roundtheworldflights.com

In praise of the Surface secor

2011-09-27T10:56:00.000+01:00

What is a Surface Sector?

A surface sector is when you travel independently between two flight points en-route to your final destination

What does that mean?

This means you will fly in and out of a different city or country. In other words you will travel between them by other means, perhaps by train, bus or boat or occasionally a Low Cost Carrier.

What's so good about that?

By choosing the right overland journey you can see and experience more of a country. A round the world trip should be more about seeing things you’ll never see again, rather than rushing through airports and sitting on buses ‘just to get there’. Really “see” the countries you go to rather than just “visit”.

Is it cheaper?

Can be, but by embracing a slower form of travel and using local transport, you can get a much larger feel for a country or continent. Also your money tends to stay local rather than straight into the hands of some massive and rapacious multi-national corporation. We think this is a good thing. Whatsmore they don’t usually cost any more than single stops, so you can get more destinations out of your RTW for a similar price. Also by doing some sections of your RTW journey overland, you can visit regions & countries that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible at the very well-priced fare you have paid!

more

roundtheworldtickets.com

2011-05-31T13:20:00.001+01:00

Check out our new luxury round the world site here

Check out our new blogs micro-site

2010-04-01T22:54:00.002+01:00

Just click here

Great new writing on our new site

2010-04-01T22:52:00.001+01:00

Just click here

Updated RTW trip planner

2010-03-18T20:44:00.003Z

Updated RTW trip planner - click here

Updated list of RTWs where the airlines aren't threatening to strike

2010-03-16T13:00:00.001Z

Right there are loads of RTWs out there that don't involve airlines whose staff are threatening to strike.

Here are just a few of the RTWs but there are plenty more
* Navigator 11 Stops
* Columbus RTW
* Marco Polo RTW
* The Voyager RTW
* 4 Stop Express
* Gap Year 5 Stop
* Trekker 6 Stop
Or Multi-Stops
* Multi-Stop to Australia and NZ

Mark Eveleigh on the Indian road system

2010-03-15T21:00:00.003Z

The Indian road system has been described as complete anarchy, but this is far from the truth. There is a distinct and inviolable pecking order in an Indian rush hour. Here, even more than elsewhere, size really matters. Buses are top of the heap, followed by trucks, taxis and cars. (Those with official number-plates, flags, or just a conspicuous absence of dents, take precedence in this last group). Then come the legions of whining mopeds, motorised Bajaj rickshaws, horse-drawn carts, cycle trishaws and rickshaws. At either extreme of the hierarchy are a) cattle and z) pedestrians.

Cows are the only creatures that can hold their own in the Delhi rush hour. A couple of drowsy, cud-chewing bovines, sleeping in the middle lane of Rajiv Chowk, will soon become an island of relative safety for herds of scampering office-workers trying to escape the traffic-bound confines of Connaught Place. Red lights mean nothing, zebra crossings mean less – though there is a tradition that they signify free (ie. government-sponsored) funerals. Amongst the terrifying mayhem of the Delhi rush-hour only cows are sacred.

Travel in Delhi might be slow, noisy, sweaty, polluted and nerve-wracking but it can never be boring. To the newly arrived visitor the streets of the great Indian cities are living museums and, whether you choose to browse them on foot or to be shuttled around by trishaw, the one thing you will need is an ample supply of time. You stop one of the cycle trishaw riders in the ‘backpacker ghetto’ of Pahar Ganj and, after a moment’s cursory haggle for form’s sake (you can always tip afterwards but at least you have established a fair rate) you set off through the back streets towards Chandni Chowk bazaar. This is a ride through the heart of Old Delhi and it constitutes what is quite probably one of Asia’s greatest urban adventures.

The trishaw rider weaves skilfully through the tangled mass of humanity, animals and battered Tata metalwork and you cruise past saffron-robed sadhus, trading blessings for alms in the shade of a venerable banyan tree. A paan (betel nut) vendor sits cross-legged in his box-like stall. Next door a coal fire and a battered aluminium pot are the tools of trade of a purveyor of the deliciously spicy chai masala tea and a roadside barber plies his trade with just a bar of soap and a few old blades. Off-duty trishaw wallahs sleep stretched out across their ‘vehicles’ amid a small herd of similarly off-duty draught oxen.

Shortly after exiting the little narrow alley of Farash Khana the roofs of the shop-houses are split by the minarets of Jama Masjid where the inhabitants of the Muslim quarter petition an improvement to their lot on a wing and a prayer. Further on you pass the Gauri Shankar Temple where the Hindus have done the same for the last 800 years, and the Digambar Temple where the Jains perform charitable works on injured pigeons.

Delhi, like everything else in India, is caught in an endless round of reincarnation and
some of the most impressive evidence of previous incarnations lies at the end of Chandni Chowk. Above the bleating taxis and the bobbing heads of rickshaw boys the Red Fort appears like an ancient, rusting battleship left high-and-dry on the banks of the Yamuna River. Built in 1648, at the height of the Mughal Empire, the collection of parks and palaces that are confined within the sandstone battlements offer an escape from the clamour of the bazaar.
In the old days the Mughal Emperor would parade out daily through the Lahore Gate to answer the prayer call. His vehicle of choice was a huge white elephant. It is easy to imagine that, even four hundred years ago, it was only such a creature that could find its way across the hustling traffic of Old Delhi.

Latest Qantas date change policy during potential BA strike

2010-03-15T18:48:00.001Z

The following outlines the options available to Qantas customers holding a valid Qantas ticket for travel between 20--30 March 2010 (inclusive) and travelling on British Airways operated services.

Passengers may, without penalty:

* Defer travel for up to 6 months.
* Re-route travel via the most direct routing using Qantas.
* Return to the origin port via the most direct routing using Qantas.
* Retain the value of the ticket in credit for future travel within ticket validity 12 months from the date of issue. If the new fare is lower than the existing ticket fare, a refund of the residual value will apply. If the new fare is more expensive then the existing ticket fare, the fare difference is payable by passenger. Applicable taxes and reissue fees may apply.

Conditions:

* All changes to travel dates must be made prior to original ticketed departure date.
* New travel dates must be no later than 6 months after the original flight but no later than 30 September 2010.
* The new flight must be for the same cabin/class of travel (eg First, Business or Economy).
* Any additional ticket taxes/fees applicable to new routing must be collected at time of ticket reissue.
* All other rules and conditions of the ticket remain unchanged.
* Any third party costs/penalties, such as hotel or other ground operator fees incurred will not be waived by Qantas.

Refunds:

* If BA cancels any services and Qantas is unable to provide an alternative option a full refund will be provided.

Where we are from Angel Tube

2010-03-11T16:27:00.002Z

Where are from Angel Tube here

Kashmir with travel photojournalist Mark Eveleigh

2010-03-11T16:24:00.001Z

I wake in the chill early morning haze and, freeing my feet from the tangle of four or five blankets and the now tepid dead-body warmth of the hot-water bottle, I reluctantly slide out of bed. I crank the gas heater up to full power – its warmth is a mixed blessing since the gas bottle leaks just enough to oblige me to keep a window cracked through the night.
I dress crouched on the floor in front of the heater and then peel the curtain back and peak out. It is still dark outside but I can see the glitter of heavy frost on the ground. The entire experience reminds me of days – so long ago that I hesitate even to attempt the maths – when I would wake in the early winter mornings of northern England to dress for school. (The reluctance for school is probably the second reason that I don’t attempt the maths!). Those icy mornings are probably one of the primary reasons for why I hit the road in the first place.
Thinking back on this I muse about the strange twists of fate that have brought me to this ungodly wakening in the dark wood cabin of a forty year old houseboat on Lake Dal, high in the Kashmiri Mountains. It is all very well to drift on a wing and a prayer and place everything in the lap of the gods. It is one of the luxuries of a year on a round the world trip that I am free for once to allow myself a bit of spontaneity. But then again upon arrival in Delhi, with no further plan and with a couple of weeks to kill before my first assignment, I found that the gods had decreed that all the southbound trains would be full. They further gave me an almost irresistible rate (after heavy haggling) and an easy path to the frozen north. For an hour or so we sat on the plane in Delhi waiting for fog to lift at Srinagar, the Kashmiri ‘summer capital’ in the foothills of the Himalayas. It seemed that the gods reneged on the deal after all but eventually we touched down amid the barbed-wire, cloaked Kalashnikov packing soldiers and Russian armoured cars of Srinagar airport.
Now I was waking at dawn to meet my guide Fayas and take a boat through the tangled labyrinth of foggy canals to the Lake Dal vegetable market. This amounts to the Kashmiri stock-market.
The floating pontoon jetty was frosted and slippery as I climbed into the shikara (a Kashmiri version of the gondolas of Venice) and sat back in the soft cushions nursing a warm cup of coffee. Kashmiris have a wonderful and unique invention for dealing with the cold: beneath their voluminous robes they carry a kongi. This is a terracotta pot inside a wicker basket and it is used as a sort of mini barbecue with hot coals inside. But nothing is cooked on a kongi (although it is also the source of fuel for recharging shisha pipes). Instead it is carried around under the robes and keeps the local people wonderfully warm on these frigid winter mornings.
It took about forty minutes for Fayas to paddle us through the labyrinth of houseboats and down a narrow backcountry canal to the vegetable market. At first appearance it was like any other vegetable market, apart from the serene way in which the shikaras of traders and buyers wafted elegantly around and among each other. But the serenity was shortlived. Within the course of half an hour we saw several fights and in one case the combatants actually managed to fight while jumping from one boat to another. The war might have quietened down finally in Kashmir but it seems like the Lake Dal vegetable ‘stock exchange’ is once again the main battlefield.

Koh Chang

2010-03-02T22:11:00.000Z

Koh Chang, the Gulf of Thailand; a wee video vignette by Mark Eveleigh for roundtheworldflights.com here

Delhi - a new blog

2010-02-28T13:57:00.006Z

Delhi is not a city that should be tackled in a rush; the city’s streets are among the world’s most congested and the real soul of Old Delhi only betrays itself to those who take time to entangle themselves in its web. It has been said that if you stand long enough on one of the busy corners in the exotic labyrinth of Chandni Chowk bazaar the entire world will eventually pass before your eyes. While this may be an exaggeration the Indian capital is certainly one of the most enthralling places in the world for people watching: through the crowd come old sadhu holy men, begging for alms; statuesque Sikh mountain-men, who look half-dressed without guns on their shoulders and knives in their belts; dusky Rajastani beauties who flash kohl-darkened eyes from under semi-transparent shawls; fair skinned Kashmiri girls walking with tall elegance; and scrawny Brahmin cows, abusing their prerogative for right-of-way through the entire crowd.
At the eastern end of Chandni Chowk lies the mighty Red Fort. This is one of the great sights of India and its lawns and fountains are greatly appreciated by Delhi-ites as a refuge from the bustle and clamour of the streets. Likewise the gardens outside the nearby Friday Mosque (India’s biggest) are perpetually commandeered for that other great Indian religion: cricket.
The great sprawl of Delhi defies the imagination and frequently thwarts all attempts at navigation. For the purposes of the average visitor Delhi can be divided into three quarters: New Delhi, Old Delhi and Pahar Ganj. Positioned between the two main parts of the city, Pahar Ganj has become the main backpacker hangout. While the impressive (but limited) Delhi underground system is an experience in its own right the best way to get around Old Delhi is still by bicycle rickshaw. Allow twice as much time as you really think you need…and then just sit back and enjoy the ride.
The geometric network of the new city can be explored fairly well in a single day (unless the traffic is particularly congested) but Old Delhi is the place to stay for anyone who really wants to get to grips with what has been called ‘the Happy Ant-heap.’

Lake Dal in Kashmir - a brilliant new video

2010-02-28T13:53:00.003Z

A Boatman's prayer on Lake Dal, Kashmir; a stunning video vignette for roundtheworldflights.com by Mark Eveleigh here

February Newsletter 2010

2010-02-18T15:50:00.002Z

Check out our latest RTW newsletter here

See what Qantas, Air New Zealand and Emirates are like onboard

2010-02-11T12:06:00.002Z

Thinking of an RTW? See what Qantas, Air New Zealand and Emirates are like onboard - click here

Extreme Thai Massage - the Squeakwell

2010-02-11T11:43:00.001Z

Extreme Thai Massage 2 - ouchy wouchy - click here

Vietnam - in praise of buses by Mark Eveleigh

2010-01-28T10:06:00.001Z

Vietnam could be described as ‘a tall country that is much more up and down than sideways.’ Go almost anywhere from Saigon and it seems that you are likely to be involved in a fairly long journey. Fortunately overland travel in ‘Nam is as comfortable as it is inexpensive. After a summer spent on air-con-frigid and salsa-blasted long-distance night buses up the length of Central America just the sight of a bus terminal waiting room was beginning to bring on a sudden urge to scramble for a thick woolly ‘chomper’ and a set of ear-plugs. Last month I made the 48 hour bus journey from KL to Bangkok. Even Central American buses are streets ahead of the sort of comforts offered by our beloved National Express and Malay and Thai long distance buses are extremely good.

Even so I was slightly dubious about the prospects of a further 24 hours on a Vietnamese bus travelling from Saigon to Danang. But the winner in this year’s Markies Travel Awards for the ‘world’s best long distance buses’ definitely goes to Vietnam!

I had originally intended to take the train from Saigon. I’m a bit of a rail junky anyway. I don’t collect toy trains or spend my weekends painting old boilers or anything but I do think that rail travel is very often a fast-track into the soul of a country’s mobile population. And since the mobile population is very often the most interesting cross section...

Anyway, who can fail to be seduced by a train journey that goes under the name of the Reunification Express? However, when it came to leaving Saigon Vietnam’s buses won the toss simply because they offered such hassle free departures from the city. No hustling out to some remote railway station, just another quick and terrifying dash (loaded as usual with camera bags and pack) downtown on a Honda Om (literally ‘Honda Hug’) taxi bike. The coach departed from a tour operators in the District 1 ‘backpacker ghetto.’

These Vietnamese long distance buses don’t have reclining seats: instead they have serious bunk beds! There are in fact three rows of bunks, looking something like hospital beds, with backs that raise you almost into a straight sitting position. You take your shoes off at the door and carry them inside in plastic bags so that you can sit with your legs stretched out in front of you. If the bus is not too full aim for the seats at the rear. There are five beds in a row here but if, as I did, you get lucky and have a window bed at the back – and get doubly lucky and have nobody in the beds around – you end up with a sprawling king-sized bed all to yourself.

I made half the journey to Danang in a local standard sleeper bus with only half a dozen other passengers (mostly Vietnamese). The journey was pure bliss. At midnight however we had to transfer. My ticket onwards from here got me onto a more ‘luxurious’ tourist bus. The layout was the same but the seats were ergonomically designed in the sort of moulded plastic and fake leather that would make the inside of a Lexus people mover look shabby. However, this bus was completely full with backpackers and by midnight the air was getting pretty funky and musty. My advice would be to downgrade and go for local transport. As long as you do that Vietnam has, hands-down the world’s best buses!

I made the return, southbound journey, by train anyway. Ask for ‘soft-sleep’ tickets rather than ‘hard-sleep’ and you bag less crowded cabins with only 4 beds as opposed to 6...as the name would suggest you get softer beds. Vietnam’s trains also get the big thumbs up. Next time I head back I plan to travel by train from Saigon to Hanoi...and since the Danang-Saigon ‘express’ departed only 5 hours later than scheduled I think Vietnam’s Reunification Express is probably still likely to give British Rail a run for it’s money in the next Markies Travel Awards.
Updated 6 seconds ago · Comment · LikeUnlike
Write a comment...

Money whilst on your RTW

2010-01-28T09:14:00.006Z

What should my budget be - well how long is a piece of string?! It’s a tricky question, as every traveler has different requirements, travel plans and standards of living. There are, however, a few general tips and rules of thumb that usually stand strong with the vast majority of round the world travellers.

• Beware of ‘false economies’ – it is easy to get carried away trying to do everything for the lowest possible cost, only to find that you pay out more in ‘extras’ further down the line. A good example of this would be joining a budget tour only to find that you have to pay for all meals, the guide’s meals and some additional accommodation.
• We always recommend pre-booking a first couple of nights accommodation, especially when arriving at a new destination late at night.
• Bear in mind additional costs you may incur by purchasing an unsuitable round the world ticket. We offer some great deals but if you end up having to spend days on a bus or paying for additional flights when abroad you may end up regretting not paying a little more upfront. Speak to you consultant for advice on this.
• Asia and the Indian subcontinent offer fantastic round the world stops if you have a tight travelling budget. Living is cheap and you will find the budget traveler is very well catered for.
• Overland tours and safaris are often the only way to access the ‘must-see’ destinations in places such as Central or East Africa or the Altiplano. Don’t always presume that you can do it cheaper independently.

A budget

We are going to stick our necks out and offer some ballpark figures for a few suggested travelling budgets, to help give you a guideline:

Gap Year Traveler - Fresh out of school and on a tight budget – away to travel rather than socialise every night, happy to stay in budget hostels, take the cheapest class of bus or train and eats at the budget restaurants.

* South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent - £15 - £20 per day.
* South and Central America, Africa, Australasia, Middle East - £15-£20 per day.
* North America, Europe, South Pacific - £20 + per day.

Career/Senior Gapper – Looking to travel and to live a little. You like to shop for souvenirs for the home, eat at some nice restaurants now and again, travel on a better standard of bus and stay in mid range accommodation.

* South East Asia and the Indian subcontinent - £20 per day.
* South and Central America, Africa,Australasia, Middle East - £25-£30 per day.
* North America, Europe, South Pacific - £35 + per day.

How to carry your travel money whilst away

In recent years things have changed for the better and it is far easier to carry your travel money safely. Why?

• Firstly, ATM's (holes in the wall or bank machines) are far more widely available and if you have the correct type of card – this usually means Visa, Maestro, Cirrus (you should check with you bank if you are unsure), you can obtain your cash in installments by using them. Guidebooks are usually a great source to find out where you can find the nearest bank machine or check here

• Getting money transferred is cheaper and easier now than ever before. This saves you carrying large sums of money in cash and travellers cheques.
• You can pay by Visa, MasterCard and various other credit cards in many more outlets than a few years ago. Budget travellers should not expect to be able to pay by card at many hostels, cafes etc but you will be able to withdraw money with your card in the larger towns and cities.

There are lots of ATM's in the Asia or Africa, at least in cities, and in many places people would never expect to find them. But sometimes the only ATM around isn't connected to your bank, the power is out, the phone connection is down, or the ATM is out of cash because of a local holiday you've never heard of.

When they work, ATM's are the best way to get money while you are traveling. Leaving your money in a bank because it earns interest until you withdraw it. Almost everywhere, ATM's dispense cash in the local currency, so you don't have to deal with exchanging one currency for another. But don’t count on finding ATM’s *everywhere*, or you might get stuck someplace with no cash and no access to your money. Just in case, have some money readily available.

Credit Cards

Save your credit cards for expensive purchases. For smaller expenses, get cash from ATM's, and if the local ATM withdrawal limits allow, take out enough cash supply to last several days.
Fees are the down side to using ATM’s and credit cards. Check with the company that issues your cards, before you leave home, so you know what to expect and can bring the cards with the lowest fees.

Credit Card and ATM fees

Typical fees include charges for each cash withdrawal or purchase outside your home country or in foreign currency, plus a percentage surcharge over the wholesale exchange rate. For example, you might be charged £5 for each withdrawal by the foreign bank whose ATM you use, and your withdrawal might be converted at an exchange rate 2% worse than the wholesale rate. That works out to a total of £7 on a £100 transaction. So its better to do as few transactions as possible is a good rule of thumb - also don't stress about it too much - ATMs are still the safest way of getting money. Stuart, a Director here, once met a guy in Cambodia who carried all his cash in his moneybelt - he got robbed - and that is expensive.

Travellers Cheques

Traveler’s cheques have largely been replaced by ATM cards, and with good reason. In most of the world, you have to go to a bank (sometimes only certain banks) to cash traveler’s cheques. However, we recommend you carry a few travelers’checks in your money belt in case there are no available ATM's, there is a problem withdrawing from them, or their fees are excessive.

Some tips from the round the world team

• Always carry a few dollars in cash - it’s a great way of ensuring there is a roof over your head and a meal in your stomach if all other options have failed you - it happens now and again!
• Money belts are an essential item. Some choose to use them on an everyday basis whilst others wear them only on long journeys and when carrying larger sums of cash from the banks.
• Never pull out large bundles of cash in public, it attracts unwanted attention and will probably drive the price of any sale up. It’s always advisable to keep a small amount of change in the main part of your wallet or money belt with any larger sums hidden.
• In some countries you will get an enormous number of notes in local currency when you change just a small amount of your home currency. Bear this in mind as you will have to carry it with you.
• Most hostels, hotels and beach huts have safes, often situated behind the reception desk. Take advantage of the opportunity to safely store any of your valuables that you will not need during your stay but be sure to collect your items when you leave…it could be a very long journey back.

Video inspiration for your RTW

2010-01-26T22:36:00.001Z

Need some inspiration for your RTW? Click here

Robert Burns - drinker, republican, taxman, lover, poet - Happy Birthday - heres a wee poem

2010-01-25T17:08:00.003Z

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

I'm truly sorry man's dominion,
Has broken nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
What makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!

I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!

Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell -
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.

That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me;
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects dreaer!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!

RTWs at Christmas and New Year 2010

2010-01-25T15:37:00.002Z

Availability - a few rules

Coming back is just as important as going out

You can book pretty much all major RTWs ex UK now but coming back wont be available for another 2-3 weeks.

The issue is the return leg. Most of the GDSs operate on the 330 day rule (you can only book 330 days in advance) especially pertaining to RTWs so the earliest you can book to come back at the beginning of January is the beginning of February 2010.

Leave in November

There really arent any great deals at this time of year - if you see anything south of £1000 book it - however you can get that if you go out at the end of November and back after mid January you'll get stops in Asia and North America for around the £1100-1200 mark

1. BA 10 K 30NOV BKKLHR HS1 0010 0555 O E TU
2. QF 2 K 23DEC BKKSYD HS1 1725 #0625 O E TH
3. QF 31 K 6JAN SYDLAX HS1 1740 #0620 O E TH
3. BA 151 K 10JAN LAX LON HS1 1040 #0520 O E TH

Leave around the 9th December or before

Go before the 9th Dec and come after 11th January and you'll get a reasonable shoulder season price of around £1400 for a multi-stop

1. BA 10 K 09DEC BKKLHR HS1 0010 0555 O E TU
2. QF 2 K 23DEC BKKSYD HS1 1725 #0625 O E TH
3. QF 31 K 12JAN SYDLHR HS1 1740 #0620 O E TH

Leave beginning December back beginning January

1. QF 2 K 07DEC LHRBKK HS1 2145 #1600 O E TU
2. QF 2 K 23DEC BKKSYD HS1 1725 #0625 O E TH
3. QF 31 K 06JAN SYDLHR HS1 1740 #0620 O E TH

Go before the 9th Dec and at the beginning of January and you'll get a reasonable shoulder season price of around £1200 for a multi-stop

Leave middle December back beginning January

1. QF 2 K 17DEC LHRBKK HS1 2145 #1600 O E TU
2. QF 2 K 23DEC BKKSYD HS1 1725 #0625 O E TH
3. QF 31 K 06JAN SYDLHR HS1 1740 #0620 O E TH

Go around the 17th Dec and come after 6th January and you'll pas a high season price of around £1700 for a RTW

Favorite Deal

UK - Buenos Aire - Sydney - Bangkok - UK

Leaving before 13th December, back beginning of January its around £1700

For more RTW deals click here

Vietnam fruit market

2010-01-24T19:18:00.003Z

Danang, Vietnam fruit market;Mark Eveleigh with roundtheworldflights.com - click here

Betel nut in Vietnam

2010-01-24T19:15:00.001Z

Betel nut was once the drug of choice all over South East Asia but it is now fast disappearing in all but the most traditional areas. - by Mark Eveleigh, for roundtheworldflights.com - click here

Laos - a video vignette

2010-01-18T19:29:00.002Z

Laos - a video vignette here

India - another video vignette

2010-01-18T18:15:00.001Z

India with roundtheworldflights.com here

India - a video vignette

2010-01-18T18:13:00.001Z

India with roundtheworldflights.com here

Vietnam - it's addictive

2010-01-18T16:48:00.002Z

Vietnam was a detour from my original schedule. I had been heading there many times. But the only thing that is 100% certain in Asia is that the unexpected is sure to happen. The gods of travel had for one reason or another always deemed that I should head off on another tangent (usually following assignments to other areas...in some cases much less appealing). And once again I missed out on Vietnam. I have been in Thailand perhaps a dozen times and this time I was determined not to get sidetracked so from the very beginning I had scheduled Vietnam as a 3-week side-trip from my RTW route.

I had heard that Saigon is an addiction. “Once you get to know it,” one old Asia hand had told me, “you will certainly fall in love with it and you won’t want to go anywhere else.” I nodded noncommittally, thinking it unlikely that it would ever rival Bangkok for pure excitement. I have always rated Bangkok as one of the most fascinating cities in the world. (This is no definitive list but Marrakech, Istanbul, Mexico City and New York would certainly also feature).

I have never been able to get my head around calling Saigon ‘Ho Chi Minh City’ but it turns out that this is not a problem since it still remains almost universally Saigon to the locals. Bangkok will always be spectacular but Saigon is like Bangkok must have been fifty years ago. Such things as coolie hats, betel nut and pretty girls sitting side-saddle on the back of motorbikes are an increasing rarity in Bangkok. In old Saigon they are still common. Taxi motorbikes still race you through the traffic as they do in Jakarta (but with less dirt and dust and, usually, dents) making it a much faster – and more exciting – city to negotiate than is Bangkok. They are called Honda Om and the name literally means ‘Honda hug’, presumably because of the way terrified passengers cling to their rider.

In other parts of Asia you can see three people riding a moped and occasionally you might even see four: in Vietnam four is fairly common...and sometimes you can even see five people ‘riding bitch’ behind the rider!

I arrived in Saigon on the red-eye flight from Bangkok on Christmas morning and, enjoying some luxury for once, checked into the wonderful old Rex Hotel – once home to the likes of Graham Greene and a whole host of famous journalists and photographers from the war. I spent most of my time downtown among the old streets and markets though and by sundown on Boxing Day the city had stolen my heart. I fell in love almost at first sight and can’t remember the last time that I was so instantly smitten by a city.

Last week I was talking to an American retiree (I later discovered that he was an ex-spy...but don’t tell anyone) at a beach town in central Vietnam.“Don’t let ‘Nam get too much into your blood,” he warned me, “you will get hooked and you will die in Vietnam.”

Coming from a spy it could have been taken as a threat but he was just a complete devotee to life in Vietnam. He had been in the country almost consistently (discounting the odd unavoidable exile) ever since he joined the marines in 1964. Even after just a week I could well understand what keeps him there.

And he was right I did get hooked. Take my advice and let Vietnam hook you too. But don’t worry you probably won’t die there either.

For more of Mark's blog click here

Saigon at 1000mph

2010-01-13T13:12:00.002Z

Saigon at 1000mph - New video by Mark Eveleigh for roundtheworldflights.com
Click here

Vietnam runs on moped power....

2010-01-13T12:08:00.002Z

These vehicles are driven to extremes! by Mark Eveleigh for roundtheworldflights.com click here

Onboard Air New Zealand - a new video

2010-01-12T14:16:00.002Z

Whats it's like onboard an Air New Zealand RTW - click here

Onboard Qantas - a new video

2010-01-12T14:14:00.004Z

What it's like onboard Qantas RTW's click here

Boat Ballet video on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok

2010-01-07T11:36:00.001Z

Boat Ballet video on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok - by travel photojournalist Mark Eveleigh - click here
See the rest of his exclusive round the world flights blog here

Extreme Thai massage video

2010-01-07T11:33:00.002Z

Extreme Thai massage video - by travel photojournalist Mark Eveleigh - click here
See the rest of his exclusive round the world flights blog here

roundtheworldflights.com in the snow!

2010-01-06T11:23:00.000Z

KL - some thoughts....

2010-01-02T14:48:00.005Z

Lai Foong

Lai Foong Coffee Shop has been a fixture of Chinatown’s Tun Tan Cheng Lock street for more than fifty years now. It is actually a collection of half a dozen frantically hectic eateries and is famous for Lai Foong Beef Noodles and for what must be the most tooth-rottingly sweet coffee in Malaysia.

The rushing waiters yell in shrill Chinese and from the surrounding tables you can hear voices chattering in Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, English and Tamil. The cultural mix is as mind-bogglingly diverse as the menu.

Four ringgit will get you a heaped serving of delicious Penang Fried Kuey Teow – thick noodles served with egg, chicken and vegetable...but for just a little more you can get a plate of omasum, or cow intestines. The board of fare also offers tripe, lean meat, tendon and what is described simply as ‘balls.’

You can wash your tendons and balls down with a glass of something that the menu calls Jolly Shady. Presumably this is in fact a shandy. Not being a Muslim establishment, Royal Stout, Guinness and Tiger Beer are also on offer. There’s also Carlsberg Special Brew which reminds me only of High School Days but to which the Chinese typically have attributed some supernatural health-giving powers. But then the Chinese see aphrodisiac qualities in everything.

It was here where a Chinese street trader once sidled up to me with a packet of something which he claimed was the world’s most powerful aphrodisiac.
“Test it out,” he said – “if you drop just a few grains of this into a plate of instant noodles all the noodles will straighten out!”

Coliseum
Time almost seems to stand still at The Coliseum. This KL icon is close to celebrating its 100th birthday and has changed little since the good old days when planters used to occupy the rented rooms and colonial engineers used to meet here for sundowners. The bar is said to be the highest bar in South East Asia: it was ergonomically designed at a time long before the term was even thought of and is placed ‘exactly at the height of the average Englishman’s elbow.’

The old bar has seen some wild nights and the loyal crowd of staunch regulars regularly threaten to rebel (or, worse, desert) whenever the owner threatens to refurbish or even just paint the tobacco-stained walls.

You never know who you might bump into in the Coliseum’s bar. Last time I was here I ended up on a G&T binge with a leading military advisor from East Timor and a man who claimed to be an exiled Bengali noble who was battling to regain his ancestral fifedom.
Returning this time the regulars still look vaguely familiar and even old Captain Ho, the famous Chinese waiter has recently celebrated his eighty-eighth birthday but still insists on hobbling out of the kitchen to tie the napkin around your neck and serve up your sizzling (or “sizzering”) hotplate steaks. The traditional British Pot Pies are also a sought after delicacy but the staff here refuses to be rushed...the menu stipulates that these delicacies must be ordered with three days advance notice.

The only noticeable difference these days is that the bar-staff seem to be a bit stingier on the gin slings. Can it be that even the venerable Coli is having to face up to an economic downturn?

Every time I stay at the Coli I think that it’s impossible that it can still be here when I next get back. I’ve been saying that for years though and chances are I guess the infamous ‘Coli’ might outlast me after all!

Round the world flights avoiding the States

2009-12-29T15:28:00.004Z

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

2009-12-26T10:14:00.004Z

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

2009-12-26T09:49:00.002Z

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

2009-12-22T12:50:00.002Z

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)

2009-12-19T22:41:00.002Z

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)

2009-12-19T18:56:00.004Z

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

2009-12-18T18:07:00.006Z

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

2009-12-18T12:28:00.004Z

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

2009-12-18T08:27:00.003Z

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

2009-12-16T09:36:00.003Z

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

2009-12-15T12:42:00.003Z

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

2009-12-13T16:36:00.007Z

“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?

2009-12-10T21:21:00.002Z

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?

2009-12-10T21:16:00.002Z

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

2009-12-10T20:36:00.003Z

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

Free map and Calendar

2009-12-10T20:07:00.002Z

Just click here

Bife Ana Steak Sandwich from The Eagle

2009-12-10T19:33:00.005Z

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

2009-12-10T13:47:00.000Z

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

2009-12-07T20:06:00.002Z

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

2009-12-01T16:07:00.003Z

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

2009-12-01T15:30:00.005Z

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

2009-11-27T13:04:00.005Z

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

2009-11-27T09:32:00.005Z

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

2009-11-23T21:08:00.020Z

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

2009-11-22T08:37:00.006Z

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

2009-11-22T08:04:00.005Z

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

2009-11-22T01:16:00.000Z

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

2009-11-21T23:25:00.000Z

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

2009-11-21T23:23:00.001Z

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

Hotel Tip - Chiang Mai

2009-11-21T23:21:00.001Z

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

2009-11-21T22:28:00.000Z

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!