Andrew falls out of a plane, er, goes skydiving in New Zealand.
- When did you go on your RTW trip?
September 2000-July 2001
- How old were you when you took this trip?
23
- Nationality
England
- Where do you live now?
Portsmouth, England
- Occupation
Before your trip: Student (Undergraduate)
Now: Student Teacher
- How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
Not at all – already had plans and stuck to them when I got back.
- What is the route you took/places you visited?
South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Peru.
- Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
Needed time away from UK and familiar surroundings/people. Had never done any budget travel previously.
- Out of all your experiences traveling around the world, what was the:
- Best Moment
The whole of my time in India; surfing deserted beaches in Australia with two best mates; South African and South American scenery.
- Worst Moment
Only mild illness in Thailand, nothing really bad at all.
- Biggest Hurdle, Obstacle or Difficulty?
Making the money stretch without losing out on the experience (managed it though).
- Biggest surprise?
New Zealand, as I thought it would just be like Australia.
- Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
Met loads of people, but none compared to the mates I went away with.
- How much planning and preparing did you do?
Control Freak
- What was your favorite piece of gear?
Decent outdoor trainers
- What did you bring, that in hindsight you could've left at home?
Ended up ditching lots of clothes – could have taken less as it's easy to pick up items to suit the climate wherever you are. Also, you can get second-hand guidebooks everywhere to save carrying them too far.
- How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
Got me back to the "old" me...
- If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Unforgettable and life-changing.
- Are you planning more trips and travels for the future? Are you planning another round-the-world trip?
Not soon – married now with first child on the way.
- 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?
RTW trip means living the experience rather than holidaying, if that's what you want.
- What is the most valuable thing you learned?
Make the most of your life.
- What is the biggest myth that people have about round-the-world traveling?
That it's hard...
- Why do you like to travel?
Removes all the surplus bits of life for a while.
- What is your advice for people planning their own RTW trip?
Be realistic about money/working in your planning, leave your travel as open to change as possible, and get on with it.