Explore for a Year

Round-the-World Trip Planning – Interview with Kim Dinan of @RTWsomanyplaces

Lily — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:40:00 +0000

Kim Dinan - So Many Places Travel Blog

Kim Dinan is a Sustainability Coordinator and aspiring writer from Oregon. Kim and her husband Brian are quitting their jobs and taking off on an around-the-world adventure starting May 2012. Since I only planned my round-the-world itinerary two months in advance, it’s been interesting reading about Kim’s travel preparations the last 6 months.

You can follow Kim on:
Her travel blog: so-many-places.com
Twitter: @rtwsomanyplaces
Facebook: facebook.com/SoManyPlacesTravelBlog

What originally inspired you to make your plans?

When I was a child I loved to write and explore the woods and neighborhoods in our sub-division. In many ways, nothing has changed. I still feel most like myself when I am writing or when I am discovering a place for the first time.

By my late-20’s I found myself a married homeowner on a great career track. I had everything that I’d always thought I wanted, but I wasn’t happy. What had started as a little knocking inside of my chest had manifested into a loud, screaming voice that I couldn’t ignore anymore. The voice said: Kim, this is not what your life is for.

After a lot of soul searching I knew that the only way I could live authentically was to listen to the voice inside. I told Brian, my husband, about what I needed to do. He was surprised (clearly!) but ultimately supportive.

From there, we began the process of putting ourselves in the position to live the dream. We started saving every spare penny, we sold our stuff, we put our house on the market. We’ve been working diligently towards this dream for over two years, but it all started by acknowledging my inner voice.

Read Kim’s article about why she’s quitting her job to travel.

What fears did you get over while deciding to follow your travel dreams?

I’ve had a million fears and they’ve changed over time. My first fear was that my dream was impossible and unrealistic. Then, I feared how my husband would react. After that, I worried about what my parents and other close friends and family would think.

I worried about whether we should sell our house or not and then, once we decided to sell it, I worried that it wouldn’t sell. I feared I was destroying my career by quitting my job. I feared that I’d run out of time to have children if I decided I wanted them some day.

Basically, every step along the way I’ve been afraid of something. The important thing is that I didn’t let the fear stop me. Eventually, the thing that seemed so scary ends up fading away into the background.

Now that I am so close to achieving this dream, I have another great fear, which I’ve written about in my fear can kick my other fears’ ass. I guess I will never stop worrying!

What are most anxious about now as you are preparing for your trip?

Well, in many ways I have less anxiety about the trip now than I have had in the past, mostly because I know it is within reach. I had a lot of anxiety early on that something would happen to derail us- we’d lose our jobs and not be able to save money, we’d have some kind of emergency, that sort of thing.

I’m anxious about leaving our dogs. It really breaks my heart, but we know they will be well taken care of and loved (Brian’s parents are going to watch them).

There was a lot of anxiety around breaking the news at work, but we’ve recently jumped that hurdle: telling our jobs about our plans to travel

How much are you budgeting for your trip?

Our budget is $60,000. We plan to travel with $50,000 and save $10,000 for our “next step,” whatever that may be. We plan to travel for at least a year but hope we can make our budget stretch longer.

We leave for our trip in May, 2012. The first leg of our adventure is a three month road trip of the U.S. National Parks. In August we fly to Ecuador and we will spend 4.5 months traveling overland through South America.

We don’t know exactly where our journey through South America will take us but we do know we need to be in Buenos Aires about a week before Christmas to meet friends. Right after Christmas we will fly to India. After India we’ll head to Nepal. After that we don’t know where the road will take us, but we’re excited to find out!

What are you 5 tips for planning an extended travel break?

Get started. I’ve been amazed at how many times the Universe has made things possible for me. Put all of your energy into achieving your goal but allow room for magic, too.
Be patient! Big things take time. Living a dream will seem impossible at first, but break your dream down into smaller, achievable steps. You’ll get there eventually.
Talk to other travelers. When I first started dreaming of traveling I found travel blogs through google and devoured them. Reach out to the people who are doing what you want to do. I guarantee they will be willing to encourage you and answer your questions, and they’ll help you feel less alone.
Don’t let people talk you out of your dreams, and don’t talk yourself out of your dreams either. If you really want to do this, do it. There will never be a perfect time to take a big leap, might as well do it now.
Start saving, but know that it might not cost as much as you think. I had no idea how much it would cost to travel for at least a year, but I knew how expensive my vacations were! When you travel full-time you can move slower and that reduces costs. At least, that’s what everyone tells me. I’ll be able to verify that soon.

>> If you could take a round-the-world trip, what would your itinerary look like and how long would you give yourself to prepare? Leave your thoughts below.

If you’re looking for travel insurance for your round-the-world trip, check out InsureandGo travel insurance. They insure over 2 million people around the world.

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Round-the-world expenses: $4,520 for 19 flights

Lily — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:00:07 +0000

Flying over the Red Sea, from Egypt to Jordan.

For a round-the-world trip, is it better to buy a round-the-world ticket to buy flights as-you-go?

Before coming home for Christmas, I tallied my travel expenses from my year-long trip around the world.

A lot of readers expressed surprise at the total cost: travelling 3 continents, 26 countries, 84,000 km and 13 months, I spent a total of $25,200 CAD (about $25,200 USD).

My total expenditure wasn’t surprising to me, as I was roughly keeping track of I was spending on a daily/monthly basis on accommodations and food expenses. However, this was the first time I added up the cost of my flights.

From the 19 flights I took during the year, the total spent was $4,520 Canadian.

I expected this amount to be more, as I was buying individual flights as I traveled and $4,500 is actually in the same price range as round-the-world flight packages I was considering before I started in my trip.

I’ve summarized the flights below by distance, but for details on all the flights I took, please see my round-the-world expenses spreadsheet on Google Docs. It shows the destinations, prices airlines and how I booked it.

Summary of the 19 flights:

6 long-haul, inter-continental flights – distance ranged from 1,665 km to 16,077 km, prices $289 to $828
5 short-haul, international flights – distance ranged from 310 km to 994 km, prices $75.80 to $295.47
8 domestic flights – distance ranged from 286km to 684km, prices $36.60 to $130.17

Why I went with point-to-point tickets in the first place

I initially considered a round-the-world ticket and two months before my trip I started visiting travel agencies for quotes. I immediately found out that part of the pricing process required providing date and locations.

In addition to the inconvenience of having to make up dates and locations for my flights for months down the road (I had only planned the first two months), different travel agencies were giving me different prices despite having provided all of them the same itinerary and dates.

Then I tried to check fares online on the websites of airline alliances like, Star Alliance and One World. However, their websites weren’t as easy to use as they should have been and I still didn’t get a clear price.

Irritated at the lack of transparency and clarity, I decided to just go with individual (one-way) tickets. I figured that if just the act of buying a round-the-world ticket was such a pain, take or modifying the flights later would probably be even more of a hassle.

Looking back, buying individual tickets as I went was the right choice for my trip.

If you’re debating between a round-the-world package or point-to-point tickets, here are a list of benefits I found from buying flights as you go.

Benefits of individual tickets

1.) Save money by using regional and low-cost carriers that aren’t part of the major airline alliances. There are lots of airlines who aren’t part of an alliance, which is what the travel agents were using for the round-the-world package quotes. See Wikipedia for a list of low-cost airlines by world region. For example, the flight between Bangkok and Chiang Mai (northern Thailand) is under $100 on Bangkok Airways or Air Asia, but roughly $150 on Thai Air, which is part of Star Alliance.

2.) No need to provide travel dates in advance. Planning for an extended trip requires time and energy, and realistically it’s easier to plan a month at a time rather than months in advance. Before leaving for my trip, I only had the one or two months organizedand having to provide travel dates and cities for months down the road felt like I was being forced to make arbitrary commitments.

3.) Room for spontaneity and change of travel plans. My original itinerary was Toronto to India, Southeast Asia, Australia/New Zealand then back to Toronto within 5 months. At 5 months, I decide to travel longer and to head the opposite direction to Turkey and Europe. If I had a round-the-world ticket, I would have had to pay change fees to alter the flights.

4.) Selection of airline, if you have a preference. Coming home to Toronto from Bangkok on the last flight, I paid about $60 extra so I could fly with Etihad Airways instead of India Air because I was so impressed with Etihad’s service on my flight from Amman to Bangkok. On my final flights between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, I also paid $10 extra each way to fly with Bangkok Airways instead of Air Asia because I love that Bangkok Airways provides a free lounge with WiFi, snacks and drinks.

5.) Easier on cash flow. Round-the-world packages require payment for all the flights up-front. From a money management perspective, it’s easier to break-up the cost as I go.

>> If you’ve taken a round-the-world trip, how much did your flights cost? If you’re planning a trip, which type of tickets are you considering travelling with and what prices have you been quoted?

If you’re planning your own round-the-world trip, consider renting a vacation home. Find vacation rentals on www.vacationhomerentals.com.

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2011: A Year of Making Impossibles, Possible

Lily — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:18:35 +0000

Penang Beach, Malaysia.

“Sometimes, I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast…” – Alice in Wonderland

I recently came back to Toronto for Christmas after 13 months of traveling around the world.

I’m still digesting my experience. While I was away, traveling long-term seemed like it was no big deal. Everyone I met was hopping across countries and continents. Now that I’m back and catching up with friends, I’m starting to realize that this past year was actually an incredible achievement.

I traveled around the world by myself for a year.

I’ve been reflecting on my experiences, looking through the 17,200 photos I took, organizing ticket stubs from World Wonders I visited, and reminiscing about spontaneous moments shared with other travellers.

But what stands out the most, is that this year I accomplished a lot of things that seemed impossible – things I didn’t initially know how to do or things I didn’t know could be done at all.

1. Turning 5 travel months into 13

Without a doubt, the turning point of this year was deciding to travel past the five months I initially planned.

My trip was only supposed to involve India, Southeast Asia and Austrialia/New Zealand. When the 5 month mark approached in Southeast Asia, I was torn between going home to work again, and continuing to travel but not knowing how I’d fund all of it.

After some clarity from 10 days of silent meditation, I realized there would be difficulties no matter what path I chose. With some encouragement from another traveller, I took a leap of faith and decided to aim for 7 more months of travel to hit the one year mark.

Wait… I’m allowed to make crazy decisions like these?! How empowering.

With this leap of faith, the next few impossibilities unfolded.

2. My blog… it’s an asset?!

With Turkey and Europe next on the itinerary, I knew funds would be a challenge.

I started by taking an inventory of all the assets that I could use to make or save money. I listed physical assets like my laptop and camera; skills like web design; contacts and friends around I could maybe stay with; and I brainstormed ways I could fit these pieces together so I could hit make it to one year of travels.

A travel friend saw a Europe rail article by another blogger and got the idea of approaching Eurail.com, the online seller of Europe rail passes, to ask if they’d consider helping us with passes if we promoted them via blog articles or shared photos of our rail travel experience.

They generously agreed to an exchange, and that was the first time it clicked that this blog is actually an asset.

Which brings me to the next impossibility…

3. Traveling in Europe, for 20 weeks!

Even when I was working, the idea of visiting Europe for 5 weeks would’ve been a mental and financial stretch.

It’s been almost 3 months since my 14,000 km Europe rail trip finished. Looking back, I sometimes still wonder how I pulled it off.

All I know is that between my Eurail passes, cooking or packing most of my meals and staying only at hostels/guesthouses, I some managed to see 18 countries from as east as the Bulgaria, to as west Spain, as south as Italy, to as north as Copenhagen. I even had the good fortune of seeing friends I made while travelling on other continents and spent my 29th birthday in Berlin eating a homemade cake from a Toronto friend.

During this 13 month trip, the Europe portion probably took the most energy and felt the least like a vacation; but I was determined to make it work, so at least stepping up to the challenge came with ease.

4. Going to the Middle East, alone!

With the Europe visit ending in the fall, North Africa or the Middle East seemed like logical areas to visit afterwards.

I’ve wanted to see the Pyramids since elementary school and the Jordan travel articles I saw from other travelers were fascinating. I was scared to visit this area of the world, but reputable tour companies like Gap Adventures and Intrepid both run trips in Egypt and Jordan, so I figured these countries must be reasonably safe.

I ended up spending 20 days in Egypt and 8 days in Jordan. I was solo for half my stay in each country and with a tour or guide during the other half. To my great surprise, both countries were relatively comfortable to visit and were less overwhelming than India.

Of the the 27 countries I visited this trip, these two were the most surprising in terms of the difference what I expected and what I experienced. Neither were anything like what the North American media had led me to believe.

5. Growing a little blog from 1.6K visits to 74.5K/month

I started this blog on April 1, 2010, the last day of my corporate job, as a way to document my journey during my year off. In the 9 months between April to Dec 2010, I only wrote 14 blog posts, so it wasn’t a surprise that in January 2011 I had less than 2K visits/month.

When I first started reading travel blogs, I was amazed by the amount of reader comments and feedback on some of the larger sites. I once asked a few bloggers about their website traffic and I remember thinking that I’d have to increase my traffic twenty to forty-fold to get to their size. How would I do that?!

Regardless, I wanted to continue sharing my experiences and connecting with others interested in career breaks, travel and personal growth. I stuck with it and decided I’d just do my best to copy the social media and promotion techniques of the blogs I most looked up to.

In July, I had my first month with over 5,000 visits. In October, I reached 10,000 visits and recently in December 2011, Google Analytics recorded 74,525 visits and 90,976 pageviews.

Numbers aren’t everything, but I never thought I’d reach numbers in this range.

Coming back in Toronto for Christmas

Being back in familiarity of Toronto has been nice. It’s comforting and relaxing to see old friends, to have my old cell phone number and to eat delicious home cooked family dinners.

This blog was an essential part of how some major milestones in 2011 unfolded. I don’t know if I could’ve continued travelling the way I did if it wasn’t for your support, whether it’s your readership, comments, emails or your nod of acknowledgement in the form of a Facebook Like or Tweet.

Thank you for helping make my one year travel dream a reality.

For now, I’m going to stay in Toronto while I digest my whirlwind of a year. My goal for this trip initially was to travel solo, then the goal became to hit the one year mark. The next time I travel, it’ll be a different goal.

I don’t have concrete plans for 2012, but then again, most of the adventures from 2011 (and 2010) weren’t planned either. I am going to continue blogging and I will keep you updated.

Happy 2012 and cheers to another year of making the impossible, possible.

>> What were some milestones of your year? Did you do something that you initially thought was a stretch or impossible goal?

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5 World Wonders Worth Visiting

Lily — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 09:56:49 +0000

The Taj Mahal, completed in the 1600's, a World Wonder.

The first World Wonder I ever saw was Machu Picchu in Peru, in September 2007. Exploring the grounds and the in-tact remains of temples was a special adventure and education. After that visit, I knew I had to experience more of the World Wonders.

Here are five World Wonders I visited during the past 13 months of travel, plus two other sites I saw that I think should be recognized as well. See Wikipedia for a detailed list of World Wonders).

World Wonders I saw this year

1. Taj Mahal, Agra, India

Taj Mahal, Agra, India, 1653 AD.

The Taj Mahal is a tomb built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife who bore him 14 children. The building cost is estimated at 32 million rupees in the 1600′s, or equivalent to $1 billion, according to one calculation on Quora. Contrary to what’s shown in the Slumdog Millionaire movie, you don’t have to leave your shoes outside the Taj. Your entrance fee includes a pair of red cloth covers to put over your shoes. Entrance fee: 750 Indian rupees ($15).

2. Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), Istanbul, Turkey, 537 AD.

Originally as a basilica in the 500′s and converted to a mosque in the 1400′s. It was especially interesting to see mosaics of biblical scenes in a mosque. The building didn’t look impressive to me from the outside, but I was stunned when I stepped inside. The grandness felt similar to St. Peter’s basilica at the Vatican, but in a mosque. Admission cost: 20 Turkish lira ($12).

3. The Colosseum (Colosseo), Rome

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy, 80 AD.

Completed in 60 AD, the Colosseum is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and Roman engineering and seats 50,000 spectators. Unlike some of the other world wonders which are buffered from cars or nearby congestion, the Colosseum is right downtown and surrounded by busy streets. Admission fee: 15.50 Euros ($21)

4. Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

Great Pyramid of Giza, Cairo, Egypt, 2540 BC.

The Pyramids of Giza is the only remaining structure from the list of Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built in 2560 BC, it’s about 140 metres tall. It’s hard to tell the height of the building from my photo, but each stone is 2-3 feet hight. Entrance fee: 60 Egyptian pounds ($11) to enter grounds (includes the Sphinx), 100 Egyptian pounds to enter the Great Pyramid.

5. Petra, Jordan

Treasury at Petra, Jordan, 1200 BC.

Walking by tombs carved into rock faces and the walking through the rose-coloured canyon to the Treasury is an experience in itself. You aren’t allowed to go inside the Treasury, but during my evening visit, it rained and the night guide let us sit inside the Treasury. Admission fee: 50/55/60 Jordan dinars for a 1/2/3 day pass ($75, $80, $90) if you’re staying at least 1 night in Jordan, else admission is 90 JD ($135).

6. World Wonder finalist – Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia, 12th century.

Built in the 12th century, started as a Hindu temple but later became Buddhist in the 13th century. complex of wats (temples). The entire Angkor archeological site is 400km₂ and to get to Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples, you need either vehicle or tuk tuk. Sections of the Lara Croft Tomb Raider movie was filmed at Bayon. Entry fee: 20/40/60 USD for 1/3/7 day pass.

7. World Wonder finalist – Dead Sea, Jordan/Israel

Floating in the Dead Sea, Jordan.

The Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth’s surface at 425m below sea level. Israel is on the west bank, and can be seen from the shore of Jordan on the east bank. The Dead Sea has incoming rivers, but no outgoing rivers so as water evaporates, salt and other minerals are left behind. Entry fee: 15 Jordan dinars ($22) for the public beach.

>> Which World Wonders have you seen? Which one do you want to see next?

For Air Canada flights to India, Italy or Egypt, visit Flighthub.com to search for flights.

Is Jordan Safe to Visit?

Lily — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:55:20 +0000

Bedouin boy at Petra, Jordan.

I expected to feel uncomfortable traveling in Jordan as a solo female traveler.

Probably from a combination of seeing mostly negative press about the Middle East in the North American media and not being very familiar with the culture and religions of this area.

For whatever reason, I expected my visit to Jordan would be comparable to my travels in India. I thought I’d see animals (camels, donkey, elephants) on the road, male vendors aggressively trying to sell me trinkets, and women and kids following me to beg for money.

To my relief and surprise, my 8 day visit in Jordan turned out to feel much safer, relaxed and comfortable. While I spent half the time as a guest of the Jordan Tourism Board, I spent the other days walking around and organizing visits to other cities alone.

My opinion of traveling in Jordan is now this: If you’re not scared of going to India, Europe, Central America or South America, you shouldn’t be scared of visiting Jordan.

If you’ve been curious about visiting Jordan but were concerned about safety, here are a few thoughts to keep in mind.

1. Unfamiliar ≠ unsafe

Does the idea of being in a country in the Middle-East makes you uncomfortable?

It’s normal to feel uncomfortable when dealing with new experiences or knowns. I’ve felt scared each time I entered a new world region, like India, Southeast Asia or Europe. I also get nervous before land border crossings or boarding a public bus alone in a non-western country.

But looking back at 12 months of travel, no harm has come my way even during times I felt extremely uncomfortable.

Just because you feel uncomfortable or worried, doesn’t mean that the country is actually unsafe.

2. Reassuring things to know about Jordan

Locals speak English quite well – well enough to give directions and if not, at least identify that you’re speaking English to find someone else who can help.
Lots of Tourism Board offices and English-speaking tourism police – they are present from the exit at the Amman airport to all the major tourist and historical sites.
Roads, highways are smooth and driving is orderly – As far as I saw, there are no “chicken buses”, camels or elephants, tuk tuks or auto rickshaws on main roads like in India or Southeast Asia which also made crossing the street easier.

3. Jordan compared to other countries

Even though I had fears about Jordan being like India, it turned out that Jordan was actually far easier and smoother to travel through.

Compared to India:

There were no instances of people or children grabbing me to ask for money.
I didn’t have to pray before crossing major streets. Even in the busy streets of downtown Amman, drivers consistently slowed down to let me cross the street.
No men shouting “Hello China/Japan/Korea!” at me as I walk by (to put things in perspective, this has happened to me in Nice, France).
No male vendors following me for blocks trying to get me to look in their shops.

4. Other indicators of stability/tourism growth

Some other indicators that might assure you Jordan is a stable area is that large organizations have made major investments in the country.

Number of 5 star hotels: 27. There are 13 in the capital of Amman, 5 in Petra, 5 in Aqaba (on the Red Sea), and 4 at the Dead Sea. The Hilton also opened a property this year and have another scheduled opening in 2014.
Guests the Jordan Tourism Board hosted this year: 20 bloggers and 250 print/online writers (including solo female travellers). The country probably wouldn’t host these visitors unless they were confident in the safety and quality of the country’s amenities, especially since any negative coverage would spread much faster and further than with a “regular” tourist.
New flights. EasyJet started flying a route between Jordan and London Gatwick this March.

5. Other resources to check

Two places to help check for safety information on Jordan, or any other country you’re planning to visit are:

Official travel advisories – For example, the Canada Foreign Affairs Jordan Travel Report or the US Consular Affairs travel warnings. At the time of my visit and at the time of writing, the Canadian the advisory on Jordan was “Exercise high degree of caution” which is the same advisory level for Greece, Peru, Dominican Republic, Mexico and China which are countries I wouldn’t be scared to visit.
Status of trips from tour operators - G Adventures (formerly Gap Adventures) and Intrepid Travel are both large, award-winning travel companies that run tours on around the world, including Jordan. In addition to checking the official travel advisories, I sometimes also email these companies to ask if their tours were running normally for the country in question. I figure if an area becomes unsafe, they wouldn’t run their tours and risk ruining their brands. Here’s the Gap Adventures contact page and Intrepid Travel contact page.

Even though Jordan is a relatively small country (about 500km from top to bottom), it offers a huge variety of experiences, including some I didn’t get the chance to see during my short visit. If I was returning to Jordan again, I wouldn’t be scared of going alone.

>> Is Jordan a country you’ve considered visiting? If you’ve been to Jordan, did you feel safe there?

Thanks to the Jordan Tourism Board for hosting me during my a portion of my visit. As usual all opinions are my own and this article should be used for informational purposes only. For safety, always consult your government’s official travel advisory before visiting any country.

What Happens in Petra When It Rains?

Lily — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:15:48 +0000

The special Petra-at-Night experience that only happens when it rains.

Sometimes, the best travel experiences have the worse photos. My Petra at night experience was one of these occasions.

On my third day in Jordan, I was looking forward to seeing Petra by candlelight and enjoying a traditional Bedouin music performance. After admiring the Petra night photos from a number of fellow travelers like Ayngelina Brogan and Abigail King, I was looking forward to taking a few of my own.

Up to this point I hadn’t read anything about rain during anyone’s visit to Petra. Rain at the desert is rare, and I later found out that historically Petra only sees 9.3 days of rain per year and only 0.7 days of rain in the month of November.

Well, it turned out the Petra by Night experience is completely different in the unlikely event that it rains… I got to go inside the Treasury.

Thanks to my lack of practice with night photos and using flash, I’ll have to describe one of my most interesting travel experiences with some of my worse travel photos (for some “regular” Jordan photos, see my highlights of Jordan post.)

First, a romantic walk through to Petra through the canyon

My Petra-at-night experience started normally, with a quiet walk along the winding 1.5 km path through the canyon. Thousands of candles guided the way.

The candle-lit path to the Treasury at Petra.

It started drizzling a little

There was light rain by the time we arrived at the Treasury but it was minimal and I took out my DSLR to attempt a photo of this World Wonder.

The bottom half of the Treasury, lit by candles.

Then it started pouring

Before I had the chance to set up another photo, the rain got heavy. My DSLR already broke once when I was travelling in India so I didn’t want to risk getting my camera wet. Here’s the last photo I took outside before the rain started seriously coming down.

The start of heavy rain during the Petra-at-night experience.

Being ushered inside the Treasury (yes, inside!)

In my last post about what to see in Jordan, you can vaguely see from my day photo of the Treasury that entrance is closed off by rope as visitors are forbidden to enter. But the Petra-at-night tour guide was sympathetic and instead of making us stand/sit in the rain for the Bedouin performance, he ushered all 70+ of us up the Treasury stairs.

Because of the rain, we found ourselves inside the World Wonder.

Over the next hour, we huddled at the stairs in front of the three tomb entrances and listened to the Bedouin songs and instruments while sipping small plastic cups of tea. The music was beautiful against the sound of rain, but sitting inside the Treasury was even more special.

Visitors sitting and standing in the foyer of the Treasury.

Part of the Bedouin performance during the Petra-by-Night experience.

Looking inside the Treasury

When the performance was over an hour later, it was still raining. We were supposed to start walking back, but before leaving the shelter of the Treasury, everyone’s curiosity got the better of them. We all wandered inside the tombs, pointing flashlights at the walls and ceilings to get a better look inside this normally-off-limits World Wonder.

The entranceway to one of the tomb rooms at the Treasury at Petra.

The 1.5km, wet & dark walk back through the canyon

In my first step back into the canyon, I was shocked to find my feet in 3 inches of cold, flowing water. The candles had been extinguished by the rain and the path ahead of me was almost pitch black.

As I continued to walk, my imagination and paranoia creeped up and all I could remember was my guiding telling me earlier in the afternoon that there’s risks of flash floods in the canyon every time it rains.

I walked as fast as I could, following the footsteps of other visitors and using my iPhone as a flashlight. About 20 minutes later, when I was close to the opening of the canyon I stopped to take a video (see below). It’s not a great video, but imagine yourself walking through darkness for 20 minutes in the rain.

The sound of water you hear running are the streams flowing through the the canyon plus the 1-2 foot wide mini waterfalls coming down the walls of the canyon which were completely dry earlier in the afternoon.

Getting back safely

Considering the darkness and the amount of water we had to walk through, the atmosphere was surprisingly calm. The guides walked with the travellers and frequently asked if people were okay. A truck was brought in and stayed at the back to make sure the slower or less physically-abled visitors were taken care of.

At the end of this wet and chilly evening, it was a relief to return to the comfort of my beautiful room at the Movenpick at Petra hotel just outside the Petra visitor entrance.

I didn’t get great photos of Petra at night like other travellers, but I did have the extremely rare, and normally prohibited, privilege to sit inside.

Practical tips for Petra at Night:

I can’t guarantee you’ll also get to go inside the Treasury if it rains :) If the rain is light, you might just have to stand/sit outside or if the rain is heavy, visitors may be evacuated for safety.
Cost/price/admission fee for the Petra-at-night experience is 12 JD ($18).
Tours run on Monday, Wednesday and Thursdays and tickets can be purchased from the visitor centre.

I was a guest of the Jordan Tourism Board during my visit to Petra, but as usual all opinions and photos are my own.

The 55 Greatest Quotes on Travel Ever

Lily — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:18:45 +0000

Inspiring quotes about travel. Photo by Lily.

Whether you’re starting to plan a trip of a lifetime or you’re already on the road, quotes are a great way to get a dose of inspiration when the travel process gets frustrating.

Some milestones I had before starting my current year-long trip included figuring out how much it’d cost to travel, how to letting go of my belongings and trying to break free of a status quo mentality.

Along my travel journey, I’ve been at the crossroad between returning home or continuing to travel (I chose to travel longer). I’ve had my mental resilience and on a few rare moments I wondered why I left the comfort of my home in Toronto in the first place.

I just celebrated my one year travelversary two weeks ago in Chiang Mai, Thailand and here are some travel quotes that have inspired me or made me smile this past year around the world.

Top travel quotations and sayings

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” — Martin Buber
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“A man of ordinary talent will always be ordinary, whether he travels or not; but a man of superior talent will go to pieces if he remains forever in the same place.” — Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
“If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.”
“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu
Don’t be a tourist. Plan less. Go slowly. I traveled in the most inefficient way possible and it took me exactly where I wanted to go. — National Geographic’s Andrew Evans, on his 40 day, 40 bus journey from Washington D.C. to Antarctica. Watch his refreshing TEDx Talk (18 min).
“Not all those who wander are lost.” — J. R. R. Tolkien
“When you’re traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don’t have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.” – William Least Heat Moon
“Bizarre travel plans are dancing lessons from God.” – Kurt Vonnegut
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” – Susan Sontag
“A person needs at intervals to separate from family and companions and go to new places. One must go without familiars in order to be open to influences, to change.”
- Katharine Butler Hathaway
“The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G. K. Chesterton
“A ship is safe in the harbor, but that’s not what ships are built for.” – Gael Attal
“I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” — Mark Twain
“Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.” – Alan Keightley
“Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” – Frank Herbert
‎”If at some point you don’t ask yourself, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ then you’re not doing it right.” — Roland Gau
“I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.” — Oscar Wilde
“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” — Aldous Huxley
“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” — James Michener
“He who is outside his door already has the hardest part of his journey behind him.” — Dutch proverb
The greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” — Bill Bryson
“Home is where the heart is, and my heart is wherever I am at the moment.” — Lily Leung
“Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” — Helen Keller
“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” — Tim Cahill
“No matter where you go, there you are.”
“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” — Rosalia de Castro
“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” — Jawaharal Nehru
“How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterwards.” — Spanish Proverb
“I travel light. I think the most important thing is to be in a good mood and enjoy life, wherever you are.” — Diane von Furstenberg
“Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else.” — Lawrence Block
“One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are.” — Edith Wharton
“To travel is to take a journey into yourself.” — Danny Kaye
“If you look like your passport photo, you’re too ill to travel.” — Will Kommen
“Long-term travel doesn’t require a massive bundle of cash; it requires only that we walk through the world in a more deliberate way.” — Rolf Potts
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” – Fitzhugh Mullan
“The further one goes, the less (he realizes he) one knows.” — Lao-Tzu
“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a cash advance.”
“Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”— Gustave Flaubert
“Travel is like love, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.” — Pico Iyer
“Travel is like a giant blank canvas, and the painting on the canvas is only limited by one’s imagination.” — Ross Morley
“When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” — Susan Heller
“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” — Henry David Thoreau
“Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it.” — Eudora Welty
“You lose sight of things… and when you travel, everything balances out.” — Daranna Gidel
“The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.” — Amelia E. Barr
“Let your heart guide you. It whispers so listen closely.”
“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” — Steve Jobs
“If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” – Yogi Berra
“I shall be telling this with a sigh somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” — Robert Frost

Final words

“If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears.” — Glenn Clark
‎”Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of men, instead, seek what they sought.” — Matsuo Basho
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Andre Gide
“Heroes take journeys, confront dragons, and discover the treasure of their true selves.” – Carol Pearson

>> Which travel quote is your favourite? Which sayings would you add to this list?

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Top 8 Highlights from 8 Days in Jordan

Lily — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:13:31 +0000

What to see in Jordan, highlights of my 1 week visit.

After my leaving Dahab, my final stop in Egypt, I had the joy of spending a week in Jordan.

Despite the short stay in Jordan, I was pleasantly surprised by the range of activities and sights I had the opportunity to experience. Turns out the west side of Jordan is only 500 km from top to bottom and the transportation time between major cities and must-sees were at most only a few hours.

During this week in Jordan, I did everything from walk on ancient Roman ruins, take a safari through peach-coloured deserts, touch world wonders (Petra and the Dead Sea), walk through rose-colored canyons, ride a camel into the desert sunset, and even stand on the mountain that Moses stood on when he saw the “promised” land.

Here are the top highlights from my trip to Jordan.

What to see in Jordan

1. Downtown Amman – 2nd century Roman theatre

Roman Theatre in Downtown Amman, Jordan. Admission: 1 JD ($1.50)

In the centre of Amman is a well-preserved Roman theatre built right into the rock hillside. Being able to step into an ancient ruin during your stroll through a modern city was quite special. The top of the theatre had a great view of Quraysh Street and of the buildings and houses on the opposite hill. Entry fee: 1 JD ($1.50).

2. Downtown Amman – Citadel Hill

Temple of Hercules on the Citadel, Downtown Amman. Cost: 2 JD ($3.00)

Up the hill, and walking distance from the Roman theatre, is the Citadel of Amman. It sits on Amman’s highest hill (800m above sea level) and the area is supposedly “the world’s oldest continuously inhabited place” with traces of human life found from 7,000 years ago. On the climb to the Citadel, there was a clear view of a huge Jordan flag on what was the world’s tallest flagpole from 2003-2004 (126m). At the edge of the Citadel are the remains of the Temple of Hercules from the 2nd century. Admission fee: 2 JD ($3.00).

3. Dead Sea – “lowest elevation on Earth’s surface”

Floating in the Dead Sea at sunset, Jordan.

The Dead Sea is 425m below sea level and 8 time saltier than the ocean. I was so buoyant that when I tried to swim on my stomach, I couldn’t submerge my legs enough to be able to kick (actually, there are warning signs saying *not* to swim on your stomach, so you don’t get water in your mouth or eyes). This unusually buoyant sensation is definitely worth a spot on your bucket list.

4. Petra – the Treasury, as seen in Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade

Treasury at Petra, and where Indiana Jones found the Holy Grail.

The walk from the Visitor Centre entrance to the Treasury, which passes by massive tombs and temples carved from the mountain rocks and goes a winding path through a canyon (the “Siq”), was an experience in itself.

The Treasury is a monument carved from the rockface from the 1st century. There are legends, according to the local Bedouin people, that the building was once a safe keeping place for treasures; but my guide told me it’s only a tomb. See Petra on Wikitravel for travel tips.

5. Wadi Rum - base of operations during the Arab Revolt in 1917/18

Wadi Rum (wadi = valley, rum = high/elevated), Jordan.

Wadi Rum is a protected area full of sandstone and granite mountains. Specific spots in the valley have been named after British Offier T.E. Lawrence, like the “7 Pillars of Wisdom” and the “Lawrence Spring” from his assistance during the Arab Revolt against Turkish rule. The valley sand is a peach colour but when it rains (like it did the day before I was there), sand runs off from the taller white mountains and leaves a pattern of white sand at the front of drain valleys/canyon entrances.

6. Desert – at sunset, on a camel

Jordan desert at sunset, by camel.

Being in the desert at sunset was peaceful, quiet and you can see the shadows of the safari and camel tracks in the sand. There weren’t any tourists, and aside from my Bedouin guide singing in Arabic and quiet camel footsteps, there were no other sounds. By the way, camel rides are a bumpy, especially if the camel is jogging. I held on to the saddle with my left hand, to my camera with my right hand, aimed the camera and hoped for the best :)

7. Mount Nebo – where Moses saw the “promised land”

Mount Nebo, where God gave Moses the view of the 'promised land.'

According to the Bible, Mount Nebo is where God showed Moses the “promised land”: “Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho” (Deuteronomy 34:1). On a clear day, Jericho and Jerusalem (Israel) are supposed to be visible from where I was standing. Mt Nebo is a designated Christian pilgrimage site and both Pope Jean Paul II and Pope Benedict have visited during their pilgrimages. Entry cost: 1JD, $1.50.

Even as a non-religious person, the idea of standing on grounds with such historical significance was incredible.

8. Bethany – where Jesus was baptized, Jordan River

The believed Baptism site of Jesus, Jordan River.

The guide told us the water from the Jordan River running through this Baptism site had dried up recently. Note that you have to be accompanied by a guide from the visitor centre (included with admission, 12 JD $18) to see this site because the area is considered a military zone. The border between Jordan and Israel-occupied Palestine, the Jordan River, is only a few metres wide in some spots. See the official Bethany beyond the Jordan site on how the Baptism location was identified by archeologists.

Overall impressions of Jordan

Considering the variety of experiences I had during the short span of one week, I was travelling at a quite a relaxed pace. The highways and roads were well-kept, towns were orderly, most locals spoke at least some English and my entire journey in Jordan was quite smooth.

>> Does Jordan sound like somewhere you’d like to visit? If you’ve been to Jordan, is there anything you’d add to this Jordan must-see list?

I was a guest of the Jordan Tourism Board during a portion of my visit in Jordan. As usual all opinions and photographs are my own.

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@Hostelbookers.com – Not Just for Hostels

Lily — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:19:28 +0000

Hostelbookers - they also have hotels and charming bed & breakfasts

After a year of traveling and constantly making reservations for accommodations, I’ve come across some pleasant surprises while using booking websites.

Like, finding a 3 star resort hotel by the Black Sea for $28/night on Expedia.ca, or realizing that Expedia also books nice dorms in the more expensive cities of western Europe.

Similarly, I’ve also learned that Hostelbookers.com, which I thought only booked dorms, actually provides hotel and bed & breakfasts listings as well (and some really comfortable ones too!)

Hostelbookers.com is one of the web’s most popular budget accommodation aggregator sites and here’s a few things I didn’t know about them before:

No fees or membership required to book
They have over 3,500 properties on 6 continents
They guarantee the lowest price, or will refund you the difference
If you need help with accommodations, you can Tweet them at twitter.com/hostelbookers or post on their wall at facebook.com/hostelbookers and they will answer.

Examples of places I’ve stayed at

Here’s a few places I’ve found through Hostelbookers during my recent trip to Egypt, which varies from a hostel/budget hotel in Cairo, to a charming small hotel in Luxor and a cozy bed & breakfast in Sharm el Sheikh (Sinai).

Cairo – Luna Hotel – both a dorm and budget hotel in downtown Cairo, walking distance to Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum.
Luxor – Little Garden Hotel – a small, clean hotel with a charming roof top terrace and ground level garden; friendly and frequently asked if there was anything I needed.
Sharm el Sheikh – Sinai Old Spices – possibly the most comfortable and well equipped bed & breakfast I’ve stayed it. They even gave me a mobile phone to use during my stay.

Interesting and unusual hotels

Among Hostelbookers’ 3,500 properties, some are in rather unusual places, including prisons, caves and ships. The Hostelbookers blog has a complete list of their unusual hotels. I’m not sure how I feel about sleeping in a prison or cave, but I’ve listed a few examples of their ship hotels below :)

Peru – Yavari Ship Bed Breakfast
Yavari Ship Bed & Breakfast was built in 1862, and is moored in Puno Bay, Lake Titicaca, the world’s highest navigable lake at 3,810 metres high. This seven guests per night the Yavari holds three twin-berth cabins with shared bathroom and shower facilities.
Sweden – Rygerfjord Hotel and Hostel
The Rygerfjord Hotel and Hostel in Stockholm lets you experience life on a former cruise ship. It’s located near the centre of Stockholm, by trendy galleries, museums and cafes, and the cobbled streets of the Old Town. You’ll get free Wi-Fi, free parking and easy access to public transport. There are 70 rooms on board including privates and dorms.
Poland – Boat Hostel Barka Basia
The Boat Hostel Barka Basia is on the Danube in the centre of Krakow, 10-minute from the main market square, 5 minutes from Wawel Royal Castle and 3km away from the Kraków Główny Railway Station. There are six double rooms, a Polish restaurant up on the deck and free Wi-Fi. Canoes and fishing equipment are available for rent. Bathrooms are shared.

>> Have you ever booked with Hostelbookers? What other websites do you use to find accommodations?

Thanks to Hostelbookers for helping me arrange some of my Egypt accommodations during my trip last month, it definitely helped make my first visit to the Middle East smooth. As usual, all opinions are my own.

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Dahab, Egypt – How 5 Days Turned Into 9

Lily — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 17:56:01 +0000

H2O Divers Dahab, Red Sea, Egypt

In my year of travelling around the world, I’ve only encountered a handful of places that have enticed me to stay longer than planned: Chiang Mai, Thailand; Koh Tao, Thailand; and Novi Sad, Serbia (Facebook photos).

All these places are laid-back, safe, have lots of cafes, warm weather, abundant WiFi and offer good value for your money. Dahab, Egypt turned out to be one of these places too. See my Dahab Facebook album for more photos.

But first, the ordeal of getting to Dahab…

After two weeks of travelling comfortably with private transfers through GetYourGuide, I decided to be adventurous and take the bus alone from Sharm el Sheikh to Dahab.

It was a 100km and 1.5 hour ride and the owners of the Sharm el Sheikh guesthouse I stayed at were kind enough to drop me off at the bus station and even show me how to buy my bus ticket.

Sounds so simple. What could go wrong?

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Turned out tickets can only be bought when the bus is arriving, but the station doesn’t know the exact timing of the bus either. I ended up waiting over 2 hours at the bus station before I manage to buy my ticket.

During those two hours, taxi drivers tried to convince me I should get a ride with them instead: “only 180 Egyptian pounds ($30), so cheap!” Even people working at the bus station tried to convince me to take a taxi, saying the bus wouldn’t come until “much, much later.”

After going to the ticket counter 4 times to inquire if the bus was here yet, the attendant finally told me to come back at 3pm (I arrived at the station around 12:30pm). Of course when I came back at 3pm there was a big queue of people trying to buy their ticket too.

Long story short, between a few helpful locals who spoke some English trying to let me cut the link, telling me to go right into the office instead of waiting, and an older man worked at the station tried to talk to another manager so I could buy a ticket directly from him instead of the booth, I eventually got my ticket and found my way to the bus following another man who was going to Dahab.

Sounds chaotic? It was.

It was also a little uncomfortable to be surrounded completely by men, although nothing unsafe actually happened. I also knew worse case scenario I’d play the “I’m-a-lost-tourist-card” and ask to use someone’s phone to call my guesthouse to pick me up again.

Luckily, once I got onto the bus, it was a comfortable air-conditioned ride with 1 smooth passport-check on the way.

For you’re considering taking the bus themselves between Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab, don’t do it unless you have plenty of time. If I was on a two week vacation I’d rather pay extra (say $30, instead of $6.50) and arrange a private transfer or taxi to save myself the hassle of using up an entire afternoon.

A long wait for the bus to Dahab.

Air conditioned bus from Sharm el Sheikh to Dahab, 20 Egyptian pounds ($6.50)

The inconvenience of getting to Dahab was worth it

After the ordeal at the Sharm el Sheikh bus station, it was a relief to be picked up at the bus Dahab bus station by the Dahab lodge I booked, Sunrise Lodge. Arriving at the charming entrance way of the 5-room lodge, I felt relaxed again.

The lodge was seconds from the main boardwalk, which was lined with beachside cafes, shops and dive centres. As I wandered around that first evening, I was reminded of Koh Tao, Thailand and I had a feeling I’d end up staying longer than the 5 days I planned.

Here’s a detailed look at my time in Dahab.

1. Great weather and overall good vibes

With a temperature of 25C and blue skies every day, it’s hard not to be in a good mood. To top it off, there’s lots of delicious Egyptian and western food at a great value, like breakfasts with 2 eggs, bread, fried onions/sausage for 15 Egyptian pounds ($2.75).

The town was laid-back, all the shop owners say hi as you walk by. People are trusting, there were multiple times when the cafes didn’t have enough change and just trusted me to come back later to pay for my meal.

I was initially considering a short trip to Israel before going to Jordan, or staying extra days near the border of Egypt before crossing to Jordan, but I felt perfectly happy in Dahab.

Entrance at Sunrise Lodge, Dahab.

One of the many beachside cafes on the boardwalk.

2. Scuba diving and snorkelling

I’m newly licensed PADI scuba diver and was paranoid of everything from salt water burning my eyes (the Red Sea is saltier than Thailand) or accidentally inhaling any water that seeps into my mask.

Fellow travellers like Connie Hum, convinced me that diving was amazing on the Red Sea and that I should at least attempt one dive for the experience.

Being the paranoid diver that I am, I visited almost every dive shop on the boardwalk and eventually found myself at H2O Divers Dahab. I told them I was a nervous diver. They nicely laughed at my anxiety and assured me things would be fine.

After a refresher dive, some encouragement, plus 2 more dives, I finally felt at ease enough to actually start identifying the marine life while diving, instead of just concentrating on breathing. We we even saw a beautiful large green turtle on one of the dives.

I ended up doing a total of 6 dives, including a night dive under a full moon and with close supervision (2 instructors to 2 students).

The water visibility was incredible and even better than Koh Tao, Thailand, which was where I got my PADI Open Water license earlier this year.

H2O Divers Dahab, Red Sea, Egypt

Full moon over Dahab, my first night dive.

3.) Beach camp at Abu Galum

I skipped on the Mount Sinai climb (where Moses allegedly received the 10 commandments from God) but did take an overnight excursion to a Bedouin beach camp north of Dahab at Abu Galum, a protected area by the Red Sea.

Some highlights of the trip:

A ride along the beach, on a camel that was constantly wandering off from the group
Waking up to the sun rising over Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea
The playful children of the Bedouin families at the camp
Meeting a couple from Cairo who were on their honeymoon, and were shocked to find out there was a camel ride and that we were all sleeping on the ground under the same hut that night.

See the vibrant blue colour of the water in the pictures below? That’s really how it looks.

Reefs at Abu Galum, beach camp, excellent visibility for snorkelling.

Beach camps at Abu Galum and village of Bedouin families.

Two playful kids of the local families at the beach camp.

4.) Abundant and free WiFi

With lots photos to upload and being an internet geek, I could probably be happy anywhere as long as I have WiFi and power outlets. Have this, plus being right beside the beach with access to cheap smoothies and coffee was heaven.

Jays Cafe, one of many beachside cafes with WiFi and plugs

5.) The ferry to Jordan caught on fire

After hearing about one of ferries used in the Egypt-Jordan border catching on fire while in transit (BBC News), I decided to fly to Jordan instead. Flying saved me about 2 days of travel time since the ferry would have entailed staying extra night at the border on the Egypt side (Nuweiba), a full day for the ferry journey which I’ve heard is frequently delayed, plus an extra night on the Jordan side (Aqaba).

The flight from Sharm el Sheikh to Jordan (Air Jordanian, $295 purchased last minute), was just 1 hour and probably the most scenic short-haul flight I’ve been on, with views of the turquoise waters and islands on the Red Sea.

Flight from Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt to Amman, Jordan.

Dahab… would definitely consider a repeat visit

When I was planning my Egypt trip, I expected the ancient Pyramids to be the highlight of my visit; after all, I’ve wanted to see this world wonder since grade school. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how touched I’ve been by experiences I only heard about right before my trip, name camping in the White Desert and hanging out on the Red Sea.

>> If you’ve been to Dahab, did you enjoy your stay too? What’s your favourite beach town or diving/snorkeling spots in the world?

If you’re visiting Egypt or anywhere else in the world, consider InsureandGo travel insurance. They insure millions of people across the globe.

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Things to do in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

Lily — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 10:36:56 +0000

Snorkelling clear water filled with marine life at Ras Mohamad National Park, Sinai, Egypt.

Sharm el Sheikh is one of six places I visited during 23 days of travelling alone in Egypt. Other highlights were Cairo (the Pyramids), the White Desert, Aswan, Luxor and Dahab.

Lonely Planet describes the resort town of Sharm el Sheikh as a “sterile enclave… sanitised for Western consumption, having all the charisma of a shopping mall”. Expats I’ve met in Egypt have called the town “Sharm el $hit”.

Unfortunately, I didn’t know this before I arrived, because this is usually the type of place I try to avoid staying in for a long time in unless I’m taking a vacation from travel.

Luckily, my snorkelling and hiking trips with Egypt Excursions Online rescued me from the tourists hoards. Thanks to Hostelbookers, I even stayed at a charming bed and breakfast at a Bedouin village 5km away from the city.

If you ever find yourself in Sharm el Sheikh and want to escape the mass tourist crowds, here are a few ideas to consider.

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1. Snorkeling at Ras Mohamed National Park

Ras Mohamed National Park is a protected area on the Red Sea about 30 km south of Sharm El Sheikh. On my Ras Mohammed National Park Day Trip by Boat trip, we left from the marina in Sharm on a dive boat with about 20 divers and snorkellers and spent the entire day under the sun and looking over vibrant blue waters.

On the boat, one of the crew members briefed us on fishes we might see and fishes to be careful of, like the beautiful but venomous lionfishes. I haven’t developed the photos from my disposable underwater camera yet, but I can tell you that the visibility was incredible – even more impressive than in Koh Tao, Thailand which is hard to beat.

Marina at Sharm el Sheikh - boat to Ras Mohamed National Park

Guides briefing us on the day's agenda, national park and marine life.

1 of the 3 snorkel stops during the day at Ras Mohamed.

One of the snorkel 'guides' in the beautiful blue water.

2. Day trip to the Coloured Canyon

This was my first time in a canyon and was impressed by both the view from above and the view of the towering rocks from below while walking through the snaking path. The canyon had layers of yellow, peach and brown colours; we occasionally came across shrubs of green vegetation and most of the ground was sand and rocks.

The hike was relatively easy, although there were sections with no steps or that required squeezing between rocks/boulders. After we started encountering these tight spaces, I spent the rest of the hike thinking about the movie 127 Hours, which is based on a true story about a solo hiker in a Utah (USA) national park who gets his forearm caught under a large boulder, and after 5 days finds the determination to self-amputate his arm with his utility knife to escape. Luckily no such incidents happened on my visit ;)

The day trip I took was Safari Trip to Coloured Canyon and Dahab and was 41 euros at the time of writing.

View of the canyon area, before we descend into canyon.

Our Coloured Canyon hike guide.

Layers of yellow, tan, gold inside the Coloured Canyon.

Abandoned hut just outside the canyon exit.

3. Bedouin dinner & camel ride

The evening started with a camel ride, followed by a delicious and plentiful dinner of rice, roasted eggplant, chicken, peppers, and more. The show during dinner included belly dancing, fire twirling and other traditional Bedouin dances (see photos below). There were probably 50 other travellers there and a relaxing way to spend the evening.

See Bedouin Dinner and Camel Ride in sharm Desert for the full description of the trip.

Belly dancing performance during Sharm el Sheikh evening dinner.

Traditional twirling performance during Sharm el Sheikh evening dinner.

4. Do nothing

I really have to thank Hostelbookers for finding me the charming guesthouse in the Bedouin village 5km outside of Sharm el Sheikh. Not only did the guesthouse made me feel right at home, they helped make my stay extra smooth by providing me a mobile phone to use during my visit.

I wasn’t planning on doing lots of “nothing,” but the warmth of this bed & breakfast reminded me of old apartment in Toronto. I ended up spending hours with the company of large mugs of tea, using WiFi and catching up on reading from my birthday reading list.

I have more photos in my Sinai Old Spices review. To book, go to Hostelbookers, a double room is about $40/night.

Beautiful comfy bed at Sinai Old Spices B&B. Love the wall colours.

Morning tea, yogurt and coco puffs on the terrace outside room.

I’d definitely consider visiting Egypt again and wouldn’t hesitate to come alone. I found the area more comfortable to travel in than I expected, especially when compared to travelling in India. I’m not sure Sharm el Sheikh would be a high priority place to return to, so a big thank you to GetYourGuide and Hostelbookers for making my visit in this city more enjoyable than it would have been if I planned it on my own.

>> Do you spend a lot of time by the hotel when you visit a new city, or do prefer to venture out and explore?

Special thanks to GetYourGuide, Egypt Excursions Online and Sinai Old Spices for hosting me during my stay in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. As usual, all opinions and photos are my own.

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Ancient Egypt Temples in Luxor

Lily — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 17:42:47 +0000

Queen Hatshepsut Temple 2nd floor, Luxor, Egypt.

I thought the Pyramids would the main ancient Egypt attraction during my ~~two~~ three week trip.

Thanks to a day trip with an Egyptologist, I learned that there’s actually more important ancient Egypt tombs and temples to be explored in Luxor.

We had a well-paced day visiting four highlights, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple and I even heard some interesting stories. For example, Queen/Pharaoh Hatshepsut’s main architect might have also been her lover, and that Alexander the Great was actually a pharaoh in Egypt at one point.

Here’s the best of my day trip to the west and east bank in Luxor.

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First, my tour guide

My Egyptologist and archeologist tour guide actually helped excavate Luxor Temple and he even had magazine photos of himself and the excavation crew to prove it. Needless to say, he really knew his ancient Egypt history.

My tour guide, Ahmed Shawky, who helped excavate Luxor Temple.

1. Valley of the Kings

Valley of the Kings houses the tombs of over 60 ancient Egypt pharaohs, including the famous King Tutankhamen. According to my guide, the site was chosen for the mountains’ “natural” pyramid shapes, the dry conditions and for being relatively far from the Nile in case of a flood.

Unfortunately no cameras were allowed inside the valley or the tombs, and while I normally sneak in an iPhone photo regardless (like in the Sistine Chapel), I was with my Egyptologist tour guide so I didn’t want to get yelled at ;)

Considering the tombs were thousands of years old, the vibrance of the colours in the paintings inside the tombs were extremely impressive, ranging from reds, to blues to golds.

See National Geographic’s Valley of the Kings article for more details on this necropolis.

A 'natural' pyramid in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt.

2. Queen Hatshepsut Temple

Queen Hatshepsut was the Egypt’s only female pharaoh, ruling around 1,500 BC and seized power after her husband died. She’s known as a great “builder” from the number of construction projects she started, including the Temple of Karnak (see below).

There is also speculation that her main architect also became her lover.

Although Hatshepsut was female, her body is depicted as male in statues, where she wears a false beard, and has broad shoulders and no breasts. However, her face is distinctly feminine compared to the faces on the statues of other pharaohs (see head sculpture below).

Queen Hatshepsut Temple, Luxor, Egypt.

Queen Hatshepsut statue, Luxor, Egypt.

3. Luxor Temple

The Luxor Temple is on the east bank of Nile and was built over the reign of several pharaohs, including Queen Hatshepsut and Alexander the Great of Macedonia who became pharaoh after liberating Egypt from Persia.

This temple is walking distance from the center of Luxor (and in case you’re craving familiar food, there’s also a McDonald’s nearby with a great view of the temple).

Hall of Luxor Temple, Luxor, Egypt.

Sitting on one of the massive statues at the entrance of Luxor Temple, Luxor, Egypt.

Carvings depicting Alexander the Great (on the right hand side), Luxor Temple, Luxor, Egypt.

4. Karnak Temple

Karnak Temple is the second most visited ancient Egypt site after the Pyramids and its main feature is the “Hypostyle Hall” with 134 columns that are each 10 to 21 metres tall and up to 3 metres in diameter. I’ve included a person in the photos below to give a sense of scale.

The construction of the Temple started in 1,300 BC and was also constructed over the reigns of multiple pharaohs. See Karnak Temple on Wikipedia for more history.

Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt.

Hypostyle Hall entry, Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt.

A few of the 134 columns in Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt.

For more details on what I did on this day tour, see the full itinerary at GetYourGuide.com. At the time of writing, this tour was 82 euros and includes transportation and admission. They also have excursions to other parts of Egypt.

After the end of this full day tour, it was great to come back to a hot shower and a comfortable bed at the charming Little Garden Hotel, introduced to me by Hostelbookers. I’d definitely like to stay here again if I came back to Luxor.

>> Have you been been to Luxor before? Is this somewhere you’d like to visit if you were traveling in Egypt?

Thanks to GetYourGuide and Egypt Excursions Online for this great day trip. As usual, all opinions and photos are my own.

Subscribe to Explore for a Year email updates, tweet me at twitter.com/lilyleung, or say hi on Facebook at Facebook.com/ExploreforaYear.

More Extended Travel for Couples: Pete & Dalene Heck of @HeckticTravels

Lily — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:13:08 +0000

Pete and Dalene Heck of HeckticTravels.com

Dalene and Pete Heck are a Canadian couple who were both working in the oil and gas industry when they left in 2009 to travel to South America.

Their corporate escape plan was first hatched on “a snowy afternoon in December of 2007″ after overcoming a difficult year of personal tragedies and realizing they were tired of the corporate lives they were living.

You can follow Dalene and Peter on:
Their travel blog: hecktictravels.com
Twitter: @hecktictravels
Facebook: facebook.com/hecktictravels

1. What were you doing before you started travelling?

We were both gainfully employed and worked very hard in the biggest industry in Alberta, Canada – oil and gas.

Pete, being a Certified Management Accountant, was a Financial Controller at a small services company and I worked in Supply Chain Management for one of the big boys.

But there came a time, after nearly a decade of working very long days and not taking near enough time to enjoy doing what we love (travel), that we finally looked at each other and said: “What is it all for? Do we need the big house and new cars? Why aren’t we enjoying our lives more?

While neither of us will ever say that we hated our jobs, we were unfulfilled, and knew that we wanted to live our lives differently.

2. Were your colleagues and family supportive of your travel plans?

95% of the people in our lives have been nothing but supportive, even at our work.

The remaining 5% believe us to be completely nuts, or just don’t even try to understand, but we are very happy that most continually offer encouragement and follow us along on our adventures. With Pete’s boss, the situation had been a little difficult, as he was also a long time friend!

It took over a year to sell our house and plan our escape. All the while we had to keep it a secret from many people in our joint circle of friends. It was a big relief to finally spill the beans, and our decision to quit and travel was received well (albeit as a huge surprise!)

3. Where did you go on your first major trip?

It was over two years ago that we made our first flights as vagabonds from Canada to Bolivia.

From there we spent almost a year backpacking around South America, before returning to Canada for a family wedding. Bolivia and South America were real eye-openers for us, and changed us in so many ways. Sucre, Bolivia will always have a special place in our hearts for this reason and we hope to return there someday.

4. What happened when you came back from your first trip? What made you go travelling the second time?

We were tired after our year of constantly moving (except for a few months where we sat still and volunteered along the way), and I half expected that once we returned to Canada, we would want to settle.

It didn’t take us long to realize that it just wasn’t going to be possible. Even the thought of sitting in one place and resuming the kind of life we had before made us both quite anxious. We lucked into a beautiful housesitting job in British Columbia after the family wedding, and used those two months to rest and figure out what to do next.

Now, we haven’t looked back, and neither of us have even the slightest desire to settle down.

5. How are you funding your travels?

We were good savers during our corporate days, and also made a nice chunk of change when we sold our house.

For now, that is the primary source of our income, but we do have ideas in the works to start some “mobile” income streams. In the new year we plan to slow our travels down a bit with extended housesitting jobs in order to focus on getting those ideas off the ground.

6. Your top 5 tips for others who want to continue travelling past their “initial” trip?

1. Housesit. As far as we are concerned, housesitting is the best way to travel long-term. It gives us rent free accommodations, the ability to sit still in one place for various lengths of time, and the chance to continuously explore new places (side note: see Housesitting 101 and Housesitting 201 on how get started.)

2. Use your current skills. Start thinking early about how you can use your existing skill set to make money on the road. Whether it be via an internet based business or finding local work, when you can get your travel costs down low, it doesn’t take much to make your travels sustainable.

3. Get rid of everything. Don’t regret keeping some things in storage that you clearly aren’t going to need for sometime (wish someone would have told us that!)

4. Set up a blog! Whether you poise it for mass consumption or just use it to update family and friends back home, it can be a valuable resource and is very worth the effort.

5. Set new traditions. When you do make it home to visit, convince your family to adopt the long-term traveler holiday of “ThanksChrEaster” (that’s the combination of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter into one) so that you don’t sustain turkey withdrawal for too long!

Any other thoughts?

To anyone considering traveling long term or taking a career break – JUST DO IT.

There are always a million reasons not to do it, but you will likely live with a million regrets if you don’t. We each have but one short go around on this earth, and our time should be spent doing what we love!

>> How did your long-term travel adventure plan get hatched? Would you ever leave it all behind and to travel around the world?

Subscribe to Explore for a Year email updates, tweet me on twitter.com/lilyleung, or say hi on Facebook at Facebook.com/ExploreforaYear.

Other interviews you may like

A Weekend in Egypt’s White Desert

Lily — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:57:43 +0000

Sand dune and 4x4 in the desert, Egypt.

My recent excursion to the White Desert in Egypt has claimed a top spot in the highlights of this year’s round-the-world travel.

It had the golden sand dunes I’d expect to see in a desert, like in the Thar desert of India, but what made this desert special were it’s giant white rock formations that were unlike anything I’ve seen before. I felt like I was on a different planet.

I always envision deserts feeling hostile and lonely, but between my friendly guides, the charming Beduoin villages we passed, the weekend in the desert felt rich, comfortable and welcoming.

In fact, one of the things that made this excursion so special was that it felt like a road trip with friends.

Other highlights during this two day excursion to the White Desert National Park were the Bahariya Oasis, Bahariya Heritage Museum, Black Desert and the Crystal Mountain. I’ve included some of the favourite photos below and posted the rest in my Facebook album.

A few beautiful feelings not captured in the photos below:

Textures of of cool sand, rocks, chalk rock between my toes
Answering nature’s call in the open desert and under a sky full of stars, an oddly liberating feeling
Seeing 5 shoot stars among a sky full of other stars and feeling so happy already that I didn’t know what to wish for
Falling asleep next to the campfire to absolutely nothing but the sound of wind

I was a guest of GetYourGuide and Egypt Excursions Online on this tour, but if I ever come back to Egypt, I’d definitely take a longer excursion to see more parts of the western desert and oases.

9 Highlights of the White Desert

View Larger Map

1. Life-sized sand castles, sand sculptures and local artists

The Bahariya Heritage Museum is dedicated to sculptures and artwork depicting the traditional Bedouin life in the desert. I had the opportunity to meet the famous artist himself, Mahmoud Eed, who generously gave me a small mask (see photo below) to take as a memory of my visit. The Museum is made of sand, as are the sculptures inside.

Bahariya Heritage Museum, completely made of sand.

Mahmoud Eed, owner of the museum & famous sand sculpture

One of the museum's sand sculptures depicting the traditional Beduoin way of life

2. Off-roading like never before

I could barely contain my excitement when we drove off the paved main road and into the ocean of sand. There was hardly any sign of human presence except our car tracks and our footprints. I felt like lying down to make ~~snow~~ sand angels.

Our 4x4 and our first sand dune stop in the desert.

Sand patterns and sand dune tire tracks from our Toyota 4x4.

3. Desert rocks and textures

The desert landscape was vast but there were small details that made it special too, like the unique textures of the rocks in certain areas of the National Park.

Rocks that look like little flowers.

Crystals in 'Crystal Mountain'. There were lots of crystals in the sand from the erosion this rock formation.

4. Spotting rock formations

Here are two photos of the thousands of white rock formations. Watching over our campsite was a Sphinx (profile) and a falcon; we also made a stop at a giant mushroom and chicken. These shapes are all carved by wind erosion.

Sphinx face and falcon, watching over our camp area.

Giant mushroom and 6 foot chicken, sunset.

5. Desert foxes and warm campfires

During our simple but hearty dinner of potato/vegetable stew, barbequed chicken and rice, a desert fox about the size of a small dog approached us. I was scared it’d attack, but the guide assured me it’d be okay and threw the fox some food so he’d come closer so I could take a photo.

After dinner, the guide brewed us strong Egyptian tea and mint tea (“one cup is the equivalent of 4 cups of Lipton tea” he told me). While chatting that evening, I learned two Arabic words: 1.) “meshi” (= okay) and 2.) “ship ship” (= slipper) from when ants crawled onto our sitting area and the guides joked about looking for something to hit the ants with. As I said, this excursion felt more like a weekend trip with friends.

Tents were available, but with sleeping bags and blankets it was warm enough to sleep outside under the stars.

White Desert fox look for food at our camp site.

Post-dinner Egyptian tea brewing in the fire.

6. Waking up in a different world

Waking up in the morning to the glow of the white rock formations and golden desert sand was magical. It took me a second to remember where I was. When I woke up to take photos at sunrise, I also noticed fox and bird tracks around the camp area from the night before.

Our camp area, tents were available but it was warm enough to sleep outside in sleeping bags.

Fox and bird tracks in the morning.

7. Vast and panoramic landscapes

As I mentioned in my previous post, Egypt desert landscapes, being completely surrounded by desert was a beautiful feeling. It’s humbling and enlightening to be reminded of the big picture beyond yourself or the immediate moment.

Me, walking in the White Desert

Heading to a valley of white rock formations

8. Zen in unusual moments

Leaving the White Desert, our Toyota 4WD blew a tire and long story short, we sat on the side of the road waiting for an air compressor. A situation like this usually makes me feel abandoned and panicked, but instead I found myself feeling happily sitting on the side of the road to enjoy the surrounding mountains and desert. Virtually everyone who drove by was kind enough to stop and see if we were okay, and eventually we were on our way.

Waiting for an air compressor for the car tire.

Sitting on the side of the road, enjoying the scenery.

9. A picture perfect oasis and fresh dates

This was my first encounter with an oasis and it looked even better than what I had imagined. The photo below is just one section of the oasis and is completely unretouched.

An oasis in Bahariya, just outside the White Desert.

Passing date trees as we drive through a desert oasis.

The trunk we honked down for some freshly-picked dates.

Practical tips for the White Desert

Safety in Egypt: during my 3 weeks in Egypt in Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab, I’ve felt safe as a solo female traveller with no extraordinary incidents to report
Safety in the desert: also felt safe; the only moment I was scared during the excursion was when I saw the fox; food and essentials was no issue and we had plenty of water, food, gas
Temperature: when I went in October, it was roughly 25C during the day and 18C at night; warm enough for a short-sleeved shirt during the day and warm enough to sleep outside with a sleeping bag if you wear a thicker sweater
Toilets: there were “proper” toilets at the stops before the desert, but once we entered the desert it was just openness. Luckily there’s plenty of rock formations to shield you from your group and in the evening it’s virtually pitch black :)
Booking a trip: the excursion I took was the White Desert and El Bahariya Oasis Overnight Trip, via GetYourGuide.com; at the time of writing, the price was about 150 euros

>> Have you been to a desert or the White Desert desert? Is this somewhere you’d like to visit in your future travels?

This excursion was sponsored by GetYourGuide.com and Egypt Excursions Online but all opinions and photos are my own. If you get a chance to visit the White Desert, I really do recommend it! If I come back to Egypt I’d seriously consider another excursion and for a longer duration.

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Extended Travel for Couples: Interview with Jack and Jill Travel

Lily — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:16:12 +0000

Jack and Jill of 'Jack and Jill Travel', at Muchu Picchu

“We met in college, graduated, got jobs, got married, left our jobs, sold everything, and bought a one-way ticket to Colombia this April. That’s our story in short.”
- Jack & Jill

Jack and Jill were working at NASA in software/web before they started their extended world adventure in April 2011. They’ve spent the last 6 months in South America and heading to Morocco next to begin their adventure in Africa.

You can follow Jack and Jill Travels on:
Their travel blog: jackandjilltravel.com
Twitter: @jacknjilltravel
Facebook: facebook.com/jacknjilltraveltheworld

1. What were you doing before you this big trip?

We were both working for the government (NASA) doing software engineering and web development/design.

In terms of what inspired us to take the trip – well, it has always been my (Jill) dream to travel the world. When we were still dating we agreed to arbitrarily set a year (2011) when we would take off to travel the world.

I have a suspicion that Jack agreed to it because:

It was 4 years away. Who knows what will happen in 4 years
He was still trying to woo me.

Well, late in 2010 Jack realized that I’m not one to forget a promise. And here we are.

2. Did your friends think you were crazy?

Ha! I don’t think they were surprised. They knew how much we love to travel and we’ve mentioned the plan every now and then in conversations. When we gave our resignation letters, they quickly guess the reason behind it.

Our parents, on the other hand…

3. How did you know you could travel without killing each other?

We’ve had a lot of practice spending 24/7 together:

In our last job, we worked in the same building and in the same projects
We only had one car so we commuted together – we shared similar interest and same circle of friends
We went to school together and for the first 2 years we practically had the same schedules (we were both engineering students)

We’ve also travelled a lot before this trip – to Europe, to Indonesia to visit my family, and around the States. But even with all of that practice, traveling for this long together (we’ve been on the road for 6 months now) still proves to be tough. We’re glad we’ve had practice travelling together or else we probably would’ve killed each other by month 2!

4. How do you figure out your travel budget?

This part was actually pretty easy. We saved as much as we could during the last 4 years and we agreed on a percentage of how much of our savings we’d use for traveling. We’ll just go for as long as the money lasts, that way we’ll have a safety net when we get back.

For our daily budget, we aim for $100/day for both of us, which turned out to be pretty easy here in South America. Then we went to the Galapagos. Eeek! We’re still trying to recover the dent it made into our average expense here, but we’ve stopped obsessing about budget because it’s less stressful that way.

5. What’s been your biggest challenge travelling together?

It’s quite amazing that we’re still married considering how different we are in our style of traveling: we have different level of accommodation standard, comfort level, food types, activity types. The list goes on…

The one thing we argue about constantly is food and how much to spend on it. Food is onn the bottom of my priority list while it’s pretty high up there on Jack’s. So, it doesn’t help that we’re quite useless in the kitchen too.

The biggest challenge is knowing when to make compromises and when NOT to make them. We often go to two different places for food (because we can’t agree on where to go) and we also do separate day trips.

It’s knowing that NOT being together does not mean the same thing as ending a relationship. For us, making time to breath on our own has worked well.

6. Your top tips for couples planning an extended trip together?

1. Address beforehand each other’s fears and expectations. It takes a great deal of commitment from both parties to agree to hold off on career and to sacrifice a lump sum of money. These fears and expectations will change after the trip starts, so having an open channel of communication is very important.

2. Take smaller trips together beforehand. This way to you get to learn about each others’ strengths and weaknesses when it comes to planning a trip. It will immensely help in a longer trip if everyone already has a set ‘role’ that they’re used to. Plus, you’ll get a chance to iron out the smaller differences (accommodation standard, what time to wake up, etc) beforehand.

3. Don’t waste too much time arguing over smaller details of the trip BEFORE the trip even starts. For example, the countries you’re going to or where to start or where to end, or what to pack and all that. These things that seem like such important questions will become moot once the trip begins.

If you are looking for travel deals, consider checking Holiday Hypermarket for vacation packages.

>> Have you ever travelled for an extended period with your partner? Do you prefer travelling alone or with a companion?

Subscribe to Explore for a Year email updates, tweet me on twitter.com/lilyleung, or say hi on my wall Facebook.com/ExploreforaYear.

Explore for a Year

Round-the-World Trip Planning – Interview with Kim Dinan of @RTWsomanyplaces

What originally inspired you to make your plans?

What fears did you get over while deciding to follow your travel dreams?

What are most anxious about now as you are preparing for your trip?

How much are you budgeting for your trip?

What are you 5 tips for planning an extended travel break?

Other articles you may like

Round-the-world expenses: $4,520 for 19 flights

Why I went with point-to-point tickets in the first place

Benefits of individual tickets

Other articles you might like

2011: A Year of Making Impossibles, Possible

1. Turning 5 travel months into 13

2. My blog… it’s an asset?!

3. Traveling in Europe, for 20 weeks!

4. Going to the Middle East, alone!

5. Growing a little blog from 1.6K visits to 74.5K/month

Coming back in Toronto for Christmas

Other articles you might like

5 World Wonders Worth Visiting

World Wonders I saw this year

1. Taj Mahal, Agra, India

2. Hagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), Istanbul, Turkey

3. The Colosseum (Colosseo), Rome

4. Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt

5. Petra, Jordan

6. World Wonder finalist – Angkor Wat, Cambodia

7. World Wonder finalist – Dead Sea, Jordan/Israel

Other travel articles you might like

Is Jordan Safe to Visit?

1. Unfamiliar ≠ unsafe

2. Reassuring things to know about Jordan

3. Jordan compared to other countries

4. Other indicators of stability/tourism growth

5. Other resources to check

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What Happens in Petra When It Rains?

First, a romantic walk through to Petra through the canyon

It started drizzling a little

Then it started pouring

Being ushered inside the Treasury (yes, inside!)

Looking inside the Treasury

The 1.5km, wet & dark walk back through the canyon

Getting back safely

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The 55 Greatest Quotes on Travel Ever

Top travel quotations and sayings

Final words

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Top 8 Highlights from 8 Days in Jordan

What to see in Jordan

1. Downtown Amman – 2nd century Roman theatre

2. Downtown Amman – Citadel Hill

3. Dead Sea – “lowest elevation on Earth’s surface”

4. Petra – the Treasury, as seen in Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade

5. Wadi Rum - base of operations during the Arab Revolt in 1917/18

6. Desert – at sunset, on a camel

7. Mount Nebo – where Moses saw the “promised land”

8. Bethany – where Jesus was baptized, Jordan River

Overall impressions of Jordan

Other travel articles you might like

@Hostelbookers.com – Not Just for Hostels

Examples of places I’ve stayed at

Interesting and unusual hotels

Other travel articles you might like

Dahab, Egypt – How 5 Days Turned Into 9

The inconvenience of getting to Dahab was worth it

1. Great weather and overall good vibes

2. Scuba diving and snorkelling

3.) Beach camp at Abu Galum

4.) Abundant and free WiFi

5.) The ferry to Jordan caught on fire

Dahab… would definitely consider a repeat visit

Other Egypt articles you might like

Things to do in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt

1. Snorkeling at Ras Mohamed National Park

2. Day trip to the Coloured Canyon

3. Bedouin dinner & camel ride

4. Do nothing