Round The World Trip

[pupuce]

Hi Everyone,

Having just return from a solo 15 months backpacking Round The World trip this year, I hope to share my experience and information with anyone who is planning to make a similar trip to expand their horizon. My journey took me through 33 countries from South Africa, East Africa, Middle East, West Africa, Central America, South America and Antarctica.
While doing resarch for my trip, I found difficulty getting the information that i need to help make the trip easier. As i was also a newbie in photograpy, I had to to go through many websites to get tips for photographing different sceanarios ranging from wild life, street photgraphy, beautiful sunrises/sunsets to the wild plains of Patagonia and the snow white Antarctica.

I hope that this thread will serve as a one stop for general questions about backpacking around the world as well as photgraphy tips from the si-fu. At the same time, it will also bring your wanderlust to the surface and make you want to pack your bags immediately to explore the world

Please feel free to contribute and give me suggestions to how to make this better and well-informed.

Cheers

 

[hanzohattori]

Hi,

Welcome. Its quite rare to have a solo female backpacker
To upload your pictures, just upload your photo somewhere else (picasa, flickr, etc), then use the "insert image" button to link it here

 

[jwanderer]

Not easy to find a solo female backpacker travelling round the world... but it's really nice to find one here. Have you got any plans to backpack to East Asia? Or have you been to any countries over there?

I also like to travel and for starters would like to explore East Asia. Just came back from HK and in the midst of researching for my next trip to Taiwan. In the process, the only main issues that came up was accomodation, booking of flights and daily budget (food + transport). It wasn't all that easy especially when I have no experience in these areas but it was a learning process that was fun and challenging.

 

[dapier]

i m hoping to find time & $$ to do a world trip, namely all the latin american countries (at least 1 to 2 years), Middle east like Jordan, Africa like Morrocco, and most Europe. So far, I only went to Europe, North America, Mexico, central America. Got hook to travel...

 

[sachokphantom]

Hi. Can i ask? How did you bring all of your money to all round the world? I need some tips as well as i b travelling end of the month to europe.

 

[dapier]

I carry as much cash as possible though a bit risky, depends which country u r in. Europe is generally safe, but when I m in latin america (for example), I open a bank account rite away n deposit the $$.

I also open a bank account in some countries to transfer $$, and use an ATM card, that is if I stay long enough or intend to go back. PRoblem is closing the account n taking $$$ back.

 

[astroboy888]

Welcome home. Must have been such an adventure.

Why don't you do a presentation when you are ready. I'm sure they are many here who would like to meet up and hear/see( learn from your experiences) about your travels.

You are one of the few Singaporeans that has taken that giant step to leave work and instead gone out to see the world.

I have worked out of Singapore almost all my adult life in various resorts around Asia and the Maldives. Met so many different travelers and learnt so much about life. I've moved back here last year, but am now looking at leaving again.

Hope we do have a chance to meet up and trade stories.

 

[Will03]

interesting.. hope to hear more from you with regards to the trip..
maybe you can start a thread in the landscape and travel sub forum , and showcase the images taken in the last 15 months.. cheers..

 

[pupuce]

It will be carrying a haversack of money if I had to do that for a Round the world trip jajaja!

Usually I carry about USD 100 with me, separated into my backpack and carry bag in case if one is stolen, I'll still have emergency money with me. I also brought along one international creditcard/ ATM card where I can withdraw all over the world except for some the west african countries because ATMs are extremely limited and most of the time they are not working.
Countries that has no ATM will be Cuba and Myanmar because of the sanctions which did cause a little more inconvenience for me but I just withdraw more money from the neighbouring country before I enter.

There was once I decided to withdraw more money in Argentina because money was running out quickly (its expensive there) and I wanted to save the transaction cost but end up being pickpocket thus losing my money

If you travelling in Europe or Latin AMerican countries, the ATMS are plentiful. Depending on the European countries you are going which mostly are using the Euros, thus its easier as there is no need to use the money changer.
Do note that there is a surcharge of aboutS$5-15 (depending on the bank you use) for every transaction but it beats having to carry too much money with you and stressing yourself because of that.

Enjoy europe!

Hi. Can i ask? How did you bring all of your money to all round the world? I need some tips as well as i b travelling end of the month to europe.

 

[pupuce]

interesting.. hope to hear more from you with regards to the trip..
maybe you can start a thread in the landscape and travel sub forum , and showcase the images taken in the last 15 months.. cheers..

Hi there, I still cant figure out how to upload a photo (I know, makes me sound really like an old fart in this modern technology days) Can someone help me?
Thank you for your suggestion and I will do that once I learn how to share my photos

 

[pupuce]

Welcome home. Must have been such an adventure.

Why don't you do a presentation when you are ready. I'm sure they are many here who would like to meet up and hear/see( learn from your experiences) about your travels.

You are one of the few Singaporeans that has taken that giant step to leave work and instead gone out to see the world.

I have worked out of Singapore almost all my adult life in various resorts around Asia and the Maldives. Met so many different travelers and learnt so much about life. I've moved back here last year, but am now looking at leaving again.

Hope we do have a chance to meet up and trade stories.

I hope that this thread will inspire and encourage more people to take that step and chase their dream. I know from personal experience that it is a difficult choice as we were brought up believing that financial security is of utmost importance. While toying with the idea, almost everyone around me thinks and told me without mincing their words that its a crazy idea, that I am nutty. But once I set my mind to it, I sold off everything I have inlcuding my apartment, car, settle my work, pack my life into the 30 boxes and left Singapore in 4 months. I think the haste is due to the fact I was afraid I'd change my mind.

It is very hard for me to find anyone to share this joy and satisfaction after completing the trip becasue I have yet to find someone who has done it.
On top of that, I hope to find someone who truly understands why I decided to travel the hard way - I use mode of transportations like the locals, slept the same way as them if I have the opportunity and eat the same as they did.
I believe from the bottom of my heart - " it is not just the destination but the journey that is to be savoured"

I would be glad to offer any advice or presentation to anyone who is keen to trade stories... I love talking travel.. hahah

Cheers

 

[ManWearPants]

Hi, I would like to hear how you travel around the world in 15 months. This is amazing! BTW, how old are you? It might explain why you can drop everything and go for a "I don't give a hoot" kind of tour. I am planning to cover central Asia and Europe in 3-4 months next year but there are so many considerations such as quitting from job, handling with jobless when back and of course, having spent those money you have saved so hard for over the years. Furthermore, you got to sell house, sell car and whatever else before you make this trip. This is really something not many will do.

I think it is best to upload your photos to flickr. As a free user, there are some limitations.
http://www.flickr.com

Then just start a thread in Landscape/Travel sub forum
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17

You can link to your photos one by one by grabbing the url off each flickr photos, for example
img]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4130/5107610899_54537aae4b_z.jpg[/img

I have left the parenthesis out so that you know the url have to be encapsulated by the syntax.

Hope it helps.

 

[Edricism]

Wow, I am an avid traveller too, mostly backpacker-style, and my ultimate aim is to do a round-the-world trip just like you. Soon!

Would definitely love to hear your stories and see your travel pics!

Edric

 

[Will03]

glad to c u respond to this thread..
regarding the uploading of photos. .. yeah.. i think ManWearPants summed it up pretty nicely..

and really got to applaud you for the courage to do this.. selling apartment and all.. I am sure this journey was just amazing...

 

[dapier]

I will be going to antarctica soon, via argentina. Can I check with you? Do we need to use lens of more than 200mm? I am using FX. Do we need 200-400mm lens? I only have time to go there once and I want to be sure I bring along the rite lens. thanks!

 

[sinned79]

nice! admired your courage, i hope to do something like this but then i got some financial commitments now and had to resolved it, then saved up before taking the plunge :sweatsm:

but most probably not till the extend to sell everything and gave up my job...

looking forward to see your photos soon!

 

[ManWearPants]

nice! admired your courage, i hope to do something like this but then i got some financial commitments now and had to resolved it, then saved up before taking the plunge :sweatsm:

but most probably not till the extend to sell everything and gave up my job...

looking forward to see your photos soon!

Unless you are a business owner that has someone taking care of it. Else how to get away for more than 3 months without quitting?

 

[dapier]

even if u r a business owner, there is a big opportunity cost if u go on a holiday of a month or more... u just have to decide which is more important.

 

[sinned79]

Unless you are a business owner that has someone taking care of it. Else how to get away for more than 3 months without quitting?

u dun have to do it at one go... ;p my present job gives me 22 days of leave... so i can only visit 2-3 places per year. so maybe it will take me 10-15 years to cover round the world trip? :bsmilie: and i still get to keep my job haha.

anyway i am still trying to visit as much Asia as possible before I venture further out... next year i am going Bali and Taiwan (2 weeks) and this year i have covered Mt Kinabalu, Hong Kong and Melbourne (still many parts of Melbourne not covered! will revisit again).

 

[ManWearPants]

even if u r a business owner, there is a big opportunity cost if u go on a holiday of a month or more... u just have to decide which is more important.

Yes, you are right here. It is not an easy decision to drop everything and go on a 15 month trip. You end up richer in experience but poorer in the pocket. Which is more important is subjective. I dunno...if I go on such a trip, it is just to rejuvenate myself. I do not have any specific purpose that may alter my career path so it is less likely that I will encounter a life changing experience. I met Roxana Saberi, the journalist being captured in Iran. She authors a book and go round the world sharing her experience. She benefits from her experiences. Of course, people want to hear her story. I will just end up poorer and jobless.

u dun have to do it at one go... ;p my present job gives me 22 days of leave... so i can only visit 2-3 places per year. so maybe it will take me 10-15 years to cover round the world trip? :bsmilie: and i still get to keep my job haha.

anyway i am still trying to visit as much Asia as possible before I venture further out... next year i am going Bali and Taiwan (2 weeks) and this year i have covered Mt Kinabalu, Hong Kong and Melbourne (still many parts of Melbourne not covered! will revisit again).

Then this is different from TS experience. There is no way to cover the world unless you do what TS do. You are just selecting a few cities within a country during those 2 weeks a year trips. You don't eat, sleep and live like the locals.