WHERE!

This route is bound to change, as are the dates. Parts of this route have been researched, but there is a lot of guesswork involved – this just seems like the most logical way to cover the ground I would like to cover! Certain legs of this route may be impassable due to the terrain, the political situation, or the failure to obtain the appropriate visas. I will research as I travel, and listen to local advice.

Update March 8th 2007: This map is now obsolete. Please look for the headline "The journey ahead" on this page for the latest plan.

Specific comments on my route:

• I will set out from the Greenwich meridian (at the Observatory) in London at 12 noon on Sunday May 21^st, heading straight for Paris, then north to Scandinavia, around the Baltic Sea via St. Petersburg, and then right across Europe down to Gibraltar.
  
  
• I will try to stay where it is warm, following the summer from the northern to the southern hemisphere and back again several times. This is not only more pleasant; it also means that my backpack will be lighter.
  
  
• The May start is planned to coincide with the European summer. Europe is where my confidence will be highest, so it seems like the perfect place to ease my way into a life of travelling.
  
  
• I will take the ferry to Morocco, probably in September 06, and then travel south across the Sahara, through Mauritania, when it has cooled down a bit… Exactly how I am going to achieve this is unknown; I hope to join an overland expedition.
  
  
• The end of 2006 will be spent travelling through West Africa, taking in countries such as Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. I may even continue along the coast through Togo, Benin, Nigeria, perhaps as far as Cameroon. I will probably skip past the Congos and Angola by air, arriving in South Africa in early January.
  
  
• Depending on my financial situation, I may rent a car to drive through South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. Leaving the car behind, I will continue north through East Africa (Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania) to Kenya.
  
  
• What happens next is uncertain; it depends partly on the situation in the Sudan. Floating down the Nile all the way to Cairo sounds like an attractive option, though…
  
  
• From Egypt, I will travel through the Middle East, probably avoiding Iraq and Afghanistan, to India. I may also have to avoid Israel, as a passport with an Israeli stamp would be invalid in numerous Middle Eastern countries. (Please tell your story in the forum if you have managed to get around this!)
  
  
• It should now be early summer 07, and with a bit of luck I will just miss the monsoon as I travel trough northern India and into Nepal (unless I can somehow get hold of a visa for Bhutan!). I have a dream of crossing the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau, if it is possible. Then I would probably follow the Huang He river down to Beijing. 
  
  
• Onto South Korea (though North Korea, if possible) and on a ferry to Japan. From Tokyo by air to Hong Kong.
  
  
• From Hong Kong I will head into South East Asia: Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand (January 08?), Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and then catch the ferry to Darwin from “West” Timor.
  
  
• Through Australia down to Sydney, and probably by air to New Zealand. If possible, I would then love to catch a ride with a sailboat from Auckland to Fiji. Onto Alaska via Hawaii by air.
  
  
• It should now be the summer of 2008. Depending on time and money, I may head across Canada to New York and back again on Route 66, or just take the quickest way down to Seattle, San Fran and LA.
  
  
• Heading south, I hope to stop in Mexico for a few weeks to improve my Spanish, perhaps to take a course. Then all the way down to Panama, sadly leaving out the Caribbean… for now.
  
  
• As the Darien gap is pretty much a no go area, I’m not sure what to do when I get to Colombia. My best bet is probably to take a boat to Cartagena, and then to head due south through Colombia to Ecuador.
  
  
• Onto Peru, Bolivia, Chile and all the way down to Cape Horn! Depending on time, money and motivation, I may head up the east coat of Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and perhaps as far as Rio de Janeiro before catching a plane back to the British Isles.
  
  
• And finally, as the icing on the cake, it would be jolly nice to finish off with Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland before heading back to London (in the summer of 2009?).
  
  
  

Please comment on my route and share your experiences in the forum!

The Planning section continues with a look at what to bring and what to leave behind...   Equipment >>