Lauren's Globetrooper News Feed

Dapinder Zaildar train trip from delhi or himalayas to kanyakumari is best option to explore cultural diversties in india....same here hav no knowledge of rest....

Chris I am biased in that I live in England and there is so much to see here, so it is a must visit but if you have the time hit the rest of western Europe, Portugal is nice also, I actually prefer it to Spain. Try Ireland also especially in the south, places like Cork area, very peaceful.

Todd We got "stuck" in India for 5 months straight :) So yeah, lots of countries. But I'm sure it would be a blast too. Highly recommend India, Egypt and Peru from that list. Australia is pretty expensive, but a good wind-down from the culture shock of Asia and elsewhere.

Damian Yea, I know I won't make it to all those countries in one year. That's my dream list. I don't want to rush, so even if I get to half the list I'll be happy. Todd, when you say 'stuck,' do you mean not by choice? Ouch. I'd like to hear that story.
Lauren, I want to do a little bit of everything. My plan is to stay in some nice hotels in key destination. Backpack, coach surf and hosteling for legs of the trip, get a car and road trip for other parts of the trip. I don't have anything planned yet, but I don't want to have a set itinerary. I'll figure it out as I go. Not sure yet if I want to start in South America or Australia. I want to leave Europe for last.

Todd Hey Damian, no, I meant stuck as in we loved it so much that we didn't leave until our visas expired. There was adventure around every corner, as long as you keep away from the tourist hotspots. It's very easy to get off the tourist path in India. We only ran into too many tourists once we hit Goa.

Damian Ok, that sounds much better now. Yea, I want to do a little of both. Some key tourist traps, but mostly out and about mingling with the locals and being exposed to the culture. I just started planning and have a million questions. Maybe I can run some by you and Lauren once I can get them all compiled. You guys seem to have a lot of experience in this.

Lauren Give us a call whenever you like, my skype name is globetrooperlauren. My first piece of advice if you don't already have it, is get skype :) And be careful of Australia. It's big and expensive = budget blown for a lot of ppl.

frayknott hi all...damian i wish i could leave everything and just go away for a year exploring the world myself!! i initialy thought about taking a month off work and seeing a couple of places but the more i think about it the more i want to leave it all behind and going for an amazing adventure around the world. add me on skype ana4blandiana. would love to keep in touch and if i cant do th whole year maybe i could meet you on some of the journey.

Matthew Hunt in your trip don't forget the treasurers close to home. have you ever been to my home state Kentucky? we have the mammoth cave, land between the lakes, swamps, mountains, and one of the deepest rivers in the world.

Damian Matthew, you are absolutely right. My idea is to do the US later on in life. On a bike or RV. I know, complete opposites. I think it will depend on my age, haha.

Matthew Hunt very cool dude but if you will when all this is over. tell us about your trip on "Sun, Cload, & Halo." on Facebook... its this little page i made so that peaple can share trip info and stories on facebook. im not selling any thing there its just for fun. good luck bro.

Damian I could find that group on FB. Can you send me a link? I plan on blogging about it too. I will give the address once it's all set up.

Damian Matt, I meant I could not find it.

Lauren Hi Ludmila, I love your EFOH spirit! Haha. I've been travelling for 18+ months now after escaping. Not sure where I'll be when you start but I'll keep you posted. It would be great to meet up. Have fun planning! Let me know if you need any help.

Ludmila Hi Lauren, thanks for commenting. Indeed EFOH is a truly relevant thing for me now especially if you choose between rat racing and travelling the world. I will actually appreciate if you give me hints on interesting non tourist spots in Asia and Latin America especially on those where I can do some adventurous stuff. Would really love to get to know your travel stories, recommendations on budget hotels and other info that might be useful. I actually enjoy planning, it s almost like travelling:) I would love to stay in touch and meet up somewhere. Have fun travelling, I m really jealous about your 18 months escape

Todd Hi Ludmilla, in Asia, India was my favourite. Such a diverse country (beaches, desert, mountains, etc, plus the culture) and train travel is such a blast. Very cheap of course and so many famous places to explore. Thailand is good if you need a rest. It's relatively developed, has fast internet in the big cities, the people are friendly, and it's very cheap. In South America, we loved Bolivia and Peru. Peru is an easy place with lots of history and nice people, while Bolivia has lots of adventure and our favourite, the San Pedro Prison. If you want a real adventure, give this a go > http://globetrooper.com/notes/how-to-get-into-san-pedro-prison-bolivia. Would love to hear about Russia too.

Ludmila Hi Todd, thanks for the info. I do plan to stay for a while in India and explore not only tourist spots but also some hidden non tourist places. If u know those that might be of interest and give me the list I ll be very thankful. I do plan to have some rest in Thailand indeed so probably will spend there a month too. I was in Peru 2 years ago and covered pretty much of the country but defo plan Bolivia. Not very aware about the country yet. I actually wanted to write some articles on Russia and also if you need I can correct the info you have in the Region guides - not sure how quick though..P.S. Liked ur profile pic - we have climbed Kilimanjaro this year too and I just loved it so def plan some treks during my trip as well

Todd Wow, sounds like you've really been places :) We wrote this post on our favourite places in India: http://globetrooper.com/notes/best-places-to-go-india There's an expedition coming up that involves riding Russian sidecars through Siberia. check it out here: http://www.theadventurists.com/the-adventures/ice-run

Ludmila Been some indeed;) still a beginner though. Thanks for a link to a great India article. Read about the Siberia expedition, these guys are strong. Wow! Should seem exotic for a non Russian;)

naman oh great Lauren.. you stole my words... i am planning for a Leh-ladakh trip.. when you will be in India ?

Lauren Sorry Naman, I was in India for 4 months earlier this year. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but have a good trip

naman oh .. thts okay , do let me know when you come india again.

Lauren Definitely. Keep me posted about your plans and we'll grab a beer :)

Lauren gumtree.com.au is a good resource for getting lifts up/down the coast if you don't end up getting a bus pass.

tmouzon@alum.emory.edu Sure thing, thanks!

Todd Hey Poya, have you seen Ewan McGregor's documentary of riding around the world on a motorcycle? We got out licenses before leaving Australia and have done a bit of riding in Thailand, but dreaming of doing a bigger trip one day.

poya p Hi Todd, I have always dreamed of a long motorcycle trip and I am sure I will do it soon. Your plan sounds good to me and I am sure we can figure something out and make our dreams come true. Keep in touch and let me know what you think. Are you flexible for changing the time to after April maybe? Thanks

chelsealr I was in Berlin but left for Dresden yesterday and didn't check my computer! Otherwise that would've been great!