Running away for a while (backpacking) - thoughts.
Discussion
Work is soooooooooooo sh*t right now, and, as I have some spare cash in the bank, I'm seriously considering jacking it in and going off round the world for a while. Any thoughts and tales of experience very welcome - in particular:
-Carefully planned itinerary .v. just buggering off and coming back when bored or cash running out.
-'Must see' places.
-Levels of cash required for 3/6/9 months etc
I'm quite an experienced traveller, but I've never 'done it like this' so to speak...
-Carefully planned itinerary .v. just buggering off and coming back when bored or cash running out.
-'Must see' places.
-Levels of cash required for 3/6/9 months etc
I'm quite an experienced traveller, but I've never 'done it like this' so to speak...
Good on ya go for it. Nepal is a must as is Oz just keep away from the Brits on the Pi** mentality. NZ is well worth a trip as well, I didn't get to South island but have heard of nothing bad there.
Cost is all on how you want to do it. Nepal was very cheap when I was there. I found the best thing in Oz to do was buy a car and sell it at the end of your trip, I brought one from a company who would buy it back off me if I couldn't shift it. Email me if you want more info on how I went about it.
Cost is all on how you want to do it. Nepal was very cheap when I was there. I found the best thing in Oz to do was buy a car and sell it at the end of your trip, I brought one from a company who would buy it back off me if I couldn't shift it. Email me if you want more info on how I went about it.
andy400 said:
-'Must see' places.
-Levels of cash required for 3/6/9 months etc
All depends where you intend to go, I made £1,000 last me 3 ½ months in Israel & Egypt, but that was 10 years ago and we were going drinking almost every night. It also depends what sort of accomodation you intend to use, some hostel’s can be very basic but very cheap.
Im some places you might find work through the hostel, (not sure if this still happens) which could boost your budget/extend your stay.
Not sure I would want to go back to Israel now but you could certainly spend a month in Egypt seeing everything. I took this route Dahab, Shalm el Sheik, Hergarda, Luxor, Cairo, St Alexandra, Suiz and back to Dahab (not sure about the spelling)
andy400 said:
-Carefully planned itinerary .v. just buggering off and coming back when bored or cash running out.
-'Must see' places.
-Levels of cash required for 3/6/9 months etc
I'm quite an experienced traveller, but I've never 'done it like this' so to speak...
So much depends on what you like doing, and what level of squalor you're prepared to put up with.
I have friends who have just "done" the world. They did everything they wanted to and blew £30k (+ credit cards). On the other hand I went overland to Nepal a few years ago and we spent most of our budget in the first week in Europe. So we lived on $5 a day for the rest of the trip. We camped rough where we could, and stayed in hostels the rest of the time.
My theory is that at the moment I can rough it, so I'm saving the first world (US/Oz/NZ etc) til I'm old.
I've done a fair bit of traveling (2 4 month trips and various holidays) and there is nowhere I've been that I wouldn't return to. As far as favourites go, in no particular order: India, Nepal, Iran, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Morocco, Tunisia.
I've never been to central America or the far east. Or sub-saharan Africa, but I'm planning on putting that right in October for 6 months
The closest I can manage,is a few days away on my bike.Up in't Dales.
rstads
mechsympathy said:
-Carefully planned itinerary .v. just buggering off and coming back when bored or cash running out.
-'Must see' places.
-Levels of cash required for 3/6/9 months etc
I'm quite an experienced traveller, but I've never 'done it like this' so to speak...
So much depends on what you like doing, and what level of squalor you're prepared to put up with.
I have friends who have just "done" the world. They did everything they wanted to and blew £30k (+ credit cards). On the other hand I went overland to Nepal a few years ago and we spent most of our budget in the first week in Europe. So we lived on $5 a day for the rest of the trip. We camped rough where we could, and stayed in hostels the rest of the time.
My theory is that at the moment I can rough it, so I'm saving the first world (US/Oz/NZ etc) til I'm old.
I've done a fair bit of traveling (2 4 month trips and various holidays) and there is nowhere I've been that I wouldn't return to. As far as favourites go, in no particular order: India, Nepal, Iran, Bolivia, Peru, Chile, Morocco, Tunisia.
I've never been to central America or the far east. Or sub-saharan Africa, but I'm planning on putting that right in October for 6 months
i assume you and your freinds are loaded orin major debt? or you are older then the average traveler?
Hardcore2000 said:
i assume you and your freinds are loaded orin major debt? or you are older then the average traveler?
I'm fine, my friends spent the equity they made on a house and have returned with debts. I'm 34, but I'm not sure the relevance. My main advantage (the same as the wife) is being able to find work as soon as I return.
I would tend to pick a continent and just do that one well. I did Central and South America and that was plenty for almost 9 months. A break back in UK was then followed by another lot of travel that resulted in me living in Australia.
A lot depends on whether you are really thinking about emigrating eventually, e.g. if this is the case you could do India-South East Asia-Australia/NZ.
Do your cheap countries first since it is very easy to blow your entire budget in the first world. Try to reward yourself by alternating tough countries with cushy ones. Going almost directly from India to Burma was a major mistake, I should have R&R'd in Thailand.
Travel alone, or rather set off to travel alone, you will soon make friends or aquaintences to travel with. Some of the people who were having the least fun were travelling as couples, almost all fell out eventually but not before they had gone through multiple countries without talking to anyone else except each other.
A lot depends on whether you are really thinking about emigrating eventually, e.g. if this is the case you could do India-South East Asia-Australia/NZ.
Do your cheap countries first since it is very easy to blow your entire budget in the first world. Try to reward yourself by alternating tough countries with cushy ones. Going almost directly from India to Burma was a major mistake, I should have R&R'd in Thailand.
Travel alone, or rather set off to travel alone, you will soon make friends or aquaintences to travel with. Some of the people who were having the least fun were travelling as couples, almost all fell out eventually but not before they had gone through multiple countries without talking to anyone else except each other.
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