How to plan a round the world ticket.

'Success comes from plans that mature slowly
 and with persistence'

Fact: The 2 biggest hurdles, to travel = Time & Money.

Bangkok

A RTW ticket with 8/14 stops is cheaper than some tickets
with only one stop.
You can circumnavigate the entire Globe in 1 month or
12 months. I recommend 2 - 6 months.
(A full year can be a bit long.)

The great thing about a RTW ticket, is you can invent/choose
your own itinerary, even with overland routes in between stops.

Plan your route and 'your stops' with a travel agency that
specializes in round the world trips. Eg: Travelmood
They help with the cheapest price at the right time of year.
(Weather/seasons play an important role in a RTWT.)

I still like the traditional travel agency, were one can sit with
them and plan dates etc. When things go wrong they are there
to help. I booked a flight with 'cheap, no frills' on-line travel
company called Travelstart in South Africa, they had no airline
failure protection, the airline went bust and I lost all my money.


Try include some of the '7 wonders of the world'
on your route, Eg:-
   - The Grand Canyon, USA
   - The Great Wall of China
   - The Great Barrier Reef, Australia
   - The Pyramids, Egypt
   - The Amazon river

Research/learn about the countries you want to see.
Check info on visa's, vaccination's and insurance.

Set the dates for each stop, then don't change them.

Work out a budget.
Note: costs change depending on the region.
E.g: India is much, much cheaper than Australia.
A large part of ones on the road costs, are the activities you
take part in at each location. Eg: Day tours, Bungi jumping etc.

So, each person's budget will be different.

Ave $1800.00USD for the ticket, visa's, jabs, insurance.
Ave $65.00USD for daily expenses.
(Very basic accom, transport, food + drink)
 Extra funds for emergencies: min $800.00USD

Work out the time needed in each country:
-Very small country: eg: Singapore - 2 -7 days
-Medium size country: 2 weeks
-Larger country: 3 weeks
-Very large country: 4 weeks plus

Example:
The USA is so big, that 1 month can hardly give you
a taste of the entire country. But it's better than nothing.

Check www.roundtheworldticket.com

Round the world ticket, planning tips

More RTW backpacking tips.

A round the world trip needs proper planning.
Incorrect planing and preparation can be costly.
Make sure your passport has many empty visa pages.
- Choose your destination/ route and set your dates.

The only pub in the world, in a tree. Baobab Bar, South Africa

Try a 6 to 10 Stop RTW ticket, but do it in 3- 6 months.
I did a 10 Stop RTW ticket over 12 months.
It was great but, I ran out of money near the end.
So, it was a bit long and budgeting was very tough.

Tip to see more: Maximise
-Just because you have a ticket with 7 stops, does not
 have to mean that you only see or do 7 countries.
Example:- Let's say one of your stops is Singapore,
this means you could try 'pop' over the border to Indonesia
and or Malaysia, (overland).
So, from your 'one flight stop', you then get to see 3 countries.
Now your adventure only starts!

For inspiration check: http://www.riaanmanser.com/ 
The world's 'Ultimate adventurer'.

Make track round the world. Travel kit ideas, post No.2

Remember, a RTW trip is not a normal holiday, it is actually an 'extreme holiday'.
You have to be organized and the right 'kit' is important.

Ave dorm room in a hostel. Note the 'bag cage' to lock up your stuff.
(This is in Rome, Italy)



Buy your your travel kit on sales.

Travel kit extra's:
1 -Always have Vaccine Passport that's up to date
2 -International Drivers Licence
3 -Make your own Medical card: (Keep it on you)
4 -Make your own dog tags.
5 -Two small strong travel padlocks


Stuff you don't need:
-Never pack high expectations
-Lap top
-A big, expensive camera (Think small and compact)
-Camping stove
-Hiking boots (Good trainers are fine)
-Hairdryer
-Binoculars
-Umbrella

Hardcore backpacker travel rules.

"Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination"

 

- Trust only yourself
- Never pack high expectations
- Go overland - to see more, try not take internal flights
- Always split/hide your money 3x ways
- Pack only half the clothes and double the money
- Real backpackers never book accommodation -
  part of the adventure is to see where you end up.
- Always pay your own way - don't be a 'leech'
- If you find a 'secret place', tell only those you love,
   (That way you keep it secret).
- The journey and not the destination is the 'true experience'

Road Trip, South Africa

 Not much can beat a basic 'road trip'.
 Going overland on your own or with family and friends, 
 can be an amazing experience.   Definitely the best way to see the country.


Cederberg Mt's



                                                                                                                                                                    

                                                                                      

                                                      The road side, offers great photo opportunities.

                   And don't forget the great 'Road Food'

Sunrise over wheat fields, West coast










 





Keurbooms lagoon, Plett









Train from the N7.
Piketberg











The tree of shoes, Natures Valley

 





World travel facts, blog post 1

-The number of countries in the world? +- 196
-The tallest Race in the world?  The Dutch
-The country with the most, different types of cheese? France
-The largest country in the world?  Russia
-The largest river in the world?  The Amazon
-The world's smallest country?  Vatican City

-All large aircraft, get struck by lightning on average, twice a year
- 4 out of 10 pilots have fallen asleep in the cockpit
-Birmingham, UK has more km's of canals than Venice
-The average human eats 40 tons of food in their lifetime

Need a real travel challenge?

Try 'The Ultimate Round The World Ticket':-

London-overland-Hong Kong-overland-Jakarta-
Australia-NZ-Fiji-Hawaii-Alaska-overland-Rio-
Athens-overland-Cape Town.  One Year, Solo.

Not many people can say they have done this.

Afterwards you could definitely write a BOOK.
Compile you own dream RTW Ticket.

Try Cape to Cairo on a Vespa...
Two South African have just completed Cairo to Cape Town
on small folding bikes.

How to count the number of countries you've seen?

How many countries you have been to or seen?
          - A common question traveler's get asked.

There are a few different rules:
-Travelling with parents when you were 1-5 years old, does it really count?
 (Do you really know where you were at that age?)


-'In-Transit' at airports does not count.
-Must stay a minimum of 24hrs/ one whole day in a country.

Kathmandu, Nepal

-Don't forget to add your own country to your list of countries you have seen.

- The Travelers Century Club (TCC) in the USA, have there own rules.
   They count 320 territories in the world.
   The United Nations recognizes only 197 countries in the world today.
   Territories do not really count.


- Once you have been to 100 countries, you can officially join the elite '100 Club'.
   Also called The TCC. They are based in the USA.
For proof that you have been to 100 countries around the world,
They want Passports with all the Passport immigration stamps as proof.
visit: - www.travelerscenturyclub.org

International Travel Rule No.1 - See your own country first!


See your own country 1st, before you think of rushing off , flying overseas.

Take a small cross-country road trip, solo or with some friends.
-You then get great travel experience and you get to learn more about your
own country, which makes you a better Ambassador for your country once you are overseas.


The world's largest social birds nest. Pofadder



Cape Town, South Africa

The world's largest Pineapple, Bathurst, E Cape.

Just some of my 'road trip' photos around South Africa.

Travel collage

Would be great to have a separate "travel room", filled with
framed photos and all the stuff you've collected during all
your travels.
E.G: -All the souvenirs and curio's on display.
 -Traditional musical instruments,
 -Hang up T-shirts and old boots, etc

'Keep things from the past, to prove it wasn't all a dream'.

Backpacker blog, International travel rules.

International Backpacker Rules:
1. Stay positive
2. Never loose your passport
3. Be courteous and respectful
4. Take time to meet locals
5. Never get attached
6. Never stagnate
7. Never go backwards
8. Never be a BUM
9. Never forget, that you represent your country

Travelblog, More travel rules:

Independant Backpacker Rules:
-Happiness is a direction......Not a place
-Always try make your own tracks
-Have your own experience

Wilderness, South Africa

-Don't try always follow whats hot
-Make an effort to taste local/national foods
-Be friendly - It costs nothing

Legendary travel route's

Route 66, USA

Some famous trails/ travel routes to check out:
-The Gringo Trail - South America
-The Hippie Trail - Asia
-The Banana Pancake Trail - Asia
-The Silk Route - Asia
-The classic Cape to Cairo route - Africa
-Route 66 - USA

Try adapt them, incorporate sections in your 'own route'.
Some routes my be closed because of war and may have to be
done in a roundabout way.

Travel health tips and beautiful toilets.

When you travel you see some scary toilets and you have to be ready
at all times to squat in some terrible conditions.
There is now a book on toilets around the world.
'Blog,  Toilets of the World. The Book.'
Many travelers think of the idea, but never do it.  Well done.




A beautiful long drop with a view. Straight into the villages drinking water.

International backpacker Rule No #12 = Always keep 2x toilet rolls
and 1.5 litter bottle of drinking water in your small daypack at all times.
(A bottle of water is not allowed on flights now.)

Travel health TIPS:
-One of the reasons many people get sick, is they 'wipe' with their left hand,
rubbing only with some cold water and that's it.
(So, no toilet paper and hello.. no soap to wash your hands properly.)
-Just basic hygiene, making sure you wash your hands and your
utensils properly can reduce your risk by over 70%.

-Get those 4/6 species of worms out of your gut.
Buy some worm tablets at the chemist.- Deworm yourself every 6 months.

-Check the vaccine requirements for each country
-Learn to monitor your own body.

-Please learn to swim. - It's scary how many people can't swim.
To be a proficient swimmer, means you are able to cover 200m in the water.