Stop Dreaming and Start Travelling 2 Continents at a Time – “Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you’d drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It’s more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” – Ray Bradbury
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It is so easy to while away the hours thinking of all the beautiful places you can visit – one day. But sometimes, ‘someday’ never comes around. Sometimes you have to take the leap and start planning for the trip of a lifetime. It might seem like you’re asking for the impossible but a well-planned trip doesn’t have to take months, in fact, it is perfectly possible to have an extraordinary trip in as little as two weeks. If you are looking to indulge in some cultural trips, browse endless museums, eat food that tastes sensational and is of course as authentic as it gets. You have a (more than a) couple of options. Depending on how much of an adventure you want, think about the type of food you’d like to eat, and how long you would like your journey to be. Travelling is more than taking a holiday or a little break, it’s about growing as a person, finding some peace, learning and being immersed for a short time in a culture you’re not familiar with – all of which is pretty special.
So where should we start?
Well, we are going to be adventurous here, and look at how we can fit in two continents into each trip. With a quick rundown of the food, the people and some of the reasons that it should make your list of places to go. A few things to remember, pay particular attention to some customs, many countries have strict laws and enforce them very well. In some countries, it’s incredibly impolite to blow your nose, in others too much skin on display is offensive also. It is important that while you travel you respect your surroundings and the locals that live there. Try to pack as sensibly but also as lightly as possible, if you have a lot of flights or connecting trains, trams, and coaches, the last thing you want to do is be carrying a large bag around with you – opt for a cabin bag. Try to book a mix of Air B & B, hotels, and hostels – this way you will be able to maximise your budget. If you have the ability to work as you go, (depending on how long your trip will be) then take a look at that too.
South America & Antarctica
It might seem like a strange combination, but they are surprisingly close, and the journey between one and the other is actually very easy. If you could picture yourself taking a selfie with a penguin only a few hours after catching some sun in Buenos Aires, then this double whammy is pretty neat. Firstly, the best time to go is that start of the year, January, and February. It isn’t super cold in Antarctica at that time and is summer in Argentina. There are two options to see Antarctica – firstly you can get on a smaller ship, with less than 100 people, you’ll be able to go ashore and explore a bit. If you want to see it but not be in it, then a cruise-only might be your cup of tea. Eat some authentic Empanadas, drink some Yerba Maté and soak it all in.
Why South America?
- It is a vibrant hive of colour and people
- Like to dance? Work yourself into a sweat with the Tango
- Beaches galore. Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean.
- There is said to be a spell that falls over those who visit (how very intriguing)
Why Antarctica?
- It is unlikely you will see anything like this before or after regarding landscape
- Wildlife is a big draw for many
- Ideal for avid photographers or Instagrammers
- It isn’t exactly highly populated, making it very relaxing and peaceful
- Unlikely to have mass visitors
There are so many other reasons to visit, but imagine a photo album with snow one moment and deep orange dusky sunsets the next. Going from wedges and a summer dress, to a winter coat and a pair of boots in the space of the space holiday.
Australia and Asia
This one just makes so much sense. The proximity and the length of the flights are so short it would almost be rude to visit one without the other. Plus it takes some serious air miles to land in either of these, so it’s better to make the most of it. Firstly, make sure you have checked out the costs of air passes. It just means you can fly to a few cities within Asian and Australia. There is a pass that covers around 50 cities, so that is probably your best bet. Proximity wise if you are looking to cut down on journey time and have more exploration time, then a rough triangle of Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, and then back to Australia will be ideal. A few things of note:
Why Australia?
The beaches are insanely good. Usually heaving with people and undeniably beautiful.
You can go Cage Diving and see some sharks up close, and take a jumping crocodile cruise.
- Sydney Harbour
- Tim Tams
- Glorious weather
Why Asia?
Due to the location, it is a melting pot of cultures and languages
The food is heavenly, and they cater well for vegans and vegetarians
Street food is a big deal, go hungry
Friendly locals
The streets are so clean in Singapore; you might end up ready to move there!
This one needs to be more than a quick one week trip, the flights alone will take up a lot of time, not to mention the time difference creeping up on you and stealing your days away. If you decide to combine these two, then you are really about to encounter a whole new culture and should try and make the most of it and check out as many food markets and street food vendors as you can.
Europe & Africa
Europe is pretty easy to travel around on its own, using Interrail is a significant trend and makes the journey really easy. You can wake up eating croissants and drinking coffee on the sidewalk of Paris in the morning and go to be chowing down on Tapas in Spain. If you are ready for an adventure, then get yourself to Tarifa and hop on a ferry to Tangier. Hey, presto you’ve hopped continents. Try to avoid booking June to August, which is peak tourist time, as everywhere will be more expensive and will be very busy. If you want the warm weather but not the people then book your adventure for September or October, the prices drop and so does the temperature – but not by much. You can finish up the rest of your travel adventure exploring the Palace of Kasbah or go shopping in the souks. The people are generally very friendly, and English is widely spoken, but to make your trip more comfortable, try and pick a few words in each language that you might come in to contact with.
Why Europe?
Super rich in history and art
Incredibly easy to travel around using public transport like coaches and trains
Midnight Sun
The Northern Lights
UNESCO world heritage sites
Easy to travel around, good for budgets
Why Africa?
The different, vibrant and deep cultures to be experienced throughout Africa
The wild and diverse mix of wildlife
Many people like to book a Safari for their visit
Whale watching
The food, a mishmash of delicious curries, authentic and traditional Southern African cuisine like boerewors, or fried bean cakes for the vegans
“Travel brings power and love back into your life.” ― Rumi
BONUS:
Not everyone will be up for all of the city hopping and the packing you’ll need to do to manage two continents in one trip, but maybe you’re still looking for a few destinations that are phenomenal. So here you go:
- Fiji – for nothing more than the views and the relaxation
- Bora Bora – The sky at night will take your breath away, and the ocean is perfection
- Victoria Falls, the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia – the most significant waterfall in the world
- Neuschwanstein, a castle in Germany that looks like it belongs in a fairytale
- Iceland, for the Northern Lights
- Burma, for the Buddhist temples and the surrounding landscape
- Petra, Jordan. Being carved into the sides of a rock cliff potentially around 312 BC, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site and wasn’t even discovered till 1812
- Machu Picchu, get your hiking boots on and head up the Peruvian mountain ridge and you’ll get to see the peak of Inca civilisation.
- Venice, and you can spend days and day water-bound on gondolas, while it is the city built on water is is unlike anything else you’ve ever seen
- The Taj Mahal, one of the most photographed buildings in the world, and for a good reason. It is the jewel of Muslim art in India and is a place to go to worship, but also just have your breath taken away.
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