Anyone been travelling?

[Revol]

Not fully, though I visited Chebika which was beautiful, and Kasserine which was just a small town, although I was fascinated about the connection it has to WW2.

Both were by the Atlases IIRC.

Still littered with all the debris from WW2 was the thing that stood out for me as you imagine it would have all gone by now. The 3rd reich knew how to build things to last!

Though i must admit the worse coach journey i've ever had in my life was there. I felt drained when it had finished.

God, yeah, coach journeys in hot countries like Tunisia are always horrible.

And from what I hear there's still live minefields at Kasserine? I know there is at El Alamein in Egypt. Admittedly I've never been there, despite the many times I've visited Egypt but I hope to one day.

 

[savo]

I had never really travelled anywhere except going on summer holidays or a european weekend game with the boys. One nite we were pissed in Cats hostel in Madrid, there for a real vs gynnastic game. So we get pissed and someone says we should save money like mad a go to climb killimanjaro! Long story short, we saved like mad and 6 of us went an climb killi, then we decided to climb a mountain at least every 18 months. So far we have clipped Killi (Africa), Elbrus (Russia), Aconcagua (Argentina), Teide (Spain) and we are giving Mt Blanc a shot in May. I feel free in the mountains.
I think everyone should aim to do something that inspires them and then they should just go for it, money should not be an excuse, I am not rich! I believe if you work hard enough, sacrifice and save for long enough then you can achieve anything you wish.

 

[pee dubya]

I'm going away somewhere once i graduate, hopefully for a about 10 years until i grow up enough to get a proper (boring) job.

Trying to decide between English speaking but expensive, or non-english speaking but cheap.

Or i'll work in a supermarket for the rest of my life, haven't quite decided yet.

I know you were only joking (or were you?) but thats exactly what my life is now, i feel im missing out on better experiences, being only 25.

I was kind of joking, i have no plans for what i'll be doing once i wake up the day after graduation, i can see myself easily being sucked into a job like that though. Basically i have a massive void where my life will be (i don't mean that in a depressing, help me way) and haven't figured out how i'll be filling it yet. I have worked in supermarkets, with people who have had that happen to them. They get the job, see it as short-term, then get settled with a girlfriend or kids and can't afford to give it up.

I'd get out whilst you can.

 

[Mayor West]

I had never really travelled anywhere except going on summer holidays or a european weekend game with the boys. One nite we were pissed in Cats hostel in Madrid, there for a real vs gynnastic game. So we get pissed and someone says we should save money like mad a go to climb killimanjaro! Long story short, we saved like mad and 6 of us went an climb killi, then we decided to climb a mountain at least every 18 months. So far we have clipped Killi (Africa), Elbrus (Russia), Aconcagua (Argentina), Teide (Spain) and we are giving Mt Blanc a shot in May. I feel free in the mountains.
I think everyone should aim to do something that inspires them and then they should just go for it, money should not be an excuse, I am not rich! I believe if you work hard enough, sacrifice and save for long enough then you can achieve anything you wish.

That sounds brillaint mate, sounds right up my street.

 

[smudgedj]

Yeah definately, but not to the extreme, i dont need five star pampering or anyhting haha! like i said, money wouldnt be an issue so i wouldnt have to scrape by at hostels, and im not all that indepentent when it comes to travelling, so an organised one would be ideal, some may see that as defeating the objuect of going travelling, but if i do end up going it will be to experience the sites rather than to find yourself.

I meet two type of people here who have or are on an organised tour, the first type who are only on the tour for a short period, less than a month, love it and sing their praises. Anything over that time they realise they have been taken as mugs, paid twice as much as they should and also have to pay extra for excursions, some companies even charge an extra amount every month!

Something you may not know, when you go and book an excursion over here or book a hotel/hostel room or even buy a beer or a sandwich people speak English, not knowing the language isn't a problem. I found the same in Thailand and Cambodia.

 

[Mayor West]

Yeah definately, but not to the extreme, i dont need five star pampering or anyhting haha! like i said, money wouldnt be an issue so i wouldnt have to scrape by at hostels, and im not all that indepentent when it comes to travelling, so an organised one would be ideal, some may see that as defeating the objuect of going travelling, but if i do end up going it will be to experience the sites rather than to find yourself.

I meet two type of people here who have or are on an organised tour, the first type who are only on the tour for a short period, less than a month, love it and sing their praises. Anything over that time they realise they have been taken as mugs, paid twice as much as they should and also have to pay extra for excursions, some companies even charge an extra amount every month!

Something you may not know, when you go and book an excursion over here or book a hotel/hostel room or even buy a beer or a sandwich people speak English, not knowing the language isn't a problem. I found the same in Thailand and Cambodia.

Ah right, cheers ill remember that, worth knowing. Money may not be an issue but i still dont want to be ripped off or taken for a ride!

 

[phil31]

ive done asia including Pakistan, India and Nepal. I wouldnt advice going anywhere near Pakistan at the moment apart from the Karakorum highway. India is cheap as fook. Plenty to see and do. Nepal is amazing, more relaxed than india for the same price.

South east asia. Thailand is a good place to start travelling if youve never set foot outside of Europe or package holidays before. Laos is cool, cambodia is too. I spent some time in Vietnam but i didnt enoy it.
Malaysia is a good country to visit and Singapore is a good place to get a flight to Australia from.

Plenty of work in Australia and New Zealand.

Middle East. Spent plenty of time in this region of the world. Israel is ok, rather pricey. When i was there it was fairly easy to get work, not sure now. jordan has a few good places to visit.
Egypt is cheap as fook if your not on a package tour.

Not been to South America yet but its in the pipeline.

Plenty of info on the lonely planet website to get your taste buds watering. Check out the thorn tree forum to see what other travellers are saying who are out there at the moment.

Hopefully see you on the road sometime.

Im heading out on my bike (cycling) in April towards istanbul and if my legs are upto it then i might see you in Australia in about three years time.

If you want any advice give me a shout.

 

[smudgedj]

I meet two type of people here who have or are on an organised tour, the first type who are only on the tour for a short period, less than a month, love it and sing their praises. Anything over that time they realise they have been taken as mugs, paid twice as much as they should and also have to pay extra for excursions, some companies even charge an extra amount every month!

Something you may not know, when you go and book an excursion over here or book a hotel/hostel room or even buy a beer or a sandwich people speak English, not knowing the language isn't a problem. I found the same in Thailand and Cambodia.

Ah right, cheers ill remember that, worth knowing. Money may not be an issue but i still dont want to be ripped off or taken for a ride!

I couldn't believe it when I was told, they paid for the trip and then they paid extra every month, then the 'good' trips they had to pay again and had to pay extra for upgraded accommodation, it seems they camped in hotel grounds and you paid if you wanted a room, so they clubbed together got a room and they all used the shower.

They had all paid an extra £550 for the 3 weeks in Bolivia, that's like 15 people all paying that! You can get a 3 course meal here for £2 so what the money went on god only knows.

The biggest complaint was the fact that none of the group leaders could speak Spanish!

 

[hackneyslim]

Some very good information on here.

I can recommend Israel and Egypt. Spent a month on a kibbutz, which is a great experience if you can do the work, and a month in Egypt for pennies (in those days) if you can take the toilet experience. Unbelievable stuff out there - bullets, temples, the desert...

No-one has mentioned European train journeys - very cheap, sleep on the sleepers, stuff is so close together, very easy way to see a lot of places at once. I'm off to Istanbul from here (Athens) come April on the night train - might see you there, phil31?

Check out <a class="postlink" href="http://www.seat.61" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">www.seat.61</a> - train travel central. Example - NYC - LA for $133.

Generally speaking, mate, check out summer jobs on the internet; find a place you want to go and plan around it; find a mate who wants to go with you; read, read, read - Lonely Planet, Let's Go, whatever. You'll hear some inspirational stories - for example, I had a friend who ended up as the postman to the Antarctic weather stations out of Capetown for 6 months...married a Chilean girl...back in Leicester now, but...

Don't worry about language - 'cluck, cluck' gets you chicken anywhere on the planet, all part of the experience.

Best of luck, whatever you do. You won't regret it...if you live...naaaah.

h

 

[BingoBango]

I've sort of been travelling. Went on a ten day long tour of Tunisia, if that counts.

I've always wanted to do it though. I've even planned out the places I want to go:

Dublin
Paris
Amsterdam
Berlin
Venice
Barcelona
Athens
Istanbul

Fly out of Leeds/Bradford, fly home into Manchester.

Athens is a fantastic city, the Greeks are wonderfully friendly. I was there over Christmas and New Year, and going up to the Acropolis was the fulfillment of a boyhood dream.

Just don't drive, unless you are veeling particularly brave.