How Much is Enough Before it Becomes a Holiday?

[MotoEdde]

As the HUBB proved to be a critical source in planning and doing my own trip, I've felt compelled to give back to the community by sharing what I learned/experienced during my travels.

But how much is too much info? I mean how much does one need to know before the hit the road/piste and figure out the rest en route?

Also, how much could sharing via the HUBB(from travellers who have been there) spoil the virgin experience of the current/soon to be traveller when he passes through there the first time(Rosso exlucded)?

[Linzi]

So I'm not the only one to have thought about the loss of "Discovery" when you've planned, read and prepared!

I remember as a 7 year old the almost too much excitement of leaving my home land and visiting three others. I have already thought of travelling with NO forward planning or research for this is surely a quality experience leaving memories that won't fade.

I am hugley grateful to Grant and Susan on behalf of all of us but am jealous of anyone who heads off without first having discovered HU, for they'll have an epic trip of adventure and discovery. Sorry Grant, but secretly you'd agree I suspect.

Just dreaming, but what if you could swallow a pill and forget all the TV info, HUBB info etc and just travel. I can't travel like that now. Just getting old? Need a youg passenger to inspire me?

Good point made. Lindsay.

[KTMmartin]

Well my first big trip (London>Mongolia) was done before I knew of HU(BB).

The difference now that I know? More people are like me and out there doing this. And posting information about places I wouldn't think of going to. And so the wanderlust gets stronger!

So does this site spoil the experience? Only that you might be surprised how many have gone before you. Not all successfully. No guarantees here!

With this site I was inspired to complete a further two 'big ones', when without the info I'd have classified the first as the 'trip of a lifetime' and left it at that...

[lamble]

Read The Art of Travel by Alain Du Button.He looks at this topic in depth.

My own experience is, you can go somewhere someone has been before, read what they have said, but as long as you have your own thoughts, then that's unique to you.

There's a US TV travel guy, he not only tells you what things are, but what to think about them...nightmare.

[backofbeyond]

I think you could argue this either way but for me, on balance, the easy information era has made trips more enjoyable. Travelling like Jupiter was ok if you could spend enough time in a place to get information from the locals etc but I never could and came back from many trips having missed many of the most interesting bits.

During the mid 70's a bunch of us went to the south of Morocco on bikes wanting to continue as far south as we could get in the time available. No info was available for anywhere much further than Agadir and that's about as far as we got due to fear of running out of fuel etc.

These days you can get waypoints for fuel stations, video of the roads on utube, maps from google earth etc. That does make a difference when you're trying to work out whether to continue or turn back.

Because a lot of information is available - plus a support infrastructure of companies like DHL, trips are becoming a lot more adventurous. When I first started travelling in the late 60's if you broke down you fixed it as best you could. In the early 70's it took two weeks to get some money sent to us in Corfu - no universal credit cards. How long it would have taken to get to us in Mali is anyones guess.

I've heard it said that people drive to a perceived level of risk on the roads - if a particular bit is improved you drive faster until it feels as "risky" again. Maybe something similar is happening with overlanding trips. You get more info / backup you go further until it feels as adventurous as before.

[Linzi]

Good last point Backofbeyond. I'm sure you're right there. Also I haven't thought about the fact that to do it the spontaneous way assumes the traveller has a lot of time to spare and also is not working with set departure and return days. It comes down as so often to choices. Lindsay.

[lamble]

De Button recounts a French noble who collected all the information he could about London, back in the the early 19th century. His walls were covered in info.
One day he set out. Got as far as his local railway station, then turned around, went back home and never left his home again.

His reason?

He said he'd created such an ideal vision of what London would be like, that reality would fall short and he'd be disappointed. He'd rather live with his unspoiled vision.

[craig76]

Originally Posted by lamble

He said he'd created such an ideal vision of what London would be like, that reality would fall short and he'd be disappointed. He'd rather live with his unspoiled vision.

I felt that way the first time I visited the Nurburgring. It's not exactly out in the wilds of Africa but I've had visions of visiting this infamous place since first reading articles in "Classic & Sportscar" magazine when I was about 9 or 10 years old. It's had an almost unresistable draw for me since that time.

Although I don't regret going (and I've been back a couple of times since), the "geared up for tourism" reality was a massive disappointment.

[backofbeyond]

Originally Posted by craig76

I felt that way the first time I visited the Nurburgring.
Although I don't regret going (and I've been back a couple of times since), the "geared up for tourism" reality was a massive disappointment.

Yes, I know what you mean. I have (another) rule of thumb that says that
for any place with a marketing department, reality will be a massive disappointment.

Just as well De Botton's Frenchman turned back. London has a huge marketing budget.

[simon_temple]

I've not done a great big trip, it will happen one day when I overcome the fear of no work to come back to. I love reading about other exploits and now and again I pick up a tid-bit of info that I use on my own little tours.

But if I don't want to hear about something then I don't need to read. It's as simple as that. I don't think knowing about what might happen, what there is to see and so on diminishes the desire to go or the experience when you get there either. But then that said, that's my opinion, others will have differences of opinion.

So write all you want and let each person make a descision to read or not, I know I'll be checking out what you have to say.

[MotoEdde]

Originally Posted by simon_temple

<SNIP>

So write all you want and let each person make a descision to read or not, I know I'll be checking out what you have to say.

Whether you've done a big/little/any trip is irrelevant as your opinion matters for this question.

This question is as much about those folks who choose to share their experiences, as those seeking similar experiences.

How much is enough/too much? Is the definition of adventure changing and/or is it still an issue of relativity?

I've struggled with similar ?s since coming back on my trip...as I so want more folks to experience a journey in its entirety(shoving off, the ups and downs, reconciliation upon return to an unknown fate, etc.). But knowing the wealth of experience on this board, I was curious about others perspective.

[Zarcero]

All great explorers had a plan of direction and a logistical train of sorts. Things may have changed while enroute, but they still went through the effort of making plans. The success of exploration is the ability to be flexible under conditions that were not planned for, not in ignoring the necessity of planning at the onset.

I am grateful for sites like this, maps, guidebooks, and the advice and wisdom of others.

Z

[craig76]

Originally Posted by Zarcero

Things may have changed while enroute, but they still went through the effort of making plans. The success of exploration is the ability to be flexible under conditions that were not planned for, not in ignoring the necessity of planning at the onset.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has for whatever reason, intentionally ended a day's riding nowhere near where I intended to be at the start of the day.

[Zarcero]

Originally Posted by craig76

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has for whatever reason, intentionally ended a day's riding nowhere near where I intended to be at the start of the day.

Undoubtedly. Same with me. Sometimes one gets in new surrounds and then changes his mind. Part of that flexibility thing I was talking about.