Commercial airliners transformed the way we travelled around the world.
Where it once required that we take a ship to get to another county – something often only reserved for the rich – in the decades since flight has become open to the public, we can now go anywhere for a relatively low price.
But despite how cheap flying has become in the last few years, travelling from one continent to another can still put a major dent in savings.
There’s nothing quite as exciting as travelling to a new place. The anticipation of being immersed in a new culture, meeting new people, and seeing new sights is enough to get anyone exhilarated.
That’s right up until the traveller learns that they’re going to have to sit in a plane seat for 18 hours at a stretch, meaning that they are going to have to a few different ways of keeping themselves entertained.
One of the aspects that some travellers don’t consider when they’re planning a trip to a new country is just how they’re gonna be getting around once they’re there.
For those few with the money on hand, it’s easy enough to hire a car for the duration of their stay and simply drive to wherever they need to go before giving the car back. Not everyone is as financially fortunate, however, so they may have no choice but to utilise whichever type of public transport is available.
As tourists, we want to be open to new experiences and meet the world with open arms. To do this, we sometimes must ignore our trepidation and just take a leap of faith.
While this can usually result in an exciting new experience, there are also people looking to take advantage of that dynamic.
For many, the idea of travelling long-term may seem virtually impossible, and the main reason is almost always related to finance.
We think that the cost of flying, public transport, staying in hotels, and seeing all the sights will leave us completely bankrupt in a very short amount of time.
The digital nomad has become a normal part of the modern world: men and women who no longer want to be part of the 9-to-5 work life, instead opting for one that allows them to travel around as much as possible. The problem with this lifestyle is that it can become extremely expensive in a short amount of time, so finding a long-term solution in terms of having a home base is imperative. This is why so many people are starting to turn to campervans for their needs, often termed “van life.”
Africa is known as the land of the brave, and for good reason. Much of the continent remains as wild as it was 100 years ago, and while there are some truly sprawling urban centres, much of it remains an adventurer’s dream. It’s also a continent that has gone through much political and economic strife over the last few decades, with countless dictators and wars that saw great suffering for the people that live there.
Travelling long term is something of a balancing act, where the traveller always has to be aware of a number of aspects to ensure that their trip goes as smoothly as possible, and one of the most important is weather.
The weather is unpredictable, and unless the traveller is going through a particularly dry area, the chance of rain is always present. And nothing can ruin a trip like a strong dose of rain; it can mould clothing, destroy electronics, and put a swift halt to any plans.
Travelling has evolved a lot over the last few decades, going from a holiday pastime to a full-time way of life, one that more and more people are jumping on, especially as more options become available. Travellers that are constantly on the road are known as perpetual travellers, and these are people that not only find themselves constantly moving from one place to another but are able to make enough money to get by.
For countless people around the world, the thought of long-term travel is one that sparks a true sense of adventure, and many people long to get away from their lives to explore the world around them. At the same time, it’s such a big commitment and there are so many myths surrounding travel that most people don’t even belief it’s worth pursuing.