travelling the world

[befuzzled!!]

hiya
me and some mates are planning to travel the world in a couple of years
does anyone know of any must visit places that aren't overrun by tourists? if not just must visit places?
we're not gonna do the uk on this trip as we live in the uk and we're gonna do tht as a completely separate trip

thanks

[jno]

if a place is a must-visit then it will be overrun by tourists doing just that. You'll need to adjust to the fact that lots of people want to do the same as you. A few places like the Galapagos don't have too many, but that's because the governments charge huge entry fees.

Anyway, it depends what sort of things you want to see and do. Ancient monuments? Art galleries? Homes of the rich and famous? Wild animals? Or just particular countries?

[terambulan]

Siberia has a reputation? No documntries about it? Where do the people who go there go to as u r told they never leave....Y?

[jno]

I've been to Siberia, and returned. Lots of birch forests.

[shaking]

cook islands are a must

[snagged]

North Eastern Thailand.

[vehelpfulguy]

>me and some mates are planning to travel the world in a couple of years

Sorry to be pessamistic, but I bet you and your mates dont.

One by one you will either get a job they dont want to leave, or get a girlfriend, or settle down.

If you are going to do it do it now because you wont all feel the same in a few years time.

[lajohn]

...and with the increasing price of petrol it will get more costly.

[Andyvon]

If you want to avoid tourists befuzzled then go off-season. My wife and I travel around Europe, the Med and north Africa during the winter months when cities and resorts are much quieter. Airports are quiet, planes are less than half full, places of interest are quiet, hire cars are cheap and we are often the only customers in restaurants and on beaches. The weather is almost always good too. We always seem to have sunny weather and the temperature is usually a comfortable 70 degrees +.

We always stay at home during the summer months and public holiday time. That's when everyone else is packing the airports, sweltering in the heat, jamming the beaches - and paying twice the usual price for everything from hotels to meals. But if you like the scorching heat, prices and crush then go to the popular destinations in the summer season.

You can avoid the crowds and travel quite cheaply by planning your trips. We do travel further afield sometimes, although we don't like too many long flights. It will be the same in most places you choose. Plan to go when others are not there but if you want the heat, pump clubs and bars then you'll have to pay for it and join the crowds.

As jno and vehelpfulguy say, it depends entirely what you are looking for. I also suspect you won't be going too far but I really hope you do. There's a great big world out there to see. None of us get out of this game of life alive and too many people spend their life locked into a five day week and a mortgage. By the time they retire its too late for most of them to get up at 6 and hike all day in the mountains. We see them tottering along the prom in Portugal or Malta with their shorts, overcoats and walking sticks!

Go for it and enjoy that world while you can. The day will eventually come when you won't be able to. You'll be too old, too sick or too dead.

[befuzzled!!]

woot! keep the suggestions coming!
as for vehelpfulguy's comment we will do it
the people who are goin are all part of the ldsmat which stands for lincoln district scouts mountain activity team
we are determined and when we say we are gonna do something we do it
we trust our lives in each others hands usually at least twice a week
so we're probs gonna backpack

p.s. we can't exactly do it now cause we're only 15/16 years old and we've gotta do a levels and stuff

[MiniN]

definately visit the Rockies in Canada, they will literally have you saying 'wow'! its an amazing place to go.

[projecthex]

South East Asia is a great place to travel, obviously there are lots of places in most of Thailand, Malaysia etc, but my favourite place after travelling there for 8 months last year was Laos. Luang Prabang is a must see, as is the 'Plain of Jars' in Ponsavan. The people are amazingly welcoming and is a truly amazing place to visit. Cambodia and Vietnam are also eye openers. My partner and I have been travelling, working as we go for years now. We dont have a house, car or anything back in the UK, but i wouldnt swap it for the world. Do yourself a favour and get out there and see the world before comersialisation takes over even more than it has already! Good Luck!

[Memore]

New Zealand -especially the south island - the cook islands - Langkawi in Malaysia and Borneo - Northern Thailand and India - (not Goa) Whitsunday Islands off Australia - Brazil - Iguazu waterfalls (argentina and Brazil border) LA and New York to party - Egypt