Travelling

[TheBitch]

Good choice on travelling mate, it sounds like you're going to do so something similar to me. I'm hitting Thailand for a month first (you get a 30 days free visa there) and then on to Australia for the year, or maybe I'll move on again depending on how it goes and money and the like.

 

Fuck, never thought about visa's, see told you I have no clue about this. Something else to research!

 

Are you local? If you are theres a good little travel agent who specialise in this sort of thing called STA Travel. They're on Bold St in Town near the top on the right side.

Thats where I booked my flights and generally got a better idea of what I wanted to do. The fella I booked with was sound, he'd done all the travelling lark himself so he gave us a lot of good advice and reccomendations.

 

Had a look at the STA website before, reckon it'd be easier going in as you say. How much are you planning on taking Hooch, if you don't mind me asking? Are you planning on working at all?

 

If you happen to hit Oz the same time as I'm out there get in touch mate. I'm sure a tall handsome bastard like yourself could send a few cast offs my way while you blag the fit ones.

 

It's on.

[Hooch]

Yeah If you were planning on working in Australia you'll need a visa mate. STA sorted that out for us too. Think it was about 160 quid or something.

As for Thailand and the other neighbouring Asian countries I think it's just a matter of going back out after 30 days and then going in again. The Visas just start the minute you check in to the country so you wouldn't need to worry about sorting anything with that inless you were planning on staying longer.

 

Savings wise I'm looking at about 5 grand hopefully if I can sell my car to go with it. Not too much really and I've been saving my arse off! But I think I'll get by for a good while and I'm planning on working while I'm out there to help pay my way.

I'd deffo reccommend going into STA or another travel agent if only for a chat.

I'm not an expert on all this myself by the way but if you've got any other questions I'll do my best, Remmie has a lot of travelling experience and I'm sure he'll stop in to this thread sooner or later with some advice.

 

Only 6 weeks till I go now, can't believe I'm doing it, getting nervous now.

[TheBitch]

 

Only 6 weeks till I go now, can't believe I'm doing it, getting nervous now.

 

Superb. Coming on here will be the last thing on your mind, but if you're in an internet cafe somewhere and bored, keep us posted, you planning on meeting any of the Oz boys?

[Liverpool lad]

Anyone looking for a decent way to see the States or Canada needs to get on to Challenger Sports, coaching kids in whatever state you want. Any further questions, don't hesitate to drop me a PM.

[WaltonRed]

Looking at prices for my much publicised trip to San Fran, if I wait till Sept i can go direct for about £700 on BA, so i'm going to wait.

 

Or, send the mother over then and then i'll go over for Xmas and New Year.

[standing_fan]

Check out Jamaica.

 

Stick to the North Coast. I recommend Ocho Rios. Guest house 40 US dollars a night. Great music, awesome food, cool people and great weather. Don't believe the hype you are safe as houses, tourism is main form of income and tourist are well looked after. Don't do an all inclusive its shite, you wont meet any locals and its bland.

 

Negril on the west of the island is great for beach.

 

Portland in the East is really nice and great for Jerk pork, chicken, fish etc Check out the world famous Boston jerk Centre. Unbelievable food and cool vibe.

 

If you want any more info just PM me

[gazelle]

hello from not so sunny sao paulo... well my ticket cost around 2500 quid.. 300 for insurance and then i spent a bit on laptop, psp, ipod etc.. well.. im couch surfing so its hard to gage what you would really need to spend on accommodation as so far i spent one week in a hostel in NY and another in miami...the rest of the time i have blagged places to stay...seriously consider joing couchsurfing.org its fucking wicked.. you get to see the laces you are visiting through the eyes of those living there along with it being a far cheaper way f travelling... i saved about another 9000 spending money but even with c-s it wont last me the year im sure of it.. USA was expensive.. S America is alot cheaper but i know NZ and Oz are gonna cain my $$...i end in asia as thats when im clearly gonna be the most broke.. plus its my30tha dn have family and friends coming to visit so hoping they will bring gifts of CASH!

 

Anyway im currently living the dream, each day is a brand new advenure, some times scary but thats al apart of the fun! anyway good luc and i hope this helps!!

[Remmie]

Hey bitch,

 

I have a bit of travelling experience, not loads like Hooch seems to think, certainly not round the world. I can tell you about Thailand and Eastern Europe which were both amazing trips I'll never ever forget, plus I head to Australia in November. I've heard about these round the world flights, I understand you can have something like 7 journeys round the world over a year and you don't have to be too regimented by dates as you book them as you go along, though I think you need to specify your countries. I think these ticket prices start at around £1,200 depending on your requirements and intended locations, but I am guessing a lot more if you want to do anything similar to Gazelle. Some friends of mine travelled round the world 5 years ago and over the course of their year they managed to spend £5k each. I think that would be a tight but possibly achievable budget, though you would need to stay in cheaper places like SE Asia and South America for a lot of the time and keep the partying to once or twice a week max. Having said that I spunked £1k+ in 3 weeks in Thailand, though as the picture thread will attest, I partied hard and did loads of shit (9 places in 20 days plus got diving qualifications).

 

You could just freestyle it though and get your tickets as you go along, for instance RJ just messaged that Air Asia are doing a flight sale for flying in Jan-March.

 

Other trip options that might be fun would be to do the trans-siberian express train through Russia, into Mongolia, China and maybe even India. A friend is currently doing it on his way to Japan without flying, I'll keep you posted about how it was and what he did. My boss did the same journey a few years back and has some great stories about going through Russia - shagging loads of stunners, drinking 1.5p pints of beer and being marooned on an island in the middle of the worlds largest freshwater lake full of bears and tigers on 2 days food.

 

I keep on meaning to check couchsurfing as loads of travellers have recommended it and I'm sure there would be loads of good stories and recommendations, not to mention the contacts you'd make.

 

Another tip is start booking all your injections you need now as the NHS often run out and refer you to a super expensive private clinic to get them and they can cost from £20-£200 each and you may need 7 or 8!

 

Good luck, I am excited for you already mate and feel free to ask any questions, especially about places I've already been to.

[Remmie]

Haha just read that back and it reads like the lake is full of bears and tigers. It was the island in the middle of it that home these creatures.

[NelCarra]

Ive just got back, early unfortunately because I ran out of money, take lots of fucking money if your going the states, way too expensive, thats the reason im back, NZ was and is amazing and its dirt cheap, its literally 2 to 1 conversion rate, and Oz is expensive, getting expensive everywhere these days

[TheBitch]

Thanks for the replies, am a bit flummoxed on what to do, I'll have a decent amount of cash by March, hopefully close to 10k, but looking at the seasonal weather, SE Asia might be a bit rainy shortly after then and then I'd be heading on towards NZ and OZ after that and then S America. Much research to be done.

 

Maybe as Gazelle has done I should go the other way round and I'd be in the cheapest places when I have the least amount of money. Lots more research to be done.

 

Like NelCarra says, I am concerned about Oz as there's lots to do and it aint gonna be cheap. Is NZ cheap? What kind of places did you stay in Nel? Prices like?

 

Will research these world flights and couchsurfing, good advice on the injections Rem.

[Yerma'satexan!]

Haha just read that back and it reads like the lake is full of bears and tigers. It was the island in the middle of it that home these creatures.

 

Read like he was shagging loads of stunning bears and tigers.

[Remmie]

Read like he was shagging loads of stunning bears and tigers.

A couple vodkas, one thing leads to another, we've all been there elbow deep in a Siberian tiger.

[NelCarra]

Thanks for the replies, am a bit flummoxed on what to do, I'll have a decent amount of cash by March, hopefully close to 10k, but looking at the seasonal weather, SE Asia might be a bit rainy shortly after then and then I'd be heading on towards NZ and OZ after that and then S America. Much research to be done.

 

Maybe as Gazelle has done I should go the other way round and I'd be in the cheapest places when I have the least amount of money. Lots more research to be done.

 

Like NelCarra says, I am concerned about Oz as there's lots to do and it aint gonna be cheap. Is NZ cheap? What kind of places did you stay in Nel? Prices like?

 

Will research these world flights and couchsurfing, good advice on the injections Rem.

 

 

I found NZ really cheap and would do NZ before OZ, I did the Kiwi Experience and it was the best experience, i travelled all through NZ, north and south island, about 12 quid for a dorm in a hostel, not as cheap as thailand etc but cheap nonetheless

[Guest TesticleOReilly]

but looking at the seasonal weather, SE Asia might be a bit rainy shortly after then

 

Nothing wrong with the weather in SE Asia in April.

 

 

 

If you're a fuckin' duck!!

[TheBitch]

BUGGER!

[dudek#1]

Good thread, and I feel quite inclined to post as I am now in my ninth week of travelling the Balkans which is by far my favourite region in the world.

 

Flew to Split, went down to Metković which is on the BiH border, up to Mostar then Sarajevo (incredible city). Worked my way back to the coast and down to Montenegro, stopping in Kotor and Budva before minibussing it down to Tirana, Albania. This city is a FUCKING MUST for anyone who wants to travel.

 

Bussed over the border to Macedonia where I went to Ohrid (beautiful) and then Skopje. Took a day trip to Prishtine (Kosovo) which was an experience I will never forget.

 

Then to Sofia, Bulgaria before the night train to Istanbul. Back to Veliko Tarnovo (medieval capital of Bulgarian kingdom) then Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj and Timisoara in Romania.

 

Then to Belgrade, which is the best city I have ever been to.

 

Zagreb up to Ljubljana, through Istria down to Zadar, back to Split and spet some time in Hvar Otok.

 

I take issue with whoever said that Zagreb is a shithole. Better than any city in the UK for sure.

 

For those of you who have not been, all the good stuff on here about Croatia is totally true. I have been coming here since I was about 11, can speak a fair bit of their fucked up language (seven different ways of saying most words depending on how you are referring to it - what the fuck?) and would have no problem living here even if the endemic corruption, unemployment and low wages are taken into account.

 

If you do come you need to visit Dalmatia and Istria (and Slavonia - bit by the Serbian border - if you can), but get away from the tacky coastal bits and see the villages. Inland Istria is ten times better than the homogenous Poreć, Pula etc up there.

 

Also get to the islands - Hvar, Korčula, Mljet, Vis, Brac - there are over a thousand and each inhabited one has its own unique history, language and identity.

 

Best places I went to this time were Sarajevo, Tirana, Ohrid, Istanbul and Belgrade.

 

Cheap as hell, too.

 

Edit - Oh and the drink and food everywhere is amazing.

Edited September 13, 2010 by dudek#1

[Remmie]

Good thread, and I feel quite inclined to post as I am now in my ninth week of travelling the Balkans which is by far my favourite region in the world.

 

Flew to Split, went down to Metković which is on the BiH border, up to Mostar then Sarajevo (incredible city). Worked my way back to the coast and down to Montenegro, stopping in Kotor and Budva before minibussing it down to Tirana, Albania. This city is a FUCKING MUST for anyone who wants to travel.

 

Bussed over the border to Macedonia where I went to Ohrid (beautiful) and then Skopje. Took a day trip to Prishtine (Kosovo) which was an experience I will never forget.

 

Then to Sofia, Bulgaria before the night train to Istanbul. Back to Veliko Tarnovo (medieval capital of Bulgarian kingdom) then Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj and Timisoara in Romania.

 

Then to Belgrade, which is the best city I have ever been to.

 

Zagreb up to Ljubljana, through Istria down to Zadar, back to Split and spet some time in Hvar Otok.

 

I take issue with whoever said that Zagreb is a shithole. Better than any city in the UK for sure.

 

For those of you who have not been, all the good stuff on here about Croatia is totally true. I have been coming here since I was about 11, can speak a fair bit of their fucked up language (seven different ways of saying most words depending on how you are referring to it - what the fuck?) and would have no problem living here even if the endemic corruption, unemployment and low wages are taken into account.

 

If you do come you need to visit Dalmatia and Istria (and Slavonia - bit by the Serbian border - if you can), but get away from the tacky coastal bits and see the villages. Inland Istria is ten times better than the homogenous Poreć, Pula etc up there.

 

Also get to the islands - Hvar, Korčula, Mljet, Vis, Brac - there are over a thousand and each inhabited one has its own unique history, language and identity.

 

Best places I went to this time were Sarajevo, Tirana, Ohrid, Istanbul and Belgrade.

 

Cheap as hell, too.

 

Edit - Oh and the drink and food everywhere is amazing.

This post fills me with wonder, I had such a fantastic time in Pula especially as well as Porec and Otok Pag, so I can only imagine what else is in store. Just based on it's geography and an instinct I had a feeling Albania would be good and heard great things about Bulgaria and Serbia before.

[dudek#1]

This post fills me with wonder, I had such a fantastic time in Pula especially as well as Porec and Otok Pag, so I can only imagine what else is in store. Just based on it's geography and an instinct I had a feeling Albania would be good and heard great things about Bulgaria and Serbia before.

 

I can't praise Belgrade highly enough, been twice now and will return again... but I will certainly see the "real" Serbia soon, maybe next year.

 

And Albania has the best beaches in Europe. Croatia and Montenegro's are great but sadly attract too many package tourists which has lead tacky to hotels, inauthentic cafes and poor quality restaurants. When both these countries join the EU this will be even worse.

 

Albania though has not embraced tourism in the slightest and is all the better for it

[Jasmine]

Then to Belgrade, which is the best city I have ever been to.

But you didn't find it... beautiful, did you?

I've been living in Belgrade since forever and find it still difficult to grasp tourists' fascination with it.

It's the long-legged girls, right?

[dudek#1]

But you didn't find it... beautiful, did you?

I've been living in Belgrade since forever and find it still difficult to grasp tourists' fascination with it.

It's the long-legged girls, right?

 

It's not beautiful in the accepted definition of the term, but I was never one for the Viennas or Budapests of the world. Ah fuck it, yes, it's all about the girls.

[Remmie]

It's not beautiful in the accepted definition of the term, but I was never one for the Viennas or Budapests of the world. Ah fuck it, yes, it's all about the girls.

Hmm the value of your opinion just took a major hit by disrespecting Budapest. I loved it.

[dudek#1]

Hmm the value of your opinion just took a major hit by disrespecting Budapest. I loved it.

 

It is a good city yes, but the point I was making was you can get blinded by the grandiose Hapsburg architecture and well oiled tourist trade to the detriment of having a good time in such places.

[Remmie]

It is a good city yes, but the point I was making was you can get blinded by the grandiose Hapsburg architecture and well oiled tourist trade to the detriment of having a good time in such places.

Redeemed, Hallelujah!

[neko]

this is good for a laugh or two.

 

i know you prefer the word 'holiday' to 'vacation' but anyways....

 

Hatecation