Welcome back!

“First-Time Around the World” is an excellent book for a proper beginner.

My idea of a good travel book would be one that informs you without being full of clearly paid-for advertising by sponsors i.e. travel agents, hotel chains and that kind of thing.  I want someone’s honest option about places they have stayed in or that their friends have stayed in, not a book where the author has been persuaded to add links for places s/he perhaps never visited / stayed in.  This is the first book (out of many) I’ve found that almost fits the bill.

Firstly this book is firmly aimed at those who are travelling on a limited budget and those who plan to head off the beaten track. If you’re planning on touring the world staying in hotels and resorts and you don’t have to worry about the pennies then this really isn’t for you.

Information in the book includes suggested itineraries, details on what to bring, when to go, how much it will cost and which vaccinations will keep you healthy. The individual country profiles highlight the best places to visit with country-specific websites and necessary budget information. There are plenty of useful tips to help save you money, keep you safe and maximise your time on the road. The guide comes complete with concise regional information, with overland maps, visa information and details on weather, major attractions and unmissable festivals.

One of the really helpful pieces of information was prices of internal travel on an overland map.  For example on one of the USA maps it had travel routes detailed stating roughly how much a bus ticket / air fare would cost from place to place (take into consideration these process do change regularly though but it is a good rough guide to start you off).  This is particularly helpful with such a huge country. 

The Author used his own experiences to develop his points but always reminds you that it’s your journey and you need to make your own decisions.

Overall an excellent book and an excellent start for me!

Click the picture to launch Amazon and find excellent prices for this book!

I’ve had this blog for a while (since the decision to travel was made) but not really done much with it as I thought people would get bored with the big gaps between writing as nothing is actually happening at the moment.  But as we are getting closer to finishing the house, and therefore closer to being able to rent it out, I thought I would start now

…..and so we begin…..

My Dad

So we’ve decided to follow in my dad’s, very wise, footsteps and see the world! 

Back in the days when my dad went travelling (before I was born, I’m 25 now so that was quite a long time ago!!) Europe and possibly a little further afield were the easiest places to go, but now with so many choices of how to travel and good deals on tickets if you hunt for them “the world is your oyster” as they say. 

We plan to be travelling for 12 months and our only definite destinations are Thailand, Australia, California and possibly Canada (to visit my Aunty Jane and her family).  There are so many other places that we could visit but I was never very good at geography so I’m not too great on where places are (which I think is going to become quite important!!).  So….I’ve armed myself with an inflatable globe (which I might take with me to

Dad

use when asking for directions - haha) and the travel guides are on their way so that we can decide for definite other places we might fancy - any recommendations will be gratefully received!!

The idea of this blog is to keep friends, family and anyone who might stumble accross it up-to-date with where we are and what we’re doing.  It also means that if I don’t call my mum for a week or so she’ll know I’m still alive from my mumblings on here.

Dad - Stealing cats has become a family trait!

I will also use this blog to try and help other people who might find themselves in our situation - telling you about good books or websites we find, I’ve already found quite a few good sites and one excellent book so I will be blogging about those soon.