesy of x-rates.com... which doesn't rate x-rated videos, for some reason.

I'm hoping my blogging skilz are good enough that these graphs change every so often, automatically... but that will remain to be seen.