Travel Ambitions

hellolouisey

I had my 27th birthday last month and have started saving an amount of money every month so that on my 30th birthday I'll have a nice chunk of money to do something exciting with! The plan is to travel.

Firstly... I feel like this is something I should've done when I was 21, not age 30 - has anyone done travel in their 30s?

Secondly... Any top tips on where to go? I'm currently thinking either Aus/NZ or the west coast of America but having never been to either, I'm totally open to suggestion. I think the kind of travel I'm after is experiencing life elsewhere with new exotic friends (!) rather than abseiling my way to the seven wonders.

x

Pebble321

Hell no, it's not too late! I got married in my early 20s and spend about 10 boring years before I separated, moved states and started to travel! Most of my best travels were in my 30's, usually on my own.
I had a spectactularly good trip for my 40th birthday - 10 weeks in Central America. Coming from Australia, that is far away and expensive and was totally worth it.

I can definitely recommend Australia, but be aware it is a large country with a lot of distance between major centres - but there are some fantastic places to visit, especially if you leave the overtouristed (though beautiful) east coast and go north and west.

One of my (so far unfulfilled) travel dreams is to go to the desert music festival in Mali. Maybe one day!

TheNewLK

What an awesome idea!!! Agh Ill be 30 next month .... Damn what a way to celebrate!

TheNewLK

** sighs** double post

Carol_27

Happy belated b-day! I love to travel and have seen alot of this beautiful world of ours, I like that you are planning and getting ready for your 30th b-day in an exciting way, but may I ask, why wait until 30? why not do a few small travels in btwn to get a little experience and then go on your big trip on 30th?

I say this because I travel both for work and for pleasure and traveling in itself is an adventure that is best to be prepared for:
-How to find the right luggage for your trip (size and practicality)
-Vaccinations
-Dressing appropriate to the environment (weather + culture)
-What to expect when taking long flights (this can be tricky if your not used to it, like a 12hr + flight)

But I reccomend not limiting yourself, go wherever your pulled to (take out a globe, close your eyes spin and point) you can go anywhere and have the time of your life just be prepared in advance and you save yourself ALOT of stress. :-)

hellolouisey

Rubybelle... Your travels sounds awesome! I think I'd be better at travelling now than when I was young and (more) irresponsible! I have a few friends in Aus at the mo and everyone seems to head for Sydney, I'll do some investigating in to the rest of the country. And festivals sound like an awesome idea!!

Carol... I don't earn a huuuuge amount, so a three year plan seemed doable as I don't have a lot spare to save! I've never got round to travelling much, bar a few holidays and a lone adventure to the Isle of Arran, so flights/weather/luggage are defo things I need to think about! Maybe I can get a mini trip in first!

NewLK... I thought this idea would take the trauma out of turning 30!! You should totally go on an adventure to celebrate!!

Pebble321

Yup, that's why I planned a 40th birthday trip.
When I turned 39 I decided that I could either spend the whole year panicking about turning 40 or I could spend it planning an awesome holiday. The holiday was a much better idea!
And the planning is half the fun!
Though I do like the idea of having a shorter practice trip to fine tune luggage etc, you really get good at travelling with very little after a while.

Carol_27

I understand and believe me its hard to save money now-a-days regardless, but I agree that a small mini-trip before the big 30th would help build your travel savvyness for the big b-day. Expedia always has last minute travel deals that are fantastic and dirt cheap when you combine hotel+airfare, I can definitely say I traveled alot in my 20's and now in my 30's I feel much smarter about how I travel so you are totally on the right track!!

myofibril

Secondly... Any top tips on where to go? I'm currently thinking either Aus/NZ or the west coast of America but having never been to either, I'm totally open to suggestion. I think the kind of travel I'm after is experiencing life elsewhere with new exotic friends (!) rather than abseiling my way to the seven wonders.

After I finished my professional training in my mid 20s I spent about 10 months back packing. I spent about 3 months in South East Asia (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, The Phillipines) 1 month in Australia and then 6 months in South America (most of the time was spent in Brazil but the highlight of my trip was Colombia. Love that place although it is a bit nuts.)

It was literally one of the best things I have ever done. I could tell you some stories...I can only say: DO IT wherever you choose to go.

Oz and NZ would be a great trip. Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, the Gold Coast are all amazing. Then you could try the South Island in NZ which is absoluety stunning but the Bay of Islands and Plenty are gorgeous as well. It is fairly easy to pick up odd jobs if you are running short of cash, everyone speaks English and if you drive it can make life a lot easier. People from NZ are amongst the best people you can hope to meet as well.

Have fun!

hellolouisey

Eep, all these stories are making me super excited! There are literally so many places I want to go. I always laugh when people run into someone they know in a place they wouldn't expect and say "oh, it's a small world". It's MASSIVE, there's so much to see! I sort of feel like it doesn't matter exactly where I end up, as long as I get out there and do it!

I think saving some money is going to be the biggest thing. I'm RUBBISH with money, don't have much spare and like to spend whatever I've got on new dresses and pink wine...

Rubybelle... where abouts did you go in Central America?

ji225

Hey How exciting to hear your planning a trip:)!
Speaking from one that took a gap year to do my travels at 34, I can say it was absolutely the best thing I have ever done and would love to it again sometime. I blew £14,000 of my hard earned savings and I absolutely do not regret a thing.
All I can say is write a list of all the places you think you might like to go, then read up about them, read others blogs etc, and check all the vaccintation and visa stuff -write it all down so you dont have to keep going back if you forget stuff. Really helps to get organised when it comes to actually going, as 3 yrs will go pretty quick.
I would also reccomend doing a shorter, maybe even just 2 week backpacking type trip, where you are carrying bags on and off of trains, planes, buses etc. It will really hekp when you come todo the bigger trip, mainly from a "don't take too much!" point of view.

Loads of people told me not to take too much, and I really didnt - just 14kg in my pack, but I ended up sending a lot of it home as it was not needed, so cost me postage from South America and the likes. Mad for much lighter and comfortable travel.

I went to South and Central America, North America (Pacific Coast road trip, Vegas and Grand Canyon excellent) - pretty pricey compared to Asia tho! - Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, Camodia, Hong Kong, and India which were all amazing, fascinating people and though some things were shocking (poverty in some areas and living conditions), it was a must see. I saw some of the best waterfalls, trekked the Inca trail, chilled out on some of the worlds most beautiful beaches and ate some interesting foods:)
Out of all the places I went to, I'd have to say that India (all of), Peru and Vietnam were my top 3.

Of course being a bit older means you can really appreciate the places you go to and are not just out to party every night, you may have a bit more cash (so dont have to stay in really cheap hostels), and can be a bit more picky about how you travelk around - which is all a fab bonus.

I wouldnt reccomend too much Lonley planet reading as otheriwse you jjust find yourself surrounded by the same types of people you have left behind, but the lonely planet Thorn Tree Forum on their website is good if you want tips, to meet others of like mind and see what places might be best avoided.
Good luck with it all and most of all enjoy it!

Jenny x

hellolouisey

The researching places and writing things down is a great idea - I'm going to take your advice and start that now. As a great lover of to-do lists I'm surprised I hadn't done something listy already! Apart from visas and vaccinations is there anything else important you would recommend looking at? I think this afternoon is going to be google-heavy!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one doing a later trip rather than an 19-year-old-gap-year. I'm SO excited about adventuring around the globe!! Of course, I'm also secretly harboring the dream of a whirlwind romance with a handsome man who turns out to be my soulmate and living happily ever after in my chosen destination...

Packing lightly is pretty scary. I've just been 'camping' (less gas cooking, more cheap whisky) in Devon for a week and took more than I could possibly carry. I'm very material and have been reading lots of "stop buying stuff, you can't take it travelling" advice, so that's defo something to work on!

ji225

Yes good point about the meeting a nice man on your travels - which brings me to possibly and sadly one of the most important things (I think)

I know this will sound crazy but 1 year before I went I decided not to go out much in a deliberate attempt not to meet a guy before I went, partly to save money too and I was studying as well as working full time.
so...... its coming up for 9 months without partying, I am am due to leave Feb 2008 and I decide to go out as it's December 07 and many friends are out with xmas coming out.....and - bang - I meet a guy and fall in love very quickly - makes it so much harder to leave, I miss him like crazy and it affects at least some parts of my trip exeprience, not in a bad way, just made the whoel thing different - 7 months into my trip he quits his jonb and comes out to see me, so we travel together - cut a long story short, we had a fab time but when we got home it fizzled out.

I'm not saying that all travels with partners are bad, but I met an old guy in a little homestead after picking up some hitchikers onpart of the US road trip - fascinating guy and he said " don't ever travel with a romantic partner, it will end in tears" I remeber laughing at theitme, but he was right

So anyways - proba have rambled a bit here, but its linked to the taking less with you I guess - I know it seems scary, but when you are away your whole thought pattern is different - you will probabaly feel more liberated and free the less ' stuff' you have to drag around with you. Id go with no more then 10kgs now for sure. I took 2 pairs of jeans and spent most of my time in tropical countries which was insane ads I think I wore 1 pair twice (at high altitude!), and thew the others away.

Funny you say about lists - I actually made a spreadsheet with all the countries, pros, cons, Highlights, travel, visas etc - I laugh at myself now!

hellolouisey

You laugh, I've just started a colour-coded spreadsheet... currently working on Cali in pink!!

Ah mannn, men confuse even (especially?) the best of plans! A girl I know went to Aus for six months at the start of last year and met someone a couple of months before she left. They agreed they'd not see anyone else, so she did her trip of a life time, with two girly friends, barely glancing at the hunky surfers and hunky travellers. They missed each other, bla bla bla and met up in Thailand for a month at the end of her trip. Everyone arrives back in Newcastle and she finds him in a club snogging a girl against the wall. Broken heart

I visited a friend last night who's been to NZ, Aus and Cali too. She went with her long-term boyfriend who, way later, turned out to be baaddd news and every time she tells her trip of a lifetime stories she has to talk about her rubbish xbf!

In a nutshell: boys are trouble! But it's always the way, when you're least expecting true love to come your way, there it is.

So yes, I will be taking (at least) a leaf out of your travel book and doing away with men, which luckily can be combined with living a hermit lift to save money. Still not sure about that travelling light lark though...

kapeluza

I have traveled extensively throughout my 20's and 30's! It's never too late.

I recommend China and Thailand. Inexpensive and stunning!

Edit: I suppose I could be more extensive to give you ideas. In my 20's I took a semester off college and spent that semester in Europe. Went to Italy, Portugal, France, Spain, Gibraltar. My trip covered traveling most of Spain with spending a week in each other country. I've been to Mexico, Bahamas, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, China, etc. to name a few. If you would like some recommendations or ideas, don't hesitate to send me a message!

Also, if you end up going to Thailand, I highly recommend going to Phi-Phi Island! Amazing! It's only like 1- 11/2 hour boat ride from Phuket! (If you ever watched the movie "The Beach" with Leonardo Di Carpio, that is the island in the middle of the ocean where the movie was filmed). I love Thailand and China, I hope to return soon one day!

I guess my most important recommendation is don't pack so many clothes because you are not going to wear them all!

myofibril

When I went travelling I started off with friends but after a few weeks we decided to do our own things, travel to separate places and then meet up after a few weeks, sometimes months later.

You meet and interact with so many varied people on your travels, become parts of differnt groups in different places that tying yourself to one person when doing it can limit your growth.

Travelling can be a journey to find one very special person: yourself.

Men come and go. Really, we are not that important. Finding out who you are as a person, what you are about, what your potential is, what your limits are is much, much, more fun than some random bloke. To fall in love with yourself is the beginning of a life long romance as Oscar Wilde so rightly said.

La_Amazona

If I could (financially) I would take a year off and just travel and I'm 32! These are the days to live my friend!!!!!! And the best thing is you probably won't do as many stupid things you would had done at 21 and traveling.. if you catch my drift.

At 21, I would had focused more on the partying, where are the hot spots, where are the hot gals and guys, where's the booze?!?!?!

At 32, my focus would be all the above PLUS the scenery, the people (not just the hot ones), the musuems, the hikes, etc....

kapeluza

If I could (financially) I would take a year off and just travel and I'm 32! These are the days to live my friend!!!!!! And the best thing is you probably won't do as many stupid things you would had done at 21 and traveling.. if you catch my drift.

At 21, I would had focused more on the partying, where are the hot spots, where are the hot gals and guys, where's the booze?!?!?!

At 32, my focus would be all the above PLUS the scenery, the people (not just the hot ones), the musuems, the hikes, etc....

Hmmm, I don't agree, lol! I was 22 when I spent a semester alone in Europe and I actually never step foot in a bar or partied but just between you and me, it was because I was chicken **** and didn't want to end up on a milk carton (that movie "Taken" comes to mind) =P. But honestly though, I was more focused on learning and letting my eyes capture as much as I could rather than looking for a place to drink!

La_Amazona

If I could (financially) I would take a year off and just travel and I'm 32! These are the days to live my friend!!!!!! And the best thing is you probably won't do as many stupid things you would had done at 21 and traveling.. if you catch my drift.

At 21, I would had focused more on the partying, where are the hot spots, where are the hot gals and guys, where's the booze?!?!?!

At 32, my focus would be all the above PLUS the scenery, the people (not just the hot ones), the musuems, the hikes, etc....

Hmmm, I don't agree, lol! I was 22 when I spent a semester alone in Europe and I actually never step foot in a bar or partied but just between you and me, it was because I was chicken **** and didn't want to end up on a milk carton (that movie "Taken" comes to mind) =P. But honestly though, I was more focused on learning and letting my eyes capture as much as I could rather than looking for a place to drink!

Ok, than I rephrase..

for ME, I would had been doing all the stupid crazy stuff.. ha! Maybe not you or the OP, but me, yes.

ji225

Hahah colourcoded spreadheet is the way to go! It just makes life so much easier:) Dont know where I would be without good old Excel!

You are so right - your stories of friends and their experiences when guys got all involved in the whole travel thing made me think of som many others that i have heard also - pretty much every friend of mine has the same story to tell of another friend, so that equals a lot of slightly tinged experiences - join a nunnery til you go.......... then all will be fine:)

I think it has more to do with your attitude and that which you exude when you know you are going, men, or at least some men find that a challenge, especially if they are of the commitment shy type as we females then suddenly become a bit of a prize to win over. Hmm I def agree with others that have said take it as 'you time', I had planned to for that 12 months before I left , but like you say sometimes life throws you stuff you are not really counting on happening.

I loved my time away, and it made me so much more rounded as a person, Not saying i'm perfect, but who is. Its just so cool waking up every morning and having a new experience, and seeing a new sight that you have dreamt about for so long.

I'm so excited for you!

wijac10

well hey, im 21 and just spent 2 months in Australia/New Zealand. it was AMAZING!! I totally recommend it!!