Reply to: Anyone been backpacking solo?

[Brussels Slumdog]

Life is One long working holiday

Left home in 71 and finally went home in 79. Backpacking and working. I am still on a working holiday except I now stay at the Radisson and not in a hostel and I catch a plane or a train and don't need to hitch hike to work. I now work on the 18th floor and not at the 18th level of an Australian gold mine. I no longer have to borrow £50 from a fellow backpacker to show the border guard that I have enough money to transit the country, as I can now flash my credit card. I now have a suitcase with wheels with 5 days of clothes and not a backpack with my whole wardrobe. I can now go home after the working holiday week. I now do the same IT job which is not quite as exciting as the 70s odd jobs

[Bunk]

Only came home because there was a family wedding & I was told I would be disinherited if I didn't attend.

Exactly the same for me.

[Troll]

Yes - Australia and NZ in my late 20s. I got a working visa for Australia so ended up spending the full year out there (3 months work in Sydney & the rest travelling) and then went over to NZ for 3 months. Only came home because there was a family wedding & I was told I would be disinherited if I didn't attend.

Went on my own, but stayed in hostels & met loads of people. Best year of my life!!

How hard did you find it to get work ?

[Ignis Fatuus]

Yes - Australia and NZ in my late 20s. I got a working visa for Australia so ended up spending the full year out there (3 months work in Sydney & the rest travelling) and then went over to NZ for 3 months. Only came home because there was a family wedding & I was told I would be disinherited if I didn't attend.

Went on my own, but stayed in hostels & met loads of people. Best year of my life!!

Looks like the question is not, has anyone travelled solo on a long trip far away. Question is, has anyone done that who doesn't now count it as one of the high points of their life?

[SarahL2012]

I have worked out i have had 4 days off in the last 3 years and have decided I want to treat myself to a long break at the end of my current gig. All my friends are permies and would not be able to take more than 2 weeks off. So i was thinking of taking 3-6 months and do a bit of traveling. I am 28 now and think i need to do this now or i never will.

Has anyone ever done it on their own? how did they find it?

Yes - Australia and NZ in my late 20s. I got a working visa for Australia so ended up spending the full year out there (3 months work in Sydney & the rest travelling) and then went over to NZ for 3 months. Only came home because there was a family wedding & I was told I would be disinherited if I didn't attend.

Went on my own, but stayed in hostels & met loads of people. Best year of my life!!

[Ketchup]

It sure would. I was there for 12 months. I didn't have time to do it all. I suppose I didn't need to spend a whole month in Rio alone, for example. But why rush through it?

Exactly my thinking, contracting allows the flexibility to travel, i would love to work for 9 months then spend 3 travelling, 3 months gaps don't look bad on the CV. Until i'm married with kids anyway

[Ignis Fatuus]

I still want to go there, but with only 3 months, i think it would warrant a trip on its own

It sure would. I was there for 12 months. I didn't have time to do it all. I suppose I didn't need to spend a whole month in Rio alone, for example. But why rush through it?

[Ketchup]

You were going to S. America a few days ago - but you know what, I think that is the number one beauty of being able to travel, the freedom to go where you want, when you want.

I booked one of these round the world tickets. But once I was away I completely changed my itinery based on what I found I enjoyed doing.

I still want to go there, but with only 3 months, i think it would warrant a trip on its own

[DodgyAgent]

I have worked out i have had 4 days off in the last 3 years and have decided I want to treat myself to a long break at the end of my current gig. All my friends are permies and would not be able to take more than 2 weeks off. So i was thinking of taking 3-6 months and do a bit of traveling. I am 28 now and think i need to do this now or i never will.

Has anyone ever done it on their own? how did they find it?

I would imagine that any IT contractor who has backpacked would have done it on their own. After all everyone knows you lot have no friends

[Ignis Fatuus]

Absolutely - it really is difficult to describe the effect travelling like this has on you and how the experiences live with you forever. It only takes a few words of reminiscing to bring it right back into focus...

I need another adventure

Amen to that.

[Bunk]

You were going to S. America a few days ago - but you know what, I think that is the number one beauty of being able to travel, the freedom to go where you want, when you want.

I booked one of these round the world tickets. But once I was away I completely changed my itinery based on what I found I enjoyed doing.

WHS

Make sure you get a ticket that allows for at least a few free changes to dates, flights etc. There's no way everything will go according to plan, that's the best part, make it up as you go along.

[Basil Fawlty]

In my mind doing that is restrictive as you have to be somewhere at a certain time. I am currently thinking (although this changes every week) that i will flow to Moscow and get the Trans-Siberian through all the way to Beijing stopping for in remote Russia (have always wanted to visit Russia), Siberia (Lake Baikal), Mongolia.

After that i am stumped, my end destination is Perth as i have family there and a few friends play for Perth Glory and want to visit SE Asia, but can't decide whether to go to Japan and Korea or Tibet and India (all 4 are countries i want to see), then through SE Asia and Indonesia to OZ.

You were going to S. America a few days ago - but you know what, I think that is the number one beauty of being able to travel, the freedom to go where you want, when you want.

I booked one of these round the world tickets. But once I was away I completely changed my itinery based on what I found I enjoyed doing.

[Basil Fawlty]

I'm getting itchy feet reading this thread.

Absolutely - it really is difficult to describe the effect travelling like this has on you and how the experiences live with you forever. It only takes a few words of reminiscing to bring it right back into focus...

I need another adventure

[Ketchup]

Go to holidaypirates.co.uk and look for an 'open-jaw' flight deal - ie you land in singapore but return flight is from say japan.
The bit in the middle you can walk, cycle, take a bus and just enjoy life

In my mind doing that is restrictive as you have to be somewhere at a certain time. I am currently thinking (although this changes every week) that i will flow to Moscow and get the Trans-Siberian through all the way to Beijing stopping for in remote Russia (have always wanted to visit Russia), Siberia (Lake Baikal), Mongolia.

After that i am stumped, my end destination is Perth as i have family there and a few friends play for Perth Glory and want to visit SE Asia, but can't decide whether to go to Japan and Korea or Tibet and India (all 4 are countries i want to see), then through SE Asia and Indonesia to OZ.

[SandyD]

Singapore is mostly like Canary Wharf.... some cultured areas, but majority is like CW.
Islands are different.