Travelling

[Nexstar]

I'm currently on a gap year and intend to do between 2 and 6 weeks of travelling either next summer or at some point before I head off to uni next September.

 

It's quite likely i'll be going it alone so is there anybody that has done a similar adventure and could recommend places to visit as i'm trying to decide on a continent. (But not North America).

 

Any help or advice is appreciated

[Crab Lungs]

Asia. Go, Asia!

[Joensuu]

What sort of 'travel' are you interested in? There is a whole range of travel destinations, which start at the club 18-30 'sand, sea and sex' punters, right up to the full on culture and hardship 'what's a beaten track' adventure. You'll find that the average age of fellow traveller rises the more adventurous you become.

 

So if your thing is watching 19 years old girls entering wet t-shirt competitions to win as much lager as they can drink, before stumblling home vomiting nobly escored by a bleach blond, molestation-minded 'Brad', 'Hayden', or 'Cody', head to Queensland/NSW. If you fancy throwing in a lot more culture, but still having plenty of sun, sea and strippers, look towards South East Asia. If you want to push it a little further by seeing more culture than cleavage (perhaps even slightly challenging the average Western comfort zone) , look towards countries such as India, Mexico, Guatemala, Egypt, and Peru. If you want to push the boat out, look towards any country you haven't heard of too many people going to: Mali, Libya, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Iran, Malawi etc. If you have a death wish coupled with the urge to have the most pretentious trump card to play at the next King's Road dinner party you happen to attend, make North Korea or Somalia your first port of call.

 

Oh, and whatever type of traveller you are buy a Lonely Planet, that way you can either gravitate towards slimilar people, or know in advance which hostels to avoid, so as not to bump into an ex-pat version of Essex on tour.

 

Also, the boring bit, (sorry!) keep an eye on: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country?action=noTravelAll#noTravelAll.

[Golden Balls]

I went to Kenya a year ago to do a bit of adventure travel. Was absolutely brilliant! Went alone but met fellow travellers in the home stay. Most were gap year students. Took plenty of Saints shirts with me (thanks to some people on this board) and there's so much to do. Cheap as chips too.

 

I went with http://www.kenyanadventure.com and did the working with children/football coaching bit. Obviously added on the bits like a safari etc.

[Nexstar]

What sort of 'travel' are you interested in? There is a whole range of travel destinations, which start at the club 18-30 'sand, sea and sex' punters, right up to the full on culture and hardship 'what's a beaten track' adventure. You'll find that the average age of fellow traveller rises the more adventurous you become.

 

So if your thing is watching 19 years old girls entering wet t-shirt competitions to win as much lager as they can drink, before stumblling home vomiting nobly escored by a bleach blond, molestation-minded 'Brad', 'Hayden', or 'Cody', head to Queensland/NSW. If you fancy throwing in a lot more culture, but still having plenty of sun, sea and strippers, look towards South East Asia. If you want to push it a little further by seeing more culture than cleavage (perhaps even slightly challenging the average Western comfort zone) , look towards countries such as India, Mexico, Guatemala, Egypt, and Peru. If you want to push the boat out, look towards any country you haven't heard of too many people going to: Mali, Libya, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Iran, Malawi etc. If you have a death wish coupled with the urge to have the most pretentious trump card to play at the next King's Road dinner party you happen to attend, make North Korea or Somalia your first port of call.

 

Oh, and whatever type of traveller you are buy a Lonely Planet, that way you can either gravitate towards slimilar people, or know in advance which hostels to avoid, so as not to bump into an ex-pat version of Essex on tour.

 

Also, the boring bit, (sorry!) keep an eye on: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country?action=noTravelAll#noTravelAll.

 

Thanks for that, i'm certainly looking for a more cultural and sight-seeing trip as opposed to the recent lads holiday I went on. If I was to be going alone I would prefer the 'beaten track' slightly more, avoiding the likes of Iran, Malawi etc, and perhaps look towards countries such as China, Japan, South Africa, Scandinavia and perhaps New Zealand (although that may be slightly too far travel and budget wise).

 

Hoping to find people's experiences of such destinations and whether they would suit a 2-6 week tour.

[Nexstar]

I went to Kenya a year ago to do a bit of adventure travel. Was absolutely brilliant! Went alone but met fellow travellers in the home stay. Most were gap year students. Took plenty of Saints shirts with me (thanks to some people on this board) and there's so much to do. Cheap as chips too.

 

I went with http://www.kenyanadventure.com and did the working with children/football coaching bit. Obviously added on the bits like a safari etc.

 

Hmm that does sound quite good, I see it's about £750, but what were the added costs? Such as flights?

[Andy_Porter]

If you've only got a few weeks got interrailing accross Europe.

[Marsdinho]

2 weeks is not travelling - thats just a holiday.

[Nexstar]

2 weeks is not travelling - thats just a holiday.

 

2-6 weeks depending, and not staying in one place.

[Chin Strain]

Inter-raling would be a good crack. Personally, 6 weeks travelling Australia would be the dogs. Been all round there and loved it. Granted I was gone a year but you'd have a great 6 weeks - depends on budget. I would do Australia over NZ too. NZs great, but Australia offers more IMO. Also, going across the summer, you'll be getting some pretty ordinary weather in NZ, whereas in Australia the far north will be the best time to go.

[Jonnyboy]

travelling has got to be about 6 months at least, but 6 weeks will do for a taster - get on the trains round europe

[dune]

I once saw a television programme where a man walked the length of the pyrenees with a rucksack, small tent, provisions and an umbrella. I'd like to do that.

[Baj]

I once saw a television programme where a man walked the length of the pyrenees with a rucksack, small tent, provisions and an umbrella. I'd like to do that.

start packing

[View From The Top]

If you're only going on a jaunt for 2 - 6 weeks just go euro-railing.

[dune]

start packing

 

It would take between 50 and 60 days to leisurely walk from the Atlantic to the Med so it's not an option if you're contracted in full time employment. Would be a great trip though and maybe not as crowded as the now over trodden paths in Peru.

[Smirking_Saint]

I once saw a television programme where a man walked the length of the pyrenees with a rucksack, small tent, provisions and an umbrella. I'd like to do that.

 

I would also like it if you did that

[dune]

To be honest Nexstar it's difficult to make suggestions without knowing what you want to get out of the trip.

[Turkish]

If it were me and my first time i'd go round Europe, start off in Germany then through Eastern Europe and visit places like Auchwitz, down into Croatia, visit Split, back through Northern Italy, maybe a couple of days in Rome, then through to Cannes, Barcelona, back up through France and home, get a bit of everything that way.

[Nexstar]

If it were me and my first time i'd go round Europe, start off in Germany then through Eastern Europe and visit places like Auchwitz, down into Croatia, visit Split, back through Northern Italy, maybe a couple of days in Rome, then through to Cannes, Barcelona, back up through France and home, get a bit of everything that way.

 

Sounds good, i'll look into going around Europe as several people have suggested. Cheers

[Hamilton Saint]

I'd do Italy - concentrating on central Italy and the north: the regions of Tuscany, Lombardy, Piedmont, etc. I'd like to see the cities of Rome, Florence, Sienna and Venice.

 

Go in the off-season, if you can - the chance to be more of a traveller than a tourist. Some things likely to be cheaper too.

[Smirking_Saint]

If it were me and my first time i'd go round Europe, start off in Germany then through Eastern Europe and visit places like Auchwitz, down into Croatia, visit Split, back through Northern Italy, maybe a couple of days in Rome, then through to Cannes, Barcelona, back up through France and home, get a bit of everything that way.

 

I agree with this, all of this infact, i would also have to witness the northern lights however, i seriously think that would be an experience worth remembering

[Kingsland Codger]

Thanks for that, i'm certainly looking for a more cultural and sight-seeing trip as opposed to the recent lads holiday I went on. If I was to be going alone I would prefer the 'beaten track' slightly more, avoiding the likes of Iran, Malawi etc, and perhaps look towards countries such as China, Japan, South Africa, Scandinavia and perhaps New Zealand (although that may be slightly too far travel and budget wise).

 

Hoping to find people's experiences of such destinations and whether they would suit a 2-6 week tour.

 

If you choose to visit Japan I'll gladly tell you all I know (I lived there for 16 years); it's a fascinating place ... but be warned - it is extremely expensive and your pounds will go much further elsewhere.

[Joensuu]

Thanks for that, i'm certainly looking for a more cultural and sight-seeing trip as opposed to the recent lads holiday I went on. If I was to be going alone I would prefer the 'beaten track' slightly more, avoiding the likes of Iran, Malawi etc, and perhaps look towards countries such as China, Japan, South Africa, Scandinavia and perhaps New Zealand (although that may be slightly too far travel and budget wise).

Hoping to find people's experiences of such destinations and whether they would suit a 2-6 week tour.

Can't post too much at the mo, as I haven't renewed my subscription (and can't see myself doing so while the tiny number of obsessive posters (the depressives, the anti-Cortese, the violence lovers and the racists) are allowed to continue wrecking every thread without Admin restriction).

Anyhow, to answer you post:

2 weeks isn't long enough to do any of the destinations you mention justice. If this is all the time you have, your only feasible option (of those listed) would be to head to Scandinavia, you certainly don't have time to cover it all, but say, bits of Norway, Sweden (or most of Iceland/Denmark) could be covered in the allotted time. If you want to push it a bit more try the Baltic countries - good travel, cheap beer, interesting culture and beautiful women. Finland probably has less to offer that the other North European countries. It's best for a ultra-cold winter break... saunas and suicide. Airfares to much of Scandinavia can be cheap, but appart from the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, not Scandinavia I know), expect to spend about £250 a week on hotels, beer, transport, and enterance fees etc. Adventure rating: 3/10; Fun: 5/10; Culture 5/10

You really need at least a month for the long haul destinations:

China is by far the most adventurous of the countries you listed (and in my book one of the most interesting). It is far too large to cover in 4-6 weeks, but you will be able to scratch the surface (either by having a mad dash 'see all the big destinations', or a more leisurely focussed effort to absorb a specific area in more depth). If the latter, you need to pick an are of the country to focus on, Beijing and the north makes sense (Greak Wall, Forbidden Palace etc), Shanghai and the modern coast is another possibility, likewise Guangzhou and Hong Kong, or possible Xian and the centre, but my possible pick would be Yunnan (Dali, Leaping Tiger, Kumning, possible getting up as far as Tibet if you have the time). Also China is one of the cheaper options that you picked. However it is also a real challenge with language (few speak English, and if they do they are obviously educated and tend to want something (aka, Speak English you can get a well paid job, why are you hassling tourists in the street unless somehow the pay is better?). Oh, and no concept of special dietary requirement, want nut free, or veggie, prepare to struggle. For 6 weeks budget at least £500 flights + £1000-£1200 spending. Adventure rating 8/10; Fun: 4.5/10 (& blimey can it get tough - armed police rummaging bags at midnight, spitting strangers (coughing flem-balls everywhere), open-plan public loos, smoking in buses, hard-seats (aka, stand and you lose your seat), lack of comfort-food (forget finding edible: milk, wine, chocolate, bread etc). Culture 9/10

I've never been to Japan, so can't really comment, but with shocking disregard for my own inabilities, I'm going to proceed to do just that. But I'd love to go there. It's obviously the most expensive of your selected countries (although Scandinavia isn't far behind, albeit a much cheaper plane ticket). The country is much longer than many thing, ranging virtually from the arctic to the semi-tropical islands. Most of the interesting places are on the main island, and I imagine a trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, Edo, Hiroshima etc would be a very fulfilling (and expensive) experience. For 6 weeks budget c. £600 flights + c. £1800-£2k spending. Adventure rating 7/10 Fun: 6/10; Culture 9/10

South Africa has never really appealed to me. It hasn't ever struck me as having a lot of interesting places to visit. Sure there's a few national parks (Kruger etc), and a few old Boer was battlefields, and some gorgeous scenery... but not a lot else really... (Cue a Sud Ifrican ex-pat pointing out all of the countries' wonderful cities, sights, sounds and smells...) One thing it has going for it is the exchange rate (I admit I might be wrong, but...) last time I looked South Africa was faring worse than the UK, meaning it was one of the few countries that were now cheaper for the UK tourist to visit now than they were pre-recession (think Turkey was another one). Violence is the thing everyone will mention, carry anything looking like a laptop bag too far around Jo'burg and don't expect to get too far. Of course now that the 'World Cup courts' with their instant fines and imprisonment have closed shop, I'd expect the crime rate to return to normal... but who knows. Flights from c. £450, 6 weeks budget an extra £1300 or so. Adventure rating 7/10; Fun: 5/10; Culture 6/10

New Zealand is on my list to visit. Everyone I've met who has been rates it highly. Sure it's not exactly adventure travel, but it sounds like almost everything you can dream up has been packed into this country. White-water, skiing, whales, glaciers, mountains, bungee, helicopter rides, boring suburban estates, annoying accents ("you mean Beer doesn't rhyme with Bear, come of it") it's got it all. Unless I'm mistaken, airfares are another jump again for NZ. Expect to pay at least £850. Also living costs are not far off of visiting the EU, so budget c. £250 per week (or £1500 for a 6 week venture). Adventure rating 5/10; Fun: 9/10; Culture 3/10

Hope some of this is useful...

[hutch]

South Africa has never really appealed to me. It hasn't ever struck me as having a lot of interesting places to visit. Sure there's a few national parks (Kruger etc), and a few old Boer was battlefields, and some gorgeous scenery... but not a lot else really... (Cue a Sud Ifrican ex-pat pointing out all of the countries' wonderful cities, sights, sounds and smells...) One thing it has going for it is the exchange rate (I admit I might be wrong, but...) last time I looked South Africa was faring worse than the UK, meaning it was one of the few countries that were now cheaper for the UK tourist to visit now than they were pre-recession (think Turkey was another one). Violence is the thing everyone will mention, carry anything looking like a laptop bag too far around Jo'burg and don't expect to get too far. Of course now that the 'World Cup courts' with their instant fines and imprisonment have closed shop, I'd expect the crime rate to return to normal... but who knows. Flights from c. £450, 6 weeks budget an extra £1300 or so. Adventure rating 7/10; Fun: 5/10; Culture 6/10

As (AFAIK) the only member here who lives in SA, I wouldn't recommend it for gap-year type adventure travelling. Holiday, yes.

 

I travel extensively throughout Africa on business, and for adventure working type holidays, I would say Tanzania tops. Or, if your French is good enough, Senegal. My 2 favourite African countries.

[Nexstar]

Yeah thanks a lot for that summary, as I said in the original post I'm heading off to uni next September so once the football season is over I could have pretty much 3 and a half months free. However, this all depends on what type of job I can find, whether I'm able to leave around that time and what kind of income i'll be getting (finance was the main reason for the relatively short trip). My situation may change and I might come into a fair bit of disposable income to save up for the trip but otherwise I'll keep it to a max 6 weeks. The likes of Asia and South Africa are places I would probably rather do with someone else so I am leaning towards the idea of Interailling through various European countries.

 

This seems to be a relatively cheap mode of transport and allows me the freedom of changing my destinations en route and with hostels not costing much, the money shouldn't be too much of a problem. I would still like to keep my options open though and see how my current situation changes over the next few months.

[skintsaint]

I've never been to Japan, so can't really comment, but with shocking disregard for my own inabilities, I'm going to proceed to do just that. But I'd love to go there. It's obviously the most expensive of your selected countries (although Scandinavia isn't far behind, albeit a much cheaper plane ticket). The country is much longer than many thing, ranging virtually from the arctic to the semi-tropical islands. Most of the interesting places are on the main island, and I imagine a trip to Tokyo, Kyoto, Edo, Hiroshima etc would be a very fulfilling (and expensive) experience. For 6 weeks budget c. £600 flights + c. £1800-£2k spending. Adventure rating 7/10 Fun: 6/10; Culture 9/10

 

Done Japan earlier in the year - you get a 7 or 14 day rail pass which you can use as much as you want. You can see the whole country in two weeks easily. Price wise even hostels are expensive but if you shop i local supermarkets and cook in your hostel you can easily live on 30 quid a day...and that was as a couple. Really want to go back - superb place!

[oxfordshire_saint]

Europe's a good shout.

 

You could start by going down the West coast of France (Dune du Pyla, Biarritz, etc) before going along the Pyrenees, pop down into Barcelona, then along the South coast of France, into Northern Italy (you could do Turin, Milan, Verona, Venice, try and take in Lakes Como and Garda on the way) then head up over the Brenner Pass into Austria and to Innsbruck. From there, go across to Salzburg, then up to Munich, hop over the border to Prague, then back into Germany up to Berlin. From Berlin you could get a cheap flight to Amsterdam, train from there to Brussells, then back home on the Eurostar.

 

Perfectly do-able, you could probably even shoe-horn Switzerland into there too, which I'd recommend.

[Joensuu]

As (AFAIK) the only member here who lives in SA, I wouldn't recommend it for gap-year type adventure travelling. Holiday, yes.

 

I travel extensively throughout Africa on business, and for adventure working type holidays, I would say Tanzania tops. Or, if your French is good enough, Senegal. My 2 favourite African countries.

 

No offence intended btw... Always fancied Malawi and Madagascar (another French one...). If I ever have a year, and can get a group together, the whole, team of say 3+ 4x4s driving from Cape Town to London appeals... (route: Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, etc...)

 

Yeah thanks a lot for that summary, as I said in the original post I'm heading off to uni next September so once the football season is over I could have pretty much 3 and a half months free. However, this all depends on what type of job I can find, whether I'm able to leave around that time and what kind of income i'll be getting (finance was the main reason for the relatively short trip). My situation may change and I might come into a fair bit of disposable income to save up for the trip but otherwise I'll keep it to a max 6 weeks. The likes of Asia and South Africa are places I would probably rather do with someone else so I am leaning towards the idea of Interailling through various European countries.

 

This seems to be a relatively cheap mode of transport and allows me the freedom of changing my destinations en route and with hostels not costing much, the money shouldn't be too much of a problem. I would still like to keep my options open though and see how my current situation changes over the next few months.

 

Your budget will stretch further if your stay in cheap countries. As skintsaint mentions £30 per day is just about survivable in Japan, but in Thailand it will buy you pretty much everything you fancy (good food, plenty of drink, admission to everything, transport and good accomodation). In fact, if money is the limiting factor, why not avoid the expensive destinations, and have a longer holiday in a cheaper place? 3 weeks in Norway or Japan, could easily cost you the same amount as you'd spend on 2 months in Thailand/Laos. [i spent 14 days in Laos, which cost a total of $210 USD in 2005 - i.e. c. £10 per day (while still averaging 3 litres of beer (or a bucket of whiskey) each night... NB, beer was $1 USD for 750ml (a wine bottle portion))]

 

Done Japan earlier in the year - you get a 7 or 14 day rail pass which you can use as much as you want. You can see the whole country in two weeks easily. Price wise even hostels are expensive but if you shop i local supermarkets and cook in your hostel you can easily live on 30 quid a day...and that was as a couple. Really want to go back - superb place!

 

Sounds amazing... I'd love to do this. Were you watching the budget? I mean, were you scrimping on anything? As £30 for food/transit/hostel/admission/& alcohol, sounds a lot cheaper than I expected Japan could be done for... (Frankly you'd be hard pressed to visit the UK on a budget of just £30 per day, a short train journey, taxi ride or car rental will cost you more than £30 before you've even found a b&b or had any food... talking of which I haven't seen many B&B's for less than £30 per night...) I didn't know Japan could be done so cheaply...

[benjii]

My tuppence worth...

 

Here's a bit of a curveball - I think everyone, without exception, who I have ever met who has been to Buenos Aires reckons it's just about the best city they've been to. Not quite sure why but everylone loves it!

 

Something I do know about is Europe. If you have less than a month and a fairly tight budget this is definitely your best bet IMO. Somewhere like South East Asia can be done very cheaply when you're there (and is brilliant!) but you might be looking at around £500+ in flights etc. If you can afford it, go but.. on the other hand you can usually book a one way flight to somewhere in Europe that you would want to go to and a flight back from somewhere else that you would want to go to for around £100 in total and then make the dots join! As others have said, Germany is a great bet. Friendly people, lovely weather in the south in the summer etc... From there you can head east to Czech / Poland / Bulgaria / Romania / Greece then loop round, you could head south through Austria, Hungary (Budapest is cool), Slovenia, Croatia... you should certainly aim to take in some of Italy and, in particular, Rome IMO. It is hot, touristy and the locals love to rip you off but is just an incredible place. You really want, IMO, a mix of city destinations, coastal destinations and some mountain/lake scenery. Something like Munich, Salzburg, Prague, Krakow (for Auschwitz), Budapest then down to the mediterranean coast stopping off at wherever takes your fancy (some beautiful lakes in Slovenia) then across to Italy (and southern France, Spain etc if you have time) could be done pretty comfortably in a month. Train travel round Europe is realiable and generally comfortable on the big intercity routes. Unsurprisingly it is also usually much cheaper than here. Hostels in Europe are usually clean, fun and good value and a geat way of meeting other travellers (keep an eye out for American, Dutch, German and Australilan girls, in particular ). You won't get luxury but you will rarely stay in somewhere that feels dirty or unpleasant provided you follow reccommendations on the main hostel websites. A decent hostel should cost around 15-20 Euro per night in Germany/Italy, maybe cheaper elsewhere. I also reccommend organised "beer tours" that run in most of the popular destination cities (typically by Australians/Americans) as some of the better bars are pretty hard to find in many European cities. A final point on travel in Europe - think carefully before shelling out upfront on an Interail pass. Often the savings will be minimal, if any, and you may lose some flexibility around where you can go.

 

Sure, it's not as adventurous as China etc but if you're going to do something like that you will probably want to do it more time and justice. Europe gives you the flexibility to see a bunch of countries on a shorter timescale.

Edited 19 July, 2010 by benjii

[buctootim]

2-6 weeks depending, and not staying in one place.

 

Im going travelling to Majorca for two weeks in Aug with my kids. At various points we will be moving around from the airport to the hotel, the waterpark and various restaurants.

 

Seriously Joennsu's advice is good. Eastern Europe would also be good for something a bit different, cheap and accesible by train bus, if your on a budget.

Edited 19 July, 2010 by buctootim

[dubai_phil]

Find that Top Gear special from Vietnam then follow their basic route by bus train or plane.

 

Land in Ho Chi Minh City and head down to the Mekong Delta before turning north up the coast seeing Ho An Hue & Danang then Hanoi up into the mountains for the villages with weird big houses and then finish up in Halong Bay.

 

End of.

 

Oh if you like cheap beer then my current whistle-stop tour of Southern Poland is to be recommended. I landed in Wroclav and will depart from Krakow. I have no idea what I have seen or where I have been since I landed but any country that serves beer for breakfast deserves a mention

[TUS]

I was planning on travelling Africa until I met my missus and had some sprogs. I had the route all planned.

 

Kenya > Uganda > over Lake Victoria > Tanzania > Zanzibar > Tanzania > Malawi > Zimbabwe > South Africa

 

Just fly into Kenya and play it by ear from there. Save dosh to fly back from South Africa.

 

Oh and allow 6 months :-p

[Golden Balls]

Hmm that does sound quite good, I see it's about £750, but what were the added costs? Such as flights?

 

You have to book your own flights. If you're alone you can get some bloody good deals. They do cover accommodation, food, orientation, placement costs etc. Think you can request a free brochure on their website. Worth a look.

[Nexstar]

You have to book your own flights. If you're alone you can get some bloody good deals. They do cover accommodation, food, orientation, placement costs etc. Think you can request a free brochure on their website. Worth a look.

 

Yeah I have requested a brochure, very keen to get more details about it

[Joensuu]

Sure you'll be aware of it already, but www.kayak.com is a superb flight-finder...