Karl Puls is a 54-year-old teacher from Canada who took a round-the-world trip in 2005.
The Snapshot
- Departure: 2005
- Age at departure: 54
- Nationality: Canada
- Location: Canada
- Duration: About 4 months (February-June 2005)
- Occupation: Teacher
- Original budget: USD 10,000 (approximately USD 17,000 in 2026 dollars)
- Regions: North America, Oceania, Southeast Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe
The Route
In Their Words
Here's what Karl Puls shared about their RTW journey:
How did your travels affect your career when you got back?
Gave me insights, experiences, and slides for use in the classroom.
Why did you decide to take this trip? What got you into this type of travel, and/or influenced you to go?
I typically take a 4-5-month sabbatical every 3-4 years.
What was the best moment of your trip?
Snorkeling side-by-side with gigantic bumphead wrasses in Bali.
What was the worst moment?
Being stuk in transit in Sydney without a visa or an onward flight because Garuda Indonesia Airlines had changed their schedule without informing Air New Zealand or their own agents in New Zealand. Having a hell-day of being rerouted via Singapore and spending hours in airports, after which we found that our luggage was lost.
What was your biggest hurdle, obstacle, or difficulty?
Learning the New Zealand language.
What was your biggest surprise?
That we loved the Sinai Desert.
Who is the most memorable person you met on your trip, and why?
Father Heinrich Bohlen, who has been working in Flores, Indonesia, for the last 50 years, setting up agricultural, educational, and relief projects, and helping to make the local population’s subsistence agriculture sustainable and environmentally sound, not to mention developing cottage industries and an orphanage.
How much planning and preparing did you do?
Just enough.
What was your favorite piece of gear?
My new digital camera.
What did you bring, that in hindsight you could’ve left at home?
Nothing. We’re used to long-haul budget travel, and we pack light and efficiently.
2026 Context
- Budget inflation: This traveler's original budget of USD 10,000 would equate to approximately USD 17,000 in 2026 purchasing power, reflecting roughly 70% inflation over the intervening years.