Travel & Planning

Vacation from Travel

July 28, 2010 By Jillian

It’s 1pm and I’m sitting in Danny’s parents kitchen looking out at the backyard. The air conditioning is on, the fridge is fully stocked, the bathrooms have ultra-soft toilet paper,and the toilets are guaranteed to flush. These may sound totally normal to you, but these small conveniences don’t really exist in my world. Every few days we pick ourselves up and move to a new location. Sometimes the electricity doesn’t work for hours, sometimes the water will go out all day, often there isn’t a shred of toilet paper to be found in a public bathroom. Travel is all very exiting, but after 16 months we needed a vacation from our travels.

Vacation means freedom from something: work, duty or responsibility. Some may call this trip around the world a vacation. Sure, its freedom from the 9-5, but in many ways we haven’t been freed from our responsibilities. In fact, we are more responsible to each other and ourselves then ever before and we’re more responsible for our happiness than ever before so in many way’s its not a vacation. Travel has become our life and life is not a vacation.

So if you travel for a living, what constitutes a vacation? A vacation for us is not having to decide where to sleep tonight, not having to plan our itinerary, not having to research transportation times or options. Vacation for us is not having to make those decisions: it’s knowing that I’ll find the food I’m looking for at the grocery store. That I can go to the store and find the brand of toothpaste I like. It’s waking up in the morning and knowing exactly where I am without having to pause for a moment. It’s knowing every creak or squeak in the house. It’s knowing what will happen tomorrow: cheerios for breakfast, a long run, a short trip to the grocery store. Ok I’ll even admit it, I miss doing dishes. It may sound boring, but for us that’s vacation.

This isn’t the first time we’ve written about needing a break from our adventures, but perhaps it will be the last. Our short breaks at home have always reinvigorated us for travel, sparked our desire to go back out and given us a chance to recoop and relax. From here we head to Turkey and overland into Asia. From there it’s anyone’s guess what happens, but the fact remains that once we get to Beijing we’ll have completed a trip around the world. Pretty soon taking a vacation from travel won’t sound so relaxing anymore. Double ply toilet paper won’t be a novelty and I’m sure in the first few weeks we’ll get annoyed at the monotony of it all.

Tips for Traveling through Europe

June 30, 2010 By Danny

Compared to many of the places we’ve been, travel in Europe is easy, relaxing and comfortable. There are literally tons of things to see and do here, about a million guides to help you decide what to do, and buses do not break down nearly as often as they do in Africa…what’s not to love?

Most people come to Europe for culture, history and good food; the real challenge with all of that is knowing where start. There are a plethora of free walking tours, usually starting off from the main train station or tourist information booth. Generally a short tour of the main city attractions, these tour companies might either try to sell you on another more traditional tour or just ask you to tip your guide. If you’re having trouble finding a free tour just drop into a nearby youth hostel and browse through their rack of information…they won’t mind, when you show up for the tour with the map from their establishment in hand they might get a small kickback.

Local transportation can also be a pleasure with bicycles in abundance here and often very easy to find and rent. Some cities (e.g. Vienna) have bike-sharing systems in place while others (e.g. Berlin) have shops around every corner offering rentals for as little as 10 € per day. These are cheap and enjoyable and often beat the cost of a day-long transit pass. Speaking of transit, be sure to check out all the options if you do choose to buy a transit pass as our 3-day rail pass in Vienna ended up only being about a half dollar cheaper than the week-long pass which would have been much better to have when we extended our 3-day stay to four.

As American’s we’re told that the best way to travel Europe is via a rail pass. We met one pair of travelers who had a month in Western Europe, purchased a month long pass, and were making the most of it traveling to nearly ten countries, mostly in Western Europe. Unless this is your story, you are probably better off staying away from a pass as these often come with a variety of restrictions, hidden fees, and a high base price. For our travel we’ve found that the unlimited bus pass would be cheaper and easier but still not worth its weight in Euros. As it is, we didn’t buy a pass and have saved tons of money by purchasing the cheapest option of transportation when we find it; making use of trains, buses, airplanes, and even ride share programs.

And of course, the last and most important part to the success of any trip is to have a good night of sleep each night. The nice thing about Europe is that there is a full range of options from youth hostels all the way up to 5-star resort hotels with all the accoutrement you would expect from a big budget location. As always, be sure to shop around as we’ve even found 3 star hotels in downtown areas that cost less than a double room in a youth hostel. Sometimes searching through the options can be a hair-raising challenge in itself and it can’t hurt to hire a travel agency to give you a hand so that your trip is a little less backpack and a little more vacation. We’ve used Liberty Travel for family trips to the Caribbean and they also organize trips to Europe.

This is a sponsored post.

Country Guide: South Africa

April 18, 2010 By Danny

South Africa is not a small country, not only is it large in size but it also has a tremendous variety of things to do and see. The expected game viewing and safaris, the relaxing Indian coastline, beautiful forests, tasty food, a unique history of gemstones and apartheid all combine to make any trip to South Africa an unforgettable one.

ESSENTIALS

Budget:

You can think of South Africa like any other western destination in this regard. Plentiful ATMs provide you with cash which you’ll spend as if you were at home in Australia, Europe, or the USA. South Africa is not a budget destination but with a little work it can be visited relatively inexpensively.

Transportation:

If you are visiting only one or two places (such as Cape Town followed by a safari) then you’re probably fine flying between those destinations. If you want to spend several weeks taking in as much of the country as possible you’ll be best served by renting a car. Independent travelers accustomed to using public transportation or the Baz Bus should be warned that neither represents good value and can be quite a bit more expensive than you’d expect. The only way the Baz Bus really makes sense is if you plan to spend a tremendous amount of time on the Garden route.

Planning:

Take a look at the below list of places and activities and take a peak at what suits you best. If you are going to be driving the country it is probably best to make a loop of some kind. If Cape Town and the Garden Route are your thing then maybe stretch your trip from Cape Town through Addo Elephant Park. If you prefer to see the different indigenous cultures you might enjoy a loop from Johannesburg to Swaziland, Lesotho, and the Wild Coast. Of course, you can do it all. If you have the time, go for it all, but be sure to seek out free copies of the “Coast to Coast” and the “Alternative Guide”, local accommodation guidebooks published for backpackers and independent travelers. Both can be a tremendous help when you find yourself in a small “dorp”. Although shorter than “Coast to Coast”, we preferred the accommodation and other listings in Alternative guide.

The Safari:

If you’re going to South Africa for a safari, you should probably consider doing it yourself, in your own rental car. Be sure to read our Safari Guide which has some valuable tips on making the most of your DIY safari. Whatever you do though, be sure to relax and enjoy it and not spend every waking moment driving for animals.

Highlights:

Cape Town: A wonderful city to pass a week. Hike up and over Table Mountain (about 8 hours round trip depending on your route) from the beautiful gardens of Kristenbasch. Take a multiday wine tour through Stellenbosch and top that off with a nice Cape Malay meal at the waterfront so long as you don’t forget to make a visit to the the Cape Point.

Johannesburg: There are a ton of people here and so there is a ton to do. In town we highly recommend the World of Beer as a relaxing afternoon. The Apartheid Museum is another can’t miss if you’re planning to do anything in South Africa beyond game viewing. Do be sure to take in some sports while in town (or in Durban or Cape Town) such as Cricket or Rugby!
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The Garden Route: South Africans rave about the Garden Route as one of the must see’s of their country. The entire route, stretching along the Indian coast from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town IS stunning, but it is just that. If you’re interested in spending some time relaxing on the coast this is the place to do it, but don’t feel a need to push yourself to visit each and every place along the route…that’s not the point of the Garden Route. Some quick notes as you head east from Cape Town.:

If flying in, you’ll probably start at Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, or George, but you should plan to drive it yourself, do not visit the route as part of a tour.

If you’re into checking places off your life list then be sure to go to where the two oceans actually meet, Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa.

A can’t miss day will taking a ride on an ostrich and then the adventure tour at the Cangoo Caves, both easily reached from George

Activies abound, souch as paragliding and bunjee jumping as well as enjoying the crash of the waves and the hiking trails of the Tsitsikamma National Park.

If you want to tack some game viewing onto a tour of the Garden Route, then Addo Elephant National Park is probably your best bet.

Lesotho: If you’re looking for a more traditional African experience, Lesotho is a must on your list. You’ll need a good roadmap. Drive into the Malealea Lodge, park your car, and just stay there. The lodge has camping and nicer rooms available. You will have a good experience. Go for a hike and enjoy.

IMGP9736 Swaziland: The curios are cheaper, the rapids are bigger, and you can get closer to the animals if you choose. Best to just base yourself one place, the Milwane Nature Reserve is probably best as they have a range of accommodation and nearby attractions. You can do your main game viewing here as well but it will be a bit more expensive than doing it on your on in South Africa.

The Drakensburg Mountains: Plenty of hiking available here but only if you can drive in on your own, the campsites in the central district of the park, near the amphitheater, are quite nice. If you are sticking to the Baz Bus route than the Sani Lodge will be your best bet. Unless you’re going during a holiday season you shouldn’t need a reservation.

The Wild Coast: Difficult to get to but if you’re willing to spend the time here, probably worth it. Don’t go just for the sake of saying you’ve been there, go if you’re willing to spend a week soaking up the wilderness of it all.

Blyde River Canyon: A nice, peaceful, and scenic area just west of Kruger National Park. After a few days in the safari vehicle this is a nice place to come and go for a hike or a bike ride. Plenty of B&B’s in the neighborhood, just choose one and relax.

Review: Steri Pen Classic

April 3, 2010 By Danny

There is no doubt in my mind that this device has already paid for itself simply because we don´t have to constantly buy bottled water when the tap water isn´t clean enough to drink. The fact that it may one day save our lives is an even bigger benefit. There are other, fancier Steri-pen models on the market but we chose this one because it uses AA batteries, which we can recharge easily on the road. The safety features included in this device can make it difficult to use at times, but they’re safety features, so can we really complain?

When the SteriPEN doesn’t adequately clean the water it tells you this with a series of red lights. You know something is wrong and that you shouldn’t drink the water but you don’t know if the problem is a dirty bulb or a lack of battery power or plain old human error. The series of lights usually tell you which it is but it can be difficult to understand; the new models on the market have addressed all this.

Having pointed out the difficulties of using this device I must say that when it does work it works brilliantly. It is surprisingly simple to operate and we´ve yet to get sick, in more than a year of travel, which means we must be doing something right. We use this pen almost daily to clean tap water in cities and stream water in rural areas. The fact that when using this we can drink the water right away and don´t have to wait (like with tablets) to drink has been a lifesaver as well. The only place this won’t work is in dark water as the UV light won’t be able to pass through the water.

Highly Recommended.

New Travel Plan

July 10, 2009 By Jillian

Admittedly traveling has been different than we expected. But that again that is to be expected right? The weird thing is that the more we travel the more we know that we aren’t seeing even a fraction of what is out there. Since we don’t have any set travel plans our “plan” is constantly changing. Recently we’ve been thinking more and more about our general trek around the world, realizing that we can’t see the whole world the way we want in two years.

Our goals for the trek are simple: take a long and serious break from our careers to make a difference in our lives and the world, go places and do things that we’ll probably never be able to do again. (Idealistic, I know!)

The recent upheaval in Iran got us thinking about where we really wanted to go and what type of travel experiences we want to have. Which of course led to changes in our proposed itinerary. We’re off to South America next so we have some time, but the new idea is after Africa and the Middle East to overland from to China via the silk road. Thoughts?