Round The World Tips (Who to go with)

Round the world tips (Who to go with)

This is an important section that I should have mentioned earlier. As who you take with you on your round the world trip will greatly influence the content of your adventure. I decided to go with my girlfriend the first time, after making this decision people from all directions were telling me that I’d made a huge mistake and we’d never come back together. That the trip would expose all our flaws and irritations and it would break us. Obviously this had me a little worried as I’d been with my girlfriend for 6 years up to that point. In reality the journey had the complete opposite effect, it strengthened the relationship and opened our eyes to a number of new joint hobbies.

Now I can’t say for certain that this will happen for everyone, obviously every relationship is different and if you already have problems with each others company then the round the world experience probably will break you. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try it, as if you’ve both got enough passion to travel the world together then chances are you will find other similarities along the way.

Going with your girlfriend/boyfriend will change the way in which you interact with other travellers. Because you already have a travel partner it is easy to fall into a comfort zone and distance yourself from other like minded people. This was true of my journey and resulted in us not making many friends along the way. In some senses I liked the way this worked as after 6 months or so, having to answer the same questions of where you have been and what you have done up to that point was getting quite tiresome. As a couple you are more likely to experience a lot of romantic moments, watching sunsets/sunrises on a cliff precipice, lying under a vast expanse of stars in the desert and other similar occurances.

Travelling alone or with your mates is a completely different experience, especially for boys who will tend to take a lot more risks to get that story telling experience. Going alone is so different that even if you visited the same places for a whole year you’d bring back with you an entire new spin on the appeal of round the world travel. Other single travellers latch onto you quickly as a way of gaining new experiences of their own and also for finding travel partners to share excursion and transport costs with. You’ll find yourself with a books worth of new friends from all around the world and in some crazy situations you’d never believe happened in real life. Even if you find it hard to converse with strangers the travelling experience make things so much easier, as you all have common ground in the sense that everyone is on their own journey with their own adventures to tell.

My friends that travel alone consistently say that it is a great way to experience an holiday romance, as like minded adventure seekers will often incorporate that exotic sun fuelled relationship into their list of experiences. I believe the sun is the earths most effective aphrodisiac!

So choose a travelling method that suits you best.

Round The World Tips (Working in Australia)

Round the world tips (Working in Australia)

For those of you who don’t possess ridiculous amounts of spare cash, it may be required that you work for part of the duration of your round the world journey. If the thought of this bums you out, fear not, as this little necessity can become an adventure of its own. In fact I know a few travellers who reluctantly took paid employment to supplement their travel and in doing so have never left the land down under because they loved it so much.

There are some procedures you’ll have to follow if you plan on working in Australia, these are best explored before you leave on your round the world trip. First of all and most importantly you will need to purchase yourself a working holiday visa. There are a few ways in which this can be done; independently or through a travel agent. Personally I would suggest booking your working holiday visa through the travel agent you have booked your round the world ticket with, assuming they offer this service. STA travel have clued up staff that can tell you everything you need to know and also apply for and book the visa right before your eyes. I paid £90 for my working holiday visa and Tax file number (more on TFN later) and everything was arranged so that when I arrived in the country the visa would begin from that point.

Some information about the Australian working holiday visa and Tax file number (TFN): The visa itself is valid for one year starting when you arrive in Australia and you can only work for any one employer over a 3 month period, then you have to change job unless your are sponsored to stay on the payroll. There is a separate desk at the airport that you’ll have to visit signed visitors with working holiday visas. As the paperwork will already have been arranged from home, all you have to do is answer a few simple questions about where you will stay and how you will support yourself until you find paid employment. After this a large sticker gets plastered into your passport stating that you have entitlement to work in Australia for one year. Make note though; Only apply for a working holiday visa if you actually plan to use it. This is because the Australian government will only give you one chance to use this visa in your entire lifetime. So once its in your passport you’ve got just that one year and then that’s it for life, unless the company your working for sponsors you to continue working past the 12 month cut-off point. So don’t waste it!

A Tax file number is required by all employers in Australia so that they can manage your tax paying records for the duration of your employment. If you have paid for your TFN with your visa then upon arriving in Australia all you have to do is wait for an email. Its all done automatically and this method is much faster than applying for one when you arrive. Even then, it still took around 6 weeks before my TFN email arrived so I dread to think how long it would have taken if I applied manually in the country. As soon as you have received your little piece of code you have all you need to start applying for work and at agencies.

Australia sees a large traffic of working travellers so there is no shortage of agencies offering their services. These agencies are free and work much the same as the ones in Britain. Just send in your CV with a short covering email stating what kind of employment you desire and let them contact you. In my personal experience these agencies can get you a lot of work but they aren’t the most desirable jobs in the world. For a better quality of life and much faster turnaround you are better off walking into establishments you would like to work for, even if there are not advertising for staff, and just asking if they need workers. Australia seems to have a great need for skilled workmen and women, like welders, bricklayers, plasterers and road workers. Also Nurses are in demand out there and will get employment almost instantly. However there is also plenty of bar work but some companies require that you take a short course in hospitality which will cost you around $60-$90. In late 2005 the exchange rate for the British pound was $2.5 to the pound.

When you leave Australia you can claim back all of the tax you have paid the government. This can add up to a decent figure so I strongly recommend claiming what is rightfully yours. There are twos ways to do this; the ridiculously hard and long way, or the easy and quick way. If you try and make a claim for your tax money yourself it requires filling out dozens of complicated forms that take months to exchange hands. Also you can only start applying for your money back when you have left the country, so imagine the difficultly you will experience trying to manage this amount of paperwork.

It is much, much easier to get the specialised tax return companies to retrieve your money for you. You don’t have to pay them anything up front as they take a percentage out of the money they retrieve for you. Also they sort it all out when you have left the country saving you months worth of letter sending. In the 3 months that I worked for one particular company part time, I received back 750 dollars in tax refunds after the percentage fee had been taken. Not bad!

A lot of the information in this article applies to the New Zealand Working holiday visa as well, but it is worth looking up the differences if you plan on working in NZ as well.

For recent information on booking your round the world ticket and visa, visit STA travel or any other RTW specialist company on this site.

Round The World Tips (Hiking)

RTW Tips (Hiking)

Some travelers would agree that their round the world trip would not be complete without some serious hiking. Catching public transport from town to town is a great experience but until you've hiked off the beaten track you may never really see a country's true beauty. However some forms of Hiking can be dangerous and certain precautions should be observed when embarking on such a voyage. The following information applies mainly to New Zealand as Hiking is a massive part of their culture, therefore a good basis for hiking hints and tips. However the general theme of hike preparation can be applied to any country.

Experience

If you lack Hiking experience it would be wise to start with easy, summer tracks that avoid the mountainous regions. This will give you a good indication as to what level of fitness you are currently at. Many aspects of Hiking can be learnt through experience, but it would help greatly to take along somebody who has been hiking in the conditions you will face in the past. It is recommended that hikers travel in groups of two or more. Remember if you are inexperienced, hiking can be a dangerous pursuit and if the facilities exist you should inform a warden or ranger of your intended route and time plan.

Conditions and Altitude Sickness

In New Zealand weather conditions can vary unpredictably so hikers should be well prepared for environmental shifts. The higher the altitudes you will reach on your hike will also effect the conditions. Tall mountains will get colder as you ascend and can be below freezing even in the summer season. Also the atmosphere thins out at high altitude and can cause altitude sickness or acute mountain sickness. (AMS) Almost everyone who climbs above 4000 metres or more will experience some form of mild symptoms, but descent is an immediate cure for these ailments.


AMS is caused by there being less oxygen in the air and a lower atmospheric pressure. The body can react to this in a series of strange ways: The brain can swell and lungs fill with fluid, and you can even experience uncontrollable passing of wind. Other symptoms include breathlessness, headaches and dizziness, nausea, appetite loss and difficulty sleeping. Rare extreme cases may involve disorientation, loss of balance and the coughing up of pink frothy phlegm.


A golden rule for adjusting to these conditions is not to climb too high, too fast. Above 3000m one should not climb more then 500m a day paying particular attention to 3500m and 4000m altitudes.


Diamox is a drug that can suppress AMS but it is not advisable to take this as it can block the early signs of AMS and lead to a fatal outcome. Staying stationary for a day is a better method, eat high carbohydrate foods and drink at least three litres of water a day. Take paracetemol or aspirin for headaches and descend if AMS symptoms worsen.

Equipment and tips

• Carry a large scale topographical map, a recent description of your track or route and a compass.
• Find out weather conditions that will effect your route before you set off, in NZ the DOC centre can provide this information.
• Watch the weather as you walk, ascertain if it will be safe to continue.
• Carry water with you if there is none available on your route. Take extra, high energy food : You may be out longer then you plan to be.
• Take layers of clothing to protect you from cold, wind and rain. If you stop walking, put on extra clothing. Synthetic clothing such as nylon, polyester, and polypropylene dries quicker than wool and cotton. Nylon shorts and polyester tee shirts are good for summer hiking, along with polypropylene or merino thermal wear, fleece mid layers, and windproof and rainproof outer layers.
• Take survival bags or a tent fly for emergency shelter. Survival bags are available from outdoors stores.
• In New Zealand you can fill out an intentions card at the nearest DOC Field Centre or a visitor centre; remember to sign out when you return.
  

Round The World Tips (Scams)

RTW Tips (Scams)

Think you can survive the whole year without getting scammed? Good Luck! Believe it or not getting scammed is a big part of world travel, especially in India, the far east and other economically challenged countries. So i'm going to compile a selection of things to be on the look out for during your trip. Eyes open people!

Government Gift Shop visits

This will get very irritating very quickly as it happens almost EVERY day. Whenever you book a guided tour through any means, it is almost 100% guarnteed that en route back to the hotel the driver or tour guide will take you, against your will to an over priced air conditioned government building stacked to the brim with stuff you really wont want to buy.

You'd think it would be easy enough to just say no to this, but prepare yourself for a guilt trip that will overshadow any trip you've ever experienced! I've heard lines like, ' Don't worry you don't have to buy anything, just spend 10 minutes inside the building and I will get food tokens for my children. Can you do this for me?... Please!' and all kinds of similar groveling. Now i am not an argumentative person, but after 4 weeks of these mind games i just couldn't handle it any longer: It was time to devise a escape tactic.

My Round the world tip for escaping this kind of situation is to ask a local rickshaw/taxi driver to follow the same landmark route that the tour would've taken. Agree on a decent price or move on to the next driver. (See Round The World Haggling Tips) Once you've settled on an acceptable figure which will most likely be cheaper than the tour, crack on with the days events safe in the knowledge that you won't be bundled off into the nearest money trap.

However this method isn't always 100% effective and even local drivers will try to take you to government gift shops without your consent. The easiest way to get out of this is to confirm with the driver after the haggling process that he will not take you to one of these places. In return tell him you will be extremely happy with his services and perhaps he will even get a tip! Just make sure you give them a tip after this promise and you end the day satisfied that everyone got what they wanted.

Friendly Strangers

There will be days when you wish to tackle the sights of the world on foot, braving the scorching temperatures to acquire that true sense of cultural blending. As much as i love walking my way around town, it comes with its own set of irritations. Local shop keepers will jump at the chance of having a foreigner in their store, or more accurately put, a foreigners cash. Therefore prepare to be mobbed by over friendly strangers asking where you are from. (under the pretense of practicing their English) This harmless banter will soon evolve into an invitation to visit their friends/brothers/cousins workshop, which will in turn lead to you being laid under another heavy guilt trip.

If you have a strong personality this kind of scam is easily turned down. But those of you looking to find inner strength on your journey will find this a true test of your patience, and bank balance. Be aware, most friendly strangers will want something from you.

Shoe Polishers/Cleaners

One of the more amusing scams. Some ingenious little children in some parts of the world have devised a form of trickery you'd almost never expect. Imagine you are walking the streets and all of a sudden, whoops you've stepped in some cow poo. It's just bad luck right? how about if that little child thats been secretly following you had thrown it in your path? only to notice your dilema and guide you to his shoe cleaning emporium! How convenient!...

Medicine men

Of all the scams this has to be the worst i have heard of on my travels. In some rare cases travelers dining at certain restaurants became extremely ill with painful stomach difficulties. Restaurant staff would then come to aid the traveler and offer to call a doctor. These doctors provided the patient with medicine which they claimed would cure the illness. Instead these very doctors were keeping the travelers ill with the medication they were prescribing, and the restaurant they had eaten at had purposefully made them ill. The doctors would then claim medical expenses off of the travelers insurance policy for as long as they could keep them ill. The scam artists behind this operation have since been arrested, but never the less one should be wary of such trickery.

Travel Agencies

This applies to the travel agencies in hotels as well as independent establishments. Whenever you allow someone other than yourself to book bus,train or air tickets, always check the value of the tickets that you have been charged for. Agencies will often give you an inflated rate and say that the extra charge is for booking fees. This just means you are paying for them to stand in a queue for a few minutes that you could have stood in yourself. So don't let them over charge you for this. The actual value of the ticket is stated on the ticket itself usually at the bottom on the right.

On one occasion my girlfriend and I were desperate to leave a certain town as soon as possible. We visited a travel agent and asked for a ticket leaving the following day. We were charged close to £100 for a third class carriage. The travel agent was extremely convincing and made us think that we had to travel an emergency line so we paid the money. It was only after noticing the actual price of the ticket, which was about £4 each that we went back to the agency and demanded how they justified spending £92 on booking fees. The agent looked embarrassed and tried to explain that he was planning to give us back the overpayment when we returned. Even though he knew full well that we had booked single outbound tickets and were not returning.

This round the world tip will come in extremely handy as you are almost certainly likely to fall victim to this scam at least once.

Street Children

Not so much a scam but an attempt at taking your money none the less, street children will often follow you for MILES asking for you to buy them a chocolate bar or something of equal value. Once you give in and purchase that chocolate, hoards of children will mob you expecting the same treatment. Remember these children are never alone, they are always part of a group of more children governed by a smaller group of adults. You won't see the adults until they suspect that you may cause the children harm, but they are there.

Removing your shoes at temples

Almost all temples are considered holy ground, therefore you must remove footwear before entering them. Many temples will have facilities to leave your shoes under guard until you return. Locals will choose not to use this service and leave them elsewhere, DON'T copy them or your shoes will get stolen. This actually happened to me, on the fourth day of my round the world trip! And if you've read my 'what to bring with you' checklist you'll already know I only had one pair of shoes! Nightmare...