My round the world trip was only 6 months long (Not including my travels of North America and Europe), but I managed to spend a lot less than some of the people who have posted on this discussion board. Plane ticket (London - Dubai- Oman- Singapore- Bangkok- Sydney- Aukland- Fiji - LA - London) was booked through Virgin Atlantic directly and cost 1080 pounds after taxes! In 6 months I only spent about 2300 pounds over the cost of flights. I spent about a month and a half in the Middle East, 2 months in southeast asia, 1 month in Australia, 1 month in NZ, 1 week in Fiji, a week in LA and then I flew back to Canada.
How well did I travel?
Accomodation- I camped for about 3 weeks in Oman which reduced the cost of accomodation. Other than that I stayed in cheap guest houses and hostels.
Food- A combination of cheap street food and my own cooking. I cooked my own food in Australia and New Zealand especially
Drink- Despite the tight budget, I tended to drink quite a lot where local custom would allow it. No bars. Lots of Cheap Southeast Asian Beer.
Travel- Dubai- local buses, relied on friends in Oman, local buses throughout Southeast Asia, Hitch hiked all of Australia, and bused around NZ.
Other notes- I always paid entrance fees to things I wanted to do and see (ie- skydiving, bungee jumping, jungle trekking, camel riding, etc.). Afterall- even on a budget, it is worth spending money to see and do certain things. I did do a few days work for a moving company in Sydney, and spent 12 days working on an Oyster Farm in Port Maquerie Australia.
Tips for tightwads- use Couchsurfer.com for free accomodation, In Australia- Always travel with a bag a Goon wine squished into your backpack, never take the tourist buses in southeast asia, camp, hitch rides where it is safe to do so, make friends and cook meals with them, try to get as clase to the source of transport before arranging local travel in asia (ie- do not book through a travel agent- go straight to the ferry, bus terminal, sketchy rocket canoe), Use soap dispensers in hostels for soap, shampoo and laundry detergent, always travel with some sort of student id (even if it is from the 80's) and use it for enterance fees/ travel tickets, Always say yes when offered short term work (it is usually a great cultural experience), always purchase a bottle of Duty free liquor after flying and store in backpack- this can be used to consume- or for currency- especially in the middle east.
Reply to this 
