Van traveling thread?
Heading to Baja for the winter but thinking of going all the way to south america.
Any tips are welcome!
Anyone else interested in this type of traveling?
>>1191788
>thinking of going all the way to south america
The gap of Darién is closed, my friend.
post van
cant decide if I should pay the extra for a van with standing height
Let's have a thread where we take one map and colour all regions we live in, and the regions we have visited. The idea is to have just one map, so edit the map from the post above yours. If someone has already coloured your home region green, change it to red. But don't change a red region to a green one.
Here is the last version (or at least, the last I saved) of something similar we did a year or so back.
Can we beat that? We've had a year to add some places...
>>1190550
Added mine
>>1190612
Not much but I added mine as well.
I’ve been doing research on visiting Cuba as an American, but it’s making my head spin. Anyone have any direct experience with this? Tips? I don't think I want to attach myself to a pre-approved educational tour group and end up stuck with them.
Also, I noticed an article that the Huffington Post put out just today, saying the influx of tourism is making food for everyday Cubans way too expensive.
What do you think of this emerging problem?
Reminds me of the immorality of visiting North Korea because it supports the dictatorship.
>>1189955
>I don't think I want to attach myself to a pre-approved educational tour group and end up stuck with them.
>wanting freedom
>going to cuba
>>1189955
I went once in the fall of 2012. I flew to Cancun international airport and then purchased a ticket to Havana. I was laid over for 18 hours. It was horrible. The flight was decent enough, except for nobody spoke a lick of English.
When we arrived, native Cubans were surprised at our dress. My husband and I wear bright colors such as neon pink or yellow, to their astonishment. I don't think they were used to seeing people dress as we do. We were highly irritated by this, because we quickly became the center of attention just by being ourselves. Anybody who stared to long was greeted by a harsh reminder from myself to mind their own business, but I don't think they understood be. My husband tried to calm me down, but I was upset at how unaccommodating they were
There are very strong Roman Catholic undertones there. DO NOT go if you are disturbed by this. Any place you go to is filled with theist simpletons who are not adjusted to American culture.
>>1189987
(You)
Where are the best places to go in this region?
>>1188160
I have had a good time in BVI.
>>1188160
I only got to experience about half of the Caribbean cruise I paid for, but my favorite stop was Grand Turk. Most carefree place I've been to. Soft, warm beaches, crystal clear water. Abundant fish that swim right up to you, and lots to see and do. St. Thomas was nice, too, but I didn't really have the opportunity to do all that much. It was nice, and the people were the friendliest I've met, but you don't want to drive yourself. Between the steep, narrow hill streets and the literal backwards traffic, it isn't worth the risk. Plus, taxis charge sub-Uber rates.
I'm from the Caribbean, are you looking for cheap? quick? clubbing? sightseeing or just beaches?
Hey /trv/! I'm a 19 year old from the UK and I'm planning a massive road trip with my buddy that will go across most of the US and I'd like some help. Money shouldn't be an issue for me, I've got more than enough time to save up and at the rate I'm currently saving it's looking like the total budget will be around £15,000.
Anyway this is the map I've planned so far. So I'm starting from Boston, MA, from there I'm going to rent an RV from Cruise America, they've got a depot near the New Hampshire border. Once I've got the RV we will be heading down south ect ect, you can see the map.
So the blue lines represent the route I know that I'll definitely be going along so far (though this is still of course flexible). The red lines are very rough routes that have yet to be fleshed out, and the black line is the "I haven't got a fucking clue" route. This black bit is the part I need some help with. I know the midwest is probably the most boring part of America but I gotta get back to Massachusetts somehow. Could anyone suggest some interesting things for me to do here so that I can figure out a route? I like anything outdoorsy things, anything spooky, historical places, nice cities, national and state parks, nice scenery ect ect. Just anything really interesting.
Oh I should also mention the timing.
I'm thinking of going for four months in 2018, (is four months enough time to do all this? or even too much time?), July, August, September and October. The plan is to start in early July and get back to Massachusetts in time for Halloween as I've always wanted to spend a Halloween in Massachusetts.
Also feel free to suggest anything interesting along the blue or red lines that I may not already have on the map. And talk to me about things I'll need to be prepared for that I may not have considered.
Sup bongbro, this looks pretty sweet. I'm 24 and have seen maybe 50 to 60 percent of the areas/cities you're hitting. Havent RV'd before or done any trips on this scale, though. Some random thoughts:
-make sure, if you haven't, that you can actually rent the RV. At least with regular motor vehicles, there are often restrictions on people under 25.
-when you go through the southeast, instead of hugging the coast, consider riding through the appalachians on skyline drive/the blue Ridge parkway. Appalachia is a beautiful and unique region. I lived in the Asheville area for a while and loved the remote swimming holes and creeks. Also, I find the i95 corridor (the coast) to be dull for driving.
-when you're in the Austin area, consider a day trip to New Braunfels to either go river tubing or hit Schlitterbahn, which is a massive water park
-don't knock the simple experience of driving endlessly across boring farmland. Its a quintessential American experience. Bring lots of music and eat lots of decadent fast food. Don't feel bad if you get bored though, it will happen
Anyway, hope you have an incredible trip. I'd like to see some pics when you finish it.
>>1187996
Yes I heard of the fact that most RV rental services require you to be 25, however by looking around a bit I found Cruise America which allows you to do it at 21. This is the one I'm going for:
http://www.cruiseamerica.com/rent/our_vehicles/standard_rv.aspx
I think it looks pretty neat.
>instead of hugging the coast, consider riding through the appalachians on skyline drive/the blue Ridge parkway
This has been something I've been internally debating. A friend of mine recommended the Outer Banks in North Carolina and I thought it seemed like a real cool stretch of road. My logic was that I'm gonna see plenty of mountains when I get to the west coast so I might as well put the outer banks over the blue ridge mountains. Though admittedly I don't know a whole lot about them. If you say they're so unique and that the southeast coast is kinda dull then I'll definitely put it into more consideration.
>don't knock the simple experience of driving endlessly across boring farmland. Its a quintessential American experience
Oh yeah I know it's known as the most boring part of the country but at the same time I'm still looking forward to it. It'll definitely be the most relaxed and chill part of the trip for sure. The thought of driving through calm farmlands for ages while chatting with my friend and listening to music sounds oddly appealing. Though I would still like to know some more substantial things to do in the midwest.
Thanks for the suggestions though mate. It's a little while off yet but I'll be taking lots of pictures and sharing stories here
>>1187924
>going to all those shitty southern states
I've read online that you can purchase a bike from hanoi and drive it down to Ho Chi Mihn city to sell at a similar cost.
Any Experiences with this?
looking to do in the summer
>>1195125
Sure, I lived there for a few years as well as doing a similar trip. What would you like to know?
>>1195126
Is it really possible to do this, essentially lose no or little money on the bike.
And are there any larger bikes available, maybe around 250 cc?
>>1195127
The bike pretty much all travellers buy is a Honda Win 100cc, big tires for the harder roads, cheap to buy and cheap to repair. If you buy one of them it'l be very easy to sell for as much or probably more than you bough it for, especially doing it the way round you are. Far more people doing this trip fly into Saigon because it's cheaper so there are a lot of people desperately trying to sell bikes in Hanoi. $200 or under should be your aim for an average Win, though you could probably argue someone desperate down even further. In Saigon you can sell it for $250 pretty easily.
If you buy a more powerful bike that is all out of the window, most travellers have no interest in buying a more powerful bike, and most travellers won't have one to sell so you'll likely be buying and selling to a local which will mean a big loss. I mean it's possible you manage to sell one for what you bought it for, but far less likely. To be honest there isn't that much need for a more powerful bike anyway, unless you're on the motorways (which if you want to actually see the nice bits of the country you won't be), the roads are so twisty or shit that you won't be able to use any of the extra power of a better bike anyway.
Either way assume you'll have a breakdown at least once. There are a lot of shitty chinese replacement parts in them all and you'll likely be pushing it hard. Trip of a lifetime though, would recommend.
Hey /trv/,
Im Heading to Vancouver early January and I was wondering what I can do for 5-6 days.
What is the night life like in early/mid Jan?
Any Place I can take some good breathtaking photos?
I know there's hiking and out doors-ey stuff, but what else?
Where are you from? I hope it's the pnw area. Car or public transit?
Unless you're into going to the local ski hills, you picked one of the worst three months to go. There's a decent chance it will rain every day you're there. Vancouver is just grey and wet November-January, by January people have seasonal effective disorder pretty bad.
Night life isn't that good during winter, girls don't dress very slutty because of weather and seasonal weight. I'd recommend the bars on west 4th or broadway instead of downtown. Real party atmosphere would be up in whistler.
There's a park that would be to the top left of the map, lighthouse park, there's some real big old growth trees there. On a clear day going up the gondola to grouse mountain, even if you don't ski would have some good pictures.
If you're into east asian stuff, richmond is a must.
Most of the rain in Vancouver is because of the mountains, the further you get away from them the dryer it is, so go south and hang out in white rock maybe?
Busing out to the ferry terminal and going to a gulf island and back might be a neat experience. Round trip bus and ferry fare is around $25. Galiano island is the closest and ok to walk on as there's stuff by the terminal.
If you want to meet people and are white, in general the further west you are, the more white people there are. Outside of downtown, whites become a majority west of oak street.
>>1195061
Well, I'm from the mid atlantic and i choose Vancouver because, sadly, I work for a hotel and this is when business is the slowest and I want to get away from this hell hole that is the mid atlantic.
I'm doing this trip solo so I don't mind the rain, as long as things don't get icy. I sas really curious about nightlife and bars because I'm looking for a "tourguide", not a one night stand.
I do plan to check out most of the parks anyways, thanks for the recommendation. I was told the islands are some of the best places to visit.
Sadly I'm not driving but i want to visit whistler, so i gotta think of some way kid getting there..
I'm not white or asian so I'm going to stand out like a sore thumb.
Thanks for the advice
>>1195068
Is mid atlantic just code for Virginia/North Carolina but you don't want to say the south?
>I'm doing this trip solo so I don't mind the rain
just have layers, and some good waterproof clothes, you should hope it doesn't get below zero because the city somewhat shuts down when it freezes/snows
>Sadly I'm not driving but i want to visit whistler, so i gotta think of some way kid getting there..
if you book in advance on greyhound.ca you can go roundtrip for $35, public transit is pretty good (http://infomaps.translink.ca/System_Maps/Frequent_Transit_Network_Map.pdf), especially on the main lines, there's no uber and taxis are expensive
>I'm not white or asian so I'm going to stand out like a sore thumb
Race is a odd thing in Vancouver, it's quite culturally based instead of skin colour. So a third generation chinese or indian who only speaks english can get lumped into white. There are ethnic enclaves where even though some staff know english, they refuse to serve you in it. So there are some chinese restaurants that will decline service based on skin colour. They'd do it to everyone who isn't mandarin or cantonese. There's really only a few of them and they are out of the way places, at least for now.
could try to set a tinder profile to vancouver to try to make some local contacts
ubc museum of anthropology has a good collection of native art
notice how downtown is a peninsula? where it meets up with the rest of the city is the worst ghetto in canada, it isn't dangerous, but there's a lot of poverty and drug use
The US government and my mother seems to think I'll get kidnapped & murdered.
Has any Americans or Europeans backpacked through Mexico? Specifically down the eastern coastline?
I have no money and neither does my family so kidnapping seems pointless.
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/mexico-travel-warning.html
>>1194875
>I have no money and neither does my family so kidnapping seems pointless.
if you don't look like a local and are in mexico, they will assume you have money, criminals and police
if you're going to backpack mexico, stick with the central part: monterrey, leon, mc
Is your Spanish good?
English is not widely spoken in that area.
Hello, I'm from Mexico, honestly I wouldn't recommend it right now... Better go to Guatemala or something.
Regards!
I'm planning a big Eastern Europe trip for this summer, and I'm looking for any advice people have on the Balkans in general. Right now the plan is to fly into Sarajevo, then go to Mostar (explore some of the daytrips/countryside), SKIP Dubrovnik, because I have heard it is expensive and full of senile cruise ship passengers. Go to Split, hop a few islands, head up to Plitvice Lakes National Park, then catch a train to Budapest.
I haven't heard much special about Zagreb, and right now I am planning on skipping it so I can have more time in Poland later on.
What are some must see spots? What should be avoided? Tips on how to get out of the cities and into the countryside.
>>1194732
Are you just planning on Croatia and Bosnia? Or do you plan to explore more of the Balkans?
Make sure you go to the Srebrenica exhibition in Bosnia and check out the abandoned bobsleigh tracks.
>>1194736
Yeah, I would like to se more of course, but I am also hitting Vienna, Budapest, and Krakow in the same trip, so I do not have time to fully explore. Honestly, I have been able to find a lot more stuff on the above listed areas, so this is why it is a Balkans thread. I looked into stopping by Lake Bled in Slovenia, as I am a photographer and it looks really beautiful.
I'll check out both of the things you listed.
...avoiding any spots on tha balkas for... poland of all places?!
i mean i love poland, but bosnia/serbia/croatia/albania >> poland when it comes to being a tourist. balkans is cheaper, food is better, scenery more varied.
other than that, go for it, sounds like a great plan.
in sarajevo do a walking tour with a local, there was nothing more interesting then them explaining the history.
there's a habsburg spa/former aanatorium nearby that can be a good hiking starting point, or better, take a bus up to bjelasnica... it should be free of mines.
the road to mostar by itself is awesome.
mostar has a very small center, but it's incredibly beautiful. remember to go down to the level of the river. it's going to be freezing cold, though, so no swimming, just stare at the town.
i had a cevapi overdose pretty early on (it's too good, couldn't stop), but the market in mostar saved me.
...
it's common sense, but do not for a moment leave your luggage unattended on the train to budapest. take your valuables to the toilet with you even.
>tfw I got away with pretending to be Jewish and did my "birth right" last summer
Israel is really beautiful btw.
Any devilish things you guys have done while traveling?
>>1194594
How did you fake it?
>>1194594
im interested in doing this. can you give some details on how you pulled it off?
Do you have any Jewish heritage? Did you have to talk to a local rabbi or temple to be "sponsored" or anything?
did you get laid with qt israeli chix?
>Unfortunately, Xenophobia is rampant, and violence towards foreigners is not uncommon. This problem usually affects males. Mongolian men will generally pick out the largest foreign men and attack them, mostly with their fists. This is known to happen at all hours of the day and in any part of the city. Of course, at night the problem becomes much worse. Be very, very wary of clubs that have a majority of Mongolians. Do not under any circumstances fight back if a Mongolian man assaults you. Many foreigners have been hospitalized and it will never be a fair fight. Ignore completely any drunk Mongolian man; NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are on the street keep walking. If you are in a club and Mongolian men become aggressive, leave immediately. Also be aware that if you are a male, in a group with Asian women (Mongolian or not), this is perceived incredibly negatively by Mongolian men, and it is very likely that you will get assaulted.
I'm backpack travelling through most Central Asian countries as well as Mongolia in the coming weeks with friends and writings like these strongly have me in doubt about it being such a great idea after all. Is it really this dangerous for a tourist in Ulanbaatar or are such claims exaggarated?
There is some truth to it but it's also greatly exaggerated. Using normal precautions is enough.
Also, know that you can't really do anything outside of UB as a backpacker. You need a local guide and driver to see Mongolia. Fortunately it's not hard to arrange for one in UB.
>>1194435
>it will never be a fair fight.
Why do Asians never fight with honor?
Anyway, i heard its not a big issue really, its just the nationalist party (or nazi party) that have a high amount of followers in Ulanbaatar constantly getting in the media for bashing people up in general, not only foreigners.
You wont find these people in the countryside though, only major towns.
>>1194443
>Why do Asians never fight with honor
They don't have to.
What trip are you guys currently planning?
Planning my first solo trip abroad and first holiday abroad in ages.
Plan is to go to Bergen for a few days in July, head up to trolltunga. Then spend until August at a workaway place. Either around Lilehammer or further north at lekennes or Lofoten.
Then head to a festival in north germany at the start of august. Not sure about after that. Ill either stay in Germany for a week or two or head up into sweden
Im still working out the fine print though so suggestions are welcome
>>1194281
>further north at lekennes
Spelled that wrong but I meant Tromso anyways
>>1194281
Planning my first solo trip as well. :)
So far I've only decided to head to Europe, either starting or finishing (or both) in Germany. Plan to go for about 3 weeks. I'm thinking either:
Frankfurt -> Munich -> Vienna -> Prague
or
Frankfurt -> Berlin(or Hamburg) -> Copenhagen -> Oslo/Stockholm for hiking
Is that too ambitious? I obviously need to do more research
Depending on how that job interview yesterday went, I might have to cancel a trip to the Netherlands in February. Sort of sucks, sort of doesn't.
I'm already planning & preparing to go hiking in Scotland in June, so we'll see how that goes.
American who would like to visit Montreal early in the new year. One of the things I'm hoping to do while there is smoke legal pot. How lax are the doctors who prescribe it for medicinal reasons? How easy is it to get a "med card?" Can this be done in a matter of hour(s)?
Oh, sorry, Montreal as in Canada.
>>1194172
Pot isn't legal here yet.
It will be legal only next may or something.
About obtaining legal medicinal weed, in a matter of hours or even a few days, forget about it, won't happen
>>1194179
really? damn, ok. appreciate the heads up.
i guess i got all excited when i heard about this dispensary company "Cannabis Culture" up there declaring they'd start selling recreational to anybody thus defying your laws. I figured your federal government wouldn't intervene but... only a day after they opened a few shops for this in Montreal, all of the staff was arrested, lol
Anyone here do surf trips? I live in Hawaii and am a pretty good surfer but never had the urge to do surf trips until recently since there are so many world class waves minutes away from me. Looking for cheap places to surf that are different from Hawaii. I'm well traveled otherwise but up til now kept my two passions separate. I like colder climates in general when traveling, but have never surfed cold water.
>>1194148
http://www.surfing-waves.com/atlas/africa/south_africa.html
>>1194155
thanks man. I was considering south africa for J-bay but it's got a reputation for being sharky and unsafe. Is that true?
>>1194148
Yes, I went to Wisconsin.
I might be a few days away from becoming homeless (and pretty much broke) as a tourist in Tokyo. My flight is in late February and I can't change it. Any advice?
日本語でのアドバイスも大歓迎です
>>1194067
Is there an interesting storytime to it or are you just a retard with no spending control who blew all his money on dakimakura covers?
>>1194073
>are you a fucking idiot?
Yes, I trusted the wrong person. They turned out to be a complete fucking psychopath.
>>1194073
>option 1
>get your parents to loan you some money via wire transfer
Whatever they can loan me is probably not sufficient for me to survive on my own.
>option 2
>pick up an illegal teaching/tutoring job for around 2.5k yen per hour to make ends meet
If you mean eikaiwa, I can barely speak English myself. And I don't speak any other languages in popular demand.
>>1194085
I might share the story when I'm less tired.
>>1194086
Sucking dick has minimal skill requirements and pays well.
Other than that, you could try asking your embassy for help. They do give out loans to people with money problems, but I'm not sure they'll be keen on funding your stay as opposed to buying tickets for the very next flight.
Last minute WWOFing maybe, if it's even doable?