This will be a backpack experience using a mix of public buses/trains and some chartered minibuses from town to town. The minibus hires are for day trip in Poprad, to Krakow, Prague to Krumlov and from Krumlov to Vienna , we hire local vans. We stay in pensions and hostels in rooms with private bath ranging from 2 to 4 pax sharing room. Its quite important participants are able to manage their own luggage and we suggest backpacks . As usual, you pay for your own meals, cable car rides, entrance fees, within-the-town taxis/trams and other activities, unless stated otherwise..
Day 0 KLIA:: Assemble at KLIA by 7PM NIGHT 9 JUN 2012 SATURDAY. Fly Qatar Airways QR625 to Doha at 855PM arriving 1120PM.
Day 1 Bratislava: Connect to Qatar Airways QR093 to Vienna departing 200AM arriving 650AM. From Vienna Airport, we bus directly to Bratislava 110km 1:15 hr (1hr 15min). Relax or wander about the Old City of Bratislava and the main square. Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia. Stay triples or quads with private bath in hostel, breakfast not included.
Day 2 Poprad: We take the morning train to Poprad 344km 4hr. After checking into our pension, we visit the pretty town of Poprad with its lively pedestrian walkway. Stay doubles with private bath in pension, breakfast included.
Day 3 Dobinska Ice Caves, Spis Castle and Levoca: We hire a minibus for a full day tour starting with Unesco listed Dobinska Ice Cave. Then we visit Unesco listed Spis Castle, one of the biggest castles in Central Europe. We finish the day in Levoca, a small but impressive town, full of fine Renaissance buildings, completely circled by original walls and fortifications. Stay doubles with private bath in pension in Proprad. Minibus cost is covered for this day.
Day 4 Stary Smokovec & Tatry Mountains: Minibus at 830am morning to the mountain town of Stary Smokovec 13km 30min, in the famous Tatry Mountains. After a quick checking in, we take the 903am train to Tatranska Lomnica 6km and cable car up to Skalnate Pleso. Members have the option of cabling higher to the second highest point in Tatry Mountains called Lomniky Stit 2634m. We then walk about 3hr to Hrebienok 1280m and descent using the funicular railway built 1908. Stay doubles/triples with private bath in pension in Stary Smokovec, breakfast not included. Note that train rides are covered. Members pay for furnicular and cable car rides.
Day 5 More Tary Mountains: Another day in Stary Smokovec to relax and enjoy the mountains. Today Group can visit Strbske Pleso, a 3hr hike return. We take the train 16km 40min to Strbske Pleso station to begin the walk. There are other shorter walks in the area for members to chose. Free day and transport on this day not covered. Second night in Stary Smokovec.
Day 6 Zakopane & Kasprowy Wierch Poland: A morning public bus will take us the border town of Tatranska Javorina 31km 54min where we cross into Lysa Polana Poland . We hire a minibus to take group from here to Zakopane 30min, the main town in the Polish Tatry Mountains . We proceed to Kuznice for a cable car ride (own cost Rm50) up to Kasprowy Wierch 1987m, a famous snow peak in Poland. After that, Group is free to wander about beautiful mountain village Zakopane. Stay doubles/triples with private bath in pension in Zakopane, breakfast included.
Trekking and Tatry Mountains Slovakia
Day 7 Dolina Koscieliska : At 9am, a minibus takes group to Dolina Koscieliska for a beautiful valley alongside a pretty river/ up to a mountain hut for lunch. Group return to Zakopane for free rest of day. Second night in Zakopane. Minibus hire for this day is covered.
Day 8 Krakow & Auschwitz Prison Camp : At 9am we go by hired minibus to take group to Krakow 120km 2.5hr. After lunch we go on the 1230 noon guided tour of Unesco listed Auschwitz Prison Camp, the famous WW2 Prison camp was responsible for the extermination of more than 1.5 million Jews and other Nationalities. After the 3.5hr tour, we return to Krakow. We have the rest of the day free to relax and walk about this Unesco listed town. Stay doubles/triples with private bath in guesthouse in Krakow, breakfast included. Minibus hire is coverd.
Day 9 Krakow: We spend the whole day visiting Krakow's Wawel castle and the Old Town. Many of the impressive structures of Krakow are built from the salt money, which was worth its weight in gold at one time. This town has the largest town square in Europe, measuring 200 meters by 200 meters. Stay Krakow breakfast included.
Day 10 Wieliczka Salt Mine: We take the frequent local minbuses to Unesco listed Wieliczka Salt Mine, one of the oldest salt mines in Europe. We have the rest of the day to relax and enjoy Krakow. At night we take the overnight sleeper train to Prague Czek Republic 500km 8:41hr. Minibus fare to Salt Mine and train to Prague is covered.
Day 11 Prague: We arrive in Prague at 8AM and take local trams to our nearby hotel 2 stops down. We have a half day guided tour of the Old Town after which Group is free for the rest of the day. Unesco listed Prague has amazing old architecture including the huge Prague Castle and and the famous Charles Bridge. Local trams/metro rides are not covered. Stay second night in Prague.
Day 12 Karlovy Vary & Prague: After breakfast, we bus to Florenc Bus Station (2 stops) for a140km 2:15hr public bus ride to Karlovy Vary, the the largest and oldest spa town, with 12 hot springs containing some 40 chemical elements used in treatment of various diseases. We return to Prague at 4PM. This is an optional trip and bus fares Rm60 not covered. Members have the opttion of a second day in Prague. Stay budget hotel in doubles private bath and breakfast included.
Auschwitz Birkenau Camps / Historic Market Festival Cesky Krumlov
Day 13 Ceksy Krumlov: We take the frequent public bus to Cesky Krumlov 3hrs arriving before noon. The first day of the Five Petalled Rose starts today and the events and activities will be similar to the Jun 2011 events, shown here ttp://www.ckrumlov.info/docs/en/atr370.xml Stay in triples/twins with private baths in pension, breakfast included.
Day 14 Cesky Krumlov: Festivities will include Historic Costume Parade through the town, Historic Market, historic folk dance and songs, juggling acts and many other shows. Cesky Krumlov is a beautiful small town with its labyrinth of lanes and squares. Listed on the Unesco World Heritage list, medieval Cesky Krumlov has not changed much and now is a haven for neighboring Austria and backpackers and a wonderful place to “lepak”.
Day 15 Cesky Krumlov: Last day of the Festival and more events. We will do a rafting or canoeing trip down the Vltava River that meanders through the middle of the town or simply relax in one of the cafes in town.
Day 16 Vienna: We take a shuttle a van from Cesky Krumlov to Vienna Austria 3.5hr. On this day, we usually visit the Schonnbrunn Palace of the Habsburg Empire. We spent the night in a Pension in triples and doubles, breakfast included. Minibus cost included.
Day 17 Vienna: A full day in Vienna to appreciate the Old town and the rest of the sights in vibrant and modern Vienna. Second night stay in Vienna.
Day 18 Airport:: After breakfast, we take the local airport shuttle at the station bus-stop, 10 min walk from the Pension. We fly to Doha on QR094 at 1245 noon arriving at 705PM. We connect to QR620 departing 810PM.
Day 19 Doha transit: Arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 850AM JUN 28, 2012 THURSDAY.
Small town Cesky Krumlov / Prague town square
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
- Cost cover airfares, accommodation and traveling to sites mentioned above.
- Accommodations will be in doubles, triples or quads with private bath as stated above, in pensions, hostels and budget hotels. Breakfast is provided with accommodation in the places mentioned abouve.
- Not covered are airport taxes & fuel surcharges Rm1300, meals (Rm50 x 14 day = Rm700), entrance fees and optional activities like Karlovy Vary day trip, cable-cars and rafting/anoeing (about Rm500 in total). In-town trams metro are not covered except for transfers to and from train/bus stations to our place of stay. In many places, we have kitchen facilites for self catered meals to save cost.
- Cost is subject to change depending on fluctuations in exchange rates and/or airfares.
- A deposit of Rm1060 will be payable 10to confirm your place.
- We may quickly call in more deposits should we require to pay for lower fares flights either online or through ticketing agent.
Email: yongo@unifi.my or rachelheng123@gmail.com
Phone: Lee Min 016-220 9033 or 603-4031 6225
Phone: Rachel 012 352 0868
Address: No 19 Lorong Air Bersih Tiga, Air Panas, 53200 Kuala Lumpur
