Nathan's Insights

So Intrepid Travel just released a 365 days around the world tour!!

Obviously this would just be piecing together several, well many, of their different trips together but wow that’s crazy. You only need around $108,000 AUD ($75k USD) and an entire year off from work or study.

I wonder what kind of relationship you would have with fellow travellers after a year on the road together?  The longest tour I’ve ever been with ‘strangers’ in the same tour group was around 56 days during my Mexico and Central America Tour (15/12/2012 to 10/2/2013). Personally I got on well with the 7 people who did the entire 4 tours combined but a year would be whole different matter. I’ve also seen people causing each other major grief after 14 days together, so much so that even a few extra days would have likely lead to emotional and physical breakdowns between these travellers!

I have been also on longer trips with a family member (Andrew 66 days 2009-2010 world trip) and a friend (Jon 121 days 1999-2000 world trip). Again this went fine but there are definitely times when you need a time out from your travelling companion.

I’m not even sure how many people would take up this around the world package, but what an experience, outback in Africa to cold of Antarctica to Asia. I also wonder how you’d be able to return to the ‘real’ world again. It can be a struggle to go back to work after my 4+ month trips.

I guess it must be nice to even have this as a travel option.

Established: 9th Century
Population: 5.3 million (as at 2013)
Religion: Church of Scotland
Language: English, Scottish Gaelic
Capital: Edinburgh
Order of Visit: Fourth
First Visit: 9 February 2000
Last Visit: 14 February 2000
Duration: 6 Days
Must Do: Walk to Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews, Walk the Golden Mile
Cities: Edinburgh, Glasgow, St Andrews, Stirling

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Established: 5th-6th Century (Anglo-Saxon settlement)
Population: 53 million (as at 2011)
Religion: Anglican
Capital: London
Order of Visit: Third
First Visit: 11 November 1999
Last Visit: 21 January 2010
Duration: 31 Days
Must Do: Experience a Shakespeare play in his home country, Stonehenge, Parliament at Westminister, Old Royal College (Greenwich), Cambridge Universities and a West End show.
Cities: Brighton, Cambridge, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Greenwich, Hampton, Lincoln, London, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Stonehenge, Stratford-upon-Avon, York, Wimbledon, Windsor.

The mother country to my home in Australia, England has had a strong influence on the country of my birth.  My forebearers were likely sent to Australia has convicts or thrown out for being Catholics, it’s hard to be certain.

Australians all know about England, how our Government system is based on the Westminister system of Parliament.  How up until late 1980s the English Privy Council sat higher than our High Court on legal matters and to this day English citizens who moved to Australia before a certain date get to vote in Australian elections without being Australia citizens.

This is the country that stood up to Nazi Party and has a result London had to survive the air blitz.  You can feel the history by visiting the War Cabinet.  This is a country with a strong Upper class and an elite schooling system and with a counter struggling lower class.  The divide is breathtaking at times when you see the glamour and power of the elite next to the struggle of the common people.

England is an amazing place that must be visited.  This is the home of Shakespeare and seeing one of his plays here is a must.  But if you don’t fancy old plays then try the new in the West End district, probably second only to New York for live performances.

If you want history than you can’t miss it here.  It feels like every street has a blue plague explaining something amazing.  Cathedrals seem to be everywhere and even the smallest village has this 500 year old+ churches.

In London you can spent a month doing informative and usually fun Walking Tours of every type.  I strongly recommend these tours as you find back streets and quiet areas with fascinating histories.

The English are generally polite, I recall lining up for a few hours to get into Wimbelon Tennis Championships and it was actually a fun experience with great characters in the lines, no pushing or cutting.  And when I got inside it was very proper indeed.

England is also the home of cricket, one of my passions in life.  I couldn’t miss a visit to Lords to view the actual Ashes that despite Australia winning most of the time they won’t hand over.  My high school has some history with the Ashes Urn as well being the stated birthplace of the Ashes.  For me watching cricket was a must do but despite seeing local teams I still have to come back one day and view an actual Test Match preferable Australia beating England.