Travel Help - A Month to Travel, but Where?!

[October2008bride]

Helloo travel experts!

I know there are a lot of well travelled people on this board, so I was hoping for some help!

I am off for 5 months starting in a week until after my honeymoon. It is well known in my field (law) that this is likely the last time I will ever get this much time off, and I should definitely take advantage of it and do some travelling.

I have talked to FI and he has agreed that I can travel for about a month, keeping budget in mind of course, as it is a ''once in a lifetime'' (unless I lose my job chance.

So I''m looking for options/suggestions.

- I am 28, female, and have travelled alone before (6 weeks in Europe).
- I have 3 girlfriends who will be in SouthEast Asia in August (when I''d likely go travelling) who I could travel with, but for some reason, when I think about going to Thailand, I get a bit nervous instead of excited. Originally, this was my plan, but now that it is time to book, I''m having major second thoughts.
- I don''t mind travelling solo, as long as it is safe.
- Budget is about 5000 (including flight from Toronto)

Sooo any suggestions? Should I just suck it up and go to Cambodia/Thailand? (I am going on my honeymoon in October to Bali - is it too similar?) What about a cooking/language school in Italy? Spain?

If you had a month off and about 5000 - what would YOU do?

TIA!

 

[TravelingGal]

Right now I''d go to central/South America.

 

[October2008bride]

Date: 6/5/2008 2:07:20 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Right now I''d go to central/South America.

Thanks TG - do you think that is safe to do alone?

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I''d go to Barcelona. It is beautiful, fun and the food is perfect. Although I have been missing San Miguel De Allende where I lived for a month in high school; it is in central Mexico.

I have mixed feelings about doing south/central america alone. I did Mexico alone, but I stayed in one area that was an upscale artist town, so I felt safe there and didn''t have a problem. However, A girl from my college was alone and South America, rejected the advances of a guy and he killed her. She was away from toursity areas to get the "real" experience. From what I can tell, if you stick to touristy areas, you are probably fine, but I wouldn''t venture out from there on my own. I know that isn''t as fun, but I was safe in Mexico but she isn''t the only girl I know who had problems when venturing on her own down there.

 

[October2008bride]

Date: 6/5/2008 2:34:35 PM
Author: brazen_irish_hussy
I''d go to Barcelona. It is beautiful, fun and the food is perfect. Although I have been missing San Miguel De Allende where I lived for a month in high school; it is in central Mexico.

I have mixed feelings about doing south/central america alone. I did Mexico alone, but I stayed in one area that was an upscale artist town, so I felt safe there and didn''t have a problem. However, A girl from my college was alone and South America, rejected the advances of a guy and he killed her. She was away from toursity areas to get the ''real'' experience. From what I can tell, if you stick to touristy areas, you are probably fine, but I wouldn''t venture out from there on my own. I know that isn''t as fun, but I was safe in Mexico but she isn''t the only girl I know who had problems when venturing on her own down there.

Wow that is really scary! I don''t mind being cautious, but I would like to feel comfortable rejecting someones advances without fearing for my life!

What about doing a tour - like GAP adventures or something? I''m not really a contiki girl in that I''m not huge into drinking and partying...

I''ve seen some cooking schools in Tuscany etc...that might be nice... hmmm...

 

[TravelingGal]

Oh...thought you wanted to go somewhere else besides Europe since you''ve been there.

re: C/S. America...I have not been. It was on my list to do next alone until I met TGuy, got hooked up and knocked up. It''s still my one regret, but you can''t control when you meet the right guy. I would have still traveled after meeting him except my vacation time got sucked up visiting him in Oz.

I would think that it is safe, depending on where you go. My plan was to go to Peru...IG had a recent solo trip there so perhaps she''ll chime in. I also wanted to go to Buenos Aires and Costa Rica and I think all would be fine.

In Spain, I''d choose Sevilla over Barcelona, but that''s a personal preference. Also perhaps going to a country that isn''t on the Euro might be better. I haven''t checked the exchange rates, but how about the Czech Rep/Slovakia/Slovenia areas? And of course Croatia is a fav of mine.

As for tours...again personal preference but I would never ever do a tour. I prefer to explore at my own place and not have to be around people when I don''t want to...being crammed in a bus is not my idea of fun!

 

[October2008bride]

Date: 6/5/2008 4:09:41 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Oh...thought you wanted to go somewhere else besides Europe since you''ve been there.

re: C/S. America...I have not been. It was on my list to do next alone until I met TGuy, got hooked up and knocked up. It''s still my one regret, but you can''t control when you meet the right guy. I would have still traveled after meeting him except my vacation time got sucked up visiting him in Oz.

I would think that it is safe, depending on where you go. My plan was to go to Peru...IG had a recent solo trip there so perhaps she''ll chime in. I also wanted to go to Buenos Aires and Costa Rica and I think all would be fine.

In Spain, I''d choose Sevilla over Barcelona, but that''s a personal preference. Also perhaps going to a country that isn''t on the Euro might be better. I haven''t checked the exchange rates, but how about the Czech Rep/Slovakia/Slovenia areas? And of course Croatia is a fav of mine.

As for tours...again personal preference but I would never ever do a tour. I prefer to explore at my own place and not have to be around people when I don''t want to...being crammed in a bus is not my idea of fun!

I agree TG about tours - I didn''t do one when I went to Europe the first time and was fine - I guess I was just thinking that if I went somewhere that is not as safe as Europe as a solo female traveller that maybe a tour would make it accessible.

Hmm...it is funny - having all these options is actually tough!

 

[neatfreak]

For C/S America it really depends on which countries you want to go to and how far off the beaten path. Some are safe, some are not...

As for where I would go...that is a hard one. I think personally I''d do the Thailand/Cambodia trip...but that is because it''s been on my list for a long time. Another place I''d do is New Zealand...

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Ooh, would $5000 Canadian cover flight + accommodations + food + language or cooking classes + incidentals in Spain for a month?

(Of course, I''m thinking at it with a US''ers weakened US dollar mindset, LOL.)

When I was faced with a similar situation a few years back, I looked into and found a combination Spanish Language immersion/tango month-long program in Buenos Aires; the total, including housing and airfare, was just under $5K, and BA is a really fascinating place to visit no matter what, you know?

 

[October2008bride]

Date: 6/5/2008 4:59:58 PM
Author: neatfreak
For C/S America it really depends on which countries you want to go to and how far off the beaten path. Some are safe, some are not...

As for where I would go...that is a hard one. I think personally I''d do the Thailand/Cambodia trip...but that is because it''s been on my list for a long time. Another place I''d do is New Zealand...

I know - Thailand/Cambodia has been on my list too - I think my nerves are throwing me off. Maybe I should just go for it!

I think part of it is that the wedding is in October - so I feel like taking off for all of August is not a great idea.

Plus (as I hang my head in shame) I think about stupid things like tan lines and illness. Ugh. I can''t believe I said that!

I guess I just feel like there is a lot to do but I don''t want to give up this opportunity to travel!!

Thanks for your input NF.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 6/5/2008 2:07:20 PM
Author: TravelingGal
Right now I''d go to central/South America.

Me too. Argentina and Peru would be my choice, never been but our dollar goes further there.

 

[October2008bride]

Thanks everyone for the input - I''m going to keep searching today and see what else I can come up with.

 

[julabean]

What parts of Europe have you been to? Have you been to Greece? If I had five weeks and 5000, you''d find me on a ferry from Athens to a Greek island. Budget friendly locales, GREAT food, amazing people and scenery...enough history to keep someone entertained for years! If you wanted to poke over to Turkey, you can get there via ferry... If you''re thinking of going in the next few months, you''d be be hitting high season, but their "midseason" is still fairly affordable on your budget. I traveled there about about a month last summer with my roommate at the time and would have been perfectly comfortable traveling in Greece by myself, too. Think about it.

 

[Aloros]

I think you should just bite the bullet and go to Thailand. What''s making you nervous?

I traveled there, and I was with my FI, but there was never a time I felt the slightest bit unsafe. The locals are very friendly, and endured our shoddy attempts at Thai with a smile. You have to be careful of getting scammed, but even if you do, it''s more an annoyance than anything else.

It''s BEAUTIFUL there! FI and I already plan to return.