First Time around the World

date Nov 3, 2007
authors Doug Lanksy
reading time 2 mins
  • Book Title: First Time Around the World - A Rough Guide Special
  • Author: Doug Lanksy
  • Year written/published: 2003
  • Summary: How to travel around the world, what to plan, what to expect, what to - bring and most importantly how to enjoy it all.
  • My Comments: Loved it!! I’m starting to love reading about places :P
  • Some extracts:

25 things to enrich your journey

  1. Relax on a desolate beach
  2. Spend the night somewhere unusual
  3. Picking grape in Europe
  4. An elephant provides a perfect perch for wildlife viewing
  5. Try ancient transport
  6. Test the street food
  7. Make friends with other travellers
  8. Take part in the cultural scene
  9. Head underwaters
  10. Go underground
  11. Check out a sporting event
  12. Ride a bicycle
  13. Get close to some wildlife
  14. Navigate without your guidebook
  15. Bargain at the local market
  16. take a bath
  17. experience the pwoer of a river
  18. wake up early to see a sight in solitude
  19. make a trip to the babber
  20. Sample the local firewater
  21. Participate in a festival
  22. Spend a few days in the jungle
  23. Wander in the backstreets
  24. Try out a new sport
  25. Climb a mountain

a tip for the drivers…

have multiple copies of everything. Even get some colour copies of your driving license laminated so you can leave them with the border guards who threaten to hold them for bribe.

benefits of traveling solo…

You learn about yourself. You’ll find out what your likes and dislikes are, and be able to act on them. … …  You’ll spend more time writing your journal, taking photos, reading, studying the culture - absorbing more of the country you’re traveling in. You’ll be less distracted by a friend and more likely to notice the small things happening around you. As a single traveler it can be easier to blend in … … women traveling alone: The trick is being able to distinguish between a tactless man and a dangerous one. Always trust your instincts. If you feel at risk, simple move to another compartment with safe-looking people, head to a more crowded street or stop a police officer.

daily costs: lowest type…

Daily expenses in developing countries: $10; monthly: $300; yearly:$3650 Daily expenses in developed countries: $22; monthly: $660; yearly: $8030 Lifestyle: Sleeping in hostel dorms, sharing rooms in the very cheapest hostels, camping, resting, sleeping on trains and buses. Eating cheapest food. No clubbing. Limited museums and no lingering drinks at nice cafes.

some miscellaneous gears:

ear plugs, permanent marker, superglue, duct tape, lighter, power adapters, clothesline, sleep sheet, mosquito coil

items for money belt:

passport, driving license, student card, youth card, 10 extra passport size photos, insurance card, phone card, anti-diarrhoea pill

some tourist scams…

  • credit card
  • fake police
  • ‘drug buy’ scam
  • border crossing scam
  • taxi dash
  • ‘fake travel agency’
  • free transport claim
  • pay it later