Advertisements
First and foremost, I need to deeply apologise for the radio silence that has been transmitting from my direction.
After returning from my travels through Antarctica and South America I have had to focus on getting back into my work as a baby catcher and actually having a little bit of a social life.
My travels in 2017 were pretty ridiculous (in the best possible way) but fitting in TWENTY TWO AND A HALF weeks of travelling whilst also maintaining a full time job did mean that I sacrificed having any kind of a social life whilst at home, and I gotta admit, that did take a little bit of a toll on me.
So, for the last two months I have been busy working, spending time with my friends and family, and even developing a new romantic relationship.
However, the radio silence ends NOW.
Today’s post marks the recommencement of regular posting, and I have a tonne of Antarctica and South America posts on the way.
I will still be doing a whole lotta travelling this year, but instead of doing it in many smaller trips, I’ll be focusing on doing one big long trip in the second half of 2018; so never fear, there is still plenty and plenty of Travelling The World Solo to come!
So, to kick off a new run of (what I pinky promise will be consistent) posting, here is a round up of my 2017 travels, the year in which I visited EVERY SINGLE FREAKING CONTINENT!
***all dollar figures quoted below are in AUD***
North America
Greenland
Places visited: Kangerlussuaq, Sisimiut, Ilulissat
Days spent: 13
Money spent: approx $4800 including return flights from Copenhagen and three domestic flights with Air Greenland
Highlights: Sailing through icebergs in Ilulissat, spotting the Aurora Borealis pretty much every night and learning how to drive a snowmobile
Lowlight: getting in a dogsledding accident, tearing ligaments in my knee and spending time in a Greenlandic hospital!
Europe
Denmark
Places visited: Copenhagen
Days spent: 1
Money spent: approx $70 including one night in a hostel and return transport to the airport
Highlight: wandering around this pretty little Danish city
Lowlight: only having one day!
Svalbard (Norway)
Places visited: Longyearbyen
Days spent: 7
Money spent: approx $1100 including flights from Oslo
Highlight: experiencing the polar night
Lowlight: unseasonably warm weather – I went to the Arctic for it to be cold!
Sweden
Places visited: Stockholm, Kiruna
Days spent: 4
Money spent: approx $100 including one night in a hostel near Stockholm airport and airport transfers
Sponsorships: Complimentary stay with ICEhotel Sweden
Highlight: sleeping on a bed of ice
Lowlight: getting forgotten on a snowmobiling trip and left stranded in -30 degree weather
Austria
Places visited: Vienna
Days spent: 3
Money spent: approx $85
Highlight: eh, wasn’t a huge fan to be perfectly honest
Lowlight: getting treated like trash by an asshole doctor in hospital
Romania
Places visited: Sibiu, Brasov, Bucharest
Days spent: 7
Money spent: approx $180 including sleeper train from Bratislava to Brasov
Highlight: exploring snowy Brasov on foot
Lowlight: nada
Ukraine
Places visited: Kiev, Pripyat (Chernobyl)
Days spent: 4
Money spent: approx $180 including a day trip to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
Highlight: visiting the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – it was an experience like no other
Lowlight: nada
Turkey
Places visited: Istanbul
Days spent: 4
Money spent: approx $120
Highlight: the incredible architecture
Lowlight: getting hardcore hassled by men
Asia
Iran
Places visited: Shiraz, Yazd, Kashan, Esfahan, Kharanaq, Meybod, Chak Chak, Maranjab Desert
Days spent: 14
Money spent: approx $580 including $229 VOA
Highlight: literally the entire trip – I adore Iran!
Lowlight: nada
Jordan
Places visited: Amman, Mount Nebo, Petra, Wadi Rum, Kerak
Days spent: 7
Money spent: approx $1000 including private driver from Amman to Petra and return, 2 day ticket to Petra, overnight at a Bedouin camp and day pass to the Dead Sea
Highlight: the hike to above the Treasury
Lowlight: nada
Cambodia
Places visited: Siem Reap, Angkor Wat
Days spent: 5
Money spent: approx $240 including Angkor Wat multi day ticket, VOA and at least 60 beers!
Highlight: getting white girl wasted and having great times with great people
Lowlight: nada
Thailand
Places visited: Phuket, Khao Sok National Park
Days spent: 5
Money spent: approx $50
Sponshorships: Complimentary stay at Elephant Hills in Khao Sok
Highlight: staying at a floating camp in Khao Sok
Lowlight: having to fly through Phuket, it just isn’t a place I’ll ever like
Myanmar
Places visited: Yangon, Bagan, Inle Lake
Days spent: 7
Money spent: approx $550 including three domestic flights within Myanmar
Highlight: e-biking through Bagan
Lowlight: nada
Maldives
Places visited: Ari Atoll, Baa Atoll, Noonu Atoll
Days spent: 7
Money spent: approx $400 including the best massage of my life at the Six Senses spa at Soneva Fushi!
Sponsorships: Complimentary stays with Kandolhu, Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani
Highlights: snorkelling with sea turtles and staying in the most out of this world villas
Lowlight: nada
Singapore
Places visited: Art Science Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Little India, Platform 1904 Cafe
Days spent: 3
Money spent: $160
Highlight: having a Harry Potter themed cocktail at Platform 1904
Lowlight: nada
Africa
Egypt
Places visited: Cairo, Luxor
Days spent: 5
Money spent: approx $450 including return flights from Cairo to Luxor
Highlights: the pyramids of Giza, Karnak temple and hot air ballooning over Luxor
Lowlight: nada
Oceania
Fiji
Places visited: Nadi
Days spent: 2
Money spent: approx $30
Highlight: nothing really, I was really just transiting through Nadi
Lowlight: having a sex dream in a dorm room – what a freaking disaster!
Tonga
Places visited: Tongatapu, Ha’apai
Days spent: 6
Money spent: approx $1000 including domestic flights with Real Tonga airlines
Sponsorships: Subsidised stay with Sea Change Eco Retreat
Highlight: swimming with humpback whales
Lowlight: nada
New Zealand
Places visited: Auckland
Days spent: 2
Money spent: approx $250 including a stay at a 5 star hotel (girl wanted to indulge)
Highlight: listening to kiwi accents
Lowlight: nada
South America
Chile
Places visited: Santiago, Valparaiso
Days spent: 8
Money spent: approx $250
Highlight: exploring street art in Valparaiso
Lowlight: nada
Argentina
Places visited: Mendoza, Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, El Calafate, El Chalten, Ushuaia
Days spent: 22
Money spent: approx $2400 including multiple domestic flights within Argentina
Highlight: travelling with my daddyo and growing so much closer to my favourite person in the world
Lowlight: getting larger than life blisters on my feet and being unable to walk for a few days
Peru
Places visited: Lima, Paracas, Huacachina, Cusco, Machu Picchu
Days spent: 9
Money spent: approx $550 including train tickets to and from Machu Picchu
Highlight: dune bashing in Huacachina
Lowlight: getting the most insane scalp sunburn at Machu Picchu
Antarctica
Places visited: Stony Point, Lemaire Channel, Port Lockroy, Base Brown, Paradise Bay, Port Charcot, Neko Bay, Cuverville
Days spent: 12
Money spent: approx $5000 including purchases on board the vessel
Sponsorships: Subsidised trip with Oceanwide Expeditions
Highlight: EVERYTHING!
Lowlight: NOTHING!
Total number of days spent overseas in 2017:
157
Approximate amount of dollarydoos spent overseas in 2017:
$19,545 AUD
Approximate average cost per day:
$124.49/per day AUD
Was it worth every single cent?
Hell to the YES!
