Anyone here ever done any "Indiana Jones" style travel/tourism?

[Hivemindgammahydra7]

By that I mean, you just went wherever you wanted to, all on your own, and not the touristy-type spots or with a guided tour.

I have a co-worker named Billy who's in the PI right now, but who has often traveled through east and southeast Asia with little more than a backpack, a couple of canteens, and a map. I've seen photos of these outings and heard his stories and it sounds like a blast, but I am too much of a chicken to actually try it myself. You know, just go wherever, all on your own.

I am hoping that someone here has experience with Billy's travel style, and will talk me out of my fears ('cause I have some ideas about where I'd like to go)...

[Rebel Yarr]

Yes, ended up in Jail a few times too for it also meet some neat locals and got dirty.

[Lucifer33]

By that I mean, you just went wherever you wanted to, all on your own, and not the touristy-type spots or with a guided tour.

I have a co-worker named Billy who's in the PI right now, but who has often traveled through east and southeast Asia with little more than a backpack, a couple of canteens, and a map. I've seen photos of these outings and heard his stories and it sounds like a blast, but I am too much of a chicken to actually try it myself. You know, just go wherever, all on your own.

I am hoping that someone here has experience with Billy's travel style, and will talk me out of my fears ('cause I have some ideas about where I'd like to go)...

yep, you have a blast and is how life should be lived.....at least experienced.
I went to 12 countries traveling sometimes with a friend but mostly solo. South east asia rocked......thailand, singapore and of course china was one of the best! Nothing better then the feeling of riding around a brand new city and being lost as hell. Great food, cold beers and some of the most interesting woman you will ever meet.

go do it!

:bull-buddy-icon:

[gpond]

I hitch-hiked from Atlanta to Raleigh once with only a back pack. We didn't have cell phones at that time, and I left my light-saber at home. Does that count?

[Lucifer33]

oh yeah one more thing don't plan anything, what pops up is better then anything which can be planned.

[Hivemindgammahydra7]

I hitch-hiked from Atlanta to Raleigh once with only a back pack. We didn't have cell phones at that time, and I left my light-saber at home. Does that count?

Ummm...

...no, not really...

[gpond]

Ummm...

...no, not really...
Yeah, but a guy who picked me up in a Volkswagon beetle put his hand on my knee... Are you SURE that doesn't count?

[gpond]

And then these good ole boys in a large non-descript sedan picked me up and we were flying down the road drinking whiskey and vodka out of the bottles. That don't count fer something? Thankfully, these guys did not put their hand on my knee.

[Hivemindgammahydra7]

Yeah, but a guy who picked me up in a Volkswagon beetle put his hand on my knee... Are you SURE that doesn't count?

Well yeah, that might count, I guess...

[Banjo]

Travel like that is the kind of thing that you would never regret. You would have experiences that you can't put a price tag on. I say if you've got the chance, do it!

[ConfusedUs]

Went thru China and Mongolia by train on my own. I go to Japan, Korea and Thailand all the time. I want to go from China to Europe by rail sometime soon.

[Neuro Artist]

I did it for 4 years between 91 and 95 Far east, India, middle east and east Europe. In the last couple of years my back pack weighed about 10 lbs (why is pound spelled like that), and I traveled on a budget of less than 10 dollars /day, didn't even have shoes....

Its a ride :)

[Maddie]

Yes and no. I've never really had the time and money (at the same time) to just bum around from country to country, but I don't do the tourist thing. I used to go on caving expeditions in Mexico. We'd drive down and spend a month camping and caving way back in the mountains. Sometimes, driving through towns, we'd pay women to cook a meal for us or a shopkeeper to let us sleep in the back of their little tienda for a night.

I went to Bolivia by myself and bummed around there for a while a few years ago. It was a great trip, and I only wish I had had more time. Back in the early 80s, my mother, youngest sister, and I went to Peru and made our way to Macchu Picchu. It was before tourism started attracting Europeans and Americans to South America and back when Peru was having a lot of political unrest. It was an interesting trip (that means we got locked in a hostel during a riot, bandits held up the train in front of us, etc.), but we got to wander around Machu Picchu by ourselves with only two other tourists on the grounds. I understand that now you have to hire a guide and wait in line, and there's a campground of about 500 tents in the valley below!

Traveling off the beaten path and getting to know the locals can be very rewarding. If you're traveling alone and staying in hostels, you'll meet a lot of fellow travelers, and it's not uncommon to meet someone in the hostel who is heading for the same destination and hook up with them as travelling companions for a few days. Just buy a couple of good travel books (Lonely Planet books are good) and a plane ticket, then take it one step at a time. It can be intimidating to try to work out all the unknowns in your head ahead of time. Just take it one step at a time and know that you'll figure it all out as you go along. It helps to have a destination for the first night of your trip. From there, you can wing it.

[SilverSalmon]

By that I mean, you just went wherever you wanted to, all on your own, and not the touristy-type spots or with a guided tour.

I have a co-worker named Billy who's in the PI right now, but who has often traveled through east and southeast Asia with little more than a backpack, a couple of canteens, and a map. I've seen photos of these outings and heard his stories and it sounds like a blast, but I am too much of a chicken to actually try it myself. You know, just go wherever, all on your own.

I am hoping that someone here has experience with Billy's travel style, and will talk me out of my fears ('cause I have some ideas about where I'd like to go)...

IT WILL BE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE! I've done this type of travel for the last decade. Mostly because I lived and worked abroad, which makes it easier. My most memorable trip started in Ivory coast. Took a little cramp truck full of crying babies and chickens up to Mail. Hiked through all of Dogon country http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogon. Couldn't get to Timbutu, the river was dry, so I headed toward the Sahara via the Sahal and Burkina Faso. Finally made it up to Niger for my journey across the sahara. Started on camels, and finally rented a Land cruiser ad a Tuareg guide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuareg. Played in the beautiful desert a looong time. Sleeping on Sand Dunes and gazing at the stars. Not a person in sight! Finally made it pass the Aiir Mountains, just beautiful, some made of solid marble. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%AFr_Mountains Got a chance to see what the desert looked like 10,000 years before on caves. Looks of cave drawings with Giraffe and abundance of greenery. Surreal in this now desolate and sandy place. My favorite memory was an oasis, I was so happy to see water. Water everywhere, right smack in the middle of the Sahara. Palm fruits, dates, watermelons, figs, and etc. Roasted goat and fresh yogurt. A water fall that was so cold you could only stay in it for half and hour. Meanwhile the temperature was over a 100 outside of the waterfall. Went right up to the Libyan border to see the caravans crossing and made it back down to Ivory coast in God knows how much time. When I got back to Ivory Coast, I had actually one nickel in my pocket and a plane to catch to Europe the next morning. Got more money, went to Amsterdam and stayed in a squat with homeless people for a month and on and on and on!

The only thing you need is an open mind, A Lonely Planet travel guide, and a little knowledge and patience of and with different cultures. In developing countries ALWAYS Tap into the Peace corps volunteers and Missionaries, they KNOW EVERYTHING!!!!! Keep some Marlboros for trading and bribes, and also a pair of Ray Bans for really big bribes.

I've done trips like the above in Sudan, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Zanzibar, Europe, Afghanistan, Pakistan and ............ Many others. I'm still alive and still cherish those moments! Live for the moment, NO REGRETS AND GOOOOOOD LUCKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me know where you're heading and maybe I'll know some people i can loop you up with. I wish I had digital pictures, but most of my travel was done pre digital. I do have few digital pics of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Let me look tomorrow and I'll post them.

[uranian]

warning: once caught, the travel bug will be with you for life. my first trip was to new zealand when i was 20, spent half a year working and bumming there (tax numbers were rather easy to get of hold of, so i even ended up with a half decent job), since then, have spent around 3 months in each of india, SE asia, central america, europe and israel. i've had a pair of trainers stolen on an indian train as my worst travelling experience, not a very big deal. i can't recommend it enough. once you get somewhere like india, you can live for months on little cash. i think as a couple we lived on 25 US a day india, around 30 through central america (mexico was a little more), similar in asia. i'd love to get to the south pacific next....been dreaming of samoa for years now:

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/03/24/01/beach.jpg

[uranian]

And then these good ole boys in a large non-descript sedan picked me up and we were flying down the road drinking whiskey and vodka out of the bottles. That don't count fer something? Thankfully, these guys did not put their hand on my knee.

reminds of the NZ trip, best and worst hitches i ever had. the worst was a guy who drove the wrong way up a motorway exit ramp. the best was a maori guy who picked me up in his truck after nightfall (only night hitch i ever did) in the far south of the north island of NZ. off we went to auckland, hundreds of miles. he bought me dinner on the way in a gas station. we arrived in auckland in the early hours of the morning, at which point he jumped out of his truck and into his private car, demanded to know exactly where i was going, then drove me to the door! i also experienced some geneous kiwi stuffing some homegrown into my hand as i left his car...nice people, kiwis.

[cigarlover]

Sounds like some good trips!!! I highly recommend to just do it. Pick a country, when you get there get a map and decide where you are going first. For now I would avoid the ME but just about any other place would be cool. Use common sense and you will have a blast. Meet great people and have memories to share with all of us when you return!!

[Osaka]

Yep. Left in the early 90s. Still on vacation.

[Brio]

I agree, just do it. I borrowed a canoe and paddled from Whitehorse to Dawson City (about 400 miles) one year, that was an adventure, learned not to camp on the islands (that's where the bears cross the river lol). Headed for Scotland by myself, found a cheap ticket, packed a bag and left that was cool. Got locked in the lower vaults of St. Mungo's. :haha: met some really neat people. Just use your common sense, it's great.

[uranian]

Sounds like some good trips!!! I highly recommend to just do it. Pick a country, when you get there get a map and decide where you are going first. For now I would avoid the ME but just about any other place would be cool. Use common sense and you will have a blast. Meet great people and have memories to share with all of us when you return!!

i listened to marc faber on some show a week or 2 ago and he was off for a holiday in syria. i think as long as you avoid actual war zones, you'll be fine. keep your eyes, ears, mind and heart open.

[Glass]

nice people, kiwis.

yeah kiwis are who Aussies aspire to be like. them and Canadians. or Italians, or Spanish or Greeks or Brazillians.....i could go on. The people of the world are amazing and warm when it comes down to mano a mano. When the sociopaths aren't messing with our minds there isn't a dispute between any of us. We all have the same core values and the same basic life issues just different scenery and custom.

its oh so tempting just to walk. I think about it myself. South America is where I would head personally.

There are web sites where you can look up people with spare rooms or needing someone to house sit for a while. Cheap or maybe even free. I cant recall any names, someone is bound to know some of them. the original one used to be a printed book like a directory.

[cigarlover]

yeah kiwis are who Aussies aspire to be like. them and Canadians. or Italians, or Spanish or Greeks or Brazillians.....i could go on. The people of the world are amazing and warm when it comes down to mano a mano. When the sociopaths aren't messing with our minds there isn't a dispute between any of us. We all have the same core values and the same basic life issues just different scenery and custom.

its oh so tempting just to walk. I think about it myself. South America is where I would head personally.

There are web sites where you can look up people with spare rooms or needing someone to house sit for a while. Cheap or maybe even free. I cant recall any names, someone is bound to know some of them. the original one used to be a printed book like a directory.

South America is on my destination list as well. Some nice country down there. Stay out of Paraguay and be careful in Colombia and you should be fine.

[uranian]

The people of the world are amazing and warm when it comes down to mano a mano. When the sociopaths aren't messing with our minds there isn't a dispute between any of us. We all have the same core values and the same basic life issues just different scenery and custom.

unity in diversity. i reckon it extends far beyond our small bluegreen globe, at that.

[hystckndle]

Don't dream it ( forever ).
Don't read about it sitting on a sofa.
Or see watch it in front of a plasma
You will never regret the expenditure.
Every day lost, is another day it will cost you more in exchange later.
Experiences like the ones above,
and ones kept to yourself are priceless.
Just do it.:D:D:D

Haystackneedle
( +- 45 countries depending on certified border crossings )

[DogFarm]

I did that in my late 20s and it was, without a doubt, one of the best experience s in my life.

No shit, I remember when I got off the plane and went to my fleabag hotel room (and I mean literally, there were fleas everywhere), I asked myself "what the fduge have I gotten myself into." and for a split second wanted to turn tail and get back on the plane.

However, wandered around for 3 months with nothing but a backpack, 3 sets of clothes, and a solid pair of boots and flip flops and sunglasses and swiss army knife. Travel light. You'll end up giving away, losing, selling half the shit you take with you.

Now, DogFarm likes to stay at Westins, Hyatts and Fairmont hotels when he travels :bull-buddy-icon:

There's a reason 80% of American's don't have passports--they're afraid to explore. Go for it. We're all going to die someday. (so do buy a basic "shit hit the fan" expat health insurance plan just in case.): : http://www.meyerandassoc.com

[Big_Rob]

Me and my family are going to be doing some family safe adventure this weekend.

I haven't figured out what we're going to be doing yet, but it will be adventuresome.