Jason and Swiss's Round the World (RTW) Blog

October 17th, 2010, by Jason

Alright, time for one final post, although possibly a bit late (OK, really late.) As an engineer I love numbers (and I’m safe in saying that Swiss enjoys having data and numbers too.) Knowing that we both want to help other people take a similar journey if they’re so inclined the first thing I decided to investigate were our total costs for the year and breakdown our average daily costs. We both finished the trip having spent less than our budgeted maximum and below I have our three most expensive and least expensive countries (on a daily average basis.)

	Average Daily Cost (USD)
1. Jordan	$110.22
2. Australia	$85.97
3. Japan	$78.06
…
17. India	$26.80
18. Vietnam	$26.33
19. Laos	$26.28

While some of these top entries were not surprising (we knew that Japan and Australia were going to be relatively expensive countries) Jordan was a bit unexpected, and significantly more than neighboring Egypt (which came in at $32.49/day.) While a last minute flight purchase does artificially inflate the price (Jordan was never in our original plans) removing the flight purchase brings the average daily cost down to ~$50/day, still significantly more than Egypt. Looking back I wouldn’t change a thing though and I’m so happy we were able to visit Petra and Amman!

On the other end of the spectrum, I don’t think there are any surprises there with India, Vietnam and Laos being known around the world as inexpensive (and beautiful) destinations for backpackers and other travelers alike. In total we visited 19 countries and 11 of them had daily average costs below $40/day (actually 12 countries if I remove my Spanish course from the numbers for Bolivia.) Proof again that with a little planning and thriftiness (and a good airline deal) inexpensive long term travel is an achievable goal! If you'd like, take a look at our complete list of daily costs in each country.

Lodging
Of course after transportation, lodging is one of the next highest costs for a journey like this. We did everything we could to stay in inexpensive places in most locations (our main requirements were the generally safety of the lodging and some level or standard of cleanliness of the accommodation.) Truth be told there are a lot of quality options out there in the budget range and a lot of honest people trying to provide safe, clean and inexpensive lodging to budget travelers around the world, something we took advantage of and really did appreciate! In the end we stayed at 93 unique places over the course of the year, the breakdown below:

Guest Houses	41
Hostels	33
Hotels	15
Campervans	2
Private Apartments	1
Guest Suites	1

The private apartment we can attribute to arriving in Jordan at 9pm without a reservation and also arriving on a national holiday in a very busy domestic holiday destination. Oh well, sleeping on a roof that night probably would’ve looked better on the chart above :) And of course we’ll never forget our amazing stay in the guest suite at the Nath residence in Delhi, another huge thank you to the Nath family for their amazing hospitality.

In general the guest house was a mainstay of Southeast Asia and parts of South America, while the hostel is a standard style of budget lodging in Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan and also South America. Either way Hostelworld.com is a great resource for online booking in many of the countries that we visited, although unless it’s high season you don’t have to book ahead across most parts of Southeast Asia where plenty of options are available almost everywhere.

Visas
Alright, here is what turned out to be one of the biggest hidden costs for the trip (especially so for Americans traveling on US passports! Well, most of us...) So running through the countries, New Zealand is a free visa on arrival, Australia was our first Visa in advance but it can be done entirely online and only costs 20 USD. Indonesia is a 15USD entry visa on arrival (don't forget to have cash - $15-ish - for the exit fee too!) Singapore and Malaysia are both free visa on arrival, 90 days for each. Thailand was an interesting one, visitors receive a 30 day visa on arrival at the airport but only a 15 day visa when arriving over land, so prepare appropriately (although free at least.)  Tip:  If coming over land from Malaysia, consider getting a free 60 day Thai visa in Penang ahead of time.  Laos and Cambodia were also Visa on arrival but with a slow and complex application process, so plan on an hour or two to get across the border, and be prepared with $25-40 USD (and believe me, they like US Dollars.) After that was Vietnam, our first country were a Visa on Arrival was not possible (at least for US citizens) so we stopped by the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok and left our passports behind for a few days while they issued our visas (62 USD)

Next up was Hong Kong, which is a 90 day free visa on arrival for US citizens (remember that Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region, SAR, with separate immigration laws from mainland China.) On the other hand China does not issue visas on arrival and so we picked up a Chinese Visa at the consulate in Ho Chi Minh City for the low low price of $130 USD. Of course we cannot complain as that visa fee is a reciprocal charge in line with what the US government charges Chinese citizens. Also, our visa was single entry and 30 days only (they're very strict on the 30 day rule) so plan to go to Hong Kong at the start or end of your visit to China, but don't plan on crossing over into Hong Kong and then back into China. Up next was Japan, another free 90 day visa on arrival for US citizens. Followed next by India, a $110 6 month multi-entry visa that we picked up at the Indian Consulate in Shanghai. I think we covered that one well enough, but remember that they've outsourced the process and so plan plenty of time to acquire that visa.

Egypt was a visa on arrival, about 15 USD.  Jordan is also a visa on arrival, about 15 USD. Next up was the expensive portion of the trip for US citizens, South America. Apparently we charge a lot for their folks to come up here, so they charge us the same to travel down there. Brazil turned out to be 160 USD (get well in advance, NOT issued on arrival...but 5 year multi-entry!) Argentina is 135 USD if you fly into the country, although land borders are not yet setup to charge US citizens, entering Argentina over land is still free (as of June 2010) for US citizens. Bolivia was 135 USD for a visa, issued on arrival (and valid for 5 years) while Peru is a hold out and the most tourist friendly, granting a free visa on arrival (although there is a 31 USD departure tax.)

Moral of the story, if you can get your hands (legally) on something other than a US passport, you can save a significant amount of money. In total I spent about $725 on entry visas during the trip, a real hidden cost that we were not anticipating to be that high, and in the case of Vietnam, China, India and Brazil be sure to plan ahead as you'll need to visit a consulate or visa to get one before arrival. Swiss was luckily able to save about $295 by using his Swiss passport in South America.  Ergo, if you have dual citizenship, do your homework and see which passport makes the most sense for each of the countries you're visiting. [Disclaimer: This information is valid as of June 2010 and is always subject to change at a moments notice, always check with the nearest destination country consulate or embassy, along with the US State Dept. website for the latest travel and entry/exit requirements.]

Country	Visa Issue	Cost	Visa Period (Days)
New Zealand	On Arrival	$0	90 days
Australia	Advance	$20	90 days
Singapore	On Arrival	$0	90 days
Indonesia	On Arrival	$15	10 days
Malaysia	On Arrival	$0	90 days
Thailand	On Arrival	$0	15 (land) / 30 (airport) / 60 (Penang, Malaysia)
Laos	On Arrival	$35	30 days
Cambodia	On Arrival	$25	30 days
Vietnam	Advance	$62	30 days
Hong Kong	On Arrival	$0	90 days
China	Advance	$130	30 days
Japan	On Arrival	$0	90 days
India	Advance	$110	180 days
Egypt	On Arrival	$15	30 days
Jordan	On Arrival	$15	30 days
Brazil	Advance	$160	5 years, multi-entry
Argentina	On Arrival	$135 (airport) / $0 (over land)	90 days (10 years multi-entry if you pay the fee)
Bolivia	On Arrival	$135	5 years
Peru	On Arrival	$0	90 days
Total		$722

Transportation
The last category to look at involves our most expensive single cost, transportation. Airfare turned out to be our single largest expense for the trip, somewhere around roughly $7000 over the course of the year. First, let me show you the numbers:

	How many segments?	Distance (miles)
Bus	43	10,603
Campervan	7	1,676
Car	4	833
Ferry	12	500
Minivan	7	354
Plane	29	45,213
Train	14	4,272
Grand Total	116	63,451

To put that into perspective, the distance between New York and Los Angeles (as the bird flies) is 2,468 miles and the circumference of the Earth (at the equator) is 24,901 miles…so I guess we technically went around the world about 2.5 times?!

Looking back at things about 3 months after our return home it was one hell of an amazing experience. We had a number of memorable encounters with beautiful and friendly people all around the planet, some people that we’ll never see again and some that I stay in contact with to this day.

While culture, tradition, national borders and religion may seem on the surface to separate us, in the end we found that people everywhere, no matter their background, just want to run their business or do their job, provide a better life for their family and children and try to find some happiness and joy in their daily existence. While we all have different ways of going about it, all in all I’d say it’s not much different from life here in the US.

Dexter MI - July 15, 2010 (by Swiss)

Ok, so I lied.  While I intended the last post I wrote to indeed be the last one of this series, it occured to us that it might be a good idea to summarize our "lessons learned" for folks who may want to consider to do a similar trip in the future.  So below are some of our tips, although it's by no means a comprehensive list.  Happy travels!

What to Pack?
Rule #1:  The smaller your pack, the less you will bring.  Pretty simple.  So avoid buying too large of a pack, as you will end up finding a way to fill it.  I had a 70 liter pack, Jason had a 90 liter pack, and we both could have done with smaller packs.  To give a weight range, we've met travelers with luggage ranging from 8 to well over 20 kgs.  My fully packed 70 liter pack weighed in around 12.5 kgs, Jason's fully loaded pack hovered around 18 kgs.  Trust me, light is good.  Also, a nice daypack is a must, especially if you stay at a seedy place and want to keep you valuables with you.  We both used Northface hydro-packs (removing the bladder), and they were a perfect size.

Listed below are some items to consider.

Bring:
Powerstrip - Many hostels rooms have limited power outlets.  Bring a strip, which allows you to charge your electronics concurrently while avoiding the need for multiple power adapters.  It can also serve as an extension cord.

Convertible pants - These are pants with a zipper around knee-level that allow you to remove the lower portion of the pants and thus convert them into shorts.  Most outdoor stores will have them.  They tend to be quick-drying and have multiple pockets.  Look for a model with zippered pockets to stash your cash.

Exofficio Underwear - http://www.exofficio.com/ , these are awesome.  'Nuff said.

Small bottle of detergent - You will likely be doing some laundry in the sink/shower.  A small bottle of laundry detergent will come in handy while taking up little space.  It can be re-filled on the road as needed.  Also consider bringing a universal drain plug.

Shampoo/Bodywash combo - Why carry two bottles if you can have all of it in one?  Shampoo/Bodywash combo bottles rock.  They are a bit harder to find on the road, so start with a big one if you can.

Torch/Flashlight - A no-brainer, but don't forget this.  Power outages do occur, as do dark hostel rooms when you want to read a bit.

Small organizer for passports, SIM cards, cash, and other important documents.  Nice to have it all in one place.

A couple of packs of tissues - use as TP, napkings, etc.  Can buy cheaply on the road, so don't bring too many.

Passport photos - You will need them for some visas.  They can easily be made in larger asian cities for a fraction of the US price, but it helps to have some on hand just in case.

Ear plugs - Snorers and loud buses are your enemy.  If you know somebody who works in a manufacturing environment, ask them to score you a couple of packs.  Ear plugs are a ripoff in stores.

Unlocked GSM phone - See communication section below for details

Don't bring:
Microfiber towel - While nice in concept, we've found they start to smell after a while.  And once they smell, you can't get the smell out.  I mean, you can wash them, and they will smell fine, but after one use it's right back to that mouldy odor.  Instead, bring a decent cotton towel.  If it starts smelling, you can always toss it and buy a new one at very low cost.  Trust me.

Transportation
There are many ways to get around when on the road.  We generally found that it's easiest to fly into and out of major hubs and figure out the smaller segments on the go.  

Good, cheap airlines to consider:  Jetstar (Asia), Spicejet (India), Webjet (Brazil)

In Brazil, you need a national ID to book flights online.  We went to CVC, a Brazilian travel agency, to book our webjet flights.  Their markup was almost nil; in fact, one of the fares they charged us was LESS than the online fare.

A popular way to travel in India is via trains.  Cleartrip.com is a great site to book these ahead of time.  And yes, they do fill up, so booking ahead is advisable.  Some trains do have a "tourist quota", basically keep some last minute seats open for foreigners, if you ever happen to be in a pinch.

Traveling by bus in South America is definitely an experience.  We've found buses in Argentina and Peru (Flores in particular) to be the nicest.  However, keep airlines in mind:  spending 18+ hours on a bus will get tiring no matter how comfy your seat is, and there are some very good flight deals out there.

If you're in New Zealand or Australia, a cheap way to get around is by doing car/camper relocations.  www.standbycars.com is a great aggregate site for deals, although you can contact the rental agencies directly as well.  The downside is that they do give you limited time to complete the relo, so it's not a very good option if you want to go exploring a bunch on the way to your destination.

Communication
Most countries we've visited run a GSM cell phone network (like ATT and T-Mobile in the US.)  Bringing an unlocked GSM phone along is a great way to stay in touch.  Unlocked phones (not tied to a carrier) can easily be found online.  If you currently have ATT or T-mobile, request them to unlock your phone.

SIM cards in Asia are cheap.  For instance, we both bought SIM cards in Vietnam for around 5 bucks and they lasted well over 3 weeks.  Plus, incoming calls are free, so your family can easily call you over the internet using services like Skype.  Having a phone is handy not just to stay in touch with the fam, but also for booking guesthouses and staying in touch with other travelers while you're on the road.

Skype is also very common, especially in heavily traveled areas.  Set up an account to call your home country for cheap.  Many internet cafes have skype software installed.

Financial
It's advisable to keep some US dollars (100 bucks or so) on hand for incidental costs, visas, and departure fees.  If possible, try having some smaller bills as well (ones, fives, tens.)  We found some ATMs in Cambodia, Bolivia, and Peru do dispense in US dollars if you need to re-build your stash.

Most towns we visited did have ATMs, though we didn't stray too far off the beaten path.  Consult guide books and fellow travelers to find out what the ATM situation at your destination may be and bulk up on cash as needed.

Jason used an online Fidelity checking account to keep his cash, which worked very well for him.  They re-imburse your ATM fees, a handy feature if you're traveling abroad.  Fees do add up quickly, so this is a worthwhile consideration for long term travelers.

While we didn't use our credit cards that much, Capital One apparently offers a fee-free international credit card.  Neither of us got one, but it's something to consider especially if traveling in developed areas.

Insurance
Both of us signed up with HCC medical, which for around 400 bucks covered us in case something bad would happen.  Luckily, injuries were only minor and we didn't have to use their services.  There are sites out there comparing plans, so do your homework.

Gadgets
Yes, we're both geeks and brought netbooks with us.  This was in part to allow for blog writing, as well as to back up/upload pictures (our total picture tally, btw, was around 11,000 pictures.)  We used Asus eee 900/901 computers with solid state drives, and while slow, they did the trick.  You would be surprised how much free wifi you can find around the world, so having a small computer on hand can be handy.  This is especially true in hostels where people flock to the shared computers.  It can also be handy for your Skype users out there.

An alternative to bringing a full computer is to bring an iPhone/iPod touch or wifi enabled smartphone.  While not as versatile as a full computer (backing up pictures was a must feature for us), they can be very handy for checking email and using skype to call home.  Again, you would be surprised how many wifi hotspots one can find.

Visas
Check prices, they can be expensive and hit us a bit of a hidden cost.  South America in particular can be pricey for US citizens.  If you are a dual citizen, consider bringing your other passport (I saved around 400 bucks in South America alone by using my Swiss passport.)  The reason for this cost, btw, is because the US charges foreigners 135 bucks for a visa, so a bunch of countries are just returning the favor.

Oh, and if you plan on going to Argentina as a US citizen, try to avoid flying into Buenos Aires.  While Argentina doesn't require a visa, they do charge an airport arrival/reciprocity fee for US citizens.  How much is that fee?  You guessed it, $135.  Since we entered Argentina by land (near Puerto Iguazu), Jason didn't have to pay the fee.  This may change in the future, of course.  But something to consider :)

Lodging
Lodging availability and quality range widely.  We found that recos in guide books were hit or miss.  In New Zealand, BBH publishes a great listing of hostels with, in our experience, very representative ratings.  Also, if you plan to spend a bit of time there, consider getting a membership as it will pay for itself quite quickly.

The other most common site we used for booking hostels around the world is Hostelworld.com.  See if you can score a gold membership as that will save you the $2 reservation fee when booking online.

Guides
My last tidbit is on guide books.  Although we experiemented with a "Rough Guide" in China, we generally relied on Lonely Planets due to their information and layout.  Besides the usual activity stuff, they are quite helpful in providing a basic map of your destination and usually have good info on bus/train routes with approximate fares.  We did have the opportunity to exchange them along the way, and even got two of them gifted to us by fellow travelers.  So don't buy all of them in advance unless you feel like lugging all that weight along.

An alternative to the LPs, for some destinations at least, was wikitravel.org.  While a bit hit or miss in terms of content, there were numerous helpful articles for a variety of our destinations.  Definitely worth taking a look, especially given the price (free.)

Safe and happy travels to all!

/Over and out :)