After many changes and delays due to COVID restrictions and isolations since 2020 (see 2020 and 2021 travel planning posts) I’ve now made a significant step for my next big international trip to Central Asia and Turkey.

I just booked my first flights to get from Melbourne, Australia to Istanbul, Turkey via Singapore to start this adventure late April 2023. The best thing is I managed to redeem business class seats using Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles, which came to 86,000 miles and $109 co-payment. As a result I also submitted my leave request which my work has just approved for this 42 day trip.

So now I’ll have a business class flight Melbourne to Singapore on Boeing 777 which is a 7 hour and 50 minute flight. Then after a short transit I’ll be catching an Airbus 350 flight in business class for an 11 hour flight.

Singapore Airlines are well known for the luxury of their First and Business Class products so this should be an excellent way to made the lengthily flights bearable (well I suspected better then bearable LOL). I had to book the flights as soon as awards opened as they get grabbed straight away.

The timing of the flights means I’ll get into Istanbul a little earlier than planned but this has let me book a Istanbul Walking Tour and Bosphorus Cruise extra.

This trip will see me visit the following seven countries:

1. Turkey
2. Kyrgyzstan;
3. Kazakhstan;
4. Tajikistan;
5. Uzbekistan;
6. Turkmenistan; and
7. Singapore.

Getting from Istanbul, Turkey to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan at the end of the Best of Turkey Tour for the start of the Five Stans of the Silk Road Tour, and then later getting from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan back to Istanbul, Turkey will be a lot more tricky and lots like unusually timed flights like 3 am will be required. Still that is for another day, the big thing is leave and my flights to start this trip are booked!