Dan Leonard is a 25-year-old benefits clerk from England who took a round-the-world trip in 2000.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2000
- Age at departure: 25
- Nationality: England
- Location: England
- Duration: About 4 months (August – December 2000)
- Occupation: Benefits clerk
- Original budget: Not specified
- Regions: North America, Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Dan Leonard shared about their RTW journey:
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
Always wanted to travel ever since I saw my great-aunt’s collection of postcards/stamps from the around the globe. Always like to be moving so RTW is ideal… “where do I sleep/eat/drink tonight??” I also enjoy the solitary/meditational aspect of travelling, and seeing new things and meeting new peoples.
Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip and why?
The Laos waiter who asked if he could sit at my table and chat so he could practice his English and who then showed me the city of Vientiane the next day and asked for nothing in return.
How did your round-the-world trip change your life? How did it affect and change you as a person?
Hmmmm… RTW made me realise a lot of stuff about myself, and what I wanted. Now I’m back I keep forgetting that. Realise what I was capable of.
If you had to sum up your round-the-world trip in one sentence, what would it be?
Tokyo subway with a rickshaw on my back, the mountains in the distance and the skyscrapers above, the coffee tastes too good and the rice needs soya sauce, no whales today MCDONALDS. More trips to far-flung exotic places. When I get married we will honeymoon in Thailand and Laos.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler did not specify a budget, but early-2000s round-the-world costs are substantially higher in 2026 (roughly 85–90% cumulative inflation over the intervening years).