Here is my RTW map! I'd really thank suggestions.

[saliadarunavuelta]

Hello everyone from Spain, and thanks for your time.



On may 23rd 2010 I'll be departuring for my life biggest adventure. I've bought the bike already (Honda Transalp), and right now I'm in the stage of gathering information about the countries I'd like to visit and buying the gear. My plans are quitting my job on march 1st, so I'll have 3 months for visas, paperwork, vaccines and so on.

Te following is my BETA version of my RTW tour. It's planned to take 2 full years of travelling:

La Vuelta - Google Maps

You'll notice ther's a gap in the US: that's because my host American sister is planning that part of the route. Soon I'll fill that part up as well.

I'd really THANK a lot if you could provide me with some feedback from your countries or places I'm missing.

Again thanks for your time.

[MountainMan]

Hey,

Pretty impressive being that organized that far in advance, kudos to you.

Couple of quick comments, not sure if I would quit my job so much in advance of leaving. Unless money isn't as issue, the extra cash can be put to very good use in extending your trip or partaking in some activity in one of the countries that you visit that might normally be outside of your budget. You are pretty organized, start now and get all the things done you can in the months leading up, save every penny, quit your job and head off the next week, who knows when/if you'll come back.

As for the route, it'll change for sure and it's hard to really plan a continent ahead, let alone a country or two ahead, but looks interesting as a general routing.

A couple of random suggestions:

Doubt you'll be able to pass through Burma so you'll have to make a hop.
In Australia, most people ride down the east coast instead of the down the center.
If you going to cross part of Zimbabwe for the fun of it, it might be more interesting to cross through the whole thing and exiting at Victoria Falls.
In Argentina, the route up the center is interesting, perhaps preferable to the coastal route.

Hope that helps in some small way.

[saliadarunavuelta]

Oh my! I just realized that Burma is forbidden for foreigner bikers. Thanks so much, MountainMan!. Oh, #!!@!, I thought only China had that complication.

- About Australia, I wanted to see the center because of the desert, the kangaroos, and so on. By doing bht desert and coast, I think I can have the flavor of the whole country. Any australians around that can comment on this?.
- As far as Zimbawe goes, I just followed the main roads, but it might be interesting to go through Bulawayo.
- I'll make sure I'll check the Argentina part with someone from the country. Thanks for the tip.

And as far as the job goes... I really REALLY need to get out of there
Besides, I'd need the time for embassies, learning mechanics, basic medicine, paperwork, doing a small beta test with full lugage, tent, and so on. I can't wait to quit my job, really.

I you have more thougths, please let me know, it's really helpful indeed.

[MountainMan]

In regards to Oz, there is a certain beauty to the interior, but be aware that you'll get a fair bit on the way south from Darwin until you head east. It's pretty standard to head down and hit Ayers Rock and then head across to Cairns. I wouldn't miss the great barrier reef there, it is a wonder of the world after all.

As for Zim, along the same lines but Victoria Falls is pretty spectacular and the Zim side is bigger. You can always drop in from the Zambia side but they'll likely charge you another visa fee to get back in so most cheap motorcycle travellers won't want to pay again

Either way though, many routes to choose form.

[Mike.C]

The red centre of Oz will certainly be an eye opener, and you will probably see more Emu than Roos although there will be no shortage of them either.

BUT, Lotsa nothing in between think hours of riding without seeing anything very spectacular except for the vast nothingness thet is the interior. Having said that I love it, has a beauty that is impossible to describe.

Be awre that Summer out there is bloody hot on a bike - think hot enough for 2nd degree burn if you touch a chrome part of the bike with bare skin. Summer in the North is wet season and you will be confined to major highways and it will rain lots.

Cairns is a tourist trap but if you ignore that the north of Queensland is a tropical wonderland with heaps to keep you amused and take your cash.

Hope that helps.

[igormortis]

If you can manage it, don't dismiss New Zealand on your way from Australia. Some amazing roads here to explore - particularly the South Island.

[flying biker]

As an Australian I agree that it would be a pity not to see the Great Barrier Reef while it's still there to see. There's speculation that it could be bleached by global warming in a few years.

However I also enjoy riding in the outback and I understand why you've chosen your route. If you do ride down the centre make sure you make the detour to Uluru (Ayers Rock).

And along the Victorian coastline be sure to include the Great Ocean Road.

Finally I have to recommend that you include New Zealand on your itinerary. It's a stunningly beautiful country.

[Simon R]

Hi,
you are leaving about the same time as we are but we are travelling in opposite directions!
We are planning to 'winter' in Spain or Morocco and wait for the seasons to change before moving on to the second leg, you should think of doing the same. Find somewhere cheap in Asia to sit around until the start of the Australian Autum / winter, then ship to northern Australia.
Central Australia is very hot in summer and you cannot travel through northern Australia during summer because of the rain. It would be a pity to not explore north of Cairns all the way to Cape York Penninsula, while you are on the continent.
You also want to be arriving in Chile in late spring early summer. I have travelled through Tierra Del Fuego in December and it was sleeting, and the mountain passes between Chile and Argentina were covered in heavy snow. So keep an eye on the seasons.

Simon

[jopos]

Wow great travel, 2 years adventure and fun: GREAT!

If you are interested you can watch some of our RTW movies and read some storys on our website: Life Is Joy - Home

Enjoy.

[Stephano]

Originally Posted by saliadarunavuelta

La Vuelta - Google Maps

I'd really THANK a lot if you could provide me with some feedback from your countries or places I'm missing.

Lucky you, having 2 years to travel! I really doubt you'll keep to your proposed route and that's half the fun anyway.

Re: India
I don't think you'd be getting the most out of the country by sticking to the coast the whole way round. For a start, it's not that easy to ride down the Konkan coast and Western Ghats south of Mumbai unless you have a lot of time to spend on very small rural roads which meander according to the coastline and water inlets.

You could ride down the N17 but I still can't see any specific point. It's a busy and chaotic main road with nothing of particular interest. If I were you, I'd choose a few interesting places to visit in India and then link them together. For example, I would recommend a visit to Goa (down the N17) and then a ride inland to Hampi which your route misses.

Do a bit of research and I'm sure there are other fantastic places worth visiting away from the coast. Have fun.

Stephan

[saliadarunavuelta]

Hello everyone and thanks for your suggestions!!

- Australia: I've changed the route so I'll get to visit the Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock, avoiding as much as I can from the rainy north. I didn't know they were so many Australians reading this
- Zimbabwe: I've avoided Zambia and the route is a bit more logical now. Please, MountainMan, let me know if I've understood your advices.
- India: Yes, you're right, Stephano. My route was decided only by the Ocean, I did a small ammount of research, and although I'm sure most of the route will be decided by local's suggestions, now it's a bit more logical, I'm including big highlights like Ajanta 1 and Ellora, Jaiselmer, Khajuraho, Mysore, Sanchi, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Varanasi, Goa, and the golden triangle.

SimonR: Transit in Tierra de Fuego is scheduled for December-January. Do you mean in those months I can get snow?. Besides that, being from Spain, I strongly recommend you to stay during the winter in Morocco. Mom lived there (in Larache) and food and weather are spectacular during the winter, and living is extremely cheap. Southern Spain's weather is OK, but living can be a bit expensive.

Please, people, if you have any further suggestions or advices for this route, I'd LOVE to read them.

[Tim Cullis]

+1 for Hampi in India.

[zaplaje]

Hi, I'm from Chile and I'm planning a 2up RTW for next year too.

I can coment you that in december-march is the best time to go to Tierra del Fuego, maybe you can find some snow in the highs, but definetly is the best time.

some parts I can recomend you to visit are: Isla de Chiloé (stay some days there and meet their culture), carretera austral, region de los lagos

saludos!

[MountainMan]

Hey Saliada,

You are one organized dude, I can imagine that productivity at work is at a all time low as you will spend all your time planning and dreaming about the trip

In general, the most important things are to decide a rough route, with some specfic countries in mind. The exact route through those countries can roughly be guessed at, but the final route depends on a lot of things to be determined when you get there, or get close. I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point.

In regards to Zim, the main reason I mentioned it was that your initial routing had you going into the country, and since you were already going in, you might want to head over ot Vic Falls. Just so you are aware, not many tourists at are heading there the last couple of years, most bypass and go through Zambia. If you are interested in economics and the study of government gone bad, it's a fascinating place. A litre of petrol cost about $25,000,000 Zim dollars when I was there a couple of years ago. Didn't see a single tourist. You'll want to see what the conditions are like when you get closer before you make a final decision. There is a member of this site who lives in Bulawayo, so they know more about current conditions than anyone.

In regards to Tierra del Fuego, you will be there in the height of summer, December/January is pretty close to the peak riding season. In many high mountain passes, snow is a possibility in any month of the year, but certainly not probable. Your biggest challenge on riding down there at that time of year is going to be wind.

[ivan2332]

Wonderful trip.

You said that is a problem to pass thru China, but in your map are considering cross China from Kirgizstan to Pakistan. Is that correct?