Around the World Travel?

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ktmrider

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My daughter and I are talking about an extended trip around the world before she starts grad school next summer. She is 22 and I am retired so we have lots of time for both the trip and the planning. I realize the first step is figuring out what countries to visit. I think at last count I have been to 44 countries and have a pretty good idea of where I would like to go. What is your favorite foreign destination? So far, I would have to say Cambodia and Istanbul would be my top two

Anyone out there have any experience or hints about round the world ticket sites. My goal would be to travel ultra light with one backpack including photo gear. I would probably carry an M with 21/35/90 and perhaps an X100. For ultralight travel, just an M with 35 and 90. Of course by next summer, I may have a totally different system.

So any hints or suggestions?
 
Maybe the trans Siberian rail for that section of the world. Starting in St Petersburg then seeing lake Baikal, inner Mongolia and the Gobi Desert on your way to the coast of China seems like a once in a life time opportunity for anyone living in the West.
 
I can't imagine anything better than a father/daughter trip around the world! I can't comment on your destinations whith my very limited experiences, but I do think you should consider an all-digital trip. I'm a die-hard film shooter and don't own a digi, but I think the security x-rays (cumulative effects)and the bulk and weight of the film might diminish your experience. Consider carying a second X100 as a backup and leave it at that.
 
Napoli is a must-see, Japan has to be seen by everyone, and of course, Detroit. Don't forget the Lake District over in GB!
Personally I'd still like to see Hungaria, Romania and China to name but a few.
 
Thanks for the Tips!

Thanks for the Tips!

The links to round the world travel sites have turned up info I had not seen before. And I love the idea of the Siberian Express.

I wanted to do this trip via motorcycle (invited across Russia in 2014) but she won't go for that.

Please keep the ideas coming. We have eleven months to put everything together.

And as I said, I may have a different camera system by then. I am torn over a digital M to use my five M mount lenses or perhaps the Fuji XPro. It seems to me that a digital SLR would be too large for the type of travel I am looking for.
 
This is going to be a fantastic trip! I also have a 22 year old daughter and a few years ago I took a trip with her to Buenos Aires. It was a great experience to be able to spend time with her in a foreign country.

I would say that one place I have visited is Bali which is one of my very favorite places in the world. Lots of excellent photography opportunities, too. The people are very friendly and welcoming.

I used Singapore Airlines to fly to Denpasar (their airport) and am glad I did as it is one of the best airlines in the world to fly on.

What a fantastic experience this will be for both of you.

Ellen
 
If you liked Cambodia and Istanbul then you'd love places such as India, Morocco, Bolivia and Laos. Working out how to get between them should cover much of the rest.
 
I did an around the world trip in 2008 and I used Airtreks.com to book my tickets. The service was great, the prices were pretty good, I was a happy customer.

Fast track to now, I am 4 months away from another round the world trip. This time around I am buying tickets for each leg of the trip separately. If you are smart about where to buy, then it really isn't that much more expensive and I have found it to be much more accommodating to my schedule. I have been using airticketsdirect.com and travelocity.ca for most of the tickets so far.

One big tip, only fly when the distance is too far to take ground transport. Trains are much cheaper in many places and if you take night trains, you save on a day of hotel spending.
 
For me, the things toward the top of my list these days tend to be big journeys, be they by rail, like the Trans Siberian Railway or the Orient Express, or by car, like driving Route 66, exploring the nooks and crannies of my own country, or driving across Europe. Aside from that, I always have time for Paris, a truly timeless city, or daydreams of spending a week or two in Disneyworld.
 
Travel Great Together

Travel Great Together

My daughter and I have traveled to Belize together three years ago and in December we were in Thailand and Cambodia for three weeks so we know we travel well together.

She is the one with the international travel bug. I myself enjoy motorcycling around North America too much but a chance to travel with her makes it worthwhile. In fact, it appears my wife and I will be motorcycling to Alaska in June and then I will fly to Alaska after returning to El Paso to ride my wife's bike home. She has limited time and family and friends to see in Anchorage but also loves motorcycling. Then in August once my daughter has finished all the prerequisites for grad school, we are off. I am thinking about 3 months for the trip.

As much as I like the X100, I am really tempted to do all film with an M2 and perhaps M6 with 21/35/90 lenses which would require buying another M which would certainly be a hardship (not). I would enjoy just shooting black and white but I think there are too many times some photos call for color. As I said earlier, I can make the trip easy with an M with 21/35/90 for black and white and the X100 for everything else. And I would not have to spend a cent at a camera store for any more hardware.

Heading north toward Yellowstone at the end of Sept on my motorcycle and am thinking R6.2 and X100 as sort of a shake down for next summer. R6.2 has slightly longer lenses which may be useful in Yellowstone. Will load it with Ektar 100.
 
Jarski, love the photo from El Paso. Often we tend to overlook great photos in our own back yard.

And I forgot to mention I am going back to SE Asia this winter to rent a motorcycle. I hope to explore Laos and Vietnam since I was just barely young enough to miss a government sponsored trip there about 1970.
 
This sounds like an amazing trip and I'm sure you'll have a great time. When I was about 22 I convinced my father to come to China with me for a few weeks--he paid and I translated, which reduced costs. Memorable trip. I'm sure you'll have the same.

As for round the world tickets, I'm partial to Star Alliance. But, if you don't mind doing some backtracking, I'd look into Emirates; their prices are incredible.

Bhutan has been my favoriate destination about of about 35 countries. But, Cambodia, Istanbul, and Morocco are close behind. Lived in China for several years, and would highly recommend Huangshan (Yellow Mountains); simply stunning, even if the weather isn't cooperating. Same goes for Jiuzhaigou in western-central china (1 hour flight from Chengdu). Jiuzhaigou, known as China's Yosemite, is probably one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to...until I visited New Zealand's South Island.

Do you plan to travel with film or shoot wholly digital?

Have fun planning the trip.

Jeff
 
Both my ATW trips were back in the 1970's, one in 71 and the other spread over 76-77. Last year I was thinking of doing another ATW and found this site... http://www.perpetualtravel.com/rtw/

Ended up not doing ATW but spent a couple months in India earlier this year (Feb & March) shooting with M4 + 21-50-90 lenses and an X-100. The Fuji impressed me very much, high ISO was nothing short of amazing. The weight of the X-100 is perfect for travel, it's a camera that won't be a burden. My earlier ATW trips were both with Barnack Leicas, chosen for their compactness and light weight. I travel alone so my gear goes everywhere I do 24/7, and every gram counts.

Have a great trip!

Glenn
 
I haven't been on an ATW trip and I can't advise you on suitable travel operator websites. However, I hope you both have a fabulous time.

My list of places to visit - given the chance to do an ATW trip would include:

- Libya (Roman ruins)
- St Petersburg, Moscow and on to the Russian Steppe
- Iran (Isfahan and the silk route)
- Kashmir
- India (particularly Agra and Varanasi)
- Myanmar
- Thailand
- Cambodia (Angkor Wat)
- Vietnam
- Japan
- China
- New Zealand
- Hawaii
- Galapagos
- Peru (Macchu Piccu)
- San Fransisco, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Canyonlands and New York
- Cuba
- West Coast of Ireland
........then back to the UK.
 
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