Have Itch, Will Travel

Tees, Tops And Shirts What I packed: four tees a couple of camisole tops a couple of singlets   a black Bonds raglan tee which I wear all the time for just about anything a long sleeve button down shirt for protection against the sun, layering and for something a bit smarter a couple of dressier tops for nights out Retrospect: I ended up leaving half of my tops behind to do the greater part of my traveling in a 35L back pack. I had: one for sleeping  a camisole top  the long sleeve button down shirt black singlet two tees Pants And Shorts What I packed: two pairs of quick dry pants; one casual cargo and black slacks that can be dressier one pair of jeans because they're comfortable, warm and versatile three pairs of  shorts for warmer weather a couple of pairs of bikinis board shorts   a sarong   Retrospect: For the most part of my trip, I only used: my quick dry cargo pants two pairs of shorts   a su...

When traveling for an extended period, it is wise to ensure your  health  checks are up to date. See your local doctor for a general check up, pap smear, mole check, mammogram, colonoscopy, or whatever may be due before you go. Schedule a visit to your  dentist  for a routine check and clean to protect yourself from preventable aches in a country where there may be limited services. I recommend doing this months before you leave to allow time for any fillings that may be required. Part of being careful and looking after yourself while you are overseas includes  vaccinations  relevant for the part of the world you will be visiting. Here are some useful websites on vaccinations: Vaccine Information  by the  Immunization Action Coalition Travelers' Health  by the  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Now, A List Routine  vaccines are the ones you had as a child. Common ones: chickenpox  (varicella) polio mea...

When going on an extended overseas trip, there are things that may need to be addressed before you leave. It may be relatively easy to dump pets and furniture on friends and relatives, sell everything, or break your rental lease, but what if you have a mortgage? What are your options? Sell Sell Sell! There are some very attractive advantages to selling: freedom from debt having  cash to spend  There are also many  headaches associated with selling your home: losing your current fortunate position of homeownership future homeownership is likely to be  unaffordable   an  unpredictable market cannot guarantee that you will be able to sell where to live when you must vacate Renting Out A better option is to perhaps rent out  your property. Advantages of this include: keeping an asset that at holds capital value rental money  earning potential to contribute to the mortgage Disadvantages  of keeping your hom...

It would be foolish or lazy to neglect learning the language if you plan to spend a decent amount of time in any one country or region. There are many ways to immerse yourself in a new language: phrasebooks dictionaries online translators websites podcasts night classes each other Busuu.com :  an interactive site where you are encouraged to connect with other learners and native speakers. The lessons move quickly for absolute novices and a subscription is required to access essential lessons like verbs. Study Spanish :  a well-structured site with lessons that build from the basics. Highly recommended. Johnny Spanish podcast is an excellent resource to learn how to listen and pronounce Spanish sentences. The Spanish Cat :  a Spanish school with schools in Australia as well as Mexico. Classes are available for all levels and at reasonable prices too. Spanish is not difficult to learn once you are accustomed to the rules. Yo puedo hablar un pocito Espan...

It's easy to read a guidebook, choose the places you want to go, then look at a map and say, "Let's start here, then go here, here, then here, along this coast, across here and back to here." If you are traveling mostly overland, it is essential to investigate the possibility of your intended route, especially if you have mountains, jungles, and rivers along the way. For example, the only way to to reach Brazil from the top coast of South America is to float down the Amazon River to Belem, unless you want to pay for an expensive flight. And there are no roads connecting Colombia and Panama. Maps marked with roads are useful to see just how far out of the way some places are and decide if you are willing to spend 18 hours on a bus to see one novelty thing in the middle of nowhere. Google Maps  is one of the most useful and accessible tools for route planning, but if you're like me, you may find enjoyment from an actual map that you can tack up on the wall. On...

Not long after I blurted, "Yes! I've always wanted to travel there too!" and was excited at the thought of having someone to travel through scary South America with, I realised that I wasn't sure if Julie and I were  compatible enough to travel together. Seeing someone every other day is different to spending 24 hours a day with them in potentially stressful situations. We are going to see the best and absolute worst of each other. Here are a couple of interesting and though-provoking reading on the topic of traveling with friends: Travelling With Friends from Great Gap Years : Concise and to-the-point How To Survive Traveling With Friends from Travel Lady Magazine Something else to consider is when to go . As soon as possible, Julie decided. That was all well and good, but there are things that impact on "now". Money is the main issue. Weather  also comes into the discussion and other seasonal things to think about include festivals and local...

People's personal experiences are the number one way to become excited about a coming trip and also obtain a wealth of information. You can talk to travel agents , your friends , their friends... and of course, travel blogs are excellent for this. Here are some Latin America ones I enjoyed to get you started: Channelling The Cane Spirits : Jeremy has a detailed and observational writing style. Ellie And Mike's Trip : Plentiful photos and easy to read. Mark And Chrissie : Definitely worth a look. Another resource is the humble travel brochure. Brochures can be mailed free to you from some tour sites like Geckos Adventures and Tucan Travel . You don't have to travel with that tour company, but you can benefit from their brochures. Itineraries ,   approximate  costs , and ideas of what to pack  are some of the information you can draw out. During the early stages of trip planning, reading widely for ideas and information will help determine what experiences a...