The Amazing Race Asia 3 Spoilers/Speculation

[apskip]

Where are the extra ARA3 legs?

To date we have identified legs in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Saigon, Hue, Hong Kong, Macau and Cochin. That is only 7.

I believe that there will be one in Hanoi. Timing shows that there cannot be one in Singapore. The sighting of teams in Beijing has been discounted due to need for an overlapping segment in Bangkok.

So, where are the other 3 legs, assuming that 11 is the minimum number of legs that will occur(vs. historical of 14 total legs for Amazing Race 1 and also 2 with all those filler NEL legs)? There could be 2 legs in any of the places listed, but I don't think so based on the timing indicated.

Does anyone have thoughts on where the extra legs are? Speak up now, as it's only 10 days to the beginning of ARA3.

[topaz]

most probably the other 3 legs will be outside Asian countries like in Europe or in Africa before heading back to Asia where there's no witnesses on the race there just like what happened to the final leg on the previous season of TARA when the 4 remaining teams went to Cape Town, South Africa.

The best guess?  If it is in Africa, the best place will be in Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar or Mauritius.  Or if it is in Europe, the best place will be Greece, Finland (due to the fact that they'd sponsored Nokia and that country is famous for the maker of that cellphone brand), Poland, Germany, etc.

[georgiapeach]

I need to tweak the time estimate for the start shot.

Sorry!  

This shot was taken between 5:08 and 5:38 pm (assumes May 20th).

As always, Chateau--you are the master!    

I just heard back from Andrew, our blogger who sent us the original photo of the teams "enjoying" the bugs, and he said:

I remember it was around 5-6 pm when we saw them on Khao San Road.

So so far we seem to be  right on track! 

[georgiapeach]

Where are the extra ARA3 legs?

Unfortubately we ran out of sightings, so everything from here on out remains speculation....


Hanoi remains a possibility for the leg after Hue due to geographic proximity.

Michael Mckay has said that

"I wanted the third series to look and feel different to the others.

I didn't want it to focus so much on the big travel legs of series 2. I wanted to set a route that tested the stamina and endurance of the teams and their smarts.

I was keen to establish it as an extremely tough race right from the outset and one that focuses attention on the teams and their relationships. I really do hope fans of the series will love The Amazing Race Asia 3 as much as we love producing it for them" he adds.

So geographic proximity may be important --as we have seen so far that the teams are being sent by local transport in each of the first 2 legs.

Taiwan was mentioned as a possibility to me some time ago, but is speculation without more evidence.

I would love it if teams broke with tradition and ended the race somewhere besides Thailand...perhaps it isn't too late for Beijing?? Again, speculation.

JonLover believes that he saw (As the AXN sight was loading) evidence for Goa and Osaka, both quickly removed.

A second leg in India is certainly very possible, and Goa is not all that far from Cochin.

So there are still all sorts of possibilities for us to play with, but my guess would be that TARA 3 does not visit either Africa or Europe this time around....

[Zack.]

Would there be enough time for a trip to Oceania? Maybe Cochin to somewhere in Australia for a couple of legs and then back to Asia?

I'm guessing a "big travel leg" would be like, say, a trip to the states (though going from India to North America and back to Asia seems like a lot of work for little benefit).

[apskip]

topaz stated

The best guess?  If it is in Africa, the best place will be in Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar or Mauritius.  Or if it is in Europe, the best place will be Greece, Finland (due to the fact that they'd sponsored Nokia and that country is famous for the maker of that cellphone brand), Poland, Germany, etc.

peach has stated

Taiwan was mentioned as a possibility to me some time ago, but is speculation without more evidence.

I would love it if teams broke with tradition and ended the race somewhere besides Thailand...perhaps it isn't too late for Beijing?? Again, speculation.

JonLover believes that he saw (As the AXN sight was loading) evidence for Goa and Osaka, both quickly removed.

A second leg in India is certainly very possible, and Goa is not all that far from Cochin.

So there are still all sorts of possibilities for us to play with, but my guess would be that TARA 3 does not visit either Africa or Europe this time

Zachattack308 has stated

Maybe Cochin to somewhere in Australia for a couple of legs and then back to Asia

So, those are three different and interesting points of view. Now that the issue has surfaced, I will share my thoughts which were crystallized by the above debate:

1. Cochin benig on the west coast of India, the most logical thing to do is to go to east Africa - Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania or Ethiopia. Some of these could be visited.

2. However, I believe that Amazing Race Asia ends in Asia although I have no idea where. I would tend to say western Asia rather than eastern. That suggests the finish could be in Ankara or Istanbul.

3. If the finish were in Turkey, then it could have gone to eastern Europe first. I don't think western Europe can have happened without a sighting. The countries I have in mind are Romania, Ukraine, Poland and most especially Finland(I totally agree with topaz on this).

4. There is another possibility from zachattack308, a trip to Oceania. This would mean Australia(with so many large urban areas that you could do an entire race just in that country). Perth in particular is closest to what would be a finish line in east Asia.  Darwin is also more accessible than the rest of Australia. I do not think that ARA3 followed ARA2(and AR13) to New Zealand. The Philippines other than Manila is a possiblity. Tawian is also a possibility. Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau are all qutie close to Taiwan.

5. A last leg in Beijing is possible.

So, there is a plethora of possible places and routes. We need some observer information to help us break this logjam.

[georgiapeach]

Hmmmm...

someone has a new picture!  Friendlier, more approachable...   

[apskip]

You never really know what is going to happen. Sometimes you think it is the end of the leg and then no, we get another clue and realise the race is still on.

says 43-year-old Henry during a recent interview with The Star.

To me this sounds distinctively like a TBC leg, which we have seen very little of in any prior Amazing Race Asia, which were riddled with NELs.

[Alan]

Henry and Bernie might be flirting with elimination on leg 1/2?
Or where is this place?

[Slowhatch]

Or where is this place?

Neobie already pegged it: it's the Royal Pavilion at Ratchaphruek (enlarge the photo here for a closer look).

[Alan]

Or where is this place?

Neobie already pegged it: it's the Royal Pavilion at Ratchaphruek (enlarge the photo here for a closer look).

Ok thanks, maybe just a casual reaction by them, seems scary though. Natalie and Pailin favourites for the first boot?

[puddin]

  Taken on May 29th found at flickr , Hong Kong I assume.
eta: its not a team but a cameraman?

tagged: "Doubtful " The Amazing Race" Enroute point"

same same?
Its Hong Kong

ETA:  yup its Mongkok

[Anthonyctf]

  Taken on May 29th found at flickr , Hong Kong I assume.
eta: its not a team but a cameraman?

tagged: "Doubtful " The Amazing Race" Enroute point"

same same?
Its Hong Kong

ETA:  yup its Mongkok

WOW!!!!!
News Photo Form Hk Leg
Could You Please Upload The Website You Found The Photo
If There's Any Chinese May be I can Help

[Chateau d If]

This shot was taken between 9:18 and 9:42 am (assumes May 21st).

[Chateau d If]

This shot was taken between 11:09 am and 12:12 pm (assumes May21st).  See correction

[Chateau d If]

I already need to make a correction:  I found a better shot:


This shot was taken between 10:45 and 11:09 am (assumes May21st).

[georgiapeach]

  These will help SO much!!

With the nice bus stop times and these, we ought to be able to start to put together a "who arrives  first" list pretty soon!  

[Neobie]

Chinese turns out to be easier to read at a distance (thanks Puddin!) - this is 通菜街, Tung Choi St in Mong Kok which puts it here in the middle of Ladies' Market, at the intersection with Shantung St...

(There're hangers by the side of the cluebox. Cameras? Compasses? What gadgets do they need?)

http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=15379.0;attach=108035;image

[banzai]

(There're hangers by the side of the cluebox. Cameras? Compasses? What gadgets do they need?)

I said to hang the raincoats but peach made fun of me. Hahaha. 

[georgiapeach]

The yellow raincoats in ep 1? I LIKED that idea! Just didn't think TAR was that nice to the racers to give them raincoats, !!

But if we are seeing it in HK too maybe they just remodelled the clueboxes this year....the just in case hook!

[georgiapeach]

Wow!! Way to spoil a leg before it airs! I'm really surprised this slipped past AXN...

MANILA, Philippines—Team Philippines’ Geoff Rodriguez and Tisha Silang landed the No. 2 spot on the first day of a month-long competition for the reality program, “The Amazing Race Asia Season 3,” Inquirer Entertainment learned.
During the “Tara3” exclusive screening at the Inquirer offices in Makati City, we took a peek into what transpired in the day-long race that began in Bangkok and culminated in Chiang Mai in Thailand. Oliver Faivre, 26, and Mai Sarasas, 24, representatives of the host country, placed first.
On the first race day, all 10 teams were made to eat bugs, pound on rice grains and clean buses. More of these on the action-adventure channel AXN on Sept. 11 at 9 p.m.

The teams — two pairs each from Thailand, Malaysia and India, and one pair each from the Philippines, Singapore, Korea and Hong Kong — race to win $100,000.

In a statement sent to Inquirer Entertainment, AXN dubbed the new season as “The toughest race ever.” Fatigue level was so high, the statement said, that one production crew member was hospitalized. The race is said to be faster in pace, with shorter breaks, compared to the first two seasons.Geoff, 26, and Tisha, 32, have been dating for three and a half years. “Nobody would have thought that we’d end up dating. We have very different personalities,” said Tisha.

The couple said they have huge shoes to fill, since TV host Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez, as RP representatives last season, finished third.

Representing Hong Kong this season are best buddies Sam Wu, 32, university lecturer and Vince Chung, 32, comedian and host.

LINK

[georgiapeach]

Kudos to Chateau for the "Oliver in the lead" time shots and to banzai et al who discussed the rice here...

Cleaning buses? Bangkok or Chiang Mai? Maybe they do that before they take the bus to Chiang Mai?? Or could those on a bus shots have anything to do with cleaning as opposed to "taking a bus"??

[apskip]

Kudos to Chateau for the "Oliver in the lead" time shots and to banzai et al who discussed the rice here...

Cleaning buses? Bangkok or Chiang Mai? Maybe they do that before they take the bus to Chiang Mai?? Or could those on a bus shots have anything to do with cleaning as opposed to "taking a bus"??

Peach, as you know buses were cleaned in Moscow in AR9 and I think cars were cleaned in ARA1 in Singapore on the infamous one-task stop. To take a bus takes all night. If the 6pm start is definite and the 2pm bug eating contest(has to be the next day) is also correct, then we have a TBC leg to continue to Chiang Mai. That is most likely by plane since the bus schedules are not conducive(people don't want to arrive on buses in Chiang Mai in the hours after midnight, so there appear to be no Bangkok departures scheduled until 9pm).

The flight schedules Bangkok to Chiang Mai originate from 2 separate airports, Suvarnabumi(BKK) and Don Mueang(DMK). Starting after 2pm, they are:

TG1116 DMK CNX 1515 1625
TG116 BKK CNX 1715 1825
TG116 BKK CNX 1715 1825
TG126 BkK CNX 1900 2020

It is clear that these provide a range of flight possibilities depending on when teams get to a Bangkok airport. I consider it unlikely that they went on buses, although it is possible.

[apskip]

UPDATED ARA3 TIMELINE (modified Sept. 8 and 9)

 I show 9 legs in what will be 15 days when the Cochin pitstop is reached, while we know there are likely to be at least 2 more somewhere.

May 19 Bangkok, start of ARA3; leg 1 begins

May 20 tasks in Bangkok culimnating with TBC after bug-eating in the afternoon at Khao San Road;
leg 2 begins;
Bangkok to Chiang Mai possiblities depending on when teams get to TBC:

TG1116 DMK CNX 1515 1625
TG116 BKK CNX 1715 1825
TG126 BkK CNX 1900 2020
TG1124 DMK CNX 2145 2255

An alternative is the public first-class buses, which depart Bangkok for Chiang Mai every 30 minutes from 1700 to 2100. With the transit time of 10 hours (possibly slightly less for the later buses), that would put teams into Chiang Mai at 3am to 7am. Maybe they could start tasks if before 7am, but I suspect they will be hit with an Hours of Operation to equalize. There is also the possibility of charter buses with the same route and schedule to provide teams with extra comfort, which doesn't sound compatible with Michael McKay's vision of the toughness of this race.

then tasks and Hours of Operation

May 21  tasks in Chiang Mai, with pitstop around midnight

May 22  leg 3 begins with release from pitstop around noon
fly to Saigon via Bangkok - TG111 CNX BKK 1440 1550 connecting with TG686 BKK SGN 1815 1945 there
alternative could be one of 5 CNX BKK flights remaining 1915 through 0945, with TG127 2100 2210 or May 23 TG125 0700 0810 most applicable. Both of those connect on May 23 with TG680 0900 1030;
tasks in Saigon for earliest arrivals

May 23 more tasks in Saigon(Ho Chi Minh City)particularly for the late arrivals;
extended pitstop begins 

May 24 pitstop continues

May 25 leg 4 begins; train not possible due to the extended pitstop(but would be if one day earlier without extended pitstop);
 VN250  0700 0820 SGN HUI or VN252 1130 1250;
sighting at Imperial City;
pitstop

May 26 begin leg 5 Hue to Hanoi; NOTE that Hanoi is speculation on my part. it makes eminent sense based on the geography and timing, but there are other possiblities of much lower probability that could have been the desintation of leg 6(an example being Guangzhou, China)
VN244 HUE HAN   1210 1320
Hanoi tasks

May 27 Hanoi more tasks; pitstop

May 28 begin leg 6 Hanoi to Hong Kong
VN790 HAN HKG 1105 1355 or
VN792 HAN HKG 1910 2000
tasks in Hong Kong

May 29 complete tasks in Hong Kong; pitstop

May 30  begin leg 7 and travel to Macau after taking hydrofoil in under 1 hour
tasks;  pitstop

May 31 pitstop continues

June 1 begin leg 8; return to Hong Kong Airport by hydrofoil; fly to Singapore;
most probable flights are CX717 0855 1230 or SQ857 1030 1410 or CX739 1120 1505
then connect on to Cochin SilkAir468   SIN COK 2020 2215
this is where we lose the trail of ARA3


   

[ryaniiez]

Hello everybody, I'm a newbie here..... Why I replying? Cos' I like the show...... I prefer the Asian version to the American one...

I can't help much, but maybe I'll post the teams and their nationality?

OK, here goes.

Natalie and Pailin; Beauty queens from The Land of a Thousand Smiles, Thailand.
Sam and Vince; Best Buddies from Hong Kong.
Neena and Amit; Cousins from India.
Niroo and Kapil; first ever father-son team on the Amazing Race Asia, they are from India.
William and Isaac; Sporty brothers from first-time participants South Korea.
Ida and Tania; Best friends from Malaysia.
Bernie and Henry; Siblings from Malaysia.
Geoff and Tisha; Dating couple from the Philippines.
A.D and Fuzzie(My fave!); Best friends from Singapore.
Mai and Oliver; Friends from Thailand.

Hmm... that was quite easy...

People, tell me who your fave teams are? Thanks! And welcome me pls.....