RTW Plan | Draft

Pamela — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:10:51 +0000

I abhor being pinned down to an itinerary, it goes against my spontaneous nature. But as I grow both as a person and as a traveler I do recognize the value in having a draft plan. I think to sit down and say I have x amount of money, I’m going to y and it should last me until z is just naive. I recognize that now. There are certain aspects of planning that need to take place before grabbing your backpack and leaving home.

Country|Visa research is essential. You don’t need to go in depth; you just need to be aware of entry/exit requirements, medical requirements and whether there are any advisories that you need to be aware of. Personally, I read the advisories, but I usually wait until I’m there to decide if I should proceed to certain areas that may be questionable. The only other aspect that I pay attention to is brief research on hostel and transportation costs. This helps me decide on a budget (which means I know how much money to save) and timeline.

For me, doing research on the countries I wish to visit, as well as my must see sights is a way to keep myself inspired and motivated. When you have 8 months before take-off you need all the inspiration you can get.

For now, my plan is as follows:

China 6 wks
Tibet 2 wks
Mongolia 2 wks
Vietnam 2 wks
Cambodia 2 wks
Thailand 4 wks
Malaysia 1 wk
Brunei 1 wk
Bali 1 wk
Myanmar 1 wk
Bhutan 1 wk
India 4 wks
Nepal 4 wks

As I mentioned above, this is a draft/base plan. Many things could and will change between now and August, but it’s good to have an idea as to where and for how long.

Spunkygirl Monologues » rtw pre-trip planning

RTW Plan | Draft