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Author: Sean Keener

Keiron Burchell – Around-the-World Traveler

  1. When did you go on your RTW trip?
    June 1999-January 2000

  2. How old were you when you took this trip?
    30

  3. Nationality
    South Africa

  4. Where do you live now?
    London, England

  5. Occupation
    Before your trip: Assistant Project Manager

    Now: Assistant Asset Manager

  6. How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
    In South Africa my industry was in decline, unemployment was high and I wasn’t able to find a job. In London the market was in boom. I had a few offers and eventually added one-third to my salary. On the whole, things turned out better for me.

  7. What is the route you took/places you visited?
    Technically I haven’t yet completed my RTW trip. The plan is to travel around the world over land and sea. So far, and apart from the 1000km between Papua New Guinea and Queensland, I have travelled from London to Sydney overland, traversing 21 different countries en route.

  8. Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
    Decided to do the trip after catching the bug while travelling around Europe in a VW Combi van in 1994. My route was influenced by my reading at the time (Tony Wheeler, Michael Palin and Paul Danziger) and by the routes that were available to me.

  9. Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:

    • Best Moment

      Waking up at Annapurna Base Camp, in Nepal, surrounded by 8000m peaks

    • Worst Moment

      Having $500 stolen on a bus in Indonesia

    • Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?

      Coming to terms with having $500 stolen

    • Biggest surprise?

      Potala Palace

  10. Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
    Bernard, a Belgian guy who hitch-hiked from Chengdu to Lhasa across Eastern Tibet, disguised as a local.

  11. How much planning and preparing did you do?
    Control Freak

  12. What was your favorite piece of gear? What did you bring, that in hindsight you could’ve left at home?
    My favourite travel gear is generally dictated by its usefulness. My Saloman Boots and my Macpac are first among these. In retrospect I would have left a lot of things at home and hired them as and when required them. My sleeping bag is the first thing I leave at home now.

  13. How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
    My RTW hasn’t changed my life in any major way. I still hate getting up on Monday mornings. I still meet my mates for a drink down the pub on Friday evenings and I still hope that someday Penelope Cruz will realise I am the only man for her. But my life has changed in small ways. I stress less about work and the cost of living. I feel more secure about my choice of work, country and home. I am more able to see the humour when someone shoves in front of me in the grocery store, or when the plumber over-charges me.

  14. If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
    There will always be another time to buy a house.

  15. Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
    Always. Unfortunately I am restricted to annual leave at the moment, but have just returned from a holiday trip to Peru. If it’s the last thing I do, I intend to complete my RTW overland trip.

  16. Why do you think people should go on round-the-world trips? Why not just take a regular old one- or two-week vacation instead?
    Vacations and travel should not be compared with one another. They are different in every way apart from that it involves you going somewhere. Vacations are used to rest mind and body from the stresses of every day life. Travel should be undertaken for different reasons.

  17. What is the most valuable thing you learned?
    Life and personal happiness are more important than $500.

  18. What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
    “I always wanted to travel but…”

  19. Why do you like to travel?
    Culture shock, mostly.

  20. What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
    In order of importance:

    1. Planning, planning, planning.
    2. Travel slowly.
    3. Budget generously.
    4. Take as little as possible.
    5. Leave a good impression.
    6. Bring back as much as possible.
    7. Support local business.