How much to see?

I've been discussing my travel plans with my parents, who are advising me to look at concentrating my itinerary on a certain area rather than trying to cover as many continents as I have in mind.

In some ways I'm inclined to agree. After all I know that I definitely want to take the Trans-siberian train and get under the skin of Japanese and Chinese cultures. However beyond that I can take or leave a lot of what is in my itinerary.

Now I feel I have to think again about what I do want to see on my trip, and to some extent my reasons behind them. Am I really wanting to take in all those continents to make the map of the world turn red with countries I've visited? And am I also being taken in by the common or garden RTW itinerary that includes a lot of countries of which I'm not in all truthfulness that interested?

The alternative to my world itinerary would be to focus my time, still potentially spending as much as a year, doing the Trans-sib and exploring the lands and cultures of primarily North-East Asia which interest and intrigue me so greatly. This would be a massive alternation to what I had planned, and is going to require a good deal of thought over the comes days and weeks. However I can't dwell over it too long; the departure day for the Trans-sib is still more or less set as early May. The intervening weeks between now and then will not hang around, and I've still a lot to organise.

Visas

Being unsure what amount of faff would be required to get into the various countries on my intinerary as well as those which I could possible incorporate on my route, I've written up a list of the visa requirements for UK residents by country. Hopefully others will find it handy too. It basically states whether a visa is required and how many days stay you are allowed. I've actually been surprised by actually how few countries require visas, although I wasn't expecting Australia to ask for something.

Russia: YES (30 days)

China: YES (30 – 90 days, to be used within 90 days of issue, $40)

Japan: NO (90 days) extendable by 90 days for 4000Yen

Hong Kong: NO (180 days)

Thailand: NO (30) 60 day in advance for £8, or leave and return country

Cambodia: YES (on arrival except some land borders, $20, 30 days)

Vietnam: YES ($50-100, 30 days)

Laos: YES (on arrival at Vientiane airport, $30 cash, 15 days) or in advance, price varies, 30 days

Indonesia: NO (for arrival through designated immigration gateways, 60 days)

Malaysia: NO (60)

Philippines: YES (21, automatic on arrival) 60 day visa in advance or after arrival

Singapore: NO (14)

Macau: NO (90)

Brunei: (NO, on arrival, 30 days)

Australia: YES - Electronic Travel Authority (http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/) (90 days)

New Zealand: NO (180 days)

Argentina: NO (90 days)

Bolivia: UK: NO (30 or 90)

Brazil: NO (90)

Chile: NO (90, fill in tourist card on arrival)

Colombia: NO (30 or 90)

Ecuador: NO (90)

Paraguay: NO

Peru: NO (90, tourist card on arrival)

Uruguay: NO (90)

Venezuela: NO (90, tourist card or arrival)