[TimperleySaint]

Travelling? : Wed Oct 24, 2012 3:25 pm  

I know we probably have a holiday thread somewhere, but I'd like to start a new topic for anyone that has taken time out from their lives to go travelling the world for 6-12 months or more.

I'm at a point in my life now where I need to get away from things for a while, be on my own and experience the world. I can get saved up for 6-8 months or so, and just go for it, so was just wondering if anyone else has done it, and has any tips on how to go about it, where to go, how much money I would need etc.

Main places I would like to go are SE Asia, Oz, NZ and South America.

Re: Travelling? : Wed Oct 24, 2012 4:45 pm  

Mike Oxlong wrote:

I'm at a point in my life now where I need to get away from things for a while

When's your court date?

Re: Travelling? : Wed Oct 24, 2012 5:38 pm  

My sister is currently doing it. Got money for a few months travelling in SE Asia and then going to Australia to work and travel for another few months before carrying on their journey around the globe. I think that you can only get casual jobs in Australia if you are under a certain age (30) I think so you might not be able to do it if you are over that age.

Re: Travelling? : Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:39 pm  

I went travelling in the mid nineties so things have probably changed somewhat. My advice would be:

1. Go to a specialist travel agent like STA or Trailfinders to get an idea of possible routes and prices.
2. Save as much as you can before you leave.
3. Apply for an Australian travellers working visa so that you can work whilst down under.
4. Try to plan what you want to do / see before you leave otherwise you'll just end up wasting your money on booze.
5. A well trodden path is Hong Kong (including short visit to China), Thailand, overland to Vietnam / Laos, Bali, Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Island (I went to Tahiti but I hear that Fiji is better), USA (land on the West coast), overland to East coast, fly home.
6. Join the International Youth Hostel Association before leaving.
7. Try to book you accommodation in your 1st destination before you leave.
8. Always head straight to the Information Booth at Airport arrivals as they will have details of local hostels etc.

Hope that helps.

Re: Travelling? : Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:26 pm  

I have done a bit of traveling but not in those places and not for that length of time. I went interailing around Europe for 2 months after I finished my degree, then went to the States last year for a month after I finished my MA.
Anyway I would say keep websites like hostelbookers and hostelworld onhand for quick booking of cheap hostels and I find that their ratings and reviews are pretty reliable.
When we went to the States we found that STA offered the best deal on flights from one place and back from another and they were really helpful so be sure to check them out (and yes we did check flightscanner and other such websites and STA still came out cheapest)
My experiences between travelling in 2008 to 2011 was that the advent of smart phones, laptops and free wifi has made travelling abit less socialable as people are more connected to home so with that in mind, buy a pack of cards as it is a great icebreaker.

Re: Travelling? : Thu Oct 25, 2012 7:54 am  

Just do what a mate of mine did in the mid-70s:

Jump on a Triumph Tiger Cub and set off for Australia. Blow the bike up in Paris and continue overland, on foot (got a postcard from him two years later from New Zealand). Start your return journey, part-funded by smuggling rubies out of Burma and a spell teaching English in Iraq (don't ask, they had to pull the school down to get him to leave).

Then blag your way into the US by booking a flight to Vancouver BC via Seattle, while in transit at Seatac, jump the fence and make your way down to SF and start a waste paper collection business. Wait until the Reagan migrant amnesty and then become a US citizen (make sure you keep proper books and have the money to hand over to the IRS). Sell your business, by an old school bus and spend the rest of your life living in that, earning enough money by packing parachutes to be able to fund your love of jumping out of aeroplanes.

Re: Travelling? : Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:12 pm  

Mike Oxlong wrote:

I know we probably have a holiday thread somewhere, but I'd like to start a new topic for anyone that has taken time out from their lives to go travelling the world for 6-12 months or more.

I'm at a point in my life now where I need to get away from things for a while, be on my own and experience the world. I can get saved up for 6-8 months or so, and just go for it, so was just wondering if anyone else has done it, and has any tips on how to go about it, where to go, how much money I would need etc.

Main places I would like to go are SE Asia, Oz, NZ and South America.

10 months - Far East, Japan, Aussie & NZ (plus other places)

9 months - Far East, Aussie, Kiwi, Pacific & West Coast

7 months - States (both coasts), South & Central America, Canada & Caribbean

7 months - Far east, Japan, China

plus a 4 month Caribbean trip

The best part is I got PAID to do it

Re: Travelling? : Sat Oct 27, 2012 12:56 pm  

I found this book to be very useful from a research perspective. Plenty of ideas for jobs you wouldn't normally think of that can help fund/extend the trip on the way. I am considering going myself for a few years depending how my contract ending pans out in May. Anybody any experiences of renting a beach hut/similar somewhere like the Philippines or Indonesia for a few months? I quite fancy just living on the beach doing nothing for a little while. A personal recommendation if you go to South America - make sure you visit the border area between Chile and Bolivia. San Pedro de Atacama and on through the Salar de Uyuni. Truly amazing place. Oh, and try to avoid groups of Americans or (especially) young Israelis at hostels. The Israelis in the particular tend to be complete ****s. I stayed at one hostel in SA that flew a Palestinian flag solely to keep them away.

I found this book to be very useful from a research perspective. Plenty of ideas for jobs you wouldn't normally think of that can help fund/extend the trip on the way. I am considering going myself for a few years depending how my contract ending pans out in May. Anybody any experiences of renting a beach hut/similar somewhere like the Philippines or Indonesia for a few months? I quite fancy just living on the beach doing nothing for a little while. A personal recommendation if you go to South America - make sure you visit the border area between Chile and Bolivia. San Pedro de Atacama and on through the Salar de Uyuni. Truly amazing place. Oh, and try to avoid groups of Americans or (especially) young Israelis at hostels. The Israelis in the particular tend to be complete ****s. I stayed at one hostel in SA that flew a Palestinian flag solely to keep them away.

Re: Travelling? : Sat Oct 27, 2012 11:10 pm  

Been over in Nz for 14 months now, quit my job back home and sold (wrote off) my car to pay for a 1 way ticket to Auckland for the Rugby union World cup.

Done a few different and intresting bits of work since then and just found a job with possible sponsorship for the next 2 years.

If i can help with any questions just give us a shout. not sure if im allowed but a great website i found was travbuddy.

[TimperleySaint]

Re: Travelling? : Mon Oct 29, 2012 11:03 pm  

gee wrote:

Been over in Nz for 14 months now, quit my job back home and sold (wrote off) my car to pay for a 1 way ticket to Auckland for the Rugby union World cup.

Done a few different and intresting bits of work since then and just found a job with possible sponsorship for the next 2 years.

If i can help with any questions just give us a shout. not sure if im allowed but a great website i found was travbuddy.

What kind of work did you do out there when you first got there? That would be my goal I think, to end up living and working in NZ or poss Canada...