Where to go ?

[JonnyBloo]

Hey everyone. Was wondering if anyone could give me some advice ?

This year i went away to NZ and OZ for 5 weeks. It was the first time id travelled alone but absolutely loved it. Ideally i would go away with mates but as theyre all busy getting married and having babies ! I decided to go solo rather than miss out

Anyway, next march i would like to go away again, i have 5 weeks holiday saved at work so would go away for 5 week minimum but as my new holidays start in April i could use a few more weeks and drag it out to 8 weeks.

Problem is, i have no idea where to go ! NZ was pretty easy and safe to travel alone, im not the most travel savvy and can be fairly quiet when it comes to meeting people so i dont necessarily want to go anywhere that is intimidating alone.

I fancy loads of places, possibly South Africa, Thailand (maybe Vietnam/Cambodia), South America, USA or even Europe (Though i guess i can see european cities anytime with cheap flights from the UK)

As you can tell i havent exactly narrowed it down !

Can anyone offer any advice on where is relatively safe and easy to backpack, where ill easily meet lots of others. Somewhere that has plenty of things to do rather than just beaches etc

Any advice is appreciated !

Cheers all

Jonny

[mish99]

Thats pretty general...but since i havent been anywhere (til next year!!) I will say that South Africa is pretty chilled. And you can travel alone....its always pretty busy with backpackers, so you will definitly meet alot of awesome people! And SA is really stunning, and pretty safe (dont listen to all the horror stories) so I dont think you could go wrong if you came here. I suppose that is quite a biased point of view though.

I might be silly, but im choosing to visit 1st world countries as my first trip to kinda get me into the whole travelling thing and I suppose to know that im safe etc....maybe thats just me.

[worldwidemike]

How about going to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands? Nice mix of off the beaten path and amazing, but more touristed, sights...

If you do go to South Africa, I recommend using the Baz Bus to get around. Check it out at: http://www.bazbus.com

Also, for Kruger National Park, you can do self-drive safaris...rent your own car, and just buzz around the park yourself. It's easy! That's how the locals do it. You may think it's difficult to spot the wildlife, but I didn't have any problems. There is a great South African National Parks site, check it out at:
http://www.sanparks.org

Feel free to ask any questions about these or other places...

worldwidemike

[mowark]

Europe is a traveller's paradise as far as ease of travel and safety. Meeting people is very easy. Maybe Eastern Europe would be fun for you because it's a little further away. The Balkans are great. Lots of people speak English (thanks to Tito) and the people are very friendly.

The USA is nice and it's very safe, but it might be expensive to do alone. There is so much to see in the States but it's very spread out and flights aren't cheap and buses take an eternity. If you can afford the flights though than it's great. Americans are approachable and friendly, especially if your first language is English and you have an accent.

Mike has a great idea for South America if you think Europe is too close for you. The buses are great in most countries (although unsafe in some), and you will meet lots of people. Central/South Americans are very friendly, although a bit of Spanish will definitely be very helpful.

Good luck and have fun.

[freespiritz]

Looks like you're interested in going everywhere! I've always been nervous about heading out alone, but every time that I've done it has turned out amazing. I've traveled both South-East Asia and Central America, and have never had a problem finding amazing people to hang out with or travel with...actually there were loads of English people in Central America! It is easier to get around with English in SEA though. I'm sure there's a traveler trail that you can get on to in pretty much any part of the world and you'll be fine, and there really is so much to do everywhere. Just pick a place that appeals the most and go!

[JonnyBloo]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone, much appreciated

Im warming to the idea of either the states (not sure on which coast though) or maybe SE Asia now.

Although ill have to look into Mikes suggestion of "Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands", that sounds intriguing, i dont know anyone whos been to either so that could be an adventure.

Mike - What kind of activities / sights can i expect from these places?

I guess its time to stop being so indecisive and start doing some research ! More posts coming this way i think.

Cheers again