Round the world flights avoiding the States

At this time of the year a lot of passengers book their round the world flights. However we are detecting quite a lot of passengers who would like to avoid the States at the moment due to the recent security upset on Xmas day. Our experience tells us that things do settle down fairly quickly, and a lot of passngers do go on RTWs the other way (ie via Asia and Australia first) ie EH (Easten Hemisphere) rather than AP (Atlantic Pacific). Moreover here's a list of all the RTWs that can avoid completely or just transit the States

Via Asia
Australia and NZ Sale
Via Latin America
Cheapest RTW via South America from £956 & tax
Explorer RTW via South America from £2149 & tax
4 Continent RTW via South America from £2149 plus tax
5 Continent RTW via Latin America from £2629 & tax
RTWs via Peru & North America from £879 & tax
6 Continent RTW via Latin America from £3049 plus tax
The Mega 18 Stop RTW from £1686 plus tax
The Darwin 13 Stop RTW from £1136 plus tax
Via Africa
Cheapest RTW via Africa from £549 plus tax
Classic 7 Stop RTW from £847 plus tax
Continental RTWs with up to 3 stops in Africa
Navigator combining Africa, Asia & OZ/NZ
7 Stop RTW via Africa from £956 plus tax
SAA via Africa from £699 plus tax

Mark Eveleigh in Bali

Bali

The old Suzuki was rattling badly as I battered at the last of the potholes on the descent down to Bali’s spectacular Batur Volcano. I’ve been coming to Bali for years and have rented this same vehicle on every visit. Over the course of the last decade it has threatened to explode or simply crumble under me on pretty much every volcano, beach road and jungle track on the island. I’m always surprised whenever I get back to Kuta and my friend Mr Putu tells me that the old Suzuki is still “kuat dan sehat” (strong and healthy).

I was beginning to wonder if the road around Batur might finally be the last straw for the faithful old warhorse. But finally we made it and she was able to gasp to a halt on the waterfront at the village of Trunyan.

According to some, Trunyan is one of the original ‘cradles of mankind’ on The Island of the Gods. This is one of only five remaining Bali Aga villages on the island. The Bali Aga are often said to be the original Balinese, although in reality they too were part of an early migration that forced the first Balinese farther east to islands like Sumba and Flores where, even today the people have the shocks of fizzy hair that are rarely seen even in the remotest Balinese villages these days.

I was working on an assignment on the Bali Aga people and had already brutalized the old Suzuki all the way to the three remote villages in the hills of the north coast. Then I had driven right around the east of the island to the famous walled ‘fortress village’ of Tenganan and finally back up the southern flanks of the volcanoes to the village of Trunyan.

Most Balinese Hindus cremate their dead. But the people on the shores of Lake Batur are unique in Bali. They are known as ‘Hindus of the Wind’ and they simply lay their dead out in the open air to decompose slowly in the, often surprisingly chilled, highland climate.

A young boatman called Nyoman agreed to row me along the edge of the lake to the sacred cove (inaccessible by land) that has been the resting place of the Bali Aga dead for longer than anyone can remember.

“We have to leave before dark,” he warned me. “Even the official guardians cannot stay in the cemetery at night. There are too many ghosts. It is the ghosts that guard the cemetery at night.”

An eerie wind whipped the lake up as we rowed out from the village and Nyoman had to struggle to keep us away from the rocky shore. The short flight of moss-covered steps that lead into the cemetery are like a backdrop from Apocalypse Now. A pair of skulls guard the pillars of the gateway, staring ahead with sightless eyes. Clove cigarettes lay on the plate in front of their mouths. At the top of the steps about a hundred more skulls were laid out across the top of a flat stone and eleven recent dead were laid on the ground to decompose in the shade of a huge tree. The bodies were shrouded with mats and protected by loose bamboo fences but their faces were open to the sacred wind. Nearby lay a rubbish heap of old rags and the ubiquitous plastic bottles and broken flip-flops. Here and there human bones stuck out of the heap. This was the communal dumping ground for the dead of the last generations. Only the most perfectly preserved skulls are saved from this human garbage heap.

I had wondered about the smell but this is one of the great mysteries of the cemetery at Trunyan and researchers have yet to explain it.

“It is the tree that keeps the air fresh,” Nyoman told me, “sometimes we might have to keep a body in the village for up to a week while our priests wait for a good day for burial. The smell in the village can be awful…but as soon as the body arrives here it stops smelling. The wind here is always sweet and pure.”

See more of Marks blog here

Mark in Australia Part 2

Travel photojournalist Mark Eveleigh is on an RTW.
He's now crossing Australia by rail; top drums by #DrumAtweme
Read his blog here

Mark in Australia Part 1

Travel photojournalist Mark Eveleigh is on an RTW.
He's now crossing Australia by rail; top drums by #DrumAtweme
Read his blog here

Mark Eveleigh on the Pan American Highway (Part 2)

Writer and broadcaster Mark Eveleigh is off on an RTW from
roundtheworldflights.com and he's video blogging. Here he travels on
the Pan Am highway from El Salvador to Mexico City

Mark Eveleigh on the Pan American Highway (Part 1)

In 1992 Mark Eveleigh (www.markeveleigh.com) spent six hours reviewing his life while swinging from the end of a fraying cable in the world's highest cable-car, in Venezuela. The psychological shock of this experience was enough to send him plummeting down the slippery slope into the shadowy world of freelance travel-writing. As a photojournalist he has since contributed to 60 magazines and newspapers on 6 continents. Mark specialises in adventure travel and exploration but has written on conservation and cultural aspects of more than 50 different countries. In 1996 he led the first expedition by foreigners into Central Borneo's 'valley of the spirit world,' collecting material for Fever Trees of Borneo.

He grew up in Africa, and returned in 1999 to trek through northern Madagascar with a zebu pack-bull. The full story was told in Maverick in Madagascar. He continues to spend most of each year travelling on assignments in remote parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America but between trips is based in Pamplona, Spain. Hemingway once described Mark's adopted hometown as 'the hell-raising capital of the world' but the man who Maxim called 'a borderline insane modern-day explorer' admits to finding it increasingly difficult to shake off the effects of the world's greatest fiesta. Now Mark is off on a fabulous 7 Stop Discoverer RTW - see his full blog here

Please check your itinerary so carefully

When you receive your e tickets from roundtheworldflights.com, read over everything carefully. While it will usually be correct, errors can happen. Your RTW consultants are only human. Check your RTW destinations, RTW dates, RTW connection times, name spellings and RTW airlines. Make sure everything exists the way you planned it. It really is so much easier to change an RTW ticket straight after its booked, than two days before you go!

Packing for a round the world flight

What Gear will I need?

Essentials

Backpack (About 65 litres capacity should do)
Day pack
Passport - don't forget it - by the end of your trip you will know your passport number off by heart

Insurance
Flight tickets or e ticket receipts - you will always get a booking confirmation from roundtheworldflights.com
Bus pass, Visas - double check which ones you need Immunisation record, Travel Insurance documents, Diary, Address Book, All emergency numbers,

Passport photos (8 minimum), Pens, A pencil, Glasses/contact lenses, Prescriptions Medications, Photocopies of documents, Sunglasses, Identity cards (student or Under 26 card), Discount cards (VIP backpacker card)

Medical

First Aid Kit

Extras for your first aid kit

Anti malarial tablets, Inoculation certificates, Immodium, Paracetemol, Rennies, Nurofen (Ibuprofen), Savlon, Small plasters, Athletes foot powder, Talc, Moisturiser, Throat lozenges, Multi Vitamins, Tweezers, Pointed scissors (or a Swiss Army knife), Water purification tablets, Thermometer

Bedtime

Sleeping bag
Inner sheet Sleeping bag (Save cash and make your own!)
Thermarest

Travel Gear
iPod, Camera (Digital), Mobile phone (Enabled for abroad), batteries, Charging units, Travel adapter, Waterbottle, A good money belt, Combination padlocks, Kindle, Laptop or netbook (Last two really are luxuries)

Money - make sure you've saved enough!
Visa Credit card (get your PIN!)Mastercard Credit Card (get your PIN!)
ATM "hole in the wall" card like a cirrus or maestro (Check the back of your normal ATM card - remember your PIN!) Pre-paid card (get from the post office) AMEX US Dollar Travellers Cheques

Washbag - stay clean - stay well - smell better

Travel toothbrush, Toothpaste, Suncream (waterproof and factor 25 at least), Shampoo, Conditioner Shaving stuff, Sewing Kit, Ear plugs, Contraception, Tissues (big box), Lip balm, Safety pins, Flannel, Female sanitary towels, Brush or comb, Deodorant, Condoms, Toilet paper, Wet wipes, Dental floss, Moisturiser, Nail clippers, Travel towel, Tooth brush guard

Essential Gear
Universal sink plug , Peg free clothes line, Travel wash (for clothes)
Lighter or waterproof matches, DEET repellent , Electronic repellent
Swiss Army Knife (with corkscrew...), Small Maglite torch , Head torch
Knife, fork & spoon set , Compass , Tea spoon, mug (try making a cup of tea on the Trans Siberian with a swiss army knife...)

Clothes and Footwear (travel light)
Long sleeved shirt, Jeans, Smart combat trousers, Sun hat, Travel sandals, Trekking shoes Shower proof jacket, 4 pairs of pants and socks, Shorts, Belt, Cotton T Shirts, Swimming gear Cotton shirts, Long sleeved T Shirts, Sweater, Sarong (for your Beckham moments), Fleece Woolly hat, Scarf and gloves, Thermal underwear

Handy Gear that makes travelling more enjoyable

Books (Dostoyevsky soon gets a little dull on the beach), Guidebooks (We like the maps in Lonely Planet), Phrase book, Address book, Telephone card, Job reference letter, Family photos, Diary, Re-sealable plastic bag, Large black bin bag, A toilet roll (Super Essential!)

Make a list of the following and give photocopies to your family or good friend. Ask them to put them in a safe place in case you need to contact them. Also take a set with you. Also email them to your hotmail or gmail account.

Drivers licence
Embassy Addresses
Serial number of tickets
Glasses/contact lens prescription
Passport number and date issued
Serial numbers of travellers cheques
Serial numbers on valuables e.g. cameras Youth Hostel card / other membership

All insurance details & emergency contacts
Credit card numbers (Do not take copies with you)
Emergency numbers to cancel your card (Do take copies with you)
Emergency Numbers of family and friends

Good news - BA strike off - the official statement

BA are delighted for our customers the threat of a strike has been lifted more here

Excellent post on BA sitiuation by travel agent Murray Harrold

Excellent post by travel agent Murray Harrold
Have uploaded BA info as seen by travel trade - plus a few pointers which may be helpful here
For BAs latest news click here

Latest on the BA strike from the BBC

Yup it looks and feels like a strike; half the time these strike threats are pulled but this looks a nasty one; especially if you are flying domestically within the UK to connect to an international flight; here's the latest from BBC News

Q&A: How the British Airways strike affects you - full article here


The background to the dispute

Union members at British Airways have voted to take strike action.

The industrial action will take place over 12 days from 22 December to 2 January.

This is the first walkout by British Airways cabin crew since 1997.

The action could affect up to one million air travellers.

How disruptive will the strike be?

The Unite union has asked for BA to restart talks, so there is a chance that the strikes might not go ahead.

If they do, the seriousness of the disruption will depend on how many staff decide not to turn up to work on the 12 days of the strikes.

It is not yet possible to say which flights will be cancelled. BA says it is currently reworking its flight schedules for the strike period and aims to announce the new ones as quickly as possible.

During past industrial action, the airline has chosen to cancel domestic UK flights first and keep as many international services flying as possible.

The reasoning is that passengers on domestic routes have the option of taking the train instead.

I've got a flight booked with BA, what should I do?

British Airways says it will inform affected customers directly by e-mail or text by using the contact details provided at the time of booking. So it is asking passengers to make sure these details are correct and up-to-date.

If you have a flight during the planned strike period - or 48 hours either side of it - BA has said you can change it now for another leaving any time in the next 12 months at no extra charge.

People with fully flexible tickets can change them online without charge, but others will need to ring the BA phoneline, or face being charged for changing on the website. One BBC News website reader reported a queue on the telephone line of an hour on Tuesday morning.

But if you do not decide to swap it in advance and your flight ends up being cancelled because of strike action, BA says it will offer you the option to refund your ticket, rebook on to a different flight or reroute your journey on another BA flight.

Full details can be found on the BA website here

In general, customers are extremely unlikely to have any extra claim for compensation, because the cancellation is not "within the airline's control".

What about all those extra holiday costs?

A cancelled holiday means potential losses over other holiday costs such as car hire and hotels.

Rochelle Turner from Which? says people 'just have to wait'

If you booked a package, then the travel agent or operator has a responsibility to provide all the elements of that package.

So customers should contact their agent or operator as soon as possible. The agent or operator will try to find alternative flights but, if that is not possible, will refund the cost of the whole package holiday.

The Atol protection scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority does not kick in because this is designed for when an airline goes out of business.

For those who booked the separate elements of their holiday themselves, the picture is slightly more gloomy.

If their holiday is cancelled, they will need to try to claim the extra costs through their travel insurance. Alternatively, if it was booked on a credit card, then they might have a claim through their credit card provider for costs of over £100.

This comes under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act explained on the Office of Fair Trading website.

What happens now?

Many details have yet to emerge about exactly which flights could be affected.

It will be one of the first examples of the use of text messages to keep customers abreast of how their particular flight is affected.

There are other issues related to timing.

Buying a second ticket with an alternative airline now, only to find that the strike is cancelled or alternative flights found, would leave a passenger with two tickets and no right to a refund.

Anyone who tries to claim for holiday costs through their insurance, if their flight is cancelled, would need to have bought the policy and made their bookings before 2 November. This was when Unite announced a strike ballot - from which point the strike was no longer "unforeseen".


If your flight is seriously delayed, it would be worth getting some written confirmation of the length of delay if you decide to claim on travel insurance.

Other airlines say that they will find alternative carriers if they have an agreement to use BA flights for connecting services.

Aussie Vastness by Mark Eveleigh

“That’s the thing about Aus. It’s vast!” my fellow passenger was saying, as we shot across the desert at 100km an hour while gulping at frosted glasses of Victoria Beer. “People from outside just can’t grasp the sheer ‘vastity’ of it.”
The Indian Pacific train had been trundling across the Western Australian Outback for close to twenty hours already and I had to admit that I was struggling to come to terms with it myself. We were now in what my friend might have called the complete ‘emptity’ of the Nullarbor Desert. The name derives from Latin for ‘treeless desert’ and apart from a few scraggy bushes there had been nothing worthy of the name for the last two hundred miles. Then we came upon a little collection of a few shacks around a railway watering point. At some point in the past some optimistic (or perhaps just humorous) souls had planted about a dozen scraggy pines here and they had named the place ‘Forest.’
The map shows an enthralling chain of place names: Kellerberrin, Kingoonya, Woomera and, in this sweltering desolation, the wonderfully named Koolyanobbing. In the village of Cook, touted as ‘Queen City of the Nullarbor,’ we stopped to explore the few sun-scorched huts and the old jailhouses while the train refilled its water-tanks. A sign beside the track said that Cook has a population of ‘four people, forty dingoes and four million flies.’
Scarcity of water aside, crossing the Nullarbor is in some ways more like making an ocean voyage. The Indian Pacific sings smoothly along on her silver rails between featureless horizons with never a bump or a lurch. This is officially the longest stretch of straight railway line in the world. You only realise what an unusual sensation this is when you suddenly find yourself careering into the wall when you reach the first kink in the track after 298 miles.
The Indian Pacific connects Perth and Sydney along 4,352km of track but I would be disembarking at Adelaide to catch another train northwards. The famous Ghan follows the supply route once used by the intrepid cameleers who brought supplies from South Australia to the embryonic settlement at Alice Springs. The cameleers came from such diverse places as Punjab, Kashmir, Sind, Rajasthan, Persia and Afghanistan but came to be known to the locals simply as ‘the Ghans.’
The Ghan claws its way for 2,979km from Adelaide right through the great Red Centre. Like a great silver spear, piercing directly into the heart of the island continent, The Ghan still offers the feeling of an expedition (albeit a delightfully relaxing and luxurious one) as it leaves behind the wheat fields of South Australia and heads off into what, even today, is one of the world’s great wildernesses.
It took the great explorer John McDouall Stuart many months to cross the desert from coast to coast. (Having made it that far – and on the verge of starvation – he had to turn around and walk all the way back again because nobody had thought to send a boat to meet him).
Many years ago I hitch-hiked and drove across this same route in a month. With The Ghan I made the crossing easily in just over a week (with a stop at ‘the Alice’). Nevertheless, by the time The Ghan rolled through the steaming tropical rainforests of ‘The Top End’ and into Darwin I had once again found an increased respect for the incredible vastity of Australia.

See more of Mark's blog here

How much luggage can I take?

As of November 2009, a good rule of thumb is that you are allowed one small carry on bag of around 5kgs to bring onboard, and one 20kg checked in bag on most major round the world flights ticket.

The most common system used, is the weight system. This allows you to take the following amount of luggage at no extra cost to you.

• Economy Class 20-23kg (depending on the airline)

• Premium Economy/Business Class 30kg

• First Class 40kg

If you travel via the North America then there are a few airlines who still allow you to take two pieces (the piece system) of luggage (although we expect this to stop at the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010); each piece can be up to 62 inches (158cm) in total dimensions (length + height + width) and maximum weight 20kg each.

Important: If you have a ticket with several flights, bear in mind that the same baggage allowance may not apply to each flight on your itinerary! ie if you are flying a low cost carrier within Asia they are very parsimonious in their baggage allowances - 10kg is not unusual.

So if you plan on taking more than your allowance, we recommend that you contact the airline in advance so that you know what excess baggage charges to expect.

At the discretion of the airlines, you may be allowed extra baggage allowance for certain items such as sports equipment, including golf clubs, skis or a surfboard (a lot or airlines have now banned surfboards). It is essential that you confirm these details with the airlines you will be travelling with. Children (paying 50% or more of the applicable fare) will receive the adult baggage allowance. Infants (paying 10% of the applicable adult fare) will be permitted a free allowance of one checked in bag, not exceeding 20kg.

Do flights have to actually go round the world?

Not at all, you can do pretty much anything you want, although prices can vary hugely for the more complicated routes. Some round the world tickets will insist that you actually go round the world but others don't, so it's down to your consultant to find the route that most suits you. As a general rule most RTWs stop in at least 3 continents going via Asia or Africa, South West Pacific & the Americas (without backtracking).

Darwin 13 Stop

James explains the Darwin 13 Stop RTW (also £800-1200 cheaper than the Star Special RTW) Prices/Routes here

Free map and Calendar

Just click here

Bife Ana Steak Sandwich from The Eagle

Right I love the Eagle. Its a great pub and restaurant (they don't like Gastropub)although I notice they slip it into the title of their book. It's an unstuffy spot that's got cracking, fresh seasonal food. It has very fine ice cold Red Stripe on draft. Their Bloody Mary's have fresh horseradish, celery salt and sherry and are exceptional. And their non-alcoholic dinks are a bit special too.

But the Bife Ana – the Eagle steak sandwich - is a joy.

Here's the recipe

Ingredients (serves two)

500g/1lb 2oz rump steak – thinly sliced

2 large crusty rolls – we use stone-baked Portuguese rolls called carcacas

2 tbsp olive oil

Cos lettuce leaves

Salt

For the marinade

1 onion – thinly sliced

1 garlic clove – chopped

1 small dried chilli – crushed

1 bay leaf – broken up

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbsp red wine

3 tbsp olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Mix together all the ingredients for the marinade, add the steak and leave to marinate for a few hours (but no longer than 8 hours). Remove the steaks from the marinade, then strain the marinade and set aside.

Warm the rolls in a medium oven. Heat a heavy-based frying pan until very, very hot, then add the olive oil and fry the steaks very quickly. If your pan is hot enough, they will need to be turned within a minute.

Remove the steaks and keep warm, then add the dry ingredients from the marinade to the pan with some salt.

Cut the rolls in half and arrange the Cos lettuce and then the steaks on the lower halves. Add the strained marinade liquid to the pan and let this reduce a little, then pour into the top halves of the rolls.

Close the sandwiches and eat immediately, with both hands.

Yum.

The Eagle's new cookbook is available in The Eagle itself here or on Amazon here

Christmas and New Year opening hours

Wednesday 23rd December 8am - 7pm
Thursday 24th December 8am - 4pm
Friday 25th December Closed
Saturday 26th December Closed
Sunday 27th December 11am - 4pm (emails & phones only)
Monday 28th December 11am - 4pm (emails & phones only)
Tuesday 29th December 8am - 7pm
Wednesday 30th December 8am - 7pm
Thursday 31th December 8am - 4pm
Friday 1st January Closed
Saturday 2nd January 10am - 5pm
Sunday 3rd January 11am - 4pm (emails & phones only)
Monday 4th January 8am - 7pm

RTW video inspiration

The problem with pictures and words is that it's very 2 dimensional - so we thought it would be interesting if we gave you some idea of what going round the world is really like..and where you can go.....here's some great RTW inspirational videos from some real travelllers - we love the clips and we hope you do too...enjoy! And new for 2010 we've added some great video descriptions of most of our round the world flights. There's also plenty more coming so keep an eye on our our new YouTube channel here

Big savings on RTWs

The very likeable Discovery 7 Stop RTW can be over £1000 cheaper than Star Alliance Special RTW here

Changes to the Gap Year 5 Stop RTW & Trekker 6 Stop RTW

This round the world ticket is one of the cheapest RTWs you can get. It gives you Asia, Australia, New Zealand, or Jo'burg and the States. - It really is great value for money with an incredible low fare from just £598, and lower tax (£250-£450) than many other tickets, you can get up to 5 stopovers (Plus extra stops for a fee) whilst circling the globe...here are all the latest changes...

Routing options available via US out US back, Asia out Asia back and Asia or Africa back US.
Flights within USA(East to West coast v.v.) are available at £125 surcharge.
London to Jo'burg direct flight w
Flights between JNB and PER are available at £125 surcharge.
Flights within Asia(between HKG and SHA/BJS) are also charged at £125 surcharge.
Sector upgrades from economy to Pacific Premium Economy on NZ available from £165 per sector
Hawaii is now permitted as a stopover option within Pacific Islands(San Francisco to Hawaii routing now also permitted)

More details, example routes and prices here and here

Uluru - a plea

There are few things more hypnotic than watching a desert highway flicker out, like a shaken rope, as it stretches out into the limitless distance. Moreover you can be pretty sure that no cop in his right mind is going to be sitting out on this blood-boiling forty-five degree outback day. So you keep the needle hovering at a steady 130km/hr and listen to the wheel purr over the hot sticky tarmac.


A map of the Outback shows just a relatively small section of desert between The Alice the Erldunda roadhouse. It is actually close to three hours driving but that is nothing in the scale of Australia. If you carry on south from Erldunda there would be very little to make you twitch the steering wheel before you reached Coober Pedy and the edge of the desert in about another ten hours. Swing right after you have refuelled at the roadhouse though and the Lassiter Highway will soon lead you to one of the undeniable wonders of the world. When you are two hours down the Lassiter Highway you start to see Uluru (once known as Ayers Rock) rise, like a great red whale, from the flat desert horizon. Uluru is the most photographed and instantly recognisable rock in the world. Yet nothing can prepare you for the sight of the world’s most gigantic monolith as it begin to rise up until its almost sheer red walls loom 348m over you.


This was actually my second visit to a place that was still then universally known as Ayers Rock. The Aboriginals long ago asked that people respect the traditional name of their sacred site. This place is called Uluru they say – not Ayers Rock. They have been pointing this out, to the best of my knowledge, for well over a decade. Sure it takes a little to accustom people to knew names but we grasped the changes to Myanmar and Mumbai fast enough and have realised that we shouldn’t call tsunamis tidal waves. Yet even the Australian authorities continue to signpost ‘Ayers Rock’ rather than Uluru even on the sacred land around the rock itself.


When I first arrived seven years ago and I was surprised to see so many tourists still hiking up what everybody knew even then was the most spiritual site of the local land-owning Aboriginals. I figured that people probably climbed because they had been shuttled in at speed and nobody had taken the time to point out that the local Aboriginal community respectfully asked people to ‘please not to climb.’ In most other (reputedly) culturally sensitive countries such a request from the traditional owners of a sacred spot would be sufficient for an immediate ban on climbing.


Today there is a huge board right at the base of the rock in which this request to refrain from climbing is detailed in 16 languages…and still whole crowds of jack-booted Nazi tourists goose-step by (metaphorically speaking) en-masse to make the climb to the summit. Their defence would presumably be to point out that they have travelled halfway around the world to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This is like telling your host: “Well, I’m sorry but you shouldn’t have invited me to your house if you didn’t want me to practise ju-jitsu on your grandmother.”

See more of Marks blog here

2 things about ESTAs

1. They're free - for now - but they might not be for much longer. There's daft talk afoot in the US Senate of charging for ESTAs to increase tourism marketing. And quite soon. Basically a new tourism tax at a time of recession. Just crazy. This is a succinct explanation of the politics of the new tax from Travel Weekly earlier this month:

US hopes for travel funding boost

(09 November 2009)
The US could receive its first boost in tourism funding for years if the Travel Promotion Act (TPA) is passed by the Senate as expected.

The much vaunted act has been beset by delays since it was first raised in 2008, but US Travel Association president Roger Dow is confident it will be passed by the end of the year. It passed through the House of Representatives last week with more than 300 votes in favour.

The TPA will see a $10 levy charged on the new ESTA electronic visa waiver system, to be matched by private sector partners. It is expected to raise $200 million for tourism promotion in key and emerging markets, although it remains an unpopular move with the UK trade.

If the bill is passed by the Senate as expected, a board of 12 industry partners will be selected by the US Secretary of Commerce, to be drawn from the accommodation, airline, theme park and attraction sectors.

"It will be a public-private partnership, so the eventual board will have to decide how the money is spent," said Dow.

Funding will be available from 2011 at the earliest, he added, to be split proportionally among its largest visitor markets.

ESTA - the electronic system for travel authorisation - was due to come into force this year but was delayed to allow airlines and consumers more time to comply with the online registration. It will eventually replace the I-94 green card, but both systems are likely to remain in use until the end of 2010.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2009/11/09/32332/wtm-us-hopes-for-travel-funding-boost.html


2. Also its easy to miss the real ESTA website. Was struck by this interesting article in the Daily Mirror

GET YOURSELF A FREE ESTA

Heading to New York for Christmas shopping? Remember to use the web to get your ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). And don't forget that it's free.

Tourists who use the US's Visa Waiver Program must now go online to obtain an ESTA as well as completing the usual green I-94W form on the plane or ship to present at immigration.

But some agents that issue visas are charging up to £27 for the online application.

One Daily Mirror reader, who paid £20, said: "I put 'ESTA' into Google and went into the website at the top of the list.

"It's an official-looking site so I was surprised when I was prompted to type in my credit card details because I'd heard the ESTA was free.

"The application was successful but I have lost £20 and I've put my card details, address, passport number and the dates I am going to be out of the country on a site."

ESTAs became compulsory in January. They are valid for two years or until the traveller's passport expires, whichever comes first, and should be applied for at least 72 hours before travel.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/14/get-yourself-afree-estamate-115875-21821960/

In conclusion don't pay yet and get an ESTA if you're off to the States any time over the next 2 years

More details on how to apply FOC here

http://www.rtwflights.com/travel-visas.aspx#esta

The Discoverer RTW allows access to 7 countries & up to 158 World Heritage sites

We were chatting today about the maximun amount of UNESCO Heritage Sites you could visit on an RTW. There are 890 in the world and obviously you couldn't visit them all on one round the world flights trip within a year. However, after a bit of head-scratching at RTW headquarters in Islington, and by the neat trick of crossing one of our most popular RTWs with the World Heritage sites within 7 different countries, we worked out you could, at a push, a real push, and with a lot of internal travel, visit up to 158 UNESCO World Heritage sites...that's a lot of culture...

This is the ticket; The 7 Stop Discoverer RTW from £1288:

UK - India - South East Asia Stop - Australia - New Zealand - Santiago surface Lima - Madrid - UK - see more price details here

And here are the potential World Heritage Sites

India

Agra Fort Ajanta Caves Ellora Caves Taj Mahal Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram Sun Temple, Konârak Manas Wildlife Sanctuary Kaziranga National Park Keoladeo National Park Churches and Convents of Goa Fatehpur Sikri Group of Monuments at Hampi Khajuraho Group of Monuments Elephanta Caves Great Living Chola Temples Group of Monuments at Pattadakal Sundarbans National Park Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi Humayun's Tomb, Delhi Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi Mountain Railways of India Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) Red Fort Complex

Thailand
Historic City of Ayutthaya Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuaries Ban Chiang Archaeological Site Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex

Malaysia
Gunung Mulu National Park Kinabalu Park Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca

China
Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Mogao Caves Mount Taishan Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian The Great Wall Mount Huangshan Huanglong Scenic and Historic Interest Area Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains Historic Ensemble of the Potala Palace, Lhasa 7 Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu Lushan National Park Mount Emei Scenic Area, including Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic Area Ancient City of Ping Yao Classical Gardens of Suzhou Old Town of Lijiang Summer Palace, an Imperial Garden in Beijing Temple of Heaven: an Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing Dazu Rock Carvings Mount Wuyi Ancient Villages in Southern Anhui – Xidi and Hongcun Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties Longmen Grottoes Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System Yungang Grottoes Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom Historic Centre of Macao Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - Wolong, Mt Siguniang and Jiajin Mountains Yin Xu Kaiping Diaolou and Villages South China Karst Fujian Tulou Mount Sanqingshan National Park Mount Wutai

Australia
Great Barrier Reef Kakadu National Park Willandra Lakes Region Lord Howe Island Group Tasmanian Wilderness Gondwana Rainforests of Australia Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Wet Tropics of Queensland Shark Bay, Western Australia Fraser Island Australian Fossil Mammal Sites (Riversleigh / Naracoorte) Heard and McDonald Islands Macquarie Island Greater Blue Mountains Area Purnululu National Park Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens Sydney Opera House

New Zealand
Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand Tongariro National Park New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands

Chile
National Park Churches of Chiloé Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works Sewell Mining Town

Bolivia
City of Potosí Jesuit Missions of the Chiquitos Historic City of Sucre Fuerte de Samaipata Noel Kempff Mercado National Park Tiwanaku: Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture

Peru
City of Cuzco Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu Chavin (Archaeological Site) Huascarán National Park Chan Chan Archaeological Zone Manú National Park Historic Centre of Lima Río Abiseo National Park Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Pampas de Jumana Historical Centre of the City of Arequipa Sacred City of Caral-Supe

Spain
Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada Burgos Cathedral Historic Centre of Cordoba Monastery and Site of the Escurial, Madrid Works of Antoni Gaudí 22 Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct Santiago de Compostela (Old Town) Garajonay National Park Historic City of Toledo Mudejar Architecture of Aragon Old Town of Cáceres Cathedral, Alcázar and Archivo de Indias in Seville Old City of Salamanca Poblet Monastery Archaeological Ensemble of Mérida Route of Santiago de Compostela Royal Monastery of Santa María de Guadalupe Doñana National Park Historic Walled Town of Cuenca La Lonja de la Seda de Valencia Las Médulas Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, Barcelona Pyrénées - Mont Perdu San Millán Yuso and Suso Monasteries Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin on the Iberian Peninsula University and Historic Precinct of Alcalá de Henares Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture San Cristóbal de La Laguna Archaeological Ensemble of Tárraco Archaeological Site of Atapuerca Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí Palmeral of Elche Roman Walls of Lugo Aranjuez Cultural Landscape Renaissance Monumental Ensembles of Úbeda and Baeza Vizcaya Bridge Teide National Park Tower of Hercules

See a complete UNESCO World heritage site here

Obviously it's also a heck of a lot of travelling within each country, but on our reckoning we think most passengers on an RTW would visit at least a dozen...

For example:

Agra Fort Taj Mahal Churches and Convents of Goa Mountain Railways of India Mahabodhi Red Fort Complex Ayutthaya Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns and George Town Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing an Imperial Garden in Beijing Temple of Heaven The Great Wall Great Barrier Reef Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Fraser Island Sydney Opera House Te Wahipounamu – South West New Zealand National Park Churches of Chiloé Historic Quarter of the Seaport City of Valparaíso City of Potosí City of Cuzco Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu Chavin Chan Chan Historic Centre of Lima

Passport & ESTA requirements to get into the USA

Basically to get into the US of A everyone needs an updated (newish) passport plus an ESTA...it looks complicated but it's pretty simple; there's 3 types of passports below allowed plus the link to a free ESTA is below:

Passports For the USA issued on or after October 26, 2006: e-Passport

New passports issued by the UKPA will be e-Passports, which include an integrated computer chip capable of storing biographic information from the data page, as well as other biometric information, such as the required digital photograph of the holder. You can identify an e-Passport by the symbol (see image below).

If your passport does not have this feature, you can still travel without a visa if it is a valid passport issued:

• Before October 26, 2005, and includes a machine-readable zone, or
• Between October 26, 2005, and October 25, 2006, and includes a digital photograph.

If you were issued a passport on or after October 26, 2006, and it is not an e-Passport, you will need to obtain a visa from the appropriate US consulate.

Passports issued October 26, 2005 - October 25, 2006: Digital Photographs

Older, but still valid passports issued by UKPA between October 26, 2005, and October 25, 2006, must include a digital photo printed on the data page, or the traveler will be required to obtain a visa. A digital photo is one that is printed on the page, not a photo that is glued or laminated into the passport. It looks like the image at the right.

If your passport does not have this feature, you can still travel without a visa if you:

• Were issued a valid passport before October 26, 2005, with a machine-readable zone, or
• You have “e-Passport,” which includes an integrated computer chip capable of storing biographic information from the data page, a digitized photograph, and other biometric information.

If you are issued a passport on or after October 26, 2005, and it does not meet the requirements in either Sections A or B, you will need to obtain a visa.

Machine Readable Passport Sample

Passports issued before October 26, 2005: Machine-Readable Zones

Older, but still valid passports issued by UKPA before October 26, 2005, must have a machine-readable zone. A machine-readable passport has two lines of text as letters, numbers and chevrons (<<<) at the bottom of the personal information page, along with the bearer’s picture. It looks like the image at right.

If your passport does not have this feature, you have two options:

• Get a qualifying, new passport if your country of nationality is producing one, or
• Get a visa.

Please contact your UKPA or your local embassy if you have questions about your country’s production of a qualifying e-Passport.

Also everyone needs an ESTA....

USA - ESTA – Electronic System for Travel Authorisation

The USA has changed its entry procedures for travellers to the USA under its Visa Waiver Program and has introduced a system called ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation). From 12th January 2009, all non-US citizens visiting the US will need prior authorisation to enter the country before they board the plane, to gain this authorization they must submit details to ESTA, which must be obtained at least 72 hours prior to your arrival in the USA..

How do I get an ESTA?

The web address to enter details to is https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta

The difference between a non stop flight and direct flights leads to the time vs price dichotomy

There is a difference between the two. Basically a non-stop flight flies from one airport to another without stopping whereas a direct flight can make stops along the way. This can affect the amount of time it takes to get between A and B (eg if you're travelling to Asia via the Middle East, then expect your journey time to increase by 3 hours plus); it can also affect the amount you pay in tax and or fuel surcharges; however the dichotomy is that although you may well be paying less for your airfare, you may well pay more tax, yet be flying on a better or favorite airline, even though it takes longer to complete your journey. In our experience at roundtheworldflights.com, you pay about £100 less overall (fare plus taxes) if you're prepared to travel via a hub. However it may well take longer to recover upon arrival - something to think about if you're time poor.

Classic 7 Stop RTW from £1182

12 month/fully flexible RTW from £1182; UK Bangkok Australia Auckland Fiji Hawaii LA New York UK; http://bit.ly/22TsHz

Mark Eveleigh's round the world blog

In 1992 Mark Eveleigh (www.markeveleigh.com) spent six hours reviewing his life while swinging from the end of a fraying cable in the world's highest cable-car, in Venezuela. The psychological shock of this experience was enough to send him plummeting down the slippery slope into the shadowy world of freelance travel-writing. As a photojournalist he has since contributed to 60 magazines and newspapers on 6 continents. Mark specialises in adventure travel and exploration but has written on conservation and cultural aspects of more than 50 different countries. In 1996 he led the first expedition by foreigners into Central Borneo's 'valley of the spirit world,' collecting material for Fever Trees of Borneo.

He grew up in Africa, and returned in 1999 to trek through northern Madagascar with a zebu pack-bull. The full story was told in Maverick in Madagascar. He continues to spend most of each year travelling on assignments in remote parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America but between trips is based in Pamplona, Spain. Hemingway once described Mark's adopted hometown as 'the hell-raising capital of the world' but the man who Maxim called 'a borderline insane modern-day explorer' admits to finding it increasingly difficult to shake off the effects of the world's greatest fiesta. Now Mark is off on a fabulous 7 Stop Discoverer RTW - see his full itinerary here

Great Thai Market

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLjmd5RtpQA

Hotel Tip - Chiang Mai

Top tip - Holiday Inn Chiang Mai - looks like Stalinist East Kilbride new build from outside but inside its 5* & cheap as; £36 prpn.

Planning your own round the world flights

Got thee to the pub with thy mates - Hurrah!

The best travel advice I ever had (in a pub) though, was stop worrying about everything - just get going. We at roundtheworldflights.com need no excuse and have known the health benefits of the public house, consuming a freshly poured glass or two of Guinness for years; but its also a great travel resource. Get thee to the pub with as many mates or mates of mates that you've ever known who have been travelling. Ask them about their prior trips and where they'd like to go back to, and why. People are usually incredibly happy to talk about their travels (and by extension themselves), especially after a few shandys/vinos/beers, but you can get mining for Grade A info and you might turn up one or two inspirational travel gems.

How do you decide where to go?

First, make a list of the places the you've always wanted to go to. Then try to put them in a general geographical order eg UK - Taj Mahal - Angkor Wat - Thai Islands - The Great Barrier Reef - Ayers Rock - Sydney - Whale Watching in South Island New Zealand - snorkelling in Fiji - Surfing in Hawaii - LA - New York - UK can then be translated into a great RTW. (The 7 Stop Discoverer RTW in this case). The distance traveled, number of stops and route will determine how much your RTW will cost. Start on our RTW trip planner to give you a decent idea on prices for RTW ideas, and the dates you have to leave to get cheaper deals.

Deciding when you want to leave on your RTW

After New Year, in the new year, low season, when the weather is great in Asia, winter in New Zealand for the skiiing...loads of options. But all roads lead from Rome and all prices depend in the most part on when you leave. Generally the cheapest RTWs involve leaving after Easter and before the summer holidays - when the weather is a bit rubbish outside Europe (Go West young man!) - Here is a very general RTW season/month guide:

January - Shoulder / Low Season
February - Low Season
March - Low Season
April - Low Season
May - Low Season
June - Low / High Season
July - High Season
August - High Season
September - Low Season
October - Low Season
November - Low Season
December - Shoulder / High Season

ps. Unlike others (shameless plug here) we publish the seasonal differences for most RTWs....

Building the RTW itinerary you really want
Before you get to the purchase of your RTW you might find yourself getting a wee bit, shall we say emotional. After all it is your dream trip and you don't want to screw it up. It takes time, patience and quite a lot of humming and hah-ing. It can also be scary too. Don't worry that's normal - the whole process of deciding where, when, why can seem a wee bit overwhelming....

Map and Calendar

Seems a bit simplistic but its actually very hard to plot a trip without using a map and calendar, and its hard to find a decent map that doesn't take forever to download on the web. But you can download a pdf here

Books and magazines

You're going to get a guidebook anyway. Try downloading a map whilst coming out of a bus station on your Blackberry at 1am at Surat Thani. Isn't going to happen. Everyone has their favorite series - we like Lonely Planet for the maps, Footprint for the descriptions, Rough Guide for the categorizations, But there's loads of other great publishers out there on and off-line - Time Out, Frommers, DK etc. Try them all. We also like Wanderlust and The Real Traveller magazine. The Observer, The Times, The Telegraph and the Guardian all have decent travel sections too.

Come and see us

Unlike others we've got a great shop in Islington, Central London. We're open till 8am-7pm Monday to Friday and from 10am-5pm on Saturdays and online or on the phone on Sundays from 11am-4pm and we've based next to Angel tube station (102 Islington High Street) - see map

The Internet

There's thousands of helpful sites out there that can assist in the decision making process. Start with roundtheworldflights.com. But Lonely Planet, Tripbase, or 101 Holidays all bring something to the planning process. As do WAYN, Simon Seeks, Travellers Point and Map Vivo.

Facebook

It's such a great way to get personal recommendations as well as stay in touch - also become a fan of roundtheworldflights.com here

YouTube

Again another great resource at the planning stage - check out the latest videos on all things round the world here

Twitter

For up to the minute travel advice or a swift answer to many travel questions I'd recommend twitter. Personally I like these guys but there are hundreds of great tweeters out there.

@rtwflights (That's us!) @rtwdave @501places @lonelyplanet @simonseeks

@thegapyear @unmarket @timestravel @guardiantravel @telegraphtravel @airtreks

@entirelykiwi @traveldudes @velvetescapes @whereivebeen @africaoverland @matadortravel

@twitchiker @brillianttrips @smithhotels @SEKeener @travelfish @twobackpackers

Blogs

Earlier this year we sent Explorer Mark Eveleigh off on a 7 Stop Discoverer round the world flights - read his amazing blog here. World Hum and Boots 'n All are great too.

All you have to do to set up your own travel blog is to choose a blog supplier as a start (Blooger, Word Press or a travel-oriented blog such as this one: http://www.travelblog.org/). Think what you want your blog to be: a place to document your trip as it happens? or maybe to tell about your memories from previous trips? Or a record of your trip? it's always good to be clear and consistent. Then, start posting (at least once a week) and don't forget to include images (just make sure they were taken by you and you only), video and maybe a twitter feed - as below.

With Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree Forum, you can visit a selected region in search of the questions others have asked before. There is usually an answer to your personal question logged on the forum somewhere. WorldBackpackers.net also has some great traveller minded advice and Trip Advisor is another popular recommendation site - just be a little wary of some of the hotel reviews - check out a hotel you've enjoyed staying at and see the cross-section of reviews. Saying that we do like it the restaurant reviews - tends to be more up to date the guidebooks. Stuart, a Director at roundtheworldflights.com, who likes his tea, and ate out every night on Lindos in Rhodes this summer and used trip advisor pretty much every time. He thought it really was helpful.

Spend more time in the more remote parts of the globe

Seems obvious - doesn't it. Especially from a financial and enviromental point of view. A round the world via South America costs about the same as a return to South America - so make the most of it. In a sense the only enviromental justification for taking an RTW is to visit the more remote spots on earth and spend worthwhile time there.

You're never going to get everywhere

So don't try to "do" Asia in a month. Take 2-3 months for South East Asia - and take enough time in Australia, New Zealand and/or the Americas.

Stay ahead of fashion travel hipsters

Where's cool? Well New Zealand, Australia and South East Asia (Vietnam) is very now. And probably will be next year too - well in our opinion not enough people have visited South Asia, Western Australia, the high Andes, central Indochina, Bolivia or Central America recently. So if you get to ahead of the cool cats, then get thee to Nepal, Perth, Laos, Bolivia and the Oaxaca region of Mexico...

Check if you can do your perfect RTW

Well this is where you give us a call - we're open 7 days a week on 02077045700

How to book your RTW from the UK or Europe

By phone

roundtheworldflights.com is celebrating its 12th year, and has booked tens of thousands of customers by phone. However it is better if you don't attempt to do this on your mobile whilst you are on the bus, or doing your weekly shop in Sainsburys - even if you are a busy person! For us to do this properly, we will need you to have your full attention for about half an hour or so...

Commitment

We appreciate that some people need a short time to assimilate this information but to continue to hold these seats and to confirm this reservation we do need to take a deposit.

Payment Stage

A non-refundable deposit of £75 per person or 30% of your booking, is payable for airline bookings, with the balance usually due within 10 days (although sometimes you do get longer). A non refundable deposit of around 10% is normally required for hotels or tours or car hire. We will then email you a booking confirmation that give details of each flight, airline, departure and arrival times and any hotel or tour arrangements you may have. This will also contain the complete costing's of your booking and terms and conditions, (Please make sure you read it thoroughly when it arrives!).

Final Payment Stage

The date of this depends on the ticket that you have chosen but most airlines still allow you to delay payment until seventy days prior to departure. However there is an increase in tickets that need to be issued within ten days of the original reservation being made. Your consultant will make sure that you are aware of when your arrangements need to be finalised by. Once final payment has been taken and your tickets issued changes are not so easy and will normally incur a fee before you start travelling so make sure all amendments are made by this stage. Before the final amount is collected the ticket price will be rechecked and your taxes will be recalculated.

Tickets

Tickets are issued (ie printed) when final payment has been received. Tickets will be ready for collection or can be posted for a small fee, as soon as all of your travel documents have been issued. If you receive e tickets (which 99% of RTW tickets now are), then we'll simply email over your Booking Confirmation with Airline Booking Reference.

Please don't forget!

Insurance

Now you are about to embark on your amazing journey, however travel insurance is probably the most important purchase you'll make for your trip. Every year we a have heart breaking phone call from some distant corner of the globe, don't let it be you! Having insurance when you travel, is as essential as remembering your passport. Anyway we thing we've got an honestly priced and decent insurance policy. Our cover is designed for people on specifically long-stay or multi-stop trips, is underwritten by insurance giant AXA, and cover starts from £135 for 6 months. So if you require Round The World travel insurance please check out all the details of our cover - here

Accommodation

Have you thought about where your going to spend your first nights abroad? Most of our guys in the office book the first few nights in a hotel when they take off. There's over 15,000 different hotels and prices start from £15 per night. - see more

That's it. Nothing left to do now but arrange your farewell party and pack!