Megan Woods is a 27-year-old bond-marketing professional, originally from South Africa and based in London, England, who is planning a round-the-world trip departing in 2002.
Technically I have been travelling since 1997. I left South Africa to travel and have only been home on short visits since. After my Middle East and Africa trips I just kept finding more and more places that had to be done. This kind of travel is not easy to shake – it’s on my long list of bad habits.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2002
- Age at departure: 27
- Nationality: South Africa
- Location: London, England
- Duration: 6-12 months
- Occupation: Bond marketing
- Original budget: GBP 8,000 (approximately USD 23,500 in 2026 dollars)
- Regions: Southeast Asia, Oceania, North America
The Route
Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and on to North America.
In Their Words
Here's what Megan Woods shared about their RTW journey:
What is your advice for other travelers?
Be very flexible when it comes to making plans – the best times are always the unplanned ones.
What are you packing? What do you consider your most indispensable item(s)?
Heavy-duty tick spray. It’s the strongest anti-everything-that-crawls, but mostly it is a bedbug and flea terminator. Otherwise I’m travelling so light that I could skip around the world on my tippy toes…
What is the biggest myth people have about round-the-world travel?
That they will be giving up too much for it to be worthwhile.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of GBP 8,000 would equate to approximately USD 23,500 in 2026 purchasing power.