Posted by: Jon & Jenn
Webster doesn't contain words that fully describe nor Canon settings that accurately depict the sights we have seen and experiences we have had; this was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. As our trip has come to an end, we have been reminiscing about the places we have gone, things we have done, modes of transportation we have taken, hotels we have stayed in, and meals we have eaten (some of these memories are far better than others). We have also received a fair number of questions and thought we would like to share those answers with all of our readers.
Starting with the most common question:
Which were your favorite countries?
We have listed the 17 countries we visited in order of favorite to least favorite, bearing in mind that even the least favorite was still great. This was an extremely difficult task, especially for the two of us to agree on one list since one of us demotes a country for a plethora of uphill hiking and the other promotes a country for such opportunities.
1. Philippines
2. New Zealand
3. Indonesia
4. Argentina
5. Nepal
6. Thailand
7. Peru
8. Brazil
9. Cambodia
10. Vietnam
11. Australia
12. Bolivia
13. India
14. Malaysia
15. Chile
16. Laos
17. Singapore
We aren't going to go through each one and give an explanation of how it found itself at that ranking, except for our number one country, the Philippines. The Philippines had the most beautiful undeveloped beaches, it was the least spoiled by tourism, and it had incredibly hospitable English speaking locals.
Webster doesn't contain words that fully describe nor Canon settings that accurately depict the sights we have seen and experiences we have had; this was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. As our trip has come to an end, we have been reminiscing about the places we have gone, things we have done, modes of transportation we have taken, hotels we have stayed in, and meals we have eaten (some of these memories are far better than others). We have also received a fair number of questions and thought we would like to share those answers with all of our readers.
Starting with the most common question:
Which were your favorite countries?
We have listed the 17 countries we visited in order of favorite to least favorite, bearing in mind that even the least favorite was still great. This was an extremely difficult task, especially for the two of us to agree on one list since one of us demotes a country for a plethora of uphill hiking and the other promotes a country for such opportunities.
1. Philippines
2. New Zealand
3. Indonesia
4. Argentina
5. Nepal
6. Thailand
7. Peru
8. Brazil
9. Cambodia
10. Vietnam
11. Australia
12. Bolivia
13. India
14. Malaysia
15. Chile
16. Laos
17. Singapore
We aren't going to go through each one and give an explanation of how it found itself at that ranking, except for our number one country, the Philippines. The Philippines had the most beautiful undeveloped beaches, it was the least spoiled by tourism, and it had incredibly hospitable English speaking locals.
Where would you want to return?
The Philippines and Indonesia are the only two places we would like to return to one day. Each have thousands upon thousands of islands so our two months in each barely scratched the surface of what they have to offer.
The Philippines and Indonesia are the only two places we would like to return to one day. Each have thousands upon thousands of islands so our two months in each barely scratched the surface of what they have to offer.
What country did you wish you didn't skip?
In South America we left out Columbia and Venezuela for lack of time and have heard from others that it was their highlight of their South America tour, so we wish we would have made time for it. Jon also would have liked to go to Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), and Bangladesh while in Asia. Jenn really wanted to make it to Egypt.
Could you live in any of the places you visited?
Jon: Yes, I would live in almost all of the countries. India didn't have enough green space for me but pretty much any of the other ones, especially Indo or Philippines.
Jenn: When we were in Kuta, Lombok in Indonesia I thought that I could have lived there. But if I'm really honest with myself I know I couldn't ever live that far from home. I enjoy the comforts of America too much...always hot shower, food that I know and can find when I want it, clean bed, friends, family...I could go on for a while...
Where could you possibly go next?
The world is a big place. A Greek Island cruise would be relaxing, Central America is nice most of the year, and Europe is on the radar (once we get grown up jobs and a bankroll).
How much money did the trip cost?
We kept a budget page for those really interested in the breakdown, but in short we budgeted $60,000 for 15 months of travel for two people. We traveled for 14 months and 10 days and spent $39,122. This includes EVERYTHING: all flights, visas, health insurance, hotels, food, activities, toothpaste, and even sending flowers to loved ones on specal occasions. Traveling the world can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it.
In South America we left out Columbia and Venezuela for lack of time and have heard from others that it was their highlight of their South America tour, so we wish we would have made time for it. Jon also would have liked to go to Mongolia, Myanmar (Burma), and Bangladesh while in Asia. Jenn really wanted to make it to Egypt.
Could you live in any of the places you visited?
Jon: Yes, I would live in almost all of the countries. India didn't have enough green space for me but pretty much any of the other ones, especially Indo or Philippines.
Jenn: When we were in Kuta, Lombok in Indonesia I thought that I could have lived there. But if I'm really honest with myself I know I couldn't ever live that far from home. I enjoy the comforts of America too much...always hot shower, food that I know and can find when I want it, clean bed, friends, family...I could go on for a while...
Where could you possibly go next?
The world is a big place. A Greek Island cruise would be relaxing, Central America is nice most of the year, and Europe is on the radar (once we get grown up jobs and a bankroll).
How much money did the trip cost?
We kept a budget page for those really interested in the breakdown, but in short we budgeted $60,000 for 15 months of travel for two people. We traveled for 14 months and 10 days and spent $39,122. This includes EVERYTHING: all flights, visas, health insurance, hotels, food, activities, toothpaste, and even sending flowers to loved ones on specal occasions. Traveling the world can be as cheap or as expensive as you want to make it.
What was the cheapest and most expensive country you visited?
Below is a list of the countries in order from cheapest to most expensive by the average dollar per day that we spent in that country. I listed them with the number that we ranked them on our favorite to least fave scale.
10. Vietnam = $33
13. India = $33
14.. Malaysia = $43
12. Bolivia = $44
9. Cambodia = $44
6. Thailand = $47
5. Nepal = $49
16. Laos = $51
1. Philippines = $51
7. Peru = $54
3. Indonesia = $58
2. New Zealand = $81
15. Chile = $93
17. Singapore = $96
8. Brazil = $110
4. Argentina = $114
11. Australia = $177
Below is a list of the countries in order from cheapest to most expensive by the average dollar per day that we spent in that country. I listed them with the number that we ranked them on our favorite to least fave scale.
10. Vietnam = $33
13. India = $33
14.. Malaysia = $43
12. Bolivia = $44
9. Cambodia = $44
6. Thailand = $47
5. Nepal = $49
16. Laos = $51
1. Philippines = $51
7. Peru = $54
3. Indonesia = $58
2. New Zealand = $81
15. Chile = $93
17. Singapore = $96
8. Brazil = $110
4. Argentina = $114
11. Australia = $177
Paying more doesn't always guarantee a better time. As you can see, the South East Asian countries and a few of the South American countries topped the fun list, yet were considerably cheaper than say Australia which didn't post as high on the "fun" scale.
What was the most expensive thing you did (excluding transportation)?
Here's the top five - amounts are the total for both of us.
1. Being robbed in Peru bus station = $2,000 worth of loss
2. Three day Whitsunday Boat Cruise in Australia = $800. We were supposed to get to dive and didn't because of the weather. We were very disappointed with the experience considering we did way more awesome cruises in Asia for fractions of the cost with better scenery.
What was the most expensive thing you did (excluding transportation)?
Here's the top five - amounts are the total for both of us.
1. Being robbed in Peru bus station = $2,000 worth of loss
2. Three day Whitsunday Boat Cruise in Australia = $800. We were supposed to get to dive and didn't because of the weather. We were very disappointed with the experience considering we did way more awesome cruises in Asia for fractions of the cost with better scenery.
3. Two day Frasier Island tour in Australia = $600. Again, the experience was not worth the money.
4. Helicopter ride over Mt. Cook in New Zealand = $560. Totally worth every penny!
5. Scuba certification for Jenn and advanced cert for Jonathan in Thailand = $460.
Which country had the best/worst Food?
Thai food is spectacular for sure. Nepalese food has Dahl Baht and other Indian curry influences as well as momos which are dumplings with veggies, cheese and potatoes, or buffalo in them. We loved momos!
Thai food is spectacular for sure. Nepalese food has Dahl Baht and other Indian curry influences as well as momos which are dumplings with veggies, cheese and potatoes, or buffalo in them. We loved momos!
Even though the Philippines was first in our hearts, it was last in our bellies. The prepared in the morning buffet that sat out all day and was cold long before lunch, and barely edible come dinner time was the worst.
What was the scariest moment of the trip?
Jon: For me it was in Indonesia when I thought Jenn had been raped and dumped into the middle of the ocean. We were in Kuta, Bali and took a boat out to a reef break that was going off. After the first set rolled through, Jenn decided it was a bit too heavy for her and she caught the next boat back. She was the only surfer to hop in that taxi and as it putted back towards shore I lost sight of it in the intense setting sun. I continued surfing for sever hours before the sun disappeared behind low clouds in the distant horizon. It was then that I noticed a taxi boat a mile offshore rocking. My concern grew as I recognized it as the taxi boat Jenn had taken alone! What if the boat driver took advantage of the situation (and Jenn). My mind continued to race through scenarios, the worst ending with her being tossed overboard to drown.
I decided to take the next taxi boat to shore to make sure she was safe and sound in the hotel. On the 15 minute walk back along the beach I dug up the area where we had buried our sandals and her's were gone but mine were still there. Phew, I felt relieved. But as I got into town I noticed her board hadn't been returned to the shop and there was no sign she had been to the hotel room. Panicked, I raced back to the beach and strained to see the taxi boat on the horizon but it was long gone. I jogged the entire length of the beach making sure she wasn't sun bathing and then redug the burial sight of our sandals to make sure I didn't overlook them. I then jogged back into town and asked the board rental shop if they had seen Jenn or had put her returned board in the back, the responded negatively to both. I returned to the hotel and asked around if anyone had seen her but no one had. She would have had to ask reception for the key to the room, making it impossible for her to return without someone knowing, this meant she hadn't returned from the beach. If she went shopping her board would have been returned, if she were hungry she would have needed money from the room, and if she were on the beach then she would have been easily spotted amongst the few sun bathing. It just didn't make sense. I returned to the beach one last time and didn't see her anywhere. I couldn't decide if I was over reacting or not so I went to the corner store and bought a chocolate covered choco popsicle and sat on the curb to clear my head. After barely enjoying the deliciousness I went back to the room and changed my sandals for running shoes. Each time I went from the beach to town (15 min on foot) or the length of the beach (40 min on foot) I was in my $1 walmart sandals that were blistering my feet hard. While changing my footwear in comes Jenn with board in tow dripping wet. Turns out she walked to a different surf break that neither of us had been to and paddled out there after the taxi boat dropped her off. Her boat driver then headed out into the middle of the ocean to do some fishing for that night's dinner. Crisis adverted.
Jenn: That's an easy question. When we first arrived in India. I was already nervous because it was a new country and our flight got in pretty late at night which is always kind of nerve-wracking. We got a hostel transfer from the airport so our driver was waiting for us. We arrived in this dark alley that reeked of human waste, rotting food, and body odor. There was hardly any lights and our driver told us that the hotel was around the sketchy corner. We were like, um no. You get out of this car and show us. Jonathan and I were sure that we were about to get robbed or that something awful was about to happen. But sure enough our driver walked us around the corner and there was a tiny doorway that had the hostel name above it. We breathed a sigh of relief and told the receptionist that we had a reservation. He sat us down, offered us a drink, made a phone call and then told us that our room was unavailable due to some kind of plumbing issue. He said that we would be transferred to another hotel and he wanted us to walk there...in the dark. The whole situation was extremely sketchy. We told him we were not walking through the alley's in the dark so he called a cab and rode with us. The new hotel was pretty bad. They put us in a room with four disgusting beds and bathroom that hadn't been cleaned ever. I made Jonathan check all the corners in the room, the window, under the beds - I was SURE that something or someone was hiding in our room ready to pounce. To say the least I was tired, terrified, grossed out and ready to leave India. It took a while for me to calm down and fall asleep. Everything turned out fine in the end but at the time we were on full guard the whole night and super terrified. That night sticks out like a sore thumb and I am so glad everything worked out.
Jon: For me it was in Indonesia when I thought Jenn had been raped and dumped into the middle of the ocean. We were in Kuta, Bali and took a boat out to a reef break that was going off. After the first set rolled through, Jenn decided it was a bit too heavy for her and she caught the next boat back. She was the only surfer to hop in that taxi and as it putted back towards shore I lost sight of it in the intense setting sun. I continued surfing for sever hours before the sun disappeared behind low clouds in the distant horizon. It was then that I noticed a taxi boat a mile offshore rocking. My concern grew as I recognized it as the taxi boat Jenn had taken alone! What if the boat driver took advantage of the situation (and Jenn). My mind continued to race through scenarios, the worst ending with her being tossed overboard to drown.
I decided to take the next taxi boat to shore to make sure she was safe and sound in the hotel. On the 15 minute walk back along the beach I dug up the area where we had buried our sandals and her's were gone but mine were still there. Phew, I felt relieved. But as I got into town I noticed her board hadn't been returned to the shop and there was no sign she had been to the hotel room. Panicked, I raced back to the beach and strained to see the taxi boat on the horizon but it was long gone. I jogged the entire length of the beach making sure she wasn't sun bathing and then redug the burial sight of our sandals to make sure I didn't overlook them. I then jogged back into town and asked the board rental shop if they had seen Jenn or had put her returned board in the back, the responded negatively to both. I returned to the hotel and asked around if anyone had seen her but no one had. She would have had to ask reception for the key to the room, making it impossible for her to return without someone knowing, this meant she hadn't returned from the beach. If she went shopping her board would have been returned, if she were hungry she would have needed money from the room, and if she were on the beach then she would have been easily spotted amongst the few sun bathing. It just didn't make sense. I returned to the beach one last time and didn't see her anywhere. I couldn't decide if I was over reacting or not so I went to the corner store and bought a chocolate covered choco popsicle and sat on the curb to clear my head. After barely enjoying the deliciousness I went back to the room and changed my sandals for running shoes. Each time I went from the beach to town (15 min on foot) or the length of the beach (40 min on foot) I was in my $1 walmart sandals that were blistering my feet hard. While changing my footwear in comes Jenn with board in tow dripping wet. Turns out she walked to a different surf break that neither of us had been to and paddled out there after the taxi boat dropped her off. Her boat driver then headed out into the middle of the ocean to do some fishing for that night's dinner. Crisis adverted.
Jenn: That's an easy question. When we first arrived in India. I was already nervous because it was a new country and our flight got in pretty late at night which is always kind of nerve-wracking. We got a hostel transfer from the airport so our driver was waiting for us. We arrived in this dark alley that reeked of human waste, rotting food, and body odor. There was hardly any lights and our driver told us that the hotel was around the sketchy corner. We were like, um no. You get out of this car and show us. Jonathan and I were sure that we were about to get robbed or that something awful was about to happen. But sure enough our driver walked us around the corner and there was a tiny doorway that had the hostel name above it. We breathed a sigh of relief and told the receptionist that we had a reservation. He sat us down, offered us a drink, made a phone call and then told us that our room was unavailable due to some kind of plumbing issue. He said that we would be transferred to another hotel and he wanted us to walk there...in the dark. The whole situation was extremely sketchy. We told him we were not walking through the alley's in the dark so he called a cab and rode with us. The new hotel was pretty bad. They put us in a room with four disgusting beds and bathroom that hadn't been cleaned ever. I made Jonathan check all the corners in the room, the window, under the beds - I was SURE that something or someone was hiding in our room ready to pounce. To say the least I was tired, terrified, grossed out and ready to leave India. It took a while for me to calm down and fall asleep. Everything turned out fine in the end but at the time we were on full guard the whole night and super terrified. That night sticks out like a sore thumb and I am so glad everything worked out.
These are some of things we wanted to share that we thought everyone would like to know. If you have any specific questions, comment to this post and we'll reply with our answers!
Thank you so much for taking this journey with us! It has been amazing to get your emails, comments, questions, and love! We are so lucky that we got this opportunity and glad that we got to share it with you through our blog. But don't go anywhere yet! Jonathan has sent me some sneak peaks at his photos from Africa and the pictures are incredible. As soon as he gets back we will get his posts started!!! Here's one picture that he sent me - I can't wait for more!!!
Thank you so much for taking this journey with us! It has been amazing to get your emails, comments, questions, and love! We are so lucky that we got this opportunity and glad that we got to share it with you through our blog. But don't go anywhere yet! Jonathan has sent me some sneak peaks at his photos from Africa and the pictures are incredible. As soon as he gets back we will get his posts started!!! Here's one picture that he sent me - I can't wait for more!!!
As far as life at home goes for Jenn...I am anxiously awaiting Jonathan's return to the states because I am missing him like CRAZY! But I am really enjoying the extra time I am getting with my family. I haven't spent this much time at home since before college!