Itineraries
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Transport
Accommodation
Attractions
Food & Drink
Entertainment
44 Years Travelling Experience
How to Travel
"I wish there had been a site this good around when I was starting out travelling. I used to enjoy hearing stories and getting tips from the old hands and that's what this site offers to people just starting out in the wonderful world of travel." Gene Gardiner
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"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page"
St Augustine of Hippo 354 - 430 AD
Photo by Christian Egli on Unsplash
Every country, city, journey, festival, island, honeymoon, hotel, motorbike loop, golf trip, train trip & pilgrimage on the site.
Use the country marker maps to locate every hotel, restaurant, bar, attraction, transport, entertainment, activity, tour, shops, ATM, petrol station, Tourist Information place, market, cafe, tea house & toilet in the itinerary with pictures & information.
Click on every map on the website to enlarge and work out routes, distances & times (put in where you are & where you want to go & just click on the car, pedestrian or cyclist) & public transport options (Same again put in where you are and where you want to go then click the train symbol - all of your available options will be displayed in full detail)
Your holiday - Your way
best Month for each trip
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Click or tap on the Clock to go to the desired month. Click on the car to go to Road Trips. Then click on the trip you like to go to the information page. The easiest way to navigate this website is with the menu bar which reappears when you scroll up.
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Go any time you like, just check out the weather and other details on the information pages under BEST TIME TO GO or Go. You might need to get in early with your bookings or pack some warm clothes. Some places close down in the off season all together.
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These months should have good weather and there may be a festival on too. They could be shoulder season with cheaper prices and fewer crowds.
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Since the end of Covid a lot of hotels have put their prices back up and then some. If you find the recommended hotel is too expensive just click on the map and pick something nearby that is more reasonable.
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Prices change regularly so just treat any included as a rough guide.
“The goal is to die with memories, not dreams” - Antponio Mara
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Classical Numismatic Group, Inc. http://www.cngcoins.com under license CC - 2.5 Generic
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august
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november
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#81 "golden triangle loop 21N"- motorbike Road trip - Thailand - incl Thai Soccer Team's Cave Museum
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december
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road trips
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“To travel is to live" – Hans Christian Andersen
Who ? - is it for
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While this website has been created with first time travellers in mind, anyone who loves travel and has an interest in their planet will get something out of it. No matter if you're house bound, young and fit or anywhere in between this is a great way to explore the world. Even if your idea of an overseas trip is sitting around the pool at a 5***** hotel there's a whole section on Hotels in here. History buffs and general readers will also enjoy the many colourful and unusual facts included in each country's story. If you're not sure where you want to go it's a great way to have a quick look at a number of destinations and compare them. Or you might already be on your trip and are are wondering where to go next. If it is your first trip you will have the confidence to get out there and know what you're doing. You'll avoid a lot of the first time mistakes and enjoy all of the good things that come with independent travel. If you are a seasoned traveller it will give you some new ideas and do a lot of the homework for you. Gray Nomads who are all cashed up and ready to start exploring the world are perfect candidates. There are itineraries for trips all over the world. This means there are cheap ones, expensive ones and everything in between. They last from several days to many months. A lot of them are under 4 weeks to accommodate workers on annual leave. The trips are measured in 'Nights' which saves confusion. As well as general trips around the world there are specific categories for honeymooners, train buffs, golfers, motorcyclists, iconic hotels, festivals, road trips and walkers. The content is growing all of the time.
What ?- is it
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The site is full of ready made itineraries to take you through from pre trip planning and organising to getting on the plane to come home. It's like following a recipe. You can follow it to the letter, use it as a rough guide or just use it for a few ideas. It's up to you, you're the boss and it's your trip. Unlike hosted group tours.😕 The budget is roughly AUD$100 a day each for 2 - 3 people sharing accommodation and transport costs. Airfares aren't included in that price but most everything else is. That is equivalent to about US$70 and €60 per head per day. If you're travelling in the USA, Europe or any other expensive places the costs could double or more depending on where you stay and how well you live. Generally cheaper options are given. Couples and 2 or 3 friends spend less as you can halve room, taxi and other costs. When rooms are cheap you can get your own and have a break from each other. Trips are designed to be as easy and pleasant as possible. Reasonable length travelling days departing and arriving at sensible hours. Enough time in each place without having to rush. Staying in the best neighbourhoods for eating, drinking, nightlife shopping and people watching. Backtracking is kept to a minimum. Some of the best and most interesting places for a meal or a night out. Authentic local specialties to try out and some of the oldest, most popular and iconic cafes, restaurants and bars around. Comfortable, clean, good value hotels with features like swimming pools, balcony views and rooftop terraces in the best locations. There is always an effort to keep prices down and cheaper options are given. Sometimes though you need to lash out and ignore the budget to enjoy something that can't be done or had anywhere else. Quite often you will be asked to leave your main pack behind at the hotel and go off for several days living out of your day pack. So it pays to travel with one of each. When not needed you can just put the day pack away in the main pack. At other times you can stuff your day pack full of carry on luggage to avoid hefty excess baggage fees. Your third bag should be a security wallet for your passport and other valuables that you can hang around your neck and keep out of view when you are on the move. See Equipment in Travel A - Z. This is your most important bag and main focus when you are on the move.
Where ? - is it
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Every continent is covered (Antarctica is coming). There is a healthy mix of the iconic, world famous must see UNESCO type attractions and exotic, off the beaten track, little known of places. Many trips will be in a loop to take in all the sights and avoid having to go back over the same ground. In the more expensive countries trips will be shorter to help out with the budget. You don't have to stay in the recommended hotels. They may be above or below your standards and / or budget. You'll want to stay in the same area though as it is the best one for first time visitors. Just go to the map on Booking.com or Google Maps and pick something you like nearby.
Why ? - do it - (Pros)
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Travel at your own pace and see and do the things you want to, eat what and where you want to, have the type of nightlife you enjoy, get up and go to bed whenever you want, move on to the next place when you're ready.
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It will save you money every day and get you better value for what you do decide to spend you money on
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Avoid rip offs and scams
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Enhance your safety
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You will save time as well as money
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Travel comfortably and efficiently with minimum time wasted
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Avoid spending time in places you don't want to be
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Keep your valuables safe
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Stay in the best areas for attractions, eating, shopping, people watching and nightlife
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Be organised with bookings, visas, transport, paperwork and insurance before you go
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Get good value for for your money
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Eat great food at places that are popular for a reason
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See something new everyday
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Be your own boss, enjoying the luxury and freedom of independent travel
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Enjoy great coffee, tea, snacks, ice creams, sunsets, cocktails, a few sunrises & many surprises
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Get off the beaten track, meet the locals and get to know the real country
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No agents fees, no boring tours being herded around like sheep, just a lot of fun with you in the driver's seat
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You will get the travel bug 🤠
When ? - ever you can
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Below, on this page the trips are listed in their best month for travel taking into account weather, crowds and prices. The problem is when the weather is at it's best everyone else wants to go their too. This means crowds and high prices. Often shoulder season is good for a balance of the best weather, prices and crowds. In the tropics you generally have the wet or dry season. Even in the wet it might rain for half an hour then it's dry and sunny again. It can be quite hot and humid though. Another problem in some areas is the burning season which is covered in the relevant sections. Sometimes certain islands close down in the wet season and tourist areas close for the winter. Further away from the equator the weather can be bitterly cold in the winter and you would need to be carrying a lot of warm clothing. This means carting around larger packs than in the warm areas. But you get to see another side of the place and can enjoy winter pursuits like skiing or dog sledding. Some travellers in the warmer places get by without even having check on luggage. So you can pretty much go where ever you like whenever you like but the experience, planning and costs will change. Other things to take into consideration are festivals and public holidays. You might be there specifically for the festival or it might be a lucky surprise. It will be crowded and usually you'll need to book well ahead. Travelling on public holidays is best avoided in some countries where for many of the workers it is a rare opportunity to go home and see their families. Some regions that experience hurricanes and typhoons at certain times of the year might deserve a little extra thought.
How ? - to use this site
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There are several ways to find the trip you are looking for. The menu is the easiest way to NAVIGATE THIS SITE, just scroll up and the menu will appear. Click / Tap on any of the subjects to go straight there. Click on the logo to go to the home page. Many of the iconic images will take you somewhere. Just roll the mouse over and read the Tool Tip. If you scroll down this page you will see trips that are organised by the best month to do them. Road Trips are at the bottom. Click on them and you will be taken to the relative page. Click on any destination at the top of the trip in the itinerary and you will be taken there. If you click on Trips at the top of this Home page it will take you to a map of the world containing all of the trips with pictures and information. On the computer you will see a menu on the left hand side which will take you to the itinerary section of each trip. It will also indicate which section you are in. Just click on any overnight town in the itinerary (highlighted in blue) and you will be taken there. If you click on the trip description (north, south etc) at the top part of the page it will take you down to the various itineraries. For Islands, Honeymoons, Hotels & Pilgrimages you will go to a page divided by continents which will lead you to where you want to go. Motorbike Loops, Golfing Nomads & Train Trips have an information section with the different trips below. For all of these the links will be in underlined blue or black italics. For all other pages links will be blue. Clicking on icons will also take you places. Just roll the mouse over to check the tool tips. There are few surprises for the curious in there as well. For the information pages (under More) just go via the Menu. There are top and bottom of page buttons on the right. Click on any map and you will be taken to google maps where you can drill down on anything and have a close look at where you're going to. It's best browsed on a laptop / desktop while you're doing your research at home and easily followed by smartphone or tablet when you're on the road. Close to the top of pages you will find a Marker Map or a link to a Marker Map. All of the recommendations including hotels, restaurants etc as well as airports, train stations, information and anything that's relevant to the trip. Each marker comes with 10 pictures which are invaluable to work out where you want to go. Google maps are also very useful to work out Public Transport. Just click where you are - where you want to go to and click the Public Transport icon and all necessary information is at your fingertips. Marker Maps have a few extras on them too. It is worth clicking through them when you are on location as they are full of information on what's around you. When you are in a multiday location in your trip have a look through the different days activities and do them in the order you feel like. Be flexible and spontaneous and do what you feel like at the time. There may be something else there more interesting to you. Just check if the activites are connected to something else coming up. At the bottom of each page in the footer you will find a search tool as well as links to Contact Us, About Me, FAQS, Newsletter, Currency informaion, Social Media, T's & C's and the Privacy Policy You can enjoy the anticipation of the trip for months in your imagination before you go and then head off and experience the reality. Which is always something quite different. Always read through the trip to see if you need to make arrangements or bookings before you leave. Many of these trips have more activities and attractions than you could sensibly squeeze into a day. Just pick out the ones that appeal to your tastes and do them in a pleasantly relaxed manner. You could even create your own shorter trips by chopping a few places out. Of course all information changes over time so if you find something is incorrect just go for another option or see what you can sort out yourself. You'll be a seasoned traveller before you know it. Sometimes forces outside of your control will change your travel plans. There's nothing much you can do about this except somehow turn it into positive experience. Travelling is not always easy and you will have your ups and downs. But don't worry the ups easily outweigh the downs. Highlights and Travel A - Z have captions under the pictures. On all other pictures roll the mouse over for a Tool Tip caption. Always read through the itinerary so you can make any important bookings with plenty of time and they don't get forgotten. You will notice that in the touristy places there are tours available. Usually you visit these places cheaper by yourself but sometimes they are worth taking. Transport might be difficult, local knowledge may get you to the secret places, hearing the stories will bring it to life in your imagination and you might meet some really cool people on the tour. And when the attractions are worldwide icons you will definitely want to 'skip the queue.'
Menu - scroll up & the menu will appear / scroll down on your smartphone
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Home - this page - hopefully to inform and take you to where you need to go. In all of the categories below there are many more itineraries coming in the pipeline. Any text in light blue or underlined should be a link. Also many images may take you places so don't be shy to roll your cursor over things and see what surprises they hide.
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Countries A - L - mainly single country trips with one or more itineraries. From Argentina to Laos.
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Countries M - Z - mainly single country trips with one or more itineraries. From Malaysia to Uzbekistan.
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Cities - the world's great cities with 3 day stop-overs & some longer layovers with side trips
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Festivals - crazy festivals all in Asia at the moment. With extras depending on the length of the festival. Make sure to book as far ahead as possible to beat the crowds. Unless stated otherwise all bookings on this site are with Booking.com so hopefully you will have free cancelation almost until your arrival. If you don't like crowds and partying you could do the trip when the festival isn't on.
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Journeys - longer itineraries in two or more countries.
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Islands - single and archipelago island hopping in well known and obscure places.
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Honeymoons - exotic and romantic locations around the world to suit all budgets.
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Hotels - iconic, historic, colonial, famous & fabulous - worth reading through for the history & scandalous behaviour of their famous guests alone.
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Motorbike Loops - head for the hills and the roads less travelled - my favourite trips.
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Golfing Nomads - short trips focused on some of the best courses in Asia + the world's longest across the Nullarbor Plain. Golf dominates. Great way to improve your game and bond with your fellow golfers.
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Train Trips - hop on hop off with a difference. 3 great and very different itineraries across Southern Africa, Northern India & the USA.
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Pilgrimages - some of the world's best walks with different fitness and comfort levels on each of the continents - except Antarctica.
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Highlights - what sort of treats you will find woven into all of these trips. Could also be titled The Joy's of Travel.
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Travel A - Z - an alphabetical travel guide for the newbies to help get you going and avoid a lot of the first time traps.
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FAQS, LINKS & APPS - frequently asked questions answered, plus some useful travel tools and sites
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Bucket List Ideas - some inspiration for your trip planning.
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Funny Stuff - a collection of weird things & oddities I've stumbled across along the way.
The smartphone version of this website is more streamlined and aimed at providing you information in a simple manner while you are out on the road. The website is best viewed on your PC or Tablet in the planning stages at home.
"In reality, adventures do not happen to those who stay at home: we must go and look outside."
James Joyce, Dubliners