Tour Los Locos & More

So, just 16 weeks to go until I stick a backpack on my back and board the plane for Rio... yes that's right, for those of you who have not yet heard (and I would imagine that's not many of you!) I have booked my "Round the World" trip!

Read on if your interested in what I’m going to be up to for what is supposed to be a trip of a lifetime… only time will tell…

I leave London on the 6th October 2006, and fly directly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. From here my South America travelling partner, Nadia and I will spend 9 weeks discovering this large and rather diverse continent. Here is what we have planned to do so far...

Brazil – Rio de Janeiro, Ilha Grande, Parati, Sao Paulo, Iguassu Falls
Argentina – Iguazzu Falls, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires
Peru – Lima, Cuzco, The Sacred Valley, Inca Trail, Puno, Lake Titicaca, Copacabana, Isla de Sol.
Bolivia – La Paz, Salt Flat Plains
Chile – Atacama Desert, Southern coastal resorts, Santiago

We are lucky enough to be joined by Belinda (Nadia’s old friend from Melbourne) for 3 weeks and then Gareth (an STA Travel buddy) for another 3 weeks during our time here.

We hear that South America is truly out of this world, so make sure you keep up to date of what we see & do, plus I hope to post lots photos as we go along, so that you get to see it for yourself...

On the 7h December, we leave Chile, and fly to Auckland where I will spend 2 weeks in this beautiful country. In January 2005 I travelled the North and South Island for 3 weeks so I cannot wait to get back and explore a little more... Mount Mauganui, Taupo, Napier, Gisbourne and Rotorua are on the agenda here.

The 23rd December will see the end of my time in NZ, and the beginning of my journey around Australia. I will fly into Melbourne where I will spend Christmas and New Year with Nadia's family (Do you think we'll have turkey & stuffing?), and Boxing Day will be spent watching The Ashes at the MCG, how unreal is that? (I know nothing about cricket!!! Need to get learning...).

Straight after New Year I plan to travel up the East Coast, across to Darwin, Kakadu National Park, down to Alice Springs, Uluru, Kings Canyon and the Olgas before heading back down to Melbourne to travel around Victoria and New South Wales. Hopefully Rebecca (a resident Melbourne chick, ex STA Travel and now good friend) will be able to join me for some of this leg. Maybe a cheeky flight to Fiji could be squeezed in here...

The last leg of my trip will be via Asia, where I hope to cover the "normal" backpacker route of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos...

I hope you will all join me for drinks and a boogy on the 9th September venue to be confirmed), or for family folk we have a date in our diaries at the end of September to send me on my way.